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Summary: Due to last-minute absences by committee members and requests for additional presentations, the Committee that considers labor contracts will be taking an additional cycle to discuss the police contract. There will be presentations and opportunities for public comment at the following AEO committee meetings: June 25th at 5pm and July 8th at 1:30pm.
Background: The city and the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (POFM) reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement for the Minneapolis police contract. I chair the Administration and Enterprise Oversight (AEO) Committee, which includes oversight and approval of all the city's labor contracts.
The police contract is extremely important to many residents because of its impacts on the city’s overall public safety system, police recruitment and retention efforts, police accountability, and budgetary impacts. My goal was to ensure that the AEO Committee meetings created ample time for Council Members to discuss the contract with city staff and experts in public, as well as provide accessible opportunities for community members to learn about the contract and share their thoughts. Unfortunately, one of these opportunities had to be canceled due to last-minute absences by AEO Committee members that caused the meeting to lose quorum and required us to adjourn without conducting business.
AEO Vice Chair and Committee member Council Member Palmisano has also submitted a request for three community presentations to be added to the July 8th AEO meeting. Those groups are the League of Women Voters, Plymouth’s Reimagining Community Safety, and Unity Mediation Team. Council Members have been informed that any community group is welcome to present at the July 8th as long as the appropriate request process is completed by the deadline to add agenda items, which is this Monday, June 24th. At least one additional group, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, has taken advantage of this opportunity and will also be presenting on July 8th.
In order to accommodate these changes, the AEO Meeting on July 8th will include additional discussion on the contract, to hold the second public comment period that was unable to be received on June 18th, and to ultimately take a vote on recommending the contract to the full Council which is scheduled for July 18th. Residents can submit written comments on the contract at any time to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov.
As Committee chair, I have spent the past month working with my colleagues and city staff on crafting a timeline that would allow for ample discussion and community engagement around this contract with the goal of having Council take a vote on this item on June 27th. This was communicated multiple times to my colleagues with advance notice. Council Members who chose to prioritize events other than the committee meeting, as well as last minute requests for additional presentations, ultimately caused this process to be extended into mid-July.
This modified timeline honors the original commitment by council to provide the public two opportunities for input, and allows multiple community groups equal access to present their perspectives to the committee.
Here is the updated police contract schedule:
Monday June 25th at 5 p.m. in person at the adjourned meeting of the AEO Committee.
- Presentation by city staff on the police contract
- Presentation by Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract
- Public comment. Each testifier will be granted 2 minutes to speak.
Monday July 8th at 1:30 in person at the AEO Committee
- Presentation by City Staff
- Presentation by League of Women Voters, Plymouth’s Reimagining Safety Group, and the Unity Mediation Team, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice. Other groups may be added should Council Members make additional submissions by the appropriate submission deadlines.
- Public Comment Each testifier will be granted 2 minutes to speak.
Thursday July 18th at 9:30am
- City Council will vote on the tentative agreement
Key votes: The AEO Committee will hear presentations by city staff and community groups and receive public comment on two dates: June 25th at 5pm and July 8th at 1:30pm. All residents can testify for two minutes or submit comments in writing to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov. On July 8th the AEO Committee will vote on recommending the contract to the full Council for a vote on July 18th.
Summary: The Office of Community Safety gave a presentation with updates from the first and second quarters of 2024.
The Office of Community Safety presented updates from all five of the Departments in OCS (Fire, Police, Neighborhood Safety, Emergency Management, and 911) as well as the Office of Community Safety that is tasked with coordinating them.
While the Neighborhood Safety Department reported that they had completed payment on all contracts, I and other Council Members have been approached by vendors within the past two days who have communicated that they have not been paid. These staffing and management issues continue to pose major questions and concerns about the administration’s commitment to a functioning comprehensive public safety system.
It was also very concerning to see that MPD has deferred its Safe Summer work until July 29th. This is deep into the summer months and misses significant opportunities to get out ahead of the seasonal increases in violence. This makes it all the more important that we fully fund violence prevention and intervention work by MinneapolUS, Youth Group Violence Intervention (YGVI) groups as well as Group Violence Intervention (GVI) programs this summer.
Earlier today, my office had a productive conversation with OSC leadership and the Mayor’s staff about how best to advance funding for these groups in the coming weeks so that they have the resources needed to make our communities safer this summer.
Summary: Seward residents and community are invited to a meeting on July 11th at 6pm at Matthews Park to discuss the proposed 3rd Precinct/South Minneapolis Community Safety Center.
Background: Mayor Frey has proposed building a new 3rd Precinct and “Community Safety Center” at 2633 Minnehaha Ave in Seward.
The City Council has been clear that this building needs to represent and embody the city’s new model of comprehensive public safety instead of just rebranding the police.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Mayor’s administration has no intention of actually using this building for anything other than a status quo 3rd Precinct. As of June 7th, the Mayor’s administration still cannot provide basic information such as what percent of the building will offer non-police safety programs, and what those programs and services are. We still have no idea if this building will be 25% police, 50% police, or 80% police. We have no idea what the “other services” will be- with ideas that have been discussed ranging as widely as youth programs, a food shelf, violence interrupters, conflict mediators, a DMV, a gym, phone charging stations, and substance use recovery programs. The Mayor is also proposing significant cuts to a huge portion of the comprehensive public safety budget to use as one-time dollars for the police contract. These cuts would amount to over $9 million for programs including hate crime response, public transit safety, cultural corridor ambassadors, and non-police public safety programs in the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center.
The administration's actions completely contradict their public statements that 2633 Minnehaha will not just be a police precinct, but a place that will embody the future of the city’s public safety system that goes beyond police. Meanwhile, the Office of Community Safety continues to claim it will use the very dollars that Mayor Frey is trying to redirect to funding the police contract.
Council Member Chavez and I are working with the administration to have OSC leadership and staff come before the Public Health and Safety (PHS) committee to provide an update on the South Minneapolis Safety Center at our next meeting on July 10th. In this update, they will give additional information about the specific programs and services being proposed for 2633 Minnehaha. OSC staff will also give an in depth overview of trends and recommendations that came from the community engagement sessions. I will provide additional details once the date is confirmed.
I know that public safety is a top priority for many residents of Ward 2 and the 3rd Precinct. I also know that many Seward residents feel strongly that any new Safety Center in the neighborhood must not be a rebranded police precinct, but must house many programs and services outside of police.
In light of this, I will be hosting a community meeting for Seward residents and community to talk through what we know so far about the Mayor’s proposal. I will also be hoping to hear your thoughts, concerns, and priorities.
3rd Precinct/Community Safety Center
Seward Neighborhood Meeting
July 11th 6-7:30pm
Matthews Park Rec Center (2318 29th Ave S)
Summary: Staff presented on carbon emissions fees, laying out a clear pathway to charge polluters for the costs of the city’s ongoing carbon emission reduction efforts.
Background: Following the lead of community groups organizing around the People’s Climate and Equity Plan, my office has been working with city staff to implement Pollution Control Annual Registration (PCAR) fees on carbon emissions. I authored a legislative directive to calculate a fee on carbon emissions that could be charged to polluters to recoup the costs of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation.
The presentation and report that staff presented outline a clear and specific set of steps we can take to implement carbon fees starting in the 2025 budget. By implementing a PCAR fee for CO2e emissions, the city can create a self-supporting program to increase Green Cost Share and other carbon emission mitigation measures for big polluters. This will help reduce our emissions at no cost to taxpayers. I am excited to work with staff to move this initiative forward in the coming months.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Summary: Staff presented on my legislative directive about how we can reduce commercial and residential vacancy by charging vacancy abatement fees to landlords with properties that are empty for over six months.
Background: Residents have reached out to my office to share that they are disturbed to see vacant houses and apartments in their neighborhoods and across the city, while also seeing unhoused residents sleeping in tents and knowing that there are thousands of renters who are struggling to pay rent each month. I have heard from residents in Como who have seen multiple single family homes sit empty on their block. Activating all our existing housing is one of the most cost-efficient ways we can address the housing crisis.
I have also heard from many residents who are frustrated at chronically vacant commercial properties in their neighborhoods that represent lost opportunities to build our local economy and activate commercial corridors.
Upon hearing these repeated concerns, I have been taking a number of steps to reduce commercial and residential vacancies across the city. This work has been guided by the expertise of residents and city staff from Regulatory Services and CPED who have valuable perspectives on why vacancy occurs and what kinds of strategies we can invest in to activate vacant properties into housing and commercial space.
Vacancy of over six months is already defined as a nuisance in our city code, meaning the city has the authority to take actions to help support property owners to fill vacancies or to sell their properties to owners who do want to activate the property.
Given this, I authored a legislative directive for staff to calculate the costs of a program to identify vacant properties, provide resources for property owners to find tenants or sell the property, and do follow up. The costs of this program would be recouped through a fee to the property owner.
Staff presented a proposed fee structure that could be implemented in 2025 and would be self-sustaining. I am extremely hopeful that this program could help reduce commercial and residential vacancy and activate more of our housing stock and commercial spaces, all at no cost to taxpayers.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Summary: Residents are invited to attend a Policy Roundtable on Immigration on June 26th at 1:30pm at the Public Service Building.
Background: Earlier this year, I authored a legislative directive about what the city is doing to support displaced populations who are relocating to Minneapolis, and what we can do to prepare to welcome and support new residents. Staff will be responding to this directive in two venues: a Policy Roundtable and a presentation in committee.
The Policy Roundtable offers a high-level overview relating to programs, services and partnerships available to local immigrants in Minneapolis, including newcomer communities. Representatives from the state Resettlement Programs Office, Hennepin County, and Minneapolis Public Schools, local nonprofit immigration legal service organizations (Advocates for Human Rights and Mid Minnesota Legal Aid) and select city staff will share perspectives regarding their work with the immigrant resident community in Minneapolis.
Presenters will address the welcoming infrastructure that exist within our city, county and state, provide an overview of types of immigration status including immigration classifications including those offering work authorization, offer available data regarding our immigrant resident population, identify barriers to opportunity and work to remove those barriers, and discuss ways to support residents born outside of the United States in achieving lives of safety, stability and opportunity.
This Roundtable will focus on learning, asking questions, and developing a shared understanding of current dynamics–no legislative action will be taken. There will be a follow-up presentation in the AEO Committee on July 22nd where city staff will present on their departments' roles in supporting new residents in our city.
I am glad to be working alongside colleagues like Council Members Chavez, Chowdhury, and others on the Council who are working on policies and programs to support new residents and immigrants. There is an unfortunate history of Black residents and other marginalized populations being pitted against immigrants and new residents for scarce resources. As a Black democratic socialist, I am firmly committed to rejecting this dynamic. All our communities deserve to be fully resourced.
We need to be proactive about preparing for an influx of new residents so that we are best able to ensure that resources are not strained or diverted from existing programs, and that working class residents are not in real or perceived competition for limited resources.
Key votes: Policy Roundtable on Immigration on June 26th at 1:30pm at the Public Service Building. No votes will be taken.
The Augsburg Pedestrian Bridge (Pedestrian Bridge 9892) was constructed with Interstate 94 in 1962. The bridge was built to connect the Seward neighborhood south of I-94 with Augsburg University and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood north of I-94.
On August 6, 2019, a truck hit the bridge and damaged it beyond repair. A temporary bridge was placed until a more permanent one could be installed. The current temporary structure is not designed to be used for more than ten years and does not meet ADA standards. MnDOT is now in the process of planning and designing the permanent bridge. MNDOT staff has confirmed that installing a replacement bridge does not influence any part of the Rethinking I-94 decision-making process or outcomes.
The public is invited to learn more about the new bridge and share input at the upcoming public meeting.
In-person public meeting
Thu, June 27
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center
420 15th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454
I was honored to join Seward Redesign, Council Member Chavez, Mayor Frey, Congresswoman Omar, and Governor Walz to celebrate the historic opening of the Coliseum building on Lake and Minnehaha. This building was severely damaged during the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd. Four years later, it is being reopened as a community space dedicated to building wealth for Black and BIPOC small businesses. It is co-owned by three Black women entrepreneurs and will host a huge variety of businesses, classes, events, and community gathering spaces. The city granted the Coliseum a $1.5 million loan from the Ownership and Opportunity Fund (formerly the Commercial Property Development Fund).
The Coliseum is a shining example of how the rebuilding of Lake Street offers opportunities to create an equitable and anti-racist city, instead of recreating the status quo. Thank you to Seward Redesign for your incredible work on this project.
I attended the Freedom and Fellowship Juneteenth Violence Prevention Community Cookout at Shiloh Temple hosted by Change Starts with Community. It was a joyful community event and a wonderful way to celebrate and honor Juneteenth. Thank you to the violence prevention leaders who organized this beautiful day.
I spoke on The Conversation with Al McFarlane about Juneteenth and the ongoing struggle for Black liberation in Minneapolis. Thank you Al for being a constant guiding voice in the community and for creating opportunities for conversations like these.
Portions of select Minneapolis streets will close downtown as Paisley Park hosts Celebration 2024 to mark the 40th anniversary of Prince’s beloved “Purple Rain.”
To accommodate Celebration 2024, these streets will close following the afternoon rush hour Friday, June 21, and reopen by 6 a.m. Sunday, June 23:
- North First Avenue Between the front doors of the First Avenue nightclub and Hawthorne Avenue in front of the Hawthorne Municipal parking ramp.
- North Ninth Street Between the front of Ramp A and Hennepin Avenue.
When big events come to downtown Minneapolis, it’s important to plan ahead and consider alternative transportation options. More information about transit, parking, scooter and bike share options, and more is on the City’s website.
Visitors can support the City’s new As You Go MPLS campaign by leaving their cars at home and traveling downtown by transit, walking, biking or rolling. The campaign celebrates getting around in ways that boost health, save money and reduce stress.
At a Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic, you will receive guided assistance from volunteers to dismantle, troubleshoot and repair your small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more.
Feel empowered, learn valuable skills and reduce waste all at the same time.
Upcoming Fix-It Clinic Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, July 13 Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S.
Hennepin County's Choose to Reuse website
Another way to keep from throwing useful things away: Learn about upcoming swap and reuse sales.
Health Commons- Cedar Riverside is excited to offer a six-week prenatal and infant health education program designed for pregnant women, mothers of infants, their support people, and other female community members interested in learning about prenatal and infant health. This program, which meets once a week on Thursday evenings from 5 PM to 7 PM, covers a variety of essential topics such as nutrition, infant feeding, safe sleep practices, infant safety, warning signs during pregnancy, prenatal care, childbirth, mental health, and will include active time doing gentle exercises like yoga.
The next session starts on Thursday, July 25th, 2024, and classes are led by Augsburg Nursing Faculty, Graduate Nursing Students from Augsburg, bilingual community liaisons, and a Somali interpreter. Participants who complete the six-week program will receive a $150 stipend. For more information or to sign up, visit Health Commons in Building B of Riverside Plaza and speak with the staff, or contact Katie Martin at martinka@augsburg.edu or 651-328-4551.
This program will be offered multiple times through July 2025, providing additional opportunities for participation. The Minnesota Department of Health is funding this opportunity through the Healthy Beginnings Healthy Families: Infant Health Grant.
36th ART, a resident-led community improvement initiative in South Minneapolis, is deepening its partnership with the Hiawatha Collegiate High School to present Bridging Cultures, a weekend long paint-a-thon and neighborhood cultural festival highlighting the start of National Latino Heritage Month September 14-15, 2024.
The school is located on 36th Avenue South, across from Brackett Park and next to the Midtown Greenway railroad bridge, which has long been an unwelcoming and unsafe passageway. 36th ART members selected City Mischief Murals, led by Thomasina TopBear, to transform the bridge into a welcoming neighborhood gateway.
36th ART will build on the success of its partnership with the school in 2023, which resulted in two 80-foot murals along the walkways under the bridge. TopBear and her mural-painting team will commence the bridge paint-a-thon on Saturday, September 14th and complete the work on Sunday afternoon, September 15th.
On Sunday, September 15th, as the paint-a-thon nears completion, an afternoon cultural festival will take place in Brackett Park, featuring music, dance, art making, hands-on educational activities, storytelling and more. Students at the high school, 90% of whom are Latinx, will help create and participate in the festival, which marks the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month. The festival will be produced by Indigenous Roots, a renowned multicultural event organizer based in St. Paul. Bridging Cultures will culminate at 5 pm Sunday with the unveiling of the newly transformed bridge.
Leaders at the school, which opened its doors six years ago, are excited to build relationships with its Seward and Longfellow neighbors and grow broader community understanding and appreciation for the many facets of Latinx cultures housed in the school. The gathering will also introduce students and their families to the residents and businesses in the surrounding community.
36th ART is currently seeking sponsors and donors for Bridging Cultures. Hiawatha Academies is serving as the fiscal sponsor and all gifts are tax-deductible. The school has established a crowd-funding GiveMn site for individual donations. Click here to learn about funding and sponsorship opportunities.
For further updates on Bridging Cultures, including volunteer opportunities, please visit 36th ART’s website and social media outlets on Instagram and Facebook.
For more information about Bridging Cultures, please contact project manager Jack Becker at BeckerJack54@gmail.com.
Contact Ward 2
Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward2
Email: ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2202
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 ayuda, llame al 311. Rau kev pab, hu 311. Hadii aad caawimaad u baahantahay, wac 311. |
