Author Archives: Dan Dorff

April 2024 Board Minutes and Financials

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MinutesBalance SheetIncome StatementCash Flow

Minutes of the April 10th, 2024

Ventura Village Board of Directors Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 6:04pm by Chair Marti Maltby

Present: Elizabeth Ihde, Ray Peterson, Steve Dreyer, Marti Maltby, Thor Adam, Patti Peterson, Rico Morales, Kellen Gustafson

Excused: Nardal Stroud

Motion: (Dreyer/Ihde) To approve the agenda for the April 10, 2024 meeting. Passed

Motion: (Ihde/Morales) To approve the minutes for the March 13, 2024 meeting. Passed

Motion: (Dreyer/Ihde) Recommendation 2404-1: Approval of the annual report submitted to NCR. Amended to: Approval of the submission of the annual report to NCR. Passed 

Motion: (R. Peterson/Dreyer) Approval of MOUs for Equitable Engagement Implementation. Amended to: Approve the four MOU’s contingent on the MOU’s for Hope Community and Banyan being reviewed and approved by the executive committee and the written changes on the SomFam MOU and the one change on the Peace House MOU changing from 20 to 10 on the first bullet point. Passed (Maltby abstained)

Motion: (Ihde/Dreyer) Receive and file the financial report. Passed

Motion: (Morales/Dreyer) Adjourn at 6:37. Passed

Special Board Meeting called at 7:54pm by Chair Marti Maltby

Board nominates Bashe Said for board membership. This vote will happen at the May General Membership meeting. 

Meeting adjourned at 7:57pm. 

2024-04-BD-Minutes-1Download

March 2024 Board Minutes and Financials

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MinutesBalance SheetIncome StatementCash Flow

Minutes of the March 13th, 2024

Ventura Village Board of Directors Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 6:06pm by Chair Marti Maltby

Present: Elizabeth Ihde, Ray Peterson, Steve Dreyer, Marti Maltby, Thor Adam, Patti Peterson

Unexcused: Rico Morales, Kellen Gustafson

Motion: (R. Peterson/Dreyer) To approve the agenda for the March 13, 2024 meeting. Passed

Motion: (R. Peterson/Dreyer) To approve the minutes for the February 14, 2024 meeting. Passed

Motion: (R. Peterson/Dreyer) Recommendation 2403-1: To allocate $500 from Ventura Village’s undesignated funds to establish engagement of targeted groups (e.g. purchase of gift cards). Passed

Motion: (Dreyer/P. Peterson) Recommendation 2403-2: Recommendation for Committee chairs:

Housing and Land Use –  co-chairs Thor Adam and Ray Peterson

Crime and Safety – Thor Adam

Community Engagement – co-chairs Steve Dreyer and Rico Morales

Parks – co-chairs Mary Watson and Thor Adam

Wellness and Gardening – co-chairs Steve Dreyer and Rico Morales

Passed

Motion: (R. Peterson/Ihde) Move that the officers of Ventura Village, Inc. be instructed to file a Charitable Organization Annual Report for the year ending December 31, 2023 with the Attorney General’s Office of Minnesota pursuant to state Laws governing charitable organization soliciting or intending to solicit contributions in excess of $25,000 or having paid staff or using a professional fundraiser, and that the content of that report, as presented in the draft are approved. Passed

Motion: Process for approval for direct “on-line” payments.  For example: Bremer Insurance is asking for direct payment for Directors and Officers Insurance. There was much discussion. The decision was made to create an ad-hoc committee to deal with online payments.

Motion: Approval of MOUs for Equitable Engagement Implementation

(R. Peterson/Dreyer) Move approval of MOU with Norway House. Passed – See below for MOU details

Motion: Opioid Community Survey. Motion details: (Maltby/Ihde) Ventura Village will disseminate the City’s Opioid Community Survey as widely as possible. Passed

Motion: (R. Peterson/Dreyer) Receive and file the financial report. Passed

Adjourned due to time

2024-03-BD-Minutes-1Download

April 2024 General Membership Minutes

By Membership Minutes

Minutes of the April 10th, 2024
Ventura Village General Membership Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Chair Marti Maltby
Those present at the meeting introduced themselves. Throughout the meeting 16 members attended. Kali Pliego (CPS) gave the CCP/SAFE Crime & Safety Update. No one attended from the City Council office to give an update.

Motion: (Rich/Ihde) Approval of the April 10, 2024 proposed agenda. Passed (13 yes/0 no/1 abstain)

Motion: (Morales/Ihde) Approval of the March 13, 2024 minutes. Passed (11 yes/0 no/1 abstain)

Motion: (Morales/P. Peterson) Adjourn at 7:54pm. Passed (13 yes/0 no/0 abstain)

2024-04-GM-Minutes-1Download

March 2024 General Membership Minutes

By Membership Minutes

Minutes of the March 13th, 2024
Ventura Village General Membership Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 7:07pm by Chair Marti Maltby
Those present at the meeting introduced themselves. Throughout the meeting 14 members attended. Kali Pliego (CPS) and Inspector Gomez gave the CCP/SAFE Crime & Safety Update. No one attended from the City Council office to give an update.

Motion: (Watson/Ihde) Approval of the March 13, 2024 proposed agenda. Passed (9 yes/0 no/1 abstain)

Motion: (Dreyer/Ihde) Approval of the February 14, 2024 minutes. Passed (7 yes/0 no/5 abstain)

Motion: (R. Peterson/Watson) To allocate $500 from Ventura Village’s undesignated funds to establish engagement of targeted groups (e.g. purchase of gift cards). Passed (14 yes/0 no/0 abstain)

Motion: (Ihde/Dreyer) Adjourn at 8:17pm. Passed (12 yes/0 no/0 abstain)

2024-03-GM-Minutes-1Download

Four Sisters Farmers Market Info and Events

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Four Sisters Farmers Market Announces Opening Day June 6th

Four Sisters Farmers Market, a project of the Native American Community
Development Institute (NACDI), is celebrating its 10th year in operation with its opening day at their
flagship location on the American Indian Cultural Corridor, located at 1414 E. Franklin Avenue,
Minneapolis MN 55404. Opening day will include a celebratory raffle with music provided by
James Harvin, a local Afro-Indigenous (Nahua) artist from Harlem, New York, at Noon. The day
is set to have over a dozen vendors with food available from the new Pow Wow Grounds food
truck, Frybread Factory.
“We are very excited for this season,” states Market Manager, Destiny Jones. “Everything from
our programming to our location is made with the community in mind. We hope to continue our
tradition of sharing and celebrating Indigenous culture while greeting both new and familiar
faces.”
About Four Sisters Farmers Market
A seasonal market dedicated to cultural placemaking, food access, and Indigenous values, Four
Sisters strives to provide increased access to affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate, local
foods to communities within the neighborhood. Four Sisters promotes systems change and
expands the definition of food sovereignty to be a more inclusive, accessible practice across
Indigenous communities and beyond.
The 2024 market season will run from June 6th to October 31st.

Events List with Four Sisters Farmers Market

Jun 6, 2024 Opening Day and Raffle – Music by James Harvin

Jun 13, 2024 Herb Planting at FSFM with Four Sisters Urban Farm and Ti Peta Wakan Owozu

Jun 20, 2024 Celebrating the Summer Solstice with AMRA Farmer’s Market Artist in Residence Natchez Beaulieu & Artists Market

Jun 27, 2024 Food Demo with Simone Rendon of Edible Arts MN

Jul 4, 2024 No Market – Happy Holidays!

Jul 11, 2024 Music at the Market – Downtown Jada Brown & Band

Jul 18, 2024 Get to Know Plant Medicines with AMRA Farmer’s Market Artist in Residence Natchez Beaulieu & Artists Market

Jul 25, 2024 Food Demo with Gatherings Cafe & Book Signing with Teresa Peterson

Aug 1, 2024 Food Demo with Indigenous Food Labs and Edible Boulevards/ Herb Planting at FSFM with Four Sisters Urban Farm and Ti Peta Wakan Owozu

Aug 8, 2024 Music at the Market – Annie Humphrey

Aug 15, 2024 Water is Life with AMRA Farmer’s Market Artist in Residence Natchez Beaulieu 

& Artists Market

Aug 22, 2024 Narcan Training with Deon Kirby of Indigenous People’s Task Force

Aug 29, 2024 Vinyl and Vibes with Watheca Records and Hennepin County Library

Preservation Celebration! (Sept 5 – Oct 4)

Sep 5, 2024 Quick Pickling Food Demonstration with Vannesa Casillas of Dream of Wild Health

Sep 12, 2024 Music at the Market – Jada Brown

Workshop Sep 13, 2024 Preserving Food (Freezing Basics) with Midtown Farmers Market

Workshop Sep 18, 2024Preserving Food (Drying Basics) with Midtown Farmers Market 

Sep 19, 2024 Preservation with AMRA Farmer’s Market Artist in Residence Natchez Beaulieu & Artists Market

Sep 26, 2024 Third Annual Pickle Off with Indian Health Board

Workshop Sep 28, 2024 Tomato Canning Workshop with Becky De La Cruz of UMN Master  Gardeners and First Nations Kitchen

Oct 3, 2024 Bison Jerky Food Demo with AllenMichael Owen

Oct 10, 2024Music at the Market – Laura Hugo

Oct 17, 2024 Celebrating Autumn with AMRA Farmer’s Market Artist in Residence Natchez Beaulieu & Artists Market

Oct 24, 2024 HIP Informational Session with Deon Kirby of Indigenous People’s Task Force

Oct 31, 2024 A Halloween Spin and Send(-off)! Records and Pumpkin Decorating with Watheca Records