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With a vote of 12-1, we approved a City Council Budget Priorities for Consideration in the FY 2025-2026 Mayor’s Recommended Budget. You can see Council adopted priorities here.
My priorities include:
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AVIVO Village: This is a request to help keep the Avivo Tiny Village alive with sustainability, development, increased capacity, and added healthcare services. Sustaining this project will help make a future South Minneapolis Avivo Village a reality. We are in a homelessness crisis in the City of Minneapolis which requires this bold action and deep investment.
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Tamales y Bicicletas (Food, Youth Employment, Land Acquisition): The desired outcome is the acquisition of an urban farm in South Minneapolis, 2820 15th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN, 55407, to continue extending their growing season into the winter months with their greenhouse. It will help strengthen their urban farming education and sustainable transportation programming for our BIPOC youth and their families while creating a permanent and committed solution to food insecurity in south Minneapolis. In addition, it would help prevent another vacant lot from forming in Phillips.
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2905 E Lake Street Development: Located in the Longfellow neighborhood, the Latino Center for Community Engagement will be a vibrant hub of unity, celebration, and cultural exchange, embodying the transnational spirit of our communities. This building was damaged during the summer of 2020. It will be where dreams grow and where COPAL’s innovative programs bring our Minnesota Latino community’s aspirations to life.
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Lake Street Cultural District Safety Ambassadors: Although I passed a Budget Amendment to establish this program, it has yet to be implemented by the Mayor’s Administration. I am once again asking for the Implementation of a Lake Street Cultural District Safety Ambassador Program. Like the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) Program, this will provide friendly faces on Lake Street. The Ambassadors will be approachable and welcoming. They will address safety concerns with violence prevention, offer suggestions for things to do, help with directions, and help keep the area clean.
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Muslim Youth and Family Services - Community Safety and Youth Programming: They are located at 2824 13th Ave South. This funding proposal would support their annual youth basketball programming. Sports and youth activities are used to provide healthy development and provide positive experiences for young people. They also have restorative justice and healing trainings, reflective community conversation sessions, mentorship, and other youth programming. The leaders of Muslim Youth and Family Services are hoping to support the community in Midtown Phillips who are struggling with community safety issues and want to address them in a culturally competent way.
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Next Step - Hospital-Based Support for Victims of Violent Injuries: This program connects victims of violent injury to resources and support. By providing bedside support for participants and families, facilitating in-hospital interventions, and continuing support once participants are in the community, Next Step aims to interrupt the cycle of recurrent violence and help individuals avoid re-injury and further trauma. Without this funding, Next Step will have to cut positions, and they will not be able to serve the community. This will make it hard to address and break the cycle of violence that is devastating to our community.
The City Council is undergoing a different process compared to years prior. Previously, we would only meet with the Mayor about our priorities and wait for him to present his proposed budget in August. These are behind closed door meetings and oftentimes council priorities are not funded. This year, under the leadership of our Council Vice-President Chughtai, and Council Member Koski, we passed our recommendations ahead of his proposed budget presentation. That being said, this coming Fall we will still be able to amend and adopt his proposed budget. Please know that my office has other priorities as well and will continue to engage with Ward 9 residents on what they want to see in the budget.
 Please join our next community office hours on June 28th (Friday). We will be at Wildflyer Coffee (3262 Minnehaha Ave South) from 8:00AM - 9:30AM.
 I was proud to attend the groundbreaking of the future Agate and Trellis’ housing project and shelter located at 2806 27th Ave S in Ward 9. The development will include 50 units of affordable supportive housing (SROs, studios, and one-bedrooms) as well as an emergency shelter serving up to 54 individuals nightly. Over 17,000 square feet of common space will be available for support services, gathering spaces, communal dining, and a health clinic.
In January 2022, we funded a $1,320,000 Affordable Housing Trust Fund award for this project. And in May 2024 we also funded an additional $300,000 for this project to close the final remaining funding gap to get this done. This is part of the work we are doing to address and support unsheltered homelessness and residents. We will continue to work on policy to address it more humanely and effectively.
 Since starting my first term in January 2022, my office has been working with residents, small businesses, Lake Street Greenway Partnership, and community members on establishing a Lake Street Community Safety Center.
In December 2022, we passed a budget amendment to start the initial work pertaining to this. And in December 2023, we passed a $500,000 budget amendment along with Council Member Emily Koski and Council Member Aurin Chowdhury to establish this location.
The location has been made public, and it will be at 2228 East Lake Street next to the Midtown Lake Street Station/Light Rail. It is set to open by this Fall. It will be a 2-year lease. It will open 5 days a week. For now, it will be open 9am-5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And 11am-7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will be operated by 311 agents. Our Behavior Crisis Response teams and Lake Street Social Workers will touch down from here.
We will have other folks conducting office hours here, like LEAD, Community City Attorneys, Community Navigators, Crime Prevention Specialists and more. I’m thankful for our city staff who worked hard to get to this point!
 During the summer of 2020, the Coliseum Building was badly damaged along with many small businesses on the Lake Street corridor. On Juneteenth, we got to celebrate some positive news for our community. The Grand Opening celebration of the Historic Coliseum Building. Seward Redesign, in partnership with three Black small businesses and owners, have brought back the historic building to life, ensuring long-term affordability for up to 30 BIPOC and local entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The Mayor and Minneapolis City Council were proud to invest $1.5 million to assist in the rehabilitation of this project. I’m so proud of Alicia Belton, Janice Downing, and Shanelle Montana – to be both tenants and long-term owners of the Coliseum Building. In addition to Seward Redesign for all their incredible work.
 I was proud to join Unidos MN and community members at Mercado Central celebrating President Biden’s executive action protecting some undocumented immigrant spouses and children of U.S. citizens.
This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parents are married to a U.S. citizen. Including allowing individuals, DACA recipients and other Dreamers who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.
Our community will continue to fight for greater immigration reform to ensure that families are not separated and that pathways to citizenship are expanded. Which includes pushing against the new anti-asylum rules and anti-immigrant policies.
 I want to send a big thank you to Metro Blooms for hosting this Garden Block Party in East Phillips. They helped beautify our streets with rain gardens in the boulevards and held a fun block party, so community members could plant together.
Plan ahead if you’re heading to downtown Minneapolis this weekend to celebrate with the Twin Cities Pride Festival and Gymnastics City USA.
Streets closing for events
- First Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets (in front of Target Center) will close Thursday, June 27 to early Monday, July 1, for Gymnastics City USA events. One of the four lanes will remain open.
- From 9 a.m. until around noon Sunday, June 30, the Plymouth Street bridge, down Main Street to Hennepin Avenue will close for the Twin Cities Pride Festival 5K.
- Sunday, June 30, Hennepin Avenue to Spruce Street will close for the Twin Cities Pride Festival Rainbow Dash.
- Sunday, June 30, Hennepin Avenue between Third Street and Spruce Street will close for the Pride Parade.
Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation encourages visitors to check 511 for updates to any closures due to event traffic or any issues related to recent flooding outside of the city.
- Transit options. Avoid driving in traffic and looking for parking. Visit Metro Transit’s website to plan your trip on public transit or look for the Pride Bus while out and about.
- Parking options. There’s parking throughout Downtown. If you’re parking on the street, check signs to be sure of the time limit and hours of enforcement for your parking space. In addition to the many privately run parking facilities downtown, there are several City-owned parking facilities
Come early, stay late
Downtown restaurants, bars and other businesses are ready to welcome visitors. Take part in activities, shopping, dining and other entertainment before and after going to events. Enjoy the extra time to experience all each area has to offer and avoid traffic congestion.
Find more details on the City website.
With the State primary election coming up in August, know what you need to do to vote. Early voting begins June 28.
Voters can vote early in person at the Early Vote Center, 980 E. Hennepin Ave. or by mail.
Find more information on the City website.
The City wants to make sure people stay safe during fireworks season and know what to do if they have fireworks-related complaints. Fourth of July fireworks are part of Independence Day celebrations, and the noise complaints and safety issues they can generate lead to high call volumes at 911 call centers across the country. Because of the volume, police officers cannot be dispatched to each fireworks noise incident around the Fourth of July. Reducing the number of noise complaints to 911 will allow emergency calls to be answered as quickly as possible.
What's legal, what’s not
Non-explosive fireworks are legal in Minneapolis. Examples include sparklers, cones, tubes that spark, snakes and party poppers. It is legal to use these types of fireworks in your yard or on your sidewalk. Fireworks that explode or take off are illegal in Minneapolis. Examples include firecrackers, bottle rockets, missiles, roman candles, mortars and shells. It is illegal to use any fireworks on public property including roads, alleys, schools and parks.
When to call 911
For fireworks-related issues that pose life safety threats or fire hazards, residents should call 911 for police, fire or medical help.
Make noise reports online
Instead of calling 911 for Fourth of July noise reports, people are asked to make fireworks complaints online; the reports will be reviewed during normal business hours. Noise reports may also be made through the 311 mobile app or by calling 311 during business hours 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. You can also text “fireworks” to 311898 to enter a fireworks complaint on the City’s website.
Residents should note that Minneapolis 311 is closed July 4, but the mobile application can be used any time to make a report. City staff will review the complaint during normal business hours when offices open again and may follow up with the property owner the complaint references.
Read more about fireworks safety, how to make a complaint, and when to call 911 on the City website.
Receive guided assistance from volunteers to dismantle, troubleshoot and repair your small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more.
Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic Noon-4 p.m. Saturday, July 13 Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S.
View upcoming Fix-It Clinics.
Learn new ways to choose to reuse.
 Minneapolis Animal Care & Control is now open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday. The shelter is also open 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and until 7 p.m. on Thursday.
This expanded service is part of an ongoing effort to meet community members where they are and be available for those wanting to adopt pets in need.
Learn about adopting animals, volunteering and supporting Animal Care & Control on the City website.
Contact the Ward 9 Office
Email: jason.chavez@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2209
We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:
Room 100, Public Service Center
450 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. |
