Finding a Green Way to Govern

Please join me and West Bank residents and business owners for the first West Bank Safety Walk tomorrow, June 24th, at 7pm. We will meet at the Brian Coyle Center. This sort of proactive neighborhood organizing is especially important in the wake of the murders of Joe Sodd III and Abdullahi Abdi on the West Bank this year, and a number of non-fatal shootings. Thanks to the West Bank Safety Committee who, with help from the First Precinct, have organized this walking group. I hope to see you there.

Well, we got to within a single vote. Joining me in voting to repeal the Lurking ordinance were Council Members Benson, Glidden, Hodges, Remington and Schiff. I thank them for taking this courageous stand with me to repeal this bad law. Voting to keep it were Council Members Colvin Roy, Goodman, Hofstede, Johson, Lilligren and Samuels. CM Ostrow was not present, but voted against the repeal in committee. I thank all of my colleagues for investing time and energy into this valuable public discussion. I'm proud of the good points that we raised, and the elevation of the citywide conversation about racial and economic disparities in general and in our criminal justice system in particular. I also believe that Lurking will be used more sparingly and carefully in the near future, as both the MPD and the Attorney's Office know that it is under the microscope. Perhaps we'll get there next time. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing the UN Special Rapporteur's report on wh...

As you've likely heard, there was a tragic murder of a young man, Joe Sodd III, on the West Bank earlier this week. I know that he was a close friend to many people in our Ward and our City. His death is the second time this year a young man was killed in City Riverside and I hope we can all offer support and sympathy to the family and the community for the grief, pain and fear that they are feeling. There is more about how friends remember Joseph Sodd III here . There will be a public memorial event to Joe Sodd III this Sunday , at 3pm at Augsburg College's chapel followed by a gathering at Murphy Square Park at 4:00. There is also a memorial between 6 th and 7 th Streets S on 19 th Ave S, where neighborhood volunteers and people who know and love Joe brought flowers and left sidewalk chalk and ribbons that people can write messages on. Everyone is welcome at the the memorial and also to visit the plaza and express your wishes for peace and safety in the neighborhood,...

I recently crafted a statement on the lurking repeal which served as the foundation of a commentary in tomorrow mornings Star Tribune. Since they did not have room to publush the entire piece I decided to share it here. In it I have tried to capture what I think are the most important points and relevant facts. It will also serve as the basis for the comments I will make at the City Council meeting Friday where this will be considered. --------------- Since the Brooking Institute’s Mind the Gap report first made headlines in 2005, Minneapolis has done a lot we can be proud of to help close the significant racial and economic disparities the report identified as detrimental to the region’s future economic well being. When the new City Council took office in 2006, it pointed the City in a new strategic direction where “all Minneapolis residents will have a better quality of life and access to housing and services.” It called for “one Minneapolis” where “there will be living-wage jobs ...

The City's open house to get public input for the new Bicycle Master Plan is today. I wish I could make it but it looks like I will be too busy elsewhere. The 2008 plan will include goals, policies, and design guidance in addition to a map of future facilities. It focuses on what folks are calling "the 6 E's of making a city bicycle friendly:" Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Encouragement, Evaluation, and Equity. The plan reportedly includes a prioritized list of projects and initiatives. Public ideas and suggestions will be solicited at this event. A brief presentation will be given at 5, 6, and 7 p.m. Members of the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee will be present to answer questions. The open house will be held from 4:30 - 8 p.m. in Room 319 of the Minneapolis City Hall. If any of you get to go I would love to hear some feedback directly about what you think.