Call for Northeast Artists

Our recently renovated Northeast Library will be installing a new public art project that celebrates the artists living and working in Northeast Minneapolis. The installation will consist of a 40X4 foot horizontal frieze displaying a montage of photographs representing the work of our artists. I have attached some information about the process for submitting your work for selection, but here are a couple of key dates to keep in mind:

Thursday, Sept. 5

Artists Informational Meeting, Northeast Library, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 27

Deadline for submission of up to three images and related materials.

This public art project is open to all artists currently living or working in Northeast Minneapolis. Check out the attached PDF for further details about the project and the submission procedure.

• Northeast Library Call for Artists (2).pdf

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.

Energy Utility Franchise Agreements

The City of Minneapolis has utility franchise agreements with Xcel Energy for electricity and CenterPoint Energy for natural gas. These agreements allow the utilities to use public property, such as boulevards and alleys to provide service. They were signed in the early 1990s, and both expire at the end of 2014. The City is in the early stages of preparing to negotiate new franchise agreements. One of the steps in this process is the Energy Pathways Report that the Council has authorized and that will be completed in February 2014. This alternatives analysis will outline the various avenues the City could take to achieve the energy goals outlined in the City’s Climate Action Plan.

A group of residents has advocated for placing a referendum on the November general elections ballot authorizing the City to establish municipal utilities. A public hearing was held on this issue on August 1 to hear testimony from the utilities, as well as citizens both for and against the referendum. Since that time, both CenterPoint and Xcel have had discussions with the City regarding ways of working together to meet the City’s energy goals. Given these discussions, the resolution for a ballot referendum on municipalization will not be introduced at the Committee of the Whole on August 15.

New Elections Website

The City of Minneapolis has launched a new elections website to help voters get ready for this fall’s election. By visiting vote.minneapolis.gov, voters can learn what they need to know about how to register to vote, find their polling place, and many other elections topics.

Because Minneapolis will use ranked-choice voting this year, the website can help people learn how to vote using ranked-choice voting, and they can see how ballots are counted. Ranked-choice voting gives voters the opportunity to rank up to three candidates for each office. The website features an interactive demonstration ballot that voters can use to learn how to mark a ranked-choice ballot. After completing the ballot, visitors to the site can see how the ballot-counting works. Minneapolis voters can also use the website to ensure they are ready to vote. You can check your registration status or download a voter registration application on the website. You can use the polling-place finder to find your assigned polling place and also find information about absentee voting.

The City has also produced a new video that explains everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting. The video can be found at vote.minneapolis.gov. The City’s mobile application has also been updated this year to help voters. Users of the 311 app for iPhones and Android devices can now easily access the election’s Your Vote guide with quick links to key election-related information, including how to register to vote, finding your polling place, and how to absentee vote.

Green Campus Phase I Breaks Ground

The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) has committed nearly $1 million for major water sustainability projects in the Green Campus, the area comprised of Edison High School, Jackson Square Park and the Holland Basin. Phase I of this initiative launches this month, with a significant redesign of the Edison parking lot at 22nd Avenue and Quincy Street NE.

The plan for the parking lot will incorporate a number of innovations to reduce heat island effect and capture stormwater run-off before it reaches the storm sewer and Mississippi River. These features include Swedish Tree Trenches, permeable pavers and raingardens. The end result will be a parking lot that is not only beautifully landscaped, but also capable of recapturing stormwater run-off from both the parking lot and the entire adjoining alley during a 4” rain event.

Stantec, an international design and engineering firm, will implement this work in conjunction with MWMO and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Stantec will also be incorporating water monitoring equipment, which will allow Edison students to monitor the water recapture as part of the school’s science and sustainability curriculum.

Meet the First Ward Interns

The First Ward office welcomed two student interns this summer: Najma Omar and Lanee Johnson. Najma, who will be an Edison High School senior this fall, had the opportunity to work with the City’s Intergovernmental Relations department, assisting with the visit of a delegation from our Sister City Ibaraki, Japan. This experience will be a good complement to her plans to pursue a degree in International Relations.

Lanee was a senior at Edison this past year and an active member of their Voyager program, working with the Chamber of Commerce. During her Ward One internship, she and Najma developed a public safety brochure for National Night Out. She also had the opportunity to sit in on a variety of City Council and Committee meetings. Lanee will be attending North Dakota State University this fall, with plans to pursue a Political Science degree.

7th Annual NE School & Community BBQ

It’s time once more for the NE School & Community BBQ on Thursday, August 22, 3 – 7 p.m., Edison High School, 700 22nd Ave NE. Join friends and neighbors for dinner before or after your NE School open houses. This event just gets bigger and better every year and all are welcome. This year, attendees will also get a sneak peek at the Edison
High School parking lot improvements.

340 27th Ave. NE Update

Hennepin County has suspended final design planning for the Minneapolis-Hennepin Environmental Facility while they explore their options and undertake further due diligence.

Save the Date

Monster Puppet Camp
Monday-Friday, Aug. 19-23, 10 a.m. – noon, Logan Park 690 13th Avenue NE. Kids ages 8-14 are invited to learn how to sculpt paper mache and make a giant, wearable monster puppet. Visit www.Minneapolisparks.org or call 612-370-4927 to register.

1st Ward Community Forum
Wednesday, August 28, 6 p.m., Firefighters Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE. Meet new Regulatory Services Director Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde and learn about the restructuring of this department. Dinner will be served. RSVP to kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2201.