 This video features a refresher on sidewalk shoveling rules, high voter turnout for 2018 election, and changes to liquor rules for neighborhood restaurants.
Amendment Expands Mental Health Co-Responder Program to all Police Precincts, Funds New Office of Violence Prevention for Community Safety Strategies
Today the City Council’s Budget Committee voted to approve an amendment to the 2019 budget, offered by Council Members Steve Fletcher and Phillipe Cunningham, to invest in public safety strategies in addition to policing. The amendment expands the City’s successful Mental Health Co-Responder Pilot Program to all five police precincts and provides ongoing funds for the new Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health.
"I was pleased to support this amendment that prioritizes community based solutions to community safety concerns as well as strengthens and supports our Race Equity efforts in the City of Minneapolis." said Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins
The budget amendment also provides ongoing, rather than one-time, funding for Group Violence Intervention and two successful pilot programs in the City Attorney’s office: an improved alternative to standard conviction and sentencing for gross misdemeanor weapons charges, and the Minneapolis Violent Crime Hot Spots – Domestic Violence Outreach pilot program.
The amendment reallocates funds requested by the Minneapolis Police Department to civilianize eight positions currently filled by sworn officers. The amendment does not change the Department’s complement of sworn officers, which currently stands at 888. With this amendment, the Minneapolis Police Department budget would increase by 2.2%, including other requested investments in officer health and wellness and in the City’s three-year plan to equip all sworn staff with body worn cameras.
The final public hearing on the City’s 2019 budget is scheduled for Wednesday, December 5th at 6:05 P.M. in City Council chambers. After the conclusion of that public hearing, the City Council will take final action on next year’s budget.
 Minneapolis’ Building Energy Challenge winds up as a success with 75 percent of participating large buildings meeting or surpassing City emission reduction goals. They each reduced their greenhouse gas emissions at least 15 percent by becoming more energy efficient and by getting energy from clean sources such as wind and solar. Minneapolis ended the four-year challenge by awarding 10 buildings for reducing climate change pollution equal to the energy use of more than 2,000 homes a year.
Two of the 10 buildings switched to 100 percent renewable and clean electricity, nine of the buildings improved their heating and cooling systems and controls, and nine installed energy-efficient lighting.
Besides cutting pollution and saving money, energy efficient buildings can also attract more tenants and increase real estate values. Making buildings more energy efficient can support new jobs in clean technology and engineering.
The 10 high-performing large commercial buildings recognized for cutting their climate change pollution:
- Butler Square.
- Calhoun Square.
- DeLaSalle High School.
- Forensic Sciences Building.
- Hennepin County Government Center.
- Hospital Parking Ramp.
- Minneapolis City Hall.
- Minneapolis Convention Center.
- Royalston Maintenance Facility.
- Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Minneapolis campus.
The City of Minneapolis recognizes climate change as a serious problem to which human activities contribute heavily. The commercial-industrial sector contributed almost half of the total citywide greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 with building energy use as the main source.
The Building Energy Challenge was aided by the data from the Commercial Building Benchmarking and Transparency ordinance, which the City adopted in 2013. This ordinance requires large buildings to track and disclose their energy use. The Building Energy Challenge aligned with the goals and activities of the Clean Energy Partnership, and the challenge and ordinance both support the goals of the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan.
Anyone can contact Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy for information about how their building can reduce energy use.
 On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the City Council plans to approve the City’s 2019 budget. Before that happens, you can share your thoughts about the proposed budget and property taxes.
Budget public hearing 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5 Room 317, City Hall
If you can't attend the Dec. 5 hearing, you can submit comments on the proposed budget online. All comments submitted online by 3 p.m. Dec. 4 will enter the public record and be shared with the mayor and council members.
The mayor’s recommended 2019 City 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.
Visit the City’s budget website to learn more about the budget and watch a video about how to participate in the budget process. You can also watch budget hearings on Minneapolis City TV (Comcast channel 859 or CenturyLink channel 8502). You can also watch archived meetings on the City of Minneapolis YouTube channel.
 Construction will begin soon on the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project. The Federal Transit Administration recently cleared the path for the Metropolitan Council construction to begin on the project with what is known as a Letter of No Prejudice, a critical milestone for the project. It makes the early construction work on the project eligible for federal reimbursement upon award of the Full Funding Grant Agreement, anticipated in 2019. With the Full Funding Grant Agreement, the federal government would pay $929 million — nearly half — of the project’s total cost.
Construction activities this winter could include site clearance, demolition and utility work. Heavy construction would occur in 2019-2022. This extension of the Green Line between Target Field and Eden Prairie is expected to open for passengers in 2023.
The $2 billion project will be the largest infrastructure project in the state’s history and is expected to create 7,500 construction jobs.
The Southwest Light Rail Transit Project will be a 14.5-mile line with 16 stations serving Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. In 2014, there were approximately 64,300 jobs within a half mile of the proposed stations and 126,800 jobs in downtown Minneapolis. By 2035, employment is expected to grow to 80,900 within a half mile of the proposed stations and 145,300 in downtown Minneapolis — an 18 percent increase in employment. The population along the line outside of downtown Minneapolis is expected to grow by 56 percent from 2014 to 2035.
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I want to take this opportunity to lift up and express my sincere gratitude and high esteem for my predecessors, mentors and dear and trusted friends, Elizabeth Glidden and Robert Lilligren, for their fearless leadership, dogged commitment to Transit Equity, their clear-eyed vision to ensure connections to alternative forms of transportation. This transformative project will completely reshape how people travel within and through Minneapolis. I can wholeheartedly say that without their leadership this Orange Line would not be happening. I am so proud to have worked with both of them and can't wait until this line is operational.
FTA Announces Full Federal Funding of Orange Line BRT $74 million in federal funding means transit project is fully funded The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced it will be fully funding the federal share of $74.1 million for the METRO Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, a 17-mile transitway planned for the region’s busiest express bus corridor. The announcement means the $150.7 million project has now secured all funding, and can move into the final stage of construction. As a part of the METRO system, the Orange Line will connect people across the region to job centers, including major corridor employers like Best Buy, HealthPartners, Allina, Wells Fargo, and Toro.
“This is great news! The Orange Line BRT project is a critical part of building a 21st Century transportation system in Minnesota,” said Governor Mark Dayton. “This bus rapid transit route will provide better, faster transit services for over 115,000 area residents, reduce congestion, and support continued economic growth throughout the region.”
The Orange Line will connect Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville along I-35W, providing frequent, all-day service in both directions, seven days a week. The route is an upgrade and will replace the existing local Route 535 with enhanced service and amenities, and new station features will benefit other transit riders along the I-35W corridor. Today, this corridor sees 14,000 daily transit rides and over 200,000 auto vehicles.
“We are delighted to continue making progress on our region’s transit system,” said Alene Tchourumoff, Chair of the Metropolitan Council. “The Orange Line will improve mobility for tens of thousands of people who rely on transit on a weekly basis. It will also improve the traveling experience for hundreds of thousands, who commute along I-35W each day. This announcement is further evidence that the Council is a model for its ability to collaborate with partners to plan, design, and operate efficient transit projects.”
The Orange Line will provide access to 198,000 jobs and 121,000 residents, including 56,000 jobs outside of downtown Minneapolis. Construction on the project is already underway, in coordination with MnDOT projects. The construction began in 2017 after the FTA issued a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) approval for the joint MnDOT construction, ahead of the full federal funding commitment. This process is the same process the Southwest LRT project is using to enter construction this winter, ahead of receiving the full federal funding commitment.
“Orange Line has been successful because of our ability to collaborate with a range of great partners, including the cities along the line, Dakota and Hennepin County, MnDOT, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, and the strong bi-partisan support from local elected officials, state officials, and our federal delegation,” said Chair Tchourumoff.
The Orange Line project includes street and highway improvements, upgraded transit stations, and improved bus routes. BRT provides high quality, reliable service like light rail transit; because it is built on an existing guideway, it is less expensive to build. It also includes a transit-only access ramp between downtown Minneapolis and I-35W and a new Lake Street Station, which is part of the work already under construction. The project is scheduled to open by 2021. A future extension of the Orange Line to Lakeville is also envisioned in future years.
In addition to the federal funding, local funding is provided by the former Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB), the State of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, and Dakota County. For more information about the project, funding commitments, a map of the route, and more, visit the Orange Line website at https://www.metrotransit.org/metro-orange-line.
 The City Council received the City’s first-ever State of Data report: a document that outlines the current way data is managed by the City and provides a roadmap to improve transparency, accountability and accessibility.
The report is a point-in-time summary of where the City of Minneapolis stands with respect to data governance and management, including the way data now informs policy decisions by City leaders and how accessible and understandable that data is. The report also presents a roadmap to making the City more data-driven in operations and services, and looks at how data use is evolving into the future.
The 2018 State of Data Report is available on the City’s website.
 Sidewalks are a critical part of Minneapolis’ transportation system and they should be open for everyone. With the snow season upon us, here’s a refresher on the City’s rules. Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners of houses and duplexes to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall and all other property owners must clear their sidewalks within four daytime hours.
Clearing snow and ice from sidewalks helps people of all ages and abilities safely walk or roll to where they need to go. This is a primary mode of transportation for many people in the city so it’s important to be a good neighbor and help them out.
In addition to relying on complaints reported to 311, this season City inspectors will also be out in neighborhoods actively looking for sidewalks that aren’t shoveled. Failure to shovel and maintain your sidewalk could result in a warning letter and, if left uncleared, a bill for the City to remove snow from your sidewalk. An average bill is approximately $150.
People should call 311 to learn more about resources available to people who may need help clearing their sidewalks. Several nonprofit organizations are ready to provide for-hire services or provide help when the snow falls.
Snow shoveling videos
Informative videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong are available online to help explain what property owners need to do when it snows.
Shoveling Snow When it snows, make sure to clear your sidewalks of snow and ice to keep them safe and avoid a possible fine from the City.
Limpieza de Nieve (Shoveling Snow, Spanish) Cuando Nieva, asegurese de limpiar la nieve y hielo de su acera para mantenerla segura y evitar una multa de la ciudad.
Barafka Ka Xaaq Gurigaaga iyo Ganacsigaaga Hortooda (Shoveling Snow, Somali) Markii baraf da'o, ka xaaq barafka dariiqa gugigaaga ama ganacsigaaga hor mara si dadku nabad galyo ugu maraan adna aad uga badbaado ganaax.
Kev Kaus Daus (Shoveling Snow, Hmong) Thaum daus lo, koj yuav tsum kaus txoj kev taug ko taw ntawm koj lub tsev.
Find more information at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow/shovel.
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