Finding a Green Way to Govern

Unless policymakers do something, the Neighborhood Revitalization Program will cease to exist after 2009. This program has helped create the Minneapolis we know today, jump-starting a generation of community empowerment, decentralized decisionmaking and neighborhood involvement. It has strengthened and in some cases helped create neighborhood groups, now commonly accepted as the cornerstones of most Minneapolis communities. Many of the political leaders now in City Hall have come up through the ranks of NRP neighborhoods - myself included. There is a bill that has been introduced at the Legislature which, if enacted, would take what I consider a small first step: requiring a study about the future of NRP . Earlier this week, the City's IGR Committee voted to ask the Legislature not to take any action on this bill. They wanted a year to take a look at the issue and engage in a discussion with all the jurisdictions involved before turning to the legislature. This morning, I was ...

I support Council Member Gary Schiff’s Spray Paint ordinance changes, which respond to the needs of hardware stores while better regulating the sale of spray paint, paint sticks and broad-tip markers to minors in our ongoing effort to fight graffiti. Under the new ordinance, these materials must either be under continuous supervision or inaccessible to the public. In addition, a $42,000 grant from the National Council on Prevention of Delinquency (a hardware retail industry group) will be used to conduct one-time checks on establishments selling spray paint, similar to our tobacco compliance program. It's my hope that these tightened regulations will help decrease vandalism by reducing young people’s access to graffiti materials.

The City will host a pair of public meetings in April to discuss recommended changes to Downtown streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and bus routes. The meetings will include a chance to give feedback on a draft of the Downtown transportation action plan . Among the changes proposed in the draft: concentrating bus lines on key north-south and east-west corridors, opening some one-way streets to two-way traffic, and expanding bike and pedestrian paths. The meetings will be on Wednesday, April 11, 11:30-1 in the Central Library’s Doty Room, and Thursday, April 12, 5-7pm in the gathering room at St. Olaf Catholic Church, 215 S 8th St.

Please join me for a Dining Out for Life lunch at the Cliquot Club , 2929 East 25th St, on Thursday, April 26, 2007. A percentage of the proceeds of your meal will go to benefit all the services for HIV-infected individuals offered by the Aliveness Project . The Cliquot Club is one of Seward's many great neighborhood restaurants and one of many that are participating in the Aliveness Project. It is a very successful program that brings needed funds to provide needed services.

I testified at the State Legislature this month in favor of a bill creating a Window Replacement Revolving Loan Fund (see my previous post on this issue for more information). The bill is SF1015 , authored by Minneapolis Senator Linda Higgins . As far as I know there is not yet a companion bill in the House. Please contact your legislator and urge them to support this effort.

The City has received a $100,000 grant from the EPA to provide 2,000 rain barrels at a reduced cost of $45 (or half of standard retail price) to Mpls residents. Starting in late March, you can order one here or over the phone at 612-724-2608. Check out the press release here for more information.

Tree Trust , the nonprofit that Minneapolis works with to plant trees on private property, is providing 1500 trees to residents of Minneapolis. For $15, participating residents will receive a tree, mulch, and information about proper planting and energy conservation. You can find a list of things to consider and workshop dates and times here . If you’re interested in greening your city by planting a tree, or know anyone else who might be, please go here .

Morningstar Coffee has applied for a Minneapolis Neighborhood Small Business Revolving Loan fund loan of $100,000, to install a larger coffee roaster and an afterburner. The City will be putting $40,000 towards that total. This is clear evidence that the company is moving forward on their commitment to Minneapolis Environmental Management to install an afterburner to effectively mitigate their offensive odors. Pending final approval, this loan will be closed within three weeks. I hope that Morningstar will move quickly after the loan is received on installing the afterburner, to give neighbors a pleasant, odor-free summer. I’m pleased that the City can help Morningstar become a more responsible neighbor without endangering their business. I believe that they can be successful without negatively impacting the neighborhood, and that this loan will help realize that shared goal. Thanks again to the neighbors, whose active engagement has made this happen.

Library Trustee Laura Waterman Wittstock and I wrote a commentary on the library merger. It may be published elsewhere, but in the meatime, I offer it here. *** The decision to consolidate the Minneapolis Public Library System into the Hennepin County system is moving at a fast pace. The library system is something people throughout the city care about deeply and while we have engaged in a community discussion about the libraries over the past years, previous conversations have never included transferring $500,000,000 worth of City assets to the County, dissolving the Minneapolis Public Library system and amending the charter to do away with both the elected Library and Estimate and Taxation Boards. We think this decision is serious enough that it deserves broader community conversation. Many of the people we talk to are only beginning to understand the proposal and figure out the questions to ask. They deserve to know the facts and understand the consequences. According to the best i...

I will be appearing on the KFAI brodcast of Truth to Tell on the subject of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line. Here's some more info: SUNDAY, MARCH 25th, 9:00–10:30PM on KFAI: A 90-minute special broadcast of Truth to Tell examining the issues around the Central Corridor light rail line connecting Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The program will also be recorded for televising by Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN). Confirmed panelists: Mayor Chris Coleman’s office, Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Minneapolis Councilmember Cam Gordon, University Vice President Kathleen O’Brien and several members of the Twin Cities communities affected by the construction and operation of the next major light rail transit line to be built in the Metro.

Residents and supporters of the Southeast Como neighborhood were shocked and dismayed recently to hear that Tuttle School , the only public school in SE Como, will likely be closed by the Minneapolis School Board . This after the recent closing of the neighborhood's only nearby public library sends the message that the city is disinvesting in SE Como, which is exactly the wrong message to send. It also runs contrary to the findings of the recent Univeristy Neighborhood Impact report. Strong public assets like libraries, parks and schools are essential to maintaining and improving community overall health, investments in homeownership and the success of areas businesses. Neighbors have also pointed out that the SE Como neighborhood group SECIA made significant NRP contributions to upgrade the Tuttle science lab, investments that may be lost if and when the school closes. I share neighbors' concerns about losing this community asset. I will be attending the meeting on the poss...

Bedlam Theater , a Cedar Riverside asset since 1993, recently moved to a new venue - the old Baja Grill at 15th Ave & 6th St, right on the Cedar Riverside LRT stop, and on the Hiawatha bikeway. On Wednesday, my office started hearing complaints that customers were being turned away from the premier of the first show Bedlam is putting on in their new home, Inflammato . The reason? The maximum occupancy of their space was set at 80 people. I heard that one of the performer's mothers was unable to get in. Amusingly, another one of the people who was unable to buy tickets to the opening was my very own Aide, Robin Garwood. I soon learned that the Fire Marshall had declared the space safe for up to 200. My staff and I contacted the Regulatory Services folks to help get this sorted out. City staff, especially Inspector Linda Roberts, worked collaboratively and flexibly with the theater to get the occupancy changed. I heard from Linda that today, as of 2pm, the occupancy will be set ...

I don't often do this, but I thought I'd take a moment to discuss of the arguments that I've heard on the circus reform issue since it was on the front page of the Star Tribune. Here's the argument, paraphrased: "With all the other problems we haven't yet solved, you're wasting your time on this ?" I have now had this argument used against several initiatives I have initiated or supported: the arsenic right-to-know ordinance, the Civilian Review Authority reforms, the resolutions opposing the Iraq war and supporting a Department of Peace, the Council effort to "ban the box," the Condo Conversion ordinance, etc. I have heard this very rarely from Second Ward constituents. More often, it has been residents of other wards or other cities. I have also heard it from some of my Council colleagues. I disagree with the basic assumptions of this argument, on the following points: - Policymakers can and must do more than one thing at once. This is one ...

After talking with my Council allies on the "lurking" repeal, I have decide not to introduce the change right away. While I expect some Council Members to fight against these efforts, I am hopeful that more time to address concerns and educate people about the issue will increase our chances of success. Not only is this law likely unconstitutional and discriminatory against the poor, but it is also not smart policing. It an ineffective and wastes valuable resources that we should be putting into preventing and elimiminating crime. I realize that a number of supporters of the repeal will be disappointed that this effort will be delayed. But if it's a choice between taking a little longer to succeed or pushing forward right now and failing, I'm definitely going to choose the former.

I want to take a moment to explain why I am proceeding with efforts to repeal Minneapolis’ “lurking” ordinance. This is a small part of a larger effort to improve public safety practices in our City; to address the root causes of poverty, homelessness and crime; to promote fairness in our criminal justice system; to better respect and value diversity; and to improve confidence in our City’s public safety services. Even before I took office the lurking ordinance had been reviewed and recommended for possible repeal or reform on several occasions. In 2003 the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness recommended that “the City repeal its lurking and disorderly conduct ordinances, or amend them so that they give specific guidelines and criteria for illegal conduct.” In November of 2004 the Council on Crime and Justice completed a report on “Low level Offenses in Minneapolis: An Analysis of Arrests and there Outcomes,” that found dramatic racial disparities in citations and arrests for lurk...

There's a good article on "lurking" in the most recent City Pages here . Here's some other "lurking" data my office has put together based on 2006 Police Department data on "lurking" and 2005 US Census data: - Eighty percent of those cited for “lurking” in 2006 were people of color. - A homeless person is fifteen times more likely to be cited for lurking than a non-homeless person. - An African American is nearly four times more likely than a non-African American to be cited for “lurking.” - A Native American is three times more likely than a non-Native American person to be cited. - 37% of those cited for "lurking" were cited for another primary offense.