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May 10, 2024
Please join us in welcoming to our office Mayna Patel from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. Mayna will be working in our office for the month of May learning about local government and community engagement.
Mayna is from Malaysia where she works for the Ministry of Youth. Mayna organizes nation-wide programs to bring awareness to young-adult related topics and carry out youth empowerment, leadership and capacity building workshops.
Mayna will be with our office until the end of this month, so make sure to stop by and say hi!
Last week was Loring Elementary's Cinco De Mayo Celebration which I was honored to be invited to.
It was a celebration of all things Latin American with costumes, music, and dancing from all different countries. It was clear that the students had been practicing for months and it was very well attended by family, friends, and community members.
Thank you for the invitation and a job well done to the Loring Elementary students and staff!
This week, the Ward 4 Team attended Mayor Frey's 2024 State of the City Address at the NorthStar Center in downtown Minneapolis. The address highlighted the city's record-setting affordable housing production over the past six years, current arts and vibrant storefronts work to revitalize downtown, the Southside Community Safety Center, police reform, the importance of our City workforce, and a high-level forecast of the budgeting process for 2025.
Please join me in welcoming Lucy's Colorful Dress Closet to Ward 4! They opened a couple months ago and they offer a curated memorable shopping experience with vintage, modern, new and pre-loved, ethnic, imported and cultural dresses.
Lucy's Colorful Dress Closet is located at 2802 West Broadway and their hours are M-W By Appointment, Th & F 10:30 am-7pm, Sa 10 am-7 pm, Su By Appointment. Call 612-404-6721 for appointments.
 CPKC's Empress 2816 steam train passed through Ward 4 during its final North American tour.
"The Empress" was built in 1930 and was restored by a unique group of railroaders for a once-in-a-lifetime cross-continent trip starting in April 2024 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of CPKC.
Thank you CPKC for letting us see her before the rest of her tour!
 This week, I presented Dr. Hightower, the Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County, with an honorary resolution declaring May as Community Action Month.
CAP-HC helps people with lower incomes meet their basic needs, build stability, and set out on their path to prosperity through a variety of programs and services.
I am proud to serve as the board's Vice-Chair and grateful for the opportunity to recognize the great work CAP-HC does for our communities.
If you want to schedule a meeting or phone call with me, reach out to Maggie Kohl via email maggie.kohl@minneapolismn.gov or leave a message at 612-673-2204
If you have questions, comments, or concerns please contact Betsy Brock via her email betsy.brock@minneapolismn.gov or cell 612-257-5242
You can also reach me directly at my email latrisha.vetaw@minneapolismn.gov
As most of you know, I have open office hours every Friday at my ward office at 4205 Webber pkwy.
Please feel free to stop in any time between 10 am to 2 pm or email maggie.kohl@minneapolismn.gov to set up another time.
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Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has an in-person clinic in the Harrison neighborhood, offering free legal help! Legal Aid handles problems on this civil side (not criminal), including: housing, consumer, immigration, federal tax, public benefits, family law, and disability discrimination. Generally, clients must be Hennepin residents and be either lower income or aged 60+ (regardless of income). Address: Harrison Neighborhood Association (HNA),1501 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis. Days / Hours: Tues and Thurs, 10 - 3, walk-ins welcome / appointments preferred. To schedule an appointment, call 612-352-9778. Residents can also call Legal Aid's central intake line: 1-877-696-6529 or visit their website: www.mylegalaid.org.
Navigating federal and state taxes can be difficult, but you don't have to do it alone! Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Low Income Taxpayer Clinic hosts twice-monthly Facebook Live presentations where you can ask your questions about important tax issues facing you and your community. Join Legal Aid's LITC Clinic Director Aisha Servaty on Monday May 13th at 12:00PM to learn about what to do when you owe the IRS but can't afford to pay; you have options when it comes to resolving your tax debts. On Monday May 27th at 12:00PM come learn about how to request tax penalties be removed, allowing you to reduce the total amount you owe to the IRS. Can't watch the live presentation? Don't worry! All presentations are available to watch later on Legal Aid's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LegalAid/videos and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@mid-minnesotalegalaid3966/videos
Mayor Jacob Frey, in consultation with City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, has nominated Michelle Phillips to be the City’s new director of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. Phillips currently serves as inspector general for the City of Oakland, California.
Phillips has a deep expertise in civilian oversight of police, providing leadership in the promotion of constitutional policing and building departmental infrastructure to ensure thorough and fair investigative processes. Prior to her service in Oakland, Phillips served as deputy inspector general with the City of Baltimore, leading an investigative team focused on rooting out fraud and abuse and building trust in local government.
If approved for the position of Civil Rights director, Phillips will oversee a department with 46 employees tasked with:
- Enforcing the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances.
- Investigating discriminatory practices.
- Ensuring the protection of members of protected classes.
- Promoting the understanding of civil rights among residents, businesses and government.
The Civil Rights Department, through its Office of Police Conduct Review, also plays a critical role in reform efforts required by the settlement agreement reached with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
The mayor’s nomination has been referred to the City Council to schedule a public hearing for consideration. Once confirmed, she would begin in July.
Read more about the nomination on the City website.
Outdoor air quality affects our health. The City of Minneapolis is recognizing National Air Quality Awareness Week by highlighting programs it uses to track local air quality and give tips to community members to improve neighborhood air quality.
Outdoor air quality affects health
Air quality issues can affect everyone, especially those living with asthma or other breathing challenges. Minnesota is fortunate to generally enjoy good air quality. However, some communities are disproportionately affected by air pollution, including people earning lower incomes and people in Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color.
Recreational fires: Follow the law and be a good neighbor
Residential wood burning accounts for 55% of Minnesota’s tiny pollution particles in the air. The tiny particles are small enough to be breathed in and even enter the bloodstream affecting a person’s health. When having a fire in your yard, consider your health, your family’s and your neighbors’.
Recreational fire laws
- Avoid burning when Minneapolis is under an air pollution advisory. Fires release fine particles that contribute to air pollution and are implicated in health problems including strokes, heart attacks and asthma. Sign up for air quality alerts from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
- Outdoor recreational fires are permitted between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Keep fires small: less than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high.
- Burn only untreated, unpainted, dry wood. Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris, because the smoke can be toxic.
- Have a hose or fire extinguisher present.
Learn more about City regulations around recreational fires.
For more information on recreational fires or to register a complaint about a recreational fire, call or email 311. To register a complaint about a recreational fire outside 311 hours, call 911.
Read more on the City website.
In Minneapolis, City-owned fire hydrants are flushed each year between May and October. Hydrant flushing removes mineral deposits from the water mains. It is also provides an opportunity to make sure hydrants are in working order.
Because flushing stirs up mineral deposits, it can temporarily discolor the tap water. The water is safe for drinking and bathing. However, to avoid staining clothing, we recommend waiting an hour or so and checking to see the water has returned to normal before doing laundry.
Get notified
You can sign up for notifications about water hydrant flushing in your area. Sign up for notifications. Make sure to create a full Smart911 profile online to register your address for location-based notifications like this.
Read more about what to do when hydrants in your area are being flushed.
National Night Out is a time for City residents to come together and celebrate with neighbors. Many blocks in Minneapolis take this opportunity to reconnect, eat and build relationships while kids play and bike freely on a closed street. Our goal this year is to increase participation.
Register your event by July 30
Registration is now open, and it’s free. Sign up early. Registration closes July 30, five days before the event.
Some points to consider:
- Register only one event per block, so confirm with your neighbors who will be registering.
- Consider whether you want your street blocked off to traffic.
- Ask neighbors for help organizing your event.
- Call 311 to request a fire truck, MPD K9, and/or MPD Mounted Patrol.
Contact the City crime prevention specialists with questions.
Register your block.
Plan to join in Neighborhood Day this Saturday, May 11. Neighborhood Day is an annual day set across the city to increase resident participation in local civic engagement through one of the city’s 70 recognized neighborhood organizations. Neighborhood organizations host a neighborhood engagement activity and or board elections to increase resident participation in their neighborhood organizations.
Picture the neighborhood you want to live in and then help make that vision a reality by becoming involved in your neighborhood organization. Learn more about your neighborhood organization by attending a Neighborhood Day event. Examples of 2024 Neighborhood Day events include neighborhood meet and greets, garden tool swaps, youth choir concerts, happy hours and neighborhood cleanup.
Your voice is important
Neighborhood voices are important for equity, but typically fewer than 1% of eligible people vote for neighborhood organization boards. Neighborhood boards are important local forces for change; they make investments and decisions about the community. Voting in board elections can help make sure the board members making these decisions and setting priorities for neighborhood organization activities represent voters on the most local level.
Neighbors are invited to come find out how they can help make their neighborhood better – including neighbors who haven’t been involved before. This will help neighborhood organizations better represent their neighborhoods for more equitable, accessible services.
Look up your neighborhood organization to find updated listings and see if your neighborhood is holding an event or an election this year.
If you don't know which neighborhood you live in, you can look it up by address.
Find more information about neighborhood board elections on the City website.
Find more information about Neighborhood Day on the City website.
Join the City of Minneapolis for a free networking event on not just landing a job but building a career.
Get tips on job searching, building your resume, writing a cover letter and interviewing.
- Get a free professional headshot/photo.
- Meet with hiring managers.
- Enjoy a free lunch.
HR Bridges career fair 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 CareerForce Center, 800 W. Broadway
Learn more about jobs at the City on the City website.
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