WPCC extends deadline for equity-focused data consultant proposals

Update 4/5/2022: The Waite Park Community Council has extended the deadline for proposals to May 1, 2022.

The Waite Park Community Council is seeking proposals from equity-focused data consultants for the creation, implementation, and analysis of surveys and focus groups for our Equitable Engagement Plan. The Council's goal is to meaningfully engage marginalized communities that have been historically underrepresented in neighborhood decision making. The goal of the surveys and focus groups will be to gather information from the communities of interest including: BIPOC neighbors, older adults, and residents who rent in the community. 

 The Council is accepting proposals until Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at https://forms.gle/7QvHwNWWBfTPvnT2A

 Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience creating, implementing, and analyzing surveys and/or focus groups

• Ability to design and implement surveys and/or focus groups at a neighborhood scale

• Two references from previous clients 

👉 Why you should attend our annual neighborhood meeting 👈

The Waite Park Community Council (WPCC) invites all community members to attend and participate in its annual neighborhood meeting and board election from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Due to COVID-19, the event will be held via Zoom. To receive login info, register at https://tinyurl.com/wpcc2022

Why should I attend the annual neighborhood meeting?

The event is an opportunity to meet neighbors, hear from local elected officials, and learn about WPCC programs and volunteer opportunities, including the election of new board members and officers.

You will get to hear short updates from our local elected officials, including Ward 1 City Council Member Elliott Payne, District 1 Parks Commissioner Billy Menz, School Board Vice-Chair Jenny Arneson, County Commissioner Irene Fernando, State Sen. Kari Dziedzic, and State Rep. Sydney Jordan.

Also: There will be door prizes! We will raffle off prizes throughout the evening from local businesses including: Cosmic Coffee, Eastside Food Co-op, Herbivorous Butcher, I Like You, Marino’s Deli, Modern Age District Repurpose, Parkway Pizza, Sarah Jane’s Bakery, and Schemespace Community Makerspace.

What is the Waite Park Community Council?

We are a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)3 organization recognized by the City of Minneapolis as the neighborhood representative of Waite Park. Founded in 1954, the WPCC serves as a forum to address a broad range of issues, including, but not limited to, housing, safety, livability, community building, and sustainability, as well as annual neighborhood events. 

What does a board member do?

Volunteer board members are expected to attend and participate in monthly board meetings, in which we vote on spending proposals, discuss board policies, speak with city officials, address community issues, and more. There are also opportunities to serve on committees related to equity engagement, events, neighborhood funding, environmental issues, and more. 

Board members are energetic, community-minded leaders, who can help the WPCC and the Waite Park neighborhood thrive. WPCC works to enhance the quality of life in the Waite Park neighborhood by facilitating neighborhood engagement, embracing a diversity of voices, and fostering community development. 

Ok, I might be interested. How do I join the board?

Any person 18 years or older residing, working, owning property or a business in the Waite Park neighborhood is invited to participate in the annual board election. The neighborhood’s boundaries are Central and Stinson avenues, between 37th Avenue and St. Anthony Parkway.

To become a candidate for election to the board, eligible individuals need to be present at the meeting, express their interest, and provide a few words on how they would like to support the Waite Park community. Attendees who meet membership requirements will vote to elect candidates to the board.

Are there other ways to get involved?

Yes! We are always looking for community members to help drive initiatives and volunteer at events. We also want to hear from you and learn what you need from the council. 

WPCC to vote on reallocating NRP home loan income to pay for 2022 garden, rebate programs

The Waite Park Community Council at its March 31 board meeting will consider reallocating $25,000 in income from its home improvement loan program to cover expenses related to its community garden, rain garden partnership, and rebate programs for 2022.

The money has been accumulating for several years as borrowers have repaid loans from the council’s home improvement loan program, part of its Phase 2 Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). Under the city’s policy, the council must issue a 21-day notice before reallocating funds to a different program.

The money would be used to help pay for adding plots to the Waite Park Community Garden, cover the neighborhood’s costs for its rain garden partnership with Metro Blooms, and continue to fund the neighborhood’s block club and safety and security rebate programs.

The March 31 board meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Meeting link will be posted at https://waiteparkneighborhood.org.

Waite Park community garden update and budget discussion

The Waite Park Community Garden is welcoming new gardeners this year! If you’d like to sign up for a plot, registration is open between March 1 and March 31 for new gardeners. Plots cost $25 each and require 6 hours of garden service over the growing season.

Register here: https://bit.ly/WPCGregister

The Waite Park Community Council received an update from community garden president Karl Gilbertson at its regular board meeting on Feb. 24, 2022. The council also approved the garden’s requested $6,100 budget for the year.

Save the date: Waite Park Community Council annual meeting and board election set for March 3

The Waite Park Community Council (WPCC) invites all community members to attend and participate in its annual neighborhood meeting and board election from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Due to COVID-19, the event will be held via Zoom. All attendees must register at https://tinyurl.com/wpcc2022

The event is an opportunity to meet your neighbors, hear from local elected officials, and learn about WPCC programs and volunteer opportunities, including the election of new board members and officers.

Our local elected officials, including Ward 1 City Council Member Elliott Payne, District 1 Parks Commissioner Billy Menz, County Commissioner Irene Fernando, State Sen. Kari Dziedzic, and State Rep. Sydney Jordan, will provide short updates on their recent priorities.

WPCC board members will update the neighborhood on the board’s accomplishments in 2021. They include drafting a plan to improve engagement with three underrepresented groups: renters, seniors, and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).

The board’s priorities for 2022 include building on the success of last year’s revived fall festival, as well as education and outreach to homeowners about hurtful and discriminatory racial covenants that remain in an estimated 200 housing deeds in our neighborhood.

WPCC is a volunteer-powered organization. We receive a small annual budget from the city to cover some administrative costs, but we depend on people giving their time and energy to make our programs and activities a success.

Any person 18 years or older residing, working, owning property or a business in the Waite Park neighborhood is invited to participate in the annual board election. The neighborhood’s boundaries are Central and Stinson avenues (between 37th Avenue and St. Anthony Parkway.)

This year’s election includes seven board of director positions. Each term lasts two years. Board members are expected to attend monthly board meetings on the last Thursday of the month. They are also strongly encouraged to participate in committees that make our programs and events happen, for a total volunteer commitment of about 5-10 hours per month.

In addition to filling seven board seats, members will also elect a president and vice president. The president is responsible for presiding over meetings and seeing that board orders and resolutions are carried out, as well as other administrative duties on behalf of the organization. The vice president shares similar duties in collaboration with the board and president.

To become a candidate for election to the board, eligible individuals need to be present at the meeting, express their interest, and provide a few words on how they would like to support the Waite Park community. Meeting participants will vote to elect candidates to the board.

The Waite Park Community Council is committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and neighborhood. All are encouraged to attend and volunteer for a board seat, regardless of experience. Please join us at the table to create an inclusive neighborhood for everyone!

Waite Park Community Council adopts Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statement, land acknowledgement

The Waite Park Community Council at its Jan. 27 board meeting voted to adopt a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) statement and a land acknowledgement statement:

DEI Statement

We believe our organization and neighborhood will benefit from being more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are committing to improving our engagement of underrepresented groups. We acknowledge that our community has benefited from past injustices, from the taking of Dakotah land to racist real estate practices. We are committed to listening, learning, self-reflection, and taking action with the hopes of becoming a more welcoming organization and community.

Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that Waite Park is located on stolen Dakotah land, land that was formerly inhabited by the Wahpekute (Wah-puh-koo-tee) of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Oh-cheh-tee Shah-koh-win), meaning Seven Councils of Fire. The people are also known to us as the Dakotah. The land that is now Waite Park was ceded to the United States of America on July 29, 1837 with the Treaty of 1837. The land included in this treaty travels southeast from what is now St. Cloud, Minnesota to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This includes the sacred place of Bdote in the southern Metro area. This land was ceded by the Dakotah with the trust and understanding that they would be paid, in addition to having their rights to hunt, fish and gather. The U.S. government didn't follow through on any of these conditions, instead forcing their removal from their homeland in Minnesota through the Indian Removal Act of 1863. To this day, there is still legislation in place stating that the Dakotah people aren’t legally allowed to live in the state of Minnesota. 

We pay reverence to those who came before us, not solely through the speaking of this acknowledgment, but most importantly, by doing the work to honor them: through examining white privilege, engaging in discussions about anti-racism, and bringing racial equity to the forefront of the decisions we make as a board so that our neighborhood is accessible to all. Both slavery and genocide played a role in the founding of the state of Minnesota; we keep all those who are impacted in our hearts and minds as we work towards creating a better present. 

Join us for two neighborhood meetings about our Equitable Engagement Plan

You are invited to attend two public meetings to aid the development of Waite Park’s Equitable Engagement Plan. Please come share your thoughts on strategies that promote the engagement of everyone who lives and works in Waite Park; especially engagement in WPCC decision-making by those who have been historically underrepresented. 

The Equitable Engagement Plan (EEP) is a new requirement for neighborhood organizations to be recognized by the city and eligible for funding under the city’s Equitable Engagement Fund. More information is available here.

There will be a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 17 and an in-person meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 28 (either outside at Waite Park or inside the community center), both at 7pm.

Please RSVP for the meeting link and more location details by completing this form.

If you would like to submit suggestions related to the development of the plan or get involved in the development of the EEP beyond the two public meetings, please contact waiteparkcc@gmail.com.