I want to take a moment to acknowledge that Minneapolis Public School students started the school year last week, while just the week before, there was a horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. Earlier that morning, someone lost their life to gun violence at 8th and Hennepin in Downtown. The day before, a group of people were shot outside Cristo Rey High School, with one person losing their life. I want to give space for the grief our community is feeling and also share that my office is available to help with any resource and support needs for those directly or indirectly impacted. I want to thank the first responders, healthcare workers, teachers and the City emergency departments for the incredible work they did in the face of tragedy. 

While gun control is a complex issue to tackle in our country, after decades of negligence on the issue, the City is pushing to strengthen and improve laws that make it harder for guns to get into the hands of the wrong people. While City law is pre-empted by State on banning certain weapons, we still must take action. Just last week, my office toured the Minneapolis Police Department’s NEW First Precinct, and met with Lieutenant Klukow, and got to talk more in depth about the issue of guns being easily purchased in stores and on the street. Properly addressing gun violence is going to take all of us, and I am committed to stepping up and collaborating with the relevant leaders and departments who are ready to meet the challenge. 

That is why I am standing with my colleagues and am calling on Governor Walz to call a special session to get real gun control legislation passed in Minnesota. We cannot wait any longer for meaningful action to be taken.  

Yesterday, I co-authored a resolution calling on the Minnesota State Legislature to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines statewide. Please join me in sending this resolution to our State leaders, from both parties, to ensure they are hearing from us. If the State won’t take ban these weapons statewide, they can remove the pre-emption on cities like ours to pass the laws locally. Now is the time to take action on this important issue. 

If you or someone you know has been impacted by the recent gun violence in Minneapolis, please visit the resources found on the City website. 

In August, Mayor Frey presented his 2026 City Budget (2025-00901) to the City Council and the people of Minneapolis. As my office has spent more time examining the details of this budget, I have a few takeaways. First, I want to see us get value from the budget. The Mayor is proposing to slash budgets across departments and cut critical services like housing vouchers and labor rights enforcement, while also increasing the property tax levy by 7.8%. That troubles me. 

I want to see our City take action to reverse the trends that have put us in this position in the first place. A big part of our budget crunch was caused by the decline in the value of commercial property in the city since COVID, especially office space since more people are working remotely. Residential taxpayers have had to cover the shortfall to maintain our current level of services.  

We need to tackle this issue head on and implement systemic solutions that convert downtown buildings and vacant buildings into productive uses. And, we need to diversify our revenue sources beyond the reliance on property taxes. Systemic barriers to doing business in our city need to be removed, while adding more residents to the City to support the economy. We should be building more housing and converting buildings to new uses; providing basic services like public bathrooms; and turning vacant lobbies and skyways into walkable, connected, entrepreneurial, thriving neighborhood corridors, where people want to live and people want to go. That will build up the tax base. Additionally, being more creative in diversifying our revenue structures through increases to franchise fees on Xcel Energy and CenterPoint, hotel fees and short-term rental (Airbnb) fees, as well as expanding our Downtown sales tax boundary to North Loop will make our tax base more resilient. 

We need to invest in the strategies that will create structural change and ease the burden on residents, while creating long-term prosperity for all. I look forward to working with the Council and the Mayoral administration to do that, in this budget process and beyond. 

If you would like to provide feedback on the 2026 City Budget, you are invited to attend one of the upcoming Public Hearings: 

• Friday, September 19 | 10am-12:30pm | 250 S. Fourth Street, Room 350
• Monday, October 6 | 1:30-4pm | 250 S. Fourth Street, Room 350
• Wednesday, November 19 | 6:05pm | 250 S. Fourth Street, Room 350
• Tuesday, December 9 | 6:05pm | 250 S. Fourth Street, Room 350 

I am so happy to share that Edmund Boulevard in South Minneapolis will now be renamed Lena Smith Boulevard (2025-00913). Edmund Boulevard was named after Edmund Walton, the land developer that brought racial covenants to Minneapolis, and began a snowball effect of racial segregation in Minneapolis housing. Changing the name of this street is part of recognizing the racism in Minneapolis’ history, and putting in the work to undo its harm. That is why changing the street name to Lena Smith Boulevard is so exciting, especially when you consider Smith’s connection to Ward 7. Here's an excerpt from the National Trust for Historic Preservation:

It wasn’t long after the Pantages Theatre opened in Minneapolis in 1916 that a black woman entered its doors and started fighting an immediate battle to desegregate the theatre. Just months after the opening, law school freshman Lena O. Smith and four Black men attended a performance and attempted to sit on the main floor instead of the balcony. After being stopped, each filed a discrimination suit against the theatre. Smith lost her suit, but a string of suits that followed ended the Pantages’ segregation policy. In 1921, Smith became the first African American woman licensed to practice law in Minnesota. She went on to win many discrimination lawsuits. She also served as the first female president of the local NAACP chapter and helped establish a Minnesota chapter for the National Urban League. Smith was tireless in her civil rights advocacy. Hennepin Theatre Trust, the current nonprofit owner of the Pantages, is grateful for Smith and her work to create a better future for us all.

I am proud to say that the City of Minneapolis has taken another step in our fight for climate resiliency, safer streets, and fiscal responsibility. As Chair of the Climate and Infrastructure Committee, I have been following these projects closely, and we deliberated on these projects extensively. Today, City Council approved the 9th and 10th Street South Corridor Improvement project with a 10-2 vote, and the Park and Portland Safety Improvements project unanimously, which will bring protected bike lanes to four major corridors in Minneapolis with federal and regional money, without any cost burden being put on the taxpayers. 

The 9th & 10th Street South improvements have been in discussion for nearly two decades. Being a major corridor for Downtown means numerous stakeholders have been a part of the decision-making process. The City has received input from residents, business owners, developers, and everyone in between. After almost twenty years of discussion, the City is taking action. Using $4.5 million in federal funds allocated by the Metropolitan Regional Council in 2022, the City will improve traffic flow, while creating protected bike lanes to increase safety, along 9th Street South between 2nd Avenue North and Chicago Avenue, and along 10th Street South between Glenwood and 14th Street East. This project will span 2.3 miles of street. 

In collaboration with Hennepin County, the Park and Portland safety improvements will bring protected bikeways, traffic calming, and ADA upgrades to both streets. Hennepin County was able to acquire $11 million from the Metropolitan Council in 2022 and 2024 to fund this project, and the City secured $2 million in Federal funding to improve traffic signals at 26th and 28th street. 

With these streets both having been high-injury streets for years, this is a vital step in supporting our multi-modal community members. Going from Interstate 94 to 46th Street East, this project will span 6.4 miles. 

Together, the passage of these projects means 8.7 miles of protected bike infrastructure in our City. These improvement projects will meet multiple City goals at once: increasing safety on our streets, encouraging usage of multimodal transportation options, and using available funds wisely to keep financial burdens off residents. I could not be more excited for these pathways to better connect the people of Minneapolis to all their favorite places. 

I authored a legislative directive to have the Office of Community Safety report out on the effectiveness of their investigations (2025-00950). I want to create a culture of accountability in the City. We know that someone is less likely to break the law if they know they’ll get caught, and that only happens if we have effective investigations and case clearance. That is why I have asked the Minneapolis Police Department to share more data on their case clearance rates.  

I also want to be clear: what I'm not interested in is simply increasing the severity of punishment, which can lead to high levels of incarceration that unnecessarily harm individuals and their communities, and waste public resources. However, I’ve seen how timely investigations can break the cycle of retaliatory violence, while unsolved cases can erode public trust in the City’s safety departments.   

My office just met with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to discuss how the City is closing cases and charging offenders. I was informed that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has a case clearance dashboard, and I know the Mayor’s office just put out a press release promoting their public facing dashboards, so I hope we can have the case clearance rates information shared soon, and advance transparency on this important public safety issue. 

Ordinance Notices, Introductions, & Referrals: Council Members introduced and referred to the appropriate committee ordinances and/or amendments on provisions related to: reforming the appointed Arts Commission (2025-00948); and, reforming the Capital Long Range Improvement Committee (2025-00949).

Today's question:

I am excited to share that the City has found a way to bring a new playground to the Loring Greenway. While details are still being confirmed, we know it is crucial to keep neighbors and community members in the loop on this important development. 

In November, 2024, the Loring Greenway playground was abruptly dismantled due to safety concerns found during a routine inspection. While we must always prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our children, this unplanned removal had a significant impact on families in Loring Park. Since then, I have dedicated countless hours to working with Minneapolis Public Works staff to find a way to bring a new playground to the area.  

While City staff discovered an option for a replacement, the purchase would be costly, and installation would not occur until Spring of 2026. Constituents have been regularly contacting the Ward 7 office concerning the lack of child-friendly amenities in the area, and it was apparent that a solution needed to come sooner. While details are not confirmed, I am excited to say that a new playground from a reputable Danish company with an existing relationship with Minneapolis Park and Recreation will likely be coming to Loring Greenway soon, with no cost to the tax-payers. 

Some may say that a playground is a frivolous pet project. However, when you are the caregiver of young kids, playgrounds make a world of difference in the emotional and physical wellbeing of a child. They encourage exercise, imaginative play, and can lead to the creation of friendships that last a lifetime. That is always something worth fighting for. You can count on a final design and installation in the near future! Stay tuned for more. 

Join us for the last Open Streets event of the year. From 11am-5pm on Saturday, September 20th, Hennepin Ave will be closed from 26th-36th street to make space for people to walk, bike, roll, or do whatever they please. There will be food trucks, wrestling, crafts, and so much more! 

Learn more on the Uptown Association’s website. 

It’s that time of year again—the Neighborhood Super Sale is this weekend! Join neighbors from 9am-3pm on Saturday, September 13th, for the biggest garage sale event in the City. Learn more on the East Isles Neighborhood Association 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. 

Free pet adoptions will happen from 1-5:30pm every Wednesday in August and September at the Minneapolis Animal Care & Control office (212 17th Ave. N). All cats and dogs up for adoption are healthy, spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. You can learn more on the City's website. 

• New coffee shop, Thesis, is opening on Hennepin Ave in Uptown.
• Target staff returned to in-person work on Tuesday, bringing a significant boost of energy to Downtown.
• Cedar-Isles-Dean staple Rustica is expanding with a Downtown location.
• Cheba Hut, a THC sandwich shop, is slated to open in Uptown on November 3rd.
• The Dakota is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary with a block party on Nicollet Mall on September 20th from 2-10pm. 
• The Kyle Garden Square project from Alliance Housing is a  groundbreaking new office-to-housing conversion that will provide 59 new deeply-affordable units to Downtown neighbors. Ward 7 got to tour the building, and we are super excited for what's to come next!

• Toured the Minneapolis Police Department’s new 1st Precinct building.
• Picked up trash along The Mall in East Isles.
• Attended a Loring Greenway meeting regarding the new playground.
• Had a team lunch at Hell’s Kitchen.
• Presented at both the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association and the Stevens Square Community Organization monthly meetings.
• Co-worked at the Walker Library in Uptown.
• Celebrated National Dance Day with dancers from Ward 7 and beyond over Isles Buns & Coffee baked goods.