December 2018 News from Cam Gordon
Council Member, Second Ward
2019 Budget Approved. The Mayor and Council have approved a 2019 budget of $1.55 billion for next year. This includes funding from all sources and for all the City departments and operations as well as our investments in parks, streets, public buildings and other needed equipment and supplies to keep the City operations running effectively for another year. Perhaps the most significant part of the 2019 budget is an unprecedented affordable housing investment of more than $50 million ($40 million in local sources) to create more affordable housing, preserve existing affordable housing, support tenants’ rights and promote affordable homeownership. It is also worth noting that the Council make a series of amendments that reduced the proposed increase in the Police Department’s budget by nearly $1 million that you can read about below. While the final amended and approved budget has not been published yet, you can find the proposed draft, all the amendments and more at http://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2018-00745.
Public Safety Beyond Policing. I was happy to work on one of the most significant amendments, (titled the “Public Safety Omnibus Amendment”) offered by Council Members Fletcher and Cunningham, that used more than $900,000 the mayor proposed to fund 8 new civilian positions in the police department to instead expand our Mental Health Co-Responder Pilot Program to all five police precincts, provide funds for the new Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health, pay for a new investigator in the Office of Police Conduct Review, and provide funding for 2 new seasonal Youth Outreach Workers to serve the Cedar Riverside and Seward areas. The amendment reallocated proposed increases in funding but did not change the Department’s number of 888 officers. Even with the amendment, the Minneapolis Police Department budget increased by 2.2%, to cover investments in officer health and wellness and in order to equip all sworn staff with body worn cameras. The budget amendment also provides ongoing, rather than one-time, funding for Group Violence Intervention, the City Attorney’s improved alternative to standard conviction and sentencing for gross misdemeanor weapons charges, and the Minneapolis Violent Crime Hot Spots – Domestic Violence Outreach program.
Renters Support. I supported two notable tenant protection initiatives proposed by Council President Bender. These included using $500,000 to hire contractors provide mediation and legal support services for low-income renters facing eviction and increasing funds in the rental repair revolving fund by $2,000,000 to assist landlords with costs of rental repairs related to life safety repairs, building permits, and other similar expenses.
Other Budget Amendments. I worked on several additional budget amendments, all of which passed. I successfully amended the budget to transfer $220,000 so the Health department can retain two existing health inspectors in the Food, Lodging, and Pools division who would have been laid off. I also added provisions in the General Fund Five-Year Financial Direction, to include between $3.5 and 4 million a year for Neighborhood Funding Programs and $3 million a year for Neighborhood and Community Relations Engagement Services beginning in 2021 when the current special tax district that funds those efforts will no longer be in existence. I also secured $43,000 to support the Youth Coordinating Board’s Children’s Savings Account Program targeted to begin in 2020. Additionally, I was happy to support several of my colleagues’ amendments on priorities we share, including adding a full-time staff position to support the Office of Race Equity, increased ongoing funding of $35,000 for legal services for immigrants and refugee residents and $100,000 to support the ongoing work of the Minneapolis Green Zones.
2040 Comprehensive Plan. On December 7, the Minneapolis City Council approved our next Comprehensive Plan after considering over 100 amendments. All but one of the amendments I offered were adopted and incorporated into the plan. This includes 6 land use/built form map amendments, 4 new policies and 24 of the 25 smaller amendments to existing policies. Four of my more significant amendments added new polices to the plan. One creates an Innovation District policy, one a Freeway Remediation Policy, another added a policy on the University District, and the fourth reiterates the City’s ongoing support for Place-Based Neighborhood Engagement. I also brought forward several amendments that will increase renewable energy, energy efficiency, and affordable housing. I believe that the amended plan offers a promising path forward to help us prepare thoughtfully for population growth while preserving what is best about our communities, reducing racial and economic disparities, and addressing climate change. You can find a final draft of the approved plan at: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2018-00770. The plan will now be forwarded to neighboring jurisdictions for comment and then, by December 31, to the Metropolitan Council for their review. The Met Council will have 120 days to require modifications to be made and/or approve the plan. Once approved by the Met Council the work of implementing the plan will fall to the City Council and I will begin working to implement the strategies to reach the goals most aligned with my values and the present and future needs and aspirations of the people of Minneapolis and Ward 2. In doing so, I will support additional policies and resources that will help us manage the growth called out in the plan in ways that will help bring real community benefits to the people in Minneapolis and address some of the concerns and fears we heard from many people about the plan. I understand why some people are worried about how market forces may lead to undesirable consequences and I intend to use our legal authority to safeguard against these. I also share a great deal of the optimism I heard about the plan and the hopes many have for the changes it outlines. I am hopeful that in the months ahead we will find a path forward that will not only protect us from seeing the worst fears materialized but will also push us to realize the highest hopes we heard from those supporting the plan. I think the plan, if implemented thoughtfully, will help us demonstrate how a growing urban area can provide good jobs, decent housing and great public services and amenities for all its residents while fighting climate change, eliminating racial injustices, and making the city a healthier, more just, peaceful and sustainable place for everyone. A searchable and printable version of the City Council approved plan can also be found at https://minneapolis2040.com/media/1427/pdf_minneapolis2040_12_7_2018.pdf .
Racial Equity City Operating Goals. With my enthusiastic support, the City Council has formally approved four racial equity goal standards to guide our work. Those goals follow. 1. Increase the retention of People of Color and Indigenous People in the City’s workforce; 2. Increase the percent count of, and spend with, racially and ethnically diverse for-profit suppliers across all departments; 3. Improve the use of racially disaggregated data for decision‐making in the legislative process and ensure that policymakers have access to racially-disaggregated data to improve decision-making and outcomes; and 4. Improve the capacity of appointed boards and commissions to advance the City’s racial equity work and consider the impact on all racial and ethnic groups when developing and presenting policy recommendations. You can find the full goals and policy statements at http://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCA/7333/Racial%20Equity%20Action%20Plan%20Enterprise%20Operational%20Policies.pdf.
Don’t Let Snow Get You Towed. Every winter too many people get their cars ticketed and towed when the City declares a Snow Emergency. Knowing when a Snow Emergency is in effect is one of the best ways to avoid a ticket and tow. I encourage everyone to sign up for two or more of the following Snow Emergency alerts to stay informed. Sign up for Email alerts at https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/MPLS/subscriber/new?topic_id=MPLS_26
Investigation of Police Shooting of Travis Jordan. Very little new public information has come forward regarding the investigation into the death of Travis Jordan who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police on November 9. This appears to be one of the most significant problems with turning these investigations over to the state board of criminal apprehension. No body camera information or police reports have been released, although the County Attorney’s Office has indicated that they are now involved in the case. I am concerned about both the quality and transparency of this practice.
Police Charter Amendment. While not surprising, I was still disappointed with the discussion at a recent Charter Commission Task Force meeting about the Police Charter Amendment proposal that the Council forwarded to them this summer in hopes of getting it on the November General Election ballot. It appears the task force will decide to weigh in on the proposal itself, rather improve the language or postulate on its worth as a ballot measure for consideration by the voters. Instead they will likely argue that the measure should stay off the ballot and that the Council should not have the same policy-making authority over the police department as it does over all other departments. A sub-committee of the task force has been charged with drafting the formal report for adoption at the next Charter Commission meeting that that will be held on January 2. https://www.facebook.com/camgordonward2/posts/988501591312200?__tn__=K-R
Police Chief Reappointment. The Council, with my support, has approved the reappointment of Medaria Arradondo as Chief of Police. I was glad to see that during the reappointment process Chief Arradondo reaffirmed his commitment to making lasting cultural change in the department and improving police-community relations.
Violence Prevention Ordinance. The Council has approved to Ordinance, spearheaded by Council Member Cunningham, creating a new Office of Violence Prevention within the Health Department. I wholeheartedly support this effort to lift, strengthen and better coordinate our work to promote nonviolence in our City.
911 Work Group. The Council, in support if a proposal by Council Member Johnson, is establishing a new workgroup to explore the City’s 911 response system. The workgroup will examine whether non-police personnel would be better equipped to respond to certain 911 calls, and whether the City should explore an alternative emergency number for mental health crises, domestic violence, and substance abuse.
Municipal ID. The Council has approved a new Municipal Identification Program ordinance. I have advocated for this for years to address the problems people have getting proper forms of identification due to their experience with housing instability, gender identity, age, student status or immigration status. This program will help people open bank accounts, be admitted to a hospital, obtain prescription drugs, register children for school, file a police report and have an identification with their preferred gender identity. Over 20 US cities or counties, including Detroit and Milwaukee, have utilized their Municipal ID programs. I am hopeful that the ID will also be used as a Metro Transit card, bike sharing card and library card to make it a useful tool for all Minneapolis residents.
Neighborhoods 2020. Community Meetings were held in December where recommendations of the Neighborhoods 2020 workgroups were shared. The final work group recommendations, including responses from the City, will be released for public comment on January 14. This will open a public comment period that is scheduled to end on March 1.The Neighborhood and Community Relations staff is tentatively scheduled to present the recommendations for Council consideration, including public comments, to the Public Health, Environment, Civil Rights and Engagement (PECE) Committee on March 18. For more details visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ncr/2020.
2019 Community Connections Conference. This year’s Community Connections Conference will be on Saturday,February 2 in the Minneapolis Convention Center, lower level, in Hall A. This year's theme will be Together: Mobilizing for a Better Minneapolis, a call to action for residents, neighborhoods, and diverse communities to influence the decisions that impact their lives. The conference brings together neighborhoods, communities, residents and local government in an inclusive, creative space to make connections and build capacity during a day of interactive exhibits, workshops, round tables and an opening panel. For more information see http://www.minneapolismn.gov/ncr/CommunityConnectionsConference
Biennial Budget Proposal. Council Member Palmisano has introduced an ordinance that would amend the City Charter to establish a two-year budget cycle for the City. I have concerns about this proposal and believe that a charter change may not even be necessary or wise. If the Mayor and Council majority would prefer to do a more extensive budget and then a supplemental budget every other year they can already do so, provided an annual report is made to the voters and a hearing on property taxes is held. Even with the charter change, the annual levy approvals and hearings would be required. Even if I supported this, I see it as a substantial change to the Charter that should be made by the voters and not the 14 elected city policy makers.
Navigation Center. The Hiawatha/Franklin encampment has formally closed and cleared after everyone moved out of it and the new Navigation Center opened at 2105 Cedar Avenue. At least 130 people have relocated to the Navigation Center and are staying in one of the 3 “sprung” heated shelters located on the Red Lake Nation owned land. The Red Lake Nation and Simpson Housing Services are leading efforts at the temporary center as the primary owner-operator team. The Center will provide a safe place for people who have been living at the encampment and the center will remain open until May. After that, the Red Lake Nation is breaking ground on a new affordable housing project at the site. The three large heated structures that can accommodate up to 135 people and offers safe space, locked storage and support services to help people get health care and treatment as well as more permanent housing. Individualized case management services are also available on site by partner agencies and will include traditional Native healing activities. So far, the transition to the new facility has gone smoothly and residents appear to be sincerely appreciative. I am deeply grateful to all the community members and City staff who have helped develop and implement our compassionate, solutions-oriented, dignified and creative response to the encampment. I am hopeful that the path we have forged to address this immediate crisis will help individuals get the treatment and support they need to lead more successful lives and can be used to build a more lasting and effective response to the persistent problem of homelessness in our City. To learn more, you can visit the Franklin/Hiawatha encampment website at franklinhiawathacamp.org.
Intentional Community Cluster-Housing. With my colleague Jeremy Schroeder, I have introduced an ordinance that would change our zoning code to allow what we are calling Intentional Community Cluster Housing. This is in response to the great work of Envision Community Partners, a group that consists of Hennepin Healthcare staff, the U of M’s College of Design, an advocacy organization for people experiencing homelessness called Street Voices of Change, and others. Their proposal is to allow the construction of connected tiny homes with a shared, centrally located kitchen, bathroom and common space. One of the exciting things about this initiative is that it holds out some promise of making health plan dollars available to house currently homeless people who are high users of health care. My office is working with them and my colleagues to identify land that may be available as well. You can find out more about this exciting idea here: http://www.startribune.com/a-village-of-mini-houses-for-the-poor-and-homeless-proposed-in-minneapolis/499730811/.
Inclusionary Housing. The City Council has amended our Unified Housing Plan to include an Inclusionary Housing Policy and directed staff to develop a comprehensive inclusionary housing program and ordinance to be considered for adoption by the City Council at the end of 2019 to support the affordable housing goals of the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. We also adopted an Interim Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, effective for new land use applications submitted after January 1. The ordinance will apply to residential rental developments that include applications to increase a property’s development capacity by 60 percent or more. The interim ordinance requires 10 percent of units to be affordable at 60 percent of area median income, or 20 percent of the units to be affordable at 50 percent of area median income if the development receives a City subsidy. I was concerned that the proposed ordinance generally exempted student housing, so I successfully amended it to include a definition limiting “student housing” to housing on a college campus, owned and operated by a college for enrolled students or housing within ½ mile from a campus boundary that is clearly intended to be leased by students. I am not sure if this exemption should be included in the permanent ordinance.
4D Affordable Housing Incentive Program. The City is now accepting applications for the Minneapolis 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program, which helps property owners obtain property tax reductions for agreeing to keep rental units affordable for 10 years. The expanded 4d program has the potential to preserve more than 700 units of affordable housing in 2019. Program benefits include 10-year eligibility for the 4d property tax rate, which provides a 40 percent reduction in property taxes for qualifying units; $100 grant per affordable unit (capped at $1,000 per property); free or low-cost energy assessments and City cost sharing for solar energy installations and energy efficiency improvements. Owners of market-rate multifamily properties with two or more units are eligible to apply. At least 20 percent of the property’s rental units must be affordable to households making 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) which means that rent plus utilities needs to be under $991 for an efficiency, 1,062 for 1 bedroom, $1,273 for a 2 and $1,471 for a 3-bedroom apartment. See https://metrocouncil.org/Communities/Services/Livable-Communities-Grants/2017-Ownership-and-Rent-Affordability-Limits.aspx?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term for more details on affordability. For more eligibility requirements, visit the program website www.minneapolismn.gov/4d. Applications can be made online. The application deadline is Feb. 12, 2019. Contact Dean Porter-Nelson at dean.porter-nelson@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-5237 for additional information.
Advisory Committee on Housing. The Council has approved appointees to the new Advisory Committee on Housing. You can find the list of appointees at https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2018-01446. I am grateful to everyone who volunteered to serve in this way and I am very excited about using the skills, knowledge and passions of this group to help guide our work on housing policy and development starting next year.
Public Housing Resolution. In December, I voted for a unanimously approved Council action that includes “guiding principles in support of investments in public housing” and a direction to staff to negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) based on the principles. The authors, Council Members Warsame and Jenkins, made the case that the resolution, and subsequent MOU, will help put in place clear tenant rights to return to any remodeled property; protections to prevent displacement and requirements for meaningful resident and community consultation throughout any redevelopment. Understandably, some Public Housing advocates are concerned because the resolution also offers support for the Housing Authority’s “…efforts to stabilize and increase its funding sources through exploration, and implementation where feasible, of federally sanctioned public housing conversion” if the conditions are met and “the conversion will position the city’s public housing as a permanent affordable housing asset for current and future residents.” While the resolution does not explicitly mention any support for the sale or transfer of Public Housing to a private entity, people, like me who are opposed to privatization, are justifiably concerned. Conversion could include various schemes and scenarios where private, independent investors, could invest money in public housing in order to use programs like tax credits and shelters. The authors and MPHA staff, however, make the case that there are ways to manage conversion efforts to protect and preserve public ownership and keep all control with the public. That is an issue, as I understand it, that could be clarified in the MOU and I believe should be address in the report on the MOU that is scheduled to come to the Housing Policy and Development Committee on March 20, 2019. I do not support the privatization of public housing or any conversion program that removes public control or raises the cost of living for residents. I will continue to support keeping public housing public, improving and stabilizing it for the long term, increasing energy efficiency in it and spending more local resources on it.
Energy Disclosure Ordinance. The new residential energy disclosure ordinance was formally introduced December 7 and I expect the Public Hearing to be set for January 28. Council Member Schroeder and I have been working on this for several weeks and believe that we have a framework that will help current and potential renters, as well as prospective home buyers, get accurate information about the energy use at the buildings where they live, or hope to live. It would amend Title 3, Chapter 47 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances relating to Air Pollution and Environmental Protection: Energy and Air Pollution as well as Title 12, Chapter 248 that relates to Housing: Truth in Sale of Housing. In both sections we will be adding provisions relating to residential energy disclosure, in three ways. First, for single family homes and duplexes we will be requiring a simple energy report to be added to the existing Truth in Sale of Housing program. That report will indicate the air sealing needs of a house, whether it has wall and attic insulation, and the efficiency of heating appliances. The second is a time-of-rent energy disclosure requirement for rental property owners of buildings below 50,000 square feet (or 50 units). This will use a new data tool that we are working with Xcel and Centerpoint through the Clean Energy Partnership to develop. And third, rental property owners of buildings over 50,000 square feet will be required to benchmark their buildings, just as commercial buildings of that size have been required to do for years. You can read more about this initiative here: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/buildings-energy/index.htm
LED streetlights. Xcel Energy is upgrading all 24,000 of its streetlights in Minneapolis to use light-emitting diode lamps (LEDs). Crews will be installing the lights throughout the city on the Xcel Energy-owned wooden poles, mainly along alleys and side streets. LED fixtures use about half the electricity of the existing lights and have a longer life, which means less maintenance, lower costs and fewer replacements. The new lights are a softer, warmer 3000 Kelvin as recommended by the American Medical Association for outdoor LED lights to prevent harsh glare and harmful human and environmental effects. Xcel made the selection after a thorough review of potential energy savings, public safety, pedestrian and traffic improvements, as well as neighborhood and community livability issues. Xcel will pay all costs associated with the retrofits and there are no costs to Minneapolis for the streetlight replacements. For more information or if you have concerns about the new lighting call Xcel Energy’s Customer Care at 1-800-895-4999.
Environmental Commission Takes Position On Upper Harbor. This month the Community Environmental Advisory Commission (CEAC) sent a letter to the City Council and Mayor urging us to delay the approval of the Phase I Concept Plan for the Upper Harbor Terminal site until local communities can be more inclusively engaged in the process. In addition, the letter also recommends that the Concept Plan set goals for the project that align with those of the Northern Green Zone and the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan (CAP). The full text of the letter can be seen herehttp://minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@citycoordinator/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-215781.pdf. People are encouraged to contact CEAC at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/teams/ceac-meetings if they are interested in learning more or have an environmental priority you would like the group to focus on.
Staple Food Ordinance. The update that I authored to the Staple Foods Ordinance that was first passed in 2014 was approved unanimously by the Council in December. This update makes a number of changes to the requirements for healthy foods, all of them in the direction of less specificity and more flexibility for store owners. Among the changes, stores will no longer be required to carry dairy, eggs, or cheese, but to meet a broader set of requirements for dairy and dairy alternatives, and animal and vegetable proteins.
Homegrown Food Council Appointment. The appointments to the Food Council have been approved. Special thanks to Ward 2 resident, Teresa Opheim stepping up to serve the City, and our community in this way.
Bring your Own Bag Ordinance. I am working with City staff to bring back the proposal to align our approaches on paper and plastic single-use carryout bags, in the context of State preemption. The original Bring Your Own Bag ordinance prohibited plastic bags and placed a five-cent fee on paper bags. We were then preempted by the state from prohibiting any bag material. My attempt to amend the ordinance in 2017 to treat all bags the same with a five-cent fee was referred to staff for more work by then-Council Member Barb Johnson. Given the changes to the Council, and the increasing number of communities taking action around the world on the waste generated by single-use bags, I am optimistic that this will pass in the first part of 2019.
Employment and Training Agency Awards. On November 27, the City presented awards to two agencies that have provided outstanding employment services to Minneapolis resident in 2018. The Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) was recognized as the 2018 Adult Partner of the Year for its work targeting services to people facing barriers to employment and offering a wide variety of support to prepare participants for employment and job retention. Project for Pride in Living (PPL) was recognized as the 2018 Youth Partner of the Year. Over the past year, the Step Up team has collaborated closely with PPL to realign the Step Up work readiness training curriculum to correspond with the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) Career Readiness Seminar course. This approach allows Step Up interns to earn high school credits for their work experiences in any job once they earn this prerequisite credit. Step Up plans to build on this for 2019 including differentiated curriculum and the opportunity for interns to earn work experience credits.
Step Up Applications. The Step Up youth employment program is accepting applications for 2019 summer internships. Eligible Minneapolis youth ages 14-21 who are interested in participating in the 2019 Step Up class have until February 10 to complete the application online. Step Up recruits, trains and places nearly 1,600 young people in paid internships at more than 200 employers each year. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/metp/step-up_home
Bidding Thresholds. I have serious concerns about the ordinance amendment all my colleagues supported that raises the threshold for contracts that would have to go through our Small and Underutilized Business Enterprise program from $100,000 to $175,000, thus letting those contracts avoid setting goals for subcontracting with woman, black or native-owned businesses. While I understand that this will make our rules consistent with new state policy, I am concerned that it will move millions of dollars away from the scrutiny needed to help address disparities in contracting and hiring of nonwhite and nonmale individuals and business. Seeing that I was the only Council Member with serious concerns about this ordinance change, I used my opposition to successfully move a staff direction that will require Finance staff to report to the Public Health, Environment, Civil Rights and Engagement Committee and the Race Equity Subcommittee on a quarterly basis starting in the 3rd quarter of 2019 on the spending categories by department for the contracts under $175,000; and “to the extent individual departments do not show meaningful progress toward diversity of spending, Civil Rights and Finance and Property Services are directed to develop a policy that would require City departments to submit contracts for review by Civil Rights and Finance and Property Services in a manner similar to the ‘good faith efforts’ process within the Small and Underutilized Business Program.” Hopefully, with greater scrutiny and oversight we can change the old routine spending practices that seems lock out a significant number of businesses and keep public dollars away from realizing their potential as tool to redress historic racism and sexism by helping to close economic disparities
Legislative Agenda. The 2019-2020 Minnesota Legislature will convene on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 and this month the Council approved the City’s 2019 Legislative Agenda and Policy Positions. It includes our state bonding priorities and support for several new legislative initiatives. Our state funding priorities are $19 million for the Central City Storm Tunnel, $2.5 million for phase 2 of our Emergency Management and Training Facility and $1.5 million for the Upper St. Anthony Falls Redevelopment project. New legislative priorities added to the agenda include support for anti-displacement strategies; affordable housing; opioid abuse prevention and treatment; school based-clinics; and changes to facilitate composting and organics processing. The committee also added a provision that gives City support for the “decriminalization, legalization, and taxation of recreational cannabis, while ensuring the health and safety of the public, including children, expungement for past offenses, and considering ways to ensure equity and access by communities of color to potential benefits, particularly for small businesses.” For the full City 2019 Legislative Agenda and Policy Positions see http://www.minneapolismn.gov/igr/index.htm.
Federal Government's Actions at the Southern Border. The Council is formally calling on the federal administration to stop the use of tear gas at the border, increase the number of asylum officers and Customs and Border Protection officials to process asylum seekers at the border and ensure that all federal officials whose work includes consideration or evaluation of asylum seekers are well trained to respect and follow federal asylum laws and policies.
Roof Depot/Hiawatha Public Works Facility Expansion. In December, the Council took a significant vote regarding the often the Public Works Maintenance Facility Campus Expansion at Hiawatha and 28th. After several attempts to get support for some alternative which would preserve some of the site for a community supported redevelopment option, the Council ultimately determined to preserve all the land for City public-ownership. The Council approved this option (A) with a modification that the job recruitment and training facility and associated economic development and community program space will be increased in size and its location will be evaluated early next year to “maximize community access and activation as well as to leverage additional municipal functions and partnerships with labor groups.” Economic development staff was also directed to work with the Southside Green Zone Council and East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to help them develop a business plan that might lead to realizing their vision of a green jobs, urban agriculture development in another location.
New U of M President. The Board of Regents has voted unanimously to name Joan T.A. Gabel the 17th president of the University of Minnesota. She is the first woman to be president of the University. I look forward to getting to know President Gabel in the weeks ahead and working with her to strengthen the important partnership the University has with the City and many nearby Ward 2 neighborhoods.
Malcolm Yards. Wall Companies will be bringing forward the Malcolm Yards Phase One project for approval early next year. The area to be developed is north of the U of M Transitway, west of Malcolm Ave SE and east of 29th Ave SE. This proposal includes a food hall within the old Harris building, a new mixed-use building consisting of 143 market rate apartments and 31,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 142-unit affordable apartment building with underground parking. The site plan also dedicates a northerly extension of 30th Ave SE, creates a large public greenway and improves pedestrian access routes within and through the site.
Grand Round Missing Link. It is great to see Park Board Commissioner Chris Meyers, and the Park Board in general, making completion of the Grand Rounds a priority for 2019. This project will connect East River Parkway with St. Anthony Parkway providing Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis communities access to parks, trails, paths and green space. I was glad to see plans being presented at recent neighborhood associations meetings and am hopeful that an approved plan will be forwarded for approval to the Metropolitan Council next year. You can read more about this athttps://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/12/momentum-building-to-fill-in-grand-rounds-missing-link/
Chester and Marcia’s Place Gone. The City’s Bridge Department has completed the clean-up of the area where long time West Bank residents, and Ward 2 constituents, Chester and Marsha lived under the 10th Street Bridge. In a recently internal Public Works newsletter staff wrote of the following that wanted to share with you. “The Bridge Department, in their role of maintaining spaces that are often inhabited by transients, had established a relationship with Chester and Marica over the years. “With their passing, and the impending 10th Avenue Bridge rehabilitation project, it was necessary to finally remove their rather substantial encampment. The size and density of the encampment made it no small job. In collaboration with Council Member Gordon, City Pages, the West Bank Business Association, the House of Balls art gallery, Brette Hjelle from PW Administration, the Bridge Department, and many others, arrangements were made to first photo-document the site and collect valued artifacts on All Souls Day, before final demolition and removal was completed. Then, on November 19th and 20th, Bridge crews worked to clear the site. By working respectfully and collaboratively with the local community, Public Works carried out this mission quietly and with dignity.” The cooperation and communication between our staff and community members really helped get through this difficult process in a respectful and positive way. I am especially grateful to MJ LaVigne from House of Balls, along with Jamie Schumacher from the business association, for stepping up and getting involved and helping us honor and preserve some of this treasured Minneapolis West Bank history by coordinating with City staff.
Jobs with the City. The City has several job openings among and more than 900 different job types. To learn more and view current openings see http://www.minneapolismn.gov/jobs
Openings on Boards and Commissions. Several board and commission positions are open for City Council and Mayor appointments this spring. People can apply and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings. Potential applicants can find more information at 612-673-2216 orOpenAppointments@minneapolismn.gov.
Open Office Hours in the Ward. I usually hold open Community “Office Hours” in the ward every Monday 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 Mondays at the Birchwood Café, 3311 E 25th St;
Second Mondays at Black: Coffee and Waffles, 1500 Como Ave SE;
Third Mondays at T-Rex Cookie Café, 3338 University Ave SE; and
Fourth Mondays at the East Lake Library, 2727 E Lake St.
Cam Gordon
Minneapolis City Council Member, Second Ward
673-2202, 296-0579
