Over the last two weeks, I’ve attended six meetings with Ward 10 residents; met with seventeen community advocates, and fifteen City staff and intergovernmental partners.
I’ll start with updates from this two-week Council cycle.
On Thursday, we finished our third Council Meeting of the year. We voted on 63 different agenda items (many of which had lengthy sub-items), got notice of an ordinance introduction from CM Johnson, referred CM Payne’s charter amendment to the POGO Committee, received and filed a resolution updating the State of Emergency in line with the Mayor’s changes to the mask mandate (more below), received notice of intent from CM Chavez about a motion he will bring to the next Council meeting regarding the former Roof Depot site, and received two litigation updates from the City Attorney’s Office. If you’re interested, you can watch the Committee meetings I participated in via the recordings posted on the City’s YouTube channel – Business, Inspections, Housing, and Zoning (BIHZ); Public Works and Infrastructure (PWI); Committee of the Whole (COW); and Council.
Finally, we had our first Youth Coordinating Board meeting last Wednesday. I am one of two Council representatives on the Board, along with CP Jenkins. We started a good conversation about working across levels of local government to better support our youth. More to come on this in the future! If you (or someone you know) is a student at our schools; an educator working directly with youth in schools, parks, or supplemental programs; or a mental health or social work professional, please reach out to my office. One of us would love to hear more about your experience and what the City (and other local government partners) can be doing to better support Minneapolis youth!
See below for more updates.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, ending up in the hospital, and even dying. As with vaccines for other diseases, people who are up to date are optimally protected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 5 years and older get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and receive a booster dose when eligible. Use the State’s Vaccine Locator Map to find a vaccine provider near you.
You can still request free at-home COVID-19 test kits from the federal government at https://www.covidtests.gov/. The tests are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR tests. They can be taken anywhere. They will give results within 30 minutes, meaning no lab drop-off is required. You can also walk in or schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 test at one of the State’s free community testing sites across Minnesota: COVID-19 Community Testing Sites.
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The City’s Behavioral Crisis Response teams are now operating 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. The teams are part of a pilot project led by the City’s Office of Performance and Innovation with Canopy Roots. Launched on Dec. 13, 2021, they initially operated 7:30 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday.
Two mobile units operate throughout Minneapolis. Each has a team of two behavioral health responders and outreach supplies, such as water, socks, snacks and toiletries. Minneapolis 911 dispatches the responders. The teams can’t be called directly by residents.
People having a behavioral crisis, or reporting one, should continue to call 911 for help. 911 dispatchers will gather information and determine if the incident is eligible for a mobile behavioral health team response. The teams will not respond to incidents involving firearms or violent behavior. The Minneapolis Police Department can request help from the Behavioral Crisis Response teams to complete their work as well.
The MPD will only be on the scene if dispatch determines the need to clear the scene first or the response teams request assistance to complete their work.
This project was led by the Office of Performance and Innovation, but its application is housed within our 911 Department. I met with the leadership team at 911 and got to ask them questions about this pilot program, the impact on their teams as the pilot has scaled up, and the added value of having specialized, unarmed crisis response. This is a critical part of building a safer Minneapolis, and I’m excited to support its expansion in my role as a Council Member. If you’d like to share your experience of the Behavioral Crisis Response team or have questions about this pilot program, please reach out to me via call or email. The Ward 10 Office contact information is included at the bottom of this newsletter!
In the wake of the Feb. 2 police shooting of Amir Locke, the Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR), a division of the City’s Civil Rights Department, will conduct a special review of Minneapolis Police Department’s no-knock warrant policy. The review will focus on identifying and recommending specific changes and improvements to department policy and procedures. Read more.
I had the opportunity to meet with Knock First Minnesota last Wednesday. They’re an advocacy organization with legal and policy experts who have been working to end the use of no-knock warrants in Minnesota. Keep up to date with their work here.
The immigration forum hosted by the City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs with the City of Saint Paul Immigrant and Refugee Program has moved to a monthly format. The next forum will be on Tuesday, March 8 from 4:30-6 p.m.
Topics covered at this forum include:
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Federal immigration news, with information on how developments impact our local immigrant and refugee community and where to go for help.
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Community immigrant and refugee advocacy organization updates.
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Additional topics of interest and importance to immigrant, refugee and new American communities. (Recent sessions have included consumer fraud resources at the Attorney General’s Office and ways to support the resettlement of Afghan evacuees in Minneapolis.)
Our office is excited to attend this forum. Additionally, we’re starting to meet with immigration advocates and community members about what the City can do to better support our immigrant communities. I’m excited to work alongside our partners in the community and City decisionmakers to advance initiatives like municipal IDs and resident/noncitizen voting. If you are interested in being a part of that work, please reach out to our office!
The City of Minneapolis is hosting an online open house to introduce the reconstruction of 1st Avenue South from Lake Street to Grant Street. The segment from Lake to Franklin will be rebuilt in 2024 and Franklin to Grant will be rebuilt in 2025. Planning has just started now to develop the layout of the street and will conclude by fall of 2022.
Our office met with staff at Public Works to get an initial briefing on 1st Ave earlier this month. We’re excited to attend this open house and hear more from the impacted community regarding this reconstruction project.
And in case you’re wondering about Minneapolis’s most famous reconstruction project proposal, Hennepin Avenue, a couple of updates:
First, as I’ve been hearing from many of you over phone, email, and op-ed about your comments, concerns, and feedback regarding Hennepin Avenue, I’ve been thinking about the 15,000 people who live along the corridor who will be the most deeply impacted. I’ve especially had renters in mind, since they make up both a majority and highest density of the residents along the corridor. A couple weekends ago, I decided to go out and solicit that feedback directly by knocking apartment buildings along Hennepin Avenue. I got a chance to connect with so many residents who shared powerful stories about their experiences navigating Hennepin Avenue.
Second, along with CP Jenkins from Ward 8 and CM Koski from Ward 11, I’ll be meeting with 3 business owners from Hennepin Avenue to hear their perspectives. I’m excited to have my colleagues from outside the area attend! I’ve had the opportunity to engage with a lot of business owners, members of the Uptown Business Association, and workers from businesses on Hennepin Avenue, and I’m excited to continue engaging the full spectrum of impacted groups in the area. Thank you for sharing your feedback over the phone, email, and in-person.
Contact the Ward 10 Council office
Thank you so much for reading our updates. As always, please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.
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