 Nearly 400 people came together in community for the 2025 Trans Equity Summit on Aug. 11. This year’s theme was Trans Equity and Intergenerational Power: Strengthening the Future by Honoring Our Past. The City of Minneapolis partnered with community members to organize and plan the all-day, free event that provided space to connect on social, legal and health issues important to the trans and gender non-conforming community.
The sold-out 10th Trans Equity Summit featured the keynote speaker Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, iconic transgender activist and veteran of the 1969 Stonewall riots. The summit also included breakout sessions, performances, a career and resource fair and onsite community health and wellness resources.
The Trans Equity Summit organizing team would like to thank the guests, partners, volunteers, and organizing team and looks forward to seeing everyone again in 2026.
Watch the event recap
See the Instagram reel.
Watch on YouTube.
 On Wednesday, July 30, the City capped off Disability Pride Month by celebrating the 35-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The celebration included a reading of the mayor’s Disability Pride Month proclamation and the City Council’s ADA anniversary honorary resolution, an unveiling of the disability pride flag, a special reading by artist Alison Bergblom Johnson, a story sharing activity, and a panel of community and government leaders.
To learn more about how you can get engaged in the City’s accessibility work, contact Guthrie Byard, community specialist for people with disabilities.
Pictured: Members of the event planning committee and speakers pose with the mayor’s signed proclamation honoring July as Disability Pride Month.
Welcoming Ray Holman to the NCR team
Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR) is excited to welcome Ray Holman as contract administrator. Ray grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved to Minneapolis after his time with the Air Force, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Minnesota. Ray went on to work for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, ultimately serving as a contracting officer for healthcare contracts and agreements with the Veterans Health Administration. When he’s not obsessing over comma placement in clauses, he spends any free time with his three kids, trying new restaurants and scouring the world for the perfect B-movie.
Get important updates at the Twin Cities immigration forum
The City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) in partnership with the City of Saint Paul Immigrant and Refugee Program hosts a biweekly immigration forum to offer immigration-related updates to the community.
The topics covered include:
- Federal immigration news and resources.
- City, community and advocacy organization updates.
- Other topics important to immigrant, refugee and new American communities.
Find dates on the OIRA events calendar.
Get a link to the meeting series by emailing oira@minneapolismn.gov.
Learn more about the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) at minneapolismn.gov/oira.
Find resources and know your immigration rights on the City website.
Immigrant and Refugee Affairs community office hours
OIRA hosts community office hours at the South CareerForce Center on 777 E. Lake Street. Stop by on:
- Mondays, 1 – 4 p.m.
- Wednesdays, 2 – 4 p.m.
- Fridays, 2 – 4 p.m.
Check the OIRA events calendar in case of cancelations and holidays.
 The City of Minneapolis shares important news and updates in English, Spanish, Somali, Oromo and Hmong over community radio stations and two television programs.
You can see the upcoming schedule for these shows and find past recordings on the City website.
 At an open house Aug. 25, community can get an update on future steps for the Minneapolis Democracy Center at 3000 Minnehaha Ave.
- LSE Architects will give an update on the design process for the Election & Voter Services spaces.
- Both applicants for the community partner space will present their proposals. The applicants are Change Inc. and Mama Sheila’s House of Soul.
- A Q&A session will follow, and attendees can take a survey on their opinions of the two applicants. This survey will be available online for several weeks.
Democracy Center open house
5:30-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25
Coliseum Building, 2708 E. Lake St.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., presentations begin at 6. Food and refreshments will be served.
The engagement feedback and findings will be presented to the City Council later this year, tentatively in November.
Read more about the open house on the City website.
George Floyd Square pedestrian mall concept
The City is currently evaluating the feasibility of a pedestrian mall concept layout along Chicago Avenue between 37th and 38th streets. The proposed layout would restrict through traffic and create a cul-de-sac and public plaza near 3744 Chicago Ave. (also known as The Peoples’ Way).
See the concept and renderings for the potential pedestrian mall alternative on the City website.
Next steps
The engagement feedback and findings of this evaluation will be presented to the City Council’s Climate and Infrastructure Committee to consider Dec. 4.
To learn more about the City's efforts at George Floyd Square, visit the program webpage.
Public hearing Sept. 10 on maximum 2026 property tax levy
The public is invited to comment on the maximum property tax levy for 2026. The Board of Estimate and Taxation will take public comments at its meeting Sept. 10.
5:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10
Room 350, Public Service Center, 250 Fourth St. S.
A signup sheet will be onsite 30 minutes before the meeting.
You can also send comments online or directly to your Board of Estimate & Taxation elected officials or the city clerk.
Find out more about the board, find meeting agendas and minutes, and see the meeting schedule on the City website.
Mayor Jacob Frey delivers 2026 budget address
Mayor Jacob Frey delivered his 2026 budget address Aug. 13. The budget proposal focuses on a city built to last by protecting core services, investing in affordable housing, advancing community safety, expanding inclusive economic opportunities, and driving climate and public health initiatives.
This budget includes:
- $23 million in strategic savings
- Disciplined savings to reduce the levy increase by 40% from what was projected (7.8% increase, down from a projected 13%)
- No layoffs or cuts to basic services
- Strong reserves to help Minneapolis weather national uncertainty
Read the full proposed budget documents on the City website.
Watch the mayor’s budget address on the City YouTube channel.
 Anyone living in, working in or visiting Minneapolis will enjoy new civil rights protections under the City’s expanded civil rights ordinance. It’s now illegal in Minneapolis to discriminate based on height or weight, a criminal history, or housing status. There are also expanded rights around race, family status, disability, pregnancy and religion.
The ordinance protects you from discrimination across the city including in the workplace, at school, where you rent, where you shop, when interacting with City employees and more. Anyone experiencing discrimination in Minneapolis can make a complaint.
Watch a video and read more about the new protections on the City website.
Lake Street Safety Center hours have changed to 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Stop by during the new weekday hours to learn how the center can support you and your needs.
The center offers government and community-based services and resources including:
- K-12 school enrollment and education-related resources.
- Resources for victims or survivors of crimes.
- Help with safety concerns or resolving conflicts.
- Housing services, like rental help or rapid rehousing.
- Support recovering from substance use disorder.
- Resources for the area’s businesses and property owners, like help with graffiti issues, lighting concerns, and registering security cameras.
- Connecting to social services and case managers.
- Free naloxone and fentanyl test strips.
Learn more about the safety center’s services and resources on the City website.
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 Great memories grow under trees. Order up to three low-cost trees for your yard through the City Trees Sale. Trees help provide shade, lower energy bills and increase property values.
The City Trees program has provided more than 28,000 low-cost trees over the last 19 years for residential properties.
Order your trees today.
If you live in a Green Zone, you may be eligible for free trees that will be planted for you. Find out if you live in a Green Zone.
 There’s plenty of summer fun still to be had. Open Streets Minneapolis, the City’s popular summer event series, continues Sept. 6 on West Broadway.
Open Streets transforms major business and commercial corridors into car-free fairs for all ages to enjoy and connects all of its neighbors to enjoy culture, entertainment, activities and local vendors. Watch a video about Open Streets 2025.
- Sept. 6, West Broadway between Logan and Lyndale avenues
- Sept. 20, Hennepin Avenue between West 26th and 36th streets
Find details about the 2025 Open Streets on the City website.
 Every Wednesday through September, you can adopt a pet for free at Minneapolis Animal Care & Control. As part of its nationwide campaign, The Rescue Effect, the ASPCA awarded Minneapolis a $13,300 grant to cover fees for adoptions and Minneapolis pet licensing.
We’re on a mission to help more animals find homes. Like many shelters and rescues across the nation, our shelter is consistently full. You can change lives by adopting a pet and freeing up shelter resources for other homeless animals who need them. When you help one, you help many. That’s the rescue effect.
Free pet adoptions
1-5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in August and September
Minneapolis Animal Care & Control, 212 17th Ave. N.
All cats and dogs up for adoption are healthy, spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated.
Learn more about pet adoption from the City of Minneapolis.
New Metro Mobility service
Starting Sept. 3, Metro Mobility riders can choose UZURV for their Premium On Demand service. When riders choose UZURV, Metro Mobility will contribute up to $20 towards every ride.
Learn more about UZURV on the Metro Transit website.
Register – or re-register – your bicycle serial number
The City is switching its bicycle serial number registry. In the future, Minneapolis Police will check the serial numbers of recovered bikes on Bike Index, the largest bicycle registration service in the United States. This change offers City staff a wider pool of data to help return missing bicycles. Take a few minutes today to register (or re-register) your bicycle serial numbers.
Public, free and national serial number registries make it easier for police departments anywhere to return recovered bicycles. It's also easier for bike buyers to know they’re buying from a legal owner. If you’re buying a bicycle from a stranger, check the bicycle's serial number against a public index before you buy to confirm that it's not stolen. It's harder for thieves to sell stolen bicycles when we use these registries.
Learn more about bicycle registration on the City website, including where to find your bike's serial number. Find out what to do if your bicycle is lost or stolen on the City website.
 If you’re a gun owner, the Minneapolis Police Department wants you to store your firearms safely. Gun thefts have risen 56% in the last five years, with most stolen from cars. Your car is not a safe. Leave your gun at home.
Read more about securing your weapon on the City’s website.
City response to rash of vehicle damage
The City is responding to a widespread rash of vehicle damage and theft over the last month with more than 580 vehicles damaged or rummaged through. The most recent occurred overnight Tuesday affecting 118 vehicles across the city. Together, these crimes have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Officers have so far recovered two vehicles believed to be involved in some of the recent damage and arrested three people, who are booked for auto theft. Two dozen community service officers were assigned to affected neighborhoods to gather evidence, speak with residents and help victims complete police reports.
What you can do
The City asks our community to stay vigilant and keep calling 911 immediately for suspicious activity. Provide details if you can: describe the clothing, direction of travel, vehicles and license plates. And share video evidence if you have it. Report damage on your vehicle if you have it. Community reports are helping make the difference.
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