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In this Issue
At the end of July, Adam Duininck stepped
down as the chair of the Metropolitan Council. I have enjoyed working with him
the past two years. He used to represent District 8, which I now represent, and
he was always available to answer my newbie questions about the Council or
issues facing the district. Adam was also the Met Council’s first full-time chair
and led us through several challenges, including identifying final local funding
for Southwest Light Rail/Green Line extension and fighting for continued
funding for the region’s transit system from the Minnesota Legislature. Adam has
taken on a new position head of government affairs for the North Central States
Regional Council of Carpenters.
Governor Mark Dayton appointed Alene
Tchourumoff as Adam’s successor to lead the Council. Alene was sworn in earlier
this month, and has slid right into working on behalf of the region. Prior to
becoming chair, she was Minnesota’s State Rail Director, working on rail safety
and economic development along rail corridors. She comes with more than a
decade of transportation policy, infrastructure policy, and finance experience
prior to that. Alene lives in the Mac Groveland neighborhood in Saint Paul with
her husband and two children.
I look forward to working with Alene on
the important work of the Council.
As always, if I can be of assistance to
you in an area where the Council may be involved, please don’t hesitate to
contact me.
Sincerely,
Cara
Metropolitan Council Member for District 8 (Northeast Minneapolis, Southeast Minneapolis, parts of South Minneapolis, and St. Anthony Village)
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Construction has begun on the
MNDOT 35W@94:Downtown to Crosstown project. Once complete, drivers and residents will
have updated pavement and roads, enhanced mobility and safety on I-35W, better
freeway crossings for bicycles and pedestrians, improved business access on
city streets and in the Lake Street Business District, a new connection to the
Midtown Greenway, and a new transit station that will be served by the METRO Orange Line.
The first phase of the project is underway and includes:
- Modification
of the Portland Avenue bridge over Interstate 94— the bridge will be
closed to traffic for six to eight weeks. Pedestrians, bicycles and
emergency vehicles will be able to use the bridge. Metro Transit bus Route 9 will be on detour
starting late September.
- The
Franklin Avenue bridge over I-35W will be removed and replaced starting in
mid-September. This work will be completed by June 2018.
Franklin will be closed between Clinton Avenue and Portland Avenue. Local
access to alleys will be permitted. Metro Transit bus Route 2 will be on a
long-term detour during this time.
- Fourth
Avenue will be reconstructed between 18th Street and 22nd Street South
including sidewalks and noise walls.
- Fifth
Avenue will be reconstructed between 18th Street and 22nd Street South including sidewalks. The noise walls and retaining walls north of
Franklin will be removed but cannot be replaced until 2021 due to
temporary bypass lanes that need to be constructed on I-35W through this
area.
- Ramps
that will be closed in 2017 include the Fifth Avenue entrance ramp to
eastbound I-94 and the Fifth Avenue entrance ramp to northbound I-35W.
Drivers will be detoured to Cedar Avenue to get on the freeway.
If you are not already a regular
transit user, this is a great time to give transit a try! Click
Metro Transit's How To Ride page for information on fares, passes, routes, and
even a Trip Planner to help you figure out how to get where you want to go on
transit!
For more information, visit the
project website and sign-up for email updates at www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/i35wminneapolis.
The Metropolitan Council has awarded grants for eight stormwater management projects in the seven-county metro area. The grants range from $37,500 to $159,000 and will support projects to improve water quality and reuse stormwater for irrigation.
“These grants help to achieve two important regional goals: improving water quality and protecting water supply,” said Judy Sventek, water resources manager at the Council. “Communities are partnering with watershed districts on innovative projects that can be duplicated in other places.”
The Council allocated a total of $1 million for the 2017 grant program.
Funded proposals
City of Fridley Civic Center Complex - $159,000. The city will construct a three-cell, lined stormwater pond with iron-enhanced pretreatment on the contaminated site of the old Columbia Heights Ice Arena to allow construction of a new city hall and public safety building. (Rice Creek Watershed District.)
Minneapolis East Side Storage and Maintenance Facility - $150,000. The city of Minneapolis is reconstructing and expanding its East Side Public Works Storage and Maintenance Facility in northeast Minneapolis. The grant will help fund sustainable amenities at the site including stormwater capture systems. (Mississippi Watershed Management Organization.)
Seidl’s Lake Water Quality Improvement Project - $150,000. The City of South St. Paul plans to install an underground infiltration system in a city park using a combination of pretreatment devices, tree trenches, and underground pipe galleries below park greenspace to improve the water quality of Seidl’s Lake. The project will provide water quality treatment of a currently untreated 27.3-acre urban and dense residential neighborhood. (Lower Mississippi Watershed Management Organization.)
Stormwater Reuse for Irrigation at New Brighton’s Lions Park - $150,000. The city will construct an irrigation system from an existing 14-acre stormwater pond to irrigate a planned playground, softball field, and lacrosse/soccer field on city property. (Rice Creek Watershed District.)
See full list of grant awardees.
In
July, the Council awarded a total of $4 million in Livable Communities grants
for polluted site cleanup and redevelopment. The awards will help clean up 54
acres, create or retain more than 1,100 jobs, increase the net tax base by $3.8
million, help to produce and preserve more than 600 affordable apartments, and
encourage more than $500 million in private investment.
Learn more about the 12 projects in four communities which won grant funding.
 On Thursday, August 3, I attended the 66 West Grand Opening in Edina. 66 West is a Beacon Interfaith Housing development for young adults experiencing homelessness. The Council’s Livable Communities funds supported site acquisition and gap financing for this project and was recognized by the project leadership team during the evening program.
On Thursday, August 3, I attended a Minneapolis City Council study session centered on fair housing. The program focused on an in-depth staff report regarding the addendum to the regional analysis of impediments to fair housing. In addition to Q&A, staff covered eight primary issues and ten goals and recommendations. Included in the conversation were the historical narrative and housing supply and current housing trends.
On Monday, August 6, I attended a dual-focus workshop that combined the formerly separate Sustainability Workshop and the Multimodal Operations Planning Workshop. This workshop provided opportunities to interact with thought-provoking, speakers, engage in peer-to-peer learning, and round-table discussions, and learn first-hand by attending technical tours.
On Thursday, August 17, I joined our program participants and their families in celebrating their completion of the Metro Transit Technician – Light Rail Transit (MTTLRT) program. These program graduates have successfully completed 20 weeks of classroom instruction and job shadowing experiences with Metro Transit Light Rail Technicians. This cohort will now embark on pursuing a 2-year AAS degree with Hennepin Technical College while working a full-time Metro Transit LRT internship. The program is supported by Twin Cities Rise!
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