Updating Beer & Wine Ordinances

I have been working with Council Members Elizabeth Glidden and Jacob Frey to modernize the City's alcohol rules for restaurants. These proposed ordinance changes will remove arbitrary sales ratios on food and alcohol that place an unnecessary burden on many businesses that are well-run, positive assets to our neighborhoods.

Although the new rules would not require a certain percentage of food sales compared to alcohol, restaurants would still be required derive a substantial amount of their income from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages. The proposed ordinance changes will not change the type of establishment or entertainment that’s allowed in a particular location—for example, bars will still not be allowed in Southwest Minneapolis.

Additionally, these changes will modernize the City’s toolkit for dealing with businesses that aren’t responsible operators or good neighbors. New tools will include the ability to manage noise issues, required alcohol training, and detailed management responsibilities for restaurants. There are also new regulatory tools that will allow the City to take licensing action against restaurants that cause problems. A public hearing on the proposed changes is expected to take place in September.

Alongside these proposals, voters will decide this November whether or not to remove the 70% food to 30% alchol provision for restaurants in residential areas. If voters choose to remove that requirement from the Charter, those restaurants will be subject to the new ordinances. If voters keep it in place, restaurants in residential areas will still be held to the 70%-30% requirement.

For more information and to see some frequently asked questions, check out the City’s Business Licensing page and look for the heading “Eliminating Food/Alcohol Ratios.”

My office, in partnership with the Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association, will be hosting a public meeting to discuss the proposed changes, and to hear feedback from residents and business owners. It will take place Thursday, August 21, at 6:30 pm, at Lynnhurst Park (1345 W. Minnehaha Pkwy.). All City residents are invited to attend.

National Night Out

As usual, Minneapolis led the state and the nation in our celebration of National Night Out. The 13th Ward had well over 100, and I personally made it to 18 of them, seeing neighbors in Kenny, Armatage, Lynnhurst and Linden Hills. It was beautiful weather, and a great opportunity to hear from neighbors. Thank you to all the residents who came out, and especially to those who organized these wonderful events!

The Vikings Stadium & Bird-Safe Glass

On August 1, City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) to install bird-safe glass on the new Vikings stadium. Replacing conventional glass with fritted glass could save the lives of thousands of migratory birds every spring and fall at a cost that’s around 0.1% of the total project budget. I'm proud to have been the resolution's lead author, and I thank everyone who has joined us in making sure our voices are heard. While the resolution is not legally binding, I will continue to leverage this resolution in every way to ensure the MSFA makes the right decision.

Join Us at City Hall This Friday

Our summer intern--and 13th Ward resident--Gabe Epstein has had a busy summer, helping us work on zoning and housing issues, as well as to manage our constituent caseload. But he's also been helping us plan a celebration! On August 15, the City of Minneapolis will celebrate the 20th birthday of one of the City’s most well-known residents, Thom the Lake Harriet Elf (a.k.a. Mr. Little Guy). From his tiny abode on the south side of Lake Harriet’s walking path, Thom has sparked creativity and joy in children. He has been serving young people by selflessly responding to thousands of letters every summer with his characteristic style. Even more impressive, he’s done all of this without ever being seen. It’s even rumored he met with President Obama while he was in the neighborhood--the Secret Service would neither confirm nor deny the meeting took place. In honor of Thom’s community service, the City of Minneapolis is presenting a resolution honoring the elf’s contributions to our community, while also promoting the importance of creativity and participation in forming a great city to live. The resolution continues this theme by encouraging everyone--especially kids--to play a role in making Minneapolis an even better place to grow up and invites all to an occasion at City Hall. The resolution will be presented August 15th at 9:15 AM in City Hall (350 S. 5th St.), Room 317. Following will be youth-oriented tours of City Hall every hour on the hour from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The tours will begin in Room 319 and conclude with elfish activities provided by Linden Hills business Heartfelt. The City happily invites all to attend. Additionally, we’re asking residents to share letters, responses, and past stories about the elf! To sign up a large group, ask questions, or provide elf stories, please contact our 13th Ward intern Gabe Epstein at gabriel.epstein@minneapolismn.gov. I also wrote Mr. Little Guy myself a couple weeks ago to inform him of this honorarium. View my letter and his response.

Linden Crossing

On July 14, 2014, the Planning Commission considered a land use application for Linden Crossing (42nd & Upton). After reviewing the staff report, reading the public comments, and hearing testimony (one person spoke in opposition), the Planning Commission voted 6-2 to approve the application. On July 28, 2014, an appeal was filed which triggered the need for an additional public hearing before the Zoning & Planning Committee of the Minneapolis City Council on August 7. After hearing extensive public testimony, the Zoning & Planning Committee voted 6-0 to deny the appeal. Their decision will be brought to the full City Council on August 15.

Read my statement about this project here.

Update on Zoning Text Amendments

The residential infill text amendment for 1-4 unit dwellings that my office—in conjunction with staff from Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED)—has been working on since March are moving their way through the public comment and formal review process. On July 10, CPED held a meeting with residential development industry representatives to present the proposed zoning code changes, and on July 16 a successful public open house was held at City Hall. On July 28, the Planning Commission considered the text amendment and, after reviewing all comments and hearing a modest amount of public testimony, recommended its approval to the Zoning & Planning Committee of the City Council. The Zoning & Planning Committee of the City Council will consider the recommendation of the City Planning Commission on August 21, and City Council consideration is expected by late August/early September. CPED will continue to accept comments and make changes as warranted. You are encouraged to review the staff report and recommendation at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/WCMS1P-127384 (under “Documents”). Please send all comments to Jason.Wittenberg@minneapolismn.gov. I will also be answering questions about the proposed text amendment at the August 13 Fulton Neighborhood Association meeting.

Southwest Light Rail

On July 8, Minneapolis reached a tentative compromise with the Met Council over the design of the Southwest Light Rail line that includes some significant changes. The new design proposal eliminates the north tunnel in the Kenilworth corridor and adds a new station at 21st Street, which had been eliminated from consideration.

The agreement on the table will also fund additional landscaping, pedestrian access points, noise mitigation, and other improvements along the segment of the rail line within city limits. Details on the tentative agreement and be found in the joint announcement made by the two government agencies. The Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) voted to extend its deadline for municipal consent to Aug. 30. The City Council is expected to vote whether or not to grant municipal consent on August 29.

The Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) are holding a joint hearing to consider the revised preliminary designs, as will the City of Minneapolis.

Public Hearing for Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority/Metropolitan Council
5:30 p.m.  Wednesday, Aug. 13
Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Mall

Public Hearing for City of Minneapolis
6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19
City Hall
350 South 5th Street, Room 317 

The hearings are opportunities for the public to comment on the Southwest Light Rail line, as recommended by the Metropolitan Council. Written comments will also be accepted through Tuesday, Aug. 19. They can be submitted to councilcomment@minneapolismn.gov or mailed to: T&PW Committee Coordinator, Room 304 City Hall, 350 S 5th St, Minneapolis, 55415.

Ensuring Our Tax Dollars Are Spent Effectively

As the new Chair of the City’s Audit Committee, I have taken the first half of the year to take a deep look at the City’s ordinance establishing its audit function. Because the Audit Department is so crucial to a well-run City government that the City’s residents can trust, it was important to spend time getting this right. Since January, I have led monthly meetings of a work group that featured valuable input from Council President Barb Johnson, Council Members Elizabeth Glidden, John Quincy and Alondra Cano, Audit Committee member Mark Oyaas, as well as staff from the City Clerk’s office, the City Coordinator’s office and the City Attorney’s office. In addition, we also heard from the Hennepin County Auditor’s office. In the meantime, all of our state audits have been completed and I am proud to say our enterprise has received favorable reviews and progress since last year's audit.

While the City has been without a Director of Internal Audit since January, it is imperative that the City hires an auditor with buy-in on the changes. Now that ordinance changes are in effect, we recently completed the first round of interviews to fill this position and will begin a second round in mid-August.

To view the updated ordinance (which passed City Council on July 18), click here.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

Yours in service,