NIEBNA will be hosting a Membership Meeting on Thursday, September 19, at 6pm. This meeting will take place in the Riverplace Garamond Training Room, located at 43 Main Street SE.  At the end of the meeting, electronic ballots for Nicollet Island-East Bank community voting will be distributed by email. You can request a ballot here; you will receive it on September 19th.

• Voters will have 72 hours to complete their online ballot (the NIEBNA voting period ends at 8 pm on Sunday, September 22nd).

• Ballots can be requested while the voting period is open from September 19th - 22nd.

Because we expect a number of questions on September 19th, NIEBNA would like to receive as many of these as possible in advance. Responses to these questions will be posted to this dedicated webpage, and will be shared at the membership meeting on September 19th. 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS

We also highly recommend taking the time to read the materials already available on this site, many of them will have the answers that you are seeking.

Key Documents Worth Reading

• Report: East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership: Merging Organizations, Not Neighborhoods
• Presentation: East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership: Merging Organizations, Not Neighborhoods (to be presented in September 2024)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Plan of Merger (approved by all 3 boards in August 2024)
• Plan of Merger Summary
• Exploratory Report by Willow Consulting (published October 2023)
• Partnership Staff Job Description
• University Neighborhoods Partnership grant application (2023, City of Minneapolis)
• University Neighborhoods Partnership grant application (2024, Good Neighbor Fund)

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The following are questions received by NIEBNA since 9/12/2024: submitted questions will be in blue. Responses will be in black.

While we can discern that these neighborhoods may look and feel different, the neighborhood associations that work on their behalf are not only structured similarly but have created plans and priorities that have align well. The merger proposal before you in not intended to erase the differences between neighborhoods, it is about creating a sustainable organization that can help each neighborhood tackle the things that matter to them.

Look at an abbreviated list of well-known issues and think about which neighborhood it applies to:

• The impact of proposed housing and commercial developments
• The challenge of protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes in relation to declining availability of on-street parking
• The need for pollinator-friendly community gardens and shade trees to help mitigate the
• impacts of climate change
• Improving pedestrian crossings and making sidewalks accessible for all
• Creating opportunities for public art, historic commemoration, and boosting neighborhood pride
• Increasing the number of litter/recycling containers, utility box wraps to minimize graffiti
• Hosting community events and meetings, both large and small, for either celebrating, honoring, or simply informing residents, businesses and their patrons they serve about community issues and plans
• Protecting, strengthening and enhancing business districts; supporting local businesses and the people who work within them
• And most importantly, keeping everyone informed about all of these, and much more, through a vast array of online and offline communications strategies

No matter the perceived differences between the Nicollet Island-East Bank, Marcy-Holmes, and Como neighborhoods, the bulleted list above applies equally to all three. The organizational structures and objectives found within each of their associations reflect this.

Their specific committee names may be slightly different, but all 3 organizations work on reviewing land use projects and new businesses, have environmental task forces working plantings, gardens and trees, and attend countless meetings with Hennepin County, MnDOT and Public Works about challenging projects.

The boards of NIEBNA, SECIA, and MHNA have recognized that as their neighborhoods continue to evolve, the effectiveness and sustainability of neighborhood organizations has become increasingly critical. The East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership will enhance resource allocation, strengthen advocacy, streamline operations, and ultimately result in a more unified and effective voice for the communities they represent. Here’s how:

Enhanced Resource Allocation

Currently, each association operates independently, managing its own budget, fundraising efforts, and volunteer base. This fragmentation has often led to inefficient use of city resources, with each organization duplicating efforts in areas such as administrative functions, community events, and communication strategies. As a single entity, these neighborhoods can pool their financial and staffing resources, leading to greater efficiency and impact.

A unified organization would benefit from economies of scale, allowing for more strategic use of funds. A combined budget could support more significant community improvement projects, such as park enhancements, safety initiatives, or environmental sustainability programs. Additionally, a single organization would have a stronger appeal to grant-making bodies and potential donors, as it would represent a larger, more cohesive community.

Strengthened Advocacy and Influence

Merging associations would strengthen their advocacy. Currently NIEBNA, MHNA, and SECIA advocate for similar issues—affordable housing, transportation improvements, and environmental sustainability—yet they do so independently. This can result in diluted efforts and a weaker overall impact when engaging with city officials, developers, and other stakeholders.

By representing a larger, more diverse population, the merged entity could command greater attention and influence in city hall and beyond. A unified organization would be better positioned to form strategic partnerships with other community organizations, businesses, and governmental agencies. With a broader base of support and a more unified message, the East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership can drive meaningful change more effectively than the individual organizations can currently achieve on their own.

Streamlined Operations

Each organization currently has its own board of directors, staff, and administrative processes, resulting in in redundancies and inefficiencies. For example, each association must allocate time and resources to tasks such as meeting planning, financial reporting, and member communications—tasks that could be streamlined if managed by a single entity.

A single board of directors, supported by streamlined committees and task forces, could oversee the combined entity, ensuring that decisions are made with a broader perspective and that resources are used more effectively. A unified organization would also benefit from a more cohesive communication strategy. Currently, each association maintains its own website, social media presence, and newsletter, leading to potential confusion among residents and stakeholders.

 

The East Bank Neighborhood Partnership would provide a platform for residents from all its neighborhoods to collaborate more effectively on community-building initiatives. Whether organizing neighborhood festivals, launching beautification projects, or advocating for social justice issues, a merged organization could create a sense of shared purpose and pride among residents. This, in turn, would strengthen the social fabric of the neighborhoods and contribute to a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient community. Moreover, a single organization could better represent the diverse voices within these neighborhoods, ensuring that the perspectives of all residents are heard and valued. By fostering greater inclusivity and collaboration, the merged entity could help bridge divides and promote a stronger sense of belonging among all community members.

 

2. If the merger vote fails, can we expect changes to programming/opportunities in future to stay solvent/stable? (A.N.)

If a merger vote fails in NIEBNA, a few things will likely happen:

• NIEBNA will continue to spend their limited, non-renewable NRP program funds to cover any gap in overhead. Once those uncontracted funds ($60,665.34) are spent, NIEBNA's city funding will be limited to $20,000 annually ($15K can go to overhead, such as staff, rent, insurance, etc, with the remaining $5K going toward engagement activities).
• NIEBNA could apply for additional grants, but many of them do not allow for funds to be used on pre-existing, or ongoing costs.
• NIEBNA would have to begin a robust, persistent fundraising campaign(s) if it hoped to spend anything over the $20K the city awards to NIEBNA each year if it remains compliant with the city's program requirements.

3. If the merger fails, would we consider another attempt? (A.N.)

The city awarded this group with a $20K Collaboration and Shared Resources grant; there are no additional funds available for another attempt. Any new effort would have to be funded by residents (it’s unlikely that the City would allow NIEBNA to use its own city-supplied funds (Neighborhood Network Fund / Equitable Engagement Fund) for a new merger attempt.

The $25K grant received from the Good Neighbor Fund would also not be available, $15K of this latter grant went to legal services for this merger effort, the remaining $10K will be going to a new website for the organizations that decide to merge)

4. If the merger fails, would we consider a merger with a different NO? St. Anthony West? North Loop? (A.N.)

That could be something explored after this current process but would be subject to the funding constraints mentioned above.