City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 06/09/2024 08:50 PM CDT
Council Member Linea Palmisano
June 9, 2024
Dear Neighbor,
Amongst other needs at City Hall, I had the opportunity to pay my respects to Officer Jamal Mitchell and visit the memorial squad car at the Fifth Precinct this week. During my time there, I placed flowers on behalf of our community, checked in with Chief O’Hara and Inspector Nelson and witnessed how people come together and what this officer meant for us as a city. The community support was strong.
There was a young, reserved man who brought a lovely bouquet of flowers. At first he didn’t want to chat, but then he earnestly shared with us how he lived near the house fire that we’ve heard so much about—where Officer Mitchell had saved the older couple. It just meant so much to him and inspired his life. It was a courageous moment of sharing, with tears welling up in his eyes.
A number of passersby wanted to scribe an impromptu supportive note for the windshield. While I should also acknowledge there were those that drove past and shouted obscenities, they were far outweighed by others—such as the immigrant business owner from another part of Lake Street, intent on finding out how to be helpful and show their support.
There was Aileen, a retiree who has been tending to the memorial for days, answering questions, and being there for visitors as our city staff are needed elsewhere. Aileen has a particular connection to our precinct because her late husband served as an officer there. And, our Fire Department who has been watching over this memorial to keep everyone safe.
It brought up a lot of feelings. I brought my younger son back there later that night to see the memorial firsthand, as I’d been explaining it at dinnertime. If you would like to visit, it is on the northwest corner of the Fifth Precinct. Below are other details of Officer Mitchell’s memorial service and other ways to contribute.
Officer Jamal Mitchell Memorial Service
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 11 a.m. Maple Grove Senior High School 9800 Fernbrook Lane North, Maple Grove, MN 55369
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS), and the Minneapolis Peace and Police Officers Association (MMPOA) are partnering to collect donations. Any contributions through the fund will go directly to the family of Officer Mitchell.
In other big news this week, the union representing police officers voted in support after a long-time-in-coming next labor agreement and negotiation with our Labor Relations team. This has been in negotiation for years now. The next step is for the City Council to consider approving at the upcoming Administration and Oversight Committee Meeting (Tuesday, June 18) and Council Meeting (Thursday, June 27). The contract will land in arbitration if we don’t approve it, which is usually not in the best interest of the city or the union. The contract changes and reforms are as important to me as the raises involved. We have been kept up to date along this process as a Council but will be diving deeper into the details over the next two weeks. Below is also an article about that with links to contract language for those following closely.
All this and lots of projects in our area from Public Works, also with updates below. I hope you are all staying healthy and taking care of family and loved ones.
The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis has voted 301-63 to support the terms of a tentative agreement for a 2023-2025 collective bargaining agreement with the City of Minneapolis. Following the vote from its members, the federation has advanced a contract agreement that would deliver a historic boost in pay for Minneapolis police officers and significant reforms.
The 21.7% pay increase over the three years of the contract would make the Minneapolis Police Department among the highest paying in Minnesota by 2025. If approved by the City Council, the terms would be retroactively applied to January 1, 2023. The contract would expire on December 31, 2025.
Taken together, the proposed changes would enhance transparency, strengthen managerial oversight, and equip MPD management with essential tools to better deploy limited resources and run the department.
Next, the City Council must vote to approve or reject the tentative agreement.
The METRO E Line is a planned bus rapid transit (BRT) line that will provide faster and more reliable transit service in the Route 6 corridor along University Avenue/4th Street, Hennepin Avenue, and France Avenue from the University of Minnesota to Southdale.
Station Construction
E Line construction will take place over the 2024 and 2025 construction seasons. Stations to be constructed beginning in June 2024:
Upton & 43rd Street (construction coordinated with City of Minneapolis sewer and water utility improvements at this intersection)
France & 44th Street*
France & 47th Street*
France & 50th Street*
France & 54th Street*
France & 58th Street
* Additional pedestrian safety improvements will be constructed at these intersections in coordination with Hennepin County.
Construction Staging and Timeline
Construction will occur at five intersections on France Avenue. Throughout construction, France Avenue will remain open to northbound traffic. Southbound traffic will be detoured to Xerxes Ave. Local access to northbound and southbound traffic on France Avenue will remain open between station intersections.
Pedestrian access to all properties will be maintained, and a minimum of three accessible pedestrian crossings will be maintained at each intersection.
Construction is expected to last approximately fourteen weeks and conclude in September 2024.
Public Works is making steady progress on the 43rd and Upton sewer project. Despite all of the recent rain, they expect to finish on schedule, by Friday, June 28. Public Works has been coordinating with Metro Transit, and Metro Transit has been onsite to start preliminary work for the E Line Project.
So far, Sanitary Water & Sewers has:
Removed old sanitary sewer maintenance holes.
Removed old sewer pipes.
Installed a new maintenance hole on the intersection at Upton Ave South and West 43rd Street
Over the next few weeks, you will notice crews continuing work on the following tasks:
Removing and replacing old sewer pipes
Installing additional maintenance holes on W 43rd St.
Reconnecting sewer services
As the project continues, the intersection will remain closed to through traffic. We will continue to keep the sidewalks open to pedestrians and patrons.
We take great pride in hosting the most block parties of any ward in our city and beyond each and every year, whether it is National Night Out or otherwise! It is an important opportunity to connect with neighbors and has a year-round impact on safety in our area. Residents may have noticed an issue with the National Night Out/ Residential Block Permit application process, which now asks residents to provide a 75% property notification/ approval, a planning meeting prior to registration, and proof of insurance.
The Residential Block Permit Application was mistakenly “merged” with the Commercial Block Closure Permit online, creating these additional, unnecessary requirements. Public Works and IT are working to resolve and correct the application. Please be patient and reach out to our office if your planned event is coming up and you are having trouble.
Minneapolis will celebrate National Night Out 2024 on Tuesday, August 6. The registration deadline is still July 30th, five days before the event. Residents can call 311 to request a fire truck, MPD K9, and/ or MPD mounted patrol.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet with my constituents, learn more about you and hear your questions, concerns, hopes and dreams for our shared community.
If you'd like to schedule a time to meet with me, send me an e-mailand my staff will help get it scheduled. Please let me know what you'd like to talk about and a convenient place to meet—a coffee shop, a park, your home, my office, etc. I try to reserve Fridays for constituent meetings, but can work them in other times, as necessary, too.
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.
