Mark
your calendars for the 2018 Community Connection Conference! This year’s
conference will be held on Saturday, February 10th at the Minneapolis
Convention Center. The 2018 Conference theme is ACT - Aspire – Collaborate –
Transform. The Conference aims to connect members of diverse communities -
giving voice what we aspire Minneapolis to become, providing
opportunities to collaborate with neighbors, and developing strategies
to transform this vision into reality.
Visit
the conference Facebook event to receive future
updates, registration information and more.
With the
municipal election less than a week away, the Early Vote Center now has weekend
hours. Anyone who can vote in Minneapolis on Election Day can vote early at the
Early Vote Center, 217 S. Third St. For people visiting the Early Vote Center
on weekends, a limited number of free parking spots are available at the
center.
The Early
Vote Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays from
now until the election. Weekday hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, Nov.
3. The center’s last day of service is Monday, Nov. 6, which is the day before
Election Day, and hours that day are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This election uses ranked-choice
voting
Minneapolis
voters will use ranked-choice voting this fall to elect a mayor and members of
the City Council, Board of Estimate and Taxation, and Park and Recreation
Board. Ranked-choice voting is a way of voting that eliminates the need for
separate primary elections. Voters rank up to three candidates for each office.
The ballot has three columns, and choices are made from left to right in those
columns. In Minneapolis, ranked-choice voting is used only for municipal
elections.
More
information on ranked-choice voting is available at vote.minneapolismn.gov/rcv.
Get elections info at vote.minneapolismn.gov
The City has
an elections-focused website: vote.minneapolismn.gov. This website is a central place to go for
accurate, timely information about this year’s election and ranked-choice
voting. The fresh, intuitive design is focused on the user, with content on the
site arranged according to specific audiences including voters, candidates,
volunteers and students.
The Neighborhood and Community Relations Department recently
published the 2016
Neighborhood Programs Annual Report. This report highlights all the
amazing work done in the community via neighborhood staff, boards and
volunteers. The report highlights the work of the thousands of volunteers
to facilitate community engagement and complete projects the City of Minneapolis would not otherwise accomplish. In monetary terms the time invested by these volunteers adds up to over $2 million.
Some highlights are:
- 41,000 direct connections with residents via door knocking and flyering.
- A focus on outreach to underrepresented and marginalized people such as renters, non-English speakers, women and low wealth individuals.
- A focus on organizing and mobilizing the community to address concerns about gentrification and poorly maintained rental properties.
- Hundreds and hundreds of diverse, creative community events that engage people and help them connect with the City and other agencies.
- Many projects related to parks, gardens, the environment and recycling
- Many projects related to neighborhood livability – Creative solutions to crime and safety issues, business façade improvements, clean sweeps, etc.
To learn more about what neighborhoods are working on near
you, please see our interactive
neighborhoods map with contacts or contact NCR at NCR@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-3737.
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We want to hear from YOU! Join your neighbors in shaping our
city to become a healthy, sustainable, and thriving place for all.
Minneapolis 2040 is an update to the City’s Comprehensive
Plan, a document that shapes how Minneapolis will grow and change. The plan
will cover topics such as housing, job creation, the design of new buildings,
and how we use our streets.
Over the past year, City planners have learned a lot from
Minneapolis residents about the future of our city. We’ve heard that as the
city grows, everyone must benefit from that growth. You told us that it can be
difficult to access jobs that are not located nearby. We’ve heard concerns
about the rising cost of housing, and that not everyone has access to the type
of housing that meets their needs. We’ve also heard that people value
well-designed and environmentally sustainable buildings, and that there is a
desire for the city to be more walkable, bikeable, and mass transit-friendly.
Please attend one of four upcoming family friendly,
interactive open houses in early December. Enjoy complimentary refreshments
from local vendors. For more information and to sign up for updates at
minneapolis2040.com.
Meeting dates and locations
Van Cleve
Park Gym
901 15th
Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
December
2nd from 10:30-12:30
Farview
Park Gym
621 N
29th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
December
5th from 5:30 – 7:30
Roosevelt
High School Gym
4029 S
28th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406
December
9th from 10:00 – 12:00
MLK Park
Multi-Purpose Room
4055
Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
December
11th from 5:30-7:30
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The NCEC is busy with setting priorities, re-establishing
committees, updating their by-laws and grievance procedure. The
Commission met as a Committee of the Whole on September 20th and
established their priorities for 2017-2018. The three priority areas are:
Neighborhoods 2020 and Beyond, Empower Neighborhood Orgs., and City
Enterprise – Improve Communications Practices. All of the Commission and
Committee meetings are open to the public and noticed on the NCEC Google
Calendar.
The full Commission welcomed the Seattle Department of
Neighborhoods Director Kathy Nyland at their October 24th
meeting. A conversation was had with the use of LYNC technology.
The Commission, City staff and guests learned of the current happenings in
Seattle around neighborhood structure, funding, reforms and more. The
Commission will continue to dialogue with other agencies as they work to make
recommendations for Neighborhoods 2020.
Next Meeting Dates
November 15th Committee of the Whole – Crown
Roller Mill – 6:00pm
November 16th City Department Engagement
Committee – Crown Roller Mill – 5:30pm
November 20th Neighborhoods 2020 Committee –
Crown Roller Mill 6:00pm
November 28th – Full Commission – Minneapolis
Central Library- Doty Board Room – 5:00pm
In the early morning of August 30th, a fire in an
apartment building in the Whittier Neighborhood caused the loss of 10
neighborhood residents homes and possessions. By that afternoon the Whittier
Alliance and local businesses, Nightingale Restaurant, Fox Den Hair Salon, and
Learning in Style, sprung into action collecting donations and coordinating
resources for the displaced residents.
“We quickly realized there is a window between 2-14 days
where victims can get lost between emergency services and long-term solutions.”
shared Ricardo McCurley, Executive Director at Whittier Alliance. “The Whittier
Alliance was uniquely positioned to meet some of those needs by connecting the
victims with neighbors who had household basics to give, landlords who could
provide short-term leases at their current rates and a place to call for
random requests.”
As place-based organizations, neighborhood organizations
play a valuable role in bringing residents together on a hyper-local level to
support their neighbors and address issues that arise in the community both large and small.
Fox Den Hair Salon held a fundraiser for the fire victims and
Learning in Style opened their "Free Store", while also collecting the
surplus of donated goods. Additionally, seven property managers/owners in the area
offered one month leases at their previous rate so those displaced by the fire had a place to stay that next night.
“It's really rewarding to be able to respond quickly to
events like fires,” said McCurley.
See what else Whittier Alliance is up to at
their website http://www.whittieralliance.org/
or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WhittierAlliance/
On October 23rd, the Neighborhood and Community Relations
Department reported to the City Council on accomplishments under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Action Plan and Language Access Plan.
The ADA Action Plan and Language Access Plan are
comprehensive plans to ensure City of Minneapolis’ programs, services and
activities are accessible to all. The plans are strategic policy documents
focused on enhancing the accessibility of City operations and eliminating
barriers to participation. The Language Access Plan was adopted by the City
Council in 2014 as a guide to provide programs, services and information in
multiple languages. The ADA Action Plan, adopted in 2016, elevates the City’s
work to be accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities.
Visit the NCR website to view both the ADA Action Plan and Language Access Plan presentations.
The City Council condemned the deadly Oct. 14 terrorist bombings in
Mogadishu, Somalia, and supported the victims and families affected by that
attack. The resolution, which received
unanimous approval October 20th, also called on the U.S. to increase its assistance
to Somalia and lift a travel ban to that country.
At least 327 people were killed and nearly 400 were injured when a
massive truck bomb exploded in a busy intersection in Mogadishu. The blast
leveled a nearby hotel, trapping several people in debris. The bombing is the
deadliest terrorist attack in Mogadishu’s history.
With an estimated 35,000 people, Minnesota has the world’s largest Somali
population outside of Somalia. The highest concentration lives in Minneapolis.
Many of these residents have strong ties to family, friends and business
relationships in Somalia.
The bombing was condemned by the United Nations, along with the U.S.
several other countries. Humanitarian aid is being provided by the U.S. as
well, along with the United Kingdom, Turkey and others.
 Snow season is here, and Minneapolis residents should watch their mail over the next several days for information that could help them avoid tickets and tows when enough snow falls to warrant a complete plowing of our streets. The City of Minneapolis is sending out more than 196,000 Snow Emergency brochures, one to each household in the city. The brochure has graphics and text showing where to park during the three phases of a Snow Emergency.
Folks should hold on to the brochures throughout the winter and have them handy whenever a Snow Emergency is declared. The brochure contains the Snow Emergency parking rules and lists ways people can find out when the City of Minneapolis declares a Snow Emergency. The more people follow the Snow Emergency parking rules and help their neighbors and visitors do the same, the easier snow season is on everyone.
Snow Emergencies are declared whenever there’s enough snowfall to warrant a complete plowing of our streets. To get that done, people need to follow the parking rules and move their vehicles so crews can plow the full width of the street. When the snow flies, City Public Works crews have enormous jobs to do, with more than 1,500 miles of streets, parkways and alleys that need to be cleared. It’s important for drivers to follow the Snow Emergency parking rules so plows can do the best job possible clearing snow. Vehicles parked on the street in violation of Snow Emergency rules can be ticketed or towed.
By reaching out to educate people about Snow Emergency parking rules, the City hopes that more drivers will avoid tickets and tows. Minneapolis spreads the word about Snow Emergencies by direct mail, emails, text messages, automated phone calls, social networks, the City website and by working with the news media.
Getting drivers to follow Snow Emergency parking rules helps the City, too. Towing and impounding vehicles is expensive and makes plowing inefficient, so it’s in everyone’s interest to help drivers follow the parking rules and avoid a ticket and tow.
Sign up now, stay informed throughout the season
Residents, workers and visitors have a number of ways to learn when Snow Emergencies are declared and what to do when they are. The City advises drivers to put many of these tools to use, not just one or two. The more ways people use to learn about a Snow Emergency, the more prepared they will be to do their part, and the less likely they will be towed because they didn’t know one was declared.
- Hotline: By calling the automated 612-348-SNOW hotline, folks can find out if a Snow Emergency has been declared. If a Snow Emergency is in effect, the hotline will have information on that day’s parking restrictions that drivers need to follow to avoid tickets and tows. The hotline includes information in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
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The City’s website: Go to www.minneapolismn.gov/snow to find out whether a Snow Emergency has been declared and for a wealth of information on Snow Emergencies in many languages. Also, check out the street lookup, which lets you put in an address or a neighborhood to see where you can park during a Snow Emergency.
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Phone alerts: Minneapolis uses a phone alert system to notify residents when Snow Emergencies are declared. It is an automated notification system that can place thousands of calls per hour. You can add your cellphone or unlisted landline number to the alert system by signing up at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow.
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Email alerts: You can sign up to get Snow Emergency alerts automatically emailed to you. Go to www.minneapolismn.gov/snow/snow_esubscribe for more details.
- App for Android devices and iPhones: Drivers who have Android devices or iPhones can download the Snow Emergency app. During a Snow Emergency, the app will tell them the parking rules for that day. It also has a street lookup, which lets them see where they can park on that day by street address or by having the device’s GPS pinpoint their location.
- The news media: News releases are sent to the media so TV, radio stations and other news outlets can inform their viewers and listeners that a Snow Emergency is in effect.
- Cable TV: Tune in to Minneapolis 14 (Comcast channels 14 and 799, CenturyLink channels 8001 and 8501). These channels will have information in several languages when a Snow Emergency is declared.
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Facebook: Like Minneapolis Snow Emergency on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/MinneapolisSnowEmergency.
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Twitter: twitter.com/minneapolissnow. If you have a Twitter account, just follow us. Both the Twitter and Facebook pages will tell fans and followers when a Snow Emergency is declared.
Videos: Informative videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong are available online to help explain where you can park when a Snow Emergency is declared
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Your
garbage day in the week of Nov. 13 is the last 2017 collection for leaves,
brush and other yard trimmings. Yard waste must be in compostable bags – paper
(Kraft) or compostable plastic – or unbagged in a reusable container at least
26 inches high with sturdy handles. Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided
containers. Set all yard waste next to your garbage cart by 6 a.m.
Leaves
Brush
- Less than 40 pounds.
- Less than 3 feet long.
- Branch size less than 3 inches in diameter.
- Must be bundled with string (no tape).
Remember,
it’s against the law and bad for our lakes to rake leaves into the street.
If you
have questions about leaf and brush pickup, call 673-2917 between 8 a.m. and
4:30 p.m. Find more information here.
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The City
Council has approved two ordinances regulating short-term rentals in
Minneapolis — a rapidly growing part of the sharing economy.
The new
regulations will allow the City to track the number of short-term rental units
in Minneapolis and require hosting platforms, such as Airbnb and VRBO, to
advertise only units that have registered or obtained a rental license.
Under the short-term
rental ordinance, rental properties are categorized as follows:
- A short-term rental property
registration or rental license is not required for an owner who lives at the
property, rents a room and stays at the property during the rental period.
- A short-term rental property
registration is required for an owner who lives at the property, rents out an
entire unit and leaves the property during the rental period.
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A short-term designation on the
rental license is required for the owner of a non-occupied rental property who
rents out an entire unit. Only Tier 1 or Tier 2 rental licenses
are eligible for this designation.
The
ordinance applies to dwelling units rented for a period of fewer than 30
consecutive days per leasing period. The short-term rental registration fee is
$46. Rental licenses for Tier 1 properties will range from $70 to $175, plus $5 for
each additional unit, and $112 to $350 for Tier 2 properties, plus $5 for each
additional unit. You do not need to reapply if you have a valid rental license
and are a Tier 1 or Tier 2 property. For more information about rental
licensing fees, visit the Rental Licensing Fees
webpage. The City will begin accepting
short-term rental registration and license applications Dec. 1, 2017.
Short-term
rental hosting platforms, which collect a fee for booking services and often
provide an online platform for property owners to advertise a dwelling unit,
will be required to submit an annual business license application. The annual
license fee for a platform with fewer than 150 active dwelling unit listings
will be $630, and for a platform with 150 or more active listings will be
$5,000. The City’s Business License division will start accepting license
applications for hosting platforms Dec. 1, 2017.
For more
information, go to the City’s web page on short-term rentals.
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