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Hello to all my 3rd Ward neighbors,
This week I will give an update on the ride share situation, Council action on a new Elections and Voter Services center, and my actions to revitalize Downtown.
The Council action to increase ride share fees before a state task force released their recommendations, which included Uber and Lyft data, has resulted in both companies vowing to leave Minneapolis on July 1st. The ordinance, which I voted against, was so hastily crafted that the effective date has been delayed three times. From April 1st to May 1st and again to July 1st. Fortunately, the Governor and State legislators are holding a session which includes Uber, Lyft, the drivers group, and several Council Members to reach a compromise that will help the drivers and allow Uber and Lyft to remain in the market. I will keep you updated as I learn more.
This week the Council was updated on a very good idea for the re-use of the former 3rd precinct. The fire-ravaged building has sat vacant for almost four years now. The lease for our Elections and Voter Services department will expire soon and City staff and the Administration are moving forward with the idea of moving the department to the former 3rd precinct. The renovated building would include early voting, ballot storage, voting machine storage, and staff offices. There would also be 8,000 square feet of space for community use. There was a lot of debate over this idea, and while some members of the Council do not see this as a good idea, I do. The City will be doing outreach on the proposal and get ideas for potential use of the extra space by the community.
Downtown was built on the success of three areas: business travelers/convention attendees, the 220,000 daily office workers, and the entertainment industry. While the convention business is slowly returning, the business travelers and office workers are not returning as fast. The good news is that the entertainment business all over Minneapolis, be it Downtown or in the neighborhoods, has surpassed 2019 levels. This is the industry we can nurture to speed up the revitalization of Downtown and the neighborhoods. I spent last weekend at a hospitality convention to learn more about best practices from other cities and how apply those to Minneapolis. As I work with staff and other Council Members, I will keep you informed. You can help by goning to your local establishments, or coming Downtown to enjoy a meal or event. With help from the Mayor’s office and Downtown Council, I brought in national experts from the Urban Land Institute last year to create a roadmap for the City to revitalize the Warehouse District in Downtown. If you are interested in learning more about this work, you can read the report from that task force.
As always, Henry, Patrick, and I are here to serve you. We can be reached at ward3@minneapolismn.gov. Please report all issues to 311 before contacting us so there is a paper trail and staff are already aware of the issue when we speak with them. You can contact 311 by simply dialing 311, email them at Minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov or by submitting a 311 Contact Form.
Your neighbor,
Michael
The Minneapolis City Council passed a comprehensive amendment to the tobacco ordinance April 25. The amendment makes the minimum per-pack price of cigarettes one of the highest in the country and ends price discounts. It focuses on reducing health disparities and on youth initiation of commercial tobacco products, and it protects the health of the city’s residents as a whole. The ordinance includes:
- Increasing the minimum per-pack price of cigarettes and other commercial tobacco products to $15.
- Ending price discounts and coupons for commercial tobacco products.
- Increasing the penalties for licensees that violate City policy.
- Ending the sampling “loophole” for any new commercial tobacco products shop.
An increase in prices is known to decrease commercial tobacco use.
- For every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, adult smoking decreases by 3-5% and youth smoking decreases by 6-7%.
- An increase in price leads to more attempts to quit.
- Calls to quit lines increase when prices increase.
- A study that looked at raising the state-level minimum price of cigarettes by an average of $2 per pack projected a resulting reduction in cigarette consumption by 15.9%.
Read more on the City website.
The draft 2024 Minneapolis Consolidated Action Plan is posted for public comments through May 21, and the public hearing will be held May 14. The plan describes the City’s housing and community development strategies for residents with low and moderate incomes.
Goals of the Minneapolis Consolidated Plan
- Provide decent affordable housing.
- Develop housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.
- Provide special needs housing.
- Expand economic opportunities.
- Improve neighborhood conditions.
2024 Consolidated Plan Action Plan public hearing
1:30 p.m. before the Business, Housing and Zoning Committee
Tuesday, May 14
Public Service Center, 250 Fourth St. S., Room 350
Find out how to participate in a public hearing on the City website or call 311.
If you’re unable to attend this public hearing, you can send written comments by May 21 to Rachel Kennedy Boehm at rachel.kennedy@minneapolismn.gov.
See the draft plan and learn more on the City website.
The City of Minneapolis is proud to provide city residents and businesses with safe, high-quality drinking water. You can look at monthly water quality reports at the City’s website or watch a video about how the City’s water is brought from the river to the tap.
On April 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency responsible for regulating drinking water, issued new standards for several per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are a large group of human-made chemicals.
PFAS are used in many products, including:
- Nonstick cookware
- Food packaging
- Stain-resistant carpets
- Fire-suppressing foam
Unfortunately, research suggests that exposure to PFAS may result in adverse health impacts. The good news for Minneapolis residents is these regulated compounds have not been detected in the Mississippi River, which is our water source, or in the finished water that we send out to your tap.
The City of Minneapolis has been monitoring for PFAS for nearly 10 years. Minneapolis tap water has always met and continues to meet the new federal standards.
For continued information about Minneapolis drinking water, watch for our annual Consumer Confidence Report. This report has data and information about various water quality metrics we provide to customers and state and federal regulators. The new Consumer Confidence Report will be posted by the end of May on the City website.
The City is recruiting members for a newly formed African American Heritage Work Group. This body will serve as an advisory board to the City Council to document and honor African American history.
The work group will advise on the selection of 25 properties associated with Black history in the city to be surveyed for inclusion in a Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context Study. At least three properties will eventually be nominated by the City for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Community members who are knowledgeable on the topic of African American heritage are encouraged to apply by May 12.
Read more on the City website.
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