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Greetings Ward 11,
Join the City of Minneapolis in celebrating Black Business Week from Monday, July 25th to Sunday, July 31st! For more information about Black Business Week and the featured events and activities, click here. I’m attending the Black Business Week Kickoff Summit tonight, Monday, July 25th from 5:00 PM-8:00 PM at Sabathani Community Center.
Also, Hale, Page, Diamond Lake Community Association's Picnic in the Park is this Thursday, July 28th from from 5:30 PM-8:30 PM at Pearl Park (414 E. Diamond Lake Rd., MPLS, MN 55419). The Ward 11 Office will have a table at Picnic in the Park, and I'll be making a special appearance in the dunk tank!
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Last week, I joined Minneapolis Refuse Inc. (MRI), a Consortium of Private Garbage Haulers for a ride-along on a garbage truck in Ward 11!
Minneapolis Refuse Inc. (MRI), and our Solid Waste & Recycling Staff, provide waste collection services for the City of Minneapolis.
I was thankful for the opportunity to ride-along and get first-hand experience providing waste collection services - thank you to the staff who do this work everyday!
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Last week, I also attended Meet Minneapolis's annual Sister Cities Day! The event highlighted all of Minneapolis’ International Sister Cities, with a special spotlight on the 30th anniversary of our Sister City with Harbin, China.
Sister Cities is an international program started by President Dwight Eisenhower to foster people-to-people citizen diplomacy. For more information about the Sister Cities Program, click here!
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On to a few updates!
The Ward 11 Office, alongside our Senior Community Group is working with Trellis to raise awareness about their services for older adults through a Pilot Program and Volunteer Ambassadors! For more information, please read the "Raise Awareness about Services for Older Adults in Ward 11" section of the Ward 11 Newsletter.
Don't forget! The next Ward 11 Public Safety Meeting is August 16th, 2022 from 7:00 PM-8:30 PM at Pearl Park Recreation Center (414 E Diamond Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55419). Stay tuned for more information about the Public Safety Meeting agenda and guest presenters!
In Gratitude,
Council Member Emily Koski is working with Trellis to raise awareness about their services for older adults through a Pilot Program and Volunteer Ambassadors!
Council Member Emily Koski, alongside her Senior Community Group reached out to Trellis to help ensure that people in Ward 11 know about the services and supports available to help them stay in their homes as they age.
Trellis provides Senior LinkAge Line® services in the seven-county metro area in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging. Senior LinkAge Line specialists provide one-on-one information and assistance to help people access services. They also provide one-on-one counseling on Medicare options and group presentations on a variety of topics, including Medicare 101, Preventing Fraud and Completing a Healthcare Directive.
Through its Juniper program, Trellis provides evidence-based health promotion class on diabetes prevention, managing chronic conditions, tai ji quan and more. Trellis also funds community-based organizations to provide older adult services through the Older Americans Act.
We are seeking Ward 11 Community Members to help with the Pilot Program and to become Volunteer Ambassadors! To get involved, or for more information, email Ward 11 Community Outreach Intern - Ruwada Issa at ruwada.issa@minneapolismn.gov.
Flotsam + Fork
(608) 434-3249
www.flotsamandfork.com
Adrianna and Joe started Flotsam + Fork, with the mission to import and sell vintage kitchen and homewares - sturdy vessels, durable kitchen towels, ingeniously simple utensils and tools.
Their mission took them to France, Spain, Germany & the Netherlands, various places where you find manufacturers that produce durable, functional homewares, and small retailers who sell them. What started with just a handful of imported knives and kitchen linens has grown to a robust collection of dozens of storied European brands and iconic products.
While their storefront closed in March 2020 - their online shop remains open! Order online for shipping, pickup, or for delivery within 5 miles of their home in Ward 11.
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Invite Council Member Emily Koski to your Block Party!
As you are planning Block Parties and events to get your neighborhood together, reconnect and build community - don't forget, you can invite your Council Member.
If you would like Council Member Emily Koski to attend your Block Party, please email the Ward 11 Office (Ward11@minneapolismn.gov).
To find out who your block leader is for Block Parties, click here.
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The Ward 11 Calendar is live on the City of Minneapolis's Ward 11 Webpage! Use the Ward 11 Calendar to find events with Council Member Emily Koski.
The Ward 11 Calendar currently lists all Ward 11 Office Hours, Neighborhood Meetings, Ward 11 Monthly Meetings, Ward 11 Triannual Public Safety Meetings, and Community Group Meetings scheduled by Council Member Emily Koski.
Click here to view the Ward 11 Calendar.
Leading into National Black Business Month in August, the City of Minneapolis is amplifying, celebrating, strengthening and supporting Black business development in Minneapolis with Black Business Week July 25-31.
Black Business Week Events:
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Kickoff Summit: policy roundtable with resource and vendor fair 5-8 p.m. Monday, July 25 Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St. Hear from local leaders on economic recovery resources and strategies. Black entrepreneurs can find resources that will help them launch, sustain and grow their businesses. Community partners will be on hand to support the power of Black business.
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Business Support Funding for Creatives Grant Application Clinic 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 Rare Productions, 3010 E. Lake St. RSVP to attend. The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy invites Minneapolis-based small creative businesses and arts/cultural nonprofit organizations to apply for these grants. Applicants with questions or who need help with their applications can come by this clinic for assistance. Learn more about the Business Support Fund grants on the City website.
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Roundtable Discussion on City Business Resources 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 NEON, 1007 W. Broadway Ave. Meet commercial property owners and developers who have used the City’s Commercial Property Development Fund to start their businesses and get advice and information on how the City can help small businesses.
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Business Panel: How to expand beyond East African Customers Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 Nomadic Oasis, 2525 E. Franklin Ave.
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Opportunity and Access - Doing Business with the City of Minneapolis 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Hosted by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, this event explains the application process for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program. The program aims to increase the participation of women-owned and minority-owned businesses in State and City contracts and procurements. Attendees can also learn about the City’s Target Market program and the bidding process.
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Black Businesses Networking Reception 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 28 Breakfast Bar of Minnesota, 319 First Ave. N. This is an opportunity for Black business owners and entrepreneurs to build business relationships in a comfortable, sophisticated and relaxed venue.
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T.O.U.C.H. Outreach and Corcoran Neighborhood present: Stop the Violence South Side Community Cookout 1-6 p.m. Thursday, July 28 Peavey Field Park, 730 E. 22nd St. (corner of Franklin and Chicago avenues) This community event, which focuses on community safety, features a 3x3 basketball tournament. Participants can also get involved in softball and kickball games, run an obstacle course and enjoy Minnesota’s largest water slide.
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The Business of Sports 6-7:15 p.m. Thursday, July 28 Join the virtual meeting on Zoom. Presented by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, this virtual event aims to educate and inspire young Black athletes interested in pursuing a career in sports. Participants learn about career opportunities in the sports industry and the roles sports played in the civil rights movement.
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West Broadway Business and Area Coalition presents: FLOW Northside Arts Crawl Thursday, July 28-Saturday, July 30 Several locations along and around West Broadway Avenue Hosted by the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, FLOW is a non-juried, self-guided tour of studios, galleries, theaters, commercial spaces and vacant areas over a mile and a half of the West Broadway corridor, including some satellite locations as well. This art crawl showcases the great art being made every day on the North Side. Go to www.westbroadway.org/flow-northside-art-crawl for a lineup of FLOW events.
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Let’s Get Informed: East African Community Resource Fair 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 29 Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center, 420 S. 15th Ave. This is a space for East African community businesses, entrepreneurs and others to explore City, County and State resources available to them.
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Dream Team Beauty presents: A Lesson for Gen Z 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 30 Dream Team Beauty Salon, 2010 Fremont Ave. N. Hosted by Dream Team Beauty, this event teaches young girls interested in pursuing hair care careers the technical skills of braiding and proper hair washing techniques. Participants will have opportunities to interview and get hands-on practice at an early age. Following the event, they will also receive certificates and a video documenting their lessons. This is limited to approximately seven to 10 participants.
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Fabulously Fit for Future Generations 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 30 Les Jolies Petites School of Dance, 1106 West Broadway Ave. N. This event creates space for dialogues about mental health as it relates to COVID-19 and maintaining healthy mindsets during – and after – this critical time. Experts will demonstrate tools and techniques to help everyone improve their positive mental health practices and well-being.
Get the latest updates and find more information about Black Business Week on the City website.
The City has released body camera footage from the July 14 fatal police shooting of Andrew Tekle Sundberg at an apartment building on the 900 block of 21st Avenue South.
The video is on the City’s webpage for frequently requested police information along with other public data.
More public data originating from the City of Minneapolis will be posted to the webpage as it becomes available. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the incident.
Watch the July 20 news conference.
Adults who live or work in Minneapolis and want to be more actively involved with violence prevention are welcome to a free training Aug. 20. Sign up by Aug. 19. Sessions are offered about every three months.
The Minneapolis Violence Prevention Community Champion Institute focuses on the public health approach to violence prevention. It teaches skills around de-escalation and conflict resolution, and how negative experiences can affect a child's development and response to stress. Participants learn to apply skills with a racial and social equity approach.
If you complete the training, you will receive a certificate of completion, have access to violence prevention resources, be invited to monthly spotlight trainings to continue building your skills, and have continued support and networking opportunities with fellow community champions.
Violence Prevention Training 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., Room 105 Sign up by Aug. 19.
Find more details and watch for future violence prevention training sessions to be posted on the City website.
We need your help to plan how we reduce carbon emissions and improve the daily lives of residents, particularly those hit the hardest by climate change. The City of Minneapolis is creating a new Climate Equity Plan that puts people first in our race to save the planet.
We need to reduce greenhouse gases as soon as possible. We’re already feeling climate change in Minneapolis in the form of extreme weather, increasing invasive species and diseases, and ecosystem change. Climate change effects are even harder on people who:
- Live in areas or homes vulnerable to extreme weather.
- Lack resources to adapt to climate change.
- Already face health and environmental burdens.
Help us decide how we tackle climate change and spend our resources in our communities:
The new plan will guide policies and programs supporting science-based greenhouse gas reduction goals and the benefits clean energy investments bring for our economy and our community.
The City Council will consider the updated plan in spring 2023. Learn more about the City’s Climate Equity Plan.
The City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy applaud the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s recent approval of resiliency investments at three Minneapolis community centers. The $9 million Resilient Minneapolis projects will help these centers be more resilient during power outages while meeting the City’s and Xcel Energy’s equity, environmental justice and distributed energy objectives.
Xcel Energy will work with the community organizations to install solar and battery microgrids at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, Sabathani Community Center and the Renewable Energy Partners’ North Minneapolis Community Resiliency Hub. The centers serve communities with large populations of Black people, Indigenous people and people of color who have been disproportionately vulnerable to climate change and other stressors.
These solar and battery microgrids will provide these three community centers electricity during power outages. They can then operate as “islands” that continue to have electricity, enabling them to act as community gathering spaces and deliver critical services such as food, shelter, communications and more.
The Resilient Minneapolis projects came about as the result of the City’s Sustainability Division working with Xcel Energy on the energy company’s Integrated Distribution Plan, which covers investments in distribution lines, substations and other energy distribution resources. Together they broadened the focus of that plan to encompass equity and resiliency objectives, drawing attention to the longstanding and continuing racial disparities in health, wealth and safety in Minneapolis and across the state.
This solar project is one of the first major investments to support the development of a resilience hub at all three locations. The systems are anticipated to be online by late 2023.
Read more about the Resilient Minneapolis projects on the City website.
Hennepin County is collecting household hazardous waste for residents to safely dispose of unwanted household and lawn and garden products including paint, chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, batteries and fuel.
Remaining Event in Minneapolis
- 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 12 and 13: South High School, 3131 19th Ave. S. (enter from 21st Avenue).
Visit Hennepin County’s household hazardous waste collection event webpage for a list of items you can bring to the event, to review safety guidelines, and to see all 2022 events.
Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Cedric Alexander for the City of Minneapolis’ first commissioner of Community Safety. This role would oversee the mayor’s newly proposed Office of Community Safety.
Alexander would bring more than 40 years of executive leadership in civil service, law enforcement and public safety to this new role. He has previously served as the director of public safety for DeKalb County in Georgia where he oversaw police, fire, emergency response and 911. He also served as the chief of police and later deputy mayor for the City of Rochester, New York, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and a member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
The Minneapolis City Council will hold a public hearing on the mayor’s nomination at its Aug. 2 Committee of the Whole meeting.
You can watch the mayor’s announcement on the City’s YouTube channel.
Beginning at 5 a.m. Monday, July 25, the ramp from North Third Street to westbound I-94 will be closed. The ramp from eastbound I-94 to North Fourth Street will now close in early to mid-August instead of July 25 as previously planned. Crews expect to reopen both ramps in early September.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will set a more specific date for the closure of the eastbound I-94 ramp to North Fourth Street closer to the start of construction.
Please follow the posted detour from eastbound I-94 to Lyndale Avenue to Seventh Street to First Avenue. Please allow extra time to reach your destination.
All construction activities and traffic impacts depend on the weather and could change.
Crews are repairing bridge joints and resurfacing ramps connecting I-94 and I-394 to downtown Minneapolis. The project is anticipated to finish in November 2022.
Learn more about the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s I-94 and I-394 construction work.
Minneapolis has many places to get local, affordable or free emergency food.
Emergency Food:
For emergency food in Minneapolis, explore the map and hours of food shelves and food distribution pop-ups.
Find information about NorthPoint’s Free Fresh Food Fridays this summer at 612-767-9500 or online.
Free meals for All Youths (18 and under):
Kids (18 and under) can find free nutritious meals and snacks from Minneapolis Public Schools while school is out this summer. Children do not need to attend Minneapolis Public Schools to participate. They can get food at these community sites including dozens of parks and libraries citywide, plus the Street Eats food truck and the True Food bus.
For locations and more information, use the Free Meals for Kids mobile app or visit the Minneapolis Public Schools summer food webpage.
Farmers Markets:
Find a map and schedule for farmers markets. Nearly all of the markets accept SNAP-EBT benefits.
As the project to re-envision the intersection design at 38th and Chicago moves into the “community visioning” phase, the project team wants to know the community’s priorities. Through conversations and events, staff will gather input on which infrastructure needs are most important to the community such as pedestrian space, transit access, art and memorials, trees, parking and vehicle access. This will help the project team develop design concepts to share publicly this fall.
Share your thoughts through:
- Community conversations (virtual office hours): Email 38thandchicago@minneapolismn.gov to schedule a time 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m.-noon Thursdays.
- Focus groups: If you live or work around 38th and Chicago, email the project team at 38thandchicago@minneapolismn.gov to join in.
- Your events: Invite us to your events to learn information about the project and give feedback. If you or an organization are hosting an event this summer, you can invite the project team at 38thandchicago@minneapolismn.gov.
- Learning tables: The project team will conduct monthly learning tables to dive in to the topics of social justice, public safety, economic vitality and infrastructure. (To be scheduled later in the summer.)
- Open houses: The project team will host another round of virtual and in-person public meetings to highlight summer engagement activities and collect community input on intersection design priorities. (To be scheduled later in the summer.)
See a summary of engagement held in the spring and a project timeline on the City website.
Sign up for project updates
Stay updated on the project by signing up for the 38th and Chicago project newsletter.
Please also visit the City website for more information.
After the explosion on the University of Minnesota campus June 30, the Metropolitan Council is warning residents, businesses and industries not to put gas or other flammable materials down the sewer.
Metropolitan Council crews were on the scene of the explosion to help assess what caused it and find the source of what is believed to be a release of gasoline into the sanitary sewer system.
There were no serious injuries in that explosion, but it’s a stark reminder that flammable liquids should never go down the drain or be flushed down the toilet. The only thing that should go down the sewer besides human waste is toilet paper.
Find more guidance on what not to flush on the Metropolitan Council website.
If you’ve fallen behind on your mortgage or other housing expenses because of COVID, apply now for the State’s HomeHelpMN program.
- Overdue mortgage payments: If you’re behind on your house payments, you may qualify for financial help to reinstate your mortgage.
- Other past-due expenses: HomeHelpMN might be able to help with housing-related expenses such as property taxes, insurance, association fees or lot rent.
- Resources to avoid foreclosure: To find other resources, talk to a trusted mortgage advisor. Visit the Resources page to learn more.
Visit the HomeHelpMN website now to learn more about the program and to apply. The HomeHelpMN website and materials are available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali by selecting the drop-down bar on the top left of the webpage.
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