Fulton Safety committee report: February, 2012

(Submitted by Dave Delvoye)

Fulton neighborhood crime reports

January 10 At about 9:35 p.m., police at 50th & Drew stopped a vehicle which had a headlight out and an air freshener suspended from the rear view mirror. Officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle as they approached. Officers found a drug pipe and suspected marijuana in the center console. Officers found a freshly packed marijuana pipe in the glove compartment. A three-year-old child in the back seat said that the pipe was “mommy’s”. The driver of the vehicle, 25-year-old Nicole Patricia Welters-Silber of Richfield, was cited for a traffic violation and possession of drug paraphernalia. The front seat passenger, 25-year-old Jennifer Lynn Luzar of 1025 Portland Ave, was arrested for a felony warrant out of Dakota County. Another pipe and baggies with marijuana residue were found in her purse. The vehicle was towed.

January 13 Between 10 p.m. and noon, an unknown suspect forced entry to Edina Creamery, 5055 France Ave. No loss was reported.

January 24 At about 5:40 p.m., police recovered a stolen vehicle near 50th & Thomas. The vehicle had been stolen from an address on the 2600 block of 2nd Ave South on 12/26/11.

Other crime reports: Linden Hills, Armatage, Kenny, Lynnhurst

Forced entry property crimes

January 13 Between January 13 and 16, unknown suspects broke into a home on the 5400 block of Emerson in Kenny and took unlisted items.

January 19 Between 10:45 p.m. and 8:25 a.m., an unknown suspect broke out the driver’s side window of a vehicle which was parked on the street near 54th & Vincent in Armatage and rummaged through the vehicle. No loss was reported.

January 23 Between 8 a.m. January 23 and 8:15 a.m. January 24, a home on the 5500 block of Fremont in Kenny was burglarized.

January 26 Between midnight and 6 a.m., unknown suspect(s) entered a vehicle which was parked in a driveway on the 5100 block of Oliver in Lynnhurst and took Swedish coins valued at $1. The suspect(s) used the garage door remote opener which was in the vehicle to gain access to the garage and took 18 bottles of beer and two bikes. The bikes were found nearby and recovered by the victim.

Unsecured property

January 5 Between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., an unknown suspect rummaged through a vehicle which was parked in front of a home on the 6100 block of Russell in Armatage. No loss was listed. The victim stated that he probably forgot to lock the vehicle’s doors.

 Other incidents

January 19 At about 7:15 a.m., a masked male entered Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery, 4953 Penn Ave, demanded money at gunpoint, and fled northbound on Penn Ave.

January 19 At about 11:25 a.m., police responded to a complaint about a person panhandling at an exit ramp at Crosstown Highway 62 & Xerxes Ave. 48-year-old Steven Richard Afalla was cited for trespassing.

January 24 At about 1:40 a.m., police stopped a vehicle at 60th & Xerxes in Armatage for failing to stop at a Stop sign. 29-year-old Derrick Kerry Simmons of 4648 4th Ave South was arrested for driving with a suspended license and a felony arrest and detention warrant for 3rd degree assault causing significant bodily harm.

January 24 At about 10:30 p.m., a suspect chased a victim through Armatage Park and assaulted him in front of an address on the 5700 block of Sheridan. The suspect took the victim’s wallet which contained cash and other items. Police arrested 19-year-old Terron Robert Dobine of 5435 Penn Ave South for robbery of person. Dobine has prior convictions in Minnesota for giving police a false name, fleeing police on foot, and possession/sale of a small amount of marijuana.

January 28 At about 1:10 a.m., police at 53rd & Humboldt in Lynnhurst stopped a vehicle which failed to stop at a Stop sign. A 17-year-old male was cited for a curfew violation. The male, who lives nearby, parked the vehicle and was escorted home by officers who spoke with his parents.

The Fulton Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 28, at 7 p.m.

at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 France Ave.

(Submitted by Dave Delvoye)

Fulton neighborhood crime reports

December 17 Between 10:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m., an unknown suspect entered a vehicle which was parked on the street at 53rd & Zenith, rummaged through it, and took two prescriptions.

December 28 Between 8:25 a.m. December 28 and 8:20 a.m. December 30, an unknown suspect forced open the side door of a home on the 5100 block of Vincent, entered the home, rummaged through drawers, and took unlisted item(s).

December 29 Between 8:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., an unknown suspect entered a home on the 5100 block of Xerxes through the rear door and took unlisted item(s). There was no sign of forced entry.

December 29 At about 7:55 p.m., police responded to a burglary at a home on the 5100 block of Xerxes. An unknown suspect entered through the rear door and ransacked part of the house. The loss was unknown at the time the report was made.

December 31 Between 1 and 2 p.m., numerous watches were stolen from Live, Laugh, Love Gifts, 5019 France Ave. Police obtained suspect information from the business.

December 31 Between December 31 and January 2, an unknown suspect broke a large window at Southwest Firestone, 5009 Xerxes Ave, and took unlisted item(s) from the business.

Other crime reports: Linden Hills, Armatage, Kenny, Lynnhurst

Forced entry property crimes

December 1 Between 9 p.m. December 1 and 3:30 p.m. December 2, an unknown suspect broke out the rear window of an SUV which was parked in the rear driveway of a home on the 5600 block of Morgan in Armatage and took an amplifier and two speakers.

December 3 Between 5:15 p.m. December 3 and noon December 4, an unknown suspect entered a garage on the 5400 block of Bryant in Kenny through an open overhead door. The suspect forced entry to a vehicle which was parked inside and took unlisted items.

December 6 Between December 6 and 8, an unknown suspect entered a garage on the 2000 block of West 49th St in Lynnhurst and took a bike.

January 4 Between 3 p.m. January 4 and 5:40 a.m. January 5, an unknown suspect took a checkbook from a vehicle which was parked at an address on the 6100 block of Thomas in Armatage.

January 8 At about 11:30 p.m., police were dispatched to an alarm at the Holiday Station, 5601 Xerxes Ave. A manager also responded and secured the store. A suspect stole an unknown number of scratch-off lottery tickets.

Unsecured property

December 19 Between 10 p.m. and 5:20 a.m., an unknown suspect entered a garage on the 3900 block of Chowen in Linden Hills through an unlocked service door and took unlisted item(s) from two unlocked vehicles which were parked inside.

December 23 Between 3 p.m. December 23 and 10:30 a.m. December 24, unknown suspect(s) took two bikes from a garage on the 5600 block of James in Kenny. The homeowner was unsure if the garage door was locked and there was no sign of forced entry.

December 27 Between 3 and 5 a.m., an unknown suspect entered a home on the 5100 block of Colfax in Lynnhurst through an unlocked rear door and took $35 cash from a wallet on the kitchen table and a laptop computer from a chair in the living room.

January 5 Between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., an unknown suspect rummaged through a vehicle which was parked in front of a home on the 6100 block of Russell in Armatage. No loss was listed. The victim stated that he probably forgot to lock the vehicle’s doors.

December 30 Between 11:30 p.m. and 9 a.m., an unknown suspect entered an occupied home on the 1900 block of West 49th St in Lynnhurst through an unlocked front door and took unlisted item(s).

Other incidents

December 21 At about 2:55 a.m., police responded to a report of two males looking into vehicles in the area of 39th & Upton in Linden Hills. Officers found a 15-year-old male walking eastbound on 39th St. The male was cited for a curfew violation and transported to the Curfew center.

December 22 At about 12:05 a.m., police cited a 16-year-old male for a curfew violation at 54th & Queen and transported him home.

December 23 At about 2:25 a.m. at 39th & Abbott in Linden Hills, police arrested 29-year-old Jacob Lawrence Linn of 1010 Currie Ave, the Salvation Army Harbor Light shelter, for a felony narcotics violation. The suspect was in possession of a large amount of suspected marijuana.

December 29 At about 3 p.m., police responded to a complaint about a panhandler at Crosstown Highway 62 & Xerxes Ave. 50-year-old Kevin Charles Smith of 3633 Chicago Ave was arrested for a misdemeanor warrant for aggressive panhandling.

January 3 At about 8:10 p.m., a person was sitting inside a vehicle at an address on the 4900 block of Dupont in Lynnhurst. Unknown suspects opened a door of the vehicle, took a purse, and fled.

January 7 At about 2 a.m., police were dispatched to a fight at an address on the 3900 block of France in Linden Hills. Officers found a male lying on the ground in the backyard, being held down by two friends because he was intoxicated and out of control. The suspect admitted drinking alcohol. 20-year-old Vicente Michael Cerbantes of Inver Grove Heights was cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor.

January 7 At about 9:35 a.m., an officer responded to a complaint about a person panhandling with a sign at Crosstown Highway 62 & Xerxes Ave. The officer noted that this is an ongoing problem at this location. The area owned by the state Department of Transportation is posted for No Trespassing. The officer cited 60-year-old Linda Mae Gagnon, no permanent address, for trespassing. While the officer was speaking to her, the suspect stepped into the street to obtain money from a vehicle which was stopped at a red light.

January 7 At about 11:35 a.m., a clerk at Settergren Ace Hardware, 5405 Penn Ave, saw a male suspect conceal merchandise in his coat. The clerk confronted the suspect and found that he was using a bungee cord as a shoplifting tool. Police arrested 42-year-old Brett Roger Bamonte of Northfield for felony possession of shoplifting gear. Bamonte has prior convictions in Minnesota for disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, driving while intoxicated, falsely reporting a crime, possession of a small amount of marijuana (2), possession of drug paraphernalia, and 5th degree felony possession of a controlled substance, along with a large number of vehicle license, registration, and traffic offenses.

The Fulton Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 31, at 7 p.m.

at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 France Ave.

FNA Board Meeting

Board Members Present: Jeremy Abbs, Jeff Alden, John Finlayson, Steve Haslach, Brad Orschel, Jim Tincher and Steve Young

Meeting called to order at 7:05pm.

Minutes: Minutes from the December 14, 2011 FNA meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer’s Report discussed as part of 2011 Financial Review (see below).

Street Resurfacing Project: Chris Trembath from the City of Minneapolis Public Works Department presented a street resurfacing project scheduled for Upton Ave (54th St. to 43rd St.). This street’s quality is deteriorating, but is still in good enough shape to qualify for street resurfacing rather than the more costly replacement. The project will take two days, usually consecutive days but not guaranteed. Prior to the resurfacing, Center Point Energy has determined that they will need to replace a gas main under the street. It is not known exactly when this will start or how long it will take. There will be an assessment to homeowners for the resurfacing project. The next public hearing on this project will be 3/27/2012 at Pershing Park.

Council Member’s Report: No report was received from Council Member Hodges.

Pershing Park Director’s Report: Nikki Friederich reported that the skating rink at Linden Hills Park is now open. Linden Hills Winterfest is on Friday, 1/27/2012 from 6:30pm-8:30pm. This event will include outdoor activities, a bonfire, carriage rides, etc. Nikki reviewed the new park permit system. Renovations to the bathrooms and HVAC system are being planned.

Fulton 2011/2012 Financial Review and Budget: Fulton bookkeeper Rae Ann Vandputte presented a year-end review of FNA’s financial status and a proposed 2012 budget. The NRP Committee will review the budget at its next meeting and will make recommendations back to the Board for approval at the February FNA Board meeting.

Coordinator’s Update: Ruth Olson reported on damage to the Information Kiosk. An insurance claim will be filed.  The current Welcome Packet Coordinator would like to pass these duties on to a new volunteer. Ruth will advertise for a new Coordinator and will review the information and distribution system in the meantime. The Board updated their Conflict of Interest Policies.

Committee Reports:

• Safety: Dave Delvoye confirmed that funding was continued for our Crime Prevention Specialist. There has been an uptick in crime, but that is typically expected at this time of year.

• Housing: The four current Housing Programs were reviewed. Jeff Alden will speak with Ahndi Fridell about the effectiveness of the programs and where to go from here.

Old Business: The blue high intensity LED light at Holiday is still on and bothering residents. Holiday did not get a permit for this sign. The City of Minneapolis is researching how to handle these new types of signs.

New Business: none

Meeting Adjourned at 8:45 pm.

Present

John Finlayson, Jim Tincher, Dave Delvoye, Ruth Olson

Minutes

The committee approved the minutes of the 12/7/11 meeting.

Administrative items

There is a new system for reserving meeting rooms at Pershing Park.

Safety Committee

The names of those who receive the monthly safety e-mail update from FNA will be removed from the committee’s mailing list.

50th Street streetscape

The illuminated FNA sign at 50th & Washburn has been damaged: the door is off the hinges, although the glass was not broken. Ruth, who retrieved the door, will check with Steve Young about how to proceed.

There are complaints about the excessive level of illumination of the new sign at the Holiday station at 3700 West 50th St.

Community Engagement

FNA needs to recruit a new volunteer to organize, assemble, and distribute the neighborhood welcome packets. It appears that there is no longer a supply of the packets. There was a discussion about the role played by block contacts in delivering the packets to new residents, and there was some uncertainty about how the whole system works. Ruth will try to locate the list of block contacts.

Fulton Neighborhood News

There was a discussion about whether FNN should continue to be published six times a year. With the changeover in funding from NRP to NCR, it may now be possible to include paid advertising in the newsletter.

NRP update

An additional $3,385 of Fulton NRP Phase 2 funds has become available to contract. There is still about $131,000 unavailable to contract due to the City’s decision in 2010 to use uncontracted NRP Phase 2 funds to help solve some of its buget problems.

Notes prepared by Dave Delvoye

Minutes of December 14, 2011

FNA Board Meeting

Board Members Present: Jeremy Abbs, Jeff Alden, Ellen Berner, Meg Cowden, John Finlayson, Steve Haslach, Brad Orschel, Erle Savage, Lynn Steele, Jim Tincher and Steve Young

Meeting called to order at 7:01pm.

Minutes: Minutes from the November 9, 2011 FNA meeting were approved with one correction.

Council Member’s Report: No report was given as Betsy Hodges was unavailable due to a budget meeting.

Treasurer’s Report: There was no report. A full report will be available at the next meeting on 1/11/2012.

Pershing Park Director’s Report: The new Park Director, Nikki Friederich was unable to be at the meeting but sent a report ahead of time. Registration is ongoing for park programs and building renovations are expected to begin in 2012. Steve Young will request an update from the area Park Superintendent in the New Year.

Coordinator’s Update: The new Coordinator, Ruth Olson, introduced herself to the Board and neighbors. She presented the Board with an award from Community Energy Services for high participation in the energy efficiency home visit program. A $2500 grant was received as part of this award.

Committee Reports:

• Safety: Dave Delvoye thanked the Board for writing a letter of support to find funding for all 18 Crime Prevention Specialists. Mayor Rybak was able to find funding within the MPD budget to fund these positions for 2012 and has directed the Police Chief to fund the positions beyond 2012.

• NRP Implementation: The CPP Budget Extension was proposed and reviewed. John moved to approve the budget as presented; Lynn seconded the motion. Motion carried by unanimous vote.

• Zoning:

o A variance request has been approved by the City to allow for an outdoor kitchen at Broder’s Pasta Bar.

o The Waters on 50th development has submitted their application to the Planning Department and requested two variances. Ellen Berner noted that the Zoning Committee has met since the application was filed and is recommending no opposition to the proposal. Many questions and comments were received. Jay Jensen, Developer, was present to respond to all comments and answer questions. Construction is expected to begin in late spring and will last 18 months. The following Board actions were taken:

1. In regards to the Conditional Use Permit to increase the maximum allowable height of a structure, John moved that FNA not oppose the CUP; Jim seconded the motion. Motion carried by a unanimous vote.

2. In regards to the Conditional Use Permit to allow assisted senior living, John moved that FNA not oppose the CUP; Meg seconded the motion. Motion carried by a 10-1 vote.

3. In regards to the Developers request for Tax Increment Financing from the City of Minneapolis, John moved that FNA oppose the application of TIF; Steve seconded the motion. Motion carried by a 6-4 vote with one abstention.

Old Business: none

New Business: none

Meeting Adjourned at 8:00pm.

Present

John Finlayson, Jim Tincher, Dave Delvoye, Ruth Olson

Administrative items

The committee welcomed new NRP coordinator Ruth Olson and shared information about policies, procedures, and current projects with her. Ruth will meet with the president of FNA and the former NRP coordinator to gather further information and will ask FNA’s accountant for an update on the status of NRP and NCR funding.

Minutes

The committee approved the minutes of the 11/2/11 meeting.

Farmers Market

There was a discussion about how FNA could put its resource table to better use at the market next year, perhaps by focusing its outreach efforts there and either selling or giving away promotional items.

Safety Committee

The City Council Budget committee has come up with a plan to retain all of the Police department’s Crime Prevention Specialist positions in 2012. FNA had asked Council Member Hodges to prevent proposed budget cuts to that program. The City Council will approve its 2012 budget on 12/14.

50th Street streetscape

There was a discussion about the illuminated FNA sign at 50th & Washburn. Ruth will ask the former NRP coordinator for details about accessing the sign and changing the message.

NCR Contract Amendment

The City Finance department has informed FNA that, due to an adjustment in the formula for allocating funds based on 2010 census numbers, its NCR funding for 2012 will increase by $1,474.72, bringing the total allocation to $21,225.67. To receive the additional money, FNA needs to revise its NCR-related budget for 2012 and sign an amended agreement. The committee recommended that the Board submit the contract amendment and revised budget to the City.

Notes prepared by Dave Delvoye.

A representative of the City of Minneapolis Public Works Department will present more information about this project and be able to answer any questions at the upcoming Fulton Neighborhood Association Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 11th. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Pershing Park (3523 W. 48th St.).

Resurfacing removes part of the pavement surface and places a new layer of asphalt over the entire street surface. The work typically only takes 2 days in front of anyone’s home, one day for pavement removal and a second day for asphalt replacement.

There is an assessment associated with this project.

The developer from Waters Senior Living will present the preliminary plan for a 4-story, 90-unit senior housing development for neighborhood review and comment.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, please feel free to email your comments to info@fultonneighborhood.org.

Read the Fulton Neighborhood News, December 2011

www.fultonneighborhood.org

Mr. Jensen incorporated feedback from the July Zoning Committee meeting into revised designs that he presented at the Aug. 10 FNA meeting. Project details, resident questions and comments were recorded in the meeting minutes. For more info about the development and to read the minutes, visit our Housing/Zoning page and scroll down to read the information contained in the “Requested Variances” chart. FNA is taking further comments on the proposed project via email at info@fultonneighborhood.org. Mr. Jensen will also attend the Sept. 14 FNA meeting to provide updates, show additional architectural drawings and listen to community input.

HamDog will open at 9 a.m. and Alison Scott takes the stage at 11 a.m.

There’s something for everyone: Live music all morning, bike parade (decorate at 10:30, parade with SW High Marching Band at 11), fun food, petting zoo, inflatables, silent auction, marketplace, kids’ games, used book sale & much more.

Contact Rhea Sullivan, FNA Coordinator, to volunteer your time, donate an item to our Silent Auction, rent a table at our Marketplace: 612-922-3106.  Please drop your used books to Linden Hills Library, 2900 West 43rd St., or to Lynn Steele, 4905 Abbott Ave. S.

Fulton’s 3rd Annual Food Drive

ITEMS NEEDED MOST (high-protein foods)
Chili, beef stew, canned meats, peanut butter, hearty soups, dried peas/beans, rice
WE ALSO APPRECIATE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Toilet paper, diapers, deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothpaste
Drop a bag of food at Pershing Park prior to the Festival or the day of the event

Come help the Simply Jane Art Studio create a food sculpture using the donated items.  You can also make monetary donations.  Make checks payable to Joyce Uptown Food Shelf.

For every $1 donated, we can distribute more than $9 worth of food and grocery items.

Questions?Contact us at 612-922-3106 or info@fultonneighborhood.org.