Finding a Green Way to Govern

Today, I gave notice of intent to my colleagues and constituents of an ordinance change I plan to make regarding Maximum Occupancy. My goal is threefold: 1) to make maximum occupancy regulations fairer, by treating all legal adults the same, regardless of their “relatedness;” 2) to address discrepancies between the zoning and housing safety codes; and 3) to tie the number of occupants in a dwelling unit to the size of the unit. My current plan (which is, of course, open to change) will establish a uniform citywide cap of five legal adults per dwelling unit. It will then establish lower occupancy limits based on the square footage of individual units (this will help take away the drive to carve up common space into bedrooms – such actions would not increase the occupancy of a unit), with each legal adult requiring a certain number of square feet. The lowest maximum occupancy of any unit will be 2. In some cases, this change will lead to an increase in occupancy of a given unit. In many ...

The Council voted unanimously today in favor of my resolution supporting the good work of pro-children Legislators, calling for a phase out of Bisphenol-A and phthalates in children's products. This has also been included in our Legislative Agenda. I hope that our strong show of support will help this important bill pass this year. Thanks to Minnesota Public Interest Research Group for their great work on this.

At the very last moment, and without any warning (to me, at least), DeLaSalle stadium their appeal of the Heritage Preservation Commission's denial of a certificate of appropriateness at this morning's Council meeting. In a timely way this was also the topic of a New York Times Article the same day the Council was voted on this. I'm pleasantly surprised. A week ago, I thought the Park Board / DeLaSalle contingent had support lined up to grant the appeal: Council Members Johnson, Goodman, and Ostrow were vocally in favor, and Council Members Schiff and Samuels voted for it in Zoning and Planning committee. Only CMs Remington, Hofstede and I were vocally opposed. In yesterday's Committee of the Whole, the pro- and anti-artificial turf contingents had a long, pointed debate. I prepared for a continuation of that debate this morning. One of the arguments we were prepared to make was that tire crumb, the base of artificial turf, contains phthalates - the very substance we w...

From the City's Communications Department: Empty homes and businesses can pose safety challenges for everyone in the surrounding community. And while the City of Minneapolis is taking comprehensive measures to make neighborhoods affected by vacant properties safer, there are many things residents can do to improve these blocks. City leaders are encouraging neighbors and block clubs to work together and adopt vacant properties in their area. By keeping an eye on these empty places, residents can prevent them from attracting crime. If you spot people trespassing or breaking the law on a vacant property, call 911. Do not confront them on your own. If you see a vacant home or building that’s open to trespass, or if you observe anything on the property that could be a health or safety issue, call 311 to report it. Check on a vacant property from time to time to make sure the doors and windows are closed so it’s not open to trespass. It’s okay to maintain the public space, such as sidewa...

Congrats to Cedar Riverside resident and neighborhood activist Abia Ali has won the City's Theresa S Ruhland award, given every year to a volunteer who does an outstanding job of involving young people in community activities. In addition to her work as a Human Service Representative in the Family Services Division of the Hennepin County Economic Assistance program and her volunteering with the Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, Abia has been a board member of the West Bank Community Coalition for years. Thanks for everything you do for the community, Abia. Mahadsanid !

As incredible as it may be, the Council seems posed to vote to allow DeLaSalle High School and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to install artificial grass (or " AstroTurf ") on their proposed stadium on Nicollet Island. On Thursday the Zoning and Planning Committee send forward without recommendation an appeal to our own Historic Preservation Commission who agreed with City staff and determined that artificial turf should not be allowed in the historic area. I strongly oppose this idea. Putting plastic grass in the middle of the Mississippi in this historic National park is just a bad idea. AstroTurf is significantly worse than real grass on a number of fronts - it does not sequester carbon, does not aid water infiltration, does not cool the air, and in fact contributes to the heat island effect. The state-of-the-art type that is being proposed also includes its own artificial dirt --- 200 tons of ground up old (and toxic) tires. These are known to contain t...

Sergeant Preston's bar in Seven Corners has new ownership, and they've received a class B liquor license from the Council. This was an expansion from the property's existing class C license, but conforms with other class B licenses in the area. A nearby resident was very concerned about this expansion, given the poor track record of another liquor establishment, the Corner Bar. This bar is often noisier than either the state or Minneapolis noise codes allow, and has seen few consequences for this misbehavior. Responding to these concerns, I helped negotiate a tough set of conditions (see here for a draft and here for the final) for the Sergeant Preston's liquor license with the new owners, including the capacity of the Licensing Department to reduce the number of nights they may have live music if they receive 3 or more noise citations. This adds teeth to the nuisance noise ordinance (which, like the nuisance odor ordinance, leaves something to be desired in terms of ...

Earlier this month, the Council voted to vacate portions of 7th St S and 24th Ave S to accomodate Fairview Riverside's Children's Hospital expansion. Cam was unable to vote on this, due to a conflict of interest - his spouse works for Fairview. In the weeks leading up to this vote, Cam focused on listening to concerns and then bringing others together to work towards a solution without him present. To find resolution, I worked with residents of the Riverside Park neighborhood, Fairview staff and CPED Director Mike Christenson on a Good Neighbor Agreement between the hospital and residents. The purpose of this agreement is to address the ongoing concerns that residents have about Fairview's impacts on their neighborhood, and to create a more collaborative relationship between the institution and residents. Here's the text of the agreement: Riverside Park Neighborhood Task Force / Fairview Proposed Good Neighbor Agreement Fairview commits to: 1) Develop a lasting partners...

I've proposed a resolution supporting a bill at the Legislature calling for a statewide phase-out of bisphenol-A and phthalates (see here for more information on these chemicals) in children's products. Yesterday, the resolution passed the Health, Energy and Environment committee, with CM Lisa Goodman vocally opposing it (though she had to leave before the vote) and CM Paul Ostrow abstaining. Committee Chair Scott Benson, who helped in drafting the resolution, has joined me as a coauthor. This now moves to the Intergovernmental Relations committee next Tuesday, and to the full Council that Friday. I hope that my colleagues will join me in going on the record supporting the good work of our Legislative allies on protecting Minnesota kids from these known endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens.

The City is again offering Climate Change Grants to motivate Minneapolis residents and businesses to take immediate actions to reduce their climate change impacts, building on a successful grant program last year. Two different types of grants are being offered in 2008: Grassroots Climate Change Micro Grants of up to $1,500 (no match required) Application deadline: 4:00 p.m. Thursday March 20, 2008 Climate Change Innovations Grants of up to $10,000 (no match required) Application deadline: 4:00 p.m. Monday, March 24, 2008 Last year, Climate Change Grants were awarded to 25 neighborhood groups, nonprofits and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to help combat harmful effects of carbon dioxide and slow the pace of climate change. Second Ward participants included the Seward, Longfellow and Southeast Como neighborhood groups, Bedlam Theater and Trinity Lutheran. To see how these and other organizations effectively used grant funds to help reduce Minneapolis’ carbon dioxide footprin...

Things have changed since I wrote this earlier this week. Inspired by the questions I've been asking, the City's highly professional Public Works staff found a way to move funding into the tunnel under the I-35W bridge, extending the Bridge 9 trail from the U of M to Downtown. The funds they found come from unused Municipal State Aid dollars allocated to upgrading at-grade rail crossings. Due to changes at the Federal level, it's unclear whether we need these projects at all, anymore. My colleagues strongly supported this shift of funds: Council Members Ostrow, Hofstede, Johnson, Lilligren, Schiff, Glidden and Hodges joined me in voting for staff's solution. CMs Lilligren and Hodges were especially helpful in building this consensus. The tunnel will be built. We will have a trail connecting Southeast to Downtown.

I'm quoted in a recent article in the Southwest Journal on biking in the winter.

Chicago has enacted a new ordinance protecting bicyclist safety from some things that car drivers do all too frequently: - turn left or right into or in front of bicyclists continuing straight (known as the "left hood" and "right hook," respectively). - open doors into passing bicyclists (known as "dooring"). - pass bicyclists without maintaining proper distance. The Chicago ordinance makes the above actions punishable by a fine of $150 if they interfere with a bicyclist's progress, or a fine of $500 if they result in an accident. This Friday, I plan to give intent to introduce a similar ordinance. It's not certain that we'll be able to enact all of the above restrictions, due to possible redundancy with or limitations imposed by State law, but I feel it's important for the City to do as much as it can to protect bicyclists. Since publicly taking this position, I have heard from a few people that the City should focus (as well or instead)...

Tragically, it looks like the City is on the verge of giving up on a significant bicycle infrastructure opportunity. Bridge 9, a beautiful old rail bridge that has been converted to bicycle and pedestrian use, connects the University east bank campus to the west bank, near Riverview Tower and Bluff Street Park. Though it's a wonderful ride, it currently gets little use, because it lacks good connections at either end. The East Bank connection will be addressed by the U of M trail, a long-planned bike trail that will follow the railroad line into Dinkytown and link up to the planned Granary Road bike trail. The West Bank connection has been harder to solve. Today, if one sought to get from the University to Downtown via Bridge 9, one would have to either go out of the way to get down to West River Parkway (a very significant grade change), or go through the far from ideal Seven Corners intersection. A more direct route into downtown and the existing bike lanes on 2nd Street has long...

I was thrilled to see the Federal Government unveil Project Lifeline , a program to help deal with the foreclosure crisis that delivers most of what the Minneapolis City Council asked for last month: a 30-day freeze on foreclosures and a commitment to find more affordable loans for folks in trouble. It's good to see that Minneapolis-based lender Wells Fargo is one of the six major lenders to have signed on to this program. They deserve credit for taking this bold, constructive step. I said in a previous post on this topic that I hoped lenders would listen to the Council's plea, and it's incredibly heartening that they did. I'm proud that the Council went on record supporting this action - the Council majority has been proven both prescient and reasonable in asking for lenders to take this action. Lastly, it's not often that I agree with anything done by the Bush Administration, but they should be given credit for helping broker this agreement with these major lende...

We're very excited to hear that Fast and Furless , a 'vegan boutique' from St. Paul, will be opening at 2615 E Franklin, in the old Smiley's Clinic building. It's a great fit for the Seward neighborhood, and as a destination business it could help increase customer traffic on the Franklin corridor. On a personal note, I'm thrilled - I haven't purchased a pair of shoes anywhere other than Fast and Furless since they opened in 2005. Please join Cam and me at the grand opening bash on March 29th. Welcome to the neighborhood, Jon!

Hennepin County is announcing a great opportunity for county residents to purchase affordable compost bins for only $35. Bachman’s, Lakewinds Natural Foods and The Reuse Center are selling the bins. Backyard composting is an easy way for residents to turn much of the waste our yards and kitchens into a rich material that can be used to improve the soil. Using finished compost on lawns and gardens will provide an organic fertilizer, suppress weeds, and hold moisture in the soil. The compost bin features a 13-cubic-foot capacity, a sturdy, easy-to-open lid, two harvesting doors, and is made of black recycled plastic. If you want one, you need to pre-order by April 1 here . (There is a limit of one bin per household.) Payment will be made at the time of pick-up during regular store hours. Bins will be available for pick-up on April 19 through Earth Day, April 22. You can choose from the following locations: § Bachman’s, 6010 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis § Lakewinds Natural Foods 17501 Minne...

Realizing that the presentation they made to Prospect Park residents in January was not tailored specifically enough to residents' concerns and questions, the Metropolitan Council has scheduled another meeting in Prospect Park: Tuesday, February 12, 7-9 PM St Frances Cabrini Church 1500 Franklin Ave SE The questions that will be addressed include: What is the currently planned route through Prospect Park? What is the current proposed location and design for the 29th Avenue station? What changes will be made to University Avenue? How will it affect traffic patterns and pedestrian crossings? What are the prospects for Granary Road? This will likley be the first in a series of meetings as we get a closer look at the Met Councils plans, offer feedback and then review new plans based on the community suggestions. It took several meetings and a number of proposals to come to decisions about the West Bank station and the Met Council made sure that engineers and other professional staff we...

I will be attending the Council on Crime and Justice’s first-ever Second Chance Day on the Hill next Wednesday, February 13 at 11am . Over 1,000 ex-offenders, community members, and supporters of justice reform will come together in the Capitol Rotunda to highlight the importance of second chances for ex-offenders. This ties into my ongoing work on preventing and addressing youth violence, fighting the injustices in our criminal justice system, working to end homelessness and digging deeper to address the root causes of crime.

I cosponsored a resolution with CM Don Samuels calling for the largest lenders and loan servicers to voluntarily freeze foreclosure activity in Minneapolis for three months, by allowing borrowers to refinance to lower interest rates, freeze adjustable rate mortgages, and other constructive actions. I've pasted the text below, or you can read it in context here (scroll down to page 47). This resolution passed 9-4, with CMs Goodman, Ostrow, Johnson and Colvin Roy voting against it. Their rather tortuous reasoning was that a) we're already working on this in more substantive ways, b) the resolution is just a gesture, devoid of any real meaning and c) our "partners" in the lending community would see the resolution as a "stick" with which the City is beating them over the head. (How an "empty gesture" could be an effective "stick" is beyond me.) Though I appreciate the great work of our staff and policymakers on foreclosure prevention, we...

As you've likely heard, the Ostrow/Hodges Circus "regulation" ordinance has passed the Council, and I've taken a bit of a beating in the press. In committee, I moved an amendment to the ordinance that prohibited direct contact between wild animals and the public. Most of the injuries and deaths associated with wild animal circuses over the last 10 years have been due to direct contact (rides, etc). Such a prohibition would also have prevented most risk of human-animal transmission of diseases such as tuberculosis. I was very upfront with my colleagues about the intent and effect of this amendment, and it passed in committee unanimously , with CMs Ostrow, Hofstede, Samuels and Johnson (who later "flip-flopped" and voted against this provision in the full Council) voting for it. Then the industry lobbyists made their rounds, and this public safety regulation was stripped out in Council. I was unable to vote for the Ostrow/Hodges "regulation" ordinanc...