Second Ward December 2016 E-newsletter
2017 Approved Budget. On December 7, the City Council passed what
I believe is a responsible, responsive and future focused budget for next year.
It was passed (12-1) with several small but noteworthy changes from the budget
proposed by Mayor Hodges earlier this year. I thank the Mayor for presenting us
with a good proposal, and my colleagues for the thoughtful, cooperative work
they did to improve it. The total budget is $1.3 billion, a 7.7%, or $94.7
million increase from the 2016 adopted budget of $1.2 billion. This includes
our general fund, water, sewer, and storm sewer utilities plus convention
center, and other special revenue funds. As part of the budget we approved a
5.5% increase in the total amount of property taxes we will collect in 2017.
This brings the total property taxes to over $310 million dollars. This funds 24%
of the overall budget. Looking at the big picture, of the total 1.3 billion,
roughly 26% goes to Public Works, 14% to capital improvements, 12% to Police,
10% to the City Coordinator (including 311, 911, Human Resources, Property
Services, Information Technology, Intergovernmental Relations, Emergency
Preparedness and Neighborhood and Community Relations), 10% for debt service,
7% to Community Planning and Economic Development, 5% for Fire, 4% to the
Convention Center, 2% for Health, 2% for Regulatory Services, 1% for the City
Attorney, 5% divided among general liability and contingency funds and
pensions, and 2% for smaller city services and departments (including the
Assessor, employee benefits, City Clerk, City Council, Mayor, Civil Rights,
Internal Auditor and Workers Compensation). In addition to a number of budget
actions highlighted later in this report, significant budget items include:
$1.3 million for 15 new police officers, including 3 for the police/mental
health co-responder pilot program; ongoing resources to manage and operate the
police body camera program; a new Civil Rights complaint investigator to
respond to complaints of discrimination and hate crimes; an additional civilian
investigator at the Office of Police Conduct Review; $400,000 for 5 new
firefighters; funding for implicit-bias training for all City staff; and, a new
appraiser in the City Assessor’s office. All the details of the 2017 Budget and
related materials can be found at: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-184691
Parks and Streets. Some of the most
significant parts of this budget reflected decisions made earlier in the year
to invest in neighborhood parks and city streets. As part of this first year of
a 20 year investment plan, we approved spending roughly $10 million to support
improvements at neighborhood parks and nearly $20 million to build and improve
local streets. There is also $3 million (or 1% of the tax levy) going to
increase funding for Park operating costs. For Second Ward residents the most
noteworthy near-term street improvements include the reconstruction of a new
Southeast 4th Street (Green 4th) in the Prospect Park
North area, east of the Gopher Football stadium and funding to support
rehabilitation of the 10th Avenue Bridge should additional state or
federal funding be provided to make that possible.
Affordable Housing. Another significant
investment that did not receive a great deal of conversation among Council
Members is the $14.5 million in affordable housing development, including a new
strategy to preserve so called "Naturally Occurring Affordable
Housing" as well as the Family Housing Initiative and additions to the
Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Key Budget Conversations.
A few interesting issues surfaced in the testimony at the two public hearings,
and in the Council's deliberations. They reflected three deeper conversations
the people of Minneapolis have been having over the course of the last year.
The first came to be called Safety
Beyond Policing and concerns the roles of police and non-police approaches
in addressing crime and violence in our City. The second focused on Small Business Support and how the City
should do more to support the valuable small businesses that bring jobs,
services and character to our neighborhoods. The third conversation challenged
us to think more carefully about how we spend public dollars and focused on the
three ideas: getting Better Banking
Options, monitoring the Viking
Stadium costs better, and considering Participatory
Budgeting in the future. Further elaboration follows.
Safety Beyond Policing.
While we are investing significantly more in policing in this budget, with the
aim of diversifying the force and creating new opportunities for
community-based policing, we are also investing significant dollars in new community
and health-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence. These include the
Group Violence Intervention program; funding for collaborative,
community-driven, public-safety strategies; and a co-responder model I strongly
supported that pairs mental health practitioners with officers. Before the
final budget passed, we increased the funding to several “safety beyond
policing” strategies. Council Members Bender, Glidden and I made one motion to
move $400,000 from the increase to the Police Department to fund several
Domestic and Youth Violence Prevention strategies. Although that motion failed,
it helped open up a more thoughtful conversation about the value of these
proactive investments and led to several additional amendments. These, combined
with those innovative strategies already in the Mayor's proposed budget,
resulted in an interesting group of new non-police public safety investments as
follows:
- $150,000
to be allocated for programs related to domestic violence prevention with the
goal of serving families that have experienced domestic violence, prioritizing
families with very young children, young adolescent males, and non-English
speaking families.
- $600,000 for community-led safety strategies in three locations with high levels of youth violence: West Broadway between Lyndale and Girard, Little Earth, and Chicago and Franklin. This will provide technical and financial resources for residents and business owners of these areas, and the community-based organizations that serve them, to determine what interventions would be best.
- $290,000 for a Group Violence Intervention strategy, a collaboration among the Health Department, the police, and the community that offers support and resources to offenders who leave violence behind. These resources are in addition to a $250,000 federal grant to help implement the program.
- $62,000 to enhance “Next Step,” the hospital-based intervention strategy, to reduce youth violence by offering outreach, evaluation and services for a young victims of violent assault injury.
- $200,000 for the mental health co-responders program where mental health professionals are paired with sworn officers to respond together to emergency calls that are likely to include a mental health crisis.
- $600,000 for community-led safety strategies in three locations with high levels of youth violence: West Broadway between Lyndale and Girard, Little Earth, and Chicago and Franklin. This will provide technical and financial resources for residents and business owners of these areas, and the community-based organizations that serve them, to determine what interventions would be best.
- $290,000 for a Group Violence Intervention strategy, a collaboration among the Health Department, the police, and the community that offers support and resources to offenders who leave violence behind. These resources are in addition to a $250,000 federal grant to help implement the program.
- $62,000 to enhance “Next Step,” the hospital-based intervention strategy, to reduce youth violence by offering outreach, evaluation and services for a young victims of violent assault injury.
- $200,000 for the mental health co-responders program where mental health professionals are paired with sworn officers to respond together to emergency calls that are likely to include a mental health crisis.
Small Business Support. We
also heard from people asking for more targeted small business support through
a new small business office. This could be especially important as we continue
to work on better protections for workers like the earned sick and safe time
ordinance, fair scheduling and a local minimum wage. No one wants any of these
improvements in the lives of workers to harm our treasured small, entrepreneurial,
independent businesses. So the Council approved a budget amendment, spearheaded
by Council Member Andrew Johnson, to establish a small business support team of
3 staff people to directly help small businesses navigate city processes. This team
will identify and implement strategies to make the City friendlier for small
businesses. I was happy to support this new office, and to support expanding
it, at the request of so many great local businesses. I will note that most of the small businesses
who testified in support of this small business office also expressed their
strong support for better workplace protections for all Minneapolis employees,
especially the most vulnerable low-wage employees.
Better Banking Options.
In response to growing questions and concerns about who the City contracts with
for financial services, Council Member Cano and I moved, and the Council
approved, to have Finance staff explore alternatives that would allow us to
stop doing business with financial institutions that invest in the fossil fuel
industry and projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline and the possibility of
establishing a municipal bank or participating in a publicly-owned banking
operation (like a credit union). Staff has been instructed to report recommendations
to the Ways and Means Committee by July.
Vikings Stadium Money.
With colleagues Cano, Andrew Johnson, Glidden, and Reich, I was able to pass a
budget amendment that requires staff to monitor and report on an annual basis
on the costs for the Vikings Stadium, its operation and management, and the
adjacent parking ramps and park. The motion also directed them to limit the
ongoing city subsidy for operations and capital maintenance to the amounts
provided for in statute and to report back to the Community Development and
Regulatory Services committee on the desirability and feasibility of reopening
the Park Use Agreement between the city and the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority.
This was offered in large part because of concerns raised in a detailed letter
provided by former Governor Arne Carlson and former Council Member Paul Ostrow
that can be found here http://govarnecarlson.blogspot.com/2016/12/open-letter-to-mayor-betsy-hodges-mpls.html
Participatory Budgeting.
Building on research our offices had been doing and a recommendation from our
Capital Long-range Improvement Committee (CLIC), my colleague Elizabeth Glidden
and I successfully moved to direct the City Coordinator and City Clerk’s
offices to develop a plan for a participatory budgeting program. They will use
input from community stakeholders and City advisory committees such as CLIC, the
Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, community and neighborhood organizations,
and report back to the Ways & Means Committee no later than June 10, with a
plan for a participatory budgeting program. I am very excited about this
initiative and expect the report to include best practices form other cities,
recommendations for a Minneapolis participatory budgeting process. This should
include, among other things, strategies for outreach to the City’s 70
neighborhood organizations, cultural and community organizations, and
under-represented groups, including youth, and potential funding sources for an
annual participatory budgeting process.
Young Male
Health Initiative. I
voted against one budget amendment, which unfortunately passed, which took
$100,000 out of the mayor's proposed budget that would have funded a new
program through the health department focused on preventing sexually
transmitted diseases. While the amended use of the funds to support Summit
Academy's contextualized GED program appears to be worthwhile, I felt
addressing the problem of sexually transmitted diseases was more important and
responsive, due to a disturbing report the Council heard earlier in the year.
The rate of chlamydia infections among 15-19 year olds in Minneapolis is more
than double the rate in Minnesota as a whole, and the rate of gonorrhea for
city 15-19 year olds is more than four times higher than the state rate. I will
be attempting to find alternative sources to provide this funding to tackle
this important problem.
Clean Energy Vehicles.
The last budget related issue I want to mention, is a motion Council Members
Andrew Johnson, Kevin Reich and I successfully passed directing staff to report
back by September 1, 2017, on the benefits, feasibility, reasonable exceptions,
cost/benefit analysis, timeline, various alternatives, and a recommended
approach to eliminating fossil fuel vehicles in the City. I am especially
interested in how we can move more quickly to having more of our City-owned
cars and trucks running on electricity, which I will work to ensure is generated
by clean energy sources.
Election 2016. I am disappointed and worried by some the
results of this year’s election, especially at the federal level. It is hard not to see the results as setbacks
to so much progress we have been making on so many important issues in recent
years. It is a source of comfort to live
in a city, community and neighborhood filled with caring, open-minded,
accepting, supportive, and engaged people who share a commitment to making this
a more just, inclusive, and loving place for everyone. It is more important than ever that we commit
to continuing to make progress where we can, at the local level. I sincerely
thank everyone for voting on November 8th and to everyone who ran for office,
volunteered to support candidates and got involved in campaigns of all kinds.
Your participation in our democracy is both inspiring and vital to the health
of our city, state and country. I offer special gratitude to our elections
staff. This year we saw many
improvements to our voting processes. I commend our elections department, the
many election judges and all elections professionals who worked hard not only
on Election Day, but also throughout the year, putting out our voters’ guide
and during the early-voting period leading up to the election to ensure the
best election possible. Turnout in the second ward was very high as usual. I
congratulate all those who ran for office and especially those who won. I look
forward to continuing working with Congressman Keith Ellison, State Senators
Patricia Torres Ray and Kari Dziedzic and State Representative Jim Davnie. I
also look forward to working with the newly elected and returning school board
members and with newly elected State Representative Ilhan Omar, whose historic
victory as the first Somali–American elected to the state house is one uplifting
bright spot in this dark election. Another bright spot is the passage of the
Vote Yes for Kids ballot initiative, which will help ensure that our schools
have the resources they need. I will do whatever I can to assist all of those
elected this year in serving you and to work cooperatively with them to make
sure we are all doing everything we can to benefit the city and the communities
we represent. Clearly we have a great
deal of work ahead of us. I am committed to work harder than ever to make this
a better, healthier, and more peaceful, just and sustainable city for everyone.
Standing Together. At our first Council meeting following the
election, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution drafted by my office
entitled, "Standing With All Members of Our One Minneapolis. The first
"resolved" clause reads: "Now, Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED that
the City of Minneapolis stands with all members of our community. We reject the
politics of division, bigotry, hate, and fear. We will fight for the rights,
freedoms and interests of all of the members of our community, no matter the
color of our skin, our gender, the way we worship, where we were born, our
sexual orientation, or any other identity. We are and will continue to be One
Minneapolis." Another clause reaffirms our commitment to be a sanctuary
city. You can read the resolution here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-190232.pdf. That morning we also adopted a strong
resolution "Condemning violence and hate speech, and expressing solidarity
with Muslims and all those targeted for their ethnicity, race, or
religion," authored by Council Members Warsame and Glidden.
Discrimination in Public Accommodations. The City is addressing discrimination in
businesses through education, investigation and enforcement. All people have
the right to receive service, free from discrimination, from any business that
obtains or solicits customers from the general public. Minneapolis bans
discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status,
and status regarding public assistance. Public accommodations are
establishments that provide goods and services to the general public; these
include taxicabs and on-demand ride services; restaurants, bars and food
vendors; theaters; hotels; health and fitness clubs; hospitals; libraries; gas
stations and retail stores. Investigations into possible discrimination may
include using “testers” to act as patrons. Businesses that do not cease
discriminatory practices are subject to fines, damages and penalties; prolonged
monitoring and ultimately license revocation. You can learn more here http://www.minneapolismn.gov/civilrights/
Opposing National Registry. In December the Council passed a resolution
opposing the creation of a national registry or surveillance based on
ethnicity, national origin or religious affiliation. The unanimously approved resolution
affirms the City’s commitment to honoring all people.
Syrian Refugee Resolution. In light of the war and devastation in
Syria, in January I plan to bring forward a resolution, modeled after one
recently approved in St. Paul, that will support resettlement of Syrian
refugees in Minneapolis and call on other Minnesota communities to support a
stronger national effort to resettle the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. You
can find a draft here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@council/documents/policydocument/wcmsp-191589.pdf
Responding to Hate. If you witness hate-motivated speech or
actions, the City has several options for filing complaints. You can call 911
to report a threat in progress, contact the Police (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/) to file a police report online or in
person, call 311 to report any non-urgent actions or contact the Civil Rights
Department. The Civil Rights Department enforces the City’s anti-discrimination
and anti-harassment laws. If you or someone you know is the victim of harassment
or discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, LGBT status or
other protected classes, please contact 612-673-3012 or visit www.minneapolismn.gov/civilrights/. Click here for more information and fliers http://minneapolismn.gov/civilrights/index.htm#antihate_harassment
Immigration Statement and Videos. The Police Department has issued a statement
and videos on its role in immigration. Police use the Minneapolis Code of
Ordinances, Title 2, Chapter 19 to govern its actions. It states: “Public safety officials shall not undertake
any law enforcement action for the purpose of detecting the presence of
undocumented persons, or to verify immigration status, including but not
limited to questioning any person or persons about their immigration status.”
The Police policy known as “Police
Authority in Immigration Matters,” states: “The United States Code empowers the
U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security, as the sole authority in
immigration matters. This means that state and local law enforcement agencies
have no authority with respect to immigration violations. Officers shall not
independently undertake to approach, interview, interrogate, detain or arrest
any suspected illegal alien or refugee when potential violation of the federal
immigration law is the principal issue. Neither shall any officer independently
seek to ascertain a suspected illegal alien’s status.” For English and Spanish videos see http://insidempd.com/2016/11/23/mpd-policies-regarding-immigration. For English and Somali videos see http://insidempd.com/2016/11/30/mpd-policies-regarding-immigration-somali.
Intentional Communities. Earlier this month, the Council passed my
proposed Intentional Communities ordinance. I view this as a major win for
people who want to share housing in Minneapolis. Once the ordinance is fully
implemented, a group of people will be able to approach the City, fill out an
easy registration form, have their house inspected (to establish the maximum
safe occupancy of the house) and register.
I am hopeful that this will allow many of the existing intentional
communities we hear are out there to "come into the light," and will
allow the formation of many more, including more housing cooperatives. This
will allow our existing, historic housing stock to be used more effectively,
help reduce housing costs, build community, and in many cases help build wealth
for people who form coops rather than renting.
Before the ordinance passed, it was amended by Council Member Jacob Frey
on a 7-6 vote of the Council to remove some of the specific definitions I had
developed with staff and the community to identify intentional communities. I
opposed this amendment but still feel that this is a strong ordinance because
the definition of intentional community still exists in the zoning code, and
the other, more important, safeguards in the ordinance remain in place.
Northern Metals. After a briefing from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) about their
two lawsuits with Northern Metals and a request from them that the City join
the lawsuits, I helped push forward a motion, made by Council member Yang, that
the Council approved in December, to have the City join the lawsuits. According
to the MPCA, Northern Metals is now interested in settling the lawsuits in a way
that could be a big victory for cleaner air in Minneapolis. Things being
discussed as part of the settlement include closing the metal shredder in
Minneapolis and moving it to a new, non-metro location; paying a civil penalty and
reimbursement of MPCA costs; paying mitigation money to the communities that
have been directly affected by the company’s emissions; and, engaging community
members and the City of Minneapolis for input about how best to leverage the
money for immediate community benefit near the facility. I commend the MPCA staff for their work on
this. I regret that it has taken so long
for this to be resolved. In recent
months, and years, elevated lead levels in blood and asthma rates among
children who live in the area (the Hawthorne neighborhood) have been alarming.
Elevated blood lead levels in Hawthorne are the highest in the city at 519 per
10,000 children. The highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in Minnesota
occurs in 55411 (which includes Hawthorne) at 37 per 10,000 residents. This has
been a long time coming, but it is better news that I expected and I am hopeful
that the full settlement, as outlined, will be agreed to within the next few
months. You can find some more information here http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-180849
Youth Violence Prevention Report. In December the 2015 Youth Violence Prevention
Results Minneapolis report was issued. It tracks, graphs and analyzes 26
indicators over 9 years (2006 to 2015). While the 9 years trend lines show a
general decrease in youth violence, a few key indicators show a disturbing
increase between 2014 and 2015. This
includes an increase in gunshot victims under age 25 from 104 in 2014 to 130 in
2016 and homicides going from 11 in 2014 to 24 in 2015. The full report should be available on the
City website soon and I plan to have it presented to the Health Environment and
Community Engagement Committee in January, when we will likely have some 2016
data available as well.
Legislative Agendas. The Council has approved our 2017 Legislative
Agendas and Policy Positions. These reflect those state and federal legislative
things we will prioritize and support. They can be found at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-188948 Advancing Racial Equity is our first
legislative priority for next year and our top capital projects and the Lake
Street/35W Access project and the 10th Avenue Bridge rehabilitation.
The most noteworthy changes to the Policy Positions are found in our section on
Policing. With my strong advocacy, we join those calling for the establishment
of an independent entity to investigate incidents when police use of force
results in death or serious injury. I was disappointed that two issues I have
been pushing for did not make it into this year’s legislative agenda: 1. removing
the preemption the state has placed on the city, preventing us from enacting
any campaign financing regulations of our own; and 2. amending the state
constitution to permit cities to allow non-citizen immigrants to vote in local
elections.
Safe and Sick Time Ordinance Lawsuit. I was disappointed to learn that the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce,
Minnesota Recruiting and Staffing Association, National Federation of
Independent Business, Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce, Graco Inc., and
Otogawa-Anschel General Contractors and Consultants LLC have brought a lawsuit
against the City asking the Court to declare that our Sick and Safe Time
Ordinance (40.10) is invalid. They are also seeking an immediate injunction
that would block enforcement of this ordinance that was passed earlier this
year.
Joy Stephens. I was delighted to see Joy Stephens, our Manager
of Equity and Inclusion, featured recently in a national publication. In it,
she offers a great interview outlining the efforts that she is leading and
coordinating to address institutionalized racism in city government. I am so glad
and proud to see this work moving forward based on the 2011 resolution I
authored and the subsequent budget amendment to create the equity division (and
Joy’s position) the mayor proposed and I fought so hard to preserve in 2013. If
you are interested in this, the interview is worth the read - http://us10.campaign-archive2.com/?u=e9543a56e4b46dff477f54e7e&id=49d47d2f8c&e=42f4dc4411.
Minneapolis Public Authority Director. The City Council unanimously supported the
designation, brought forward by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority Broad,
of Gregory Russ as the new Director of the Minneapolis Public Housing
Authority. Although I did hear from some
people who have concerns about his designation, I ultimately supported it
because I believe he is qualified, he had the strong support of the search
committee and MPHA board and I think that I can work with him to ensure that
the interests of the Glendale Townhomes, and other Public Housing, residents are
protected. I met with him prior to the vote and discussed the situation at
Glendale and stressed that displacement, privatization and gentrification there
were unacceptable and that any rehabilitation plan for the homes needed to
include and gain the support of residents to be successful.
Weatherization at Glendale. I
have been working with the Sustainable Resources Center (SRC) and the
Minneapolis Public Housing Authority for months on a plan to have SRC help with
weatherization needs at the Glendale townhomes. I believe that both entities
have been working to bring something forward, and I expect an announcement,
including a timeline for the work, within the next few weeks.
Community Solar Gardens. In December the Council approved entering
into a second Community Solar Garden subscription and beginning work on a third
proposal. We authorized staff to enter into a Community Solar Garden
subscription agreement with SunEdison for City of Minneapolis operations for a
term of 25 years, for an estimated cost of $65,700 annually, offset by
estimated annual electrical utility credit of $64,570, providing an anticipated
overall first year loss of ($1,100). But
over the 25 year term of the agreement, the subscription should generate
savings between $100,000 and $160,000.
We also directed staff to report back to the draft, by March 31, 2017,
another Community Solar Request for Proposals incorporating the following
criteria for evaluation: 1. Availability of subscriptions for Minneapolis
residents and businesses; 2. A significant proportion of subscriptions for low-
and moderate-income (LMI) customers, and potentially incentives for LMI
customers, with the City of Minneapolis acting as a backup subscriber to
facilitate service to LMI customers; 3. Location of the garden within the City
and potentially on a City-owned site; and, 4. Potential ownership of the garden
by Minneapolis residents, businesses, and property owners.
Resident Survey. The results from this year’s survey are in.
This year we contracted with Wilder Research to conduct our resident survey,
which we do every two years. The full report can be found at www.minneapolismn.gov/residentsurvey. While generally positive, I was concerned
about the small sample size (2,320) and some of the results. I was disappointed
to see that fewer residents this year appear to feel that they can influence
city decisions. I was also concerned with the notable differences by race and
income with regard to experiences of discrimination in Minneapolis. While 93%
of white residents said that they had not experienced discrimination, people of
color and Native American residents were much more likely to report
experiencing discrimination. For example, the report states, “African American
and African –born and American Indian respondents were much more likely to
report that they had been discriminated against in housing compared to
respondents overall….[R]espondents whose household incomes are less than
$35,000 a year were somewhat more likely to report that they has been
discriminated against in housing.” Of those people reporting discrimination,
44% indicating they were discriminated against while encountering police
services.
Neighborhood Programs Annual Report. In November the Council received the 2015
Neighborhood Programs Report that summarizes the work of the 70 recognized
neighborhood organizations funded in 2015. More than seven hundred volunteers
serve as volunteer board members on neighborhood organization boards. Thousands
of residents participated in neighborhood sponsored events, projects and
initiatives throughout the year. In
2015, $6,842,050 was expended through Community Participation Program (CPP) and
Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) contracts to neighborhoods that used
the funds to communicate with and organize residents and act on neighborhood identified
priorities. Find the report at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/agenda/wcmsp-190350.pdf
Neighborhood Board Diversity. I was delighted to see a dramatic increase in
the response rate to our second diversity audit of our neighborhood boards and
I thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey. One of the things I
look for in the surveys is how closely the demographic make-up of the boards
matches demographics of the neighborhood and city as a whole. Not surprisingly, the areas that showed the
biggest discrepancy were the number of people of color and the number of
renters on our neighborhood boards. So, following a review of
the results, I moved to direct Neighborhood and Community Relations Department
staff to work with the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission to
recommend a way to dedicate at least a portion of future One Minneapolis
funding to fund organizations that will work with and support neighborhood
organizations to increase the number of potential neighborhood organization
board members who are renters and people of color. You can read the report at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/agenda/wcmsp-190871.pdf
Appointed Board and Commission Diversity. Every other year, since 2009 when I first
introduced the idea, the City conducts a voluntary survey of seated board members of 18 of
the City’s development and general advisory boards. This year, for the first
time, we saw noticeable progress in seeing more people of color on our boards
and commissions. One glaring deficit, however, is youth representatives on our
boards and commissions. Because of this, and my long standing concerns about a
lack of youth on our advisory groups, I successfully moved to direct Neighborhood and Community Relations
Department staff to work with the City Clerk’s office, the Neighborhood and
Community Engagement Commission, and the 18 advisory boards and commissions
surveyed as part of the 2016 Diversity Survey to develop recommendations for
setting aside a seat on these boards and commissions for persons under age 25.
Small Business
Contracting Opportunities. On January 1 the City will launch
a new program expanding opportunities for small businesses to compete for City
contracts. As part of the Target Market Program, qualified small businesses
will have the ability to bid for City contracts up to $100,000 alongside other
similarly situated small businesses instead of larger, more established
companies. Key goals of the program include increasing competition for
contracts, expanding opportunities for historically underutilized small
business and stimulating the local economy. Businesses must meet certain
criteria to be eligible. For more info visit www.minneapolismn.gov/finance/procurement/TargetMarketProgram, or email targetmarket@minneapolismn.gov.
Resilient Minneapolis. I was happy to participate in a day long
Resilience Agenda-Setting Workshop in December that kicked off our Resilient
City planning process. Minneapolis is one of 100 designated Resilient Cities
(RC) along with London, New York, Bangkok, and Rio de Janeiro. We were selected
by the Rockefeller Foundation to receive funding to hire a staff person and
draft a resiliency action plan. At the workshop a group of over 50 stakeholders
began to identify and prepare for threats to our health and welfare as a city. In
the next 12 months, the City will use the grant funds to hire a “Chief Resilience
Officer” to lead the effort to draft a comprehensive resilience action plan. The
Rockefeller Foundation’s 100RC programs
is intended to help cities around the world become more resilient to social,
economic and physical challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century.
For more information about it, visit: www.100ResilientCities.org.
Appointments. In December the Council approved appointments
to the Commission on Civil Rights, the Police Conduct Oversight Commission, the
Police Conduct Review panel and the Community Environmental Advisory
Commission. I thank everyone who applied
and those whose term ended, and those who are newly appointed. The work of
these boards, and others, make a real and positive difference in the City.
Top City for National Night Out. For the fifth year in a row, Minneapolis was
ranked No. 1 by National Association of Town Watch, Inc., among all similarly
sized U.S. cities for participation on National Night Out.
Peavey Plaza Landscape Architecture Firm. The City Council has approved a contract
with Minneapolis-based Coen+Partners to rehabilitate and revitalize Peavey
Plaza at 12th Street South & Nicollet Mall. They will focus on
improving the plaza while preserving its historic assets. Priorities include
refurbishing the fountains and reflecting basin, concrete repairs, utility
upgrades and making the plaza accessible to people with disabilities. The goal
is to have construction work done by the end of 2018. Peavey Plaza was built in
1974 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Sidewalk Shoveling. When it snows, make sure to clear your
sidewalks of snow and ice to keep them safe. You and your neighbors will
appreciate it and you could avoid a possible fine from the City. There may be
resources for people who need help clearing their sidewalks. People can call
311 for a list of resources that might be available. Find more information at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow/shovel.
Board Members for Minneapolis
Telecommunications Network. Board applicants are needed for the Minneapolis
Telecommunications Network (MTN). MTN operates the public access channels for
the City of Minneapolis on Comcast’s and CenturyLink’s cable communications
systems. Board members participate in
regular board meetings and serve on at least one committee. Applications will
be accepted until the open position is filled. The application review
process will begin February 3. Find
more information or apply at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings/WCMSP-185649
Impound Lot Survey. The City has launched an online survey to
gather feedback for the Impound Lot Facility Improvement Project. Planning is
underway so construction can begin in the summer of 2017. It will take about a
year to complete. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and
Somali. Take the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MplsImpound.
Snow Emergency Alerts. To effectively plow the 1,500 miles of
streets and alleys compliance with parking rules is enormously helpful.
Vehicles parked on the street in violation of Snow Emergency rules can be
ticketed or towed and make plowing inefficient, so it’s in everyone’s interest
to help drivers follow the parking rules. To learn when Snow Emergencies are
declared and what to do when they are, you can call the automated 612-348-SNOW
hotline, you can go to www.minneapolismn.gov/snow where there is a street lookup feature which
lets you put in an address or a neighborhood to see where you can park during a
Snow Emergency; you can use our phone alert system and can add your cellphone
or unlisted landline number to the alert system by signing up at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow; you can sign up to get Snow Emergency
alerts automatically emailed or texted to you at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow/snow_esubscribe; you can also download an App for smart
phone – android device or iPhone that will tell you the parking rules for that
day and has a street lookup feature; you can “Like” www.facebook.com/MinneapolisSnowEmergency; follow
twitter.com/minneapolissnow; and check out videos in various languages
at Minneapolis
Snow Emergency Parking Rules (English), Reglas de
Estacionamiento de las Emergencias por Nevada (Spanish), Xanibaada Goobaha Baabuurta La Dhigto Xilliga
Gurmadka Barafka (Somali), Kev Cai Li
Choj Txog Kev Kub Ceev thaum Daus Tau Lo (Hmong).
STEP-UP
Youth Employment Program. STEP-UP
applications for 2017 summer internships are now being accepted. Eligible
Minneapolis youth ages 14-21 who are interested in participating in the 2017
STEP-UP class have until
February 10, 2017, to complete an application at
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/metp/step-up_home Prior to being placed in their internships,
youth receive work readiness that prepares them for a professional work
environment. Throughout their internship, they gain valuable on-the job skills,
make strong professional connections, and become exposed to careers they may
have not otherwise accessed without STEP-UP. Businesses, public agencies and
nonprofits interested in employing interns in 2016 can find information at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/metp/step-up_home.
Open Streets 2017. In December the Council approved 8 routes for
Open Streets in 2017: East Franklin, downtown, West Broadway, U of M, East
Lake/Minnehaha, Nicollet, Lyndale and Northeast. Big changes to two routes near
Ward 2 include the East Lake route going east from Eliot and turning onto
Minnehaha Ave and going all the way to Minnehaha Park; and the U of M route
that will go along University Ave from Oak to 10 Ave (without cutting through campus)
and then crossing eh 10th Ave bridge to go down Cedar Ave. You can
see all the routes and more information at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-190276
Malcolm Yards. I recently met with land owners and
developers John Wall and Steve Minn recently about future development they are
considering north of the University Transitway at the old Harris site along
Malcolm Ave. They are calling it Malcolm Yards and so far it includes a
proposed climbing wall building and business, a “Food Hall” in part or all of a
rehabilitated Harris building, and two potential mixed use apartment buildings
with commercial and residential uses. The city’s comprehensive plan prohibits
residential development on the site which sites within the SEMI Employment
District. So, the developers intend to apply for a comprehensive plan amendment
to take a portion of the area, where the mixed use apartment buildings will go,
out of the employment district, so that it could potentially be rezoned to
allow for a mixed use apartment buildings. The City Council and the Met Council
would both have to approve the amendment before it would go into effect.
World Expo in Ward 2. With full city support (http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-149823.pdf) an application has been submitted to have
Minneapolis be a host city for a 3 month World Expo in 2023. Large, six-month Expos are organized every
five years with one smaller, three-month version held in-between. The location
that has been identified includes the University of Minnesota and area known as
Prospect North, or Towerside, north of University Avenue in Prospect Park. To
learn more about the proposal see http://expo2023.info/ and http://www.startribune.com/a-day-of-big-events-and-one-on-which-to-ponder-big-goals/391460041/
Local Historic Nomination of Glendale. Later this winter, I plan to send a letter to
all residents of Glendale, seeking input on the proposed historical designation
of the site. This is the result of
requests, earlier this year, from the Defend Glendale Campaign and Prospect
Park Association to consider nominating the area for local historic
designation.
Green 4th. The Council has approved the layout, funding,
and assessments for the reconstruction of 4th St SE, or Green Fourth, from 25th
Ave SE to Malcolm Ave SE. The cost of
the reconstruction project is $2.4 million, and the lighting is $152,000. I continue to work with property owners and
the Prospect North Partnership to get the above-standard improvements the
Partnership has designed and obtained funding for incorporated into this
project.
2618 Essex St SE. The Council has approved the land use
applications for Micro Apartments at 2618 Essex St SE. This project will produce 25 new units, each
of them 360 square feet in size, with rents 20% below market rate.
Hiawatha Academies. The Charter School, Hiawatha Academies, has a
purchase agreement to buy the former Canada Dry building at 3530 E. 28th
Street. There, they hope to start construction of a new High School this June
for occupancy in June of 2018. They plan
to reuse close to half of the existing building, including the iconic entry on
36th Ave and 28th Street. The plans also include new construction,
totally 93,800 Square feet on much of the site. In my meeting with school
leadership I appreciated learning about the potential for shared gym space,
greenway beautification, historic preservation, quality jobs and a
well-regarded school in the area. I encouraged them to reach out to the
neighborhood groups soon. You can learn more about the school here http://hiawathaacademies.org/about-hiawatha/
Tax Increment Districts Decertified. In November the Council approved decertifying
11 special tax increment financing districts and two special Hazardous
substance subdistricts. Several of these are in Ward 2, four in the Southeast
Minneapolis Industrial area (SEMI) that were established in the 1990s and one
in Southeast Como called Van Cleve Redevelopment that was established in 2007
for an anticipated development that never occurred.
Seward Bicycle Boulevards. The Council has approved the layout
and grant acceptance for the Seward Bicycle Boulevards along 24th St E and 29th
Ave S to improve access to and from Matthews Park and Seward Montessori School.
You can find the layout and more information here http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/legislation/WCMSP-190218. While the layout does
not include the treatment at 29th and the Midtown Greenway, I am
working hard to see that the pilot closure to motor vehicle traffic at the
Greenway is made permanent and see it as a critical element to the success of
the bike boulevard. Prior to approving the layout, the committee approved the
motion I made to direct Public Works staff to return to the Committee no later
than January 31, 2017, with design options for the intersection of 29th and the
Greenway, including a design option that will close 29th Ave S both northbound
and southbound.
Open Office Hours in the Ward. I usually hold open “Office Hours” in the
ward every Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11:00 am. Please feel free to call the office at
673-2202 to reserve some time when I will be there or just stop by.
First Thursdays at the Oren
Gateway Center, Nabo Café, 2211 Riverside Avenue;
Second Thursdays at Black: Coffee
and Waffles, 1500 Como Ave SE;
Third Thursdays at T Rex Cookie Café,
3338 University Ave SE;
Fourth Thursdays at Blue Moon
Coffee Café, 3822 E Lake St.
Cam Gordon
Minneapolis City Council Member,
Second Ward
673-2202, 296-0579
If you want help translating this or need this
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