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DISTRICT 10 COMO COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Board Orientation and Retreat
December 9, 2007, 12:00 p.m.
Historic Streetcar Station
1224 N. Lexington Parkway
St. Paul, MN
Directors present: David Arbeit, Sharon Frisell, Chai Insook, Luke Kuhl, Mike MacDonald, John
Marino, Marcy Micek, Dennis O’Rourke, Nancy Sabin, Matt Schmitt, and Nathan Volz.
Directors absent and excused: Sehoya Cotner
Staff present: Sue McCall, Community Organizer
1. Introductions: Getting to Know Us!
David Arbeit called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m. He led an exercise in which the Board
members introduced each other and themselves.
2. A Profile of the Como Community
Using maps and census data, David Arbeit gave an overview of the Como area.
3. District Councils as a Framework for Citizen Participation
David Arbeit discussed the history and role of District Councils.
4. A Brief History of the Como Community Council
The Board reviewed the list of past chairs and where they are today.
5. Reviewing the 2007 Work Plan
The Board reviewed each of the goals of the Citizen Participation and Neighborhood Crime
Prevention grants, and how much of each had been accomplished.
6. Exercise: Council Achievements/Council Disappointments
Each Board member wrote one achievement and one disappointment on post-its, and these were
read aloud. They are as follows:
Achievements
• Council works – lakeshore improvement, water quality, plantings
• Creation of Events and Institutions committee and increased communication with the
institutions of the neighborhood (State Fair, Como Park campus)
• Land Use committee volunteers, work, and achievements
• Local area outreach on Land Use issues
• Petition to create Watershed District
• Increase awareness of council through newsletter
• Creation of Capitol Region Watershed District
• Annual Cleanup
• Empower the community and protect the community
D10 Retreat Minutues (12-09-07)
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• Collaborated with residents and dozens of organizations, businesses, institutions, and city
officials in 4-year Land Use Plan development
• Retained a talented community organization through the most challenging Board leadership in
8 years
Disappointments
• Rely too much on staff – committees must do their own work
• Communication on major developments in the Park
• Don’t try to put too many things in an agenda that cannot be covered in the allotted time of a
meeting
• Hmong Festival
• Lack of information on District activities
• Inability to engage the community through active participation
• Failure to stand up for the protection of Como Park
• A lot fewer DC newsletters than used to be distributed
• Lack of communication
• Lack of guidance from ’06-’07 chair, support for staff, guidance to committees, and financial
management
• Best to form as a team (orientation), then norm (more in-depth work e.g.), then storm (get
goals completed, in-depth discussion, strategy development)
7. Understanding NonProfits: Best Practices
Nancy Sabin presented information on best practices of nonprofits.
Parking lot issue: Explore the Open Meeting law and what is ok to discuss in emails or
conversations outside of Board meetings.
8. Understanding Financial Statements: District 10 Funding
Marcy Micek presented tutorial on understanding financial statements.
9. Exercise: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
There was no time for this agenda item.
10. Exercise: Setting Goals for 2008
There was no time for a full discussion of this item, but David Arbeit gave his definition of goals,
objectives, and activities.
Goals – high-level (not measurable), strategic
Objectives – tactical rather than strategic, measurable
Activities – how the objectives are accomplished, more specific
Dennis O’Rourke said that committees should be involved in goal-setting was important and that
he hoped they would be allowed to set their goals rather than having them set by the Board.
11. Wrap Up: What Now?
No time for this item.
The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Marcy Micek