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This week I will update you on the approval process for the police contract and the exciting slate of events happening in Minneapolis over the next week.
On Tuesday night the Council held a four hour public hearing to allow residents to give their thoughts on the contract. 30 of 35 speakers encouraged us to vote yes. The five speakers who asked us to vote no included a representative from Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract. The City has addressed the majority of their concerns. I have also received letters from the League of Women Voters, Plymouth Church, and the Minneapolis Board of Business Agents, who represent 18 of the City’s 23 unions, encouraging me to vote yes on the contract. I firmly believe we have to pay our employees competitive wages and right now our police officers are one of the lowest paid departments. For example, a starting officer in Blaine makes $91,000 and in Minneapolis they make $71,000.
Many of you have reached out to ask what reforms are included in the new contract. The contract would give the Chief greater authority to keep officers accused of misconduct off the street while under investigation, assign and schedule officers to areas of need, and make promotions based on merit. Training and disciplinary reforms are most effective if they are done through MPD policy changes which do not require negotiations with the union and can take effect immediately. Significant changes have been made outside of the contract since the Summer of 2020. 15 other policy changes have been made by Chief O’Hara and I will share those with you when they are uploaded to the webpage linked above.
Council Member Vetaw and I watched in amazement the opening ceremony of the Olympic Gymnastics Trials taking place at Target Center this weekend. Nicollet Mall has been transformed into a Parisian Market to add to the excitement. Come on downtown to watch these amazing athletes compete for their chance to represent the US at the Olympics in Paris this Summer.
Council Member Rainville and Council Member Vetaw posing with the Mary Tyler Moore statue
Minneapolis is also hosting the annual Pride festival at Loring Park this weekend. Between the parade on Sunday and the festival, 400,000 attendees are expected. Coming up next week, fireworks are returning to the riverfront on the 4th of July and the Taste of Minnesota is returning to Nicollet Mall on July 5th and 6th. Thank you to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for hosting the fireworks.
With the 4th of July holiday next week there will not be any committee or City Council meetings. Thus, I will not be writing a newsletter. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July.
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
Plan ahead if you’re heading to downtown Minneapolis this weekend to celebrate with the Twin Cities Pride Festival and Gymnastics City USA.
Streets closing for events
- First Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets (in front of Target Center) will close Thursday, June 27 to early Monday, July 1, for Gymnastics City USA events. One of the four lanes will remain open.
- From 9 a.m. until around noon Sunday, June 30, the Plymouth Street bridge, down Main Street to Hennepin Avenue will close for the Twin Cities Pride Festival 5K.
- Sunday, June 30, Hennepin Avenue to Spruce Street will close for the Twin Cities Pride Festival Rainbow Dash.
- Sunday, June 30, Hennepin Avenue between Third Street and Spruce Street will close for the Pride Parade.
Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation encourages visitors to check 511 for updates to any closures due to event traffic or any issues related to recent flooding outside of the city.
- Transit options. Avoid driving in traffic and looking for parking. Visit Metro Transit’s website to plan your trip on public transit or look for the Pride Bus while out and about.
- Parking options. There’s parking throughout Downtown. If you’re parking on the street, check signs to be sure of the time limit and hours of enforcement for your parking space. In addition to the many privately run parking facilities downtown, there are several City-owned parking facilities available.
Come early, stay late
Downtown restaurants, bars and other businesses are ready to welcome visitors. Take part in activities, shopping, dining and other entertainment before and after going to events. Enjoy the extra time to experience all each area has to offer and avoid traffic congestion.
Find more details on the City website.
With the State primary election coming up in August, know what you need to do to vote. Early voting begins June 28.
Voters can vote early in person at the Early Vote Center, 980 E. Hennepin Ave. or by mail.
Find more information on the City website.
The City wants to make sure people stay safe during fireworks season and know what to do if they have fireworks-related complaints. Fourth of July fireworks are part of Independence Day celebrations, and the noise complaints and safety issues they can generate lead to high call volumes at 911 call centers across the country. Because of the volume, police officers cannot be dispatched to each fireworks noise incident around the Fourth of July. Reducing the number of noise complaints to 911 will allow emergency calls to be answered as quickly as possible.
What’s legal, what’s not
Non-explosive fireworks are legal in Minneapolis. Examples include sparklers, cones, tubes that spark, snakes and party poppers. It is legal to use these types of fireworks in your yard or on your sidewalk. Fireworks that explode or take off are illegal in Minneapolis. Examples include firecrackers, bottle rockets, missiles, roman candles, mortars and shells. It is illegal to use any fireworks on public property including roads, alleys, schools and parks.
When to call 911
For fireworks-related issues that pose life safety threats or fire hazards, residents should call 911 for police, fire or medical help.
Make noise reports online
Instead of calling 911 for Fourth of July noise reports, people are asked to make fireworks complaints online; the reports will be reviewed during normal business hours. Noise reports may also be made through the 311 mobile app or by calling 311 during business hours 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. You can also text “fireworks” to 311898 to enter a fireworks complaint on the City’s website.
Residents should note that Minneapolis 311 is closed July 4, but the mobile application can be used any time to make a report. City staff will review the complaint during normal business hours when offices open again and may follow up with the property owner the complaint references.
Read more about fireworks safety, how to make a complaint, and when to call 911 on the City website.
Legislation passed during the 2024 legislative session allows the City of Minneapolis to resume housing development under the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The legislation allows the City of Minneapolis to move forward with permitting long-stalled multi-unit housing projects.
The Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan was passed in 2019 and was the guiding vision for shaping how the city will grow and change for the next 20 years. This includes historic zoning reforms to allow for a diversity of use in all neighborhoods across the city.
In part due to the 2040 Plan, Minneapolis has seen record-breaking levels of affordable rental housing units produced in the past several years, while also keeping rents at some of the lowest rates in the country.
Read more on the City website.
Students from Folwell Community and South High schools joined artists Constanza Caraballo and Marco Aguero to design and paint murals along 21st Avenue in south Minneapolis:
- Folwell Community School, 21st Avenue and 35th Street
- South High School, 21st Avenue and 31st Street
The new murals are part of the Safe Routes to School program, which helps make travel safer for kids as they go to and from school and around their neighborhoods. The program is part of the City’s commitment to improving infrastructure through innovative, community-driven projects.
Read more about the street murals on the City website.
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