City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 04/15/2024 03:48 PM CDT
Council Member Linea Palmisano
April 15, 2024
Left: Girl Scouts at Kenny Elementary hosted me; Right: I hosted our ward forum with Inspector Christie Nelson and Commissioner Todd Barnette.
Dear Neighbor,
At last Thursday's Council Meeting, I made a motion to rescind the rideshare ordinance. As was the case with many of the previous rideshare votes, I was outvoted 10-3 with the support of only CM Vetaw and CM Rainville. You can watch my comments from the meeting at this link. One of my colleagues also brought forward a motion to delay the implementation of this ordinance from May 1 to July 1, which passed unanimously. This delay is not a fix, but it’s a step in the right direction. I believe this delay succeeded because of the thousands of emails my colleagues have received from concerned residents. I am grateful so many of you have been engaged on this issue and appreciate all of your outreach to me.
There is a path forward that fulfills the goal of every driver earning minimum wage while maintaining these critical services for riders, but it will require my colleagues to compromise and put the needs of the community before personal political agendas. I will continue to advocate for that path. And, I will vote against this ordinance until it is amended to align with the data from the MN Department of Labor Wage Study and is acceptable to drivers, riders, and TNC companies alike.
On a lighter note, I’ve had two great opportunities to engage with residents over the past few weeks in addition to the regular neighborhood meetings!
I visited with the Kenny Girl Scout Troop and shared about my role as a City Council Member. I enjoyed helping them identify ways to participate in local government. We had a lot to share about how door knocking people we don’t know makes us nervous- the difference is I’m not usually carrying cookies like they do!
On Tuesday evening, I hosted a 13th Ward Forum with Commissioner Todd Barnette and Inspector Christie Nelson. My thanks to both of them for sharing the evening with you and your neighbors. After they gave us a bit about their background, I really tried to run this like a conversation. Topics you asked about didn’t surprise me and are things I work with them on- juvenile crime rates, how the city and county intersect on this matter, how neighbors can be helpful to enhancing public safety,
I hope to see you around soon, especially as the weather warms up!
As part of the 2024 Sidewalk Replacement Program, a contractor will be performing sidewalk work in portions of Lynnhurst, Armatage, and Kenny. The Sidewalk Replacement Program is part of the City’s 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, with areas of work prioritized by age, condition, and in coordination with other City projects.
Over the next few weeks, Sidewalk Inspectors will be walking all of the public sidewalks in the designated areas and marking sections of sidewalk for replacement. In general, these are sections of sidewalk that are settled, broken, defective, and hazardous to pedestrians. If sidewalk repairs are identified, the abutting property owners will receive a “Sidewalk Repair Notice” by mail, 30 days in advance of any work being performed. Property owners may choose to use the City-hired contractor or hire their own sidewalk contractor. Actual sidewalk replacement work by our contractor is anticipated to begin on or around June 1 with all work completed by September 30 of this year.
Beginning Monday, April 15, the intersection at 43rd and Upton will be closed to car traffic, and pedestrian walkways will remain open. During that time:
Metro Transit will use this time to begin construction on METRO E Line stations at the Northeast and Northwest corners of the intersection, and to add pedestrian improvements at all four corners of the intersection.
Construction work hours will be from 7am-6pm, Monday through Friday.
Project Timeline
Public Works has quoted a shutdown time of 70 days (10 weeks), provided they don’t uncover anything unexpected once they begin digging. They will need the intersection shut down for their entire construction period.
Metro Transit will take advantage of the intersection closure to complete as much work as possible for the METRO E Line.
When Public Works has completed their project, Metro Transit will continue their construction until the METRO E Line stations and pedestrian improvements are completed. At that time, North/South traffic through the intersection could reopen while East/West traffic will be detoured.
The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and the Southwest Business Association (SWBA) are working hard to keep neighbors informed and support local businesses throughout this construction. Visit the LHiNC website to learn more.
The Lake Harriet Bandshell and its concessions building have been repaired and repainted blue! Work on this phase of the project was completed over the winter.
Next, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board painters and carpenters will repair and repaint the sidewalls of smaller Bandshell area structures (the building next to the boat launch and picnic pavilion next to the concessions building) this spring and summer. Minneapolis Music and Movies in the Park will continue as normal this summer, then those smaller structures will be reroofed in the fall and winter.
Please stay away from areas under construction, follow onsite safety signs and do not go into areas that are fenced off. We appreciate everyone's patience as the Bandshell area is renovated.
Many of you have reached out over the past few months with concerns about the number of lights out around Lake Harriet Parkway. Unfortunately, many of these lights had their wiring stolen repeatedly for the copper, resulting in nearly five miles of wire needing replacement. With the hope of deterring future theft, Public Works has since shifted from copper to less valuable aluminum wiring.
With warmer temperatures, Public Works has been working diligently to replace the stolen wire and has about two miles of wire replacement work remaining. They anticipate these repairs will be completed by early summer.
The City of Minneapolis has successfully secured a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to fund the rehabilitation of Lake Harriet Parkway from W 42 St. east to Roseway Road.
The City is currently in the process of accepting these funds but will use them to deliver more work along Lake Harriet Parkway as part of the scheduled work in 2026.
The Surface Water and Sewers Division of Public Works is preparing to smoke test a portion of the sanitary sewers in Ward 13 starting the week of May 1. Testing on each block only takes a few days and city-wide smoke testing will be complete by early July.
Since 2007 the City has been smoke testing to identify and eliminate connections of “clear” stormwater from the sanitary sewer. During smoke testing non-toxic smoke is used to identify leaks or faulty connections that may allow rainwater into the sanitary sewer system, which can overflow in a significant storm. This work minimizes risks to human and environmental health posed by overflows and reduces costs to the City to treat water at the wastewater treatment plant.
Sign up for the City of Minneapolis’ new alert system. You can get text alerts, create a full profile if you’d like alerts on specific subjects, and even download the mobile app to your phone.
Alert topics
The City of Minneapolis will use the new system, Smart911, to send alerts on many topics including:
Snow emergencies.
Severe weather.
Public safety incidents.
Major infrastructure issues.
Major special event impacts.
Smart911 replaces the City’s former alert system, Swiftreach. If you were subscribed to Swiftreach, you'll get alerts in the new system. We encourage you to create a Smart911 profile for more precise alerts.
Public Works crews are gearing up to start the City’s comprehensive street sweeping program to clear away what has accumulated in the streets over the winter. The City has scheduled Tuesday, April 16, for the first day of sweeping. Beginning Monday, April 15, drivers should watch for hot pink temporary “No Parking” signs to avoid a ticket and tow.
Starting April 16 for approximately four weeks, sweeping crews will take care of more than 1,000 miles of city streets. To make sure the crews can do the most complete job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance to make sure streets are clear of parked vehicles. Drivers need to follow street sweeping parking rules or they may have their cars ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.
Find Your Street on the Schedule
You can see when your street is scheduled to be swept by visiting the interactive street sweeping map. It will go live Friday, April 12, with this year’s schedule.
Please join us for a Public Meeting to learn more about the process, ask questions, and provide input on traffic calming projects in your neighborhood!
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Painter Recreation Center 620 W 34th St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Through the Neighborhood Traffic Calming process, Minneapolis Public Works is finding ways to make your neighborhood streets safer and eliminate risky driving behaviors. We have identified several areas for traffic calming treatments to be implemented in 2024. Learn more about the City's upcoming Neighborhood Traffic Calming projects.
The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department has scheduled a water main renewal project in the 13th ward. This project will begin in April and is scheduled for completion in November.
The purpose of this project is to remove the mineral deposits from cast iron pipes and install a lining to prevent future mineral build up which can limit proper water flow. This cement lining is certified for use in potable drinking water pipes. The costs associated with this project will not be assessed to your property.
Please note that the renewal project in your neighborhood is one of many being delivered throughout the city this season. These projects are delivered in multiple phases by different specialty crews to efficiently utilize their time. As such, there will likely be periods of minimal activity in your area, but please be assured the project is progressing.
From early April into summer 2024, CenterPoint Energy crews will return to Armatage for three projects. This work is in conjunction with the City of Minneapolis' Pennhurst South Residential Resurfacing.
Project 1: Crews will return to areas affected by CenterPoint's 2023 work to permanently restore the areas that received winter restoration.
Project 2: Crews will replace a small-diameter plastic main, move inside meters outside by appointment, replace and/or reconnect service lines to the first main, and replace a large-diameter steel main.
Project 3: Crews will only move inside meters outside by appointment and replace service lines as needed.
From early April into summer, CenterPoint Energy’s contractors Michels Corporation and Q3 Contracting will move inside meters outside by appointment, replace some natural gas service lines as needed, and restore the affected areas.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet with my constituents, learn more about you and hear your questions, concerns, hopes and dreams for our shared community.
If you'd like to schedule a time to meet with me, send me an e-mailand my staff will help get it scheduled. Please let me know what you'd like to talk about and a convenient place to meet—a coffee shop, a park, your home, my office, etc. I try to reserve Fridays for constituent meetings, but can work them in other times, as necessary, too.
We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:
Room 100, Public Service Center 250 South 4th St. Get directions
For reasonable accommodations or alternative format please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850. Para asistencia, llame al 311. Rau kev pab 311. Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 311.
