 In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, the theme for this year’s Trans Equity Summit is “Shifting the Narrative.” As trans and gender non-conforming people, what are the stories that are told about us, our histories, and our futures? How do we want to change those stories? What is the silenced history we want to highlight, and what are the futures we're envisioning?
We are thrilled to announce our Keynote Speaker Micky Bee, a Black Transfemme Activist and Regional Organizer for the Transgender Law Center. Micky Bee was selected as the 2018 Atlanta PRIDE Parade Grand Marshal.
The Summit is free and open to the public, and we encourage anyone interested in furthering transgender equity to attend. This is an event for trans/GNC community members to connect to resources and each other, and for potential allies to learn more about issues impacting trans/GNC community and how to integrate community visions through an equity lens.
We recommend you register in advance here to ensure enough food and space and that all access needs are met. The event will be ASL interpreted; other interpretation will be announced as it is confirmed.
If you are interested in playing a role in the Summit (planning, sponsoring, tabling, volunteering, performing), or have any questions, please contact RaceEquity@minneapolismn.gov.
For ASL interpretation and all other reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please note your needs in the registration form (available soon) or contact Track Trachtenberg at track.trachtenberg@minneapolismn.gov or 612-394-0714. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626. Para asistencia 612-673-2700 - Rau kev pab 612-673-2800 - Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.
For more information about the 6th Annual Trans equity Summit, please check out the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/401235330529592/.
 The City Council has approved an ordinance strengthening protections for renters in Minneapolis.
The ordinance will cap security deposits at a maximum of one month’s rent and gives property owners two options for screening potential renters: use inclusive screening criteria outlined in the ordinance or conduct an individualized assessment. The inclusive screening criteria limit consideration of criminal background and rental history – including eviction history – and prohibits use of a credit score.
The effective date for the ordinance is June 1, 2020, except for property owners with 15 dwelling units or fewer. The effective date for those property owners is Dec. 1, 2020.
The ordinance builds on a growing body of work City leaders have advanced to address the challenges facing renters. Minneapolis is a majority renter city with 89,000 households renting their homes. Renters are vulnerable to challenging market conditions including low vacancy rates and limited affordable housing options.
The City will launch a cross-sector committee to create and execute an implementation plan for the ordinance. The committee will include representatives from legal and tenant advocacy organizations, the multi-housing industry and City departments.
You can read the full Renter Protections Ordinance here.
 Join in the Welcoming Week celebration Friday, Sept. 20, at Powderhorn Park hosted by the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with Wellstone International High School and Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County.
The event will feature live performances by several artists; soccer; free food from Southeast Asian, Latin and East African vendors; and organizations including the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, The Advocates for Human Rights, the Volunteer Lawyers Network, CAPI-USA, ACLU, City of Minneapolis 311 and Elections & Voter Services and more.
La Hora Latina From 4:30-5:30 p.m. the celebration will feature music and dance from many Latino cultures.
Artists include traditional dancers from the Somali Museum of Minnesota, Wellstone International High School, Mi Perú Minnesota, Grupo de Danzas Colombianas and interactive Salsa with Rene Thompson. Noche de Gala Productions with DJ Angel Maldonado will be providing music throughout the event.
Several City departments will also be represented at the event, and attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the City’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, which advises City leaders on immigration issues and connects community members with critical resources, including legal service providers.
Welcoming Week is a national celebration focused on creating meaningful opportunities for community members, whether immigrant, refugee or native-born, to come together, learn from one another and demonstrate that we are stronger when we are a welcoming community.
The City of Minneapolis is a proud member of Welcoming America’s network of Welcoming Cities and Counties, a symbol of its commitment toward immigrants, refugees and all residents. In 2018, there were more than 2,000 Welcoming Week events across the country.
Welcoming Week celebration 2-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20 Powderhorn Park, 3400 S. 15th Ave. RSVPs encouraged at welcomingmpls2019.eventbrite.com
 The City of Minneapolis is honoring Latino Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) with a resolution and a series of events and activities for the community and City employees — an opportunity to reaffirm the City’s pledge to be an inclusive and welcoming city for all residents and spotlight the many contributions Latinos have made to Minneapolis.
The resolution soundly rejects acts of persecution and the ideologies of hate and fear and asserts that we welcome and embrace and are proud of our Latino community.
National Latino Heritage Month recognizes the significant contributions Latinos have made to the United States. Sept. 15, the first day of Latino Heritage Month, is significant because it marks the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence Sept. 16 and Chile Sept. 18.
The Latino population in Minneapolis has grown significantly in recent decades with more than 44,000 Latino residents in the city today, representing 10.5% of the city’s population. Latino businesses have revitalized important commercial corridors in the city including Lake Street, Nicollet Avenue and Central Avenue.
The City also established a new Futuro Latino Empowerment Commission Sept. 13 to advise the mayor, City Council and other City leaders on important issues facing the Latino community.
Events
For information about events, visit minneapolismn.gov/latinompls. Use the hashtag #latinompls on social media when you participate in Latino Heritage Month events. Meet Minneapolis also has list of events for the month and a guide to Latino restaurants, arts studios and businesses.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will hold public meetings to share information and gather stakeholder input about the Xcel proposed 2020-2034 Integrated Resource Plan.
Two of the five meetings will be held in Minneapolis on October 21 at Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St, Mpls, Mn 55409 in the Target Banquet Center:
- Monday, October 21, 2019 at 2pm.
- Monday, October 21, 2019 at 7pm.
The 15-year resource plan, as either approved or modified by PUC, will become Xcel’s official guidance for its future electricity generation mix, including coal, gas, nuclear, wind and solar, efficiency, and demand response. This plan includes a request for extending the Monticello nuclear plant life by 10 years, committing to new natural gas plants, adding new solar capacity, and repowering wind among other strategies.
Xcel says it will likely need more power capacity by 2030s
“In 2034, wind would be the largest power source at 37%, followed by natural gas, nuclear and solar at 25%, 18% and 17% respectively.”
http://www.startribune.com/xcel-says-it-will-likely-need-more-power-plants-by-2030s/512073292/
In reviewing the proposed plan, the Commission will evaluate (with utility and stakeholder input) whether the plan:
(1) maintains or improve the adequacy and reliability of service,
(2) keeps customers’ bills as low as possible, given regulatory and other constraints,
(3) minimizes adverse socioeconomic and environmental effects,
(4) enhances the utility’s ability to respond to changes affecting its operations, and
(5) limits the risk of adverse effects on customers and the utility that the utility cannot control
Written comments can be submitted by November 4 from the public: https://mn.gov/puc/consumers/speak-up/
At the September 5th CEAC meeting, Climate Advisor for the City of Minneapolis for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge,Tenzin Dolkar, presented the 100% Renewable Electricity Blueprint, walking us through how our entire city will be independent from fossil fuel use in the electricity sector and completely reliant on renewables by 2030. How do our dietary choices and food systems impact climate change? Check out the presentation from the September 11th Food Action Plan meeting to learn more about the intersections of climate change and agriculture. The Food Action Plan meetings are designed to discuss a variety of topics with community members, and your input will be used to create the plan, which is an extension of the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan.
Folks who live in the Green Zones are also welcome to attend Green Zone meetings. Northside Green Zone Task Force meetings take place the first Wednesday of every month, and the Southside Green Zone Council convenes every third Thursday.
If you're interested in learning more about CEAC and have an environmental concern you would like the group to consider addressing, please visit CEAC's website for additional details and their contact form. Their meetings are always open to the public, and we encourage you to join them.
Next CEAC Meeting: October 3, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Harrison Recreation Center, 503 Irving Ave. N., Minneapolis 55405
Sign up with family and friends for a community-wide litter cleanup event Oct. 3-12. Volunteers will help pick up litter on their blocks, boulevards, sidewalks and streets before it’s covered by leaves and snow. Participants will get a free drink coupon from local sponsoring businesses. Organized by the Alliance for Sustainability.
Visit www.litterbegone.org to sign up a team or participate in neighborhood events.
 Several board and commission positions are open for appointments this fall. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting services are available so all residents can participate.
City boards and commissions have brought forward recommendations that resulted in renter protections, wage theft prevention and a ban on a hazardous chemical in dry cleaning. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights.
People can apply through the open position pages linked below and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings. The positions are open until filled with application review beginning Oct. 18.
There are 132 open positions on 19 City boards and commissions:
Boards, commissions and advisory committees
The City of Minneapolis has more than 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees that advise the City on issues and help develop policy and administer services. Boards and commissions fall into a handful of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory boards and special service districts (defined areas within the city with special services).
Appointments to boards and commissions are made twice a year: in the spring and fall.
Potential applicants can find more information at 612-673-2216 or OpenAppointments@minneapolismn.gov.
Reminder: Weekend closure of I-35W Sept. 13-16
MnDOT would like to remind you that crews will resurface I-35W this weekend. Beginning at 10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13, I-35W will be closed in both directions between I-94 and Hwy 280 until 5 a.m. Mon, Sept. 16. Northbound I-35W will remain open at Washington Ave. Ramps will start closing at 9 p.m. The detour is Hwy 280 and I-94.
Some work will also happen on northbound I-35W to the south of the paving project. Beginning at 10 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13, northbound I-35W will be closed between Hwy 62 and I-94 through noon Sat, Sept. 14. The detour is westbound Hwy 62 to northbound Hwy 100 to eastbound I-394 to eastbound I-94 and Hwy 280.
The ramps from westbound Hwy 55 to westbound I-94, 3rd St. and Washington Ave. are also closed.
Rescheduled: Northbound I-35W to Lake/31st St. ramp closed Sept. 13
The rain has forced us to postpone the work on the ramp from northbound I-35W to Lake St/31st St. The ramp will be closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri, Sept. 13.
Overnight closures of Lake St. Sept. 19-20
Crews continue to make progress on the new I-35W transit station bridge over Lake St. As work continues, MnDOT is going to need a couple closures of Lake St. The street will be closed between Stevens Ave. and 2nd Ave. S from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. both Thu, Sept. 19 and Fri, Sept. 20. The detour is Nicollet Ave., 31st St. and 3rd Ave. S.
*All closures are weather permitting and subject to change.
More about this project
To learn more, including all current traffic impacts and detour routes, visit the project website at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/35w94/.
Metro Transit bus routes will be impacted as a result of construction. For updated route information, and to sign up for Rider Alerts, visit: https://www.metrotransit.org/35W.
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority routes will be impacted as a result of construction. For updated route information, visit: mvta.com.
Stay connected
For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota visit 511mn.org or dial 5-1-1.
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