| Greetings Ward 11,
Last week, Rutger's University, the City’s Labor Standards Enforcement Division and I gathered to highlight the successes of the Minneapolis Small Business High-Road Labor Standards Intervention Pilot Project I created and funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
This program was the first of its kind in the nation to connect labor enforcement to technical assistance for our small business community and specifically for our I/BIPOC business owners. The pilot project provided small businesses recovering from the COVID 19 pandemic and unrest with education, 1:1 meetings with bookkeepers, free access to HR software, and on-going assistance.
To read my Star Tribune Op-Ed about the pilot project, click here. To view the press conference on the pilot project, click here.
Last week, we received an update from the State Capitol on rideshare. The Governor and State Legislature agreed to legislation setting minimum wage standards for rideshare drivers ($1.28 per mile/$0.31 per minute) and establishing driver protections. The State’s legislation will be the strongest in the nation. I am grateful that Statewide minimum wage standards and worker protections will be in place moving forward. See more in “Rideshare Driver Update.”
Both the small business pilot program and the rideshare minimum wage are examples of the City of Minneapolis leading the way for other jurisdictions and cities nationwide to both advance workers’ rights and help small businesses in our local economy grow and thrive at the same time.
This weekend marks the opening of Minneapolis beaches, pools, and splashpads. See the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Website for a daily status map and updates.
As we approach the upcoming Memorial Day, we honor those who have sacrificed for and served our nation. May their courage inspire us to live with purpose and gratitude.
Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
In Gratitude,
 
The Governor, State Legislature, and companies came to the table to agree to legislation on a new wage floor with a fair minimum wage for rideshare drivers ($1.28 per mile/$0.31 per minute) and establishing driver protections.
This compromise is good. The political process is always messy and in the end, we have met our goals:
- Drivers statewide will make fair wages, a 20% increase from now, with new worker protections
- We have stability for both drivers and riders in Minneapolis
- The local rideshare market has expanded to include new companies, creating a better competitive market for drivers and users.
Until now, our city has been overly dependent on two companies for this essential service. We now need to ensure that we have a healthier and more sustainable market.
Therefore, I have been working with the Minneapolis regional Chamber of Commerce to organize a series of Rideshare Driver workshops this summer. The goal is to connect drivers to the new licensed companies Wridz and Myweels, Metro Transit and other options, and support the growth of new and local companies in our economy.
Learn more about both the new Rideshare companies and the longstanding taxi services that have served our City, such as Blue & White, ABC, Rainbow & Express Taxi here.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a project underway at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP) as part of a nation-wide effort to develop satellite-based departure and landing procedures. The national effort to modernize the airspace is uses GPS coordinates to guide planes rather than relying on ground-based navigation aids.
The FAA says new procedures are needed now because they are decommissioning outdated ground-based navigation equipment.
The FAA has provided a video describing the project at MSP and public engagement is planned for this summer, likely August. The video and other information can be found on the FAA’s webpage for this project. The project is focused on departures procedures because satellite-based arrival procedures have been in place since 2015. However, some adjustments to arrivals procedures are included. The FAA schedule has new procedures being used by August 2025.
One thing you will hear in the FAA video is that the public will have opportunity for input, and that public input will be considered before a design is finalized. The city and our colleagues on the Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) have stressed the need for thorough engagement, where resident input matters, and your questions are answered. The NOC is advisory to the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and has six community representatives and six industry representatives (ex; pilots, cargo carriers).
Satellite-based procedures can introduce more precision to flight paths; That’s why they’re seen as beneficial to safety and efficiency. However, there can be negative impacts such as the potential to concentrate flight paths and noise. The city and NOC have been communicating with the FAA about trying to prevent negative impacts.
Some residents will remember that satellite-based departure procedures were proposed around 2011-2012 and that the city and other stakeholders had significant concerns at the time. There were concerns about the design and the level of information provided to understand potential impacts. Many regional stakeholders expressed that more work should be done before proceeding. The FAA continued to explore options but ultimately did not implement the departure procedures at that time.
Since that time, the city has continued to monitor NextGen implementation across the country to learn from those experiences. While we have seen some progress in terms of FAA design and engagement practices, the city will remain diligent about fully understanding the proposed design and impacts. We will continue to be strong advocates for you to be heard and to have your questions answered.
Learn more Here:
Federal Aviation Administration
Metropolitan Airports Commission
May 24 and 25 will offer several opportunities to honor the life of George Floyd. The City of Minneapolis Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Department will support the George Floyd Global Memorial as it hosts its fourth annual Rise & Remember events.
The City is one of many organizations contributing its talents, abilities, gifts and skills to create space for community to gather and have a great time throughout Minneapolis.
Learn more about all fourth annual remembrance events on the George Floyd Global Memorial website.
Join us June 10 at an open house on the proposed future of the former 3rd Precinct building. The City of Minneapolis is proposing to redevelop 3000 Minnehaha Ave. into a democracy center. It would house Elections & Voter Services and offer a large, ground-floor space for community use.
We want to hear from you. Come any time during the open house for information and to provide your input.
Minnehaha 3000 open house 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10 Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Ave.
Find more information on the City website.
In honor of the Minnesota Timberwolves making it into the Western Conference finals for the first time in 20 years, we’re celebrating by painting First Avenue downtown and temporarily changing street signs to honor the Wolves.
The City’s Public Works crews painted the words “Go Wolves!” on First Avenue North between Fifth and Sixth streets North. The 19-foot-tall letters are painted in Timberwolves blue and green.
City crews put up temporary street signs with the Wolves logo and team colors. The signs are at the intersections of First Avenue and Sixth Street and at First Avenue and Seventh Street.
Read more on the City website.
Visit the 2024 Ward 11 Construction Map to learn more information about the construction projects happening in Ward 11. The interactive Ward 11 Construction Map will be updated throughout the construction season.
If you have any questions about construction projects, please use the contact information listed for each project, or contact the Ward 11 Office.
The first spring farmers markets have opened, kicking off the 2024 season. The other farmers markets and mini markets will open over the next several weeks.
Locally grown food
Farmers markets are a great way to get locally grown food. In 2023, the average distance traveled from farm to market was 42 miles.
Spring, summer, fall farmers market locations and schedules
To see the locations, hours and other information about the 2024 farmers markets, visit the City website.
To learn more about local farmers markets, visit the farmers markets page on the City website.
Market Bucks and SNAP
Shopping at farmers markets is an easy way for everyone to get healthy, local food on the table. The Market Bucks incentive matches up to $10 worth of coupons per day to customers who use SNAP benefits to buy eligible food at participating farmers markets. Participating markets are noted in the map on the City website.
2023 was a record year for SNAP and Market Bucks use citywide, bolstered by Produce Market Bucks offering a double match on SNAP dollars. Farmers market customers in Minneapolis spent more than $345,000 in SNAP, Market Bucks and Produce Market Bucks last year.
Homegrown Minneapolis also offers other ways to get healthy, local food on the table. Homegrown Minneapolis is a citywide initiative expanding our community’s ability to grow, process, distribute, eat and compost more healthy, sustainable, locally grown foods.
With the warmer weather now here, shared electric bikes and scooters are back throughout Minneapolis. These, along with the City’s mobility hubs and the As You Go MPLS campaign, are all getting started for the season to help provide healthy, accessible, environmentally conscious ways for everyone to get around town, especially by bike.
Shared bikes and scooters from Lime and Veo – the City’s two licensed service providers – are now all over town and ready to be rented. As with last season, riders can choose between two e-bikes: pedal assisted ones that add some speed whenever riders pedal, and e-bikes that power the ride even when there’s no pedaling.
To help make access more equitable, Lime and Veo must have least 30% of their shared bikes scooters in lower income areas of Minneapolis, and no more than 40% of them can be Downtown. Both companies also have low-income pricing programs for qualified residents.
Shared bike and scooter riders can end their trip anywhere in the city and just lock their bike to a bike rack or to any signpost except a stop sign or bus stop sign. Last year Public Works installed over 240 of the familiar bright City Blue bike and scooter racks around the city that anyone can use for shared and personal vehicles.
Read more on the City website.
The Minneapolis Department of Regulatory Services is gearing up for a Renter Rights Resource Fair June 4. Together with HOME Line, Legal Aid, Urban League Twin Cities, Arrive Ministries and others, City staff will help community members with:
- Overcoming maintenance issues.
- Renter rights.
- Understanding property owner/tenant responsibilities.
- Housing resources for immigrants and refugees.
- Environmental hazards in homes.
- Providing critical resources.
You can drop in any time during the event or join us at 12:30 p.m. for a presentation from HOME Line about new state laws. A free meal and interpretation services will be provided.
2024 Renter Rights Resource Fair 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 Minneapolis Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., first floor
Share the event with a neighbor and stay up to date by visiting the Facebook event.
Contact Kaylee Tracy for more information or with questions.
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.
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