It’s been a busy start to the New Year, and I am excited to give you a lengthy update, especially highlighting the 2025 Budget the Council passed in December. The Ward 10 Office has also been in transition. I’ve just welcomed two new staff and want to begin by introducing my full team:
Kai Shelley, who has been in my office for almost a year and is the Senior Policy Aide. Kai has been with the office for nearly a year, serving in the Senior Aide role as chief policy advisor, helping bring on the two newest staff.
David Gilbert-Pederson, is the newest Policy Aide to the Ward 10 Office. David lived in Ward 10 for almost a decade and brings extensive experience of over 18 years in Labor, campaigns, and community organizing.
Meggie Garcia is our Policy Associate. Meggie lives in ward 10 and many of you many know Meggie from her work with neighborhood associations, as well as housing justice and tenant's rights work.
With a fully staffed office and the end of budget season, I’m looking forward to spending time in community with all of you and accomplishing my legislative agenda with my time left in this term.
The Council Reduced the Mayor’s Proposed Property Tax Levy
The mayor’s 2025 recommended budget set the Property Tax Levy at 8.3%, since he introduced his budget residents across Minneapolis have reached out to myself and my colleagues to share the ways this property tax hike will negatively impact them, and their families. To address this concern the Council decisively cut unnecessary internal spending such as board room renovations, wage increases for the highest paid employees in the enterprise, and internal technology resources. This brought the Levy down to 6.8% - relieving the tax burden for both homeowners and renters
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I lead the work to secure funds for an additional 5th precinct crime prevention specialist – allowing more Ward 10 residents to access this low barrier resource and address safety concerns in our neighborhoods.
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I also allocated funds for crime prevention and public safety strategy investments to be go directly to the Whittier neighborhood
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I secured a historic amount of investment dedicated to revitalizing Uptown. That includes —
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Providing Uptown small businesses with technical assistance
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Small Business High Road Employer Intervention – providing the excellent employers to access assistance in implementing existing labor standards effectively without harming their business
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Small business support for construction hardship – the construction projects in Ward 10 are an important generational investment, but I’ve heard from our storefronts that they need help to be able to see the benefits, this program will provide fully forgivable loans for
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Invested in the development of the Rise Up Center in Uptown, encouraging workforce development with a new center deeply rooted community
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Increased funding for Developer Technical Assistance – providing developers with the knowledge and tools to navigate real estate development, evaluate and mange risks, and work on projects rooted in Minneapolis.
Prioritizing Affordable Housing and Addressing the Unsheltered Homelessness Crisis
Our community knows firsthand the housing challenges we face – unsheltered homelessness, increasing rents, predatory landlords, obstacles to aging in place, and limited access to safe and affordable housing. That is why I passed critically needed funding for housing, such as —
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Providing emergency housing vouchers for 50 individuals and 50 families who are currently unsheltered to immediately access housing
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Funding a public health approach to encampments to treat our unsheltered neighbors with the dignity they deserve and ensuring that our communities are safe and health with funding for
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Personal storage solutions
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And ongoing support for Hennepin County Continuum of Care providers and warming shelters
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Increasing funding for affordable housing preservation allowing Regulatory Services to support preservation projects and stabilize housing for more low-income residents.
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Emergency funding for Avivo Village to keep its doors open and ensure the critical services and shelter they provide to our community can continue
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Senior Housing code abatement allowing senior homeowners to access small loans or grants for code abatement and repair
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Expanding the Stable Homes Stable Schools program allowing MPHA to serve an additional 180-225 families
Increasing Comprehensive Public Safety
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My colleagues and I added 5 additional civilian investigators to MPD to address the backlog of unsolved cases
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I ensured the Council increased the investment in Behavioral Crisis Response, one of the most successful comprehensive safety resources we have, and ensured the contract will now be housed with the Minneapolis Fire Department – allowing our emergency responders to work together more closely to serve the people of Minneapolis.
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A historic level investment into neighborhood traffic calming, making our streets safer and more accessible throughout the City
A More Equitable Minneapolis
For many years certain neighborhoods and communities have been underserved and under resourced. This budget cycle my colleagues and I worked diligently to ensure we did not replicate that mistake and instead made a historic level of equity driven investments into our communities. This included:
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Funding Little Earth community outreach and safety programs
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Midtown Phillips violence prevention and safety services
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Culturally specific resources for Indigenous and East African Community Opioid Response
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Making Minneapolis a Latino Cultural destination
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Providing funding for a successful annual Latino Business week
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Investing in Labor Standards co-enforcement so workers know their rights
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Funding an Indigenous Wealth Building Center Development project with the Mni Sota Fund
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Funding the Climate Legacy Initiative, Zero Waste planning so we can meet our Climate goals
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Funding to support a carbon fee so the most significant polluters in our City fund the climate restorative programs
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Additional funding for the Ownership and Opportunity Fund to help promote local commercial property ownership in Minneapolis
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Funding a study for Electric Wheelchair, Scooter, Mobility Aid, and Phone Charging stations to identify the feasibility of implementation in Minneapolis to make Minneapolis more accessible
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Fully funding a Senior transportation program so our Senior residents can access all that our city has to offer
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Two full time employees in the Neighborhood and Community Relations department fully focused on LGBTQ and Trans equity
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Fully funding the trans equity summit in a new department more connected to the community
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Allocating funds for LGBTQIA+ mental health programs
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Increasing funding to provide Immigration Legal Services
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Funding Drivers License Access and Education programs so immigrants in Minneapolis can acquire their license
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Unidos Minnesota is hosting an event called Block by Block Clean Energy Transition at the Walker Library, 2880 Hennepin Avenue on February 8th from 2:30-4:00pm. Attend to learn about how residents can transform Minneapolis into a clean energy city and how the community has power to ensure all residents have access to a home free of the harms of fossil fuel’s. You can Register Here for the event!
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The next Whittier Alliance Community Dinner is on February 13, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm, at the Whittier Recreation Center in the Multipurpose room. Join for a free meal from World Street Kitchen! The Women’s Prison Book Project in collaboration with the Children’s theater company are having also having a book drive at the community dinner, so bring your books that need a new home!
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Join your neighbors at the South Uptown Neighborhood Association Happy Hour at the Iron Door Pub, 3001 Hennepin Avenue South, on February 6, 2025 from 5:30-7:00pm.
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The South Uptown Neighborhood Association Chili Fest is happening at Bryant Square Park 3101 Bryant Avenue South on February 23, 2025 from 12:00-2:00pm. Come meet your neighbors and warm up this winter with homemade Chili!
 Event Graphic Image announcing a Ward 10 Community Meeting to discuss designating Nicollet Avenue as a Cultural District. The Right side shows a picture of Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai, beneath the photo the event date is listed as Tuesday, February 11, from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Centro. The address for Centro is listed as 2412 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis. At the bottom of the graphic is contact information. Email: Ward10minneapolismn.gov and Call: 612-673-2210
Join me for our next community conversation, Tuesday, February 11 from 6:30-8:00pm to discuss the possibility of forming giving Nicollet Avenue a Cultural Corridor Designation – we will be discussing what the requirements are, and what that would mean for our community along Nicollet.
Lastly, I want to say that as attacks against the most marginalized people in our community continue to come from the federal government; our job as local government officials is to act as the last line of defense for the people of Minneapolis. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, and my colleagues and I are ready to get to work. This last week the Council unanimously, with the support of the Mayor, affirmed our support for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s, “Neighbors not Enemies Act” to repeal the Alien Enemies Act, which has been used in the past to attack our immigrant neighbors under the guise of safety. I’m looking forward to continuing to collaborate with the Council, the Mayor, and other Government agencies to protect residents from this dangerous administration.
I want to remind you all that through the City’s separation ordinance the Minneapolis Police Department and all City employees will not be asking for documentation status or cooperating with ICE. We are, and will continue to, work with nonprofits and movement organizations to make sure people know their rights.
Immigrants are welcome in Minneapolis! Regardless of what Donald Trump says, we will protect our neighbors together.
My office remains open and a resource for everyone in the ward! I look forward to hearing from you.
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