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Hello Neighbors,
Last week was Ward Work Week which I spent connecting with nearly 100 different community members throughout Ward 1. I hosted three open office hour events, spoke at the ISAIAH Young Adult Coalition Summit, engaged with our officers at the 2nd precinct during roll call, and met with numerous people and organizations individually where we discussed topics ranging from climate justice, zoning, and transit to public safety, mental health support, healthcare access, and housing stability. I'm excited about the work ahead and feel inspired and supported by the all of the resources and expertise in our community.
Minneapolis City Council has returned to in-person meetings for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Council members held our first regular meeting of the full City Council inside Council Chambers at City Hall yesterday. It was a very long meeting where we discussed how to move forward with a Rent Stabilization policy, creating a new Department of Public Safety, and other big decisions. The City Council also approved a resolution expressing unity with the people of Ukraine and calling for additional humanitarian support from the federal government for Ukrainian evacuees.
This week was National Public Health Week. The Minneapolis Health Department highlighted the week by recognizing accomplishments of community partners whose work supports the goals of our Health Department. The Health Department hosted Local Public Health Hero Awards on April 14, and I'm proud to share that our Ward 1 neighbor Eureka Recycling was recognized as a local public health hero for supporting a strong public health infrastructure in Minneapolis. Thank you!
City Council did not meet last week, so I have an extra week's worth of updates and news from the City to share with you. Please read on for information about charges in Amir Locke's death, how to participate in community listening sessions that will inform the search for the new Police Chief, street sweeping, reporting potholes, yard waste collection, and more.
Let's stay in touch! We are always available by phone or email, and now you can request a meeting with me by completing this Meeting Request Form. I look forward to connecting.
Best,
Elliott
Thirty-one City boards and commissions have openings for appointments this spring. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting is available so all residents can participate.
Applications are open now.
City boards and commissions have brought forward recommendations that resulted in renter protections, wage protections, and a ban on a hazardous chemical in dry cleaning. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights.
The positions are open until filled. Application review begins April 15 - unless marked otherwise. Apply and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting the City website.
After a lengthy debate about the objectives, structure, expectations, and timeline of a Rent Stabilization Workgroup, City Council unanimously approved an amended Resolution to establish a Housing/Rent Stabilization Workgroup.
Council President Andrea Jenkins brought forth the Resolution which was taken up as unfinished business at the April 14 City Council meeting. Discussion on the Resolution had been delayed one cycle at the request of Council Member Chughtai who brought a substitute motion to City Council for consideration.
Read the Substitute Motion by Council Member Chughtai here.
Council Member Chughtai's substitute motion would have directed staff to prepare an outline of a rent stabilization policy framework for the City of Minneapolis and return it to the City Council by no later than May 12, 2022 in anticipation of submitting a ballot question to voters at the November 8, 2022 General Election. Chughtai's substitute motion failed on a 5-7 vote.
Council President Jenkins' Resolution proposed establishing a Housing/Rent Stabilization Workgroup to engage a broad set of key stakeholders, representing multiple perspectives, in studying and making recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for a policy framework to address a targeted housing/rent stabilization policy. The Resolution directed the Workgroup to submit its final report with recommendations by the end of 2022 in order to give Council, through its normal legislative process, and in collaboration with the Mayor and City Administration, sufficient time to prepare a proposal to refer to voters in 2023.
Council Members deliberated for hours and voted on a number of amendments to Council President Jenkins' Resolution before unanimously approving an amended Resolution to establish a Housing/Rent Stabilization Workgroup.
You can find a summary of all the Amendments here.
You can find the Legislative file with all supporting documents here.
Watch the April 14 City Council Meeting here.
Council Member Payne's effort to create a Department of Public Safety has been advancing through the legislative process and is now being referred to the Government Structure Subcommittee of City Council's Committee of the Whole.
Last cycle, members of the Policy and Government Oversight Committee expressed a desire to learn more about the Mayor's recommended government structure before referring Payne's ordinance to City staff. On April 11, the Policy and Government Oversight Committee voted to refer Payne's ordinance to staff with a directive from Council Member Wonsley Worlobah.
Read the amended staff directive here.
After some debate at the April 14 City Council meeting, Council voted to refer Wonsley Worlobah's Staff Directive to Committee of the Whole instead of advancing it on to staff. Council Member Payne was among the 9 Council Members who voted to refer the ordinance to Committee of the Whole. It will be taken up at the next Committee of the Whole meeting on April 26.
Council Member Payne looks forward to advancing the legislation through Council by working with all of his colleagues and the Mayor and coming up with a shared vision for the new Department.
Read more about Council Member Payne's proposal here.
Find the full legislative file for the Public Safety Department Charter Amendment here.
Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced April 6 that they are declining to file criminal charges in the death of Amir Locke.
Amir Locke was killed by Minneapolis police officer, Mark Hanneman, on Feb. 2 in a downtown Minneapolis apartment building during a SWAT raid. You can find more information about this incident here.
After a thorough review of all available evidence, the County Attorney and Attorney General determined there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. You can read the joint statement here.
Community listening sessions held in each of the City’s five police precincts will help inform the search process for the next Minneapolis police chief. City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, chair of the City Council’s Public Health & Safety Committee and member of the Mayor’s Police Chief Search Committee, is working with the Mayor and the search committee on the series of sessions.
The community feedback, guidance and perspective received during these sessions will be an integral piece in the creation of the position profile and will inform the entire search process for the new police chief.
I want to highlight the listening session taking place in Ward 1 which I will be attending. It is taking place Wednesday, April 27 from 6-7:30 PM at the Logan Park building, 690 13th Ave. NE.
Other Community Listening Sessions
- 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, April 18 Folwell Park building, 1615 Dowling Ave. N.
- 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21 Elliot Park building, 1000 E. 14th St.
- 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, April 25 Powderhorn Park building, 3400 15th Ave. S.
- 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 Logan Park building, 690 13th Ave. NE.
- 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park building, 4055 Nicollet
Public Works crews are gearing up to start the City’s comprehensive street sweeping program to clear away what has accumulated in the streets over the winter.
The City has scheduled Tuesday, April 19, for the first day of sweeping. Beginning Monday, April 18, drivers should watch for temporary “No Parking” signs to avoid a ticket and tow.
Starting April 19 for approximately four weeks, sweeping crews will take care of more than 1,000 miles of city streets. Alley sweeping will be completed by then. To make sure the crews can do the most complete job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance to make sure streets are clear of parked vehicles. Drivers need to follow street sweeping parking rules or they may have their cars ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot. Find out more and stay informed about spring street sweeping.
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Help Minneapolis Public Works find and repair potholes. If you see a pothole on a city street, please report it to 311 and the city work quickly to repair it.
Find more information on reporting a pothole in this video.
The 2022 season for Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling collection of leaves, brush and other yard trimmings began the week of April 11. Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set properly prepared yard waste at their alleys or curbs next to their garbage carts by 6 a.m. on their garbage day.
Customers can set yard waste out in a reusable container, compostable bags (paper or certified compostable plastic – look for the BPI logo), or bundled with string or twine.
- Reusable containers must be 32-38 gallons & 26-32 inches high with sturdy handles.
- Each container, bag or bundle must weigh less than 40 pounds.
- Bundled brush and branches must be less than 3 inches in diameter and cut to less than 3 feet.
Bags marked “biodegradable” or “degradable” don’t meet the State law requirement and are not accepted.
Solid Waste & Recycling crews can’t pick up dirt, soil, sod, stumps, trees, or branches wider than 3 inches in diameter or longer than 3 feet.
Nobody should rake leaves into the street. It’s against the law and bad for our lakes, creeks and river.
For questions about leaf and brush pickup, customers can check the City website or call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Protecting pollinators
Bees often nest in broken stems of plants, and butterflies overwinter in leaf piles. The City encourages gardeners and landscapers to leave yard waste untouched until daytime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees (mid-April or early May) to protect pollinators.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District announces that it is beginning the season’s surveillance and treatment in our communities for mosquito larvae in ponds and wetlands to reduce the risk of disease and annoyance in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Each year the district’s field staff monitor and treat wetlands that breed mosquitoes with a fleet of trucks and helicopters. Many of the seasonal staff begin working in April, and residents of the seven-county metro area may notice green or white trucks with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District logo or staff on bikes or on foot wearing bright “Mosquito Control” shirts.
At times the district’s employees may need to cross private property for access to check and treat areas for mosquito larvae. Management asks the community to please stay several feet away from field staff and keep children and pets at a distance. If you have questions about mosquito control activities or concerns about an employee, please call their front desk at 651-645-9149 or visit MMCD.org.
Find more information on the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District website.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has spread through farms and in the wild across Minnesota, has now been detected in Hennepin County.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says humans are not at risk from the disease, and eggs and meat from infected birds are safe to eat. But because it is highly contagious and fatal for birds, this outbreak could affect food production and prices.
Avian influenza is contracted when a bird touches body secretions of a sick bird. It is particularly found in chickens, geese, dabbling ducks and raptors but can also infect other species of birds.
People who own birds are encouraged to take small but crucial steps to protect them and follow backyard coop protection steps from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Watch for the following symptoms:
- Birds are unusually quiet.
- Birds are lying down.
- Birds are off their feed or water intake.
- Birds have nasal discharge or difficulty breathing.
- Birds have difficulty standing, twisted necks, or appear to be continually looking up.
- Birds have swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, wattle and hocks.
- Egg production decreases.
- Birds suddenly die.
Anyone who sees a bird – wild or domestic – that shows symptoms should contact the State’s bird flu hotline: 1-833-454-0156. Officers from Minneapolis Animal Care & Control will continue to respond to sick or injured birds when necessary to support State agencies managing this crisis. Find more information on avian influenza on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.
If you’re planning to gather with family and friends for upcoming holidays, the State of Minnesota wants you to know about these recommendations to keep everyone safe and healthy.
- Wear a mask when recommended or required. If you are in an area with a high COVID-19 community level, wear a mask in public indoor settings. You may choose to wear a mask at any time. Some businesses, organizations, or places of worship may still ask people to wear masks.
- Wash your hands often. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
- It’s safest to gather in places with good air flow or ventilation. This could be outdoor spaces and places with fresh air flow or higher quality ventilation.
Stay home if you are feeling sick or test positive. Follow these recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Where to get your free COVID-19 shots
Call for help
- For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call 1-833-431-2053 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
- Mental health crisis line: call **CRISIS (**274747).
How Minnesotans can get a COVID-19 test
- You can now request free at-home COVID-19 test kits from the federal government at https://www.covidtests.gov/. The tests are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR tests. They can be taken anywhere. They will give results within 30 minutes; no lab drop-off is required.
- Walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the State’s free community testing sites across Minnesota: COVID-19 Community Testing Sites.
- Order a test through the State’s free at-home COVID-19 testing program: COVID-19 Test at Home.
Find a testing option near you through the State’s Find Testing Locations map: Find Testing Locations.
Mental Health resources
The city has created a list of mental health support resources to help residents and their loved ones. Find details and contact information here.
Free and affordable food
You can find locations, hours, contact information, and volunteer/donation needs of local food shelves and food distributions.
Check out the updated Minneapolis food security resources on the City website.
To see food shelves by location, explore our map.
Find winter market schedules and locations. (Nearly all accept SNAP-EBT benefits.)
Temporary discount on monthly broadband bills
The city partners with local providers to offer free or low-cost internet services. Households may qualify for a $50 a month discount for internet service. Learn more here.
Discrimination helpline: Report discrimination and bias
If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of discrimination or bias, call Minnesota's Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit an online form here. The helpline is staffed by investigators from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Translation and interpretation services are available.
Audubon Park Neighborhood Association
Columbia Park Neighborhood Association
Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association
Logan Park Neighborhood Association
Marshall Terrace Neighborhood Organization
Northeast Park Neighborhood Association
Southeast Como Improvement Association
Waite Park Community Council
Windom Park Citizens in Action
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Elliott Payne was elected in 2021 to represent Ward 1
Elliott serves on the Public Health & Safety Committee as Vice Chair, Public Works & Infrastructure Committee, Audit Committee, Budget Committee, Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and Committee of the Whole.
Contact the Ward 1 Council Office
Elliott Payne, Council Member - Email
Ben Carrier, Policy Aide - Email
Liam Davis Temple, Policy Associate - Email
Office Phone - (612) 673-2201
Meeting Request Form
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