Updates from Andrew

New Developments in Ward 12:

• Black Table Arts is a community driven cooperative gathering black communities through the arts toward better black futures, located at 3737 Minnehaha Ave
• Thai Pepper restaurant recently opened for takeout and delivery at 2820 42^nd Street East (formerly Flag Foods)
• Northern Fires Pizza, serving naturally leavened wood fired pizza using all local ingredients, opens tomorrow at 1839 East 42nd Street (formerly Dulceria Bakery)
• 4601 Minnehaha Ave, a mixed-use development with 123-units of housing, was approved by the Planning Commission at their January 11th meeting.

A big warm welcome to these new businesses! It is exciting to have you join our community!

New administration renews hope for recovery: Last year the City of Minneapolis was forced to make deep cuts in our budget (over $156 million) due to an unprecedented revenue shortfall as a result of the pandemic. At the same time, the funding needs throughout our community dramatically increased, from addressing homelessness to helping small businesses. The Biden-Harris administration and new Senate have signaled interest in providing aid for cities and states, which would allow us to lessen the impact of service cuts and better meet the needs throughout community. Such direct aid is essential and something the National League of Cities has been lobbying for since the pandemic began. I will keep you posted on this progress. Outside of the relief bill, the city received nearly $13 million yesterday from the Treasury to provide additional emergency rental assistance.

Helicopter use in apprehending carjackers: Last week there was frequent helicopter noise over some of our neighborhoods. This use of these helicopters was related to a multi-day and multi-jurisdictional operation to apprehend violent carjacking suspects. Carjackings have been up significantly across the Twin Cities since the pandemic started and include a recent carjacking in the Nokomis area where a resident was tragically shot. Hearing such helicopter noises can be alarming, even triggering of trauma from the civil unrest experienced last summer, but the use of helicopters is vital to help interrupt the cycles of violence while also reducing the risk to the public as much as possible. I appreciate residents for understanding and weathering the negative impact the noise has had. This operation resulted in 46 arrests, 10 vehicles recovered, and 15 guns recovered.

Multiple City Charter amendments: There are at least three charter amendments currently being worked on which may end up on the ballot this fall for voters to decide:

1. Clearer definition of roles between the Council and Mayor, along with several other changes. This is being considered as part of a government structure review by the Charter Commission.
2. Creation of a new Public Safety Department to replace MPD, alignment of policymaking under the Council, and eliminating minimum staffing requirements (similar to a different proposal last year).
3. Authorization for the city to enact rent stabilization, but not actually enacting a policy itself (note: results of an independent study are due later in February, which should help in understanding if this warrants further consideration).

I personally believe there is a possibility that the first and second proposed amendments could be merged into a compromise version. Each amendment is in the early stages of the legislative process for consideration, with some being introduced now for deadline reasons, and public hearings not yet set. I expect there will be more to share in the next month or two.

Upcoming trials: The trial of Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers charged with murdering George Floyd, is currently scheduled to begin in March. Extensive planning efforts have been underway for before, during, and after the trial. This includes protecting the exercise of first amendment rights, rapidly responding to any civil unrest or other public safety threats, and timely communication for residents. Many lessons were learned during last summer’s unprecedented civil unrest and from the recent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. While specific operational plans cannot be shared for security reasons, based on briefings, I believe the various agencies will be well-prepared and wanted to share that, as I know the upcoming trials are a concern on the minds of many residents.

Community safety updates: Much work has been happening in the effort to re-imagine public safety. I previously shared the city's survey with constituents and the results are now in, along with results from stakeholder groups and policymaker interviews. These results were highlighted in a comprehensive update to the Public Safety Committee last week. For those interested in this topic, I would encourage you to watch the update (which begins at 1 hour and 20 min). It's very informative and helpful in understanding the process, next steps, and timelines. There were also recent updates to the City’s community safety website.
 
Finally, next month will mark one year since our lives dramatically changed due to the pandemic. It has resulted in tragic loss and hardships for many families and been trying and stressful for all. To be sure, it is not over, and we must remain vigilant. But as we approach this anniversary, there is a lot of good news to recognize. As of writing this, just over 8% of Minnesotans have received at least one vaccine, and not just the number of vaccines, but the pace itself, continues to improve each week. Case counts are also starting to decline back to the levels we saw in the fall. I am personally hopeful that by early summer things will be getting back to normal (even if somewhat modified). You can find out who is currently eligible for a vaccine here and learn how to sign-up. 

Hoping you are finding ways to enjoy this season,