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Dear Community,
This Monday we honored the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Every year the teachings of Dr. King continue to resonate powerfully in the social and political challenges we face. This year, the quote that most stood out to me was from a speech Dr. King gave in April 1967 at the University of Minnesota:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and moments of convenience but where he stands in moments of challenge and moments of controversy. On the civil rights question...the issues are tied together. I refuse to be a victim of believing in segregation. I fought for too long against segregation in the South and in the North to come to the point now that I'm going to segregate my morality and my principles. I'm not only going to be concerned about justice for Negroes in the US because I know that justice is indivisible, and injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I'm concerned about justice for everybody the world over."
Dr. King’s words ring true today just as they did fifty-seven years ago. They also serve as my North Star in this work as your Council Member. So, this week I am reminded of the obligation I hold to leverage my City Council position to push our city to become a beacon of justice for all residents.
Sincerely,
Council Member Robin Wonsley
Council has begun our regular recurring meeting schedule. You can read more about the Committees and schedules on the city website.
I was honored to chair my first meeting of the Administration and Enterprise Oversight (AEO) Committee this term. AEO will exercise oversight and evaluation on all matters related to general government, enterprise and administration operations not assigned to other committees. It will also receive regular reports and presentations about the City’s Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan and evaluate the Mayor’s Office and administration on efforts to recruit and retain employees, eliminate corruption and unnecessary waste of taxpayer resources, and foster a healthy, ethical enterprise culture. AEO replaces the Policy and Government Oversight (POGO) Committee from last term. I look forward to a productive term of AEO along with my vice chair, Council Member Palmisano, and the rest of the Committee members.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Next week the Council will consider amendments to the Resolution supporting an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US military aid to Israel. I am bringing amendments to include context from the UN and International Court of Justice, and hope that the majority of my colleagues vote to include these in the final language. Many residents have reached out to my office asking me to support the resolution, and diverse residents have written publicly about why this matters to them. I appreciate all the time and energy that residents have put into this effort and will be supporting the resolution.
Key votes: Ceasefire resolution will be amended at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday January 23rd at 1:30pm, and the final vote on the resolution as amended will be at the Council meeting on January 25th at 9:30am. Both meetings are open to the public and livestreamed.
Last year, I authored a legislative motion requesting a presentation on how Minneapolis can integrate participatory budgeting into our municipal budgeting process. The research will be presented and discussed at the next Budget Committee meeting. I look forward to working with residents, city staff, and my colleagues to help increase democratic participation and equity in the Minneapolis budget process.
Key votes: Presentation on participatory budgeting at Budget Committee on Monday January 22nd at 1:30pm. No votes will be taken.
I stood with workers represented by SEIU at a rally for the public release of a white paper that highlights a vision for a new downtown that centers workforce stability and the values of working people, particularly Black, Brown, and Indigenous essential workers.
Early voting begins Jan. 19 in Minneapolis for the presidential primary. Voters in the city are among the first in the nation to cast in-person ballots in this high-profile race, and they can do that at the Early Vote Center from Jan. 19 through the day before the March 5 primary. The Early Vote Center is at 980 E. Hennepin Ave.
Unlike with other elections, voters in the presidential primary choose which of the two participating major party’s ballot they want. The party they choose is not public information, though it will be available to the selected major party.
Standard hours for the Early Vote Center are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The center is closed on Presidents Day, Feb. 19. The center is also open the last two weekends before the primary. Besides the Early Vote Center, voters can vote early at the downtown Hennepin County Government Center, 300 Sixth St. S. You can find more information on early voting options on the City website.
The Early Vote Center makes early in-person voting more convenient for Minneapolis voters. It’s especially helpful to people who need language support or other special accommodations, such as curbside voting. Voting early can help people avoid lines and crowds at polling places on the day of the election.
Vote early by mail
Any voter can vote early by mail; no reason is required. Please allow enough time to complete the process by mail. It can take up to seven days. You can complete your applications online on the City website.
Make sure you’re registered to vote
While people can register to vote at the polls, pre-registering speeds up voting on the day of the primary. Voters can check the status of their registrations on the City website. If you’ve moved to a new address or had a name change since last registering, you’ll need to reregister to vote. If you haven’t voted in the past four years, you’ll need to reregister.
Preregister online, or fill out and mail in a registration application, which is available at government offices and the City website. Pre-registration ends 21 days before the March 5 primary.
Please clear your sidewalk of snow and ice all winter to keep Minneapolis accessible for everyone. Minneapolis has around 15-20 snow events each year from freezing rain to blizzards. These cover sidewalks with snow or ice and make it difficult to pass. Many in our city rely on the sidewalks to get to work, school, errands, appointments and more.
One- and two-family dwellings have 24 hours after the snow stops to clear their sidewalks. All other properties must have clear sidewalks within four hours. If you don’t clear your sidewalk, you could get a warning letter and bill from the City to remove snow from your sidewalk. A typical bill is $229.
Resources are available for people who are unable to shovel or clear their sidewalks. Several for-hire contractors and a few nonprofit organizations can help. If you need help, you can call 311 to find the best match in your area.
Visit the City website for more information and resources or to report an issue.
You can check the status of uncleared sidewalk snow and ice cases in Minneapolis using the City's interactive dashboard.
Garbage pickup reminder: shovel around your carts
Remember to shovel out your garbage, recycling and organics carts. If the collection crew cannot easily wheel your carts to the truck, they cannot empty them. If your carts are not emptied, clear away snow or ice and the crew will empty your carts on your next collection day.
Please do not shovel snow into the alley or street. This makes collection more difficult for our crews, it makes moving through alleys harder for you and your neighbors, and it’s not allowed under City ordinance.
Minneapolis Animal Care & Control has lowered pet adoption fees to help animals find homes. Minneapolis residents can now adopt a cat or adult dog without an adoption fee, only a licensing fee. The shelter is also now full.
Puppy (6 months or younger) adoption fees for residents and nonresidents remain at $250. Pet adoption fees for nonresidents are lowered from $250 to $100 for adult dogs and from $100 to $25 for cats.
Minneapolis Animal Care & Control partners with the community to ensure the health and safety of pets and people.
Find more information on the City website about adopting animals, volunteering and supporting Animal Care & Control.
Email Council Member Wonsley and her staff at ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Or contact staff directly:
Policy Aide Celeste Robinson
Policy Aide Qannani Omar
Share your opinion or address an issue, use the Ward 2 contact form
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