Sidewalk and Road Salt Goes into Lakes and Streams

Contaminates from road salt enter water resources by infiltration to groundwater, direct runoff to surface water and through storm drains. Road salt contaminates our drinking water, damages buildings, and corrodes vehicles, roads and bridges. Chlorides upset aquatic environments and can kill birds and some plants. Further, there is no natural process by which chlorides are broken down, metabolized, taken up, or removed from the environment.

But they also help us manage ice and snow on our sidewalks and streets. With a few simple tips, we can benefit from de-icers while still keeping their harmful effects to a minimum.

• Apply de-icer before it snows instead of after to keep snow and ice from building up. This will make shoveling more effective after it snows.
• Always shovel as soon as possible to keep ice from building up.
• Break up ice with an ice chopper before deciding if a de-icer is necessary.
• Below 15 degrees, de-icers won’t melt ice. Use sand instead for traction.
• Use less than four pounds of salt per 1,000 square feet (an average parking space is about 150 square feet).
• Sweep up and reuse (or throw away) leftover salt. Any visible salt on dry pavement will wash into the storm drains.

A Note about Parkways and “Parkways”

While our snow fall has stayed below average, it's still very likely Minneapolis will need to declare snow emergencies in February or March. Be aware of the rules in place not only for yourself, but for your visitors from outside the neighborhood. Here's an interesting example:

Linden Hills Boulevard is under the jurisdiction of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB), and as such is enforced and plowed on Day 2 with the rest of the MPRB parkway system. However, as it is not named "Linden Hills Parkway," this frequently leads to visitors and neighbor's guests being towed. There are several other examples of these types of inconsistencies across the city.

Public Works and the MPRB have discussed this over the years and are working toward a long term, citywide solution.  In the meantime, we have the Day 2 definitions of the parkway system defined on the City website in both the Parking Rules via a separate page and a link to a map (see “What is a Parkway”), and the Street Lookup, as well as an easy way to look it up with the smart phone app (see the description on the snow page).

Save on Your Property Taxes

The difficulty of affording property taxes in the 13th Ward continues to be a pressing issue. I continue to have conversations with the City’s intergovernmental relations department, other Council Members, and state legislators about how we can lessen the burden on middle-class families and seniors on fixed incomes.

In the meantime, do familiarize yourself with state programs that offer tax reductions and tax deferrals. Programs are available based on household income and age. Additionally, many 13th Ward residents are eligible to have the State pay a portion of your property taxes if it has increased more than 12% over what you paid last year.

Additionally, as property valuations for 2016 have begun to hit 13th Ward mailboxes, be aware of the process to follow to appeal your valuation. The vast majority of those who disputed their valuations in 2014 saw at least some decrease as a result.

Ward Office Hours

On Tuesday, February 17, I will be holding ward office hours from 3-5 pm at Sparrow Cafe (5001 Penn Ave. S.). If there is a city issue you need assistance with, please contact my office to schedule an appointment. I will also be reserving some spots for walk-in appointments.

Big News on Cable Franchises

While Comcast is currently the only provider serving Minneapolis cable customers, there may be some changes afoot.

On Jan. 30, the City Council conditionally approved Comcast Cable’s application to transfer its cable TV franchise in Minneapolis to a new company called GreatLand Connections. Comcast requested that its franchise be transferred as part of its proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable. If Comcast receives federal approval to acquire Time Warner Cable, Comcast will move forward with its plans to transfer subscribers in the Twin Cities. As part of the franchise transfer process, the City and its legal counsel did a thorough evaluation of Comcast’s application, and the City and Comcast also negotiated a settlement agreement that resolves some outstanding issues with the current franchise before it’s transferred to GreatLand Connections. The City's current agreement with Comcast allows operation in Minneapolis through 2021. The new agreement is in place (also through 2021) regardless of whether or not the Time Warner/Comcast merger is approved.

Currently, Comcast Cable is the only cable TV provider in Minneapolis. Its franchise agreement is non-exclusive, however, allowing other cable TV providers to apply to provide cable service within the city. CenturyLink has recently applied for a cable franchise. The application is available for the public to review; to voice your opinion about the CenturyLink application, please consider attending the scheduled public hearing.

Public Hearing on CenturyLink's cable franchise application
Mon., February 23
1:30 pm (Meeting of the Ways & Means Committee)
City Hall (350 S. 5th St.), Room 317

Applications for the Energy Vision Advisory Committee (EVAC) Now Being Accepted

Applications for the Energy Vision Advisory Committee, also known as EVAC, are now being accepted. EVAC will play a critical role in shaping the work plan for the Minneapolis Clean Energy Partnership. The Clean Energy Partnership is a new approach that partners the City of Minneapolis in a unique way with Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy, its electric and gas utilities, to help the City reach its Climate Action Plan and Energy Vision for 2040 goals. 

Click here to download an application form.

Completed forms should be submitted to sustainability@minneapolismn.gov or by mail to:

Minneapolis Sustainability
Room M301, 350 S 5th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Applicants are encouraged to apply by Friday, February 20 at 5 p.m. Applications received by that date will be given preference.

The Unveiling of the City's Marriage Equality Plaque

Yours in service,