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From Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member, Jeremiah Ellison.
 Community,
It's an honor to be returned to City Hall for my third term. Representing my home, the Northside, is a blessing. We just wrapped up our first full council cycle for this term and it is an honor to represent you all. In our political project, dreaming is a political orientation. One of self determination, locally owned businesses, stable housing, clean air, soil, and water. I intend to keep serving you proudly this term.
Many on the Northside have been under the impression that the City Council gets to decide whether Merwin’s Liquor exists or not. Some have asserted that this is the case–often with passion and good intentions. But this is not true. The vote at the City Council Meeting today was about who may hold the license… there was never any lawful path to remove the license entirely.
There was hope, for a while, that Sanctuary Covenant Church might be able to reach a deal with the owners of Merwin’s, and own the entire block. This would’ve been ideal and the church fought hard for this outcome. Despite the deal not coming to fruition, the church has been steadfast in their demand that a liquor store not exist on that corner.
Sanctuary is a tremendous community asset, and I appreciate their advocacy—the site and the name of this business have a fraught and infamous reputation, and I know that all of us would rather see something other than a liquor store at this location—but while Sanctuary insists that the city could simply “shut Merwin’s down,” it is not that simple.
I have spent years advocating on behalf of our community to Merwin's management and its owners–urging changes that were outside of my jurisdiction to demand. But I advocated for them anyway, because we deserve better than what has been on that corner. I’ve spent over a year getting the state involved, in supporting staff and MPD in trying to create more safety on that corner, and I’ve spent hours and hours of effort trying to generate a different outcome other than the one in front of us. I hope you all can respect and accept that the new liquor license to TXT has emerged as the best possible option under the authority I have. If Merwin’s could’ve simply been shut down or bought, I would have accomplished exactly that already.
To give a shortened chronology of how we arrived here:
- nearly 2 years ago, the city supported (both morally and financially) Sanctuary in attempting to purchase Merwin’s to use the site to their own ends. Ultimately, this being a sale between two private parties, the deal fell apart for a myriad of reasons—including distrust between the parties.
- little more than 1 year ago, the Attorney General’s office initiated a nuisance action together with the City Attorney and County Attorney. Merwin’s was under strict deadlines to address and abate the nuisance activity occurring on its premises, and this led to…
- Merwin’s hired new management (now the applicant going by TXT)
- in the case of a nuisance complaint, Merwin’s must commit a violation of the complaint in order for the state to act. Since the start of the complaint, Merwin’s and their new management have committed no violation for the state to act on. Police calls have plummeted and there have been almost no incidents of violence—the leadership of the 4th Precinct will affirm this.
This is not to paint a beautiful picture of harmony. Some of this activity has moved elsewhere, but the severe violence has not been recreated elsewhere—that is a major upside for not only the Northside, but the city as a whole.
As recently as December of last year—after multiple delays to the TXT license initiated by me in the hopes of getting the parties back at the table together to work out a solution that works for all—the Merwin’s owners offered one final option for the church to purchase the property.
Had Sanctuary made another effort to buy, I would have supported it, and I certainly would have asked each and every one of my colleagues in the City Council and the Mayor to support the purchase with city resources. But the deal, again, fell apart.
Everyone has their side of the story, but this is ultimately a sale between private entities, so I am not able to say who is at fault for the deal falling apart. All I know is that it did, and we had before us two options:
1. we could've denied TXT the license, maintaining the status quo of the current Merwin's owners, and risking the corner return to its previous, unmanageable and violent form.
2. or we could grant TXT the license, allowing them to execute their purchase agreement on the business, and first right of refusal on the building.
There are other considerations that made a simple “denying” of the license achievable, but for legal reasons, I am not able to opine on these considerations. We did, however, receive extensive analysis from our counsel.
If I thought TXT was irresponsible or a danger to the community, I would be the loudest advocate in fighting for denial despite our lack of authority, but TXT has proven to be a calming and competent presence on that corner. Again, in the past year, police calls have plummeted, violence is no longer the status quo on that corner, and TXT’s security plan was approved by the 4th Precinct.
As public servants committed to public safety, and as fiduciaries of taxpayer and city resources, I believe the only responsible vote (given the options in front of us) was to grant TXT its liquor license and allow the Northside to move on from Merwin’s Liquor's current owners.
Please reach out to me or my staff with any additional questions.
 This morning I joined many of my incredible Black colleagues in kicking off Black History month but we added an extra week to the celebration. At full council, the mayor and City Council passed a resolution honoring Black History Month. The resolution states that “the Mayor and City Council do hereby commemorate the achievements of Black Americans as history makers and legacy trailblazers and their role in the development of the region and the nation since its inception, and we join in recognizing the annual celebration of Black History Month and the anniversary of the Minneapolis Black Employee Network.”
Celebrate Black History Month with us! The City of Minneapolis is offering free, public events under the theme African Americans & the Arts.
Upcoming Black History Month events
- Black Music and the Arts – The Minneapolis Sound A panel discussion to explore the history of Black contributions to music with a focus on the “Minneapolis Sound.” Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 City of Minneapolis Public Service Building, Conference Room 100 505 Fourth Ave. S.
- Black and Belonging A community discussion around belonging to a collective and creating welcoming spaces where we all belong. Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14 City of Minneapolis Public Service Building, Conference Room 100 505 Fourth Ave. S.
- Family Feud: Black History Month Trivia Featuring Hennepin County and City of Minneapolis employees: a live event to have fun, laugh, show off what you know about Black history, or learn something new. Noon-2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 North Point Conference Center, Fifth Floor, Suite 5200 1256 Penn Ave. N.
- History Makers at Home The Minneapolis Civil Rights Department will recognize leaders in the areas of business, criminal justice, education, economic development, health, housing and government. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway Ave.
- Rock Your Crown This is the event where hair rules! With the State of Minnesota signing the Crown Act into law, we will celebrate the history of Black hair and the art of styling it. Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 City of Minneapolis Public Service Building, Conference Room 100 505 Fourth Ave. S.
The events for Black History Month are presented in partnership with the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County through the efforts of these employee resource groups: City of Minneapolis Black Employee Network, Hennepin County People of Color Employee Resource Group and Hennepin County African American Employee Resource Group. History Makers at Home is presented by the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights.
Today the Minneapolis City Council passed a ceasefire resolution for Palestine. I want to thank my colleagues Councilmember Chughtai, Chowdhury, and Wonsley for leading this work, as well as, all the community members who had hard and honest conversations with us to help shape this resolution.
This conflict is devastating. The attacks on October 7th were horrific and should be condemned but it is not an excuse for a 25 to 1 death rate. We can not ignore the realities on the ground or what international bodies have declared on this issue. The controversy surrounding this resolution should not deter us from advocating for a ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid. Our call for a ceasefire in Palestine stems from a deeply human-centric perspective, emphasizing the paramount importance of human rights. We view the situation not through the lens of religion or ethnicity but as a critique of governmental actions.
While it may not be within the city council's purview to make determinations or assertions on global matters, such as labeling conflicts as genocide, it is entirely appropriate for us to express concerns about the allocation of our constituents' tax dollars at the federal level. The resolution, conceived during the city’s holiday break period, underscores our commitment to responsible governance. As we delve into the substantive policy work our office has prioritized for this term, this resolution remains a vital expression of our constituents' values and concerns on the international stage. Past resolutions on issues like Ukraine, Syria, Oromo and Tigray, the Cuba embargo, the calling of United States to lead the global efforts to relieve famine and food insecurity in the Horn of Africa, and for the United States to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear wars demonstrate our consistent engagement in global affairs. I'm proud that Minneapolis is joining the growing list of U.S cities urging our President to push for a ceasefire.
 I had the honor this week of joining Mayor Frey, City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and Community Planning & Economic Development Director Erik Hansen to highlight a $1.5 billion real estate and construction value captured in Minneapolis last year (2023). Within Ward 5 alone, we saw:
- $143,142,386 in total construction valuation
- 118 commercial permits issued representing $117,369,654 in construction value
- 1,156 residential permits issued representing $25,772,732 in construction value
These numbers translate directly into economic security for city residents. This is people being able to make a living, this is people being able to go somewhere to work, it's people being able to have a stable place to live. Some of the largest projects we saw in our ward were North High School, V3 center, Shelby Commons Apartments, and Plymouth Ave Apartments.
Join me from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM every Monday for Open Coffee Hours! These are informal and a chance for me to hear directly from you while we share coffee or a meal (virtually).
Office hours is on a first come first served basis. Please try not to call in past 12:50 p.m. as we want to leave enough time to chat about what you'd like to discuss.
Please RSVP here and my staff will follow-up with the call-in details. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Dieu Do, Policy Associate, at dieu.do@minneapolismn.gov.
Are you experiencing struggles with food insecurity, housing, career readiness, and legal matters? Are you in need of help? Please look below to see which resources can be beneficial to you.
Career Readiness
Family Support & Educational Programming
Food Insecurity
Housing/Tenant Protections
Legal Representation
Minneapolis residents eligible for energy assistance may qualify to have the additional cost of a winter storm surcharge removed from their gas bills. Gas customers eligible for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can qualify to have a gas surcharge removed.
The City of Minneapolis is encouraging anyone who may qualify to apply for assistance:
The fee will be removed through September 2026.
Additional Benefit
- Those who qualify will also be enrolled in CenterPoint Energy’s Gas Affordability Program. This will limit the amount a customer will pay per month on their gas bill.
You might be eligible for free or low-cost internet services. The City is partnering with local providers to help make the internet more accessible.
Resources include:
- Discounted internet for household use.
- Free temporary internet access at Wi-Fi hotspots.
- Free internet access to public sector information including City, County and State resources.
- Low-cost computers.
- Public computer access.
- Personal help from a “digital navigator.”
Call 311, email 311 or look on the City website to find details, a list of resources and how to find out if you qualify for different internet services programs.
To help others find these resources, Hennepin County has developed flyers in four languages to share.
The Affordable Connectivity Program helps households pay for internet service and get a discount on a device. Find out if you qualify for the program on the Hennepin County website.
Food Shelves and Food Distribution
- Check out the Minneapolis food security resources on the City website. You can find locations, hours, contact information, and volunteer/donation needs of local food shelves and food distributions.
- To see food shelves by location, explore our map.
Need to report an issue? Can't find the right information? Minneapolis 311 can help. 311 coordinates with City departments and service providers to report your concerns, find you information and connect you with nonemergency City services. For example, if you report an abandoned vehicle, pothole, or long grass/weeds, 311 connects with the experts in the right department to get to the bottom of it.
There are many ways to get in contact with 311 for non-emergency City information. Choose what's easiest for you.
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Call 311. Agents are here to answer your call 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 311 from within city limits or 612-673-3000.
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Email 311. You can email 311 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agents will respond 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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Text 311. You can text 311 a short question any time. Just text two or three keywords to 311TXT (311898) to receive an answer from the Minneapolis 311 information database on your mobile phone.
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Get the 311 mobile app. Report neighborhood issues on the 311 mobile app 24 hours a day.
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TTY. 311 agents use computer-based technology so hearing-impaired callers can easily communicate with the City using TDD/TTY devices. Call TTY 612-263-6850.
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Use the contact form. You can send 311 your comments or questions on the website contact form.
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