Citizens For A Loring Park Community

2021 SAW OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SLOWING COMING BACK FROM THE PANDEMIC AND CIVIL UNREST. THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOST THROUGH THIS PERIOD WAS HEARTBREAKING, BUT THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES ABLE TO SUSTAIN WAS HEARTWARMING. WE DID NOT PURSUE OUTDOOR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS IN 2021. IT WAS TOO EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC. WE CONTINUED ELECTRONIC WAYS FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND DID NOT PROMOTE IN-PERSON MEETINGS. WE PROMOTED STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES AND PREPARED GRAPHICS IN ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNICATIONS. THE STATE WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN THEIR GUIDANCE, THEIR MEDIA TOOLS, AND THEIR INFORMATION. NEIGHBORHOOD STAFF LISTENED TO THE WEEKLY HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES AND THEN WOULD JOIN ON ZOOM TO DISCUSS AND ASSIST EACH OTHER WITH PLANNING & OUTREACH IDEAS. COMMUNITY MEETINGS CONTINUED TO PICK UP. OUR MONTHLY NICOLLET SAFETY COALITION CONVERTED TO A ZOOM MEETING IMMEDIATELY, AND WE DID NOT MISS A MONTH. MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES EXPERIENCED PROPERTY DAMAGE FOLLOWING THE CIVIL UNREST IN MAY & AUGUST 2020, AND THE VANDALISM AND ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS IN BUSINESS PARKING LOTS AND PUBLIC SPACES BEGAN TO INCREASE. BUSINESSES SUFFERING DUE TO PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS NOW SUFFERED DUE TO CRIME. THIS BECAME THE #1 PRIORITY NEIGHBORHOOD WIDE AND FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. PROPERTY OWNERS DONATED FUNDS TO BRING IN '21 DAYS OF PEACE', A DEDICATED AND INFORMED ORGANIZATION OF NORTH SIDE MINISTERS TO NICOLLET AVENUE. GAMBLING HAD TAKEN OVER A CITY LOT, OPEN AIR GUN BATTLES FROM CARS WERE FIRED MANY TIMES, STRIKING BUSINESSES OR TRANSIT SHELTERS. RESIDENTS COULD NOT FREQUENT THEIR BUSINESSES OR TAKE THE BUS OR WALK ANYWHERE. ADDITIONALLY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC WITH FREQUENT STAYS BY PEOPLE LIVING IN CARS. COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WERE CRUCIAL TO ABATING THESE SOCIETAL AND UNADDRESSED CONCERNS. '21 DAYS OF PEACE' BROUGHT PEACE BY MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY WERE, KNOWING FAMILIES, AND LISTENING. CLPC CONTINUED TO GET RESOURCE INFORMATION OUT ON COVID 19 AND ON EMERGENCY DISASTER FUNDS FOR BUSINESSES AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY. WE CONTINUED TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP AND EMAIL DISTRIBUTION. WE CONTINUED TO PLACE INFORMATION ON OUR FACEBOOK AND WEBSITE. THE PANDEMIC, THE CIVIL UNREST, THE INCREASE IN VIOLENCE AND LAWLESSNESS, AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES FOUND OUR ORGANIZATION SHIFTING PRIORITIES TO CURRENT NEEDS VERSUS LONG TERM STRATEGIES, BEING VERY FLUID AS ISSUES AROSE, AND WORKING VIRTUALLY VERSUS IN PERSON WITH CONCERNS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WITH THE STILL PRESENT PANDEMIC. CONSTITUENT CALLS AND EMAILS CONTINUED TO INCREASE DURING THIS PERIOD; 1:1 CONVERSATIONS AND FOLLOW UP DIRECTED OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEER TIME. SLOWLY, WE BEGAN TO REBUILD OUR PROGRAMMING AND PROJECTS. CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS REQUESTED A VIRTUAL MEETING TO DISCUSS PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE SAFETY AT 14TH & LASALLE. THIS ENGAGEMENT OCCURRED AND THE OUTCOME WAS AN IMPROVED DESIGN PLAN THROUGH MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC WORKS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN 2022. CLPC ORGANIZED AN ONLINE ANNUAL MEETING WITH AN ONLINE BALLOT FOR ELECTING BOARD MEMBERS. IT WAS A WELL-ATTENDED MEETING. GUEST SPEAKERS AND REPORTS ON COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES WERE FEATURED IN THE PROGRAM. FINANCIAL AND FUNDRAISING REPORTS WERE PRESENTED. OUR BERGER FOUNTAIN TASK FORCE BEGAN TO MEET MONTHLY AGAIN. WE UPDATED THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD AND DEVELOPED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO SEARCH FOR A CONSULTANT TEAM TO RESEARCH AND REPORT ON BERGER FOUNTAIN REDESIGN AND OPTIONS FOR COST ESTIMATES TO RESTORE IT. THE RFP WAS POSTED WITH SELECTION OF CONSULTANT AND WORK TO BEGIN IN 2022. VANDALISM, DUMPING, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE BEGAN TO IMPACT RAYITO DEL SOL EARLY LEARNING CENTER ON AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNED BY THE STATE. WE PURSUED AND DEVELOPED AN AGREEMENT FOR A COMMUNITY / MNDOT ROADSIDE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT. MNDOT LANDSCAPER DESIGNED A PLAN TO ENCOURAGE SAFETY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. A WORKGROUP WAS PUT TOGETHER AND INPUT GATHERED. THE PLAN WAS APPROVED, AND A REQUEST TO THE CITY WAS PUT TOGETHER TO ACCEPT THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE PLANTING MATERIALS. THE INSTALLATION OF THIS PROJECT WAS PROPOSED FOR SPRING 2022. OUR HENNEPIN/LYNDALE PROJECT CUT BACK ON EXPENDITURES THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, AND THE COALITION DID NOT MEET. INDIVIDUALLY, ALL PARTNERS LOOKED OUT FOR THIS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND COMMUNICATED BETWEEN EACH OTHER AS NEEDED. SEVERAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS WERE HELD ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS. WE HAD PRESENTATIONS ON PROPOSED MINNEAPOLIS CHARTER AMENDMENTS, WE HELD A CONVERSATION WITH OUR PARK SUPERINTENDENT, WE HAD A PRESENTATION BY DR LEE FRELICH/U OF M FORESTRY DIRECTOR, AND WE HOSTED A REQUESTED MEETING FOR THE MINNESOTA STATE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT ON GYPSY MOTHS AND NEEDED ABATEMENT IN LORING PARK. WE HELD A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION AND VISIONED THE FUTURE USE OF SPRUCE PLACE AS PART OF MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE'S MASTER PLAN UPDATE. THE COLLEGE SOLD A HISTORIC PROPERTY, THE ALDEN SMITH MANSION AND ADJACENT LAND, TO A DEVELOPER. THE RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC PROPERTY OCCURRED IN 2021 AS DID THE NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR ADJACENT APARTMENTS. REGULAR REPORTS ON PROJECT STATUS WERE COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY VIA OUR NEWSLETTER. ADDITIONALLY, WE WORKED WITH MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION STAFF TO ORGANIZE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THE LORING PARK TENNIS COURT RECONSTRUCTION AND TO DESIGN A NEW CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND. ADMINISTRATIVELY, WE USED TIME TO IDENTIFY AND MEET NEW PROPERTY OWNERS & BUSINESSES FROM THE NEW HOUSING BUILT & OPENED JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. WE UPDATED OUR NEWSLETTER LIST, CONTINUED TO SEND 2 ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS PER MONTH, UPDATED OUR WEBSITE, AND REGULARLY POSTED ON THE CLPC FACEBOOK. VOLUNTEERING IN THE LORING PARK GARDENS CONTINUED WITH MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. THIS PROVIDED A MUCH-NEEDED RELEASE TO CITY CHALLENGES. SPOTS FOR THE URBAN FOOD GARDENS FILLED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF POSTING THE AVAILABILITY. CLPC'S ROLE WAS TO PROMOTE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GARDEN. ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY CONTINUED TO DELIVER MASKS, SANITIZER, SUPPLIES, AND FOOD TO RESIDENTS NEEDING ASSISTANCE. CHURCH SERVICES FROM THE FAITH COMMUNITY CAME ONLINE AND WAS A HUGE BENEFIT TO MANY. CLPC CONTINUED TO HOLD MONTHLY VIRTUAL BOARD MEETINGS ON THE OPERATIONS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION. ORGANIZATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTS WERE REVIEWED AT EACH MEETING. THE MAIN FOCUS CONTINUED TO BE CHECK IN ON EACH OTHER, ON AREAS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ON BUSINESSES AND IDENTIFYING NEW NEEDS OR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED. 2021 CONTINUED TO BE A FLUID YEAR FOCUSING UPON EMERGING ISSUES AS THEY AROSE, WHILE SLOWLY BEGINNING TO RE ACTIVATE PROGRAMS.