City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 03/11/2025 04:44 PM CDT
Council Member Linea Palmisano
March 11, 2025
Dear Neighbor,
At the previous City Council Meeting, nine of my colleagues voted against moving forward with meaningful development at George Floyd Square. This vote denies residents near the intersection access to public transit and critical infrastructure upgrades—including lead pipe replacement, sidewalk upgrades, and lighting improvements—and comes at the expense of our entire City. It betrays public input, delays other Public Works projects across our City, and costs taxpayers an additional $500,000. Perhaps most importantly, this seemingly never-ending process undermines trust in local government. Coming from someone who is a part of that government: rightfully so.
The intersection of 38th and Chicago, the site of George Floyd’s murder, will forever be a place of historical significance in Minneapolis and across the nation. Unlike a typical infrastructure project in Minneapolis, we have invested more than $2.2M and 17,000 hours in community engagement for this project. We have spent the past 4+ years working to ensure this intersection honors the life of George Floyd and creates a space for remembrance and racial healing while also delivering necessary infrastructure upgrades and reflecting the community’s wishes.
70% of the 6,000 surrounding neighbors who were surveyed support the plan brought forward by City staff. This plan is usually referred to as the “flexible open” or “flexible plan.” It would allow for the road to remain open and for transit to continue in the corridor, while also giving the City the ability to close the road for events.
The plan my colleagues are attempting to advance is a pedestrian plaza, an area fully closed off to cars and transit. Consent from at least 50% of the neighboring properties is required by state law. The City surveyed all 20 of the neighboring properties and heard back from 15. All 15 opposed the pedestrian plaza plan. Lacking support from neighboring property owners, this plan is illegal under state law.
It is clear that a majority of my colleagues are more interested in appeasing activists, politicizing this process, and wasting taxpayer dollars than doing right by the community. I voted alongside Council Members Jenkins, Vetaw, and Rainville to honor the feedback we’ve heard from the community and advance meaningful development at George Floyd Square. I stand by the voices of community members, and I stand by this vote.
Come to a public information session March 12. You’ll get updates about the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department’s path to meet the requirements of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights settlement agreement. Effective Law Enforcement For All (ELEFA), the independent evaluator of the settlement agreement, will present the updates.
ELEFA will present an overview of its role in the settlement agreement, describe its requirements and how it checks compliance, and provide implementation updates from the first semi-annual evaluation report.
Wednesday, March 12 | 5:30-8:00 PM Ukrainian American Community Center, 301 Main St. NE Food served: 5:30pm – 6:00pm
If you have questions or require accommodation to attend, please contact ELEFA.
Nearly half a million people call Minneapolis home. Twenty-seven departments serve our residents, businesses and visitors. We all do our part to make this city work, with each department offering its specific expertise and contributions.
So even a few months into the new year, we think it’s a healthy exercise to look back at some accomplishments from 2024: from being named the happiest city in the country to showcasing strides made in affordable housing.
Minneapolis is working to start a pilot for traffic safety cameras and wants to hear from you. Take a new survey to share your feedback on camera locations. A new State law allowing this pilot requires protections for fairness, equity and privacy.
State law requires that cameras must be:
Located within 2,000 feet of a school;
At locations with a traffic safety concern;
Distributed fairly throughout the city; and
Identified in a study that considers community feedback, crashes, vehicle speeds, equity, and other potential safety treatments.
Camera enforcement is proven effective at saving lives and reducing crashes. It’s one part of the City's effort to get to zero traffic deaths and serious injuries.
The pilot will launch as early as August with about five camera locations that will enforce speed limits. The pilot will run for up to four ears and may expand to a maximum of 42 locations. The program may also expand to enforce red lights.
The City will gather feedback on potential camera locations through mid-May.
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 formats 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 ayuda, llame al 311. Rau kev pab, hu 311. Hadii aad caawimaad u baahantahay, wac 311.
