March 22nd, 2024

A message from Council President Elliott Payne

Hello neighbors, 

At yesterday's City Council meeting we approved 46 items that were forwarded from our standing committees, referred one ordinance to our Business, Housing & Zoning committee, and approved 3 honorary resolutions. We also referred Mayor Frey's nomination of Timothy Sexton for the position of Public Works Director to our Climate & Infrastructure Committee for a public hearing. The next Climate & Infrastructure Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 28 at 1:00p.

City Council also approved work plans for its Administration & Enterprise Oversight committee and Climate & Infrastructure committee, renewed liquor licenses for 91 different businesses, transferred property management of The Cowles Center to the City of Minneapolis, and advanced several infrastructure projects, including the Beltrami/Monroe resurfacing. Yesterday was the quickest City Council meeting of the term where all but one vote was unanimous, and the other vote was 12-1. 

We continue to work with the State of Minnesota on our Transportation ride share worker protection ordinance as they advance the issue at the legislature. I posted my comments on the issue on my official Facebook and Twitter accounts yesterday. You can also see the update later on in the newsletter about the work we are doing on the implementation of that ordinance. 

Lastly, I wanted to make sure to highlight our community 1-1s and office hours that are coming up next week. I've greatly enjoyed how many of you have stopped by our office hours since being elected, and how often I'll run into someone in the community and hear "I've been meaning to stop by one of your office hours!". Office hours have always been great for anyone looking for an unstructured chance to meet myself and other neighbors and often participate in an open and free flowing discussion about whatever issues people bring up. We also know some people prefer to have a private discussion about a particular issue so we will also will be continuing our community 1-1s this term where you can sign up for 1-1 appointments. You can find more information on both of those events coming up this week in the newsletter below.

Best,

Elliott

Connect with Council President Payne in the Ward

Community 1-1s 

When: Tuesday March 26th 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Where: Pilllar Forum Cafe 2300 Central Ave Ne

Details: Schedule a 15-minute one-on-one meeting with Council President Payne

RSVP: Click here to sign up! Go over to March 26th and select the time you wish to meet.

Transit: Route 10 & Route 32

Open Office Hours 

When: March 28th 5:00-7:00 PM

Where: Dogwood Coffee NE 1209 Tyler St NE

Details: Facebook event

Transit: Route 10 & Route 30

City Council lays out plan for rideshare implementation

The Council is taking steps to ensure a smooth implementation of the ordinance. The following updates were also shared with Council on Wednesday, March 20th:

• Coordination with the state: City Council Leadership and our Intergovernmental Relations Committee Chair continue to work with legislators to ensure the Minneapolis policy is driven by all available data, including specific local information, as well as support state legislative efforts to bring forward a statewide policy. They will continue to ensure the Minneapolis policy is driven by all available data, including specific local information, as well as supporting state legislative efforts to bring forward a statewide policy. Council President Payne and Council Vice President Chughtai will continue to reject Republican-backed preemption and ensure local autonomy is protected.
• New rideshare companies: Several new rideshare companies have expressed interest in coming to Minneapolis in response to us setting a minimum wage. Council is working with city staff to remove startup barriers for new rideshare companies and ensure a smooth transition.
• Disability justice: Council is working with MetroMobility to promote their existing on-demand service, which provides riders with disabilities on-demand taxi rides for $5 for rides up to $25, which has capacity to accommodate increased ridership immediately.
• Minneapolis-specific data: The City’s Policy and Research (PAR) division is in contact with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) with the goal of getting any available Minneapolis-specific data to ensure that our policy is driven by the conditions of Minneapolis rideshare drivers and our constituents.
• Safe Rides: The Fair Drives Safe Rides Ordinance that was vetoed in August of 2023 included mandatory unrestricted data disclosure from all TNCs. Following the veto, the ordinance was separated into Fair Drives (minimum compensation) and Safe Rides (data disclosure and fare transparency). Council is now bringing Safe Rides through the legislative process with the intention to pass the policy by the end of April. Fair Drives is the only way to ensure Minneapolis has access to unrestricted data on an ongoing basis and ensure that Minneapolis minimum compensation rates are most accurately aligned with the $15.57 minimum wage. 

Public Meeting on Ward 1 Traffic Calming Improvements

Through the Neighborhood Traffic Calming process, Minneapolis Public Works is finding ways to make your neighborhood streets safer and eliminate risky driving behaviors. They have identified several areas for traffic calming treatments to be implemented in 2024, one of them being Polk street in Ward 1. 

• NE Polk St between NE Lowry Ave and NE 18th Ave
• SE 8th Ave between SE 8th St and SE
  2nd St
• SE 5th St between SE 12th Ave and
  SE 15th Ave

Public Works is considering traffic calming tools like these for the projects

• Bollards
• Speed humps
• Neighborhood traffic circles
• Median islands

Join the public meeting on Thursday, April 11th from 5-6 PM at Van Cleve Recreation Center 901 15th Ave Se to learn more and give feedback. 

Public comment period open on climate and infrastructure investments

A public comment period is now open until March 28 for community members to weigh in on the Climate Legacy Initiative progress so far. Where would you like to see investments?

At the March 14 Climate & Infrastructure Committee meeting, Deputy Health Commissioner Patrick Hanlon gave an update on the Climate Legacy Initiative, a historic $10 million investment in climate work in Minneapolis. These investments include $4.7 million for weatherization, $1.4 million in workforce training, and $850,000 in tree canopy.

Send your comments and priorities. Make sure to include the file number: 2024-00260 when submitting a public comment.

Diverse applicants wanted for Minneapolis boards and commissions

The City is now recruiting members for boards and commissions. We’re looking for applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. City boards and commissions offer a direct way for residents to advise City leadership about topics important to them. Translation and interpreting are available so all residents can participate.

Applications will be accepted through March 31.

City boards and commissions with openings include:

• Arts Commission.
• Bicycle Advisory Committee.
• Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee.
• Community Commission on Police Oversight.
• Minneapolis Workforce Development Board.
• Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
• Southside Green Zone Council.

People can apply and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting the City website.

Read more about the openings and about some of our boards’ and commissions’ accomplishments on the City website.

City awards first round of opioid settlement funding to combat crisis

The City has awarded its first round of opioid settlement money to organizations combating the opioid crisis. The City is expected to receive about $18 million over the next 18 years from national settlements with opioid distributors and manufacturers.

The awardees of the funding will focus their work on treatment, long-term recovery and prevention to reduce disparities in the number of overdose-related deaths and emergency room visits.

Awardees

The awardees represent diverse needs of the Minneapolis population. They’ll increase access to opioid treatment.

• Access Healing: A significant portion of the funding will go toward safer and more supportive culturally specific recovery housing facilities.
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES): The program will focus on serving Latino youths and their families. They have outpatient chemical health practitioners and therapists. They provide both substance use and mental health services.
• Generation Hope: The work is focused on addressing addiction, mental health and the associated stigma within the East African community with a strong emphasis on empowering individuals in recovery through workforce development.
• Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches: The project will launch new services to meet culturally specific needs. It will launch a mother-led support network and Nar-Anon program.
• Minnesota Somali Community Center.

Read more about the awardees and their services on the City website.

Make your home more energy efficient with help from new grants and no-interest loans

If you own a home in Minneapolis, you can now apply for funding to help make it more energy efficient.

Owners of homes from one to four units can apply for 0% loans (which means you don’t have to pay interest) and up to $14,000 in grants for certain home improvement projects that save energy. You can combine these City funds with utility rebates and other grants.

About the program

The Green Cost Share program is a funding program helping reduce the cost of rooftop solar and energy efficiency projects in Minneapolis.

Eligible projects include:

• High-efficiency heating and cooling systems.
• Insulation and air sealing.
• Energy Star windows.
• Heat pump electric water heaters.
• Solar.

Who can apply?

This new offering is open to property owners of one-four unit homes. This includes townhomes, twin homes, condominiums, and properties held in a trust.

• Minneapolis properties.
• The property must have an energy audit in the last three years.

• The grant amount varies by income level and location in Minneapolis.

Apply for the home energy efficiency grants on the Center for Energy and Environment website.

Update on community safety centers and engagement: event March 27

Neighborhoods near the Lake Street and South Minneapolis community safety centers will see more outreach over the next three months to talk about what services residents want in the new community safety centers.

The City of Minneapolis Office of Community Safety will hold events for residents and business owners in the 3rd Precinct service area. The events will try to reach people most affected by safety systems.

The Office of Community Safety and its partners will hold two events in the coming weeks:

• 6-7:30 p.m. March 27 Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Ave. S. Hosted by the Longfellow Community Council, Lake Street Council, and Seward Civic and Commerce Association. Open to all.
• An event will be held in April for Little Earth residents. Hosted by the Little Earth Residents Association.

More engagement

Neighbors in southeast Minneapolis will be encouraged to fill out an electronic survey in May. You may also see City staff walking in south Minneapolis talking with people on the street in busier areas, such as East Lake Street, Chicago Avenue, East Franklin Avenue and Cedar Avenue.

More events will follow. To stay up to date on events and news about the south Minneapolis community safety centers, visit the City website.

You can still enter lottery to buy a $30 tree for your yard

If you haven’t already, you can still enter the lottery by March 31 for the chance to buy a $30 tree for your Minneapolis property. The City will offer 1,000 low-cost shade and evergreen trees to help grow the city’s tree canopy. The trees range from 3 feet to 8 feet tall.

The City is especially focused on adding trees in the Green Zones as those areas have some of the lowest tree cover in the city. We encourage anyone who owns property in the Green Zones to enter the lottery.

If you’re selected

If you’re selected in the lottery, you can buy one or two trees per address. You’ll get an email in April with information on how to order.

Tree pickup will be May 18 and 19 (subject to change). You’ll get an email with the pickup location.

Register for the lottery online.

Learn more about the City Trees program.

Nominate a local public health hero by March 22, celebrate April 17

Community members perform essential work for public health: building healthier communities in our city. To honor those who do this important work, you’re invited to nominate a hero for a Local Public Health Hero award. Please complete the nomination form by 5 p.m. Friday, March 22.

The annual Local Public Health Heroes Awards recognize the critical role community partners fulfill in making Minneapolis a healthier place. Local Public Health Heroes help support the Health Department’s vision that healthy lives, health equity and healthy environments are the foundations of a vibrant Minneapolis. 

A panel will review the nominations and choose award winners based on the criteria in the nomination form. Health Department staff will notify the winners April 8. 

Please join us for a resource fair and ceremony to honor our local public health heroes. Lunch will be provided at no charge.

Local Public Health Heroes event Resource fair at 11 a.m., award ceremony at noon Wednesday, April 17 Public Service Building, Room 100, 505 Fourth Ave. S.

Connect with Elliott and Ward 1 Staff

Elliott Payne was re-elected in 2023 to represent Ward 1

Elliott serves on the President of the Minneapolis City Council, Chair of the Audit Committee, member of the Public Health & Safety 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 Aide - Email

Office Phone - (612) 673-2201

Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward1

We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:

Room 100, Public Service Center
250 South 4th St.
Get directions

For reasonable accommodations or alternative format please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850. Para asistencia, llame al 311. Rau kev pab 311. Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 311.