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When: Thursday, Oct. 17th from 6-8 pm
Where: Sabathani Community Center, 310 E 38th St., Minneapolis, MN 55409, 2nd floor Banquet Room
What: Join us in planning and designing a concept for 38th Street infrastructure and future developments. This design workshop is an opportunity for us, as a community, to discuss physical and cultural attributes of 38th Street, imagine new ideas and brainstorm solutions. The concepts and ideas from this workshop will be used to establish the visioning direction for the Thirty-Eighth Street Cultural District Strategic Development Plan.
Let’s Creatively Design 38th Street Together!
Program: 6 pm to 6:30 pm – The 2nd floor Community Room will be available for attendees to walk through the "Owning Up: Racism and Housing" Exhibit before programming begins at 6:30 pm in the Target Banquet Center, 2nd floor. Refreshments will be provided.
Background on the project:
In 2015, the community held a series of meetings titled “The Future of East 38th Street,” hosted by then Ward 8 Council Member Elizabeth Glidden. Those meetings led to the generation of several ideas, priorities and recommendations from community members.
In February 2019, Ward 8 Council VP Andrea Jenkins reconvened community members to co-create a strategic development plan by the residents, business owners, and neighborhood organizations in the E 38th Street community, in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis’ Department of Community Planning and Economic Development.
In March 2019, a smaller planning committee was formed with community members who expressed interest in driving the planning process from the initial February event, to conduct community engagement and draft a proposed plan for the larger community’s approval.
The planning committee has met five times to craft the district's vision, assets, and strategies based on priorities identified by the broader 38th Street community. Currently, a draft plan is being developed as more engagement opportunities are under way to get community input on cultural assets, streetscape design, and draft review. The 38th St. Cultural District Strategic Development Plan will be completed by December 2019.
When: Friday, November 1st from 12 pm to 1:30 pm
Where: Butter Bakery Cafe, 3701 Nicollet Ave S., Minneapolis, MN
More information will be available soon!
The City of Minneapolis has released a draft plan to advance the City’s goal of ending traffic deaths and injuries on City streets by 2027. The Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan outlines steps for the next three years. The City is taking public comments on the plan through Oct. 16.
City staff from multiple departments developed the draft plan with significant direction from community stakeholders, partner agencies and the public. The City of Minneapolis officially became a Vision Zero city in September 2017 when the City Council passed a resolution setting a goal of eliminating traffic deaths and injuries within 10 years. Minneapolis is one of more than 35 Vision Zero cities in the United States.
An average of 95 people suffered life-altering injuries or were killed in traffic crashes each year on streets in Minneapolis from 2007 to 2016. Traffic crashes disproportionately affect people in neighborhoods with lower incomes, Native American residents, and people walking and bicycling. Traffic deaths and severe injuries are unacceptable and preventable.
The draft Vision Zero Action Plan includes 16 strategies and 68 actions to be carried out between 2020 and 2022.
Highlights of proposed strategies include:
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Reducing speed limits. Slower speeds on our streets make travel safer for everyone no matter how they get around. Minnesota cities recently received authority to control speed limits on City-owned streets and the City is taking appropriate steps to lower speed limits on most City streets.
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Making safety improvements on high injury streets. Seventy % of severe and fatal crashes happen on just 9% of streets in Minneapolis. The City and partners will proactively install traffic safety treatments on these streets. These treatments will include converting four lanes to three and adding pedestrian medians, bump outs and other street safety best practices.
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Addressing leading unsafe traffic behaviors. The five traffic behaviors that lead to fatal crashes and the most severe injuries in Minneapolis are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, distracted driving, speeding, red light running and unsafe turning. The City will address these unsafe behaviors head-on through a combination of education, communication and enforcement actions.
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Seeking to implement automated traffic enforcement. Automated traffic enforcement has proven effective at saving lives, and it eliminates the need for officer interaction. The City will seek legislative authority to implement camera enforcement while studying and engaging on the details to implement it effectively and equitably.
Comment on the draft plan
Comment online on the draft plan at visionzerompls.com or during an online open house: 6-6:45 p.m. Tuesday, October 15 at 6pm on the City’s Facebook page.
Next steps
A final Vision Zero Action Plan will be brought to the City Council for approval by early 2020 after incorporating any changes based on public feedback.
The Vision Zero Action Plan is being coordinated with the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan, a 10-year action plan to guide planning, design and implementation of transportation projects that benefit all people in all the ways they move around. A draft of the Transportation Action Plan will be released in early 2020.
 Pictured: The families of both Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman and the Ward 8 Office
Beginning in the fall of 2018, Council VP Andrea Jenkins initiated the process to add two commemorative street renaming's to both 3rd Ave and 4th Ave between 36th St. and 42nd Ave to honor both Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman for their contributions to the South Minneapolis Community. On Monday, Oct. 7th both applications were brought before the City's Planning Commission for a public hearing, we're happy to announce that the applications were approved and will move forward for consideration before the full city council on Friday, Nov. 8th.
Learn more about Clarissa Rogers Walker and Launa Q. Newman:
Clarissa Rogers Walker, born November 6th, 1932 and passed away on March 7th, 2011. Clarissa Rogers Walker originally from Kansas City, Missouri moved and settled in Minneapolis in 1955 where she was recruited to work for Sabathani Community Center in 1968 as a Youth Supervisor. During Clarissa Rogers Walker's tenure at the Sabathani Community Center, she served as a youth supervisor, social worker/counselor, assistant director, acting Executive Director, Assistant Agency Director, and Director of the Sabathani Community Center Family Resource Program. For more than 39 years, she mothered her South Minneapolis community as a social worker, activist, and a Sabathani Community Center leader. Clarissa Rogers Walker dedicated both her professional career and her personal volunteer time providing kindness and resources to families in need. On August 3rd, 2007 the City Council honored Clarissa Rogers Walker, the spirit of Sabathani Community Center, for her outstanding contributions to the City of Minneapolis, the entire Southside, and specifically the Central Neighborhood.
Launa Q. Newman, born in 1921 and passed away February 3rd, 2009. Launa Q. Newman originally from Topeka, Kansas later grew up in Iowa, where she went on to attend Business school before moving to Minneapolis in 1958 and marrying Cecil Newman, the founder of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. When Launa Q. Newman’s late husband Cecil Newman passed away in 1976, Launa Q. Newman served as the president and CEO of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder for 30 years until 2007. On January 26th, 2007, The City Council honored Launa Q. Newman for her outstanding leadership, exemplary community service and dedicated commitment to informing African Americans and the broader community with quality news reporting.
 The Community Environmental Advisory Commission kicked off the fall with a presentation from Council Member Gordon’s office regarding a Sustainable Building Policy resolution which is designed to help lower the carbon impact of new buildings constructed in Minneapolis. They discussed their priorities when it comes to the City’s Transportation Action Plan and how they can emphasize reducing vehicle miles traveled, closing equity gaps in transit, and supporting shared infrastructure. The CEAC has asked the Council and Mayor to adopt an ordinance promoting new and majorly renovated parking ready for electric vehicles.
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 or see their “Friends of CEAC” facebook page. CEAC meetings are always open to the public, and we encourage you to join them.
Next CEAC Meeting: November 7, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Whittier Recreation Center, 425 W 26th St, Minneapolis
 It's fall, and that means it's time to clean all city streets. Watch this video about fall street sweeping, and watch for temporary "no parking" signs posted at least one day before street sweeping.
To see when your street will be swept, check the street sweeping schedule lookup on the City of Minneapolis website.
Crews are preparing to sweep streets across Minneapolis before winter to keep leaves and debris out of the storm drains and ending up in our lakes and rivers as much as possible.
Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of curb-to-curb sweeping and leaf collection on streets throughout the city Tuesday, Oct. 22. During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews will clean about 1,000 miles of city streets. To make sure crews can do the best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept. The first signs will be posted Monday, Oct. 21, and sweeping will begin the next day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed.
Clean streets mean a healthier environment
Minneapolis is known for its sparkling lakes and waterways, and we want to keep it that way. That’s why protecting and enhancing our environment is one of the City’s top priorities. Street sweeping is one way we work to protect our environment because it keeps leaves and debris from clogging our storm drains and polluting our lakes and rivers. It also helps keep our neighborhoods clean and livable.
Minneapolis streets are swept completely curb to curb with enforcement of parking rules once in the spring and again in the fall. Residents should not push leaves, grass clippings or other debris into City streets because it’s bad for our lakes and waterways, it can cause safety hazards, and it’s against the law. Anything that goes down a storm drain flows directly into our lakes and river, and decomposing plant material in the water encourages the growth of harmful aquatic plants and algae.
 Join Bancroft neighbors on Oct. 19th for a Pollinator friendly landscaping event planned for Minneapolis Stormwater Pond
What: “Plants for Pollinators Neighborhood Event”
When: October 19th, 9am to Noon
Where: Bancroft Stormwater Pond 4100 Bloomington Ave S.
Minneapolis Surface Waters and Sewers along with the Landbridge Ecological and Metro Blooms will be hosting a neighborhood planting event. Pollinators require two essential components in their habitat; somewhere to nest and flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. Native plants are undoubtedly the best source of food for pollinators because plants and their pollinators have co-evolved. Many varieties of garden plants are also good for these important insects.
The event will start at 9AM, Saturday October 19th, with registration and refreshments. Participants then can browse interpretive displays, help browse various resources, ask questions of City Staff or Chat with Metro Blooms about one of their many workshops or other services.
After brief introductions participants will learn about the function of the stormwater ponds, all about pollinator friendly plantings, things that they can do in their own yards to make a difference and finally how to plant the plugs.
After that attendees will work together to create a foraging habitat that not only helps the bees and butterflies that pollinate these plants, but also beautify the neighborhood. Pizza and cold lemonade will be served afterwards to all participants.
RSVP’s are encouraged but not required to attend.
Event and RSVP Contact:
Paul Chellsen, Supervising Stormwater Technician
612-673-2406 paul.chellsen@minneaoplismn.gov
Last spring, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency installed new air quality monitoring sensors at 44 sites in neighborhoods around Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Air quality in Minnesota is generally good and meets all federal standards, but it could be better. One of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s goals is to improve air quality in urban population centers. To get to this goal it needs to find out more about how air quality differs across our urban areas.
The sensors monitor and send back data on a variety of pollutants including fine particles, ozone, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. There is at least one monitoring pod in each ZIP code in the two cities. In Minneapolis they are on Xcel Energy light poles in neighborhoods.
The monitoring is to find out if there are higher levels for certain pollutants, if different neighborhoods have different pollutant levels, if levels are higher at certain times of the day and how much air pollution is influenced by a quiet residential neighborhood or busy roadways.
The project runs through the summer of 2021. You can see results of the monitoring so far here.
This fall Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff are presenting informational meetings about the project and what the sensors have been seeing so far. Meetings are scheduled for:
Garbage day in the week of Nov. 18 is the last 2019 collection for leaves, brush and other yard trimmings. Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set properly prepared yard waste at their alleys or curbs next to their garbage carts by 6 a.m. on garbage day.
Yard waste must be in compostable bags – paper (Kraft) or compostable plastic – or unbagged in a reusable container 26-32 inches high, no more than 26 inches wide, with sturdy handles. Reusable containers are lifted and emptied by hand; they must be easily managed. Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided containers.
Preparing yard trimmings and leaves
Preparing brush
- Less than 40 pounds.
- Less than 3 feet long.
- Branch size less than 3 inches in diameter.
- Must be bundled with string or twine (no wire or tape).
Reusable containers
- Less than 40 pounds full.
- Between 26 and 32 inches high.
- No more than 26 inches in diameter.
- Must have sturdy handles.
Which bags can be used in the program?
- Compostable plastic bags labeled with the BPI logo.
- Paper (Kraft) bags.
Bags marked “biodegradable” or “degradable” do not meet the State law and are not accepted.
It’s against the law and bad for our lakes to rake leaves into the street.
Anyone who has questions about leaf and brush pickup can call 612-673-2917 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. People can also find more information here.
 The City of Minneapolis has drafted frequently asked questions (FAQs) and rules documents to provide general guidance to employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities under the City’s wage theft prevention ordinance. The FAQs and rules are now available for public review and comment through Dec. 31. Wage theft is a failure to fully pay an employee at the proper time all wages earned.
To help prevent wage theft, the City has adopted parts of the State’s new wage theft law into local ordinance. Under the ordinance and State law, employers must adhere to a regularly scheduled payday, provide pre-hire notices of certain employment terms and conditions, and provide earnings statements at the end of each pay period. The ordinance also requires employers in Minneapolis to include notices of benefits under the sick and safe time ordinance on pre-hire notices and earnings statements. The ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
Public comments about the clarity and substance of information in the FAQs and rules documents can be submitted online. Feedback can also be submitted in person at Minneapolis City Hall, Room 239, 350 S. Fifth St.
For more information about the wage theft prevention ordinance, visit the City’s website, email wagetheft@minneapolismn.gov or call 311.
The wage theft prevention ordinance complements other new municipal labor standards including the City’s minimum wage and sick and safe time ordinances.
For Energy Awareness Month, the City of Minneapolis wants homeowners and renters to know some ways to save energy and money. And for people getting ready to sell a home, these could help sellers get ready for the ordinance taking effect Jan. 15 to provide energy information.
Plug in to savings
Thousands of households already benefit from the Home Energy Squad program, saving hundreds of dollars every year and enjoying a more comfortable house during the cold winter nights ahead.
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Home Energy Squad visits. Sign up now and get in by the end of the year. Energy efficiency experts visit participants’ homes to install energy-saving materials such as door weatherstripping, a water heater blanket, LED bulbs, a programmable thermostat, and high-efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators to help owners and renters start saving on the spot. The experts will also recommend energy-saving upgrades such as wall and attic insulation. The visit is free to qualified households with a family income less than $94,300 and all residents living in a Minneapolis Green Zone regardless of income; that means that all residents of these neighborhoods qualify for free Home Energy Squad visits: Bottineau, Cedar-Riverside, East Phillips, Hawthorne, Marshall Terrace, McKinley, Midtown Phillips, Near North, Phillips West, Sheridan and Ventura Village. Other households get the visit, energy-saving materials and recommendations for $100. Homeowners and renters can call 651-328-6220 or visit mncee.org/hes-mpls to schedule a visit. The City’s Sustainability Division funds the free visits.
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No-interest financing for eligible energy efficiency improvements is also available through support from the City’s Sustainability Division.
Plan ahead if selling your house
Starting Jan. 15, homebuyers will be able to learn energy information about a Minneapolis home before they sign on the dotted line. That means sellers will need to include energy efficiency characteristics in the already-required Truth in Sale of Housing report. It covers information on the home’s insulation, heating system and windows. If the home has had a Home Energy Squad assessment, it automatically gets the Truth in Sale of Housing evaluation covered. And if you make energy efficiency improvements for a more resilient, energy efficient home, you’ll get a higher score.
Everyone in Minneapolis deserves to live in a comfortable, affordable home.
Have energy questions?
Ask Center for Energy and Environment energy advisors your energy questions at 612-244-2484 or energyadvisor@mncee.org.
 Carpool commuters using the ABC Ramps in downtown Minneapolis now have more flexibility in their travel options with a restructured carpool program. All vehicles commuting with two or more people and parking in the downtown ABC Ramps are now eligible for $20 monthly contracts. Or if they prefer not to enter into a contract, they can enter the ABC Ramps between 6 and 9 a.m. for $5 daily parking.
The ramps serve as “mobility hubs” for parking, several bus routes, connections to the METRO, intercity buses, Northstar commuter rail, electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle parking, showers for bicyclists, Nice Ride bikeshare bikes, scooters and skyway connections. MnDOT owns the ramps and the City manages them.
Find details on the carpool program or sign up here.
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