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Dear Neighbors,
Happy Eid to you and your loved ones! Let’s take a moment to appreciate the warmth and joy it brings to our communities. Eid is all about coming together, sharing delicious food, and making unforgettable memories with family and friends.
Wishing those who participate, a fantastic Eid filled with laughter, love, and plenty of blessings.
- Jamal
Council’s rideshare minimum compensation ordinance has prompted nearly a dozen new and expanding rideshare companies to prepare to launch in Minneapolis. These include businesses that are locally owned, owned by people of color, and a worker-owned co-operative.
Additionally, the ordinance has sparked a local and national conversation about how every single worker deserves a minimum wage. Check out recent coverage in the Minnesota Reformer, The Washington Post, PBS, and Here’s the Truth.
At the end of March, Council Member Jenkins introduced a notice of intent to reconsider the ordinance without any specifics of what changes she intended to make. This caused a great deal of confusion amongst the public, as well as concern from new and emerging rideshare companies that Council was going to repeal the ordinance.
We want to clarify the next steps on the reconsideration of the rideshare minimum compensation ordinance that will take place at the Council meeting on April 11.
- Council Member Jenkins may bring any amendment to the ordinance or motion to rescind the ordinance entirely. She has not shared her intentions with the Council or the public. We do not support rescinding the ordinance or support changing the rates to subminimum wage equivalents in response to corporate pressure from Uber and Lyft.
- Council Members Payne, Cashman and Chowdhury are bringing a motion to delay the implementation of the ordinance from May 1 to July 1 in order to give more time for new and emerging companies to establish infrastructure, recruit drivers, and publicize to riders. This change may or may not influence Uber or Lyft’s decision to leave the city on May 1 in response to Council mandating that they pay minimum wage equivalents. We support adjusting the implementation date to July 1 to support new and emerging rideshare companies.
- The ordinance co-authors will be bringing a notice of intent to amend the ordinance with two provisions that are crucial for successful enforcement. These will progress through the legislative process starting on April 11th, with a full vote of the Council in late May.
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Fare transparency- mandating that all rideshare companies send receipts to both riders and drivers detailing how much the rider was charged, how much the driver was paid, the distance and duration of the ride, and other basic details.
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Data disclosure- outlining the data that all rideshare companies must report to the city on a regular basis. Regular and unrestricted data is crucial for the Council to be able to assess and enforce the ordinance. Currently, the city’s Policy and Research (PAR) division is in contact with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) to see if there is any available Minneapolis-specific data. This amendment would guarantee the city direct access to much more comprehensive and Minneapolis-specific data going forward.
We are confident that these three changes- a July 1 implementation date, data disclosure, and fare transparency- will strengthen the policy and help ensure equitable outcomes for drivers and riders. We are also excited to continue the ongoing conversations with the State Legislature about a statewide policy to complement Minneapolis’, as well as continued conversations about a smooth and equitable implementation of the ordinance with our local partners including labor, Meet Minneapolis, Metro Transit, the Chamber of Commerce, and more.
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 16, for the first day of sweeping. Beginning Monday, April 15, drivers should watch for hot pink temporary “No Parking” signs to avoid a ticket and tow.
Starting April 16 for approximately four weeks, sweeping crews will take care of more than 1,000 miles of city streets. 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 your street on the schedule
You can see when your street is scheduled to be swept by visiting the interactive street sweeping map. It will go live Friday, April 12, with this year’s schedule.
Learn more about street sweeping.
City staff have been meeting with the south Minneapolis community about the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center and the Lake Street Community Safety Center. They’ve held public meetings and are also talking to people on the street about the two community safety centers. The information will help decide on what services could be in the community safety centers.
Here are some upcoming events for people in south Minneapolis:
- Talking with South High School students April 19.
- Talking with people who identify as Southeast Asian April 20.
- Talking with people who identify as Latino April 20.
- Talking with people who identify as African American April 25.
- Talking with older adults April 26 and May 6.
See information presented to the City Council about the Lake Street Community Center.
Check out the City’s website for more information.
Whether you’re new to Minneapolis, a college student or a lifelong renter, come join us for the 2024 Renter Rights Resource Fair.
The resource fair brings together staff from the Department of Regulatory Services and community organizations to connect with renters and property owners. So bring your questions. Find help overcoming common renting issues and learn about renter rights. Hear how the City works with property owners and tenants to ensure safe and quality housing.
2024 Renter Rights Resource Fair 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 Minneapolis Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., first floor
A free meal and interpretation services will be available. Hosted by the Department of Regulatory Services.
 The reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue South between Douglas Avenue and West Lake Street began April 1. The two-year project will improve the corridor for all users from Interstate 94 to Uptown. This year’s construction is from West Lake Street to 26th Street. Upgrades to underground electric and gas utilities were accomplished this past winter to make room for the project. Next year, the construction area is from 26th Street to Douglas Avenue. Crews will continue replacing underground utilities in advance of next year’s construction, from Franklin to Douglas Avenue.
The project is an opportunity to update Hennepin Avenue to meet the public’s current and future needs. The new, multimodal design improves space for people walking, riding transit, biking and driving. The layout also provides space for enhanced stations being built for the future METRO E Line, a new Bus Rapid Transit line that will largely replace Route 6 in December 2025.
Metro Transit buses on Hennepin Avenue are detoured to Lyndale Avenue via Lake Street or 31st Street and 24th Street.
More information:
The 2024 season for Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling collection of leaves, brush and other yard trimmings has started. Customers can now set properly prepared yard waste at their alleys or curbs next to their garbage carts weekly by 6 a.m. on their pickup 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.
Other requirements
- Reusable containers must be 32-38 gallons in size and 26-32 inches high with sturdy handles. Reusable containers are lifted and emptied by hand; they must be easily managed. Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided containers.
- 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 long.
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.
Raking leaves into the street is 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 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.
Sign up for the City of Minneapolis’ new alert system. You can get text alerts, create a full profile if you’d like alerts on specific subjects, and even download the mobile app to your phone.
Alert topics
The City of Minneapolis will use the new system, Smart911, to send alerts on many topics including:
- Snow emergencies.
- Severe weather.
- Public safety incidents.
- Major infrastructure issues.
- Major special event impacts.
Smart911 replaces the City’s former alert system, Swiftreach. If you were subscribed to Swiftreach, you'll get alerts in the new system. We encourage you to create a Smart911 profile for more precise alerts.
Sign up for alerts
To subscribe, text MPLSAlerts to 77295 or create a full Smart911 profile online.
Read more about the new alert system on the City website. |
