Second Ward October 2021 E-newsletter
Second Ward October 2021
E-newsletter
News from Cam Gordon
Council Member, Second Ward
2021 Election. Election
Day is Tuesday, November 2, but people can still vote early at the
Early Vote Center at 980 E Hennepin Ave. Please see https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/
and vote.minneapolismn.gov for the most
complete information about this year’s election. Voters will be
asked to wear face coverings when coming to vote in person at the polling
places. The City will offer disposable masks and
will follow additional health and sanitation protocols in all polling locations to
protect both voters and City employees.
On the Ballot. The
offices of Mayor, City Council, Board of Estimate & Taxation, and Park
& Recreation Board are on the ballot this year. There are also be three
questions that propose amendments to the City Charter: government structure,
public safety and rent stabilization. Information about the ballot questions
can be found at https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot/ where
you can also find a sample ballot to review before you vote. You can find the list of all
candidates who filed for municipal offices at https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/run-for-office/candidate-filings/.
Due to the timing of State and City redistricting, City Council members elected
in 2021 will serve a two-year term. In 2023 an election will be held for
another two-year term for council members. No other City offices will be on the
2023 ballot. City Council terms will return to a normal four-year cycle with
the 2025 municipal election.
Redistricting. After every census, the country, state, and city have to adjust district
and ward political boundaries. In Minneapolis a Redistricting Group, made up of
24 Minneapolis volunteers, is working on the new maps and is seeking input to
have new maps in place before the City Council election in 2023. There are
several ways to participate in the process including attending one of the
following meetings: 4:00pm Wednesday, November 17, 4:00pm Wednesday, December
15, 4:00pm Thursday, February 24, 2022, and 4:00pm Wednesday, March 9, 2022. To
sign up to get notices for redistricting
meetings, explore maps and more visit https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/redistricting/.
2022 Budget. The
Council has nearly completed its process of reviewing department budget
recommendations and will soon be conducting hearings and considering amendments
to the Mayor’s proposal. As I am
reviewing the budget details, I am also reaching out for feedback from you, and
all my constituents, as I am considering amendments. Final approval is
scheduled for December. To learn more and see the Mayor’s full proposal go
to https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/budget/. In November there will be some more departmental
presentations on the Mayor's Proposed Budget followed by two formal Public
hearings: one on Tuesday, November 16th at
1:30pm and the other on Wednesday, December 1st, 6:00pm. The
Council will consider amendments after that last hearing and also at their
meeting on Friday, December 3rd.
Final budget approval is set for Wednesday, December 8th.
Public Health State of Emergency Extended.
With the Delta variant spreading and COVID-19 cases increasing in Minneapolis,
the Council has approved extending the COVID -19 state of local
public health emergency through November 7, 2021. This will allow the
City to conduct the election with safety precautions in place.
COVID-19 Vaccinations. The
strongest defense against the delta variant is through vaccination. Get a free
COVID-19 vaccine at a Minneapolis Health Department clinic. Walk-ins are
welcome, and the vaccinations are free. You don’t need insurance, you don’t
need an appointment and you don’t need an ID. Find more information, updates,
and new free community vaccinations at https://coronavirus-vaccine-outreach-cityoflakes.hub.arcgis.com/.
Federal Grant for COVID-19 Response. The
Council has accepted a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), for over $4 million through May 31, 2023, to address COVID-19
health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations. This will help
the city work with community partners to implement strategies that will
decrease disparities and the overall rates and impact of COVID-19 as well as
expand services for people at higher risk.
Health Literacy Grant. The
City Council has accepted a $2 million grant from the United States Department
of Health and Human Services for a two-year period to support advancing health
literacy about COVID-19. The Health Department will use the funds to partner
with 6 community-based organizations to get messaging out where it is most
needed.
Evictions
Protections. As of October
12, under the State’s phased ending of the eviction moratorium, all lease
terminations and eviction protections for non-payment of rent have been lifted
except for eligible renters with pending COVID-19 rental assistance
applications. To apply for help paying rent and utilities please see https://www.housinglink.org/List/emergency-rental-assistance, if you are a renter, or the Zero
Balance Project (at https://www.housinglink.org/List/emergency-rental-assistance) to be initiated
by rental property owners and managers.
Completed applications in either program will protect you from eviction
for non-payment of rent. Work with your landlord to select only one program to
use. To learn more visit https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/coronavirus/housing/
Right to Counsel. The
City Council and Mayor have approved the Right to Counsel ordinance I coauthored.
The purpose of this ordinance is to codify in law that renters facing eviction
will be able to expect to be represented by an attorney. We know that renters
who face eviction stand a much better chance of being able to stay in their
homes if they have legal representation. I hope to have the new ordinance
passed and in effect before the eviction moratorium is lifted in October. This
will also help inform the 2022 budget – I will be advocating for the City to
allocate sufficient resources to meet this new Right to Counsel commitment.
Minneapolis 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 which provides a 40% tax rate reduction on
qualifying units. The reduction is prorated so if you enroll 50% of the units
in the building your reduction would be about 20%, etc. Participants also get
free or low-cost energy assessments and City cost sharing for solar
energy installations and energy efficiency improvements as well as $100 per
affordable unit, capped at $1,000 per property, and payment of recording fees
and first year State of Minnesota Low Income Rental Classification
(LIRC) fees. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis
with a final deadline of January 7, 2022. Learn more at https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/housing-development-assistance/rental-property/4d/.
Help Paying Utility Bills. Minnesotans can get helping pay for
current and past-due bills for electricity, gas, oil, biofuel and propane,
emergency fuel delivery, and repair/replacement of homeowners’ broken heating
systems. By submitting one application through the Energy Assistance Program,
households could qualify for payments to cover both water and energy bills and
qualify them for the Minnesota Weatherization Program. You can request an application
or find your local service provider at https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/consumer-assistance/energy-assistance/ or call 800-657-3710 and press “1.”
Emergency
Rent Assistance. The
City Council has accepted over $10 million in Emergency Rental Assistance
funding from the U.S. Treasury to help cover costs of rent, utilities, and related costs for
low-income renters experiencing housing instability due to the COVID-19
pandemic. We
also approved a contract with Hennepin County for Emergency Rental Assistance
Program Processing Support for up to $2 million to administer the Emergency
Rental Assistance Tenant Application Program.
Homeowner
Financial Assistance. We are partnering with the County and the Minnesota
Homeownership Center on a new program called, the Hennepin Homeownership
Preservation Program (HHPP). The program will provide limited financial
assistance for past-due mortgage and utility payments will be available to
homeowners who are below 50% of area median income (AMI), were economically
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and have completed foreclosure counseling.
The City is also lending support to City Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT) with their Project: Sustained Legacy which
focuses on assisting existing homeowners facing the potential loss of housing
remain in their home. CLCLT invests in debt restructuring for a sustainable
housing payment and/or significant rehabilitation in exchange for the homeowner
enrolling in a perpetually affordable housing model that will sustain a home’s
affordability to future purchasers. Call 612-594-7150 to learn more about
CLCLT’s program. To learn more about HHPP call 651-236-8952 or visit https://www.hocmn.org/HennepinHPP/.
Minneapolis Homes. The
City Council has approved spending $14 million to help create 104 affordable
homeownership units in Minneapolis: 62 new construction and 42 acquisition and
rehabilitation. I was very glad to see that 70% of the homes will be
perpetually affordable through a shared equity homeownership land trust model
and that 70% of homebuyers will be Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).
Current or former residents dating back to 2007 of certain neighborhoods in the
Near North, Powderhorn, Northeast, Phillips, and Camden communities that were
most impacted by redlining and the more recent 2008-2012 foreclosure crisis
will have a preference for the purchase of half of the homes created through a
newly adopted preference policy. Also, 20 of the
homes financed will be built to a net-zero or passive housing standard and
be models for how to use innovative design to address the climate crisis. For more details see https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/homes-development-assistance/minneapolis-homes/
School
Based Clinic Service Expansion. The Council,
with my enthusiastic support, has accepted a grant of $900,000 from the
Minnesota Department of Health, to provide funds from November 15 through June
30, 2023, to increase the School Based Clinic work force of medical,
health education and mental health to
“catch up” on preventative care and be better able to address their increased
health needs due to COVID. In addition, we will establish new clinic
services for students attending the co-located FAIR and Wellstone
Minneapolis Public high schools.
Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot. This month more details about the City’s Guaranteed
Basic Income (GBI) pilot program were approved. Under the pilot, 200
participating families will receive $500 per month for 24 months to support
household financial growth and stability. Applications will be open on the City
of Minneapolis website before the end of 2021, and payments will start arriving
with families in early 2022. City staff is working with the Federal Reserve
Bank of Minneapolis to evaluate the program to help inform future decisions
about program expansion or modifications. The program will be funded with $3
million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Eligible households must have an
annual income at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for Minneapolis, have
been financially impacted by COVID-19 and live in the 55403, 55404, 55405,
55407, 55411, 55412, 55413, 55430, or 55454 zip codes. More information and an
option to sign up for notice of when the application period opens for the
Minneapolis Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program is available at www.minneapolismn.gov/gbi
Gun Diversion Program. In October, the University of Chicago
published “Principles of Prosecutor-Led Gun Diversion Programming” you can
find at https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/voices.uchicago.edu/dist/2/1015/files/2017/01/SDP-PLGDP-Brief-Fall-2021-FINAL.pdf. The article highlights a Minneapolis program
that was started in 2017 with the leadership of Deputy City Attorney – Criminal
Mary Ellen Heng and the Criminal Division team. We have been partnering
with the University of Chicago on an in-depth study of our program and we
expect the full study to be published later this year. The program,
called Pathways, has served some 124 offenders with 60 of them completing the
program with 43 are currently in progress. The diversion program funded by the
City, led by the Attorney’s office, and run by Urban Ventures has been able to
successfully drop the typical 75% reoffence rate below 27% for participants.
The program includes developing skills to handle strong emotions and learning
about trauma and how to address it. To learn more about this program see https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/diversion-programs/pathways-diversion/.
De-escalation Training for Ward 2 Residents. I will be co-hosting, with the
Office of Violence Prevention a de-escalation training for Ward 2 community
members to help build skills around the prevention of and intervention in
mental health crisis and wellness recovery. The training will be put on by the
Barbara Schneider Foundation and features scenario-based actors who bring the
trainings to life. The training is a total of six hours and is covered
over a period of two days (3 hours each day) and will be held over two
Saturdays on December 4th and 11th. The Barbara Schneider
Foundation has many years’ experience training on mental health crisis response
for first responders, law enforcement, social service providers, health care
systems, and others (some of you may remember or participated in a scenario
training the Barbara Schneider Foundation did for City staff a few years ago.
Each training can have between 12 – 25 people. If you are interested please let
me know or contact Nancy, from my office, at nancy.olsen@minneapolismn.gov.
Catalytic Converter Ordinance. A Council Committee has approved a new ordinance regulating the sale of
catalytic converters and would prohibit the sale or purchase of a used
catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle by anyone other than a
bona fide automobile repair garage; whose license permits the installation,
replacement, maintenance, or removal of catalytic converters.
Traffic
Control Officers. The City has
launched a pilot program to explore the possibility of Traffic Control rather
than the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) responding to parking problem
calls 24/7. Traffic Control already responds during the day. The goals of this
pilot are to free up MPD time and resources spent on parking calls, improve service,
and reduce duplicate services, while responding to urgent parking complaints on
time. Traffic Control is adding an overnight (11:00pm-7:30am) shift Mondays
through Fridays besides its regular hours. Staff will respond to urgent 911 and
311 parking-related complaints submitted during those hours. Currently, both
Traffic Control and MPD respond to calls about parking problems. This pilot
will determine the resources needed for Traffic Control to take all of these
calls 24/7. Report a parking-related complaint by calling 311 during business
hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday) or by submitting your complaint on the
City website here https://www.minneapolismn.gov/report-an-issue/parking-violation/.
Police Officer Early Warning System. In October, the Council voted to accept a grant from the Pohlad
Foundation for an Early Intervention System (EIS) in MPD, that I have concerns
about this. Although I have been a long-time supporter of effective Early
Warning or Early Intervention System (EIS) for law enforcement staff, I favor
housing the program in the Civil Rights Department where we have staff and an
advisory group focused on police oversight. The action is here: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/RCA/8710. In 2016, then-mayor Hodges
put $124,000 in ongoing dollars in her 2016 budget for an EIS, including one
full-time employee. It is unclear what has happened to the cumulative $744,000
that was intended to be spent on an Early Intervention System in that time, but
it appears none has been functioning. https://www.startribune.com/early-warning-system-to-weed-out-troublesome-minneapolis-officers-didn-t-appear-to-launch/571157682/. I am also concerned that the program is being crafted as a
voluntary employee health and wellness system. That is at odds with what we've
heard from the Department of Justice, which in 2015 criticized the Mpls EIS
program as "perceived as a wellness program, suggesting a human resources
function as opposed to a systemized accountability and risk management
tool." This can be found here: https://www.startribune.com/justice-department-releases-report-on-mpd-early-intervention-system/290149921/. I strongly support creating a truly functional Early
Intervention System, as a systematized accountability tool. But given the
limits on the Council's oversight of the police department under the current
Charter, I believe that we should only release these grant funds once we see a
plan for how they will be spent, and what this system will look like.
Green Cost Share
Program. In October, the Council has received a very exciting report on
the tremendous success of our Green Cost Share program. This program was
created in 2013, and significantly ramped up after the Council voted to
increase our utility franchise fees by half a percent to fund work to fight
climate change. Since then, almost nine hundred Minneapolis homes and
businesses have participated, installing energy efficiency and renewable energy
improvements that will save 14,500 metric tons of carbon and $60 million in
lifetime energy bill savings. And these benefits are targeted to the
communities that have been left out in the past. Over half of the funds have
been spent on environmental justice, including in our Green Zones. One of my
key priorities is to dramatically increase funding for this critical work. For
all of the success we've seen, we know that this program is oversubscribed
every year. Every year we get more requests for projects than we can fund. This
program is the seed of a Minneapolis Green New Deal, and we should do
everything we can to help it grow. For more information see https://youtu.be/8x8--BTHmqg?t=1402 and https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2021-01116.
New
Organics Drop-off Sites. The City
is opening three new organics (food and other compostable waste) drop-off sites
this fall in partnership with Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Park &
Recreation Board. These are intended to serve residents who live in apartment
buildings where organics pick up is not offered. This includes one new drop-off
site in the new Towerside Park in Prospect Park, as well as drop-offs at Holmes
Park and Elliot Park. Two more drop-off sites will open in spring 2022. You can
learn more at an upcoming educational session online from 6-7:00pm on Monday
November. 1 and Tuesday November 9: Join session. You can learn more at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/garbage-recycling-cleanup/organics-recycling/
Water
Conservation. The City has
lifted the even-odd water sprinkling restrictions as the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources has moved the Mississippi River Headwaters watershed to
the drought watch phase and relaxed the goal of reducing water use. While still well below normal, Mississippi
River flows have been steadily recovering since mid-September. At the same
time, Minneapolis and the City’s wholesale customers’ water use declined and
have met target levels.
Street
Sweeping. Fall street cleaning began in October and will continue into
November During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews
will clean about 1,000 miles of city streets. To make sure crews can do the
best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24
hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept. Anyone
who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules or their cars
may be ticketed and towed. You can learn more
about fall street sweeping and how to find out when your street is scheduled
for sweeping at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/parking-driving/street-sweep/
Leaves and Brush Collection. If the City collects your
garbage, the pick-up day in the week of November 15 is the last 2021 collection
for leaves, brush and other yard trimmings. Yard waste must be in compostable
bags – paper (Kraft) or compostable plastic – or unbagged in a reusable container
32-38 gallons in size, at least 26 inches high, with sturdy handles. Anyone who
has questions about leaf and brush pickup can call 612-673-2917 between 8 a.m.
and 4 p.m. You can also find more information on https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/garbage-recycling-cleanup/.
Bring Your Own
Bag. On Oct. 1, a City ordinance
requiring a 5 cent fee for each carryout bag provided by a store goes into
effect. Enforcement had paused temporarily when the pandemic began. Carryout bags include any plastic,
compostable, paper and reusable bags provided by the store. You can avoid
paying the fee by bringing your own bags with you to the store. This fee is
only charged when a store provides a new bag to a customer at checkout. You’re
welcome to reuse any bags you already have.
October is
Pedestrian Safety Month. Walking and rolling are great ways to get around our
city, but we all have a responsibility to make it safer every month of the
year. When driving please expect to see pedestrians everywhere, including at
night; be sure to look for and yield to pedestrians when turning; come to a
complete stop for people in crosswalks and allow for them to cross; never pass
a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk and slow down and travel at a safe speed (the
speed limit is 20 mph in Minneapolis & Saint Paul unless otherwise posted).
Learn more tips and pledge to travel safely at tcsafetycup.umn.edu.
Draft
Neighborhood Traffic Calming. The City is also working to support pedestrian safety
with more street investments to support traffic calming and visibility for
pedestrians. Draft neighborhood traffic calming procedures were released last
week and will help Public Works fairly, transparently, and equitably prioritize
traffic calming improvements. Engagement will begin this fall to discuss the
draft and a website will be launched within the next week. In the meantime, you
can see a summary presentation of the draft procedures here https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/24726/11-Draft-Neighborhood-Traffic-Calming-Process-Presentation.pdf and the full draft
traffic calming procedures at https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/24596/Draft-Neighborhood-Traffic-Calming-Guide.pdf.
New Shared Mobility Program Sought. In October the Cities of
Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the
University of Minnesota agreed to issue a joint solicitation for vendors to
receive licenses under a new shared bike and scooter program starting in the
spring of 2022. The joint solicitation requests proposers provide a variety of
shared mobility vehicles in the public right of way including classic bicycles,
electric-assisted bicycles and motorized foot scooters. You can learn more about this at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2021/october/city-of-minneapolis-park-and-board-u-of-m-and-city-of-saint-paul-collaborating-on-shared-bike-scooter-program-/.
Bus
Rapid E Line Proposed.
In September, Metro Transit released the E Line Draft Corridor Plan (https://www.metrotransit.org/e-line-project),
which provides information on the proposed station locations and corridor-wide
recommendations for routing, bus service, and bus priority treatments along
what is now the #6 bus route, which includes some of the Ward 2 in the
University and Prospect Park neighborhoods. The comment period ends October 31.
Council comments can be found at https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/RCA/8782. Metro Transit will use feedback when
developing a Recommended Plan in the spring of 2022 to bring to the
Metropolitan Council for approval later in the year. Construction is targeted
to begin in 2024, while construction of some stations will be coordinated with
other projects and may be built sooner. The E Line is planned to open for
service in 2025.
University
and Fourth Streets Reconstruction. I was very glad to see
the most recent design for University and Fourth Streets that I believe will
result in safer and more comfortable streets for people walking, biking, and
taking transit. This project will include a two-way protected bikeway on the south
side of University, which I have strongly supported for years. It also includes
a protected bikeway on 4th Street. You can see the layouts for the project
here: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/25019/University-Ave-SE-and-4th-St-SE-Street-Improvements-Project---Attachment-2---Project-Layout.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3ZaT4VPRac433ZpbKgADBp6pCi9WnVuCRqihl1q7nx7eaEMn8GyeiCHdg, and all of the
supporting information here: https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2021-01163. This project is proposed to include a number
of innovative designs including a protected intersection at 15th and
University, and several 'floating' bus stops. It's a great opportunity to show
what a true Complete Street looks like. Once this project (and the one-block
connection to the existing Oak Street protected bikeway) is complete, it will
be possible to bike nearly all the way around the University of Minnesota
without leaving a protected facility. I'm
very thankful to Public Works staff for their years of work on this. The
original designs from the county did not include the two-way bikeway on
University, and I know that staff fought for the City's position - and that
effort has culminated in a project that I think will be seen as a local model
for how to build a people-friendly street.
Highway 55 from 32nd
Street to 13th Avenue South. The State will perform concrete rehabilitation, bituminous
milling and surfacing, accessibility improvements, signing, signals, lighting,
bridge repair and other associated construction upon, along, and adjacent to
Trunk Highway 55 from 32nd Street to 13th Avenue South. The City is entering
into a cooperation agreement and the Council is likely to approve an estimated
amount of $40,448 for signal construction and lighting improvement costs
associated with the Trunk Highway 55 project. The work is anticipated to
be completed in 2022. I hope that we can leverage this opportunity to improve
the crossing along this corridor, especially for those pedestrians and
bicyclists. For more information https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/RCA/8723
Public Works Contract
Settled. I was happy to see that the City was
able to successfully negotiate an acceptable contract with our Local 363 union.
This union represents many workers in our Public Works department including
those who provide essential services like street repair and solid waste and
recycling removal. These workers have done an amazing job throughout the
pandemic and I am glad that we were able to find a contract that works for
them. You can learn more at https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-city-employees-with-liuna-local-363-accept-new-labor-contract-averting-strike/600110489/.
Credit Rating
Upgrades. I am pleased to report that
both the S&P Global and Fitch Bond Rating agencies have revised the outlook
for City ahead of significant bond sales in October of $125.515M in General
Obligation Bonds and $15.9 in Taxable General Obligation Housing Improvement
Area Bonds. S&P has issued a AAA rating with a revised, stable outlook
from a previous negative outlook. Fitch has issued a rating of AA+ with a
positive outlook from a previous stable outlook. This upward movement in
the ratings reflects the City’s continued resilience during a challenging
period and the confidence in the financial planning and economic conditions for
the next few years. Rating agencies have applauded the City’s detailed
five-year financial forecast as this level of planning is significant in the
current fiscal and economic context. S&P states that the City
has been able to create a multiyear roadmap for dealing with various,
concurrent challenges that are unique in character and scope, allowing for a
structured response that aims to address these challenges while preserving the
city's reserves and fiscal health.
New
Director of Regulatory Services. With my strong support, the Council has
approved the appointment of Saray Garnett-Hochuli to the position of Director
of Regulatory Services for the unexpired term ending January 3, 2022.
I believe she has done an outstanding job as interim directory and I hope she
can continue serving in that capacity next year as well.
Neighborhood
Parks and Street Funding. The
Council has amended the Parks Streets ordinance that was passed in 2016 and
provided funding for improvements to both over a 20-year period. As stipulated in the Article, funding for
Neighborhood Parks was to remain flat for the first 5 years of the plan
(2017-2021), before increasing to address inflation beginning in 2022.
Following a review of a consultants’ report and the Council has approved an
increase in annual funding for Neighborhood Parks from $10.5 million to $11.5
million (a $1 million increase) beginning in 2022, plus assumed 3.34% inflation
each year afterward through 2026. This action only concerns the Neighborhood
Parks funding as funding levels for Street Infrastructure currently include
inflationary assumptions.
Upper Harbor Plan. The City Council
has approved the Upper Harbor Coordinated Plan creating parkland, public
infrastructure, housing, production space, community-supporting commercial
space, a community hub and a community performing arts center. I believe that
significant improvements were made to an earlier plan that preserves better
public access to that park areas and the river, long term public ownership of
the theater area and dedicated funding from the leases to help prevent
displacement and create wealth for current residents on the North Side.
The estimated $350 million development of the Upper Harbor will occur over many
years in multiple phases with the expectation at the end to include 19.5 acres
of new parkland and river access, 520 units of housing, 45,000 square feet of
commercial space, a 7,000 to 10,000 person performing arts center, a health and
wellness-oriented community hub, 160,000 to 180,000 square feet of production
space to support an estimated 300 living wage jobs and new parkway, bicycle and
pedestrian trails and related infrastructure. You can Learn more at http://upperharbormpls.com/ and https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2021-01069.
Hiawatha
Facility and Roof Dept. I was very disappointed in October when a narrow
Council Majority successfully changed what had appeared to be a resolution to the
City facility relocation plan at the Roof Depot site in East Phillips. They
reversed a previous action that I have long supported that would have saved the
historic Roof Depot Building, moved the new City facility to another location
and created a pathway forward for the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute
(EPNI) to earn development rights for a proposed Urban Farm Project. Instead,
the Council Majority and Mayor, without the support of myself and 5 other
Council Members, have approved moving forward with the construction of a new
water yard facility at the Roof Depot site, that includes demolition of the
existing building, and then setting aside roughly 3-acres of land for possible
future private and hopefully community supported redevelopment. You can
find more information at https://sahanjournal.com/climate/roof-depot-minneapolis-east-phillips-public-works-city-council/
Recovery
and Rubble Removal.
This month we are coming to the end of the
emergency rubble removal program initiated last October. Seventeen of the eighteen
properties identified in the program with more than 75% damage posing a serious
and immediate danger to community are complete. The final one, 2815 E
Lake St, is in the permitting process. Our program helped clean up 7 of the 18
sites and private insurance funded the other 11. We spent $953,628 of the
$2 million budget and property owner insurance payments contributed $39,400
towards the rubble cleanup. The City waived the special assessment for the
cleanup of these properties, amounting to $914,228 and was successful in
securing $1.2 million for 4 property owners to assist in the rebuilding
process. We have also waived fees for demolition and land use applications
from each of these properties and expedited approvals for
rebuilding. Special thanks go to Ken Staloch, Suado Abdi, and Jennifer
Rudlong-Smith, from our Community Planning and Economic Development Department,
who worked directly property owners. With the program coming to an end, staff
is recommending that we reappropriate the remaining rubble removal budget back
to our small business lending program. This move will allow for the City
to meet the growing demand for 2% Loans and allow us to quickly lend the funds
out to small businesses.
Rebuilding Progress. As of this October the City has
issued permits for over $175 million in unrest related rebuilding. These
are permits across the City and show that many property owners and businesses
are rebounding. The City estimated around $350 million in damages as a
result of the unrest in 2020 and the permit activity shows substantial progress
to recover from those damages. As with the rubble program, Development Services
has waived land use application fees and created an expedited process to review
and issue permits. The City continues to work with community-based
organizations and provide direct support to assess needs and are monitoring
many planned commercial and housing developments on the corridors and working
to deploy federal funding, especially to our designated Cultural Districts.
Malcolm Yards Affordable Housing. The State and City have approved funding for
the Malcolm Yards Housing project in Prospect Park at 495 Malcolm Ave SE. The City has approved a Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) Plan, Affordable Housing Trust Fund allocation and the use of
Housing Revenue Bonds to support the project and the state has awarded
Redevelopment Grant funds for demolition and public infrastructure improvements
on the 2.37-acre site. In addition to shorter term construction jobs, the
project is anticipated to create three permanent jobs, increase the tax base by
$225,979 and result in a 143-unit apartment building with all the apartments considered
affordable for families making at or below 60 percent of the defined Area Medium
Income. It will have 11 efficiencies, 117 one-bedroom, and 15 two-bedroom units
affordable to households between 30% and 60% of area median income. Hennepin
County will provide 16 Housing Support assisted units to this project, which
are set aside for those experiencing long-term homelessness and people with
disabilities. The project will remain affordable for a minimum of 30 years. For
more details see http://lims.minneapolismn.gov/File/2021-01059.
Towerside District Energy System. After
years of work, the Council has unanimously voted to finance the Towerside
Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage district energy system. This is a major victory
for our climate, for the Towerside area, and for Prospect Park. The plan
includes a $2 million subordinated loan from the City’s Common Bond Fund
reserves, and additional resources from the McKnight Foundation. I see this as
a clear, concrete way for us to make good on the commitment we made through our
Climate Emergency Declaration. I also see it as a tremendous model for future
large-scale developments. We know that natural gas is the largest single source
of carbon pollution in Minneapolis, and this kind of system can heat and cool
every building connected to it with carbon-free energy. Read more: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/news/2021/september/city-council-approves-support-for-towerside-district-energy-system/
Walgreens on East Lake. The
plans for a new Walgreens store at 3121 Lake St E, have been submitted and
reviewed by the City Planning Commission. The commission approved the site plan
to allow for the reconstruction of a drug store The Planning Commission adopted
the staff recommendations to require more windows and better materials that
were proposed with one change to allow for a mural where the blank wall exists
on the rear elevation, facing south. I was glad to see that the new Walgreens will
meet the City’s minimum window standards on all three street-facing sides and that
the exterior materials will be improved, particularly on the south side facing
residential. This action will bring them closer to what was previously approved
for the site. They plan to start construction next year.
Minnesota School of Barbering. The City has approved loaning
$190,000 from our Commercial Property Development Fund (CPDF) to help Lamberto
Veragara purchase the Minnesota School of Barbering property located at 3613
Lake St E. Lamberto is a graduate of the school and owner of LV's Barbershop
located at 3006 27th Ave S that has been operating for 11 years, and was
damaged during the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd in May
2020. The purchase of 3613 Lake St E will allow LV's Barbershop to own its
space as well as of the School.
City Update Sign-Up. You
can subscribe to get City updates on a variety of topics by email or text
at https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/MPLS/subscriber/new
Office Hours in the Ward. In-person
office hours have resumed. Cam will be holding open office hours on Mondays
from 9:30 – 11:00am as follows:
- First and Third Mondays at
Dogwood Café at4021 E Lake St.
- Second and Fourth Mondays at
Black Waffle and Coffee at 1500 Como Ave SE.
.
posted by Cam Gordon @ 2:25 PM
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