Minneapolis
residents can now vote early by mail or in person at one of four locations
around the city!
Absentee
voting is easy
Early voting (absentee voting) began September 23. Any voter may vote early.
Standard hours throughout the absentee voting period are 8 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. During the final two weeks before the election, these hours will include weekend times, which will be posted on the City's Elections and Voter Services website. Additionally, sample ballots are available here.
Early in-person
voting is convenient and helps voters who need special
accommodations, because voters have extra time, attention and
onsite resources more readily than the polls
might on Election Day.
Voters may vote
early (by absentee ballot) by mail or in person at any of the City's Early Vote Center locations:
·Downtown
Early Vote Center, 217 S. Third St.
·North
Early Vote Center, 2100 Plymouth Ave. N., in the Minneapolis Urban League
building.
·South
Early Vote Center, 1860 E. 28th St., in the Roof Depot building.
·Northeast
Early Vote Center, 2516 Central Ave. NE in the Water Bar building.
Click herefor more information about the absentee voting procedures for
military and overseas voters. And for the latest from the City of Minneapolis on Election news, follow them on Facebook here.
I joined some of my colleagues and council staff to vote on the first day of early voting at the Downtown Early Vote Center.
The Mississippi Flyway, a migratory path for more than 325 bird species that stretches from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, passes through downtown Minneapolis. Last week, the City
Council approved an ordinance that will regulate bird safe glass in our
downtown’s skyway network. For users of the skyway system, the ordinance
will—among other things—also help to regulate and normalize the signage and
hours of each skyway, which are currently run mostly independent of each other.
I first took on this
issue, along with Council Member Cam Gordon, to help address the fact that many of our skyways run directly down the migration paths
for many birds. Many Ward 13 residents who work downtown care for the wildlife
that lives in and travels through our city and support efforts to protect it.
Read Star Tribune’s
news coverage here. To read the ordinance, click here.
It was a great month of attending outdoor events in Ward 13, including the Lynnhurst Blooming Alleys tour (pictured left), which showcased the incredible beautification projects homeowners on five blocks of the Lynnhurst neighborhood undertook last spring in their alleys. These upgraded spaces also include an ecological benefit to the neighborhood, as they reduce storm water runoff and promote native habitat. These projects together prevent over 140,000 gallons of water from entering our creek!
I was also able to attend the Fulton Neighborhood Festival (pictured center), along with new 5th Precinct Inspector Kathy Waite, as well as speak at the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association (EHFNA) annual meeting (pictured right).
One of the most unique things about Southwest Minneapolis is how neighbors host block parties on their street during the summer. I met and spoke with many of you at nearly 60 block parties over the course of the season. I always love seeing how the neighbors in Ward 13 promote community and conversation during these fun events.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will hold the first of two community open houses to gather public input
regarding proposed trail and access improvements along Lake Calhoun and Lake
Harriet Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails. At this open house, concept options for trail improvements, which consist of seek to improve safety and overall usability, will
be presented by MPRB staff. A second meeting to review the preferred concept will be held on November 9 from 6-8 pm at Lyndale Farmstead. All are welcome to attend this open house and provide
comment.
My office has been in communication with the project manager during the course of this planning and we've shared the feedback we've received so far. If you can't attend, but want to provide input directly, you can email Dan Elias, Project Manager, at delias@minneapolisparks.org.
Twice per year, in the spring and fall, the City does a full curb-to-curb sweep of the streets. During the four weeks of this comprehensive sweep, crews will clean up about 1,100 miles of city streets.
To make sure the sweepers can do the best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of vehicles when they’re swept. Any vehicles remaining on the street prior to the sweep may be ticketed and towed. If you're going out of town during the sweep, it's a good idea to move your car off the street or make arrangements with a neighbor to avoid getting towed.
We will be posting the first streets onMonday October 17, for sweeping (and enforcement) to begin on Tuesday, October 18.
To find out when the sweepers are coming down your block:
The City is asking for the community’s help in making
Minneapolis more pollinator‐friendly. Through its Conservation of Minneapolis
Bees Project (C.O.M.B.), the City will plant 200 Healthy Bees, Healthy Lives
pollinator patches with native, neonicotinoid‐free (pollinator‐safe) plants and
150 pollinator‐ friendly trees over the next two years. Pollinator populations,
especially bees, are in sharp decline due to ongoing habitat loss coupled with
a simultaneous, large‐scale expansion of pesticide use by homeowners,
landscapers, property managers and farmers. Pollinators—which also include
butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps, and some birds—are necessary for a
healthy ecosystem and pollinate the plants needed to grow many vegetables,
fruits, herbs and nuts.
Potential pollinator partners include those with commercial,
multi ‐family residential, or community spaces throughout the city that can
host the pollinator patches and trees. The patches are honeycombed‐shaped
raised beds comprised of sustainably harvested cedar and willow fence panels.
Each patch will contain eight to 11 native plants and hosts will receive an
educational packet about pollinators.
C.O.M.B. is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation through the Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities
Program. To learn more about pollinators, the patches and how avoiding pesticides
and choosing plants free of systemic insecticides to protect pollinators, visit
www.minneapolismn.gov/bees. To learn more about hosting a pollinator patch or
pollinator‐friendly tree, contact Tiana Cervantes at
EnvServicesInfo@minneapolismn.gov or 612‐673‐ 3515.
Applications are now being accepted for
a number of open board and commission positions that the City Council and mayor
will appoint this fall. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis
provide valuable insights, help shape key policy decisions and provide
community-based input into administration of services. The City is seeking
applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to strengthen the
work of the City.
The 13th Ward typically provides great representation to these boards, and we encourage all to apply!
Applications will be reviewed beginning
October 21. The positions are open until filled. There are 151 open positions on
17 City boards and commissions.
For a list of appointment opportunities,
position descriptions and the applications: