Over the past week, my office has received many reports of the outages on both Dupont Ave. and Lake Harriet Parkway. I appreciate you flagging these outages and wanted to share more about the City's continued efforts to address theft and repair these outages. 

As of October 10, there were 568 reported light outages and 19 areas requiring wire theft repairs across the city, many of which have experienced multiple rounds of theft. Staff estimates that about 25 additional lights–which equates to about one mile of copper wire–have had their wiring stolen in the past couple weeks alone. Public Works crews will continue to make these repairs through the fall and until conduits freeze. The proportion of repairs completed is entirely dependent upon when the ground freezes and the rate of continued thefts. Repairs are also prioritized with consideration of pedestrian/ vehicle activity, transportation equity scores, history of recurrent theft, and risk of next theft.  The 13th Ward is all Tier 5, the lowest priority, which also impacts the repair timeline. While no repair work has been completed in the 13th Ward, repairs have been made in other parts of the City ranked as higher priority by the TEP criteria. Commissioner Abene and I have been in meetings with Public Works to increase the consideration of our especially dark park paths which are so often visited and used.

Public Works has explored methods to deter theft including 1) switching to less-valuable aluminum wiring, 2) base hardening with extra welding and layers of metal, 3) replacing the lights with solar alternatives, and 4) leaving the lights on 24/7 to deter theft and result in all wire cuts happening on live circuits. They did make the switch to aluminum wiring at the beginning of the year and have replaced about 10 miles of wire since then and accordingly labeled the bases “Aluminum Wiring Inside. No Scrap Value.” Important considerations for other approaches are the time and cost to install extra welding, the logistical challenges of solar in Minnesota’s climate and the $220M upfront conversion costs, and the doubled energy usage and cost that would result from leaving the lights on 24/7. There are no plans to pursue these currently; however, changes to state statutes from the previous legislative sessions become effective on January 1, 2025. These changes require sellers to hold a valid license to sell scrap metal copper, provide personal information, and sign an acknowledgment that copper was obtained by lawful means. Public Works is hopeful this change will slow or entirely deter further theft. 

Public Works staff have also visited one of the larger local recyclers to show them samples of City of Minneapolis copper wire, which is easily identifiable by the size and four unique colors of the wire. Pictured above is Joe Laurin, a Public Works Project Manager, at the recycling firm holding stolen City of Minneapolis wire. This firm will no longer accept any copper that is identified as City of Minneapolis wire, in addition to requiring photos of all sellers of scrap copper wire. In one instance, the firm identified wire as stolen from the City, engaged the police, and assisted in filing a police report. Public Works is currently only working with this one firm but intends to expand their relationships to other recyclers and scrapyards over the next year as another avenue to deter and prevent theft.

City customers’ garbage day the week of Nov. 25-30 will be their last 2024 pickup of leaves, brush, and other yard trimmings.

Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set properly prepared yard waste at their alleys or curb line next to their garbage carts by 6 a.m. on their pickup day. Set yard waste out in a reusable container, in compostable bags (paper or BPI-certified compostable plastic bags – look for the BPI logo) or bundled with string or twine (no wire or tape).

Other Requirements

• Reusable containers must be 32-38 gallons in size and at least 26 inches high with sturdy handles. Reusable containers are lifted and emptied by hand; they must be easily managed. Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided containers.
• Any container, bag or bundle must weigh less than 40 pounds.
• Branches must be less than 3 inches in diameter and less than 3 feet long.

Bags marked “biodegradable” or “degradable” do not meet the State law and are not accepted.

Raking leaves into the street is against the law and bad for our lakes, creeks, and river.

City customers are encouraged to set out properly prepared yard waste as soon as possible. There will be no additional 2024 yard waste service after the last scheduled pickup.

For questions about leaf and brush pickup, customers can check the City website or call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 Monday-Friday.

Welcome Faith Randal, the new Fifth Prevention Crime Prevention Specialist! Randal says she is looking forward to doing more networking over the coming winter and hopes to be regarded as a “go-to” person for matters involving public safety in the Fifth Precinct.

Check out page three of the Hill and Lake Press to learn more about Faith and the role of a Crime Prevention Specialist. 

The City of Minneapolis has been awarded $34.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration to rehabilitate the historic Nicollet Ave. bridge over Minnehaha Creek. The BIP (Bridge Investment Program) money will allow the City to replace and fix structural elements of the bridge and roadway. 

Over the next several months, the City will finalize plans and complete state and federal project reviews. The bridge will be closed during construction, which is scheduled to begin in 2026. Crews will repair cracks, arches and other concrete deterioration, and the floor beams, deck, railings, drainage system, sidewalks and lighting will all be replaced. After construction wraps in 2028, the bridge will have six-foot protected bike lanes, eight-foot pedestrian sidewalks and two 11-foot traffic lanes.  

The bridge, built in 1923 with the last significant repairs in 1973, is the fourth and final large, open, concrete arched bridges designed and built by the City between 1914 and 1929. The first three – Franklin Ave., 10^th Ave. and 3^rd Ave. over the Mississippi River – have been rehabilitated.  

The total cost of the project is estimated at $55.2 million. The remaining $20.9 million is expected to come from a mix of state and local funds. BIP grants are awarded to municipalities to repair existing bridges that are considered in poor or fair condition. The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) gives the Nicollet Ave. bridge a 4 rating, which means it is in “poor” condition.  

There is one remaining public hearing for people to provide feedback on Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2025 City budget and 2026 plan. Comments can also be submitted online at the City’s website.

The proposed 2025 budget is $1.88 billion with a maximum tax levy of 8.3%. The City Council has started reviewing the 2025 budget – the first year of the biennial budget cycle – and will vote on adopting the budget Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Visit the City’s website to learn more about the mayor’s recommended budget, key dates in the approval process, FAQs and more. You can also watch a series of videos on the City’s budget process.

City Budget Public Hearing
This public hearing will take place at the Public Service Center, 250 Fourth St. S., Room 350.

• Truth in Taxation hearing, 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10. (The City Council will vote on adopting the budget following the hearing.)

Learn how to participate in public hearings.

Avoid the hassle and expense of getting towed during a snow emergency this winter. Don't let unpredictable weather catch you off guard. Sign up for Minneapolis alerts to stay ahead of the snow and know about parking rules.

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