Council Member's Message

I am pleased to announce that the City Council is poised to undertake the restoration of $10 million in Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds that were frozen in 2010. This development represents positive news for our neighborhoods and their ability to continue their vital community development, livability and outreach work.

As background, back in 2010 in the face of significant residential property tax increases, the City Council voted to shrink the size of the Consolidated TIF District that funded NRP dollars in order to provide property tax relief. I voted against it. I also offered some alternative routes to property tax reduction that wouldn't take NRP dollars away from our neighborhoods. I didn't prevail, but I also held out hope that a basic sense of fairness would lead to these funds eventually being restored.

That day has come. Action will shortly be coming forward to the full council to make our neighborhood funding whole by restoring the original $10 million in funding. I am pleased to have been able to help make this possible and gratified that we are taking an action that affirms the great value our neighborhoods bestow on the City as a whole.

City Wins SolSmart & Clean Energy Community Awards

(CM Reich with Sustainability staff:
Brady Steigauf, Luke Hollenkamp, Gayle Prest & Kelly Muellman)

The City of Minneapolis has earned a couple of important awards relating to its leadership in the area of clean energy:

SolSmart Gold Designation - Solar
SolSmart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy of Energy, has awarded the City of Minneapolis a Gold designation in recognition of its national leadership in advancing solar energy. A SolSmart designation is a signal that the community is "open for solar business," helping to attract solar industry investment and generate economic development and local jobs.

MN Clean Energy Community Award - Clean Energy Partnership

Minneapolis was one of six communities to receive an Achievement Award as an acknowledgement of work done to further the state's clean energy goals. Minneapolis received its award for the formation of the Clean Energy Partnership. This is a new approach that partners the City with Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy to help the City reach its Climate Action Plan and Energy Vision for 2040, goals of 30% greenhouse gas reduction by 2025 and 80% by 2050.

Minimum Wage Listening Sessions

The City of Minneapolis is hosting several listening sessions in coming weeks to gather feedback on a potential minimum wage policy for employers in the City of Minneapolis.

The City Council has directed City staff to present minimum wage policy recommendations mid-year after doing additional research and community engagement on the topic. The listening sessions will be an opportunity for community stakeholders to share viewpoints on how a change in the minimum wage would impact them.

Details will be posted at the City’s minimum wage webpage so check there to verify dates and times as additional listening sessions and details are confirmed. Upcoming meetings include:

• Tuesday, Feb. 7: Native American community, 5:30-7 p.m. All My Relations Gallery (Powwow Grounds), 1414 E. Franklin Ave.
• Tuesday, Feb. 14: Minneapolis Downtown Council and Northeast Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, 4-5:30 p.m. DID conference rooms (TBD)
• Wednesday, Feb. 15: African American community, 3-5 p.m. NEON, 1007 W. Broadway Ave.
• Tuesday, Feb. 21: general public, 6-7:30 p.m. Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St.
• Thursday, Feb. 23: general public, 6-7:30 p.m. Urban League, main gathering room, 2100 Plymouth Ave.

All meetings are open to the public, though each will have a specific audience focus. Meeting organizers will use a variety of mechanisms to engage community participants and will have interpreters available. Questions and feedback on this issue can also be sent to MinWage@minneapolismn.gov.

The community engagement plan follows a presentation to the City Council’s Committee of the Whole in October 2016 by a research team presenting highlights of a study analyzing the relative impact of a local minimum wage increase in the City of Minneapolis and regionally in Hennepin County and Ramsey County. The study, led by the University of Minnesota’s Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Justice, examined the impact of increasing the wage to $12 and $15 per hour phased in over five years. 

People of color would disproportionally benefit from a wage increase

• Of Latino workers, 39 percent would benefit from an increase to $12/hour and 54 percent would benefit from an increase to $15/hour.
• Of black workers, 27 percent would benefit from an increase to $12/hour and 41 percent would benefit from an increase to $15/hour.
• Of white workers, 10 percent would benefit from an increase to $12/hour and 17 percent would benefit from an increase to $15/hour.

City Recycling Guides & 2016 Recycling Results

City of Minneapolis recycling customers should watch their mailboxes for City Solid Waste & Recycling services guides arriving soon. The guides include information on all City Solid Waste and Recycling services from recycling and organics to large items such as mattresses, furniture and TVs. They even include information on how to get rid of excess household garbage and construction and demolition debris at the City’s transfer station, how to dispose of hazardous waste and resources to reduce waste. The guide also lists what customers can and can’t recycle through the City’s Solid Waste and Recycling service, and it shows all their recycling pickup dates through March 2018. Customers can sign up at www.minneapolismn.gov/solid-waste to get email reminders before every recycling day.

2016 recycling results

In 2016, Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers recycled 500 tons more of paper products and plastic, glass and metal food and beverage containers than in 2015. The 29,500 tons of recyclables collected in 2016 were sorted by material in Minneapolis and sold to make new products. Customers should remember that many items – such as plastic bags and clothing – that cannot be placed in their recycling carts can still be recycled through drop-off sites. Check the City’s “what to do” list if you don’t know how to dispose of something.

By the end of 2016, 40 percent of eligible customers had signed up for the organics recycling program, which finished rolling out citywide in June. Throughout the year participating residents diverted more than 3,300 tons of compostable materials including food scraps, food-soiled paper items including paper towels, napkins, pizza boxes and egg cartons and other compostable items.

Customers who have not yet signed up may do so by visiting www.minneapolismn.gov/organics or by calling 311. There’s no extra cost to have organics picked up every week. By participating in organics recycling, customers may be able to reduce the number or size of their garbage cart(s) which saves money on their City of Minneapolis utility bills.

For more information about recycling in Minneapolis, visit www.minneapolismn.gov/recycling.

Urban Scholars Applications Open

The City of Minneapolis is once again offering its leadership development summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students. Now in its sixth year, the Urban Scholars program aims to provide college students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds with resume-building professional work experiences. College students interested in applying for the summer internship program should apply online at www.minneapolismn.gov/urbanscholars by Saturday, Feb. 18. The 12-week program is a full-time paid internship experience that runs from May 22 to Aug. 11.

Interns will work in key areas of different City departments, including the Mayor’s Office and City Council offices, and with the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools, the State of Minnesota, Greater Twin Cities United Way, and the Minneapolis Park Board. Scholars also participate in the Urban Scholars Leadership Institute for essential leadership and communications skills and focus on building networks, skills and opportunities. In the long run, the City and partners hope to develop young talent so the students can begin careers in the public sector and someday be the next generation of public service leaders.

Last year, 73 Urban Scholars interns were chosen from more than 500 applicants.

The Urban Scholars leadership development summer internship program is one component of the Equity Division of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. Visit here for more information.

EMS Pathways Academy Student Internship Program

The EMS Pathways Academy is a partnership between the Minneapolis Fire Department, the Minneapolis Foundation, Hennepin County Medical Center, Project for Pride and Living, and other healthcare organizations. The goal is to provide a pipeline of diverse candidates for the Minneapolis Fire Department and the emergency medical workforce of our community. This student internship career pathway will target low-income, minority, male and female young adults of Minneapolis between the ages of 18-30, to be eligible to receive free Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training and certification.

The training course is 11-13 weeks and participants are paid $15 per hour. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, be authorized to work in the United States, and will be required to pass a physical exam. Applications are being accepted Feb. 13 - Feb. 24. To apply, visit www.minneapolismn.gov/jobs.

Northeast Middle School/Spark-Y Shark Tank Event

Exciting things are going on with science and sustainability education at Northeast Middle School! On January 13, elected officials, including Council Member Reich and Mayor Hodges, and district leaders converged on the school to learn more about a student-proposed solution to the issue of food deserts in Minneapolis. Teams of students presented aquaponics plans, Shark Tank-style, for the panelists.

The event was spurred by the work Northeast Middle School science students are doing with Spark-Y, a local non-profit that employs interdisciplinary curriculum with hands-on agriculture education. In the First Ward, Spark-Y has been working with both Northeast Middle School and Edison High School students on aquaponics and other urban agriculture projects.

Edison's Gabriel Spinks is New Minneapolis School Board Student Rep

Edison High School sophomore Gabriel Spinks has been selected to serve as the 2017 Student Representative to the Minneapolis Board of Education.

Spinks has been involved in Edison's award-winning Junior Achievement program, which offers opportunities for student-led entrepreneurship projects, mentorships within the larger business community and more. He is also an AVID participant and has led Socratic seminars, tutorials and debates for his peers.

Spinks says his goal is to "represent all MPS students by listening, engaging and attempting to make sure all voices are brought to the table." Edison staff describe him as a model student and citizen who regularly forges connections between all students to build community and seeks to elevate others with dignity and respect.

Two Calls for Artists

Artist Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (ANPI)

CURA’s Artists Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (ANPI) provides small grants to artists of color and Native artists working in neighborhoods in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs. ANPI grants recognize the valuable role that artists and the arts play in neighborhood revitalization efforts and are intended to support the leadership of artists in community revitalization efforts. This grant program is particularly focused on directly funding individual artists or groups of artists who are working to build a more equitable Twin Cities.

The goal of the program is to identify and support compelling projects that artists have developed in response to their community’s specific challenges and opportunities. They are now accepting proposals for one-year support of artist-driven projects. For more information, visit HERE.

Minneapolis Convention Center Exhibit

Art Force, a Ward One-based artwork services provider, is requesting submissions of original two-dimensional artwork for their SmartArt Rotating Art Program for exhibition at the Minneapolis Convention Center. They are seeking large scale pieces, 40"X60" or larger, from artists who live and/or work in the City of Minneapolis. The goal of the exhibit is to showcase the varied visual art talent created by local artists. Consideration will be given to artists with a cultural or geographic perspective that is unique or appropriate to Minneapolis and artists who could be considered emerging in their development.

The deadline for submission is February 24, 2017. For further information and submission details, contact Mary Skaden at mskaden@artforce.org.

Save the Date

10th Annual Twin Cities Wrestling Invitational Tournament

Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m., Edison Community Gym, 2030 Monroe St NE. Come cheer on the Tommies wrestlers as they compete against Henry, North, Washburn, Roosevelt, Southwest and others. $6/adults. Current Edison students get in free with Edison picture ID.

Future Tommie Night & HNIA 3rd Annual Soup Supper

Friday, Feb. 10, 5 – 8:30 p.m., Edison Community Gym, 2030 Monroe St NE. Two Tommies Boys’ Basketball games, plus prizes, entertainment, and student-led activities. Adults/$6. Free for K-8 students accompanied by an adult and current Edison students with an Edison picture ID. The Soup Supper is served 5-6:30 p.m. in the Edison lunch room.

NE Winter Market

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 4 – 7 p.m., Solar Arts Building, 711-15th Ave NE. Local vendors, plus children’s activities, entertainment and Chow Girls comfort food. For more information, visit http://www.northeastmarket.org/winter-market/.

Soup War

Friday, February 17, 5:30 - 8 p.m., Moose on Monroe, 356 Monroe St NE. Come to compete or come just to eat at this fundraiser for Edison Student Activities & Athletics. More information at http://edison.mpls.k12.mn.us/soup_wars_fundraiser.

We Love Our Presidents Walk

Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. This annual celebration of Northeast's presidential streets starts at the Northeast Library, 2200 Central Ave NE. Walkers will proceed to Eastside Co-op for a cocoa break and then end up at Northeast Middle School for a chili lunch and fun activities.

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For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact Lisa Brock at 612-673-2201 or lisa.brock@minneapolismn.gov. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service
to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.

Para asistencia 612-673-2700 •  Rau kev pab 612-673-2800 • Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay
612-673-3500.

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