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Ward 6 News ~ May 14, 2012

<span style="display:block;font-size:.7em;margin:0 0 .8em .5em">City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 05/14/2012 04:08 PM CDT</span>

Minneapolis Ward 6 Council Member Robert Lilligren

May 14, 2012

Voted "No" on Stadium

On Tuesday, April 24, 2012 the city’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGR) held a special meeting to “Consider an amendment to the City's 2012 Legislative Agenda to include a City position regarding a proposed Minneapolis Vikings stadium financing package and associated economic development” and to allow the public to weigh in on the stadium issue. The vote is technical in nature; yes or no on whether to add the stadium to our list of legislative priorities, but it was the first official vote the council has taken on this stadium proposal and was viewed by many, including the Governor and State Legislators, as an important statement of support, or opposition, to the state’s stadium bill.

This resolution passed the city’s IGR committee, which is made up of all 13 city council members, by a vote of seven in favor and six against. I voted against adding the stadium to our legislative priorities and I continue to oppose the state’s proposal. Here are my reasons:

1) In 1997 the City Charter was amended by referendum of the voters of Minneapolis to include a provision that requires referendum – a citywide vote – if the City is considering spending more than $10 million on a pro-sports facility. This is a very clear statement with very clear direction for those of us in elected office in Minneapolis. At the very least, the stadium bill violates the spirit of that Charter provision.

2) I represent an area with a lot of unmet needs. If we as a state and city are willing to tax ourselves to this level, I believe other issues take priorities for these funds. A subsidy for an enormous subsidy (the largest in the history of our state) for what is essentially a privately owned business is not one of them. Though the public sector is the largest contributor to the stadium the revenues from the facility benefit the private partners the most. This is a bad deal for those whose tax dollars are paying the lion’s share for the stadium.

3) I do not like that Minneapolis taxpayers absorb the financial risks on this project. Since this benefits private business I believe it is they who should carry the risk. The public contribution of the City of Minneapolis, which will reach around $675 million over the life of the project, comes from a combination of sales taxes that currently support the Minneapolis Convention Center. These same taxes will now be expected to support the building and operations of the new stadium, improvements to the Target Center and ongoing support for the Convention Center. Redirecting these revenues limits future city councils’ flexibility in making spending choices, incurs risks that could raise property taxes in the future and does not acknowledge these types of public facilities’ aging costs (which require greater ongoing investment).

In a wonderfully reasoned letter, State Senator John Marty argues against the public subsidy for the stadium. The facts in this letter note that each Vikings ticket sold for the next 30 years (provided all games sell out) will carry a public subsidy of $77. Also noted is the real cost of the full time construction jobs that will be created by the stadium – a projected public subsidy of $1 million per job.

Likely at the City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting we will vote on whether or not the city “accepts” the Special Legislation in the stadium bill with the full council voting to confirm the next day.

Mondays with Robert

Council Member Lilligren has always believed that it's important for people like you and me to have access to government. Robert remains committed to that value today. For that reason, Council Member Lilligren makes himself available to community member visits on a walk-in and appointment basis.

You can meet with Robert on the first four Mondays of the month at each of the neighborhoods he represents. Call or email Alondra at 673-2206 or alondra.cano@minneapolismn.gov to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, however - you will be asked to wait if there is a scheduled appointment.

NOTE: On City holidays office hours will be cancelled. There will be no community office hours on Monday May 28th due to the Memorial Day holiday.

First Monday of the Month

Whittier Alliance, 10 E. 25th Street

9:30am - 11:30am

Second Monday of the Month

Phillips West, 2400 Park Ave.

Center for Changing Lives

9:30am - 11:30am

Third Monday of the Month

Stevens Square, 1925 Nicollet Ave.

9:30am - 11:30am

Fourth Monday of the Month

Ventura Village, 2323 11th Ave. S.

2nd Floor of Phillips Community Center

9:30am - 11:30am

May is American Indian Month

On the morning of May 1, Council Member Lilligren joined hundreds of Native American families, leaders, and allies to kick-off this year's American Indian Month.

Wearing regalia, ribbon shirts, and shawls march participants assembled at Cedar Field and coalesced at the Minneapolis American Indian Center where Council Member Lilligren served as master of ceremony. This year's kick-off parade joined efforts with the American Indian Wellness Fair and the organizing committee prepared to receive 1,000 people at the Center. Among these attendees included State Representative Susan Allen, State Representative Karen Clark, Mayor R.T. Rybak, Council Member Gary Schiff, Council Member Meg Tuthill, and Minneapolis School Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson.

Events and presentations highlighting the contributions and rich cultural traditions of Minnesota's Indigenous communities will be taking place throughout May, please visit the City of Minneapolis' Neighborhood & Community Relations American Indian Month Community Events Calendar to get involved!

New Biking Videos

The City of Minneapolis has new biking videos, aimed at helping residents, cars, and bicycle commuters better understand the rules and courtesies of the road. Learn more about bicycling in Minneapolis!

Environmental Coordinating Team - Join us!

The Minneapolis Environmental Coordinating Team engages the expertise of various City departments that are associated with Minneapolis' environmental issues. Coordination among City departments is critical to achieving sustainability. The Mayor, City Council Members and the public is welcome. The next quarterly meetings are scheduled for July 25 from 10:30-12:00 and October 25 from 9:30-11:00 in Room 333 of City Hall. For more information please visit the Sustainability website or contact Gayle Prest at 673-2931.

On May 4th our office said goodbye (temporarily) to Nimco Ahmed. Council Member Lilligren has given Nimco a leave of absence to be the statewide minority outreach director for Minnesotans United for All Families, the coalition campaign to defeat the state constitutional amendment which would limit the freedoms of Minnesotans by banning marriage for same-sex couples in our state. The Minneapolis City Council has gone on record opposing the proposed marriage amendment that will be on the ballot this fall. Council Member Lilligren has brought two highly qualified, graduate level Interns to serve the people of the 6th Ward in Nimco’s absence – Ms. Kelly Geistler, a second-year law student at St. Thomas and Ms. Fartun Ahmed, who recently graduated with a teaching degree and will enter a Master’s program in public policy in the fall. Nimco will return to the Ward 6 office after the Novevember 6th General Election Day. Robert is proud that such a talented and skilled member of his staff has joined the campaign. Good luck, Nimco! We know you'll make us all proud.

No to Voter ID

On Friday, May 11, 2012 the city council took its final vote to pass a resolution “Opposing Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Identification.” This was brought forward by Intergovernmental Relations Committee Chair Elizabeth Glidden and authored – and supported – by all council members.

Council Vice President Lilligren is a strong supporter of the City of Minneapolis position against a state constitutional requirement to show a government issued photo ID to be allowed to vote. Our state has the highest voter turnout in the country under our current laws with little to no voter fraud.

If there is a need to change current voting laws, it would be more appropriate to pass laws (state statutes) rather than amend our state constitution. Robert believes this constitutional amendment ballot initiative is designed to limit access to voting, a basic right for Americans.

Already in Minnesota, even with the nation’s highest voter participation, certain communities tend not to vote – racial minorities, low-income people, new arrivals, students. If this constitutional amend passes, it is these same populations, with the addition of seniors, who are most impacted by being the least likely to have a state issued photo ID with a current address.

We need to encourage more eligible voters into the franchise rather than trying to write into our state constitution ways to disenfranchise our citizens. Please vote NO on the voter ID constitutional amendment in November.

Mayor Rybak has announced his plans to nominate current Assistant Chief Janeé Harteau to serve as Minneapolis’ next chief of police. Mayor Rybak will formally nominate Assistant Chief Harteau in January 2013, after Chief Dolan’s retirement becomes effective. The City Council will then begin the process of confirming the nomination.

Council Member Lilligren is thrilled by Harteau’s appointment; Janee is of French Canadian and Native American background and the first woman to lead the Minneapolis Police Department. "Ms. Harteau brings over 25 years of experience to the Minneapolis Police Department and has strong ties to the community. She was instrumental in improving relationships with the Somali community in the Cedar Riverside area and implemented the position of Somali Liaison Officer. This is exactly the kind of leader we need," observed Council Member Lilligren. Read more about Assistant Chief Janee Harteau.

Another appointment by Mayor R.T. Rybak indicates he will nominate Paul Aasen, the current commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, to be the next city coordinator of the City of Minneapolis. As commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for Governor Mark Dayton from 2011 to the present, he leads an organization of 925 employees and a $135 million biennial budget. Council Member Lilligren is looking forward to working with Mr. Aasen as he brings a strong environmental background that can help deepen the sustainability efforts of the City of Minneapolis. Mr. Aasen brings 25 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to the job. At the State of Minnesota, he has served the public under three governors of three political parties. Read more about Paul Aasen here.

City approves over $6 million in funding for neighborhoods

The City Council has approved $5.7 million in funding to support neighborhood organizations in their efforts to reach residents, increase resident involvement, and fund neighborhood projects.

The funding is for the Neighborhood and Community Relations department’s Community Participation Program that encourages and supports participation through neighborhood organizations in three key areas: identifying and acting on neighborhood priorities; influencing City decisions and priorities; and increasing involvement. Each neighborhood will receive an allocation of Community Participation Program funds for the 18-month period starting July 1, 2012, and for three-year funding cycles starting January 2014. Neighborhood organizations may use these funds to support ongoing community engagement activities, to develop a Neighborhood Priority Plan, or in support of priorities identified in the Neighborhood Priority Plan. A Neighborhood Priority Plan defines the vision and goals for a neighborhood or group of neighborhoods to work with the City and other partners to achieve those goals.

In addition to the $5.7 million approved for the Community Participation Program, the City Council also approved an additional $860,000 for some of the neighborhoods that lost funding in a December 2010 budget action. These additional funds will represent a one-time adjustment to the Community Participation Program allocation for some of the affected neighborhoods.

Community Participation Funds can be used for a variety of purposes including:

• Staff, office space, supplies, neighborhood communications, accounting and related services, travel, training or other educational pursuits in connection with participation, and consultant fees that directly relate to participation activities.

• Community organizing and outreach programs, and neighborhood planning activities.

• Organization newsletters and newspapers.

• Neighborhood celebrations and events.

• Small equipment purchases.

• Fundraising expenses, if revenues are to be used in support of further community engagement activities consistent with these guidelines, or in support of implementation of Neighborhood Priority Plans or NRP Neighborhood Action Plans.

• Administrative costs associated with NRP planning and implementation.

• Implementation of Neighborhood Priority Plans.

• Other activities consistent with the purposes of the Community Participation Program to identify and act on neighborhood priorities, impact City decisions and priorities, and increase involvement.

Visit the Community Participation Program page in the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department for more information.

Minneapolis is the third greenest city in America

A survey by Travel + Leisure magazine has declared Minneapolis the third greenest city in the country. The April 2012 survey asked voters to rank top U.S. cities in three survey categories: cleanliness, pedestrian-friendliness and public transit, and great public parks, which offset urban asphalt and improve air quality. The first and second rankings went to Portland, Ore., and Savannah, Ga.

The high-ranking cities support other green initiatives that benefit travelers as well as locals; for instance, Minneapolis offers cheap, easy-access bike rentals. With 46 miles of city bikeways and 84 miles of off-street paths, Minneapolis is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation and has a thriving community of people who bicycle to work year-round. The ranking also credits Minneapolis’ many “green” restaurants.

Previous Travel +Leisure surveys have voted the Minneapolis Saint Paul area the "most intelligent," a top biking city, and cleanest city in America.

From the Office of City Council Vice President Robert Lilligren
350 South 5th Street, City Hall, Room 307, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Robert.Lilligren@minneapolismn.gov · Ward 6 website · (612) 673-2206

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