|
Dear Community,
Happy back-to-school! Ward 2 is home to the largest student population in the state. From our youngest pre-kindergarteners to our graduate students, I am so grateful for all the ways young people and students enrich our communities. Have a great semester!
Sincerely,
Council Member Robin Wonsley
Yesterday, the City Council voted to sustain the Mayor’s veto on the Fair Drives Safe Rides ordinance. I will be in touch next week with the next steps.
Council was asked to approve a gift acceptance of loaned executive services from Ryan Companies to the Mayor’s office. I felt that this was an extremely problematic proposal. It would allow a corporate executive, who is currently employed by a large developer and not paid by the city, to be involved in decisionmaking about key city priorities. It is especially concerning given that the services being gifted are helping implement the city’s new public safety system, and helping select a new head of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED).
Ryan Companies is a developer that proudly promotes over $4 billion in financial ventures. In one of their Minneapolis developments, a studio apartment that’s less than 500 square feet starts at $1490. It would be a huge conflict of interest for Ryan to have insider access into the search for a CPED Director. It would also feed into the perception that luxury developers have an outsized role in the direction of our city. Thankfully, public discussion of this obvious conflict of interest led city staff to remove this line from the proposal.
The gift acceptance also requests that these executive services help lead the development of the Office of Community Safety. In July, there was a positive movement towards re-centering our public safety work around the Safe and Thriving Communities Report, an extensive blueprint on how to deliver on the mandate for a comprehensive public safety system. Instead of bringing in an executive from Ryan Companies, we should be bringing in a member of the Safe and Thriving Communities team, such as Dr. Antonio Oftelie or one of his colleagues.
My colleagues shared similar concerns and seemed supportive of reaching out to Dr. Oftelie. We are reconsidering the item at the next meeting of the Policy and Government Oversight Committee (POGO), and I will be meeting with the Interim Safety Commissioner to discuss how to course correct back towards the Safe and Thriving Communities Report.
Key votes: Policy and Government Oversight Committee (POGO) unanimously voted to reconsider the item at the next Committee meeting on September 18th.
Council considered a contract to temporarily co-locate the 3rd Precinct with the 1st Precinct. The 1st Precinct is confirmed to be moving into a new location in 2025. After the 3rd Precinct Engagement Report that residents rejected putting the 3rd Precinct in either of the areas proposed by the city administration, Council President Jenkins proposed exploring a temporary co-location. The proposed contract that resulted was $19 million to add two additional floors to the 1st Precinct acquisition.
When the item came up for discussion, several Council Members asked questions about the costs, benefits, timelines, and implications of such a large financial commitment. There were not clear or sufficient answers to many of these questions, prompting Council to unanimously vote to return the item for further consideration and discussion. I applaud the thorough oversight that Council showed and the decision to take the time to make a decision that is fiscally responsible and fully aligned with resident priorities. You can watch that conversation here starting at 25:35.
Key votes: Council voted unanimously to return the item to the Committee of the Whole, where it will be referred back to staff for more development.
Council received a presentation responding to a legislative directive I authored about state and federal funding opportunities for climate change mitigation. The city recently passed a Climate Equity Plan that lists hundreds of actions and strategies we need to take to address climate change and promote an equitable green future, but the Plan contains no funding or paths towards getting funding. We are going to need tens and hundreds of millions for climate change mitigation, green infrastructure, and green workforce development. The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provide unprecedented opportunities to get federal dollars specifically to fill that gap.
The presentation outlines the many grants the city has applied for or is planning to apply for. This is a great start, and there are numerous additional opportunities that can add to this baseline plan. Applying for grants is a time and labor intensive activity, but the returns on that time are millions of dollars that translate into real improvements in residents’ lives and real action on climate change. Thank you to the staff for the work they’ve done so far. I am excited to keep working to support grant applications for climate change mitigation.
Key votes: No votes.
US Representative Ilhan Omar visited Council to share an update on her legislative work. I was particularly excited to hear about her work on priorities that she and I share, such as fully funding permanently public housing and investing in climate mitigation and a Green New Deal. You can watch her presentation here.
Key votes: No votes.
Council received an update on the development of the city’s new Legislative Department. The presentation focused on a cross-comparison analysis of other cities’ legislative departments. In an executive mayor/legislative council system, having a stable and fully staffed Legislative Department is crucial for the council to be able to make good policy that protects the health, safety, and economic stability of residents.
We have made good progress on our Legislative Department this year, and the presentation makes it clear that the progress we’re making is just a start. As we discuss developing our Legislative Department bodies, I am particularly looking forward to building out the Oversight and Evaluation division, a new area where we have lots of opportunity to develop good systems that serve residents.
Key votes: No votes.
There was great Star Tribune coverage of the continued effort to open the Witches Hat Tower to the public. I am excited to continue working with city staff and our partners at the Park Board to ensure that the Tower is safe and something residents can enjoy.
Key votes: No votes.
We are looking for volunteers to help with flyering in off-campus apartments near the University of Minnesota for our Back-to-School: Know Your Rights initiative! We will be distributing renter rights and voting education fliers to renters living in Stadium Village, Prospect Park and Dinkytown apartments over a two-day period of September 15th & 16th. Sign up to volunteer on this form or using the QR code on the flier.
Thanks to our partners at the Prospect Park Association, Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, UMN Office of Off-Campus Living, Student Legal Service at University of Minnesota, UMN Undergraduate Student Government, and BrittFit50 Indigenous Health.
Renters are now suing Identity Dinkytown after the corporate out-of-state developer signed pre-leases, collected rent on August 1st, and then informed renters that the building would not be finished getting constructed for several more weeks at least. While Identity offered displaced renters financial compensation and alternative housing, they did not allow any renters to exit their leases.
On August 25th, city staff inspected the building and determined that it was far from complete for the inspectors to issue a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. The inspector suggested that the developer and the contractor update their contingency plan with their tenants and communicate with them now. It will be a few weeks at the least before the building will be ready for a reinspection.
My office will continue work with the Undergraduate Student Government, University regents, labor leaders, and city staff to map out ways to prevent future exploitative actions by corporate developers in the University area.
Save the date for the Como Cookout on September 23rd from 11-3 at Van Cleve Park!
The Twins are expected to have a flyover at their game on Monday September 11th which starts at 6:40 pm. It is not yet confirmed if the Vikings will have a flyover at their Sunday, September 10th game which starts at noon. Other entities may also be doing aircraft flyovers in recognition of September 11th.
Flyovers can be unpleasant and challenging for many residents, so we want to let you know of flyovers whenever possible to reduce surprise and concern. If you are concerned about anything you see or hear, please reach out to the Ward 2 office.
Bridge No. 9 was constructed in 1922 by the Northern Pacific Railroad to carry freight over the Mississippi. The City of Minneapolis acquired this bridge in 1986 and converted the bridge to a pedestrian use bridge in 1999. The bridge currently provides a Mississippi River crossing for the Dinkytown Greenway bike trail.
Beginning in April, 2023, the City of Minneapolis started making repairs and improvements to Bridge 9, Pier 2 and the bluff at the northeasterly end of the bridge. Rehabilitation work in 2023 is focused on the easterly end of the bridge. The work includes fixing the bridge seat at one end and a bridge pier on the other. As well as making the bluff more stable.
Construction work for this year began in April 2023, and they plan to finish by December 1, 2023. The contractor hopes to complete most of the work by the end of September 2023. The bridge will always remain open to bicyclists and pedestrians this season. However, passage widths will be restricted in the work area. Bicyclists are advised to walk their bikes through this area.
For more details and to sign up for email updates please visit the Bridge 9 Improvement project webpage.
Email Council Member Wonsley and her staff at ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Or contact staff directly:
Policy Aide Celeste Robinson
Share your opinion or address an issue, use the Ward 2 contact form
| 
