|
Summary: Council unanimously approved giving the East Phillips Urban Farm a one-year extension to buy the Roof Depot.
Background: For nearly a decade, residents of East Phillips have been working to advance a vision for an urban farm located at the Roof Depot site on Hiawatha Avenue. Residents have organized tirelessly for years and worked with my office, Council Member Jason Chavez, State Senator Omar Fateh, State Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura, and many more local and state leaders to advance this vision. The proposed urban farm embodies many of the city’s stated values around environmental justice, sustainable local food production, community development, and landback for our native residents.
After years of opposition from the city, Council Member Chavez led Council to finally approve an agreement to sell the Roof Depot site to the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) to develop the site into the East Phillips Urban Farm. One key piece of this deal was an agreement to obtain $5.7 million from the state legislature. The state legislature failed to uphold this commitment this most recent legislative session when the bonding bill missed the deadline to be passed by 30 seconds.
Since then, Council Member Chavez was able to bring together the community, state leaders, the Mayor, and city staff to support extending the purchase agreement to give EPNI an additional year to secure the $5.7 million at the state legislature during the 2025 session. The amended purchase agreement was unanimously approved by the Council.
This is another instance of excellent leadership by Council Member Chavez and the new generation of leadership on the City Council that is committed to putting the needs of working class people at the center of our priorities and decisions. It is also another testament to the incredible perseverance, tenacity, and resilience of the East Phillips residents who have kept this vision alive for so long.
Key votes: Council unanimously votes to approve the amended purchase agreement, which gives EPNI an additional year to raise $5.7 million to buy the Roof Depot site.
Summary: Council received a report on employment vacancies at the city, revealing dozens of positions that have been vacant for years under the mayor’s administration.
Background: Earlier this year, Council Vice President Chughtai, who is also the Chair of the Budget Committee, and Budget Vice Chair Koski authored a legislative directive requesting biannual reports from the Mayor’s administration with basic information about staff levels and vacant positions throughout the city.
The City Council can only fulfill our budgeting and oversight responsibilities if we have access to accurate information about executive staffing levels. For too long, the mayor’s administration did not proactively provide that information. This legislative directive is incredibly valuable in helping correct that dynamic, and puts Council in a much stronger position to ensure that the administration is being run efficiently. This is particularly important when we are facing financially challenging times and need to be careful stewards of taxpayer dollars.
This week, the Budget Committee received the first biannual personnel report, which revealed dozens of positions that have been vacant for as long as 12 years. Prolonged vacancies are often used by departments as a source of backup discretionary funding. Now that Council finally has access to accurate information about vacancies we can consider how to use them to fund resident priorities or to lower property taxes. As Council continues to explore how we can balance lowering the levy while also supporting critical new priorities, I am committed to working with my colleagues to tighten up our executive departments budgets by redirecting funding that has been going to vacant staff positions.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Summary: Council approves an independent evaluation of ShotSpotter.
Background: The Mayor’s administration asked the Council to approve a three-year contract extension and significant geographic expansion of the technology.
There is a national conversation in cities across the country about whether ShotSpotter is the most effective tool for reducing gun violence and improving responses to gun violence. My office and Council Member Ellison have been engaged in productive conversations with leadership from MPD and the Office of Community Safety regarding ShotSpotter and the possible contract extension. There is shared agreement around the critical need for an independent evaluation of the efficacy of this tool.
Council Member Ellison and I authored a legislative motion directing Council staff to contract out for an independent evaluation of ShotSpotter’s efficacy. MPD leadership has already been in conversation with a consultant who has done national work on this issue, and they will be utilizing that information to help shape the scope of services within this evaluation.
After making a minor amendment to reflect input by Legislative Department staff, the motion was approved unanimously by the Council.
Key votes: Council votes unanimously to approve an independent evaluation of ShotSpotter’s efficacy. The report will be presented in early 2026, prior to the consideration of a multi-year contract extension.
Summary: Be part of shaping city policy and spending priorities!
Background: Ward 2 has open seats on two of the city’s advisory bodies. Serving on a board or commission can be a rewarding experience for residents interested in improving their community.
Capital Long-Range Improvement Commission (CLIC): The Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee makes recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on capital improvement program development and annual capital improvement budgets. This is a great fit for residents who are interested or experienced in urban planning, city infrastructure, development, architecture, or finance.
Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging (MACOA): The Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging advises the Mayor and City Council on concerns relating to senior citizens, acts as a liaison for the senior citizen community, recommends actions to solve such concerns, and advises and suggests programs and activities of value to senior citizens for the City of Minneapolis.
Interested in representing Ward 2 on the CLIC or MACOA? Email us to learn more at ward2@minneapolismn.gov.
I had the opportunity to join Mayor Frey, Council Member Rainville, community safety partners, parents, and law enforcement leaders from the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Police Department for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the university’s first off-campus safety center. The center is located at the old Kitty Kat Club restaurant, and will offer students a variety of safety programs like self-defense workshops, study spaces, and student legal services.
I am excited that leaders from the University and the city were able to work together to bring this safety resource to students, and I look forward to further collaboration with those partners as well as with students as we work to enhance safety on campus through other initiatives such as our Dinky After Dark budget proposal.
Council Member Wonsley joins Mayor Frey, University of Minnesota Police Department and Minneapolis Police Department leaders, and parents for Dinkytown Safety Center Ribbon Cutting & Opening
Neighbors in Seward have raised numerous concerns about Superior Fencing, a non-permitted contractors yard in the neighborhood. My office convened a meeting with these neighbors to talk with city staff from Traffic and Parking, Traffic Control, Zoning and Planning, and Environmental Health to learn about what activity constitutes a code violation and work together on strategies for enforcement of the city code. Thank you to all the city staff and neighbors who participated.
Come to the West Bank party of the year: Cedar Fest! There will be four performance stages with great music, free activities for kids including camel rides, great food, artists and vendors, and more.
Sunday September 8th
11am-5pm
Intersection of Cedar and Riverside
Cedarfest flyer
36th ART (Avenue Revitalization & Transformation), a resident-led community improvement initiative in South Minneapolis, is deepening its partnership with the Hiawatha Collegiate High School to present Bridging Cultures, a bridge mural paint-a-thon culminating in a free community cultural festival on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 (1-5 pm).
Building on the success of the two wall murals Hiawatha students created under the 36th Avenue Greenway bridge last year with help from a team of local muralists—entitled River Memory—the partners now plan to creatively complete the transformation of the aging, unwelcoming structure with help from City Mischief Murals, a talented group of multicultural artists led by Indigenous culture bearer Thomasina TopBear.
In addition to colorfully painting all of the remaining concrete surfaces of the bridge—over a 48-hour period—36th ART and the school are hosting a community-building cultural festival near the bridge, in the parking lot behind the school, coinciding with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. The school is located at 3500 East 28th Street in South Minneapolis.
Funding is made possible by Seward Neighborhood Group, Xcel Energy, Longfellow Community Council, UCare, Minneapolis Foundation, Anderson Realty, Electrotune, Seward Civic & Commerce Assn., Premier Construction, Kevin and Terry Barnes, anonymous donors, and in-kind support from Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority.
Calendar:
- 36th Avenue is closed for 48-hours, starting Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. to prepare the site for the paint-a-thon.
- Paint-a-thon is underway throughout Saturday, Sept. 14 (available for viewing).
- Paint-a-thon continues on Sunday, Sept. 15, concluding at 4 p.m.
- Bridging Cultures festival and community celebration will take place Sunday, Sept. 15, 1-5 p.m., culminating with the unveiling of the completed bridge and a brief program.
- Hennepin County will close 15th Avenue SE between Fourth and Fifth streets on Wednesday, September 4. The closure is expected to last about three weeks.
- People driving should use 14th Avenue SE instead.
- Pedestrian access will be maintained along the west side of 15th Avenue SE, the side closest to the building.
- The bicycle path will be temporarily detoured around the work area and will share the pedestrian access on the west side of 15th Avenue SE, closest to the building. People riding bikes should dismount and walk their bikes in this one-block construction area.
Fourth Street remains open as a single lane between Oak Street and I-35W.
You can request a traffic calming treatment for streets in your neighborhood for 2025. The deadline to send your application is extended through this Sept. 15.
We use different treatments to reduce speeding and improve safety. Some examples of those treatments are speed humps, curb extensions, traffic circles and median islands.
Request traffic calming in your area by filling out the online traffic calming application. You can do it online or if you need help, you can call Minneapolis311.
If you can’t use the online application, you can print it and email it, or mail it to: Traffic Calming, 300 Border Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55405.
Find more information including current and past projects on the City website.
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. |
