Fighting Chance Boxing Club Seeks to Effect Positive Change in North
 by Casey Dzieweczynski
Tucked away on a quiet residential street, the old Fire
Station No. 14 in North Minneapolis’ Folwell neighborhood had been sitting
vacant for years. In 2006, a new fire station was built a few blocks away on bustling
Lowry Ave, thus the 1940’s-era building at the corner of 33rd
& James Ave N. was empty, waiting to serve a new purpose behind its fire-
engine-red doors.
After issuing a request for redevelopment proposals in early
2015, CPED, in partnership with the Finance and Property Services department,
sold the building to the nonprofit Fighting Chance Boxing Club. Founded by
local restaurateur Ryan Burnet and Northside resident Victor Mills, Fighting
Chance’s mission is “to effect positive change in North Minneapolis youth
through boxing and physical fitness.”
Above the boxing ring on the 2nd floor, a more
relaxed atmosphere can be found. Radiant Life Yoga partnered with Fighting
Chance to open the only yoga studio in North Minneapolis. Both the gym and yoga
studio are completely free for youth and open to the general public on a
donation basis. There is also a full kitchen and community garden space for youth
to create healthy, post-workout meals. Check it out!
Business Development Launches Cooperative Technical Assistance Program
 (Top Right) Council Member Kevin Reich, Council Member Alondra Cano, (Bottom Right) Daniel Bonilla, (Left) Matt with Fair State Brewery
by Daniel Bonilla
On April 20, the City of
Minneapolis launched the expansion of its Business Technical Assistance Program
(B-TAP) to include services aimed at supporting the development of new
Minneapolis co-operatives through the new Co-operative Technical Assistance
Program (C-TAP). C-TAP will offer assistance to groups interested in forming
new co-ops in Minneapolis including feasibility classes, technical assistance
to redefine feasibility, board member and organizational design, and technical
assistance for co-op retention and expansion. The program will fully roll out
over the next three years. The first co-op feasibility class starts on May 11
for groups interested in starting a co-op. The class will equip
participants with the tools needed to evaluate their co-op idea and/or refine
their model for those are already in the
process of incorporation.
The goals of the
C-TAP program include leveraging the co-op model for maximum community benefit
to 1) use the co-op model as an economic development tool to reduce poverty and
promote social cohesion, 2) increase racial and ethnic diversity, and 3)
promote innovation, community building, and local investment by promoting a
more collaborative business model. To learn more about C-TAP check its website.
Learn how to Manage Unconscious Bias in Hiring
A new City of Minneapolis interactive training series will explore tools to help manage unconscious bias
in the hiring process. Managers and supervisors responsible for hiring
employees should sign up to attend the two-part workshop series
“Cultural Intelligence in Hiring.”
The
training aims to align enterprise human resources processes and practices with
the City’s equity value of creating fair and just opportunities and outcomes
for all and the City’s goal of One Minneapolis — disparities are eliminated so
all Minneapolis residents can participate and prosper.
The first
session covers:
- The
importance of challenging assumptions about whether a candidate fits the
department’s culture.
- The
impact of culture on unconscious bias.
- A
model for navigating cultural differences.
- Relevant
case studies, examples and practical scenarios.
The
second session covers:
- Review
of the City’s selection process.
- The
development of a practical, reliable and valid interview process.
- Interview
do’s and don’ts.
Read More
CPED Inspectors Staying on Top of Their Game
 by Ken Staloch
Seventeen Construction Code Inspectors attended a training
seminar put on by 3M at their burn test center in April. People are familiar
with fire suppression systems such as sprinklers and fire extinguishers, but
did you know that a passive fire stop system is in place all the time to
protect the structure and the occupants? The physical barriers of fire stop systems
are designed to contain and compartmentalize fires to provide sufficient time
for occupants to escape and minimize the damage to the building. Our efforts as
inspectors see that these fire stop assemblies (floors, walls, windows, etc.) meet
the standards set forth by the building code.
The educational training provided hands on application of
fire stop material to actual components of a building. The rated wall had
several penetrations compromising the integrity of the assembly. Our inspectors
used fire stop material to regain the walls integrity. The wall assembly was
subjected to a required fire test by exposing the assembly to a furnace for
more than 1 hour and a temperature that
exceeded 1800 degrees F. If the assembly stays in place after the burn test and
hose stream test, it passes and is an approved assembly. The final results; the
walls integrity did pass the test, thus the fire was compartmentalized and
performed per its design. The inspectors once again did a fine job and were
successful.
Green Homes North to Hit Goal of 100 Homes Built
 by Cherie Shoquist
Green Homes North is an initiative of the City of
Minneapolis and several partners to build 100 energy efficient homes to
revitalize neighborhoods in North Minneapolis. Launched in 2012, funding has
been awarded to fifteen developers to build 84 homes to date: 44 have sold; 11
are under construction and 29 will begin construction this spring. Green Homes North homes are typically 3
bedroom, 2 ½ bath homes with about 1,600 square feet and sales prices ranging
from $165,000 - $220,000. Building new,
green, energy efficient and sustainable housing on available City owned vacant
lots is building area market value,
boosting the Northside housing market, and increasing the confidence of
current owners. CPED expects to make
another $1 million available for Round 6 in May to build the remaining 16 homes
to reach the goal of 100 green homes north homes.
Minneapolis 2040 Officially Up and Running
 Photo Source: Urban Interactive
by Paul Mogush
Minneapolis
2040,
the three-year process to update the City’s comprehensive plan, is officially
up and running! We kicked off the process with 550 people in attendance at this
year’s Community Connections Conference: Big Ideas - Your Minneapolis on Saturday, April 2, with many of you in
attendance or serving on panels. Video of those sessions, and the presentations
themselves, will be available soon at minneapolis2040.com.
The
web site serves as a platform for the public to engage interactively with the
policy development process, as well as to connect people with in-person
opportunities for engagement. Among the many interactive features is an
artist-designed infographic highlighting the six comprehensive plan values. The site
also features interactive maps, videos, surveys, and a calendar of events. Please
feel free to share these links with fellow Minneapolis residents and
stakeholders when you have the chance!
As
the draft plan evolves, the web site will be one of the tools we use to tee up
information for the public in creative and informative ways, providing
opportunities for interactive feedback. But you’ll see us out there doing field
work, intercepts, creative engagement, and augmented reality in the coming
years.
To
stay up to speed on the process, sign up for email updates and follow @mpls2040 on Twitter. You can also share your ideas for the future of Minneapolis at #MplsBigIdeas
Over 1,700 Minneapolis Youth Complete STEP-UP Training with a Mock Interview
 Donnia from Edison High School at STEP-UP mock interviews
by Anna Peterson
The City of Minneapolis STEP-UP Youth Employment Program hosted its
13th annual “mock interviews” at the Minneapolis Convention Center in April. At
the event, 1,700 Minneapolis youth preparing for STEP-UP internships gained
real-life interview experience and feedback from over 400 Twin Cities business
professionals. The event provided youth with insights on how to prepare,
communicate professionally, dress for, and network during a real
interview. Many STEP-UP youth consider the mock interview one of the most
important parts of their work readiness training, allowing them to test
out their new skills and learn to relax under stress, all while receiving
constructive feedback from real business professionals.
Prior to the
interview, all STEP-UP interns completed 7-14 hours of work readiness training
directed by AchieveMpls and certified by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of
Commerce. These trainings focused on professional communication, problem
solving, professionalism, interview skills and resume writing. Youth at mock
interviews, as well as over 400 middle school STEP-UP youth who do not attend
mock interviews, are now job-ready and will be placed into positions during the month of May.
STEP-UP expects
to place over 1,700 youth into paid job experiences this summer, 50 of the interns will be working at the City of Minneapolis. Thank you to all of our CPED staff members who have stepped up to supervise and/or mentor an intern (or interns) this summer. This program would not be possible without individuals like you!
CCS Inspectors Attend South Mpls Housing Fair
 Left to Right: Rick Broberg, Vicki Carey, Silvia Gonzalez, Paul Kerr and Bob Jovanovich
by Scott Hutchins
Building, plumbing, and mechanical inspectors from
Minneapolis Construction Code Services (CCS) continued a long standing
tradition of working a booth at the South Minneapolis Housing Fair. Staff was kept
busy responding to a variety of questions. Besides code issues, residents
wanted to know about green building practices, where to find licensed
contractors, when permits are required and how to obtain them. Attendees were
given helpful handouts on a variety of topics. Inspectors find the experience of
participating at the fair rewarding and a great way to connect with the
community they serve.
Additional Automated External Defibrillators Coming to Crown Roller Mill
 by Greg Simbeck
Sometime in May or June, three Automated External
Defibrillators (AED’s) will be installed at Crown Roller Mill. This will be in
addition to the AED that has been installed by the front desk on the second
floor. The devices will be installed on floors 1, 4, and 6 in areas that are
accessible to all.
An AED is the only effective treatment for restoring a
regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to operate
tool for someone with no medical background. Training sessions will be
announced after the devices have been installed. We would like to thank City of
Minneapolis Property Services and building management for making this happen.
An announcement on the training sessions will be made after the AED’s have been
installed.
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Technology, Information & Innovation
Reminder - You Have Option When Choosing Your Internet Browsers
by Ed Daley
You may recall from a recent MinneapolisMatters newsletter
article, that City staff can now choose from a number of internet browser
options. Options like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. To install one of these browsers, simply
follow these
simple instructions.
If you have questions or need help installing the browsers,
be sure to contact the IT Service desk at 673-2525.
How to Stop Pay Statements from Being Sent to Your Home
 Finance
has had several requests from employees wanting to stop the paper paycheck
notices from being mailed to
them. You can now make this change via COMET-HRIS Self Service
Under
the Direct Deposit portal, a link “Pay Statement Print Option” is available to
turn on or off the pay statement. Once the link is selected, you
will have the option of having a paper copy of the direct deposit pay statement
mailed to your home address (1st option) or stopping the direct
deposit pay statement from being mailed to your home (2nd
Option).
Please
keep in mind due to the timing it may take a few weeks for the change to take
effect.
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