Hello, Ward 8 neighbors:
I am deeply humbled and honored to be re-elected to represent my community on the Minneapolis City Council. My focus continues to be to lead with integrity, collaboration and love.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank my team for their commitment to the well-being of the ward residents, as well. Thank you to Senior Policy Aide Deebaa Sirdar. In June 2023 we lost Policy Associate, Zoe Bourgerie, to brighter opportunities, but her five years of service will always be fondly remembered and appreciated. I also want to thank Melanie Sedqi and Deborah Summers who stepped in temporarily to fill the void.
It has been a challenging yet exciting year. I personally served on the internal workgroup to oversee the consent decree process, and for the selection of the independent evaluators to implement the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) enforceable agreement and the Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree. I served as the chair of the Youth Coordinating Board, and represented the city on the League of Minnesota Cities.
Together, this council passed several important actions around climate equity, environmental justice, community safety, and historic affordable housing investments to name a few. In addition, we continued to build out a new government structure for the city enterprise. Below are some highlights.
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Additional highlights include:
- Electric Vehicle carshare program. 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. Over 170 electric vehicles and several curbside charger stations serve throughout the Twin Cities. Since launching, the program has provided 150,000 trips to people across the Twin Cities and logged 1.5 million zero-emission miles, helping to reduce the region’s carbon footprint. In 2024 the City will invest $730,000 to expand the electrical vehicle stations, while leveraging an additional $2-3 million in federal funds to support electric vehicles and carbon emission reduction.
- Roof Depot. In September, with support from the Minneapolis Legislative Delegation, the City Council approved a land sale of city-owned property located at 1860 28th St E and 2717 Longfellow Ave, known as the “Roof Depot” site, to the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI). Assessed at the fair market value of $11.4M, the agreed-upon deal struck between the State, the City, and EPNI included three funding sources for exclusive purchase of the property by EPNI:
- A legislative appropriation of $2 million was awarded toward the purchase price of the site
- $3.7 million in private funds was secured by EPNI in November
- The Minneapolis legislative delegation pledged to secure an additional $5.7 million for the sale during the 2024 session
EPNI maintains its intended use for the site as an urban farm, primarily, with several other community serving features such as a café, bike repair shop, and community gathering space. The City is committed 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. I am proud to have worked with EPNI to lead discussions with City officials and staff to alter the City’s longstanding water facility development plans at this site, through conversations that began in 2020.
In 2023, I represented the City Council in the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) negotiations process. We have moved into implementation, and I have helped lead initiatives to support this work.
Learn more below:
Current safety response alternatives to policing
Visit www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/unarmed-public-safety/ to find information on the following unarmed public safety responses:
Office of Neighborhood Safety violence prevention initiatives
Learn how violence is treated as a public health issue and how community partnerships bring solutions.
Visit www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/neighborhood-safety to learn about the following programs:
- Blueprint Approved Institute training
- Coaching Athletes into Leaders
- Community Champions training
- Group Violence Interruption
- Inspiring Youth
- MinneapolUS
- Next Step
- Violence Prevention Fund
- Youth Connection Center, and more.
In December, we approved $18.3 million in affordable housing investments through the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF). This money will help create or preserve 876 units of affordable multi-family rental housing units across Minneapolis. The AHTF creates new and preserves existing affordable housing for low-income renters with incomes at or below 50% AMI ($62,100 per year for a family of four).
Additional investments in affordable housing include:
Ward 8 Affordable Housing Development
Two ongoing housing development projects in Ward 8:
- Calvary Apartments project, by Trellis Co., which is a historic preservation and adaptive reuse project that will create 41 new units of deeply affordable housing for families and to combat homelessness in the City. This project will include 26 units with Project Based Vouchers, 15 units with Housing Support, 10 homeless units, 5 three-bedroom units and 2 four-bedroom units.
- 3030 Nicollet, by Project for Pride in Living (PPL), which is a mixed-use building located on the former Wells Fargo site with that will feature 110 affordable family housing units and is part of the recovery effort on Lake Street, including 12 units at 30% AMI, 97 units at 50% AMI, 12 units with Project Based Vouchers, 12 units with Housing Support, 12 homeless units, 55 two-bedroom units, 20 three-bedroom units, and 10 four-bedroom units.
Additionally, through the incredible work and support from City housing staff, and partnership from the State, we were able to work with the previous owner of Zoom House to preserve 22 deeply affordable housing units and prevent the displacement of residents who also received robust supportive services provided by Zoom House.
Other Ward 8 Development Projects
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In 2023, I traveled to Washington, DC, to advocate on behalf of City priorities and Ward 8 community needs at the National League of Cities conference with our federal delegation. I collaborated with the Mayor’s office to host the City’s 3rd Annual Black Business Week, and we are expanding this investment in 2024. |
 
I hosted my fourth annual seniors fair, and for a second time partnered with Ward 11 Council Member Emily Koski on a joint South Minneapolis Seniors Fair to bring vital resources directly to our community. I look forward to continuing and expanding upon each of these important initiatives in 2024. |
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Prior to adopting the mayor’s proposed 2024 City budget, in December, the Council created and approved 47 budget amendments, totaling almost $30 million in investments. I led on, and co-authored, amendments that resulted in:
- $300,000 for George Floyd Square area job training
- $150,000 for the Pillsbury Creative Commons project at Pillsbury House + Theatre
- $350,000 to serve south Minneapolis residents experiencing homelessness, unstable housing, food insecurity, and deep poverty, located in the Elliot Park area
Other 2024 budget highlights impacting Ward 8:
- $1.1 million at George Floyd Square for art preservation, which includes Black-led conservation engagement, housing support, streetlighting, and permanent memorial engagement.
- $3,000,000 for safety ambassadors for the City’s seven Cultural Districts, including E 38th Street
- $500,000 for a safety center on Lake Street.
- $3,000,000 for the City’s Ownership and Opportunity Fund, focused on Cultural Districts.
There are many other important investments in the 2024 City budget related to climate equity, public health, truth and reconciliation, opioid recovery and response, housing and homelessness, worker protections, public works and infrastructure, and so much more. Learn more here.
In closing out 2023, I’m proud of the work we’ve achieved as a Council on behalf of Minneapolis communities.
I look forward to continued engagement, working with my council colleagues, residents, businesses, and all who call Minneapolis home, as well as visitors of our great city.
Need to contact the Ward 8 office? Call us at 612-673-2208 and we will return your call as soon as we can, or you can e-mail us at ward8@minneapolismn.gov or send an online contact form – this will send an e-mail to myself and my staff directly.
Follow the Ward 8 Office on Facebook, @MinneapolisWard8, for timely updates and upcoming events.
Keep reading below for announcements, upcoming events, and community engagement opportunities, including $20 million investment in street safety improvements, Independent Evaluator Engagement Sessions, City’s first ever Poet Laureate program, 2024 Community Connections Conference, and more.
And stay tuned... The City will host its 10th Annual Trans Equity Summit in spring 2024.
Have a safe and happy new year!
 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
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Minneapolis a $20 million grant to address the highest priority unfunded safety projects on streets in Minneapolis.
We will use the federal grant to make safety improvements on high priority projects and actions in the City’s 2023-2025 Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan. The plan outlines priorities for the next three years to advance the City’s goal of ending traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2027.
This significant award of federal funds will allow Minneapolis to implement safety improvements on nearly all streets with the highest percentage of severe and fatal crashes that don’t already have a plan for safety-focused investment.
Highlights include:
- Safety improvements along 25 miles of high-injury streets. In Ward 8, this includes all of Lake Street, and a stretch along E 38th Street, Nicollet, Park and Portland Ave, and several other streets.
- Traffic signal improvements at 526 intersections.
- More safety planning work, such as evaluating the speed limit change and quick-build safety treatments.
Read more about the grant and the City’s work to make streets safer.
Three teams will publicly present how they would, if chosen, evaluate and report on the City’s compliance with its settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The selected independent evaluator will also provide technical assistance on things like policy and training development.
The three teams are:
Community sessions
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6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs (Cowles Auditorium), 301 19th Ave. S.
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6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 Plymouth Congregational Church, 1919 LaSalle Ave.
Read more about the presenters and next steps on the City website.
Heid E. Erdrich is the first-ever City of Minneapolis poet laureate. The appointment marks a pivotal moment in Minneapolis’ cultural and literary landscape. As the poet laureate, Erdrich will champion the power of words, engaging with diverse communities across Minneapolis through readings, workshops and initiatives that celebrate the city's cultural tapestry.
A widely esteemed poet, author, scholar and advocate, Erdrich brings an illustrious and influential body of work and life experience to this role. Erdrich’s career encompasses a series of acclaimed poetry collections. Erdrich has received two Minnesota Book Awards and fellowships and awards from the Library of Congress, National Poetry Series, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, The Loft Literary Center, First People’s Fund and others.
Erdrich is Ojibwe, enrolled at Turtle Mountain. Besides her own work, she has edited many collections amplifying the work of other Indigenous writers. Erdrich has taught and practiced multidisciplinary art for decades, both as a professor and in community. She has visited dozens of colleges and universities, libraries, and tribal and cultural institutions as a guest speaker and teacher. Her keen interest in visual poetics and ekphrasis has led to many collaborations, curations and installations around Native American art.
Upcoming events
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Jan. 8: Heid Erdrich will be honored at the first City Council meeting. She will present a new poem written for the occasion.
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Jan. 18: A public celebration at The Loft Literary Center, 6-8 p.m.
Read more about Erdrich on the City website.
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 You can now register early for the 2024 City of Minneapolis Community Connections Conference.
The conference is a free event that connects Minneapolis residents, community groups, neighborhoods and local government. The conference is open to everyone and will run together with the 2024 Green Zone Summit for environmental justice.
Our conference theme will be “Open city, your Minneapolis.” This year, we want to focus on making Minneapolis a transparent, accessible city that is open to everyone, open to new ideas and open for business.
We will highlight the ways you can get involved in both government decision-making and your local community. We will also celebrate the many parts of city that are reopening and recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Connections Conference
Saturday, Feb.17
9 – 10 a.m., registration and exhibit hall opens
10 a.m. – 4 p.m., conference programming
Minneapolis Convention Center, first floor, Hall E
Register online for the conference.
You can also register in person on conference day in several languages
Spread the word
You can help us spread the word about the conference by sharing these resources:
Video introduction to the Community Connections Conference
In 2024, the minimum wage across the city of Minneapolis will rise to $15.57. First, on January 1, 2024, larger employers (having more than 100 employees) and franchises start paying at least $15.57.
Next, on July 1, 2024, all other employers (having 100 or fewer employees) reach the same required minimum wage of $15.57.
Find more information on the City’s website or email Civil Rights staff.
State of Minnesota law
Also in 2024, the State of Minnesota earned sick and safe time law is expanding paid sick leave protection to employees all across the state. It requires paid sick or equivalent leave (just like in Minneapolis) to be provided by all employers to their employees.
For more information, visit the MN Department of Labor and Industry’s website. Investment in people grows businesses and healthier communities.
Help for employers
No cost and risk-free (amnesty) compliance assistance for employers is available by emailing the Civil Rights Department or through free business legal advice provided by the City’s business technical assistance program.
 Are you looking to upgrade your windows, or improve your heating and cooling system? Minneapolis homeowners and property owners making energy-saving improvements can apply now for help.
Kosar’s story: From high bills to living in a paradise
Meet Kosar Mohamad, who, after years of high energy bills, went to the City for help weatherizing his home. After getting energy-efficient updates, Kosar describes living in his home as a “paradise.”
Watch Kosar’s story: Transforming Homes and Lives: The Green Cost Share Program in Minneapolis.
Apply now
Take the first step toward a more energy-efficient home, and help reduce climate change.
Visit the City website for more information, and apply for the City’s Green Cost Share programs.
Open now until May 31, 2024, the Energy Assistance Program helps pay energy bills for eligible Minnesotans. This program is free and provides benefits up to $1,400, with additional support to respond to emergencies. Both renters and homeowners can qualify, and eligibility is based on income and household size. This program is federally funded and administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Application materials can be accessed here.
 From the villages of Afghanistan to the City of Minneapolis, Jim Doten’s work could reshape our city’s agricultural and forest future.
Doten, the Health Department’s carbon sequestration program manager, is trying to improve the food system through the benefits of biochar.
Biochar is a special type of charcoal produced by heating wood chips (or other organic material) at high temperatures. The process of making biochar turns the wood chips into a long-lasting form of carbon that won’t re-enter the atmosphere.
Doten has found that using biochar as a soil amendment:
- Helps fruits and vegetables grow better.
- Makes crops healthier and bigger.
- Uses less water to grow the crops.
Learn more about City’s work with biochar on the City website.
 The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is offering new free youth programs at Phelps Recreation Center
Saturdays at Phelps
Come to Phelps Recreation Center every Saturday, 2-4 pm, until June 2024 for a free dinner and activity for people ages 18 and under! Each week we will try something new! Art, science, gym games and more! Children ages 6 and under must be supervised.
Use the English/Spanish flyer linked below to share with anyone who may be interested:
Saturdays at Phelps Flyer
This activity is free. Registration is encouraged but not required.
Register for January-June 2024
 How would you invest in regional transportation? The Metropolitan Council and the Transportation Advisory Board would like to know how you’d distribute funding for transportation projects. Your responses will help inform the Transportation Advisory Board as it considers projects this spring.
Use this tool to build your budget and learn more about the funding categories. The budget exercise will be open through Jan. 31.
Projects focus on results such as moving more people more effectively, managing congestion and improving air quality.
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