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This newsletter provides updates on the City's response to COVID-19, an overview of recovery efforts underway, efforts to transform public safety and other important news and information from the City of Minneapolis.
As the spread of COVID-19 skyrockets across the state and hospitals voice concern about the ability to treat those who fall ill, Gov. Tim Walz today announced new actions to help control the spread of the virus. Turning the dial back, Walz announced a four-week pause on social activities, in-person dining, sports, and fitness establishments.
The scientific research and public health data indicate that the virus is spread most in places where people gather for long periods of time, especially when masks are not consistently worn. For instance, a quick stop at a retail store with a mask and social distancing appears to be lower risk than a gathering of friends for dinner where guests are likely to be seated closer together and unmasked while eating or drinking—whether it’s at a restaurant or in their own home.
New restrictions
Beginning 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 and lasting until Friday, Dec. 18, in-person social gatherings with individuals outside your household are prohibited; bars and restaurants are dialed back to take-out and delivery service only; gyms, fitness studios, entertainment venues, event spaces, and similar establishments will need to close; and adult and youth sports are paused. Retail businesses, salons, and places of worship may continue to operate with proper precautions in place. Childcare remains open. Schools will continue to operate under the Safe Learning Plan, which shifts between in-person, distance, and hybrid learning depending on the local conditions of the virus. All other current restrictions also remain in effect.
The pandemic has reached a concerning and dangerous phase throughout much of the Midwest this November. It took 29 weeks to reach 100,000 infections in Minnesota, and just six weeks after that to reach 200,000. Sometime next week, less than three weeks after reaching 200,000 infections, Minnesota will reach 300,000 infections.
To support small businesses that are struggling as they do their part to combat the spread of COVID-19, last week Walz announced an additional $10 million in Small Business Relief Grants. This funding will support an additional 1,000 businesses that have applied for the grant program. It supplements hundreds of millions of dollars in small business support that Minnesota has allocated since the beginning of the pandemic. With options at the state-level severely limited moving forward, the governor is pushing the federal government for additional support. Minnesotans with questions about unemployment insurance are encouraged to visit uimn.org.
Find more information on the new restrictions.
Watch the governor's address in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
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Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and Council Member Linea Palmisano joined Minneapolis Forward Community Now Coalition members, local business leaders and owners, private partners, and advocates Nov. 17 to highlight a new strategy to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), including immigrant-owned businesses and those damaged during civil unrest. Through the Minneapolis Forward: Rebuild Resilient initiative, the City would invest up to $1.2 million from the 2021 budget to support an estimated 200 to 250 Minneapolis businesses.
The allocation is rooted in the recommendations and eight areas of action of the Minneapolis Forward Community Now Coalition. The new energy efficiency infrastructure would help realize $1.5 million annually in energy savings and decrease the long-term costs to business owners in environmental justice communities.
Watch the Nov. 17 press conference.
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Provide your input on what community safety looks like and tell us your ideas about a new model of community safety for Minneapolis. You can take the survey in English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong or Oromo.
Complete the survey by Nov. 20 for the first phase of survey results, which will be presented to council. Input provided after Nov. 20 will continue to be used for future engagement phases.
In June 2020, the City Council pledged to create a new model of community safety. As part of that, the council committed to a yearlong process of community engagement. This survey is one of the first steps in that process. Through the survey, you can share your vision for a new community safety model. You can also provide ideas for how to accomplish that new model.
Results from the survey will be used to help create recommendations for elected leaders and to help guide the City’s next steps for community engagement.
This survey includes some questions similar to other recent City surveys. That includes questions about alternative responses to mental health crises and non-emergency crimes. Any input you already provided on those surveys is valued and will still be used as planned. Recommendations will also be considered as part of this broader focus on transforming community safety.
You can also check back to stay up to date on progress and more opportunities to provide input.
The City of Minneapolis is seeking community feedback for the final revision to the 38th Street Strategic Development THRIVE Plan.
The plan is an opportunity toward continuing the legacy and heritage of a deeply rooted African American community by preserving their economic vibrancy, creative identity, and affordability that strengthens the vitality, resilience and partnership of the people who live and work in the district. The plan has been created by community stakeholders in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis.
Proposed changes would best describe where and how the community wants to grow, based on historical roots, a desire for stronger community vitality and sustainable economic growth in the future. The deadline to comment is Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.
Learn more about the plan and how to provide feedback on the City's website.
There are two upcoming online public hearings for people to share thoughts on Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2021 City Budget. Comments can also be submitted online at the City’s website.
Online public hearings
- 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2
- 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9
Learn how to participate in online public hearings.
Comments submitted online will be entered into the public record and shared with the mayor and council members. The City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposed $1.5 billion budget calls for a 5.75% maximum levy increase. With a 12% increase in the overall tax base growth, three-quarters of Minneapolis residential property owners will see a decrease in their property tax bills with the median-valued household set to experience a $59 yearly decrease.
Visit the City’s website to learn more about the mayor’s recommended budget, key dates in the approval process, FAQs and more. You can also watch a series of videos on the City’s budget process.
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Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER) is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health to launch a COVID-19 hotline in Spanish and English. This statewide service provides accurate and culturally relevant information regarding COVID-19 to Latinx communities.
Call 651-304-6145 for assistance in Spanish with questions or concerns about:
- Where to get tested.
- What to do while you wait for your results.
- How to manage if you've tested positive.
Program coordinators and hotline specialists are trained to best understand the needs of the Latinx community around the state as they relate to COVID-19 and will offer resources provided by the Minnesota Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local organizations.
The City of Minneapolis is offering free COVID-19 tests and flu shots. Testing is encouraged and available to everyone, whether or not they have symptoms. Testing is one of the best ways to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent exposing your loved ones to the virus.
You don’t need insurance for the test. Your flu shot is free if you don’t have insurance. If you do have insurance, bring your insurance card for the flu shot.
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Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Ave. S., Exhibit Room E Noon-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends Make an appointment here. Find instructions here.
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Southside Community Health Services, 324 E. 35th St. 2-3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays Appointments required: Call 612-821-3548 to schedule an appointment. You can expect to get your test results in about two-three business days. Same day testing can be done for health care workers, first responders and essential workers.
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Native American Community Clinic, 1213 E. Franklin Ave. 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Appointments required: Call 612-872-8086 to schedule an appointment.
Find a current list of free COVID-19 tests and flu shots on the City website.
The COVID-19 test is free, and you do not need insurance for the test. If you need medical care but don’t have health insurance, the Minnesota Department of Health offers resources to find low-cost health care or health insurance.
If you can’t attend one of these testing events, you can use this directory to find a testing location near you.
Watch and share these short videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong by the Minnesota Department of Health about what to expect when you get a COVID-19 test.
Snow season has arrived. Avoid a ticket and tow, and also help crews do a complete job plowing the streets by moving your car when a Snow Emergency is declared. The City sent out about 182,000 Snow Emergency mailers, one to each household in the city. The mailer has graphics and text showing the parking rules during the three phases of a Snow Emergency.
Hold on to your mailer throughout the snow season and have it handy whenever a Snow Emergency is declared. It explains the Snow Emergency parking rules and ways to stay informed during the snow season. Following the rules can help make snow season easier for everyone. It’s also important to help neighbors and visitors know the rules.
Snow Emergencies are declared when there’s enough snowfall to warrant a complete plowing of our streets. Moving vehicles allows crews to plow the full width of the street. When the snow flies, City Public Works crews have enormous jobs to do, with more than 1,400 miles of streets, parkways and alleys that need to be cleared. Vehicles parked on the street in violation of Snow Emergency rules can be ticketed or towed.
Getting drivers to follow Snow Emergency parking rules helps the City, too. Towing and impounding vehicles is expensive and makes plowing inefficient, so it’s in everyone’s interest to help drivers follow the parking rules and avoid a ticket and tow.
Sign up now, and stay informed throughout the season.
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The governor's latest extension of the peacetime emergency means that the suspension of evictions and landlord-initiated lease terminations remains in place until Dec. 14.
This suspension will allow households to remain sheltered during the peacetime emergency. The executive order does not relieve a tenant's obligation to pay rent.
Emergency rental assistance
Hennepin County offers emergency rental assistance for residents with low incomes who have been financially harmed by COVID-19. Residents can learn more and apply at www.hennepin.us/rent-help and find more information here:
Minnesota’s COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program helps cover housing expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities or other housing-related costs. This program will help keep folks in their homes and maintain housing stability for eligible renters and homeowners in communities across the state.
People in Minnesota interested in applying for assistance can call the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s 211 Resource Helpline at 651-291-0211, visiting 211unitedway.org or texting “MNRENT” or “MNHOME” to 898-211. The 211 Helpline has dedicated multilingual staff to answer questions about the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
For questions regarding the application process, check the COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program frequently asked questions.
Workers have a variety of overlapping protections to navigate COVID-19 and its effects in the workplace.
The State of Minnesota and City of Minneapolis can help clarify best practices and requirements for workplace safety. Watch this video and check online for more information. Call 311, or MN OSHA at 651-284-5050, to report safety problems in a business or seek additional guidance.
Every COVID-19 preparedness plan must ensure that sick workers stay home. In addition to the City’s Sick and Safe Time ordinance, the U.S. Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ensures that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and public health.
In general, employees (of government or private sector employers with fewer than 500 employees), are entitled to (up to) two weeks (of fully or partially paid) sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons. Additional partially paid leave is available to care for a child, including during school closure or virtual learning. Private employers may be reimbursed with tax credits. For more information about Coronavirus Leave, call 1-866-4-US-WAGE and check out the following resources: informational video, eligibility tool, poster and FAQs.
Minnesotans are required to wear a face covering in indoor businesses and indoor public settings. Researchers have advocated for masking, calling it a simple and effective step to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The state regulation reinforces Mayor Jacob Frey’s emergency regulation requiring people in Minneapolis to wear cloth face masks or coverings when they are in an indoor place of public accommodation is in effect.
Businesses are not required to provide masks to customers or employees themselves, though employers shall be required to mandate the use of masks by their staff. Non-compliance should be reported through 311. Find information on how to get a mask.
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Tune into the City's cultural radio programs for COVID-19 updates. The City has programs on KMOJ 89.9 FM (English); La Raza 95.7 FM (Spanish); KALY 101.7 FM (Somali); and WIXK AM 1590 (Hmong.) Radio shows schedule
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