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Greetings Ward 11,
Don't Forget! I am hosting a Community Meeting on the Intersection of Edgewater Blvd & Cedar Ave on October 25th, 2022 from 7:00 PM-8:30 PM at the Nokomis Community Center (2401 E Minnehaha Pkwy, MPLS, MN 55417). To learn more about the Community Meeting on the Intersection of Edgewater Blvd & Cedar Ave, please read the "Community Meeting on the Intersection of Edgewater Blvd & Cedar Ave" section of the Ward 11 Newsletter. |
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Also, Council President Andrea Jenkins and I are hosting a South Minneapolis Seniors Fair on Wednesday, October 26th, 2022, from 9 AM to 3 PM at Sabathani Community Center (310 E 38th St, MPLS, MN 55409)! To learn more about the South Minneapolis Seniors Fair, please read the "South Minneapolis Seniors Fair" section of the Ward 11 Newsletter. |
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The City of Minneapolis is holding a Meet and Greet for the Mayor's Police Chief Nominee Brian O’Hara tonight, October 24th, 2022 from 4:30 PM-6:00 PM at Capri Theater (2027 W Broadway Ave, MPLS, MN 55411). To learn more about the public hearing, please read the "Public Hearing on Mayor Frey’s Police Chief Nominee Scheduled for Oct. 26, Meet and Greet Oct. 24" section of the Ward 11 Newsletter.
The Public Health and Safety Committee is holding a public hearing on the Mayor's Police Chief Nominee Brian O’Hara on October 26th, 2022 at 1:30 PM at City Hall (350 S. Fifth St., RM 317 (Council Chambers), MPLS, MN 55415). To learn more about the public hearing, please read the "Public Hearing on Mayor Frey’s Police Chief Nominee Scheduled for Oct. 26, Meet and Greet Oct. 24" section of the Ward 11 Newsletter.
The Budget Committee is holding public hearings on the Mayor's 23'-24' Recommended Budget. The public hearings are on...
- November 10th, 2022 at 10:00 AM at City Hall (350 S. Fifth St., RM 317 (Council Chambers), MPLS, MN 55415).
- November 15th, 2022 at 6:05 PM at City Hall (350 S. Fifth St., RM 317 (Council Chambers), MPLS, MN 55415).
For more information on the Mayor's 23'-24' Recommended Budget, click here.
I look forward to seeing Ward 11 Community Members at these upcoming events!
In Gratitude,
Council Member Emily Koski is hosting a Community Meeting on the Intersection of Edgewater Blvd & Cedar Ave. At the Community Meeting we will discuss the work that has been done, and the work that is being done, and receive community input about the future of the intersection of Edgewater Blvd & Cedar Ave.
Date: October 25th, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Location: Nokomis Community Center
Address: 2401 E Minnehaha Pkwy, MPLS, MN 55417
In attendance at the Community will be representation from the City of Minneapolis's Public Works Department, Council Member Emily Koski, additional elected officials, etc.
For more information, please email Ward11@minneapolismn.gov or call (612) 673-2211.
Council President Andrea Jenkins and Council Member Emily Koski are hosting a South Minneapolis Seniors Fair on October 26th, 2022, from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM at Sabathani Community Center (310 E 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55409). All Minneapolis residents are invited to attend.
“I, alongside Council President Andrea Jenkins, look forward to hosting the South Minneapolis Seniors Fair. I am thankful to be able to provide an opportunity for our seniors to participate in workshops, engage with resources, and share with their elected officials. I’m committed to building relationships, connecting with, and supporting our senior community in the City of Minneapolis.” – Council Member Emily Koski
This event was made possible with support from Xcel Energy, Comcast, and CenterPoint Energy.
Event Details:
- Throughout the Seniors Resource Fair, there will be workshops for individuals to participate in. The workshop topics include Fraud and Scams, Health and Well-Being, Elections and Voting, and Personal Safety.
- Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials. In attendance will be Attorney General Keith Ellison, Mayor Jacob Frey, Council President Andrea Jenkins, Council Member Emily Koski, and County Commissioner Angela Conley.
- There will be an opportunity to engage with resource providers during a Resource Fair. In attendance will be CenterPoint, Xcel Energy, Comcast, AARP; City of Minneapolis 311, Assessors Office, Clerk’s Office and Public Works Department; Southside Community Health Services; Hennepin County Library; Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education; Nokomis Healthy Seniors; Trust Inc; Trellis, Friends & Co, Turning Point, the Rainbow Health Coalition, Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, and more.
- Healthcare professionals will be providing free blood pressure tests, COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, and flu shots.
- Lunch, COVID tests, masks, tissue packs, and antibacterial wet wipes will be available for all attendees.
Nokomis Makers Market
The Nokomis Makers Market is a community market that features local artists, farmers, makers, vendors and food trucks. Some of the local vendors include The Hazelnut, Homemade Bread by Suzy, Ivy&Isles, ZoZo&Co, Botanicalatelier, TOSCA Artisan Crafts, Up North Coffee, Good Thyme Ceramics, Nuanced Hot Sauce, ParraLily and more.
Upcoming Nokomis Makers Markets:
- Thursday, October 27th from 4:30 PM-6:40 PM at Shoreview Triangle (Shoreview Ave & E 54th St)
- Saturday, November 12th from 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at Nokomis Tattoo (4933 S 34th Ave, MPLS, MN 55417)
- Saturday, December 10th from 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at Nokomis Tattoo (4933 S 34th Ave, MPLS, MN 55417)
Check out the Nokomis Makers Market this Thursday October 27th for a Special Halloween Market with Trick or Treating, Kid & Adult Costume Contests, & Book Readings by the Authors, Rachel Smoka-Richardson & Katy Steinbach!
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Minneapolis DataSource is the source to view and search City of Minneapolis interactive visualizations and dashboards. The City of Minneapolis has interactive visualizations and dashboards on to create transparency and provide information on Public Health, Community Safety, Elections, Housing & Development, etc.
Air Quality Study Dashboard
Use the Air Quality Study Dashboard to view the findings of the City of Minneapolis's study on air pollution levels and the health risks of air pollution.
When using the Air Quality Study Dashboard, you can choose an Air Quality Study (shows all study findings), Tetrachloroethene, or Formaldehyde Study. If you choose Air Quality Study, you can also choose an air pollutant from the second drop-down list.
To learn how to use the Air Quality Study Dashboard, read the "How to use the dashboard" section of the Air Quality Study Dashboard webpage.
Outdoor Air Quality Dashboard
Use the Outdoor Air Quality Dashboard to view a snapshot in time of outdoor air quality in the city.
When using the Outdoor Air Quality Dashboard, you can view the number of days with air pollutant concentrations exceeding health benchmarks (2000-2015).
To learn how to use the Outdoor Air Quality Dashboard, read the "How to use the dashboard" section of the Outdoor Air Quality Dashboard webpage.
The City Council approved Mayor Jacob Frey’s government structure omnibus ordinance Oct. 20. This is the first time in over 100 years that the City of Minneapolis has been successful in changing its government structure. Among other changes, the new structure includes four direct reports to the mayor and an integrated Office of Community Safety, and it elevates Race Equity, Inclusion & Belonging to a department level.
In November 2021, Minneapolis voters approved the new form of government, which explicitly defined the mayor as the City’s chief executive officer and the City Council as the City’s legislative and primary policy-making body. Mayor Frey convened his Government Structure Workgroup and charged it with researching and recommending government structure options that would work for Minneapolis. The workgroup researched three options and ultimately recommended two that they thought could work best. Mayor Frey chose the option of having multiple reports to the mayor and worked with City staff to draft the new structural reform. His proposed government structure went to the City Council for consideration March 22.
There have been a series of regular updates and presentations to the City Council, two City Council study sessions, a City Council markup session, City Council amendments, and a public hearing. On Oct. 20, the City Council took its final vote on the omnibus ordinance, which officially created the new government structure under the form voters chose last November. Mayor Frey has signed the City Council action.
The omnibus ordinance formalizes the City’s administrative operating structure under the mayor’s authority, including three executive positions that will serve as a mayoral cabinet to help in organizing and managing the day-to-day work of the City: city attorney, city operations officer and community safety commissioner.
The Four Direct Reports to the Mayor
The chief of staff will provide policy development and oversight on behalf of the Mayor’s Office.
The Office of the City Attorney: Led by the city attorney, the Office of the City Attorney will continue to include civil and criminal divisions and be responsible for enhancing public safety, serving justice and vigorously representing the interests of the City. Although housed on the executive side of government, the Office of the City Attorney will represent both the mayor and the City Council equally.
The Office of Public Service: Led by the city operations officer, 17 departments will report to the Office of Public Service, including all operational functions except safety services. Departments and core functions will include internal services; communications and engagement services; and development, health and livability services. Departments whose functions primarily support the work of the enterprise, address community health and livability, foster racial equity, and administer performance management will comprise this office. Those departments and divisions include: 311 Service Center, Communications, Neighborhood & Community Relations, Arts & Cultural Affairs, Regulatory Services, the Minneapolis Convention Center, Community Planning & Economic Development, Health, Public Works, Civil Rights, Race Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, and Performance Management & Innovation.
The Office of Community Safety: Led by the community safety commissioner, the Office of Community Safety integrates the departments responsible for safety to improve communication and align response services. This structure allows a commissioner to set individual department goals as well as cross-functional goals to enhance the cooperation among all safety departments daily. The five departments reporting directly to this position are the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Department (911); the Fire Department; the Police Department; the Emergency Management Department; and a Neighborhood Safety Department, which includes the Office of Violence Prevention.
Now that the omnibus ordinance has passed, the mayor and City Council will collaborate on the mayor’s proposed 2023-2024 biennial budget to provide all new or reorganized departments and offices proper funding effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Find more information on the government restructure process.
With Election Day just a couple weeks away, the Early Vote Center is extending its hours as of Oct. 24. Anyone who can vote in Minneapolis on Election Day can vote early at the Early Vote Center, 980 E. Hennepin Ave.
Starting Oct. 24, the Early Vote Center is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The center’s last day of service is Monday, Nov. 7, which is the day before Election Day, and hours Nov. 7 are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Request Mail-In Ballot by Oct. 25
If you’re planning to vote by mail, the City recommends applying for a mail ballot no later than Oct. 25, so there’s enough time to receive it, complete it and then mail it back in time to be counted on Election Day. Go to vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/vote-by-mail to apply.
Return your Mail Ballot
Many Minneapolis voters have received a mail-in ballot but have not yet returned it. After Nov. 1, the City recommends returning mail ballots in person to avoid a late delivery. Ballots can be dropped off during regular business hours at Minneapolis Election & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave., or at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 Sixth St. S. Three more drop-off sites will be open Nov. 1-7. On Election Day, Nov. 8, completed mail ballots will only be accepted until 3 p.m.
Confirm your Polling Place Location
Everyone planning to cast their ballots on Election Day, Nov. 8, should check the location of their polling place. Many Minneapolis voters have a new polling place because of the redistricting process. Find your polling place at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us.
Voters Can Save Time by Following These Tips
The Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division is responsible for administering elections in the City of Minneapolis. For information about registering and voting in Minneapolis, go to vote.minneapolismn.gov.
The City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Oct. 26, on Mayor Jacob Frey’s nomination of Brian O’Hara to serve as police chief. The City is holding a public meet and greet with O’Hara Monday, Oct. 24.
O’Hara joined the Newark Police Department as a police officer in 2001 and rose through the ranks to become a captain in 2016. In 2021, he was appointed as the public safety director for Newark overseeing more than 1,960 employees comprising 996 sworn police officers, 611 firefighters and 346 civilian employees and a budget that exceeded $200 million. In that role, O’Hara enhanced the collaborative working relationships among federal, state and local partners.
As former captain of the Newark Police Department’s Consent Decree & Planning Division (2017-2020), O’Hara has worked extensively with the Department of Justice on the 2016 consent decree between the U.S. and the City of Newark. The chief of police position is a four-year appointment.
Meet and greet with Brian O’Hara 4:30-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 Capri Theater, 2027 W. Broadway Ave.
Public hearing on nomination of Brian O’Hara for police chief 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 City Council’s Public Health & Safety Committee, City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St., Room 317
Learn more about participating in a public hearing.
The City Council has approved $1.2 million more in funding for Avivo Village, an innovative indoor community of tiny houses in the North Loop for people experiencing homelessness.
The City Council approved the funding for Avivo as part of a larger City and County joint strategy responding to homelessness. The City has previously provided Avivo grants for Avivo Village operations in 2020 and 2021. This award, coupled with those previous awards, will bring the City’s total commitment to approximately $5 million. Avivo Village’s indoor community has 100 secure, private dwellings and wraparound services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
The City and Hennepin County, together with State, nonprofit and philanthropic partners, have fundamentally reshaped the homelessness response system since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Together, the City and County has invested more than $200 million in the homelessness response system to:
- Improve the conditions of shelters and ensure they could be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
- Support two new, culturally specific and low-barrier shelters: Avivo Village and Homeward Bound.
- Support the creation of a new women’s shelter and a new medical respite shelter at the Endeavors Residence opened in 2022.
- Increase City funding for street outreach teams and a new City Homeless Response Coordination team.
- Add significant staffing to create the Hennepin County Streets to Housing Team, which is responsible for working with residents staying in unsheltered situations to help them transition to housing as quickly as possible.
Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis jointly work together to administer the homelessness response system in Hennepin County. The County leads in setting strategy and providing services. The City supports the effort by working to build permanent supportive housing, supporting shelter capital improvements and directing federal funds that it receives for responding to homelessness in consultation with Hennepin County and community partners.
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Minnesotans can now schedule appointments for children 5-11 to receive an updated bivalent booster at state-run vaccination sites. Minnesota health care providers are administering the COVID-19 booster shots that have been formulated to be more effective against the omicron variants. Bivalent boosters were already authorized for people 12 and older.
With the expanded recommendations from the federal government, the Pfizer bivalent booster is now available for people 5 and older and the Moderna bivalent vaccine is now available for people 6 and older. Both products can be given as soon as two months after a primary vaccine series or booster vaccination. Children 5-11 receive a smaller dose than people 12 and older.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at helping protect 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 CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and people 5 and older receive a bivalent booster dose.
How to get your free shot:
- Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
- Use the State’s Vaccine Locator Map to find a vaccine provider near you.
- Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
- Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 public hotline at 1-833-431-2053 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays.
- Register for an appointment on the Hennepin County website or by calling 612-348-8900. Help is available in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
The Minneapolis Fire Department has received a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for 15 more firefighters for a three-year period beginning March 1, 2023.
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help the department fully staff many of its busiest rigs and maintain daily staff levels with minimal need for overtime expenses. When the new firefighters join the department, there will be at least 434 firefighters with plans for up to 445.
Learn more about the Minneapolis Fire Department.
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When you’re done with your carved pumpkins and other gourds, you can put them in your green organics recycling cart. They don’t need to be bagged. Remember to remove any candles or lights first.
If you haven’t signed up for organics recycling, you can put them with your other yard waste.
Added synthetic materials such as paint, permanent markers, glitter or jewels make that part of the pumpkins non-compostable, and then they have to go in the black garbage cart.
Remember: Wrappers from Halloween candy go in the garbage. They are not recyclable or compostable.
Find more information on organics recycling on the Solid Waste & Recycling webpages.
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The City of Minneapolis is working to increase awareness around renters’ rights. Renters: what types of questions do you have about renter protection rules? How would you like to get this information?
The City is holding information meetings and has a website portal and online survey to find the most effective ways to reach renters with this information.
Join in a Meeting or Take the Survey
Find more information about renter resources and renters’ rights on the City website.
On Oct. 6, the City of Minneapolis responded to several overdose calls in less than 24 hours. Three people died in separate incidents. According to emergency response records, the City responds to an average of eight overdose incidents each day.
In the first seven days of October, there were 55 drug overdoses in Minneapolis. In 2021, the City experienced 2,283 overdoses with 197 deaths. For 2022, there have been 2,113 overdoses so far. Preliminary vital statistic data for January-early August 2022 shows that 108 people have died because of drug overdoses. The upsurge in drug use and overdoses is a public health and public safety concern.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that two thirds of more than 108,000 overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in April 2022 involved synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
The City is increasing awareness efforts of the prevalence of drug abuse through several departments and working with Hennepin County and state partners to connect people who use opioids or their families to prevention and treatment resources.
Find more information on the City’s opioid response and resources on the City website.
Evie Carshare, the nation’s first 100% renewably powered, municipally owned carshare network, has logged nearly 25,000 trips by users in the first six months of operation, averaging more than one trip per vehicle each day.
According to HOURCAR’s recent report “Results from the First Six Months of Evie Carshare,” use grew rapidly and steadily from the launch in February through July. Evie Carshare, which currently has a fleet of 100 electric vehicles, also reduced an estimated 741 metric tons of greenhouse gas and saved Twin Cities residents an estimated $2.57 million in transportation costs.
By the end of 2023, the EV Spot Network is anticipated to be at full capacity with 175 electric vehicles for Evie Carshare and 280 level 2 charge ports, and 10 DC Fast Charge (DCFC) ports.
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Crews have begun sweeping streets across Minneapolis. Fall street sweeping cleans the streets from curb to curb before winter to keep leaves and debris out of the storm drains. This keeps them from ending up in our lakes and rivers as much as possible. Minneapolis Public Works began the big task of curb-to-curb sweeping throughout the city Oct. 18.
During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews will clean about 1,000 miles of city streets.
To make sure they can do the best job possible, crews will post temporary “No Parking” signs at least 24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed.
Stay Informed about the Parking Rules
- “No Parking” signs: City crews will post “No Parking” signs at least 24 hours before sweeping any streets. Parking will be banned from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the day a street is swept. The “No Parking” signs will be removed as soon as possible after a street has been completely swept to allow people to resume parking after the signs are removed. The sweeping takes several steps, so don’t park until the signs are removed. Vehicles not in compliance with “No Parking” signs may be ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.
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Social media: The City will use Facebook and Twitter to post periodic street sweeping updates and information.
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Phone calls to residents: In addition to the “No Parking” signs posted the day before sweepers come through, the City will make about 3,000 automated phone calls each evening to let residents know their street will be swept the next day. There’s no guarantee that the calls will reach everyone, so be sure to check the various ways to be aware of the rules, and watch for signs.
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Interactive map: Check the street sweeping schedule map, where you can zoom in or look up your address to find out which week your street is scheduled to be swept. Then check back the weekend before your week to find out which day your street is scheduled to be swept.
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Videos: Street sweeping is explained in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong on the City’s YouTube channel and on Minneapolis City TV.
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. Don’t push leaves, grass clippings or other debris into City streets – it’s bad for our lakes and waterways, can cause safety hazards, and is 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.
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