September 2018 Neighborhood Night Recap

Every month the Folwell Neighborhood Night hosts Neighborhood Night where residents come together to share a meal, get to know each other, and organize around the topics they care about. To learn more about this pilot program, click here.Below you will find the notes taken from the evening.Neighborhood Night Monday Sept. 17, 2018 5:30-8:30pm Folwell Park Food: Hui Chinese Food on Lowry and Dupont 30 people in attendance Board Members: Nate Streeter, Buzzy Bohn, Stacey HendersonAgreements: A set of guidelines for healthy dialog is always discussed at the beginning of each gathering. This is a living document to ensure that we can create a space where people can speak their truth without fear. These were the guidelines agreed upon by the group present.

• No hitting
• Respectful
• Be positive
• Courteous
• Open Minded
• Fail Forward
• Truthful
• Yes and...
• Help your Neighbor
• Put cell phones on Silent
• Start from a place of love rather than fear

We ate, then took about 20 min to introduce ourselves to the whole group. The question for this gathering was, “What did you do stay cool this weekend?”Once finished, we listed the topics folks wanted to discuss. We had many special guests in attendance from the city and police department. Those folks are listed at the end along with their contact info.Crime and Safety: Chair - Buzzy: buzzy@folwell.org

• Issues: While there were issues such as the Penn ave construction, death memorials and speeding and four wheeling traffic, the conversation centered around the general “crime” and issues facing the community. With many officers present and a large turn out of folks, the conversation became about what are police issues and what are community response issues. Solutions centered around how does a community get involved with the safety of all residents.
• Solutions/Action Items: Stated in general ideas/terms, these will be flushed out by a handful of residents and presented back.

○ We need alternative solutions to calling police: People are calling the cops for non police issues○ Knowledge of when to call police and when not to call police○ Diverse approach to a variety of issues○ More Neighbor Interaction○ Find Occupants for empty homes○ Folks need more access: to jobs, to resources, to housing, to support, food, etc■ Neighborhood Connectors need job opportunities to hand out to folks○ National Night Out could be a great way to meet your neighbor○ Need more local block parties all year round○ Citizen Academy○ How do we move past fear?■ Engagement■ Knowledge■ Experience■ Community Organizing○ Vehicle and Traffic Issues: SeeClickFix (on google play and apple store)○ Contact Community Engagement Police team. Create a community Liaison○ Contact/Locate landlords of problem propertiesC.L.E.A.N. Team: Chair - Kathleen: clean@folwell.o

• Issues/Topics: Clean Sweep is Oct. 6-13.
• Sign up was passed around for folks to adopt a block and participate

• It was confirmed that Metro Transit will maintain trash receptacles at the new bus stops on Penn.
• Businesses on Lowry were provided with information about the Minneapolis adopt-a-litter-container program.
• A leaf rake will be planned for early November.

• A note was posted on the sign by a resident: “Can we change the name of this committee to the Green Team. It still communicates health and sustainability, cleanliness and participation but it expands broader than just cleaning. Also, “enforcing/encouraging” clean neighborhoods has been used as a weapon against low income folks in the past. This could represent a wider participation in the neighborhood.

 Folwell Farmers Coalition: Chair - Dani: danielle@folwell.org

• Penn Ave Garden is hosting a Harvest fest on Saturday Oct. 27 with Cleveland Neighborhood Association. This is also a part of the Penn Ave Safety Grant. There will be free pumpkins, food, music, photo booth, apple cider and bonfire. Volunteers are needed. Contact Dani if you want to help!
• Movie Night at Love Garden: Oct. 13 located at 34th and Penn. Contact Tecar for more info tecar@folwell.org

Housing: Chair: Chair - Mysnikol: mysnikol@gmail.com

• No issues were brought forward, but Mysnikol was available for any concerns brought forward from the community.
• Results from the housing survey will be made public next month.
• Housing resource list to finished this month
• Folks want resources for home repair

Communications: Chair - Debbie: debbie@folwell.org

• Folwell Flyer out Sunday Sept. 23
• Email info@folwell.org for more information

Welcome Packet:○ Stacey, Nate, Dani are working on this.○ Research residents who’ve lived in Folwell in the past two years○ While making new residents feel welcome, how are we making residents who have lived here a long time feel welcome? Policy and Civic Engagement: Chair - Josh: josh@folwell.org

• Early Voting begins Sept. 21
• Folwell Annual Meeting Nov. 12 at Folwell Park.

Evaluation: Each Neighborhood Night is always concluded with an evaluation of how the night went. We ask folks to give a one word recap. These were the words given:

• Lovely
• A+
• A lot of engagement
• Informational
• Go Team
• Informed
• Wooow
• Transformative
• Impressed
• Amazing
• Gratifying

Special Guests in Attendance:Cory Fitch: Community Officer for Folwell - 612-673-5704/cory.fitch@minneapolismn.gov Bill Magnuson: Crime Prevention Specialist - 612-673-5778/william.magnuson@minneapolismn.govJeffrey Hayes: LGBTQ Liason - 612-417-8731/jeffrey.hayes@minneapolismn.gov Julianne Leerssen: Manager of Equity & Inclusion - 612-673-3094/julianne.leerssen@minneapolismn.gov Alice White: Neighborhood Directed Patrol - 612-685-0754/Alice.White@minneapolismn.govEthrophic Burnett: Council office Associate - 612-269-7142/ethrophic.burnett@minnapolismn.govGeorge Warzinik: Officer - 612-673-5704/george.warzinik@minneapolismn.govDanny Lindholm, Alliance for Sustainability, danny.lindfield@gmail.com