November Hawthorne Business Committee Minutes

HAWTHORNE AREA COMMUNITY COUNCIL BUSINESS COMMITTEE
11/30/07 Johnny A’s

Attending: Jim Wentzell (Co Chair), Georgianna Yantos, Dennis Werneke (Secretary), Grover Jones, WBBAC & NEON
Bryan Thao Worra, HACC, Sherm Malkerson, Valeng Cha, HACC, Mike Christenson, CPED, Erik Hansen, CPED, Leroy Smithrud,


Meeting was called to order@ 8:37 am by Jim Wentzell

MSC The minutes for September and October were approved with some minor changes.


StepUp Achieve program
Jim Wentzell and Valeng Cha gave an update on the StepUp Achieve program.
The same motion that we approved last April was approved again with some slight changes that the “Student intern work 10 to 40 hours per week” Valeng will reintroduce this motion to the HACC board for approval for 2008.

In further discussion, Jim Wentzell recommended that he thought that HACC board should pay for ½ the tuition for the two student interns that Dennis Werneke of American Chemical Inc took on this last summer, because he was of the understanding that because this Business board and HACC board approved original motion last April and May. Unfortunately, HACC did not follow through with the original plan to implement the plan before the program started.
MSC “A motion of recommendation for the HACC board try to locate some NRP funds to pay up to $2000 to American Chemical Inc. for sponsoring two student interns this last summer.” Dennis Werneke with American Chemical Inc. said that any reimbursement should be less than $1500. Dennis Werneke abstained from the vote of this motion.

Mike Christenson with CPED gave an updated as to the progress on what is happening in North Minneapolis.

Coloplast, Inc will be building a $45,000,000 corporate headquarters at approximately 1600 West River Road.
The city of Minneapolis will be supplying some “Claw Back” TIF money for hiring North Minneapolis students in the future.

Penn & Lowry development is moving along fine and the Aldi’s will be opening in the beginning of February.
There is a need for some sort of banking service at this intersection.

Penn & Broadway is looking better and that there are some development and improvements underway.

Penn & Plymouth, we will soon be seeing some development by the U of M.

Mike suggested that Hawthorne could help coordinate getting this good new out to the Hawthorne Huddle at a future meeting.
Erik Hanson and Mike Christensen could put on a power point presentation as to what positive changes have happened in North Minneapolis.

Mike’s 3 big things (wish list) he would like to see happen in the near future.

1 Communicate with the community after a deal is done not before. This can be partially achieved by the Huddle.
2 Put together a community process to address the housing issues with all the boarded up homes on North 4th Street, just north of Broadway.
3 Put together a panel or task force on the reuse of the Broadway and Washington Avenue intersections.

Erik Hansen mentioned that it looks like Master Development will put on a second floor where Irv’s Bar is (after the roof signage lease expires in the spring ) and develop that corner. And that they will then move into this property and that “Way to Grow” will be moving into their existing space.

Next meeting –January 25th, 2008 at Johnnie A’s

Meeting adjourned @ 10:00 am