City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 02/26/2025 07:38 AM CST
Council Member Linea Palmisano
February 26, 2025
Dear Neighbor,
It's been a busy past few weeks in the 13th Ward! Did you know that young people are about 20% of the population in Minneapolis? I am especially grateful to have spent time constituents of all ages:
I served as Principal for the Day at Kenny Elementary School. As both an elected official and a Minneapolis Public Schools parent, it was neat to see how well our youngest residents are served. A special thank you to Dr. Jessica Busse for hosting me!
I took first place in the Kenny Neighborhood's Chili Cook-Off, my second chili victory this year! My entry had the most special things Minneapolis offers—peppers from Kevin the mail carrier, State Fair blue ribbon garlic, farmers market tomatoes processed and frozen by Minneapolis kids, homemade hot sauce from the Seward neighborhood, and heirloom beans from my neighbor Rob.
I participated in the Burroughs Read-A-Thon, where I shared the story of female suffragists who fought for women's right to vote.
I hosted a Lunch with Linea focused on public health with Heidi Ritchie, Deputy Commissioner of Health. Heidi spoke about the many facets of our City's public health efforts including opioid response, school based clinics, lead abatement, and more.
I attended the Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting and spoke alongside our Park Commissioner (and Park Board President) Cathy Abene and Mayor Jacob Frey.
I know the tragedy of the water main break and its impact on our local businesses is weighing heavy on all our hearts right now. Public Works crews have backfilled the street and the voids around foundations and under the sidewalk. Traffic lights have been repaired and the street is now open in both directions. I have been in near constant contact with many of the businesses—answering questions, sharing information, and offering whatever support I can.
We will never know with any certainty the cause of this break. There were no known problems or history of leaks with the main. In 2007, the main was rehabilitated using a cement mortar lining process. There were no signs of structural decay. The City is aware of no facts which would have led it to suspect that the main was in any danger of failure. Our pipes are placed 6” deeper in the ground than St. Paul or Bloomington and our failure rate is much lower than our peer cities. All this to say, it was unexpected!
The businesses and nearby impacted residences have begun filing insurance claims and claims with the City’s Risk Management Department. The City will evaluate the claims based on Minnesota law. I do not know what the outcome of these claims will be.
While the Terzo/Paperback Exchange/Sparrow building is currently unsafe for occupancy, the City is not condemning the building at this time. The City did issue two notices of "intent to condemn," but this step does not always lead to condemnation. It’s typically a formality to identify and prioritize a building’s most critical issues. In terms of next steps, the City requires a report from a Minnesota-licensed engineer to review the stability of the building’s structure. This will help get a clearer picture of the building’s condition and when it could be reoccupied. The City anticipates an engineer to visit the site in the next couple of days. It is my understanding that the building owner has engaged a very reputable restoration company in St. Paul to manage this process and work. At this point in time, I have no reason to think the building will not re-open.
Obviously, the businesses in the building are a different story. They have all suffered major losses and are in the process of determining insurance coverage. All three now have Go Fund Me pages set up:
Lake Harriet Pizza, Lake Harriet Florist, and Scuba Center are open and operating, but these businesses have also suffered loss of goods and revenue. You can support them by ordering your pizza and flowers from them.
Minneapolis property owners can now enter the City Trees lottery through March 14. Each property is eligible for up to three trees for $30 each. More than 15 varieties of shade and evergreen trees are available, and the trees are 3 feet to 7 feet tall.
If you’re successful in the lottery, you’ll get an email to order your trees March 17-31 and pick them up May 30-June 1.
Over the last few weeks, the City has seen executive orders and memos come down from Washington D.C. regarding everything from federal funding to immigration issues. Our City is navigating the very fluid landscape of what it means to operate under this new administration.
While there is still uncertainty about the impacts to the City of Minneapolis, we continue to closely track and monitor all developments. Here are two things that we know today:
We are a welcoming city to all of our neighbors.
We are not making any staffing changes at this time.
This week, the City Council passed a resolution giving the City Attorney’s Office broader authority to challenge any federal actions in state or federal court to further support the City’s values, interests and functions. The City also has working groups in place to track key policy issues.
The City of Minneapolis remains committed to serving its residents.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet with my constituents, learn more about you and hear your questions, concerns, hopes and dreams for our shared community.
If you'd like to schedule a time to meet with me, send me an e-mailand my staff will help get it scheduled. Please let me know what you'd like to talk about and a convenient place to meet—a coffee shop, a park, your home, my office, etc. I try to reserve Fridays for constituent meetings, but can work them in other times, as necessary, too.
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 formats 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.
