 Last week, Mayor Jacob Frey, Health Commissioner Damōn Chaplin, Fire Chief Bryan Tyner, and members of the City’s Opioid Response Team unveiled the city's first NARCAN vending machine.
The vending machine, located outside of Fire Station 21, dispenses no-cost, no-questions-asked doses of NARCAN, a lifesaving medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses. The vending machine is the first in a pilot program and was paid for with money received from the opioid settlement fund.
"There's almost nobody who doesn't know someone who has been dramatically impacted by opioids," said Mayor Jacob Frey. "It could be a sister, a brother, a father, or a friend, but opioids—specifically fentanyl—are having a drastic impact on our cities throughout the country, and Minneapolis is not an exception."
In a Sunday letter to the Star Tribune editorial board, Mayor Frey, Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, and Police Chief Brian O’Hara called on the Minneapolis City Council to approve the new police contract. The contract would increase pay for police officers and include reforms that would enhance transparency, strengthen managerial oversight, and equip MPD management with essential tools to better deploy limited resources and run the department.
The City and the POFM negotiated the contract for over nine months. The Council delayed the vote that was originally set to take place as early as June 13. They are now slated to vote on it on July 18.
“We are a city of progress. Further delaying this contract is not progress; voting on it is. We encourage City Council members to vote yes and to vote yes now,” said Frey, Barnette, and O’Hara.
 Minneapolis hosted another successful Taste of Minnesota last weekend! Mayor Frey helped kick off the free, two-day festival on Saturday by ziplining across downtown. The event on Nicollet Mall brought together thousands of people to enjoy the state’s best food, local and national artists, and several new family-friendly activities.
The Taste of Minnesota team said close to 70,000 people attended the event on Saturday and another roughly 54,000 showed up on Sunday.
 The week-long gymnastics trials for the 2024 USA Olympics teams wrapped up at the Target Center just over a week ago, with Minnesota’s very own Suni Lee and gymnastics legend Simon Biles earning the top two spots on the women’s team. Both the women’s and men’s gymnastics Olympic teams were announced downtown.
The city rolled out the red carpet for athletes and fans alike, with a Parisian street market on Nicollet Mall and a family-friendly Flip Zone at Target Plaza. The success of the Olympic trials is further proof that downtown Minneapolis is a world-class destination for big events.
"These large-scale events that have been coming to our city have largely gone off without a hitch," Mayor Frey said. "The city has been coming back in fine form."
 The trophy case at the City of Minneapolis is filling up, thanks to national recognition for an array of features that make the City of Lakes a destination for visitors and a source of pride for residents.
Recent recognitions include:
“Minneapolis is cruising into the summer and racking up some major wins,” said Mayor Frey. “While we all know our parks are special, our arts scene is unique, and our people are happy, seeing Minneapolis top all these national lists puts a serious hop in our collective step. Our city is on a roll, and we all have to lean into the positive accolades to keep the momentum going.”
 To celebrate Pride Month, Mayor Frey and City leaders joined local organizations, businesses, and sports teams at the Twin Cities Pride Parade in downtown Minneapolis on June 30. The parade and Pride festival at Loring Park wrapped up Pride Month in the Twin Cities – which was full of celebrations, block parties, and events to honor and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community.
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