Annual Report 2007-2008
(Presented at March 27, 2008, annual meeting)
Saint Anthony West - Established 1849
Greetings From the Chair ...
As chair of the St. Anthony West Neighborhood Organization (STAWNO), it is my honor to present this annual report documenting the success of our efforts in 2007-2008. We have continued to grow our organization to the point where we have become the acknowledged leaders in developing programs to serve the unique needs of our community - programs that have been adopted by many of the other Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood groups as well as neighborhoods throughout the city.
We face continued challenges in our efforts to revitalize our neighborhood. The rebuilding of Historic Marshall Street, the new park at the B.F. Nelson site, a proactive vision for public safety, and continuing community outreach are but a few of the projects we must monitor in order to have them be “the best they can be” for our community. Our main commitment remains improving the housing stock of our community, with a new focus on providing affordable homeownership opportunities. Our commitment to public safety improvements is ongoing.
I want to thank the members of our neighborhood who have volunteered to serve on the Board of Directors. Without their efforts in planning and implementing our programs and the high standards they have set, we could not continue to be the finest neighborhood in the city of Minneapolis. We had a great year ... let's work hard to have an even better year!
Michael Rainville
Michael Rainville Sr.
Chair
St. Anthony West Neighborhood Organization (STAWNO)
909 Main St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-8886
STAWNO Board of Directors, 2007-2008
Meg Beekman
Dan Brady
Marshall Collier
Jerry Evans
Peter Gamades (Treasurer)
Tony Hofstede (Vice Chair)
Lydia Jarmulowicz
Bob Margl
Todd Parker
Rochelle Prondzinski (Secretary)
Michael Rainville Sr. (Chair)
Joyce Vincent (Alternate 1)
Janet Lenius (Alternate 2)
Jim Jarvis (Alternate 3)
Beth Greffin (Alternate 4)
Ben Grans-Korsh (Student Representative)
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Year In Review
I. HOUSING
Partners: Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC), Housing Resource Center,
Saint Anthony East Neighborhood and the Sheridan Neighborhood
• Housing Resource Center:
Operated by Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC). Located at 909 Main St. NE (lower level). Assists homeowners, renters and property owners in all 13 Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods with a broad array of home ownership and improvement financial tools. Several programs are available to meet the individual needs of many Northeast residents. More than 320 households in the Saint Anthony West neighborhood have been served by the center, and more than 8,100 people from Northeast Minneapolis have been provided with 11,500 services since it opened in 1995. The overall investment in the housing stock of Saint Anthony West grew past $2.1 million in 2007.
• NRP Purchase / Rehab Program:
The Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) has acquired 16 properties within Saint Anthony West. Fourteen of these properties have already been rehabbed or acquired and sold. A new home has been built at 140 8th Ave. NE as well as at 721 2nd St. NE. We look forward to working with GMHC to buy and rehab more homes as funding permits.
• NRP Home Improvement Loan Program:
STAWNO so far has provided 95 NRP Home Improvement Loans for a total amount of over $1.5 million invested. The original funding for this NRP program was $490,000. Loan limits are $15,000 for a single-family home and $30,000 for a duplex, at four-percent interest.
II. ENVIRONMENT
Partners: Minneapolis Planning Department, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Mississippi River Coordinating Commission (a division of the National Park Service), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hennepin County, Above the Falls Citizens Advisory Committee, Groundwork Minneapolis, Eastside Bike Task Force
• Planning efforts:
Groundwork Minneapolis (converting brownfields into greenfields)
Pierre Bottineau - continued support for the new library and fountain at Grain Belt site
B.F. Nelson Site Task Force - creating our neighborhood vision
Upper River Plan - guiding its implementation
Public Flower Gardens
Plans to Upgrade Main / Marshall Streets - with Hennepin County
MEND (Mississippi Eastside Neighborhood Development) Corp. - Joint powers agreement with Sheridan, Bottineau and Marshall Terrace neighborhoods - major land-use issues
18th Avenue Bikeway, in cooperation with MEND, the Eastside Bike Task Force and Transit for Liveable Communities
• NRP Programs:
Through the STAWNO NRP Home Improvement Program, STAWNO assisted neighbors with their home energy efficiency needs.
Many residents needed new windows, furnaces, air conditioning and roofs, and they were able to install these by taking advantage of the four-percent interest rate loan that STAWNO provided.
III. PUBLIC SAFETY
Partners: Saint Anthony East Neighborhood, Nicollet Island/East Bank Neighborhood, Second Police Precinct,
and Community Crime Prevention / SAFE, Old St. Anthony Association
• Neighborhood programs:
St. Anthony West currently has 14 block club leaders. Our goal is for the neighborhood to become 100-percent organized with block clubs and to have one McGruff House for every block. Neighborhood block clubs have mobilized to move some youth behavior problems out of the Saint Anthony West neighborhood.
• NRP programs:
The Cops On Bikes Program is a collaborative effort in which STAWNO has teamed up with two other neighborhoods, Saint Anthony East and Nicollet Island / East Bank, to fund a 15-year community policing project. “Cops On Bikes” are effective because the police are visible, and they get to know the residents. The program runs during the higher crime months, from mid-May through mid-September.
IV. AWARDS
PIONEER AWARD: To acknowledge the outstanding efforts of a Saint Anthony West resident
Presented to Lydia Jarmulowicz
LIGHTHOUSE AWARD: To acknowledge the outstanding service provided by a government employee
Presented to Shanna Hanson
PRESIDENT'S AWARD:
Presented to Rochelle Prondzinski, Meg Beekman, Dan Brady and Bob Margl
“MASTER SGT. DAN LAWLER” AWARD: To acknowledge outstanding devotion and commitment to
public safety
Presented to Ron Reier, Minneapolis Park Police
V. FUTURE
A. HOUSING
• Resources remaining in the NRP Home Improvement Loan Program:
STAWNO currently has approximately $25,000 in NRP funds available for home improvement loans at a four-percent interest rate, payable over a 7- to 10-year term. There have been no late payments, and this successful program will generate future loans for Saint Anthony West residents. We have issued 95 loans as of the end of 2007.
• Resources in the NRP Purchase / Rehab Program:
STAWNO intends to improve the quality of our aging housing stock by utilizing the resources available through the Purchase/Rehab Program. STAWNO will continue to work with the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) by purchasing homes in need of rehabilitation. We have targeted five empty homes and hope to rehab one or two.
B. ENVIRONMENT
• Clean up, develop and fund the B.F. Nelson Park and freshen Boom Island Park
• Continue to support the Groundwork Minneapolis chapter (National Park Service)
• Create bikeways on 18th Avenue and Marshall Street
• Assist in implementing the Upper Mississippi River Plan
• Traffic calming strategies and cul-de-sac beautification
• Upgrading Main/Marshall Streets in conjunction with replacement of Main Street bridge
• Add more trees on boulevards
C. PUBLIC SAFETY
• Work with our neighborhood's Hennepin County prosecutor and parole officer
• Involve Hennepin County judges in the neighborhood
• Block Club and McGruff House organizing
• Attend Second Precinct Advisory Council meetings
• Continue the Summer Cops On Bikes Patrol with the Second Precinct (mid-May through mid-September)
Petition City Council to establish mandatory staffing levels at the Second Precinct
Attend Third Ward CARE Committee meetings
Continue “311 Walking Club”
D. COMMUNITY BUILDING
Partners: Catholic Eldercare, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, “Celebrate N.E.!”parade, Pierre Bottineau Community Library, MN Historical Society, Northeast Business Association, and all Eastside neighborhoods
• Fourth neighborhood fundraiser was held in 2007 and raised over $10,000 for community projects
• Work with East Hennepin community to utilize the new police substation
• Continue to work with Bottineau, Sheridan and Marshall Terrace neighborhoods to utilize MEND (Mississippi Eastside Neighborhood Development) Corporation to cooperate on issues that affect all of us
• Block Club Projects
• Continue to enhance neighborhood Web site
• Pierre Bottineau Library - support park and fountain
• Enhance citizen participation through active solicitation of neighborhood members to join the Land Use and Planning Committee, Outreach and Fundraising Committee, B.F. Nelson Park Committee, and Crime, Safety and Liveability Committee
Build on outreach efforts through the “311 Walking Club”
ELECTION
Nominations and Election of the STAWNO Board of Directors
11 board members
4 alternates
Saint Anthony West Neighborhood Organization
909 Main St. NE (lower level)
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-8886
www.stawno.org
Thank you to our partners!
We do not tolerate discrimination.