City of Minneapolis

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 07/20/2012 04:35 PM CDT

Minneapolis Ward 6 Council Member Robert Lilligren

July 20, 2012

Minneapolis Increases Recycling

This cycle the City Council voted on a number of recycling related actions as seen in items 3 and 7 – 9 on the Transportation and Public Works Committee agenda.

Significantly, for the first time, the Council voted to require all large block events and all parades and races on Minneapolis streets to recycle. Like many of my constituents, I was surprised that we did not already require recycling at these types of events.

Beginning January 1, 2013, organizers of any block event with more than 2,500 in attendance and any parade or race that uses City streets will need to have a written recycling plan for the collection of all paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal containers. Some parades and races already provide recycling services. Also, most of the same vendors that offer solid waste services at events are offering recycling services as well.

The City of Minneapolis will be making other important changes in our recycling soon. We also took action at today’s Council preparing for the conversion to “single source” recycling; that is, a collection system that does not require you to separate your different types of recycling. Expect these changes to start happening by early 2013.

I am interested in working on the collections of organics (compost) in the near future as well as more effective recycling requirements form multi- unit buildings, which are prevalent in the 6th Ward. More recycling information can be found here.

Waste reduction and recycling indicators are part of our overall overall sustainability efforts, which are supported and promoted through the City’s Office of Sustainability. This small department with two employees is housed in the City Coordinator’s office so that, though small, it can have citywide impact. The Office of Sustainability expresses the City of Minneapolis commitment to economic opportunity, social equality, and environmental health. Sustainability means balancing those concerns in the present without sacrificing future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.

Primary Elections Aug. 14th

Primary Polls are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm - the City of Minneapolis has a Polling Place Finder to help you locate your polling location. For more information on the elections process please visit the City of Minneapolis' Elections and Voter Registration website.

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.

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

311 Goes Mobile

Reporting potholes, graffiti, and broken street lights to the City of Minneapolis just got easier with the launch of the new Minneapolis 311 mobile application. "With this new app, it’s now easier than ever for the people of Minneapolis to be part of keeping our neighborhoods safe, clean, and well-maintained," notes Council Member Lilligren. Read more about the 311 app here.

Nat'l Night Out

The 29th Annual Minneapolis National Night Out will be on Tuesday, August 7. National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, holding block parties and getting to know their neighbors. If you want to block your street, you can do so for free through July 24. Assistant Police Chief Janee Harteau encourages you to turn out for National Night Out in great numbers again this year. Register your event today!

Peavey Park BBQ

Saturday, July 21 from 12:00 pm - 3:00pm the Church of Minneapolis will host a "Taste and See BBQ" at Peavey Park, please join the fun!

Red Hot Art at Stevens Square

Stevens Square Community Organization takes pride in organizing the most accessible and vibrant community arts experience in Minneapolis. Red Hot Art is a weekend long event that serves as a showcase for emerging Twin Cities artists, offering them and arts enthusiasts alike the opportunity to create flourishing relationships through support and networking. This year the festival will host up to 100 booths dedicated to visual artists, almost 30 musical acts to play on two stages, food from local vendors, and many local community organizations providing hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. If you have questions about this event please contact Sarah Jordet at sarah@redhotart.org.

Homegrown Minneapolis Seeks Workgroup Participants

Homegrown Minneapolis is a citywide initiative expanding our community’s ability to grow, process, distribute, eat and compost more healthy, sustainable, locally grown foods. As part of this initiative the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council was established to guide and expand the work. At the June Food Council meeting, the 2012 Strategic Action Plan was approved and six Working Groups were established: communications, community engagement, economic development, food safety, growing, composting and organic matter. The Food Council invites anyone with ideas or an interest in helping with projects to join a working group and continue the efforts of Homegrown Minneapolis to build our local food community. You can sign up here. Homegrown has recently updated its Community Kitchen Facilities directory and also offers a handy farmers market interactive map.

Please help us in welcoming Jane Shey as the new consultant to the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative. Jane will be helping to coordinate the efforts of this initiative, filling the shoes of June Mathiowetz. Jane can be reached via phone at 443-534-4298 or via email at Jane.Shey@minneapolismn.gov

Reclaiming Our Neighborhoods through Urban Farms

The 24th Street Urban Farm is a coalition project whose intent is grow healthy food locally for Phillips residents, and to create the culture and practices of healthy food production close to home. Coalition member organizations include Ventura Village, Indigenous Peoples’ Task Force, Women’s Environmental Institute, Waite House, Indian Health Board, Native American Clinic, and Dream of Wild Health.

The goal of the garden is to create and nurture the culture and practice of local food production, healthy eating, healthy living and related activities along the 24th Street Wellness Corridor and throughout the Phillips Community. "The Phillips community was one of the very first to start using urban agriculture as a way to address blight and reclaim our neighborhoods. It is a great way for us to come together, build community, and grow healthy foods," commented Council Member Lilligren.

The group's vision is to create an urban farm where people in the area will have access to healthy food and will be able to learn techniques related to growing, preparing, preserving and distributing it. They plan to build on the traditional and cultural values so rich among the Native Americans living in the Phillips community while welcoming any residents who wish to participate in our work/share farm. The 24th Street Urban Farm will educate and serve as a training ground for organic farming; developing compost sites, growing out ancient heritage seeds and connecting young and old alike. We will plant, tend, harvest, distribute, market, preserve our good food and continue to develop community bonds between people and organizations.

In photo above City Council Vice President Robert Lilligren helps to build the garden beds at the 24th Street Garden during the garden's kick off day.

Report looks at potential impact of voter identification proposal

On Election Day this November, voters will be asked whether Minnesota’s constitution should be amended to implement new regulations affecting voting rights. The proposed changes include a mandate for certain voter identification provisions, changes to in-person and absentee voting including Same Day Registration and vouching, changes to polling places and election judge responsibilities and the introduction of provisional balloting.

The Minneapolis City Clerk’s office prepared a report on the possible effects the proposed amendment could have on Minneapolis voters and City government. The report does not evaluate the merits of the proposition. Instead, it offers information and analyses to help people understand the potential impacts that this change would have.

The report was presented to the City Council on July 19, 2012. To see the report and other supporting information, go to www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/elections and click on the July 19 Elections Committee link.

Artists and community leaders commemorate the fifth anniversary of the I-35W Bridge collapse

To mark the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the I-35W Bridge, local artists and community leaders will hold a public gathering to reflect on how that day transformed lives and our community. The event, called Bridge: A Gathering, will be held at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 1 in the Ruins Courtyard of Mill City Museum. Following the event, an exhibition called Bridge, which features photographs by artist Vance Gellert, will open and will be on view at the museum through December 2012.

Bridge: A Gathering will feature a photographic exhibition of Gellert’s work, which is the culmination of a two-year project in which Gellert interviewed and photographed the survivors, first responders and others closely associated with the bridge collapse. In addition, the interviews have been shared with several Twin Cities artists who have been commissioned to create short works intended to reflect on the experiences of those who were a part of and witnessed the tragedy. Nautilus Music Theater, The Playwrights’ Center, and Rain Taxi Review of Books have commissioned artists to create a musical composition, a ten-minute play, and five poems, respectively, which will be presented alongside remarks by public officials including Mayor R.T. Rybak. The event will be emceed by broadcast journalist and entrepreneur Robyne Robinson.

The Aug. 1 event is free and open to the public, but reservations must be made to secure a ticket by sending an email to bridge.agathering@gmail.com or by calling 612-673-2032.

Following the gathering, the audience will be invited to a reception and the official opening of Gellert’s exhibition, Bridge. In addition to portraits of and a selection of quotes from the survivors and first responders, photographs of the remains of the bridge girders – twisted metal that was transformed into sculptural objects in the 13 seconds that it took for the bridge to collapse – will be included in the exhibition.

Tips and Resources to Keep Cool!

Extreme heat can cause illness or death, please visit the City of Minneapolis' heat preparedness information page to learn more about how you can stay cool during the heat wave.

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

Friend Robert on Facebook Follow Robert on Twitter

You are subscribed to email updates from Minneapolis Ward 6.
Update Preferences · Unsubscribe · Help