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Dear neighbors,
First of all I want to say how deeply honored and humbled I am to represent Ward 8 on the Minneapolis City Council. I continue to stand up and fight for the values that we all hold dear. I hear a number of issues from you ranging from concerns regarding encampments, how to address public safety, to constituent services. To that end we must work to find solutions to the persistent challenge of unhoused individuals. We are working with Avivo Tiny Homes Village to replicate that project in south Minneapolis and provide long-term housing options with access to support services.
Last council cycle we moved forward with selecting 2633 Minnehaha as the new site for a Community Safety Center that will house MPD’s 3rd Precinct, as well as other public facing safety initiatives. Specific programming has yet to be determined and will require community engagement to make sure we’re including the right components.
Lastly, I am committed to ensuring that we are able to deliver the highest quality constituent services that meets the needs of the residents of Ward 8.
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I want to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.
Love,
Andrea
"Justice is what love looks like in public."
- Rev. Dr. Cornel West
"1) Live with a sense of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being
2) Own their financial future, including the ability to create generational wealth
3) Vote to protect Black interests
4) Excel in all that they do and amplify narratives of Black excellence”
- Tonya Allen, CEO, McKnight Foundation
Join us for a candlelit vigil to remember and honor the lives of Transgender people we’ve lost around the nation due to violence, where I will read the Minneapolis City Council Resolution I presented at our last Council meeting on Thursday.
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Lowry Avenue Bridge will be lit pink, blue, and white on the evening of Monday, November 20th.
This event is brought to us by the Hennepin County Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Employee Resource Group.
 There is one remaining public hearing to provide feedback on Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2024 City budget. Comments can also be submitted online at the City’s website.
The proposed 2024 budget is $1.8 billion with a proposed tax levy of 6.2%. The City Council has started reviewing the 2024 budget – the second year of the biennial budget cycle – and will vote on adopting the budget Tuesday, Dec. 5.
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.
City budget public hearing
The public hearing will take place at City Hall, Room 317, 350 Fifth St. S.
- Truth in Taxation hearing, 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5 (The City Council will vote on adopting the budget following the hearing.)
Learn how to participate in public hearings.
The City of Minneapolis has accepted a $3.7 million personal guaranty as proof of East Phillips Neighborhood Institute’s ability to pay its share of the $11.4 million purchase price of the Roof Depot site in south Minneapolis. This personal guaranty met the Nov. 8 deadline outlined in the purchase agreement approved by the City Council Sept. 7.
The sale of the site to East Phillips Neighborhood Institute is not yet final.
The City looks forward to the State of Minnesota satisfying its commitment from May to provide $2 million to the City as a good faith deposit, which was due July 15. The Legislature must also provide another $5.7 million to the project in 2024 to satisfy terms.
If all terms of the purchase agreement are satisfied, the sale of the site is scheduled to close on or before July 15, 2024.
The City is dedicated to finding a new water supply maintenance facility and will explore other locations for this project. The Minnesota Legislature has committed $4.5 million to the City for a new facility.
Read more on the City website.
Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Margaret Anderson Kelliher as the city operations officer. Anderson Kelliher has held top roles for the Minnesota House of Representatives and Department of Transportation. She currently leads the City’s Public Works Department.
As city operations officer, Anderson Kelliher would oversee the Office of Public Service. The office has 17 departments including:
- The 311 Service Center.
- Regulatory Services.
- Race, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.
- Community Planning & Economic Development.
- Communications.
She would also lead thousands of employees Citywide to ensure high-quality, coordinated services.
Anderson Kelliher has served as the City’s Public Works director since February 2022. She has led City infrastructure projects including:
- Street reconstruction in downtown and north Minneapolis for the Upper Harbor Terminal project.
- Safety and transportation needs on East Lake Street.
- The overhaul of the City’s stormwater tunnel system.
The City Council will consider the nomination at its Nov. 16 meeting.
Read more about the nomination and role on the City website.
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Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Erik Hansen as director of the City’s Community Planning & Economic Development Department. Hansen has served as its interim director since June. Before that, Hansen worked as the department’s director of Economic Policy & Development for five years and has served 12 years as a principal policy coordinator for the department.
As the City’s director of Economic Policy & Development, Hansen helped design and implement the City’s Ownership and Opportunity Fund. Throughout the pandemic and the aftermath of civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd, Hansen led economic recovery work and steered millions in emergency relief funds to residents and small businesses. Hansen served for more than three years as the Economic Development & Housing director for the City of Brooklyn Park. He oversaw tax base stabilization and growth through neighborhood preservation, housing programs, redevelopment, workforce development and real estate activities.
The City Council will refer the nomination to its relevant committee for consideration.
Read more about Hansen’s nomination the City website.
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 Since launching in 2022, the Evie Carshare Program has provided 150,000 trips to people across the Twin Cities. It’s logged 1.5 million zero-emission miles and helped to reduce the region’s carbon footprint. The program has played a critical role in providing Twin Cities residents with cleaner and more affordable transportation options.
Evie Carshare is the first 100% renewably powered and city-owned carshare in the country. It’s powered by the EV Spot Network program, which spans across a 35-mile radius in the Twin Cities. Right now, 170 electric vehicles and several curbside charger stations serve throughout the two cities.
Read more about Evie Carshare.
 Watch the Minneapolis Minute for a snapshot of opportunities and important information for residents. Each episode provides timely news and how you can get involved.
In the latest edition: official election results, upcoming budget hearing and the cold weather rule.
Watch the Minneapolis Minute.
 This month, the City of Minneapolis celebrates 40 years of curbside recycling.
Since 1983, recycling has become easier for Minneapolis customers. The City program evolved from paper and can drives to pickups. Schedules moved from once a month to every other week. Customers began by separating recyclables by material while now all recyclables go into one City-provided cart.
By the end of the year, more than 800,000 tons of paper, cans and bottles will have been recycled through the City’s curbside recycling program. Even with this huge milestone, a lot of recyclable bottles, cans and paper still end up in garbage carts.
Choices make a difference
We would love to see more of those recyclable bottles, cans and paper in the recycling instead. Your choices make a difference every time you decide what to do with recyclables when you’re done with them.
- Recycle these: beverage, food, laundry and bathroom containers and clean papers.
- Flatten all cardboard boxes.
- Leave all containers except boxes in their original three-dimensional shapes. They go through the sorting machines best that way.
- The City’s recycling contractor can recycle plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5. Other numbered plastics – even if they show the recycling symbol – go in the trash.
- Black plastic items have to go in the trash.
Recycling protects the environment by reducing the natural resources we use. It provides local green jobs and supports the economy. Recycling supports 78,000 jobs in Minnesota and adds $23.9 billion a year to Minnesota’s economy.
Check the City website to see if an item is recyclable.
 Winter market season began this month in four locations around the city. Farmers Markets of Minneapolis operate year-round with markets mainly operating outdoors.
Local produce is fresh, nutritious and affordable. Most of the markets accept SNAP-EBT (“electronic benefits transfer”) cards as payment, as well as Market Bucks and Produce Bucks, which combined provide $20 more for healthy food to market shoppers using SNAP-EBT.
In 2022, customers at the Farmers Markets of Minneapolis redeemed more than $350,447 in Market Bucks, Produce Bucks and SNAP/EBT, showing expanded access to fresh, healthy food for Minneapolis residents who experience food insecurity and receive federal food assistance. Sixty-two percent of market vendors donated leftover produce to hunger relief programs in 2022.
Find winter market schedules and locations.
 Sabathani Community Center is hosting a free diabetes screening.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, November 18
- Time: Noon to 3pm
- Location: Sabathani Community Center, Room 118
What to Expect:
- Free diabetes and blood pressure testing for ages 18 and up
- The first 50 attendees who complete testing will receive a $10 gift card
- Follow-up conversations and referrals based on your test results
Registration:
Register for FREE or walk in. Spots are limited, so arrive early to increase your chances of getting screened. Please note that registering early does not guarantee a screening spot as it’s first-come, first-served. Register here.
This special event is part of the new Sabathani Better Together program, administered by Sabathani Community Center in collaboration with the Hue-MAN Partnership and a team of dedicated healthcare specialists, with support from the UnitedHealthcare.
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days for cooking in the U.S. Did you know that cooking accidents are the leading contributor to house fires in the U.S.?
If you have a cooking fire:
- When you’re cooking, keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turning off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it’s completely cooled.
- Never use water on a stove fire. Water will spread grease and flames, and it’s dangerous around electricity.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.
- Get out. When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 911 or the local emergency number after you leave.
Find more safety guidance around fires from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
As we begin to experience subzero temperatures, remember that water in your service line can freeze and prevent it from getting to your faucets. This could happen when:
- The depth of the frost reaches the depth of the service line.
- Your basement is not heated where the water service line enters your home.
While water mains are maintained by the City, pipes that bring the water from the mains into homes and other buildings are the responsibility of property owners. If your service line is frozen, you’ll need to contact a qualified contractor who specializes in thawing frozen service lines. Call 311 for information on contractors who do this type of work.
Most service lines are buried deep enough not to freeze in the winter. If your water service lines have not frozen in the past, they are unlikely to freeze now.
Tips to keep your pipes from freezing
Find more information on the City website including tips on preventing water lines from freezing.
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