City of Minneapolis News Update: June 11, 2021

COVID-19
CoM news update

June 11, 2021


This newsletter provides updates on the City's response to COVID-19, an overview of recovery efforts underway, efforts to transform public safety and other important news and information from the City of Minneapolis.


Need to report theft or property damage?

The City of Minneapolis is changing the way residents report non-violent, non-emergency theft and property damage not in progress. Starting June 14, non-police City employees at 311 will take these reports from Minneapolis residents instead of 911 dispatching Minneapolis Police officers.

You can report theft or property damage in two ways:

Minneapolis 311 takes calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Friday but you will need to call between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to make a theft or property damage report. If you need to make a report outside these hours or on holidays, you can:

You will receive an incident case number when you file a report whether you submit your report online or by calling 311. The quickest way to generate an incident case number for your report is to file it online.

If the theft or property damage is occurring at the time of call, call 911.

This is a service change aligned with the City’s work around seeking alternatives to police response. The goal is to reduce administrative capacity for police and improve service experiences. Results of the program will be assessed throughout the year. Learn more about alternatives to police response.


Join in Minneapolis Youth Violence Prevention Week events June 12-19

The City of Minneapolis is participating in Youth Violence Prevention Week. Activities and events June 12-19 will encourage the start of a “Hot Safe Summer” this year. Youth Violence Prevention Week helps call attention to the issue of youth violence, identify strategies to combat this public health epidemic, and promote the positive roles young people and adults can play in making their communities and schools safer.

Youth Violence Prevention Week usually takes place in April, but the City decided to delay scheduling in-person events due to COVID-19.

See the list of events.

Visit the City website for more information about the City of Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention and its other programs.


Take precautions to keep you and your pet safe during extreme heat

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With extreme hot temperatures still in the forecast, Minneapolis City officials want to remind everyone how to handle the heat. Heat-related illness happens when the body isn’t able to cool itself. Seniors, small children and people with physical disabilities and pets are the most vulnerable to heat-related illness, but everyone should take steps to stay safe in extreme heat.

The Minneapolis Health Department works closely with other local jurisdictions and the Minnesota Department of Health to help folks prepare for extreme heat events. Minneapolis has an emergency plan that is used to respond when a heat advisory or warning is called by the National Weather Service. The plan is coordinated with a metro-wide notification plan that reaches out to agencies that serve vulnerable populations.

Tips for preventing heat-related illness during extreme heat:

  • Drink more fluids. Drinking fluids helps your body cool itself. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Avoid drinking liquids with caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar. They can actually cause your body to lose more fluid. Remind anyone you are responsible for to drink more water.
  • Never leave any person or animals in a parked vehicle.
  • Wear lightweight, loose-fitted clothing.
  • Check on your neighbors who may be at risk. Visit seniors and other vulnerable neighbors at least twice a day and look closely for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. If you or your neighbors are not vaccinated for COVID-19, you can call, text, video or meet them and keep a 6-foot distance. Seek medical advice immediately if you notice nausea, weakness, disorientation, rapid pulse and dry skin.
  • Take an air conditioning break. Air conditioning is your best defense against heat-related illness. If a home is not air-conditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned and using air conditioning in vehicles.

Learn more


Sign up now for transforming community safety learning lab June 17

All community members are invited to join the Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention in a learning lab on transforming community safety at 12 p.m. Thursday, June 17. This learning lab features David Kennedy, the executive director of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College, a national organization focused on supporting cities implementing strategic interventions to reduce violence, minimize arrest and incarceration, enhance police legitimacy, and strengthen relationships between law enforcement and communities.

Kennedy will provide an overview of the national evidence-based practice Group Violence Intervention (GVI) and how the model has been applied to Minneapolis. GVI reduces homicide and gun violence, minimizes harm to communities by replacing enforcement with deterrence, and fosters stronger relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve.

This meeting will be recorded.

Invite your friends and community using the Facebook event.

Register to get the Zoom link emailed before the meeting.

About the Transforming Community Safety Learning Lab Series

The series will feature partners and national experts in violence prevention and other areas related to transforming community safety. The series will:

  • Provide information about relevant research, evidence-informed practices, practice-based evidence, promising practices, and innovative solutions and models for community safety from around the country.
  • Offer information and inspiration about what may be possible with reimagining community safety.
  • Create deeper understanding of some of the existing community safety models and practices we have locally that we can build on.

Watch the City website for future sessions in the series.


Public hearing set for June 16 on proposed spending plan for first round of American Rescue Plan Act funding

The City Council’s Committee of the Whole will hold an online public hearing 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, June 16 on Mayor Jacob Frey’s spending proposal for the first round of federal funding awarded to the City of Minneapolis through the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act.

The Committee of the Whole is scheduled to consider amendments to the spending plan 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 23. The City Council is anticipated to take final action on the plan Friday, July 2.

Mayor Jacob Frey outlined his plan for the first round of the $271 million in federal funding on June 4. The $89 million proposal focuses on economic recovery, affordable housing, and community safety measures while piloting new programming like a guaranteed basic income (GBI) pilot project and an apprentice-style community safety initiative.

Key priority areas include affordable housing ($28 million), economic recovery ($37 million), public safety ($11.5 million), and a new Minneapolis GBI program ($3 million). Approximately $12 million is budgeted for City enterprise investments, such as furlough relief and other staff needs. 

American Rescue Plan Act funding online public hearing

6:05 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, City Council’s Committee of the Whole 

Learn how to participate in a public hearing.

Review Mayor Frey’s spending proposal.


City hosting free vaccine clinics

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Get a free COVID-19 vaccine at a Minneapolis Health Department clinic. You can get a single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and be fully vaccinated in three weeks.

If you choose to get a Moderna vaccine, you would require a second dose four weeks later. You will be fully vaccinated two weeks after you second dose. You must be 18 and older. 

Upcoming clinics

  • 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 12 at Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 3400 Park Ave.
  • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 17 at Salvation Army, 1604 East Lake St.
  • 3-7 p.m. Thursday, June 17 at Minneapolis Public Schools Davis Center, 1250 West Broadway Ave.
  • 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 19 at Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 3400 Park Ave.
  • 3-7 p.m. Thursday, June 24 at Minneapolis Public Schools Davis Center, 1250 West Broadway Ave.
  • 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 26 at Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 3400 Park Ave.

Find more information on the Health Department's website

Other ways to get a vaccine 

Vaccines work. If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, get a free vaccine as soon as you can. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have plummeted as more Minnesotans receive their vaccine. About nine out of 10 Americans live within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination site. Lyft and Uber are offering free rides to vaccination appointments until July 4.

Sick and Safe Time covers vaccine appointments

Accrued sick and safe time hours can be used to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and recover from any side effects. Learn more about the City's Sick and Safe Time ordinance.


Mayor Frey lifts mask mandate in Minneapolis

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Mayor Jacob Frey signed an emergency regulation June 1 immediately lifting the City’s local mask requirement, which has been in place since May 2020.

Currently, 78.6% of Minneapolis residents (15+ population) have received at least one vaccine shot (either a single dose or first dose of two) of a COVID-19 vaccine. As the city approaches an 80% adult vaccination rate, positive case figures continue to trend down with the city’s seven-day rolling average of new daily cases per 100,000 consistently below 10. Currently, 69% of all Minneapolis residents aged 15+ are fully immunized.

The City’s Health Department will continue to emphasize equity and inclusion in its outreach efforts with an increased focus on providing vaccine education and access to Black, Indigenous, Asian-Pacific Islander, Latinx, East African and people of color. 

Learn more


Minimum wage increases July 1 in Minneapolis

stock kitchen

On July 1, 2021, the minimum wage in Minneapolis is going up to $12.50 at small businesses and $14.25 at large businesses. The City is committed to supporting an economy that includes everyone.

The Minneapolis minimum wage ordinance defines small businesses as 100 or fewer employees and large businesses as more than 100 employees. Tips and gratuities do not count toward payment of a minimum wage.

The City’s Department of Civil Rights oversees enforcement of the municipal minimum wage, and workers are encouraged to report violations online.

Increases in Minneapolis’ minimum wage directly benefit tens of thousands of families and the economy. The ordinance supports the City’s goals of promoting economic inclusion and reducing economic and racial disparities. For more information about the ordinance, visit the City’s website. For additional questions call 311 or email minwage@minneapolismn.gov.

A comprehensive study of economic impacts conducted independently by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is ongoing.

Watch and share a short video on the City's minimum wage ordinance:


Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month and World Refugee Day

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, a month that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of immigrants and their families to the history, culture and economy of the United States. This month is an important time to reflect on the past and honor the strength, determination and richness of immigrant communities while recognizing the need for everyone to have access to health care, education and economic security.

Celebrate the courage and resilience of refugees on June 20, World Refugee Day. Refugees are people who have fled conflict and persecution in their home countries in hopes of finding safety and a better life abroad. World Refugee Day began in 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees.

Join the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affair for a variety of events throughout the month of June.

Learn more


'Your Shot to Summer' rewards request form now open

state parks

The State's "Your Shot to Summer" vaccine incentive campaign is now open for submissions at mn.gov/covid19/summer. Minnesotans 12 years of age and older who have gotten their first COVID-19 vaccine dose since May 27, 2021 are eligible to fill out the request form and choose their preferred vaccine reward.

There are several reward options, including a Minnesota fishing license, Minnesota State Parks pass and $25 Visa gift card. 

Rewards will be available for the first 100,000 requests made by eligible Minnesotans. Reward requests must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health by 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2021, and will be fulfilled on a rolling basis.


Beaches, pools and other water activities open for season

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's pools, water parks and beaches are open for the season. With dozens of wading pools, 12 beaches, two water parks, and the nation's first natural swimming pool, Minneapolis parks provide all kinds of water fun.

Find schedules for wading pools, the Webber Natural Swimming pool, water parks, beaches and water activities. 

pools

COVID-19 emergency rent and utility bill assistance

If the pandemic has caused you hardship and you need help catching up on your rent or utility bills, you may be eligible for Minnesota’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance. Eligible Minneapolis renters can receive help with rent and utility bills dated on or after March 13, 2020. If you qualify, you could receive up to 15 months of total assistance.

While you can’t be evicted for not paying rent during Gov. Walz’s executive order, rent is still due. When the order is lifted, people owing unpaid rent could be at risk for eviction.

Apply now for RentHelpMN

To apply for RentHelpMN or find more information, visit renthelpmn.org or call 211. The 211 helpline has dedicated multilingual staff available to answer questions about RentHelpMN 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

In Minneapolis, you can also apply through these community partners:

  • Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servico (CLUES) Assistance in Spanish: 651-362-0162
  • New American Development Center (NADC) Assistance in Somali, Oromo and Amharic: 612-823-0180
  • NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center: 612-767-9198
renthelp

Reduce waste by switching to reusable items

love your stuff

From bags to toys and household goods, plastics have only been around for the past 50 years. Our grandparents lived fine without them. Their health and our environment wasn’t affected by the manufacturing, use and disposal of plastics. Commit to switching one single-use plastic item in your home to a reusable alternative. 

Examples include: 

  • Sandwich bags 
  • Cling-wrap 
  • Food storage containers  

Your small action, plus the small actions of your friends, family and neighbors really adds up. Share a reusable alternative that you can’t live without. #LoveYourStuffMPLS. 

Visit the City's website for more information on how to shop smart, love your stuff, and reduce waste.


Get a free COVID-19 test and help stop the spread

test

The City of Minneapolis is offering free COVID-19 saliva tests. Testing is one of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent exposing your loved ones to the virus along with wearing masks correctly, keeping 6 feet from anyone you don’t live with, hand-washing and getting vaccinated.

The State is now urging athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers and other sports participants to get tested for COVID-19 weekly. Students not participating in sports or other group activities are still strongly encouraged to test every two weeks.

Health officials now estimate that 60% of all COVID-19 cases in Minnesota are associated with the B.1.1.7 variant, a more transmissible version of the virus that may be associated with more severe symptoms. Much of the spread of COVID-19 in recent weeks has been seen in younger Minnesotans, particularly among middle and high school.

Free COVID-19 tests

Do not eat, drink or use tobacco products for 30 minutes before taking a COVID-19 saliva test.

  • Sanctuary Covenant Church, 2018 Aldrich Ave. N. (corner of Aldrich and West Broadway Avenue) noon to 3 p.m. Fridays, June 11, 18 and 25
  • Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, 1301 10th Ave. N. 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 11
  • Masjid Omar Islamic Center (inside the 24th St. Mall), 912 E. 24th St. 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays, June 12 and 26
  • African Immigrant Community Services Office, 1433 E. Franklin Ave. Suite 13B noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 14-17
  • Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Ave. S. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends Visit the State’s COVID-19 testing webpage to register.
  • Native American Community Clinic, 1213 E. Franklin Ave. 2 p.m. Tuesdays Appointments required: Call 612-872-8086 to schedule an appointment.
  • Southside Community Health Services, 324 E. 35th St. 2-3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays Appointments required: Call 612-821-3548 to schedule an appointment. You can expect to get your test results in about two-three business days. Same day testing can be done for health care workers, first responders and essential workers.
  • Brooklyn Park Starlight Center 11 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. Visit the State’s COVID-19 testing webpage to register.
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport 7 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week. Visit the State’s COVID-19 testing webpage to register.

If you can’t attend one of these testing events, you can use this directory to find a testing location near you.

Free at-home saliva tests

The State is also offering free at-home saliva tests. Any person in Minnesota can order a saliva test kit from the COVID-19 Test at Home program.

Resources

The COVID-19 test is free, and you do not need insurance for the test. If you need medical care but don’t have health insurance, the Minnesota Department of Health offers resources to find low-cost health care or health insurance.

Why get tested? Videos in Spanish, Somali and Hmong

Whether you feel sick or not, get tested. This will protect your loved ones and help us all return safely back to school, work and other activities.

Watch and share these short videos in Spanish, Somali and Hmong.


Public health information: Slow the spread of COVID-19

sunray

City's Cultural Radio Programs

Tune into the City's cultural radio programs for COVID-19 updates. The City has programs on KMOJ 89.9 FM (English); La Raza 95.7 FM (Spanish); KALY 101.7 FM (Somali); and WIXK AM 1590 (Hmong.) Radio shows schedule


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For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact City Communications at communications@minneapolismn.gov.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-263-6850.

Para asistencia 612-673-2700, Yog xav tau kev pab, hu 612-673-2800, Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.

minneapolismn.gov