Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

May is an exciting month for the First Ward. Art-A-Whirl, the annual celebration of the Northeast arts scene, has become a signature event for our neighborhood. It’s a great opportunity to put our best foot forward as we welcome thousands of art lovers to explore the many studios and galleries located in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. May’s also a great month to learn about newer arts groups like Artshare and rediscover historic treasures like the Hollywood Theater.

As you are probably aware, May also brings another month of potholes. Due to specific weather conditions that occurred this past winter, the pothole season is worse than usual this year. In response to the high volume of needed work, the City Council in April approved an additional $500,000 to double the number of repair crews for a 6 to 8 week period this spring.

First Ward residents who want to report potholes now have three options: call 311, go online at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/311 or call the Ward One office.

Finally, I am pleased to announce that in response to neighborhood concerns, the Ward One office worked with the Elections Department to find a new voting location for Precinct 1:7. Residents of SE Como have been voting at the Elections Warehouse since Tuttle School was closed. Many residents reported that that location was hard to find and lacked sidewalks and sufficient exterior lighting. Our effort to find a new location was successful and the City Council today approved the multipurpose room at Van Cleve Park as the new Precinct 1:7 voting location.