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Council Member Andrew Johnson
(612) 673-2212 • andrew.johnson@minneapolismn.gov
Longfellow | Nokomis East | Standish Ericsson


Open Office Hours
  • Every Saturday you can find Andrew at a local coffee shop. Come by, say hi, talk about the issues, and enjoy some great local businesses.
Check out Andrew's calendar for times and locations

Connect with Andrew

Read our blog, follow us around City Hall and the Ward, and stay up to date throughout the month.

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Update from Andrew

Greetings Ward 12 residents! I hope you had Happy Holidays and trust that you've weathered the Polar Vortex. We've been extremely hard at work, wrapping up our fourth week since inauguration. With me are my two outstanding aides, Ilhan Omar and Suzanne Murphy (read more about them below). Together we have jumped on priorities unique and important to each neighborhood, been learning the departments and getting to know the leaders down at City Hall, and reading many briefings late into the night.

To read more on our work:
Blog post: First Ten Days in the Office
Blog post: Communication and Engagement
B
log post: What Andrew's Office is Working On

Thank you again for the honor to serve you,


Council Member Andrew Johnson
Protecting Pollinators
Earlier this month, over 130 people gathered at Gandhi Mahal restaurant to hear about recent local threats to honeybees and other pollinators and how they can take action to protect these insects and their vital  role in our food supply. 

In September of 2013, three hives were killed by what appears to have been a legal pesticide application in southwest Minneapolis. Bees are very vulnerable nationwide, where beekeepers reported bee losses over 30 percent. This information has given many cause for concern, given that one third of the human food supply is dependent upon pollinators. 

Beez Kneez has organized with local activists and allies to create a campaign, Healthy Bees, Healthy Lives, to encourage helpful action steps, including calling for changes in laws, passing resolutions at precinct caucuses, asking gardening stores not to carry harmful pesticides, and having a pollinator-friendly yard. 

Council Member Andrew Johnson said, "I'm proud to have a bee-friendly and pesticide free yard. I look forward to partnering with state legislators and the community to help protect our bees and our food supply from harmful pesticides." Find out more about action steps here.  
Lake Nokomis Improvements
 
Soon, visitors to Lake Nokomis will get to enjoy some upgrades to the patio and covered seating area next to Sandcastle Concessions that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) have planned. Sandcastle is located at 4955 W. Lake Nokomis Parkway in Lake Nokomis Park.  The improvements are mainly being done to provide a patio and pavilion to the site, as requested by the Community Advisory Committee to provide a similar dining experience to what visitors enjoy at other popular park concession areas, such as Sea Salt and Tin Fish.  Restrooms will also get some changes to improve accessibility.  Another key piece of the plan is  to reroute the walking path to improve traffic flow around the concession for runners and pedestrians not visiting Sandcastle.

“I'm really looking forward to experiencing the seating area that Locus has designed to complement their remodel of the refectory building. The first season was terrific, and I'm glad that Sandcastle and the public had an opportunity to provide feedback to the design team about what they'd like to see at the site after they'd used it for a season.” Steffanie Musich~ MPRB Commissioner District 5.

As one of seven parks, Lake Nokomis is getting a shade canopy built from a solar array that will plug into the meter at the beach house. MPRB has recently been selected by Xcel Energy to receive funding for solar energy projects, the project also coincides with other effeciency upgades part of broader sustainibily initiaves MPRB is working on.  MPRB President John Erwin recenly shared his excitement for the project at a press conference, “We are thrilled that these solar projects will lower our carbon emissions and reduce our costs.”

The design reflects the desire of many visitors to have more seating with views of the lake and the beach, and to preserve the shade provided by the surrounding trees as well as the vegetative buffer between developed space and the water.
Preventing Break-ins
While the Howe neighborhood has seen a slight decrease in the number of home burglaries, Hiawatha has had a slight increase compared to the month of January last year. In response to the increase of burglaries in this neighborhood, the Third Precinct has put extra patrol in the neighborhood to help identify any possible suspects. 

There are many ways that residents can take proactive steps to help prevent break-ins. In some of the recent break-ins in both neighborhoods, suspects are coming through unlocked windows. A simple crime prevention measure is to make sure all home windows are locked and secured, including basement windows. There are many additional ways to prevent home burglaries. Residents should keep doors locked at all times, even if they are home. Communication with neighbors is important, to be alert to suspicious activity, and to engage with the block club or start one if none exists already. The Police Department encourages residents to trust their instincts and call 911 if they see anything suspicious. Residents can also sign up for email crime alerts for their neighborhood to get updates on where, when and how crime is occurring. For anyone interested in starting a block club or getting more information, contact Crime Prevention Specialist Shun Tillman at 612-673-2846 or shun.tillman@minneapolismn.gov. There is an upcoming block club leader training open to all, on Thursday, February 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Third Precinct, 3000 Minnehaha Avenue. Residents interested in attending can RSVP to Crime Prevention Specialist Karen Notsch at 612/673-2856 or karen.notsch@minneapolismn.gov
Meet the staff
Policy Aide Suzanne Murphy brings over a decade of experience working in progressive non-profits, fundraising, communications, political organizing, immigrants' rights and coalition organizing. In the past she has served on the board of ARENA Dances and on the Headwaters Foundation for Jusice Social Change Fund grants committee. She currently serves on the board of Headwaters Foundation. She is a proud graduate of the Organizing Apprenticeship Project and most recently worked for the Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff, as a Policy Aide for five years. Suzanne is a graduate of Lawrence University. She lives in Ward 12 with her husband and adorable dog. 

Senior Policy Aide Ilhan Omar brings over a decade of experience working in education, health, political organizing, immigrants' rights and has been catalyst for advancing women’s voices.  In 2012 she helped establish a New Americans PAC, which has been instrumental in convening constituents with their representatives, creating state policy initiaves and in successfully organizing against the photo ID amendment.  She is proud alum of Organizing for America. She serves on the board of Confederation of Somali Community of MN (CSCM), New Americans PAC and Advancing Women’s Voices. She recently worked for Department of Education, U of M Extention and also served as my campaign manager. Ilhan has a B.S. in Political Science and International Relations from North Dakota State University. She lives in Ward 2 with her husband and three children.
Connect with the city

Find all sorts of information on the City of Minneapolis website including information on the Step-Up summer internship program, Urban Scholars internships, serving on boards and commissions, and job opportunities

 


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