Feature

Own Your Future, Own Your Home

On May 26, the City of Minneapolis launched a new housing program to help prospective homebuyers purchase homes in Minneapolis. The program, called Homeownership Opportunity Minneapolis (HOM), provides up to $7,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible Minneapolis homebuyers. The goal of the program is to reduce the racial disparity gap in homeownership. This is defined as the difference between the percentage of white households that own their homes and the percentage of non-white households that own their homes. Minnesota has one of the worst racial disparity gaps in homeownership in the country at approximately 38 percent. In Minneapolis, it is also alarmingly high—at approximately 36 percent (2011-2013 American Community Survey).

The HOM program will be marketed through the “Own Your Future, Own Your Home” campaign in partnership with Minnesota Housing and Minnesota Homeownership Center. This campaign encourages homebuyers to see if they qualify for the City of Minneapolis HOM program, access affordable mortgage loans through Minnesota Housing, and get connected to free, non-biased, non-profit housing experts to gain the necessary tools, knowledge and confidence to own a home.

The City has contracted with several community-based organizations including: African Development Center, African Economic Development Solutions, Bii Gii Wiin, PRG/Emerge, Neighborhood Development Alliance,  Lao Assistance Center, and the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation to provide community outreach and create cultural communications plans.

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Trends

Michele Harvet - A Day in the Life

by Megan Smith

Michele Harvet is a Lead Inspector for Business Licensing.  She began her career with the City in Animal Control. However, her great work and well-written, thorough reports earned her a promotion to a position in Business Licensing. Now as lead inspector, Michele ensures that Minneapolis businesses are fulfilling their licensing requirements and are operating safely and legally.

In addition to discussing City ordinances with businesses and assessing their implications, Michele inspects businesses (namely massage parlors) suspected of illicit operations, including crimes as serious as prostitution and human trafficking. From there, these unlawful businesses can lose their licenses and be shut down.

The ability to help remove people from dangerous situations, Michele says, is what motivates her work the most, and it has gained the City of Minneapolis recognition throughout the state of Minnesota. Michele has presented at two statewide conferences about sex trafficking prevention through licensing that contains strong, specific language. Minneapolis has set an example for many other cities by taking greater steps to prevent these businesses from continuing through proactive business licensing.

Updates & Outcomes

Downtown East Commons Design Concept Presented

On May 25th, the City of Minneapolis in partnership with Hargreaves Associates, presented a concept design for the Downtown East Commons during a public meeting with over 150 attendees. The presentation, located at the Minneapolis Central Library, was the third in a series of public meetings to receive public feedback about the design and use for the new park.

The designers of the Commons envision a transformative, green space with features including a large lawn, garden zones, a Minnesota woodland area, natural landscaping, a water plaza with jets, and a multiuse pavilion. In addition, the design focuses on strong urban connections, with promenades that reach out to the city and the river along 4th and 5th street, adding a dynamic, all-season destination Downtown.

City staff and the Hargreaves team will use feedback from the meeting to continue to develop the concept design. The team is requesting additional feedback through an online survey. Another public meeting is planned for later this summer to present the design progress. For more information, please visit the website.

2015 Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Award Recipients Announced 

On May 21st, the 25th Annual Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards were announced during a luncheon at International Market Square. These awards, which were presented by Preservation Award partners Preserve Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, highlight achievements for transforming historic properties in a way that reflects their history. Judgments are based on the quality of design, architecture and materials in addition to their positive impact on the surrounding community.

There were eight honors in four categories presented at the luncheon: 

Winners for Historic Restoration, Rehabilitation, or Adaptive Reuse Project:

• ASI Turnblad Mansion Kitchen Restoration
• Bennett-McBride House, Grain Belt Office Building Rehabilitation (a City of Minneapolis project)
• Sandbo Roof Replacement
• Valspar Headquarters/VAST Rehabilitation

Winner for New Addition to an Historic Building:

• Emmanuel Housing

Winner for Grassroots: Advocacy & Education: 

• Legendary Homes of the Minneapolis Lakes

Winner for the Steve Murray Award:

• Barbara Bezat 

For more information about each project, view AIA Minnesota’s website.  

American Planning Association Conference

by Kjersti Monson

Did you know that the U.S. is currently gaining about 2 million people per year? Or that we have more cost burdened households today because rents have continued to rise while wages have flat lined since 2000? You’ve likely heard that the prevailing economic development assumption of today: that people don’t look for jobs first anymore – rather, both people and jobs are now looking for Place. These topics and more were subjects among the many sessions and field trips attended by a group of Minneapolis planners and Council Members Bender and Johnson who recently attended the national conference of the American Planning Association, in Seattle, Washington.

The conference was large and lively and has inspired much conversation among staff and elected officials about our upcoming comprehensive plan update. The range of issues covered at the conference was broad, but some notable themes included housing affordability and broader housing policy; civic and social engagement; new analytical methods including big data exploration and fiscal impact modeling; innovative trends in zoning and development guidance; the economic value of placemaking; urban design and livability; and important demographic and economic trends.

STAR Awards Ceremony Honors Three CPED Employees

On Wednesday, May 13, in the City Hall Rotunda, three CPED employees were honored as Shining STAR Award winners, Brad Ellis, Hilary Dvorak and Joan Hammell. The Shining STAR Award is given to employees for their positive influence in the workplace.

Since last fall, 34 employees received Special Thanks And Recognition for their excellence and extraordinary effort for the City through the STAR Awards employee recognition program.

If you would like to honor a fellow employee for their outstanding contribution, nominations for the next STAR awards are due Sept. 18.

STEP-UP Interns Joining CPED This Summer

by Tammy Dickinson

In just a few short weeks, you will see some eager, new faces on the CPED and City team. Nearly 40 high school age STEP-UP interns will join our city departments beginning June 15th. CPED leads the City this year, hiring 12 summer interns. Other participating departments include: Public Works, Health Department, City Attorney’s office, Mayor’s office, Regulatory Services, and Neighborhood and Community Relations.

On the first day of work, CPED is hosting a welcome breakfast and reception in the Innovation Center for all of the STEP-UP interns working at the City of Minneapolis. The reception starts at 8:30am. Please feel free to stop by and meet the young people that will be helping support our work this summer.

Following the reception, the interns will spend the remainder of the day in training so they are prepared for their summer position. Dorothea Martti will be doing an Outlook 101 session and our Human Resources team will provide a new employee orientation.

Technology, Information & Innovation

B-TAP+ - A New Collaborative to Better Serve Minneapolis' Businesses

by Daniel Bonilla

What does it takes to start a business in Minneapolis? What are the roles and resources of our many departments of the City? How can departments better collaborate to support our business community? The City of Minneapolis Business Technical Assistance Program (B-TAP) is hosting a training series called B-TAP+ 101 for City employees to respond to some of those questions. The 101 series targets employees who would like to learn more about how different departments interact with businesses and to understand the wide range of services and programs the City offers Minneapolis businesses. This is a collaborative effort  between CPED, Finance, Civil Rights, and Health. The first training took place in the City of Minneapolis Innovation Center, on May 12th with participants from across the City enterprise including several Council offices.

B-TAP+ will offer additional trainings for employees in late May and  November. Training for business consulting organizations and businesses will also be provided in June and October. 

More information about B-TAP+ trainings and events.

Employee Profile

Matthew James

Matthew James career with the City started in the City Coordinator’s office in the Cultural Affairs Division in 2001. When that division was dissolved, Matthew moved to CPED, where he’s held several positions with the most recent being a Development Coordinator II in the Development Review Customer Service Center.  What Matthew likes most about his work is the variety of projects. From single-family homes and food trucks to 300-unit apartment complexes and the next trendy restaurant or bar, each project has unique qualities and issues that can require in-depth analysis and input from city staff and outside stakeholders. Matthew enjoys seeing projects from the design stage on paper to the bricks and mortar finished result.  Matthew also appreciates the great rapport shared with co-workers and the humor that makes work go more smoothly.

When he’s not working, Matthew enjoys traveling with his partner, collecting mid-century art, running and yoga. 

Employee Profile

Felisha Burns

Felisha Burns is an Office Support Specialist II for Employment and Training and has been working with the City of Minneapolis for 10 years. She was drawn to a career with the City because of its mission, values and its commitment to community engagement and diversity.

In her role, Felisha is responsible for a variety of administrative tasks for her division, from coordinating special events and meetings such as the Minneapolis Workforce Council meetings to assisting staff members with travel arrangements, maintaining office equipment, ordering office supplies and creating IMAC orders.

Felisha is especially passionate about the Minneapolis Employment and Training’s service to job seekers. “I love the work that Minneapolis Employment and Training does on behalf of Minneapolis residents and events that serve job seekers of Minneapolis,” Felisha says. “I also love that I am able to volunteer with community outreach projects and job fairs.”

When out of the office, Felisha enjoys working on her scrapbook in memory of her father, spending time with her family and volunteering in the community.

Intern Profile

Megan Smith

This past March, Megan Smith, an incoming Senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, joined the City of Minneapolis as an Undergraduate Marketing and Communication Intern. In her position, she works on many projects such as designing ads and banners, writing and editing documents, and conducting interviews for GrowingMinneapolis and The Bridge newsletters. With lots of hands-on experience, she says her responsibilities have helped her grow professionally and gain experience that cannot be found in school.

Megan is from Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. With a love for urban areas, Megan moved to Minneapolis for college in fall 2012. She expects to graduate next spring with a major in Journalism (with a strategic communication emphasis) and a minor in graphic design. She is now considering graduate school.

Outside of school and work, Megan enjoys running, concerts and yoga. 

Meet CPED's Accounting Team

The Crown Roller Mill’s 7th floor accounting workgroup provides an array of accounting, budgeting, and financial analysis services to the most dynamic departments in the City; CPED and NCR. The accounting workgroup audits and processes payments and transactions timely and accurately throughout the year. They help CPED and NCR track data on hundreds of open contracts. They also work to collect and monitor data related to restrictive funding sources, and assist CPED with the extensive reporting required for these restrictive resources. And that is just a glimpse into the glamorous side of their work.

The workgroup has six members on the team.  They are all long-term and highly experienced employees. Sharon Fay works extensively with contracts, Hubert Fernandez does considerable work with City General Fund accounting and budgeting, Steve Pany focuses on the cash receipting area, Shari Love is ready to help you with procurement activities, Lucy McAlpine works with housing federal grants, and Mike Sunderman does financial reporting.  Everyone performs other work duties as well.  Please call anyone on the team if they can help. 

New Hires, Promotions, & Retirements

New Hires

Andrew Dahl, Economic Research Analyst

Promotions

Jon Clevenger, Residential Finance Manager

Breanna Patsch, Program Assistant

Retirements

Rich Tuffs, Lead License Inspector

*Additions/corrections? Please send to Dorothea Martti.

Reminder: CPED Picnic/Potluck!

Please join us for the annual CPED Picnic/Potluck. Please bring a dish to share. Hamburgers/veggie/turkey burgers, hot dogs and beverages will be provided.

Tuesday, June 16
11am-1pm
Crown Roller Mill, Patio