On Feb. 1, 2020, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., the City of Minneapolis will hold its annual Community Connections Conference at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The 2020 conference theme is "We count."
We are seeking ideas for breakout sessions and exhibitors on topics that align with the conference objectives and theme for this year.
Conference theme and objectives
By using the theme "We count," we are saying that all communities are welcome and valued in Minneapolis and calling on communities to get involved in decision-making in 2020. Residents can get involved by committing to get counted in the census, vote, join an advisory committee or neighborhood board, learn about important local issues and City policies or volunteer with a community organization. We host this conference so that:
- Residents, community groups, neighborhood organizations, City of Minneapolis departments and decision-makers collaborate and connect with each other to address community issues.
- All communities feel welcome to interact with or get involved in local decision-making.
- Residents learn about programs and policies that affect them.
The City of Minneapolis invites you to join in on the #WeAreMpls campaign to amplify positive and welcoming messages about our city and the many cultures and communities that make us stronger.
Share your story
The City is seeking stories from residents of each neighborhood to highlight, especially from residents involved in census complete count efforts, voter registration or who serve on City boards and commissions. You can use this form to share your story. Read more about the campaign on the WeAreMpls webpage.
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On Nov. 12, the Supreme Court listened to arguments about whether the federal government’s termination of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) was legal. A decision is expected to be issued by June 2020.
If you have DACA and have not yet applied for your renewal, now is the time to consult with an immigration attorney. Over 98,000 individuals nationwide could see their DACA protections expire if they do not renew by the end of 2019. DACA recipients can and should continue to renew their protections.
Resources for DACA renewal
These City of Minneapolis partners provide free legal information and advice to DACA recipients:
DACA recipients who cannot afford to pay the $495 renewal fee and are citizens of Mexico may contact the Mexican Consulate to find out if they qualify for assistance in paying the filing fee. Find more information at 520-623-7874.
More information and updates from the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations Department's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) can be found on the OIRA webpage.
This September, the City of Minneapolis contracted with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) for the final phase of Neighborhoods 2020. Read the full list of CURA's contract deliverables here.
On Nov. 18, CURA convened an initial dialogue with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) residents and neighborhood organization members on the importance of neighborhood work, its funding and other topics impacting Neighborhoods 2020. CURA followed this dialogue on Nov. 21 with the first of a series of neighborhood stakeholder meetings. About 60 people participated in this robust discussion.
The next two meetings scheduled for neighborhood stakeholders are:
- Dec. 12, from 6-8 p.m.
Visioning, commitments and accountability.
- Jan. 9, from 6-8 p.m.
Report back: Wrestling and creating a model for future resolution.
The meeting locations will be announced by CURA soon.
The materials created from this process are expected to be released for a 45-day public comment in January or February of 2020. Then, these materials would go before the City Council’s Public Health, Environment, Civil Rights and Engagement Committee in late March and would go before the full City Council in early April.
To view the Neighborhoods 2020 Framework and the City Council directive that led to the current contract with CURA, please visit Minneapolismn.gov/neighborhoods2020.
The City of Minneapolis is seeking public comment on the draft Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for Public Works – a plan that identifies priorities for removing accessibility barriers in the City’s public right of way.
The City is accepting comments on the draft plan through Dec. 27. It is a supplemental plan to the City’s ADA Action Plan, a comprehensive policy document for the City of Minneapolis to comply with the Title II requirements of the ADA. The draft plan was last updated in 2012.
Open house on draft ADA Transition Plan for Public Works
4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16
Minneapolis Central Library, Doty Board Room, 300 Nicollet Mall
Read more...
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The installation of syringe drop boxes began Nov. 1. Minneapolis is coordinating installation logistics among internal City departments as well as Hennepin County and other partners in the private sector. The 10 drop box locations will be evaluated for effectiveness and can be relocated if collection data recommends it.
A professional biohazard company, Industrial Hygiene Services Corporation, will safely empty the syringe drop boxes weekly and report to the City with data that will include the number of syringes collected and ways the boxes are being used.
The opioid response in Minneapolis
Beyond the syringe drop box program, which is meant to improve public safety by decreasing syringe litter, the City is also working on recommendations made by Mayor Jacob Frey’s multijurisdictional task force on opioids to curb the opioid epidemic. The epidemic has seen overdose calls to the Minneapolis Police Department climb from 286 in 2015 to 954 in 2018 – a 233% increase. Between 2000 and 2017 opioid overdose deaths in the state increased by seven times. One-third of the opioid overdoses in the state are in Hennepin County. Read full article...
Find more information, including drop box locations, at www.minneapolismn.gov/opioidresponse.
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The City Council approved an ordinance amending the City’s zoning code to allow for a new type of affordable housing for people transitioning out of homelessness.
The intentional community cluster development ordinance allows nonprofit organizations, government agencies or healthcare agencies to create collections of small housing units (tiny homes) and a common house or rooming houses with shared facilities on a city lot that is at least 10,000 square feet. Read more...
Snow Emergencies are declared whenever there’s enough snowfall to warrant a complete plowing of our streets.
Vehicles parked on the street in violation of Snow Emergency rules can be ticketed or towed.
Sign up now, stay informed throughout the season
- Hotline: Call the automated 612-348-SNOW hotline. The hotline includes information in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
- The City’s website: Go to minneapolismn.gov/snow to find out whether a Snow Emergency has been declared 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.
- Phone calls to residents: Minneapolis uses automated phone calls to notify residents when Snow Emergencies are declared. The system can place thousands of calls per hour. You can add your cellphone or unlisted landline number to the alert system by signing up at minneapolismn.gov/snow.
- Social media: Like Minneapolis Snow Emergency on Facebook and Twitter.
- Email and text: See minneapolismn.gov/snow/snow_esubscribe for more details.
Read more...
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