| Dear Neighbor,
Quick note that there will be a snow emergency starting tonight! Details are below.
Last week, we concluded budget negotiations at City Hall, considering all 87 proposed budget amendments from the council–most of which I felt were shortsighted, rather than responsible and responsive to the needs of our City as a whole.
Taken all together, these amendments reallocate tens of millions of dollars, including:
- More than $7M reduction to our Office of Community Safety
- An additional $4.3M from our General Fund
- An additional $2.3M from our Downtown Assets Fund
For each of these reallocated dollars, there is a reduction in services somewhere else–whether that’s a reduction to the section of Public Works that fills potholes and plows streets, the Office of Community Safety that is working to implement a comprehensive public safety ecosystem, or our cash reserves which are essential for our top bond ratings as a city, plus an important cushion, and helps us to buy down the levy amount next year as was done this year by the Mayor’s office. Residents–and perhaps my colleagues–won’t understand what these trade-offs are until we suddenly FEEL them, and then it’s too late.
I voted in support of two proposals to reduce the levy and reduce the burden on taxpayers:
- A 0.21% levy reduction achieved by reducing funding allocated to technology improvements
- A 1.27% levy reduction achieved by cutting 1% from each department, which failed 6-6.
I also brought forward a formal motion to approve Mayor Frey’s levy reduction proposal, which would have reduced the levy by an additional 0.61%. This motion was voted down by my colleagues. My colleagues brought forward two additional successful amendments to decrease the levy that I voted against. While I support the broader effort to decrease the levy and reduce the burden on taxpayers, these particular proposals simply delay—and exponentially increase the amount of—future costs. Reducing the levy this way is shortsighted and will be felt by taxpayers for years to come.
Furthermore, the dollars saved by these levy reduction proposals are almost completely nullified by more than $6M in additional new spending proposed and passed by my colleagues throughout this process. And the money that was shifted into their new projects took positions and millions out of things that serve our city residents each day, and would need to likely be replaced next budget cycle.
We have a responsibility to do right by our government and, most importantly, our residents. I was on the losing side of most votes throughout this process and voted against the entire budget. That did not stop me from fighting for transparency and explaining the bad choices being made at every step, amendment by amendment for 22 hours. I did my best to advocate for a budget that accounts for the needs of our entire City and reflects the concerns about steep property tax increases that I’ve heard from many of you.
Yours in service,
The City of Minneapolis has declared a Snow Emergency beginning today, December 19th at 12pm. City crews have been plowing and treating streets to keep them drivable. Snow Emergency parking rules will take effect beginning at 9 p.m. tonight so crews can continue their work and plow more than 1,000 miles of streets as wide as possible.
Snow Emergency Parking Rules
We aim to provide open, drivable streets by plowing and clearing snow. To do this, we need residents to help us by following snow emergency parking rules. These rules help plows in clearing the streets so emergency vehicles and other traffic can get around and park. Plowing requires vehicles parked on streets to move. It’s in everyone’s best interest to do their part so plows can do the best job possible, and people can avoid a ticket and tow.
Parking rules last for three days after a Snow Emergency is declared:
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9 p.m. today, December 19th to 8 a.m. Friday, December 20th (Day 1) Do not park on EITHER side of a Snow Emergency route until 8 a.m., or the street is fully plowed.
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8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, December 20th (Day 2) Do not park on the EVEN numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed, or on EITHER side of a parkway until 8 p.m., or the parkway is fully plowed.
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8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, December 21st (Day 3) Do not park on the ODD numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed.
A map of which streets are Snow Emergency routes can be found on the city’s website.
Sign Up Now, Stay Informed Throughout the Season
Residents, workers and visitors have several ways to learn when Snow Emergencies are declared and what to do when they are. We recommend signing up for at least two types of alerts:
- Text MPLSAlerts to 77295 or create a full Smart911 profile online to sign up for alerts.
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Check the City of Minneapolis website - If we declare a snow emergency, you'll see a banner at the top of every page with an announcement.
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Call the snow emergency hotline - Our automated hotline can be reached at 612-348-SNOW (7669). If a Snow Emergency is in effect, the hotline will have information on that day’s parking restrictions that drivers need to follow to avoid tickets and tows.
- Get the snow emergency app
- Check our social media pages
- Call 311
- Watch local TV or radio
Remember to Clear Sidewalks and Around Your Garbage Carts
Sidewalks are a critical part of our city’s transportation system, and they should be open for everyone. That’s why Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall for houses and duplexes, and four daytime hours for all other properties. Failure to shovel your walk could lead to a bill to pay for the cost of crews shoveling it. The City also provides free sand to residents at several locations. After you clear your sidewalks, spreading sand helps to provide traction. It also helps hard-packed snow or ice melt faster. Learn more on the City’s website.
 Hi Neighbors! I'd like to start Neighborhood Safety Walks in the 13th Ward and am hoping we can eventually get a group going in each neighborhood. Our first walk will be around Lake Harriet and its vicinity, which spans four different neighborhoods! These are designed to be about ninety minutes, bundled up. Are you interested in joining me? Send me an email.
13th Ward Neighborhood Safety Walk
Saturday, December 28 | 7:00-8:30 PM
Lake Harriet Bandshell (Meet on the Stage)
Aileen Johnson, the Third Ward resident who started these walks in twenty-one neighborhoods across the city and presented at nearly every neighborhood in our area, has given good examples to neighbors about how safety walks help with city safety plans, connect neighbors, and are actually quite enjoyable.
We've had some issues in our community and the most frequent service concern my office hears is about lights that are out due to the copper wire theft. That has an impact on our neighborhood and we are working to correct it. In the meantime, I hope you'll take part in this community-building solution. I will continue to share about it in future newsletters, and we will start a broader sign-up opportunity in 2025.
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 Using new state and federal funding, the City of Minneapolis has started work to replace aging water infrastructure for property owners across the city. The City has completed a citywide inventory of all water service lines. The water service line is the pipe that runs from the water main in the street to the meter inside a property. In Minneapolis, the entire water service line is owned by the property owner.
Residents who have either a lead water service line, a galvanized water service line requiring replacement or a water service line of unknown material will receive a letter from the City. The letter has information about the water service line material, steps that can be taken to minimize lead exposure in drinking water, and an update on the City’s effort to replace lead water service lines. You can find an interactive map of the water service line inventory on the City’s website.
How We Know Our Tap Water is Safe
Minneapolis water is tested hundreds of times a day to ensure it’s safe to drink, and it has always met all federal drinking water standards for lead. The water is treated to make sure lead from pipes does not get into the water.
This year, using the new grant funds, we began proactively replacing lead service lines at no cost to the homeowner. In total, we will replace around 400 lead service lines using grant funds in 2024 with a plan to replace 1,000 in 2025. This effort will continue until we have replaced or attempted to replace every lead service line in the city (replacement requires the property owner’s consent). It is important to note this is not an opt-in program. The state legislation requires us to prioritize replacement based on:
- Focusing on areas with lower-income residents and other disadvantaged communities.
- Focusing on areas with children with elevated blood lead levels.
- Coordinating the replacement of lead service lines with other capital improvement projects for the most efficient use of grant funding.
It will take the City thirteen years to replaces the lead service lines at all 40,000 properties. We don’t yet have a schedule of how this work will proceed.
If you feel strongly that you want to go ahead and replace your lead water service line on your own before you are schedule for City replacement, you are allowed to do so and the instructions for how to do that are on page three of the Lead Service Lines - Frequently Asked Questions sheet. The cost for replacement will vary greatly depending on the physical layout of your property and the length of service line, but the ballpark estimate I received is between $10-$20k.
Despite the cold, December is the perfect time to pick up sustainable gifts, local food and handmade goods at several winter farmers markets across Minneapolis. Support local farmers and producers all while finding something special this month.
Winter Markets
- Visit the Mill City Winter Market Dec. 21, as well as the first and third Saturdays in January through April.
- Visit the Minneapolis Farmers Market Dec. 21 as well as select Saturdays in January through April.
- Neighborhood Roots winter market is closed in December, but you can visit Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and March 8.
Learn more about winter farmers markets on the City website.
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The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) published two draft policies–Tobacco and Cannabis Policy and THC Policy–for a 60-day public comment period ending January 21, 2025.
The MPRB Tobacco Policy is being updated to include Cannabis and will be renamed the Tobacco and Cannabis Policy. The THC Policy is new and will regulate sale of THC edibles and beverages.
Share your feedback via the Public Comment Survey.
Minneapolis Crime Data Dashboard:
https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/government-data/datasource/crime-dashboard/
Minneapolis Crime Locations Map: Hover or click on the icons to learn more.
https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/police-public-safety/crime-maps-dashboards/crime-locations-map/
Crime Tips & Sign up for Crime Alerts:
https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/prevent-prepare/crime-prevention/
General Public Safety Links:
https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/ |
