Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

The City of Minneapolis’ Regulatory Services has traditionally been one of the city’s largest departments, charged with oversight responsibilities ranging from Animal Control and Housing Inspections to Business Licensing and Development Review. Beginning in 2012, the City has undertaken a significant restructuring of this department with the goal of creating efficiencies and optimizing services. An appointed Transition Committee, of which I am a member, has spent the past year working with staff to create what is now a substantially leaner and more focused organization. Several previous responsibilities have been transferred to other departments. Environmental Management, for example, is now under the purview of the Minneapolis Health Department (MHD). Construction Code Services, Development Review and Business Licensing will come under the umbrella of Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED). The new Reg Services Department focuses on the following functions: Housing Inspections, Problem Properties, Animal Control, Fire Inspections Services and Traffic Control.

The Regulatory Services Department also has a new director. Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, who was appointed this past May, brings 15 years of executive experience in compliance and regulation in both the public and private sectors. She spent nearly 10 years in various roles with the government of Puerto Rico to improve and reform the delivery of healthcare in the Puerto Rican correctional system. She was also a founding partner and president of Indigo Enterprises, a Minnesota-based consulting firm that specializes in judicial and regulatory compliance, as well as environmental codes and
statutes.

I hope you will join Ms. Rivera-Vandermyde and me at a First Ward Community Forum on Wednesday, August 28 to learn more about the new Regulatory Services Department. This event will be held at the Firefighters Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE at 6 p.m. and will include a light meal.