Finding a Green Way to Govern

The Charter Commission has adopted a new ward map .  I appreciate all the time and effort put into this and the involvement of the community. The new map also creates some problems. Let me review and explain. Before beginning to draw any maps, the Redistricting Group of the Charter Commission adopted a set of key principles for its work.  These principles included a) creating compact and contiguous wards, b) changing the existing ward boundaries as little as necessary , and c) keeping communities of interest whole to the extent possible. As far as I can tell, the Redistricting Group then essentially disregarded these principles. For an example of a non-compact ward, see the new Ward 6  (scroll down), especially in contrast with the old Ward 6 .  Indeed, Ward 6 seemed to become less compact with every iteration of the Redistricting Group's work - the February 15th map  featured a Ward 6 that was roughly as compact as the existing. The c...

Starting this spring, the City will no longer pick up yard waste in plastic bagsResidents may use compostable bags, paper lawn bags, or sturdy reusable containers. Using compostable plastic bags, Kraft paper lawn and leaf yard waste bags, or a reusable container, eliminates the need to debag yard waste before composting. This results in an improved collection program with lower yard waste processing costs and higher quality finished compost. From April 9 to May 7 there will be a four-week transition period for folks who have plastic leaf bags from last season. Through collection day the week of April 30, you may set out plastic bags of leaves from last fall or early spring for collection. Your yard waste crews will debag and collect your yard waste placing the empty plastic bags in your garbage cart and information about the new rules will be left behind. After May 7, 2012, all yard waste in conventional plastic bags will not be picked up but will be left and tagged to be repacka...

There's a great article in the TC Daily Planet detailing my office's work with Russ Henry on the compost ordinance amendments.  MinnPost also has a good description of the Urban Ag Text Amendments passing  the Zoning and Planning Committee last Thursday.

My colleagues Betsy Hodges and Elizabeth Glidden have coauthored a great op-ed on the problems with the stadium proposal that the three of us do not support.  I agree with their points, and would especially underline the sixth: a proposal that relies on legalese and loopholes to get around the referendum requirement written into the Minneapolis charter is fatally flawed from the outset.

This morning, the Urban Agriculture Text Amendments unanimously passed the Council's Zoning and Planning Committee, and in very strong shape. On hoop houses : their height will be limited to 6.5' on parcels with 1-4 unit residential buildings.  Everywhere else, they will be able to be 12' tall.  This would allow properly-sized hoop houses not only on market gardens, community gardens and urban farms, but also as accessory uses to institutions (schools, churches, etc.) and large apartment buildings. On market garden sale days : market gardeners will be allowed to sell directly to the public 15 days per year (down from staff's recommended 25 days, up from CM Tuthill's proposed 2 days).  They will not be restricted to one sale day per week, as staff recommended, but will have to post contact info on their farm stand each day they're open and notify their neighbors at the beginning of the season. And on raised bed materials : CM Tuthill moved a version of her ...