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Updates from Andrew
Yard waste collection ends this upcoming week (Nov. 16th) More details here.
Public Safety:
On Friday, the City Council narrowly voted to approve a stop-gap funding request of a half-million dollars to help stabilize law enforcement staffing levels through the end of the year via mutual aid from other jurisdictions. I was one of the seven that voted for this temporary measure.
MPD available staffing levels have continued to decline, and we're now down 154 officers, mostly due to PTSD claims. Meanwhile, crime rates are up due to a number of factors (up over 20% for violent crimes). More work will less people to do it has its limits. The Police Chief has so far been able to move staff around to ensure 911 responses are covered. But now given the latest staffing levels, he says we've reached a point where, without this additional temporary support as staffing levels continue to decline, the ability to respond to 911 calls will start to see impacts. This is a big concern, because one of the ways we interrupt the cycles of violence is to apprehend those who just committed a violent act before they may go on to commit another. When response times are delayed, the odds of apprehending suspects drops exponentially.
Over the last six months, the City Council has taken many significant steps to advance the effort to re-imagine and transform our public safety system towards one that looks different and gets better results for all residents (check out my previous updates for more details). Yet we remain in the early stages of this monumental undertaking. Until new systems are up and running that can offset staffing losses, and until the efforts to work upstream bear more results, we must consider such temporary measures that help maintain the ability to respond to emergency calls.
Your voice is needed in this work! I am asking you to fill out the re-imagining public safety survey today. The survey will close this Friday (Nov. 20th), so please don't delay! There will be additional opportunities for engagement coming soon. For more on this work, please check out our community safety website.
2021 Budget: As we work on next year's budget over the upcoming weeks, one of my priorities is to expand the use of mental health professionals as part of our public safety system. I am working with colleagues on this. I would personally like to see us get to 24/7 service, citywide, and able to respond without the presence of police officers for many of the calls. It's still TBD on how quickly we can roll a service like this out, but the sooner the better. Here are recent recommendations from staff for what a pilot could look like, starting on page 21. What are your budget priorities? Your opportunity to tell the full City Council is tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 16th) at 10am! To sign up to speak at the public hearing, click here. To watch the public hearing live, click here. If you can't make it to tomorrow's hearing, there will be another public hearing at 6:05pm on December 2nd (use that same link to sign-up to speak).
COVID: If you haven't been tracking lately, it's getting bad. Really bad. The worst it has been by far. I know we're all exhausted and want this pandemic to be over, and there is reason to hope that we will have a vaccine soon. But for right now we all need to take every step we can to help slow the spread. Please re-commit to doing so and check out the MN Department of Health COVID website for guidance.
Unhoused neighbors: With winter just starting, the largest and safest shelter system in Hennepin County's history is currently operational. There is existing emergency shelter capacity, especially for women, children, and families. The City and our partners are also working to open new spaces that meet the individual needs of people sleeping outside before the end of the year, and to make permanent improvements to ensure COVID-19 safety guidelines continue to be met at existing and new shelter spaces, as they have since the beginning of the pandemic. You can read more about this unprecedented effort here.
Rebuilding: Both the Target on East Lake Street and the Walgreens at 46th & Hiawatha have re-opened! That's great news, and I'm happy to see each is better than before. The burnt down Post Office near Minnehaha and Lake Street is expected to be demolished this month. And on Tuesday (Nov. 17th) I'm bringing forward a resolution with colleagues to recognize and support new community-led efforts to aid recovery and rebuilding (note: the agenda for the committee, which contains the resolution language, is not yet posted on the City website).
Elections: THANK YOU to everyone who voted this year! We had higher turnout than we've seen in decades, and once again Ward 12 was among the strongest in turnout (an astounding 89.2% of registered voters showed up!) I cannot overstate the lengths taken to ensure a safe, fair, and smooth election process during the midst of a global pandemic and unprecedented concerns about security. Polling places were consolidated for rigorous COVID prevention measures. Record-levels of absentee ballots required a huge shift in operations compared to previous years. Teams worked around the clock to handle the many challenges, from mail delays to last-minute court decisions. I am so thankful for the countless staff who made it look easy through all their tireless work. THANK YOU!
Updates on development projects:
- Tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 16th) the Planning Commission will review the proposed Phase II of Lowa (144 units) across from the Cub Foods parking lot at 46th & Snelling. You can view the staff report and recommendations here. You can sign up to speak at the public hearing here.
- There's a proposal for a mixed-use building at 46th & Minnehaha Ave on the SE corner of the intersection (where Geller Auto is). The developers are proposing 127 units. It's still in the early stages of the process and there was a neighborhood meeting with the developers last week. No final land use applications have been submitted, so no public hearing has been set yet. You can view more details here.
- The Zoning Committee upheld the Planning Commission's approval of the proposed mixed-use project at 34th Ave & 52nd Street. It will be 19-units of housing (7 for homeless veterans) and some office space. For more details on the project, click here.
- Finally, while it was approved quite some time ago, the RS Eden project at 45th & Hiawatha is finally under construction! This is notable because it is much-needed deeply affordable housing, including 22 of the 81 units targeted at those experiencing homelessness (photo from groundbreaking below).
Neighborhoods 2020: On Friday, the Council unanimously approved the new guidelines and funding formula for neighborhood associations. As I noted in my comments at the Council meeting, which you can watch here, this action falls short without a corresponding increase in the available funding pool; without this, Neighborhoods 2020 will neither undo decades of disinvestment in communities of color, nor ensure continuity of the network so that every resident in our city can participate. I am working with colleagues to address this in the upcoming 2021 budget process.
Finally, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, we know things will be different for most residents this year. As if 2020 wasn't hard enough, the pandemic is set to disrupt what represents for many of us the only day we might otherwise see some of our family in person. Warm weather behind us, less daylight, election fatigue, a seemingly divided nation, and multiple crises and stressors to boot. It can feel at times like it's too much. Just know that you're not alone and so many in our community share those same feelings. All of this is to say, it's extra important right now to treat yourself and to treat others with kindness, compassion, and patience as we work through these challenges and endure hardships together. Here are some good tips on dealing with stress. Consider being intentional about bundling up and heading outside for fresh air and exercise, as you are able to. Call up and check-in on those friends you haven't heard from in a while and let them know you're thinking of them. Take time every day to unplug from social media and screens. And please keep your head up, because 2020 is nearly over and we will get through these difficult times and see better days.
Be well,
~ Andrew
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Transforming Community Safety Survey
 Minneapolis community: Please provide your input on a new model of community safety for the City by completing our Transforming Community Safety survey. You can take the survey now here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J86DD7Y. A link to the survey is also posted on the City's Community Safety website: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/community-safety/.
In June 2020, the City Council pledged to create a new model of community safety. As part of that, we committed to a yearlong process of community engagement. This survey is one of the first steps in that process. Through the survey, you can share your vision for a new community safety model. You can also provide ideas for how to accomplish that new model. Results from the survey will be used to help create recommendations for elected leaders. Results will also be used to help guide the City’s next steps for community engagement.
This survey includes some questions similar to other recent City surveys. That includes questions about alternative responses to mental health crises and reporting non-emergency crimes. Any input you already provided on those surveys is valued and will still be used as planned. Recommendations based on input on those topics will also be considered as part of this broader focus on transforming community safety.
The survey is also available in other languages here: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/community-safety/. You can also check back to that website to stay up to date on progress and other opportunities to provide input.
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City Budget Hearings Start Monday (Nov. 16th)
 The City Council's Budget Committee is reviewing departments' proposed 2021 budgets through November, and the City Council is scheduled to vote on budget adoption Dec. 9. Public hearings on the proposed 2021 City budget are planned for Nov. 16, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.
Mayor Jacob Frey's proposed budget calls for a 5.75% maximum levy increase. With a 12% increase in the overall tax base growth, three-quarters of Minneapolis residential property owners will see a decrease in their property tax bills with the median-valued household set to experience a $59 yearly decrease.
Participate
Sign-up to speak at Monday's 10am public hearing here. Visit the City’s website to learn more about the mayor’s recommended budget, key dates in the approval process, FAQs and more. You can also watch a series of videos on the City’s budget process.
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State Opens COVID-19 Saliva Testing Location at Minneapolis Convention Center
 The State of Minnesota has opened a COVID-19 saliva testing site at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave. S.
Those coming for testing should enter on the west side of the building off 1st Avenue, then continue to exhibit room E. Free parking will be available and marked in nearby surface lots and parking ramps.
Due to expected demand, testing will be available seven days a week, noon to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The State of Minnesota and Vault Health will reevaluate hours of each site as others open and demand waxes and wanes with disease progression in Minnesota. Appointments can be made through the Vault Health registration site.
Watch a video: "What to Expect: Visiting a COVID-19 Saliva Testing Site"
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New data dashboards offer more transparency with intuitive navigation
 A new online City resource presents more than 40 different dashboards of continuously updated data. Minneapolis DataSource pulls data sets on many aspects of the City’s work and services including elections, housing, health, community safety (for example, use of force and crime statistics), outdoor air quality, city workforce demographics, and vacant and condemned properties. Minneapolis is using technology to provide services and solve city problems and sharing the data with anyone, anytime, anywhere.
These dashboards provide:
- Transparency.
- One place to find city data.
- Dynamic dashboards responding to user clicks and filters.
- Intuitive navigation and visual data representation.
- Features and dashboards that will continue to grow as part of the continual service improvement efforts.
This comes as part of the City’s IT strategic plan to move toward data-driven decision-making capabilities.
Watch a demo with IT Director Fadi Fadhil introducing the dashboard and some of its capabilities.
Start using the dashboard to find information.
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Sign Up for Email or Text Updates From the City
 You can subscribe to get City updates by email or text. Choose from traffic alerts, policies and programs you’re following, City Council and committee meetings, and more.
Sign up with your email address or mobile number here and select your update topics.
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The Post Office is hiring carriers
 The United States Post Office is hiring in Minneapolis and other nearby areas for the position of City Carrier Assistant. This position pays $17.29 per hour. Hiring is ongoing. The job listing can be found by going to the Post Office career website, users can search "Minnesota" and type "City Carrier Assistant". Jobs are posted for a week at a time and then reposted the next day with a new link.
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