 NCR would like to thank all who participated in our Neighborhoods 2020 Cafés in April and May of this year. A total of 583 people signed in at the seven meetings, with an additional 30 participating through an online survey. We appreciate the time you took with us to share your thoughts. We also want to thank the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission and our many neighborhood organization partners who helped us to plan and organize these events.
The Neighborhood and Community Relations Department has worked with the NCEC Neighborhoods 2020 Committee to develop a draft report to the community on what we heard at these meetings. The draft report and the raw data can be found on NCR’s website at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/ncr/WCMSP-204378
We hope you will take the time to review the report and let us know if you have any questions or comments. The draft report will be online and we will take feedback through October 31, 2017.
Please note that this document is intended as a report to the community on what we heard at these meetings. It is not intended to be a policy document with recommendations. NCR will work with NCEC Neighborhoods 2020 Committee over the next several months to develop recommendations that will be reported to the City Council in the first quarter of 2018.
Please contact us with any questions or comments at ncr@minneapolismn.gov by October 31, 2017. You may also contact Robert Thompson with any questions at (612) 673-2523, or by email at robert.thompson@minneapolismn.gov.
There is currently one
exempt, full-time Deputy Director vacancy to be filled in the Neighborhood and
Community Relations Department.
Primary
Responsibilities: Manage a team of
community engagement professionals that facilitate connections with all of the
City's residents, engaging them in problem solving and decision making on
matters that impact their lives. Engagement work includes the City's cultural
communities, seniors, people with disabilities and the City's 70 neighborhood
organizations.
Experience: Five years of experience in community engagement
and community relations, mission based, non-profit, government entity,
advocate, or a related field; with at least two-three years of recent
supervisory and project management experience.
Education: Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies, Planning,
or Public Administration or equivalent.
For a full job description,
application details, and to apply online please go to: http://www.MinneapolisMn.Gov/jobs/.
Applications are due by Friday,
September 22nd, 2017.
Join the City of Minneapolis and American Indian Community in
celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 9th.
Since 2014, the City recognizes the second Monday in October as
Indigenous Peoples Day, marking and celebrating the significance of the
American Indian and Indigenous community in Minneapolis, as well as the city’s
history of American Indian activism. Along with the federal government, for
many years Minneapolis recognized the day as Columbus Day.
Stay tuned for information on this year's events.
In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. In 1989, Congress expanded the observance to a month long celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) of the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Sept. 15 is the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Locally, former Mayor R.T. Rybak and the Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution in September 2012 honoring the invaluable contributions of the Latino community in Minneapolis. As part of this resolution the City Council recognized then President Obama’s “National Hispanic Heritage Month” and declared Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 as Latino Heritage Month in Minneapolis.
For more information on Hispanic Heritage month please go to: www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/hispanic-heritage.html
 On August 17th,
the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department and Hmong elders and leaders came
together for a discussion on how a collaboration between the Hmong 18 Council
and the Department can work to provide timely support and resources to the
Hmong community’s need for legalization and citizenship.
The group discussed many ideas, including an effort to
make the discrimination complaint form available at the Council’s office, and
the Civil Right's Department dedicating staff time on a regular basis to assist Hmong
speaking residents at the Council’s office to complete the form.
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Housing has been a major focus of Minneapolis neighborhood
organizations since the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) started
nearly 30 years ago. While programs have often focused on home repair loans and
first-time homebuyers, a number of neighborhoods have come together to support
an equally important housing need in the city: housing for homeless youth.
The Bridge for Youth is working on a new development called
Rita’s House, to house young people ages 18-20 at a high risk of becoming
homeless. Together, over $100,000 is being contributed to the project from the East
Isles Residents Association, Armatage Neighborhood Association, West Calhoun Neighborhood
Council, CARAG, Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Association, East Calhoun
Community Organization, and the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council.
“Sometimes I think neighborhood organizations have been
portrayed as NIMBY [Not In My Backyard]. This is an example of a YIMBY
concept.” Said Scott Engel, executive coordinator of the CARAG Neighborhood in an interview with the Southwest Journal.
The majority of neighborhoods that contributed to the
project are in the southwest part of the city near the new development, but
also included a North Minneapolis neighborhood.
“The Bridge is a high quality program,” shared Dave Ellis,
Board chair at the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council. “Many of their clients come
from the 55411 zip code.”
 If you live in the city limits, you live in one of 81
neighborhoods in Minneapolis, but you might not know it. If you haven’t lived in
one place for several years, you might not have a strong affinity to a
particular neighborhood, nor learned about the neighborhood organization and
work being done in that particular area. In north Minneapolis, residents are
more likely to say they live on the “Northside” or are a “Northsider” then to
say they live in Cleveland or McKinley or elsewhere.
This spring, the Northside Neighborhoods Council, a
collaborative of the majority of the neighborhood organizations on the
northside, launched the Come Build Neighborhood Power workshops. These fun and
interactive workshops are marketed to residents who’ve maybe never heard of
their neighborhood organization, but are interested in making a difference in
their community. The workshops are facilitated by NCR staff and focus on a
quick overview of neighborhood history, the roots of neighborhood organizing,
and collective brainstorming about what would make a difference on your block
and in your neighborhood.
The goal of these workshops are to raise awareness, peak
interest, and potentially draw out more residents to get involved in their neighborhood
organizations by joining a committee or even the board. Trying new and
innovative approaches to outreach and recruitment is one way NCR is working
with neighborhoods to increase diversity on neighborhood boards by
intentionally focusing on welcoming more renters and people of Color into
neighborhood organizing work.
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The fourth
annual Minneapolis Trans* Equity Summit will focus on health and history, with
breakout sessions on meeting healthcare needs, being an ally, health care laws,
public policy and more. Community members and organizations interested in
learning about and furthering transgender equity are encouraged to attend.
Trans* Equity Summit
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28
Minneapolis Convention Center
1301 Second Ave. S.
The summit
will include:
- A keynote
address by Monica Roberts, founding editor of TransGriot, a blog focusing on
issues pertaining to transgender women of color.
- Findings of
the U.S. Transgender Survey, presented by the National Center for Transgender
Equality.
- An
opportunity to meet members of the City’s newly appointed advisory board, the
Transgender Equity Council.
Hosted by
the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with the Minneapolis Park and
Recreation Board, the event is free and open to the public. Register and find more
information at www.minneapolismn.gov/TransEquity.
Isaac Russell
Neighborhood District
3 Representative
Term: 1st
Neighborhood: Diamond
Lake
How long have you
been active in your community and what made you get involved in community work?
I have been active in my community for a few years now. I am
currently a legislative staff at the Minnesota senate, which is giving me the
ability to work with various groups on issues important to the community. I
have also done outreach within the African-American community to bring more
people into the political process and to educate people on salient issues to
minority communities. I am also on the board of Hunger Solutions, a nonprofit
dedicated to ending hunger.
What do you like most
about your neighborhood or community?
I very much appreciate being in an area that is very much
like living in a park. There's a strong sense of community, people who are
dedicated to enhancing that sense, and quite frankly beautiful ways to enjoy
being outdoors while meeting neighbors. Several small businesses are within my
vicinity, and I very much appreciate being involved in them. Things such as
farmers markets, community events, and involved parents at school truly
highlight how fortunate our community is. Growing diversity also gives me
strong hope that this community sense will become more and more multicultural.
The demographics are changing, more people of color and younger people with
families are moving in.
Are there other boards and committees you are
or have been on?
As I mentioned earlier, I serve as treasurer on the board of
Hunger Solutions. We put great effort into fighting hunger by connecting people
with resources in times of need, including SNAP, food shelves, and championing
legislation to provide more funding for these resources.
Do you have any tips for residents interested
in running for neighborhood boards and/or City boards and commissions?
My advice would be to just show up at a meeting. Talk to
people. Go to the businesses in your community, go to the public events, go to
the youth sports, and go to PTA meetings. Also, considering my work, go to your
neighborhood associations. Read any newsletters that come your way and ask
yourself what is important to you? How can I foster a greater sense of
community? How can I bring different types of people together around a common
shared set of values? Then find a
reasonable, manageable way to get involved That does not lend you the ability
to make an easy and convenient excuse to not do it. Then do it.
Anything else you’d like to share about
yourself?
I currently live in Diamond Lake with my girlfriend Jessica,
and her two boys Kaeden and Carson. I am also the proud father of a
four-year-old girl Savannah. I originally hail from St. Paul, but I've moved
around much throughout my life and have experienced areas that lack a sense of
community, where I have experienced poverty firsthand. I've lived in
Minneapolis multiple times, and also spent some time in Phoenix, Arizona. I
graduated college from River Falls with a double major in political science and
history with graduate work at Duke University. I spent a few years in
industrial flooring before I volunteered for a political campaign and received
a job in Senator Jim Metzen's office. I spent four years in his office before I
came to Senator Dan Schoen's office. Currently, I will begin graduate work at
the Humphrey Institute this fall. In my spare time, I love to work out, read,
watch documentaries, pretend I know a lot about wine, and compete in Brazilian
Jui-Jitsu tournaments and practice Muay Thai boxing (of course at a school in
my ward!).
The City of
Minneapolis has joined Welcoming America’s network of Welcoming Cities and
Counties — a designation recognizing its commitment to inclusiveness toward
immigrants and all its residents.
Nearly 100
local governments across the country belong to the network launched by Decatur,
Georgia-based Welcoming America, a nonprofit founded in 2009. A welcoming
city understands that prosperity comes when everyone feels like they belong. It
is the belief that all people, including immigrants, should be valued
contributors and are vital to the success of both our communities and our
shared future.
The City
Council passed a resolution affirming the City’s values as a welcoming city. “Fostering a
welcoming environment for all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity or
place of origin, gender identity or religious affiliation enhances Minneapolis’
cultural fabric, economic growth, global competitiveness and overall prosperity
for current and future generations,” the resolution noted.
The
participation in the Welcoming Cities and Counties network is one of many
activities City leaders have spearheaded to develop strategies and strengthen
policies, programs and resources to support immigrant and refugee families.
Other
initiatives include providing funding for legal advocates working directly with
residents involved with immigration proceedings, providing a hotline to report
hate crimes and a new public awareness campaign called #WeAreMpls, which will
highlight the rich diversity of the city through interviews and photography of
residents. The campaign will launch in September and be promoted through social
media and other communication channels.
The City
will also participate in Welcoming Week set for Sept. 15-24. During this
annual series of events, Welcoming Cities host community events to bring
together immigrants, refugees and native-born residents to promote the benefits
of inclusion. In 2016, there were nearly 400 events in 150 communities for
Welcoming Week.
 The City of Minneapolis’ Division of Solid Waste and Recycling recognizes that not all volunteers are able to commit to reoccurring cleanup events, or maintaining areas for an extended period of time. The new Request for Litter Clean-Up Supplies program offers volunteers an opportunity to participate in one-time, no commitment cleanup activities. The program provides litter clean-up supplies such as bags and gloves at no cost, and delivery is provided. The program is available to Minneapolis residents, business and property owners, visitors and other groups that are interested in volunteering to collect litter in their community. Clean-up areas are limited to public sidewalks, curbs, and boulevard greenbelts, green spaces and other public property within the City of Minneapolis.
Find more information here or contact the Division of Solid Waste and Recycling’s Clean City Coordinator at (612) 673-2789.
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The City of Minneapolis invites and encourages participation by every resident to each program, service and event within our city. Should you require an accommodation in order for you to fully participate, or should you require this document in an alternative format, please let us know by contacting 612-673-3737.
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