This week, I was devastated to see multiple instances of hateful, and violent graffiti appear in our city. In Northeast, racist and Islamophobic messages targeted the Somali community, and just across from our Ward, Temple Israel was vandalized with threatening and anti-Semitic messages. As a person of faith living in a time of escalating hate and fear, I strongly condemn these acts and stand in full solidarity with my Muslim and Jewish neighbors.   

These violent messages come in the wake of a fire and break-in at the Alhikma Islamic Center this week and the tragic, deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in August. In the face of these hatful acts, it is crucial that we work together to ensure everyone feels safe in Minneapolis, their communities, and the houses of worship that should stand as sanctuaries in every sense.  

I know that in Ward 10, so many of you across every neighborhood work across differences of race, religion, income, and status to support each other, to keep each other safe. You are all a testament to the fact that this city is stronger because it is place where Jews, Muslims, Christians, and people of all faiths and no faith, can come together in community and solidarity.  

As you read through the rest of this Newsletter and learn more about the work happening at City Hall and in Ward 10, I encourage you to be thinking of ways you can plug into community. Getting to know your neighbors and continuing to show up with love and kindness is the greatest tool we have in combatting this kind of hate. 

Mariah Samuels was a 34-year-old Northsider, a beloved mother, sister, and daughter. On September 14th, she was murdered, despite taking every step society tells victims of domestic violence to take. She left her abuser, she cut off contact, she didn't retaliate, she went to the police, and none of the systems in place were enough to protect her. Mariah should be able to spend time with her sons today, able to continue working with and sharing her love for animals, she should be here in our community going on to share her joy with others and looking forward to the future. But she, like far too many women in our City and across the country, was a victim of violence perpetrated by men.  

The violence she experienced is too common. The grief her family now has to shoulder is one shared by too many. That is why I, along with Council Members Ellison and Wonsley, brought forward a Resolution asking for justice for Mariah Samuels, and expressing support for her family as they seek answers as to why our existing systems were not enough to keep her safe. That Resolution was passed with unanimous support from the Council. 

I also brought forward a motion with Council Members Ellison and Wonsley requesting that the City’s Audit Committee, alongside the City Auditor, create recommendations that close the gap in our oversight and accountability mechanisms in Public Safety. We have the Office of Police Conduct (OPCR) to investigate complaints and see if individual officer actions were in compliance with policy. We have Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO) to establish review panels and make recommendations for policy in the Minneapolis Police Department. We do not have any system or body in our enterprise dedicated to reviewing patterns and processes of our public safety systems, but we have experts in the Audit department in examining process, and we are asking them to consider how the City can close this gap in oversight. I'm grateful this motion passed, because residents need a real system in place so that cases like Mariah’s can be reviewed. 

I am so excited to announce that the Slumlord Tier Oversight and Protection Ordinance, commonly referred to as STOP, passed at this Thursday’s Council meeting with unanimous support! This change mandates that the City Council votes annual on tier 3 rental licenses, which have a significant number of violations to the City Code, in order to increase oversight of landlords and have accountability for tenants across Minneapolis.  

Right now, there are about 23,400 rental licenses in Minneapolis, covering roughly 123,000 housing units. Of these, 160 licenses that represent 2,250 housing units, are in the Tier 3 licensing category which means these properties have significant violations that impact tenant health, safety, and livability. A vast majority of these units are concentrated in areas with low-income renters, renters of color, and student renters, that includes multiple properties in Ward 10.  

This Ordinance ensures that landlords with repeated and extensive violations are not having their licenses rubber stamped and renewed. It means that annually, these licenses are subject to public facing oversight that I hope will encourage licenses to be conditional on making real changes to substandard properties, so that all tenants have the safe and dignified housing they deserve.