Happy Thanksgiving!
 People can share their thoughts on Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2019 City budget at one of three upcoming public hearings, online or on the City website.
Budget public hearings
6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 Room 317, City Hall
6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5 Room 317, City Hall
Comments submitted online will enter the public record and be shared with the mayor and council members. The City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget on Wednesday, Dec. 5.
The mayor’s recommended 2019 budget is $1.6 billion. The City’s revenues come from a variety of sources with property taxes accounting for about 23 percent of the budget. The City’s tax base has increased by more than 10 percent between 2018 and 2019 and the proposed levy increase is less than 6 percent, resulting in the overall tax rate going down.
Visit the City’s budget website to learn more about the budget, key dates and watch a video about how to participate in the budget process. You can also watch budget hearings on Minneapolis City Council TV. Tune to SD channel 14 or HD channel 799 on Comcast or SD channel 8001 or HD channel 8501 on CenturyLink. You can also watch archived meeting on the City of Minneapolis YouTube channel.
 The Minneapolis City Council approved $10.6 million in direct investment and $1.6 million in 10-year federal tax credits to create or preserve 764 units of affordable multifamily rental housing in 10 projects located throughout the city.
These investments are the result of awards from the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs for 2018. Together, these investments will make more than $188 million in additional private and public resources possible.
Renters represent three out of four households in Minneapolis that are paying more than 30 percent of income for housing. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs provide up front equity and gap financing to assist with the production and preservation of decent, safe and affordable multifamily rental housing.
The City Council approved the following projects for a preliminary reservation of the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs totaling $1.6 million:
- In Ward 2, $587,103 for the Maya Commons project, 50 units of affordable workforce housing with a wellness focus, including eight units for people experiencing homelessness.
- In Ward 12, $983,475 for the Amber Apartments project, 81 units of affordable housing with support services for people with disabilities including 17 units for people experiencing homelessness.
These tax credits will generate more than $20.5 million in up front equity for these developments.
The City Council also approved a total of $10.64 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the following projects today:
- In Ward 7, $1.95 million for the Lydia Apartments project, 78 units of low income housing for disabled adults experiencing homelessness.
- In Ward 4, $625,000 for the Prosperity Village project, 25 units of affordable family housing.
- In Ward 5, $2.75 million for the Northside Artspace Lofts project, 100 units of mixed income family housing.
- In Ward 7, $465,500 for the PERIS Development project, 41 units of affordable housing, including 15 supportive housing units for at risk youths aging out of foster care.
- In Ward 10, $1 million for the Raines Building project, 89 units of affordable senior housing.
- In Ward 10, $2.375 million for the Lake Street Apartments project, 111 units of affordable housing including six permanent supportive units and three units for people experiencing homelessness.
- In Ward 3, $700,000 for the Gateway Northeast project, 125 units of mixed-use, mixed income housing.
- In Ward 5, $775,000 for the Penn Avenue Union project, 64 units of affordable family housing.
 When I came into office I stated as a priority to improve Racial Equity outcomes for the residents of Minneapolis. I am happy to report that we have begun, for the first time, a process to integrate our Strategic Plan with our Race Equity Action Plan. This will mean better alignment and prioritization for City departments when creating their operational plans and better alignment with the City budgeting process.
We use the following principles to guide this work:
- Use Disaggregated Data and Information
- Make Data Driven Decisions
- Leverage Existing Assets
- Use Existing Authority
- Make Policy Changes
- Use Equity to Balance Decisions
We are also happy to have in place the Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee (RECAC) with 8th Ward resident Marjaan Sirdar representing our ward. We are depending on this body to help shape and guide this work and advise the Council on matters of importance.
 The City Council has approved expanding an innovative strategy to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing in Minneapolis by helping property owners obtain property tax reductions for agreeing to keep a portion of rental units affordable. Property owners of all buildings or tax parcels with two or more units are eligible to participate.
The expanded Minneapolis 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program follows on the heels of a successful 4d pilot program that launched in May. As part of the pilot, property owners committed to preserving 207 units of affordable housing through 10-year affordability commitments.
The expanded 4d program has the potential to preserve 700 or more additional units of naturally occurring affordable housing in 2019.
Participants in the Minneapolis 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program agree to keep a minimum of 20 percent of units per building affordable to households making 60 percent of the area median income for 10 years. The qualifying units are eligible for a 40 percent reduction in property taxes.
In addition to reduced property taxes, program participants benefit from payment of the first year State of Minnesota application fee for certification of the 4d property tax classification; a $100 grant per affordable unit (capped at $1,000 per property); free or low-cost energy assessments; and City cost sharing for solar energy installations and energy efficiency improvements.
The Minneapolis 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program is one of several strategies the City is deploying to address the City’s affordable housing crisis.
Join the Great Streets program for a free breakfast and an opportunity to learn about neighborhood business development initiatives from your peers! This event is apart of the programs event series to keep conversations going about revitalization strategies and to inspire your creativity.
The Great Streets program provides funding to business districts for activities that support the economic vitality of the entire district. Examples include market studies, retail recruitment initiatives, marketing efforts and entrepreneurial training and business technical assistance.
Joan Vorderbruggen, Director of Placemaking and Public Art for Hennepin Theatre Trust will share learnings from her year-long Ethical Redevelopment Salon with Place Lab based out of the University of Chicago and led by Theaster Gates. A cohort of more than forty cross sector professionals met monthly for one year in 2016 to discuss nine principles of Ethical Redevelopment. More about the program and principles here: https://placelab.uchicago.edu/ethical-redevelopment/
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Location: Hennepin Theatre Trust 900 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403
Time: 8:30 - 10:00am, 9:00am Presentation
To register for the event, click on this link here.
The Census Bureau is currently hiring throughout Hennepin County to support the 2020 Census. The Census is hiring now – but the real bulk of jobs will be hired next year. The federal system uses a first in line process – which means it is important to apply now for priority consideration. If you or someone you know is looking for a job and wants to make a positive impact on Minneapolis, please encourage them to apply at the Census Bureau's online job portal: www.2020census.gov/jobs.
Regional Offices are responsible for hiring and supervising the Census Bureau's field workers. Local field workers know their communities best and are instrumental in conducting surveys with residents on a variety of topics.
You may be eligible to qualify if:
- You are at least 18 years old
- You have a valid Social Security Number
- You are a U.S. Citizen
- You pass a background check
- Additional requirements may apply and vary by position
 I was thrilled to be able to present eight City staff members with the Co-Star award for their work on the Local Update to Census Addresses (LUCA). Their work added 5300 new addresses to the census address list, as well as verified other addresses.
Congratulations and a big shout out to:
- Dahlen, Maria (CPED)
- Hasbargen, Kira (Regulatory Services)
- Haslerud, Glen (Regulatory Services)
- Helf, Pam (IT)
- Kilkson, Eero (IT)
- Obermoller, Jonathan (IT)
- Rumppe, Joseph (Regulatory Services)
- Schmoll, Brad (Regulatory Services)
Why does this work matter? Decennial census data are used to determine your representation in Congress, as well as how funds are spent for roads, schools, hospitals, and more. The efforts of these eight staff members will result in financial benefits for the city and residents.
In recent months, the Community Environmental Advisory Commission (CEAC) has been working to be more inclusive of voices across Minneapolis. As part of this ongoing work, CEAC's enabling resolution has been revamped in an effort to include more community member representation in order to layer community concerns with technical expertise. At the November meeting, CEAC heard from community members, not just City staff, about the development project at Upper Harbor Terminal and engagement of those in the local neighborhoods.
As the City of Minneapolis continues to tackle environmental problems, including through its work as part of Bloomberg’s American Cities Climate Challenge, CEAC is working to ensure that the City Council and Mayor hear community perspectives. If you're interested in learning more, visit CEAC's website, visit us at the Minneapolis Permaculture Action Day on November 18 from 10am - 5 pm, or attend one of CEAC’s monthly meetings – contact sustainability@minneapolismn.gov for details.
 While enjoying time with family and friends this Thanksgiving, the Minneapolis Fire Department wants to make sure you stay safe when preparing your holiday meals. There are more cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year in the U.S.
The Minneapolis Fire Department also encourages folks to follow these simple rules whenever they’re cooking:
- Have working smoke alarms on all levels of your home.
- Remain in the kitchen when using the stovetop. If you must leave, turn the stovetop off until you return.
- Stay awake, and in the house, while using the oven. If you must leave the house, turn the oven off until you return.
- Keep your cooking area clean; keep towels, hot pad holders, storage containers, and other combustibles away from the hot stove.
- Keep children and pets away from the oven and stove while cooking.
Videos
Kitchen fire safety is explained in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong in short videos that can be viewed at www.YouTube.com/cityofminneapolis and on Minneapolis City TV (Comcast channel 859 or CenturyLink channel 8502). Residents who have friends or neighbors who speak these languages are encouraged to share links to the videos.
Kitchen Fire Safety Learn how to prevent kitchen fires and what to do if there's a fire while you're cooking.
Kev Xyuas Xim Huav Chav Ua Mov (Kitchen Fire Safety, Hmong) Yog xav paub txog kev xyuas xim hauv chav ua mov.
Amaanka Dabka ee Jikada (Kitchen Fire Safety, Somali) Leh waxaad ka barataa ka hortaga dabka jikada iyo talaabada aad qaadi kartid haddii dab ka kaco jikada.
Seguridad contra incendíos en la cocina (Kitchen Fire Safety, Spanish) Aprenda como prevenir un incendio en la cocina y qué hacer si hay un incendio mientras está cocinando.
For more information about fire safety visit www.minneapolismn.gov/fire.
 An invitation for Lyndale and Whittier neighborhood Rental Property Managers and Owners:
At the beginning of 2018, the Minneapolis Health Department (MHD) launched the Everyone Deserves a Smoke-Free Home campaign to increase the availability of smoke-free rental housing in Minneapolis and to thank people who smoke for taking it outside. As the year is ending, the Health Department would like to ask you to join them in their goal to create more smoke free housing in Minneapolis; there are numerous health, safety and financial benefits of smoke-free buildings. They invite you to join property managers and owners in your neighborhood in pursuing smoke-free policies for their buildings. Together, we can create more than 900 additional units of smoke-free rental housing in Minneapolis.
Everyone Deserves a Smoke-Free Home Campaign Breakfast
When: Friday, November 30, 2018 from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Where: Washburn Library Meeting Room, 5244 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419
RSVP to Evalyn Carbrey at Minneapolis Health Department 612-673-2393 or Evalyn.Carbrey@minneapolismn.gov
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