LETTER FROM PAST MHNA PRESIDENTS TO THE COMMUNITY OF MARCY-HOLMES

Dear neighbors in Marcy-Holmes,

As former presidents of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, we want our neighborhood to continue to thrive, despite declining support from the city to its neighborhoods. We support a merger of our association with two other Southeast neighborhood associations to assure more stable funding and more leverage within the city and beyond.

Therefore, we urge Marcy-Holmes residents to vote YES on the proposed merger of these three associations:

•  Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association 

•  Nicollet Island-East Bank Neighborhood Association

•  Southeast Como Improvement Association 

The boards of these associations have already approved the merger and have recommended that their membership do so as well. In fact, our Nicollet Island-East Bank neighbors just concluded their voting on Sunday, September 22nd. Voters there approved a merger with 91% in favor.

Volunteer stakeholders will continue to provide the leadership and do the hard work of the association, but we will continue to need sustainable and stable administrative support for our activities. This stronger association will still advocate for issues we have in common, sponsor projects to build community, and host events to celebrate the neighborhoods just as we do now.

With shrinking support for neighborhoods, the merged association can be more efficient and have stronger influence within the city. With continuing professional administrative support, nonprofits like ours will maintain reliable communications, accurate accounting, successful grant solicitations and management, and timely reporting. 

The identity of the historic and distinct neighborhoods will not be lost. 

We’re merging organizations, not neighborhoods.

Sincerely,

Current and Past MHNA Presidents

Kim Hansen  2024 - present

Vic Thorstenson  2019-2020, 2023

John Goebel  2021-2022

Jan Morse  1995-1998, 2014-2017

Cordelia Pierson  2013-2014

Chris Wilson  2001-2003

Ted Tucker  1998-2001

Tod Elkins  1992-1994

Bill Huntzicker  1981-1982

To learn more about this merger, please visit our webpage:

www.marcy-holmes.org/merger.

You can request a ballot here; you will receive it via email on October 1st. 

• Voters will have 72 hours to complete their online ballot (the MHNA voting period ends at 8 pm on Friday, October 4th).

• Ballots can indeed be requested while the voting period is open from October 1st - 4th

Additional Resources

• 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)

MHNA will be hosting a Community Discussion of this board-approved merger on Tuesday, October 1 at First Congregational Church. This meeting will be held in-person, and online, starting at 6:30 pm. At the end of the meeting, electronic ballots for Marcy-Holmes community voting will be distributed by email.