August 2016 Newsletter

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For the latest news from Ward 2 in Minneapolis please check our our monthly newsletter here.

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Lessons from Mr. Smith's Time in City Hall

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  Part 1 - Mr. Smith Goes to City Hall Last year, the city saw an exodus of staff in two of its newest divisions, the office of race, equity and inclusion and the office of performance and innovation, now called The Department of Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left in 2023 was Brian K. Smith. In 2016 Smith went from being an outsider fighting city hall to becoming the Director of the new city division aimed at innovation and equity, started by then-mayor Besty Hodges. That ended last year, following a controversial city coordinator appointment, a discrimination complaint, and a lawsuit he and others filed against the city. On July 7, 2023, just a few weeks after retiring from his position working in City Hall, I met with Smith and talked with him about his experience there.  He didn’t expect to get the job when he was hired by Hodges.   “She knew me just like most of the other council members,”...
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Hiawatha Golf Course and Historic Registration

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 The future of Hiawatha Golf Course took an interesting turn this January when the city’s historic preservation commission and the park board weighed in on its past.  Both formally responded to a nomination submitted last year to add the golf course to the National Register of Historic Places. The Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) voted to support the nomination of the 140-acre site located at 4553 Longfellow Ave.  The Park Board approved a letter expressing both support and concerns. The nomination was submitted last year by the Bronze Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports preservation of the 18-hole golf course, who hired Hess, Roise and Company to draft the nomination. The Bronze Foundation also manages the Bronze tournament, formerly called the Upper Midwest Bronze Amateur Open, that has been held regularly at the course since 1954. The application was submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on November 4, 2022. T...
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Banning Sofas and Easy Chairs

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I want to clarify my position on an ordinance proposed by council member Hofstede regarding furniture in yards and on porches. The specific proposed amendment adds the following language: Any upholstered furniture not manufactured for outdoor use, including upholstered chairs, upholstered couches, and mattresses placed in any front yard, side yard or rear yard abutting a street or on any opened porch exposed to the elements, shall constitute a nuisance condition .” According to discussions at the committee an exposed porch includes any porch that has a roof and railings but it not fully enclosed with windows or screens. I have listened carefully to the concerns and reasoning behind this proposal and can appreciate the good intentions of those who are supporting and bringing this idea forward, but I can't support this proposal as presented. I am willing to support the portion that restricts the use of upholstered furniture (not specifically manufactured for outdoor use) on lawns an...
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