Last week, I accompanied my son Croix & the Justice Page Future City Team to Washington DC for the Future City Finals. In this national competition, middle school students design sustainable cities of the future. This year’s theme was “Electrify Your Future”, and challenged students to build a 100% electrically powered city with energy sources. Congratulations to the Justice Page Middle School Team for winning the American Public Works Association's “Advancing Quality of Life for All Award”! 

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our “Resident Brainstorm: Let Your Ideas Shape Our Priorities” survey.  If you haven’t participated yet, we’d love to hear from you! Your input will help shape our priorities and ensure that our efforts align with your needs and wants. Make sure to share the survey with your neighbors and community! The deadline is this Friday, March 1st at 5pm.

Finally, next week is our monthly Ward 11 Meeting on Monday, March 4th from 7-8:30pm at Pearl Park. See you there!

At our first Ward 11 Monthly Meeting of the year, we discussed the new City Council term, and I asked the question “What do you want us to work on?”. It was a great opportunity to hear directly from you and to discuss the work you'd like to see us get done. 

We wanted to give an opportunity for all Ward 11 residents to contribute to the conversation, so we created a “Help Set our 2024 Priorities” survey! The survey seeks your input as we set our goals for the new City Council term. Your feedback will help shape our direction and prioritize our work on behalf of Ward 11. The survey will close on March 1, 2024 at 5:00 PM.

Thank you for your participation in this survey, and please share with your neighbors and friends in Ward 11!

With the presidential primary election just a couple weeks away, the Early Vote Center is extending its hours. Anyone who is eligible to vote in Minneapolis on the day of the primary can vote early at the Early Vote Center, 980 E. Hennepin Ave.

From now through Thursday, Feb. 29, the Early Vote Center’s weekday hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekend hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. On Friday, March 1, the center is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The center’s last day of service is Monday, March 4, which is the day before the presidential primary election. Hours March 4 are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Elections offices are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, but only for dropping off mail ballots.

Also, voters at the Early Vote Center can now place their ballot directly into the tabulator without needing to complete a series of envelopes, just like the process on the day of the primary.

Request mail-in ballot soon

If you’re planning to vote by mail, the City recommends applying for your mail ballot as soon as possible. Go to the City website to apply.

Completed ballots should be mailed no later than Tuesday, Feb. 27. After that date, the City recommends returning your mail ballot in person to make sure it arrives in time. Ballots can be dropped off during regular business hours at Minneapolis Election & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave.

Find information about registering and voting in Minneapolis on the City website.

The City of Minneapolis will update community members March 7 on new concepts for the New Nicollet Redevelopment Project. The concepts address the road and the public spaces. A once-in-a-generation opportunity, this project can help reshape the site for a better quality of life in the area.

The City plans to reconnect Nicollet Avenue between Lake Street and Cecil Newman Lane. We’ll work in partnership to develop the rest of the site into a walkable area with housing and retail. In November 2023, the City demolished the former Kmart building; the building had blocked Nicollet Avenue for  years.

Based on community input, City policies and project goals, the project team selected concepts for the site. City staff will first present the recommended selections to the community. The recommendations will go to the City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey this spring.

New Nicollet Redevelopment Project Open House 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 7 Abyssinia Cultural Center, 322 W. Lake St.

The open house will be a fun, family-friendly event to see the design concepts and talk with staff.

Community engagement on the development is expected to start in summer 2024.

Learn more about the New Nicollet Redevelopment Project and how to stay up to date on the project.

The Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) relies on volunteers to help feed, exercise, play with, train, and clean up after the animals in the shelter.  Volunteers can greatly impact the quality of life for the animals in the shelter.

Opportunities include:

The Animal Safety Net Program (ASN)- Short and long-term care for animals facing displacement from their families due to medical emergencies, disasters, domestic violence, and other reasons.

Foster care- Provide a temporary home to saves lives and reduces the stress for animals in transition.

Enrichment- Volunteers work closely with staff to provide enrichment to the animals housed in our facility.

Rehabilitation- Many animals come to MACC in times of physical, mental or behavioral crisis. Our volunteers work with staff to rehabilitate every animal to ensure they can safely return to the community and have a positive outcome

Exercise- MACC has a policy that every animal gets out of its kennel or cage every day. Volunteers walk dogs 3 times a day.

Dogs Playing for life- Play for life is a program that allows dogs to learn good behavior from other dogs. MACC’s play for life program is completely volunteer run.

Matchmakers- Matchmakers are specially trained volunteers. They work with customers to help them find the perfect pet for their family.

MACC also has limited administrative projects for volunteers who may not be able to work directly with animals.

Volunteers must agree to:

• Commit to a minimum of four hours a month for six months or longer. 
• Work at the shelter from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday – Friday or 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday – Sunday
• Work a shift. Most shifts are two hours. 

Learn More about Volunteer Opportunities Here.

A community safety center pilot is expected to open late this summer on East Lake Street. Commissioner of Community Safety Toddrick Barnette and Office of Community Safety Director of Design and Implementation Amanda Harrington recently presented an update to the City Council on the project. The center will allow neighborhood residents to have space in the neighborhood where they can access a select number of services and resources until the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center opens in 2025.

The Office of Community Safety will be meeting with partners across the enterprise and the community to determine what services and resources could be located at the East Lake Street location. Feedback from the community will also play a large role in this determination.

A potential site for the center has been identified. The City is currently following its procurement process to lease space.

To watch the presentation, click the play button for the Feb. 14 Public Health & Safety meeting. Then you can click “select chapter” and choose “discussion” to go directly to this presentation.

Enter the lottery by March 31 for the chance to buy a $30 tree for your Minneapolis property. The City will offer 1,000 low-cost shade and evergreen trees to help grow the city’s tree canopy. The trees range from 3 feet to 8 feet tall.

The City is especially focused on adding trees in the Green Zones as those areas have some of the lowest tree cover in the city. We encourage anyone who owns property in the Green Zones to enter the lottery.

Sign up by March 31 to enter the lottery. Limit one entry per Minneapolis address. Rental property owners may enter the lottery for each planting address.

If you’re selected

If you’re selected in the lottery, you can buy one or two trees per address. You’ll get an email in April with information on how to order.

Tree pickup will be May 18 and 19 (subject to change). You’ll get an email with the pickup location.

Register for the lottery online.

Learn more about the City Trees program.

The City of Minneapolis is seeking applications for parklets and street cafés for the 2024 season. These programs activate community corridors with fun public spaces that make neighborhoods more vibrant and support local businesses.

Please share this opportunity to create unique public gathering spaces with neighborhood businesses and organizations in Ward 11.

How to participate

Neighborhood organizations, street-level businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, and Special Services Districts are invited to apply.

• City owned parklets: The City is looking for three community partners to host our City-owned parklets for the 2024 season. The City-owned parklets include all the necessary structures, plantings, chairs, tables, patio umbrellas, and public parklet signage. Hosts are responsible for day-to-day maintenance, such as watering plants, picking up trash, and reporting any issues. City-owned parklet hosts are selected through a competitive application process.
• Community parklets: Businesses and organizations can apply to create and maintain their own public parklet. The design and installation of community parklets is the responsibility of the applicant.
• Street Cafes: Street-level businesses looking to expand their outdoor seating can apply for a street café license. This space functions as an extension of your business where you can seat and serve your customers.

The deadline to host a City-owned parklet is April 1. All other applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Find more information about the parklet host application process on the City’s website or by contacting parklets@minneapolismn.gov.