Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

Fall is budget season for the City of Minneapolis. The Mayor has proposed a 2013 budget with a 1.7% increase over 2012. This proposed increase, which is below the rate of inflation, is possible due to the tax relief made available to the City through the downtown stadium financing package. The increase allows a number of significant expenditures, including $1.1 million to allow the Fire Department to hire additional firefighters; $2.5 million to allow the Police Department to hire new non-sworn community service officers, convert existing community service officers to sworn officers, and start a new recruit class in 2012; $1.2 million for major street construction projects, road and bike trail maintenance, utility system upgrades and economic development projects. Over the past several weeks the City Council has been receiving presentations from all City departments regarding their budget plans. Two public hearings will also be held at City Hall, Room 317, to give the public the opportunity to weigh in on the budget proposal and the 2013 property tax levy, beginning at 6:05 p.m. on both Wednesday, November 28, and Wednesday, December 12. The Council will then vote to adopt a final 2013 budget and levy on December 12, immediately following the second public hearing. I will be looking carefully at all aspects of the departmental budgets and overall City expenditures, but I can say that I am initially pleased to see increases to the Police and Fire budgets that will have a direct positive impact on public safety. I also think that investment in the maintenance and enhancement of public infrastructure fulfills a core mission of municipal government. The current path the budget is on remains consistent with my priorities, although the process is still fluid until the final budget vote on December 12.   I look forward to receiving your input on budget priorities. - Kevin Reich --- Contact Kevin Reich 350 S. 5th Street Room 307 Minneapolis, MN 55415 612-673-2201 Kevin.Reich@minneapolismn.gov

One-Sort Recycling Begins

Thanks to an accelerated schedule that is a welcome process improvement for the City of Minneapolis, the new one-sort recycling containers began rolling out the week of November 12.  One-sort is an exciting innovation in our process that could increase recycling rates by up to 60%. If a cart is delivered to your home, start using it immediately for all recycling. No sorting is needed. Just make sure not to include garbage or other non-recyclables, and rinse all your bottles, cans, jars and cartons. One-sort is rolling out in phases; if you don’t get a new cart with this rollout, you’ll get one next year in the second phase. Start when you get the cart. A letter with instructions will come to your home about a week before you get the cart. One-sort customers stay on the same recycling schedules as before. While routes and schedules won’t change, the time the truck comes may change. Make sure to have your recycling at your collection point by 6 a.m. on your recycling day. You may keep your old bin for other uses or leave it at the curb or alley and our crews will recycle it. Since routes run street by street (and alley by alley) rather than by neighborhood or quadrant, the routes chosen for the first phase are all over the city. This is the most efficient way to roll out the new carts and keep your service high during the transition. If you would like more specifics about when you’ll receive your cart, contact the Ward 1 office at 612-673-2201 or kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov.

MWMO Grand Opening Re-visited

Mississippi WatershedManagement Organization (MWMO) celebrated the grand opening of its signature new headquarters building on Saturday, October 27. For those of you who didn’t have the opportunity to attend the festivities at 2522 Marshall Street NE, here’s a link to an informative video shot by John Akre, a NE resident and Youth Media Director for Minneapolis Television Network (MTN):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pApV_RkR-hQ&list=UU1kuEDjpDf9DZh6VKx-on7g&index=1&feature=plcp

Ward 1 Community Forum – Nov. 27

Council Member Kevin Reich will be hosting a Ward 1 Public Safety Community Forum on Tuesday, November 27,  6 – 7 p.m. at the Firefighters Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE. Special guests will include outgoing Police Chief Tim Dolan, incoming Police Chief Janee Harteau, and new Second Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Susan Bradshaw. Join your neighbors and fellow community members for a pizza dinner and an opportunity to both thank Chief Dolan for his service and meet key new personnel. RSVP to kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2201.

Ward 1 October Urban Ag Forum Recap

The urban farm at the California Building An enthusiastic group gathered at Eastside Food Co-op for October's Ward 1 Community Forum on the topic of urban agriculture. The evening offered attendees the opportunity to meet some of our local farmers and gardeners, as well as share ideas, concerns and resources. Mike Smieja of Buchanan Street Farms and Jim Bovino and Jillia Pessenda of California Street Farm shared their experiences with their first year of urban farming. Much discussion centered on ways in which the City of Minneapolis’ agriculture-related zoning legislation in 2011 has supported an expansion of urban agriculture activities, as well as areas in which that legislation could use a second look. Some of the resources that attendees shared included: Homegrown Minneapolis (resource for information about zoning regulations, permits, etc.) www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/homegrown/index.htm. Gardening Matters (resource for information about community gardens, gardening hubs, supplies, etc.) http://www.gardeningmatters.org. Yards to Gardens (clearinghouse of land availability) http://www.y2g.org. Community Kitchens (there are 6 in Ward 1): Click HERE for locations and information. One of the highlights of the forum was the introduction of Karen O’Connor and Paige Pellini, owners of Mother Earth Gardens, an urban garden center specializing in organic gardening. They have purchased property at the corner of Stinson Parkway and Lowry Avenue in order to open a second Mother Earth Gardens location in Northeast Minneapolis.

First Ward Business Highlight: OceanTech

One of the First Ward’s many innovative businesses is OceanTech, which relocated from St. Louis Park to 1313 Winter Street NE in the Mid-City Industrial neighborhood in 2010. OceanTech specializes in electronics recycling, as well as asset management services and secure data destruction. Specifically, they purchase a range of electronics, from computers and laptops to televisions and telephones, then refurbish or recycle them, ensuring they don’t become part of the growing electronics waste stream. OceanTech has ISO 14001 certification for environmental management and a “no landfill policy” that extends to their vendors. OceanTech takes a proactive approach to community engagement. Last April they sponsored a unique art show at Tarnish & Gold Gallery: “This Old Mouse”. Artists were given access to OceanTech’s recycling warehouse to create artworks out of a variety of recycled materials. These pieces, which demonstrated the power and creativity of re-use, were then displayed for two weeks at the Tarnish & Gold Gallery.  They offer fundraising opportunities for organizations and non-profits through their laptop collection program and an annual Educators E-cycling Initiative to collect and recycle e-waste from schools.  For further information, go to  http://oceantechonline.com/.

“The Broadway” Groundbreaking

One of the trademarks of Eastside Minneapolis is the creative renovation and reuse of our many industrial properties. The most recent undertaking in this area broke ground last month: “The Broadway”. This renovation of the Land O Nod Mattress factory building at 945 Broadway Street NE is being undertaken by Peter Remes’ First & First, LLC. The plan is for a mixed-use project with a combination of creative and office spaces. The $4 million renovation will contain many features that honor the proximity of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, including a vertical glass gallery that will display artwork and an outdoor sculpture created by Zoran Mojsilov out of granite stones salvaged from the historic Metropolitan Building. One of the first tenants will be Sevnthsin, a digital creative agency. The Broadway will also welcome an exciting new addition to the Northeast Brew District – craft brewery 612Brew.

311 Online

Many 311 services are now available online or through mobile apps. Click HERE to find out how to report: Graffiti Pothole Abandoned car Broken streetlight Environmental violation Water service issue Sidewalk issue Housing code violation Traffic Signal issue

Save the Date:

MPRB & Yinghua Academy Community Meeting Thursday, Nov. 8, 6:30 – 8 p.m., NE Park Recreation Center, 1615 Pierce St NE. Yinghua Academy, located at 1616 Buchanan Street NE, is planning a $6 million renovation and expansion project in the summer of 2013. Yinghua Academy will provide an overview of its upcoming facility expansion, along with visual renderings. The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board will provide an overview of how it will engage the community in upcoming Northeast Park master planning. Edison High School Open House Wednesday, Nov. 14, 6 – 8 p.m., Edison High School, 700 22nd Ave NE.  Come learn about the college preparatory programs, scholarship opportunities, performing arts, athletics, and clubs Edison offers its students. Special appearance by MN Vikings executive director of community relations Brad Madson.   Edison High School Choral Concert Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 – 8 p.m. Edison High School Auditorium, 700 22nd Ave NE. Holiday Beat Fundraiser Wednesday, Nov. 14, 5 – 7 p.m., Jax Café, 1928 University Ave NE. The Riverfront Entertainment District Partners are hosting a fundraiser to allow the Partnership to increase police presence in the NE Riverfront District during the holidays. To register, contact 612-370-9131 or clevens@minneapolischamber.org. NE Network: Shop Local Thursday, Nov. 15, 7:30 – 8:45 a.m., Eastside Food Co-op Community Room, 2551 Central Ave NE. RSVP to board@eastsidefood.coop. NEMS Fall Band & Choir Concert Monday, Nov. 19, 6 - 7 p.m., Northeast Middle School, 2955 Hayes St NE. NE Harvest Gathering Monday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Northeast Middle School, 2955 Hayes St NE. Associate Justice Alan Page will be the guest speaker at this dinner dedicated to fostering community. Contact neharvestgathering@gmail.com for more information. Ward 1 Community Forum: Public Safety Tuesday, Nov. 27, 6 – 7 p.m., Firefighters Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE.  Join CM Reich, Chief Dolan, Assistant Chief Harteau and new Crime Prevention Specialist Susan Bradshaw. All are welcome for dinner and discussion. RSVP to 612-673-2201 or kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov. CASSD Open House Wednesday, Nov. 28, 5 – 6:30 p.m., Eastside Food Co-op Community Room, 2551 Central Ave NE.  Central Avenue Special Services District is holding an informational open house. City of Minneapolis Budget Public Hearing Wednesday, Nov. 28, 6:05 p.m.., City Hall, Room 317, 350 S. 5th Street. NE “Life Size Book” Kick-Off Party & Live Auction Wednesday, Nov. 28, 6:30 p.m., Sen Yai Sen Lek, 2422 Central Ave NE. All are invited to this fundraiser for Artshare’s NE Life Size Book community art project. Bring a donated auction item (think vintage, collectible, handcrafted, re-gifted, or anything unique, curious and in good condition) for a chance to battle it out with your friends and neighbors on the auction floor. Free appetizers and cash bar. RSVP at 612-432-1512. For further information about the Northeast Life Size Book project, go to http://artsharene.blogspot.com/. Edison Family Tour Tuesday, Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Edison High School (Room 117), 700 22nd Ave NE. Prospective students and their families invited to learn about Edison’s academic programs, arts and the community, local and national business partnerships. A light lunch will be served. RSVP to Pamela Vertina at 612-668-1310 or pamela.vertina@mpls.k12.mn.us  Holiday Train Tuesday, Dec. 11, 8:45 p.m., 2800 Central Ave NE. Enjoy the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, as well as music and family activities at this annual fundraiser for the East Side Neighborhood food shelf.  Bring non-perishable food and money donations to benefit East Side Neighborhood’s food shelves. The event takes place at the Canadian Pacific Railway Shoreham Yard, 2800 Central Avenue NE.  City of Minneapolis Budget Public Hearing Wednesday, Dec. 12, 6:05 p.m.., City Hall, Room 317, 350 S. 5th Street. “Romeo & Juliet” Dec. 12 – 13, 7 p.m., Northeast Middle School, 2955 Hayes St NE. Dec. 14 – 15, 7 p.m., Edison High School, 700 22nd Ave NE.