Street sweeping begins in the 13th Ward tomorrow, Friday, April 14, starting in the Kenny neighborhood. It will take about four weeks for the City to sweep the roughly 1,000 miles of streets and 400 miles of alleys in Minneapolis. While streets are continuously swept in the summer, the spring and fall cleanings are the only times that streets are swept curb to curb. This means that vehicles will be ticketed and towed if they are parked on the scheduled sweep day.

The Street Sweeping Schedule Look-Up is the best way to find out when crews will come to your block. The schedule is updated frequently to reflect the actual progress of the sweep due to weather and other barriers.

Please do not push leaves, grass clippings, or other debris into city streets – it’s bad for our lakes and waterways and it’s against the law.

Watch for temporary "No Parking" signs to avoid a ticket and a tow. Parking will be banned from 7 am until 4:30 pm on the day a street is swept. “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance. Vehicles not removed will be towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.

Click here for more information about street sweeping.

Yard waste collection also began this week! Put yard waste out each week on your garbage day for collection.

Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set compostable bags of yard waste (such as leaves and grass clippings) and bundles of brush next to their garbage carts by 6 am on garbage collection day.  

Click here for more information about yard waste.

The 54th St W reconstruction project is anticipated to resume next Monday, April 17. The 2017 roadway construction will primarily take place along 54th St W from just west Humboldt Ave S to Penn Ave S. However, there will be some completion work from the 2016 reconstruction phase involving sidewalk removal and replacement, sodding, tree planting and utility work behind the curb between Humboldt Ave and Lyndale Ave. 

Construction is scheduled to begin with pavement removal the week of April 17 and is estimated to be substantially completed with new pavement by late September 2017. Please note that this schedule is subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen circumstances.

The project will include complete removal and replacement of the pavement surface, curb and gutter, storm drains, driveway approaches, and sidewalk, new trees and sod.

Once the removals and underground utility work is complete, the new concrete pavement can be placed. At times during paving, the new concrete will be blocked off to allow the fresh pavement to cure. If the approach to your driveway is on 54th St W, you will be notified in advance of placement of your new driveway approach as well as roadway paving. During this time you may be asked to park at another location while the concrete cures, which is typically 8-10 days after each concrete placement. During the majority of construction, local access to homes and businesses will be maintained, however there will be times of temporary disruption. 

The approved detour route is along 50th St W from Lyndale Ave S to Penn Ave S.

Our City's construction activities are likely to cause you some inconvenience, but we appreciate your patience and understanding as the work progresses. Our City workers will do their best to keep these inconveniences at a minimum.  If you have any questions or concerns about this improvement project, please call Bev Warmka, at 612-673-3762, as well as contact the 13th Ward office via the contact form or using the contact information provided in this newsletter.

To get the latest project news you can follow the City's project page on Facebook here. You can also view the City's project website here:

A public hearing for the Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska-Harriet Master Plan is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, at 6:30 pm in the Board Room at Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) headquarters, 2117 West River Road. All interested community members are invited to attend and comment on the Master Plan, which creates a 25-year vision for Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, and surrounding parkland within Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park.

The Master Plan is the result of nearly two years of community-based planning and design. The public comment period opened on January 18, 2017 and closed on March 4, 2017. Originally, the public hearing was scheduled for the April 12, 2017 Board of Commissioners meeting, but additional time was needed for MPRB staff to review and address the hundreds of submitted public comments.

If the Board chooses to amend the Master Plan, it will be revised and an Executive Summary will be prepared. Both will be posted on the project webpage with a Table of Contents for the Appendix. Specific documents will be sent upon request due to the large number and size of the files within the Appendix.

Once the Master Plan is approved by the Board of Commissioners, it will be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review and adoption. Future funding of capital improvements at the two lakes and surrounding parkland is contingent upon a Met Council adopted master plan.

To meet funding deadlines, a set of short-term, high-priority improvements identified by the Master Plan's Community Advisory Committee will begin in Summer/Fall 2017. Check out the Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska-Harriet Trail and Access Improvements project page for more details on that work.                                                                                          

Public Hearing

Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: MPRB Headquarters

Address: 2117 West River Road

The Minneapolis Health Department celebrated its sesquicentennial this year with a public ceremony  on Wednesday in the City Hall Rotunda. The event featured a reception, a history exhibit with Health Department artifacts, annual reports and photos, guest speakers, and a presentation of certificates of recognition to long-time department partners. I was honored to be able to recognize the Minneapolis Public School District for their their ongoing commitment to student health and well-being. 

The Health Department and the Minneapolis Public School District number 1 have collaborated on student health and wellness through numerous projects including:

“No Shots, No School,” “Healthy Learners,” School Based health care and mental health programs, The Welcome Center, Asthma project, youth violence prevention / Safe and Supportive Schools, Safe Routes to School, and Teen Parent Connection initiatives.