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This year's CommUnity Connections Conference was a wonderful success thanks to the many residents that came out to attend and volunteer and the partners that hosted workshops, exhibit tables, Meet-Ups and more. This year’s attendance was the highest yet, with over 600 people attending, including many first time attendees. With over sixty vendors, thirty workshops and Meet-Ups, and some incredible speakers and community guests, the conference truly did bring Unity to the Community.
Check out some of the photos from the event below.
   
 NCR is pleased to announce that Cheyenne Brodeen is NCR’s new Administrative and Internal Services Manager. Cheyenne brings a wealth of knowledge about the City and NCR
to this position. She has served as NCR’s Community Relations Specialist since
2010, and prior to that worked as a Minneapolis City Council Aide since 2008. Cheyenne
holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Hamline University and a
B.S. in Housing, American Indian Studies and Communication from the University
of Minnesota. Cheyenne is a life-long resident of Northeast Minneapolis.
In her new role, Cheyenne will focus on strengthening the Neighborhood
and Community Engagement Commission’s role within the city and our neighborhood
organizations and on expanding the role of NCR within the City enterprise. Please
join us in congratulating Cheyenne!
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Black April is
a very significant event for the Vietnamese American community. It marks
the fall of South Vietnam on April 30th, 1975. It changed the
lives of thousands of families. Many people who fought for the United
States did not feel safe and left Vietnam as political refugees.
“…when my family escaped Vietnam in 1978, they were on a moving
adventure that meant leaving their home country, the lives they knew, the
people and country that they grew up with, and set sail for a new world and a
new way of living. For me, it helps remind me to appreciate living and
not take life for granted. It also helps me want to learn more about my
history of where I am from and how my life and my family came to be. This
month as a Vietnamese American makes me proud of my family for the struggles
and tribulations that they went through to get me to a safe place where I can
grow up and be happy and healthy.” - Anonymous
Black April is
a time for Vietnamese Americans and their supporters to feel pain for those loved
ones they left behind after the Vietnam War, but also a time for them to have
hope for their children, family and community from the communities they live in
to show care, value and embrace Vietnamese Americans as friends, neighborhoods,
residents, citizens and most importantly as human beings with feelings and
emotion for safety and freedom.
To learn more about Vietnamese history or the Vietnamese community in Minneapolis please contact NCR's Southeast Asian Community specialist Michael Yang at Michael.Yang@minneapolismn.gov, or visit our website here.
 On Monday, May 1st, the American Indian
community will come together to kick-off the celebration of Indian Month in
MN. The kick-off event will begin at 10:00 am at the Little Earth of
United Tribes in south Minneapolis. The morning will consist of words
from community leaders, local representatives, elders, and youth. There
will be a short parade from Cedar Field to the Minneapolis American Indian
Center where lunch will be served. The afternoon will include music from Native
bands. You can find information on other American Indian Month events here.
Mayoral Appointee
Term: 1st
Ward: 6
Neighborhood: Cedar Riverside
Sub-committees: City Department Engagement Committee, One Minneapolis Fund Committee, Community Connections Conference Committee
How
long have you been active in your community and what made you get involved in community work?
I have been active in my community for more than 10 years. The
condition of being a young black immigrant, Muslim and Oromo living in
Minneapolis, comes with extraordinary challenges and limited opportunities
which made me active in my community. On my arrival to the U.S, I found myself
in a profound identity crisis where challenges were not only overcoming poverty
and educational shortfalls, but also adapting to a society whose values were
sharply at odds with my religious values. These challenges pressured me to get
involved in community development, organizing people around civic engagement
and address community issues that revolve around different policies at the
city, county and state.
Getting involved in politics of place making and community
building is a long journey that has shaped my understanding of common good in
my community and the City of Minneapolis. I became NCEC commissioner to be a
voice for my community and address barriers including systemic and structural
racism and persistence underrepresentation of communities of color in decision
making. Of course, addressing these issues is not going to happen overnight, it
requires an open and an honest conversation focusing on policy change and
making city more inclusive. As NCEC Commissioner, my vision is to promote policies
that are intentionally inclusive and focus on creating equitable outcome for
all community members living or working in the city of Minneapolis
What
do you like most about your neighborhood or community?
In my neighborhood, I get to work with people
from different walks of life including socioeconomic statuses, life
experiences, cultural differences, social identities, language and religious
beliefs. This is a great asset that encourages me to continue living in this
community. My neighborhood has a great potential for community based economic
development including growing small businesses as employers at community level.
Geographically, the Cedar Riverside neighborhood is connected to downtown
Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, Augsburg College and many other community
centers.
Are
there other boards and committees you are or have been on?
Currently
I am serving on the Council for
Minnesotans of African Heritage as a board Chair (appointed by Governor).
City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community
Engagement Commission
(Mayoral
appointee commissioner)
University of Minnesota Immigrant
Stories and the Immigration History Research Center Advisory board member
Humphrey
School of Public Affairs Policy Fellows Alumni board
Previously
I served on the following boards
Former
board chair of the Cedar Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization program
Brain
Coyle Community Health Action Committee
board member
Minnesota DFL
Party Central Committee at-large
Do
you have any tips for residents interested in running for neighborhood boards
and/or City boards and commissions?
Neighborhood boards play an important role in
shaping city’s policies particularly around community engagement and setting
community priorities. It’s important for community members to be involved in this
process of community building and place making. This is great way of developing
community leadership and changing city policies.
Anything
else you’d like to share about yourself?
I
have been in Minnesota for more than 10 years, and I have been involved in a
wide range of community development and policy change at neighborhood, city and
state levels. I care about communities and building bridges between local government
and communities to ensure transformative policy change and address
multidimensional socioeconomic challenges through policy change.
I graduated from the University of Minnesota
with triple major in Sociology, Political Science and African American and
African Studies. I was a 2014-2015 Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Policy
Fellows.
Currently I work for the Community Action
Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties as a financial service coordinator.
In this role, I provide socially and culturally relevant asset development
strategies including home ownership, starting or expanding a small business and
pursuing higher education.
My
goal is to integrate financial services, entrepreneurship support, education,
home ownership, workforce development and social services to improve financial
well-being of low-wage workers and reduce financial barriers.
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Requests
for Proposals (RFP’s) are being sought for the 2017 One Minneapolis Fund. The
One Minneapolis Fund is designed to develop diverse leadership and community
engagement in Minneapolis. This year non-profit organizations based in
Minneapolis that meet program criteria can submit proposals for one of two
funding groups:
Group A Funding: Community or
Cultural organizations should submit proposals for projects that develop and
prepare leaders to serve on City boards and commissions and on one of Minneapolis’
70 neighborhood organization boards.
Group B Funding: Community or
Cultural organizations should submit proposals for projects that that connect
diverse residents to the City and engage communities, beyond neighborhood
boarders, in specific targeted audiences. These programs may be either
established and on-going programs or new programs.
The deadline to
submit an RFP is Monday, May 1, 2017.
Visit the One Minneapolis Fund webpage to download the
RFP and learn more about the program.
 Join Us at the Neighborhoods 2020 Cafes!
Neighborhood organizations across the City are partnering
with the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (NCEC) and NCR to
host a series of community dialogues about neighborhood organizations in
Minneapolis. Each event will include small group discussions to discuss the
following questions:
- What services,
opportunities and information should neighborhood organizations provide?
- What are
characteristics of an effective neighborhood organization?
- How can
neighborhood organizations empower engagement?
These questions
were developed by 37 participants at a day-long workshop on the Art of Hosting
Conversations that Matter.
The dialogues are a first step in developing recommendations
for the Minneapolis City Council on the future work of neighborhood
organizations through a process of respectful and inclusive community
engagement.
Upcoming
Neighborhoods 2020 Community Conversations
Downtown - Tuesday April 25th - 5:30pm to 8:30pm Plymouth Congregational Church
- 1900 Nicollet Ave. So.
North - Saturday
April 29th – 10:00am to 2:00pm North
West Corner of Penn and Lowry (Outdoors under tent)
East - Wednesday May 3rd - 5:30pm to 8:00pm NE Minneapolis Armory
- 1025 Broadway St NE 55413
South - Thursday May 4th - 5:30pm to 8:30pm Abubakar-As-Saddique
Islamic Center - 2824 13th Ave So.
Southwest - Monday May 8th - 6:00pm to 8:00pm Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
Park - 4055 Nicollet Ave So.
For more information and to register for the events, see
the Neighborhoods 2020 webpage here.
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A Community Service Officer (CSO) works approximately 20-30 hours per week in the Minneapolis Police Department up to three years while enrolled as a student in an approved, two-year law enforcement program and/or working toward completion of MN Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) licensing requirements. CSO's assist the police department and community by promoting intercommunication, understanding and cooperation between department personnel and the diverse communities of the City of Minneapolis. The CSO is a civilian position which has the possibility of promotion to a full time Police Officer position.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Minneapolis Police Department has
prepared a detailed information session which you are highly encouraged to attend.
Attendance is optional for all applicants or potential applicants. Registration is NOT
required. We will highlight and discuss the following:
· Application
process and educational requirements
· Fitness
Assessment details
· Background
Investigation information
· Oral
Exam expectations
· Medical,
psychological, and drug & alcohol testing
· CSO
Academy and Education Program
WHEN AND WHERE:
Tuesday, April 18 from 6pm-8pm
Location: Emergency Operation Training Facility (EOTF)
25 - 37th Avenue NE, Fridley, MN 55421
Thanks to significant work by Midtown Phillips Neighborhood
Association Inc. (MPNAI) and many other partners and residents,
construction began on a new Phillips Aquatic Center by the Minneapolis Park and
Recreation Board (MPRB).
MPNAI set a Neighborhood Priority plan in 2015 to “ensure
the renovation and future use of an existing deep water indoor pool and to
ensure that Phillips neighborhood children, adults, and Elders have access to
the pool for exercise, enjoyment, and swimming lessons." They also dedicated
$50,000 of NRP funds to the project.
The project is expected to be completed in late 2018. You
can visit the MPRB
website for more details.
The Minneapolis Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee (CLIC) is
beginning work on the 2017 CLIC Report. This report recommends to the Mayor and
City Council a portion of the capital improvement projects requested by
departments, boards and commissions for the five-year period 2018 - 2022.
For this period, Capital Budget Requests totaling over $988 million have
been requested. A majority of the projects are Public Works related
such as bridges, roads, sidewalks, streets, streetlights, traffic control, bike
and pedestrian projects, sewers, water, etc. A smaller portion of the
requests are related to parks and public buildings.
The City is hosting two information sessions where public comments
will be taken regarding the upcoming project proposals. These two
meetings are in advance of the May 11th joint public hearing of the
CLIC and the Planning Commission. Participants will be able to review and
comment on project proposals and give feedback to CLIC members.
Public Comment Sessions
Tuesday May 2nd – 6:30pm to 8:00pm – Eastside Neighborhood Services –
1700 Second St. NE
Wednesday May 3rd – 6:30pm to 8:00pm – Sabathani Center – Room J-3rd
Floor – 310 East 38th Street
Thursday May 11th – 6:00pm-8:00pm – RM 319 City Hall (Joint Public
Hearing with CLIC and Mpls. Planning Commission)
Past
CLIC Reports
PW
Capital Project Maps
The City of Minneapolis is giving
residents the opportunity to apply for permits and to create public art pieces.
Some of the options include wrapping or painting a utility box, painting
intersections or sidewalks, and other small public art projects! This year, pre-applications are due April 7, June 9 and
August 11. For more
information, click here.
 The Jordan
Area Community Council (JACC) seeks an
Administrative Coordinator. This position will provide administrative
and communication support to JACC for its strategic and organizational
initiatives. Of primary importance is expanding JACC’s participation base with
more renter, homeowner, and business owner members. This is part time position.
Applications are due by Monday, April 24.
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In January, the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) selected a master developer team to work with them to pursue redevelopment of the 48-acre City-owned Upper Harbor Terminal (UHT) site. The selected team is led by United Properties and also includes THOR Companies, Inc. and First Avenue Productions.
Since then, the parties have been negotiating the terms of an exclusive rights agreement (ER Agreement) that will formalize this relationship and guide the upcoming UHT site planning process. For more information on the possible authorization of this agreement click here.
To lay the groundwork for this planning process, a public meeting has been scheduled:
Tue., April 25
7:00 pm
MPRB headquarters, 2117 W. River Road N.
At this meeting, information will be shared about to the community input received to date and attendees will be asked to provide input as to which aspects of the initial development program they fully support and would like to see happen (and why), which components they’re conditionally open to (but have questions or reservations) and which components they do not support (and why). Light refreshments will be provided, and the event will be family-friendly.
Plans for additional opportunities for community input will be outlined in the coming weeks.
Earth
Day Cleanup 2017 takes place at more than 30 locations throughout Minneapolis.
The event has become the largest community-service project in the city,
attracting 2,000+ volunteers annually.
To participate,
just arrive at any site between 9:30 am and noon, bring a pair of gloves to
pick up trash, and check in at the registration table. A site coordinator will
provide you with gloves (if you did not bring any) and bags, and instruct you
where to go and where to leave trash. Every site has a coordinator available to
assist volunteers and to answer any questions you may have.
Earth Day Cleanup
is a collaborative effort between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
(MPRB) and City of Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling.
Make
plans for the 2017 Minneapolis & Saint
Paul Home Tour! The tour is open Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and Sunday, April 30 from 1-5 p.m.
The
Minneapolis and Saint Paul Home Tour is a FREE annual event that promotes city
living. Come out and meet other homeowners and professionals in a low-key
no-obligation setting. Learn about the
neighborhood, and find out what it’s like to remodel, expand, or build new. Many
contractors, architects, and other trades people will also be available to
answer your questions.
The
Neighborhood and Community Relations Department is a Diamond Sponsor of the
Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour.
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