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Hello to all my 3rd Ward neighbors,
Last Saturday I joined Council Member Vetaw as she cut the ribbon on the new regional park at the Upper Harbor redevelopment site. This welcome addition to our world class park system will connect residents in North Minneapolis to the Mississippi River via Dowling Ave. Yet to come is a 7,000 seat outdoor concert venue and several hundred affordable housing units. A big thank you to the Park Board Commissioners and staff for working with the City to transfer the land and adding a great asset to the Upper Mississippi River.
Council Member Vetaw speaking at the ribbon cutting
On Tuesday I paid my respects to Officer Jamal Mitchell and his family at his funeral. He leaves behind a fiancée and four children whose lives will be forever changed. His sacrifice in the line of duty will never be forgotten. The dangers to our police officers increase every day.
Wednesday the Council had a closed session to discuss the tentative contract agreement with the Minneapolis Police Federation. We had the opportunity to ask the Director of Labor Relations, the Mayor, the Chief, and City Attorney questions. This 6.5 hour session allowed the Council to fully understand the changes made in the contract. Here are some of the major changes:
- Gives the Chief more authority over scheduling and promotions.
- Increases the number positions open to civilians (especially in investigations and clerical work) in order to put more uniformed officers on the street.
- Provides for the sunsetting of decades worth of letters of agreement that were separate from the main labor contract.
- Removes the clause that automatically notifies officers of the identity of the person requesting public personnel data about them.
- Raises MPD wages by 21.7% over the duration of the contract. This will make MPD one of the highest paying departments in the State.
There will be two public hearings on the contract:
- Tuesday, June 18th at 10am.
- Tuesday, June 25th at 5pm.
Both hearings will be held in the Council Chambers located at 250 S 4th St in room 350.
To quickly increase housing supply, I have directed staff to research and suggest changes to the City's zoning code to streamline the conversion of empty commercial buildings into housing. I am especially interested in creating affordable condo ownership as we convert these buildings.
Congratulations to Oro by Next in the Sheridan neighborhood on 2nd St NE and 13th Ave NE. They have been nominated for a James Beard award for best new restaurant.
With Summer upon us, please stop by the Stone Arch Bridge Festival this weekend. Look for Henry, Patrick and I near the end of the bridge.
As always, Henry, Patrick, and I are here to serve you. We can be reached at ward3@minneapolismn.gov. Please report all issues to 311 before contacting us so there is a paper trail and staff are already aware of the issue when we speak with them. You can contact 311 by simply dialing 311, email them at Minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov or by submitting a 311 Contact Form.
Your neighbor,
Michael
Learn about becoming a U.S. citizen and the immigration process Saturday, June 15. A citizenship and immigration fair will include:
- An overview on the citizenship application process.
- Answers to your questions about citizenship and immigration.
- English language learning resources.
- Information about securing an interest-free loan through the New American Loan Program.
- Information on state driver’s licenses or state ID in Minnesota.
- Orientation on worker rights.
Interpreters will be present at this event.
Learn how the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul and collaborative partners support residents in preparing for and obtaining U.S. citizenship.
U.S. citizenship and immigration resource fair
1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 15
Open Door Learning Center, 627 W. Broadway Ave.
This event is co-sponsored by the City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs and the City of Saint Paul Immigrant and Refugee Program. It’s part of a citizenship campaign by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to help residents learn about and apply for United States citizenship, with bimonthly events alternating between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Learn more about applying for U.S. citizenship on the City website, contact the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs directly by email, or call 612-394-6018 for more information.
Join the City of Minneapolis and development team led by United Properties for a June 26 community meeting. Come and learn more from United Properties and its partner InnerCity Tennis about the proposed health and wellness hub at the Upper Harbor site.
The 53-acre Upper Harbor site is in north Minneapolis between Washington Avenue and the Mississippi River. It’s being transformed to accommodate new places to live and work, a new riverfront regional park, and a community performing arts center.
Upper Harbor Redevelopment health hub meeting
5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26
NorthPoint Conference Center, 1256 Penn Ave. N., Suite 5200
Please RSVP. Food and refreshments will be provided.
This meeting follows up on the May 2 meeting hosted by the City on the Upper Harbor redevelopment and the health hub proposal. See the presentation from that meeting on the City’s Upper Harbor project webpage.
Visit the City's website to read more about the Upper Harbor redevelopment.
Minneapolis Animal Care & Control is now open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday.
This expanded service is part of an ongoing effort to meet community members where they are and be available for those wanting to adopt pets in need. Please arrive by 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays to allow enough time to process an adoption before the shelter closes at 3 p.m.
The shelter is also open 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. On Thursday evenings, it stays open until 7:30 p.m. with the last adoptions of the day beginning at 7 p.m.
Find more information on adopting animals, volunteering and supporting Animal Care & Control on the City website. |
