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From Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council Member, Jeremiah Ellison.
What’s Happening at the Capitol?
Universal School Meals Bill Becomes Law
Two weeks ago, Governor Tim Walz signed a bill into law to provide breakfasts and lunches at no cost to students at participating schools, making Minnesota the fourth state in the nation to do so.
Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL – Minneapolis) and Sen. Heather Gustafson (DFL – Vadnais Heights) were the House and Senate chief authors of this bill and played an instrumental role in passing this historic legislation for our students and families.
“Minnesota is a state that values education and wants to see every child succeed, but that is not possible when 1 in 6 students are trying to learn on an empty stomach,” said Rep. Jordan.
“Today is a tremendous victory for students, families, and schools across the state. I’ve been a teacher for over a decade, and I can tell you, firsthand, that when kids come to school hungry, learning becomes almost impossible. Now that school lunch and breakfast will be available to all k-12 students, regardless of household income, we are eliminating a significant barrier to accessing an equitable and world class education that every child in Minnesota deserves. It’s a privilege to deliver on such a critical piece of policy and be a part of a solution to a problem I saw, for years, hinder the education of so many young students,” said Sen. Heather Gustafson.
I’m so grateful for the leadership of Rep. Sydney Jordan, House Majority Leader Jamie Long, Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, Senator Heather Gustafson, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flangan, and Governor Tim Walz for prioritizing this legislation. This bill will have an incredibly positive impact on our Northside youth and families and will ensure that our students can excel in and out of classrooms with full stomachs and bright minds.
Historic Investment for Local Jobs & Projects in Minnesota
Recently in the Minnesota House, legislators passed Rep. Fue Lee’s (DFL – Minneapolis) legislation delivering $1.9 billion in investments for local jobs and projects throughout the state. It was an extremely balanced and bipartisan bill, receiving significant support from House Republicans.
Unfortunately, the Senate has not voted to pass this bill because Senate Republicans refused to pass these investments. I fully support Rep. Fue Lee’s hard work and efforts to pass this bill and commend his tenacity and willingness to reach across the aisle and work with House Republicans to advance local projects that will impact every corner of our state.
Reproductive Freedom Defense Act Passes Off the House Floor
On Monday, March 20th, 2023, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed House File 366, the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act. The bill, authored by Representative Esther Agbaje (DFL – Minneapolis), protects the privacy and rights of persons receiving or providing reproductive health care in the state.
“Bodily autonomy is a right, and today we took a critical step in protecting that for more people and providers. The Reproductive Freedom Defense Act will protect the fundamental rights of Minnesota healthcare providers and patients from legal attacks and criminal penalties imposed by anti-abortion extremists in other states,” said Rep. Agbaje. “With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we must ensure all Minnesotans have equitable access to reproductive healthcare.”
Reproductive healthcare is essential and every person in our state deserves access to dignified healthcare and accurate information that will allow them to make the best decision for themselves. I’m thankful to have courageous partners in the House and Senate who will continue to fight hard for reproductive rights for Northsiders. Thank you so much, Representative Agbaje, for your leadership on this important issue.
Have more questions? Reach out to our North Minneapolis state delegation members for more information.
Senator Bobby Joe Champion, sen.bobby.champion@senate.mn
Representative Fue Lee, rep.fue.lee@house.mn.gov
Representative Esther Agbaje, rep.esther.agbaje@house.mn.gov
Join me from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM every Monday for Open Coffee Hours! These are informal and a chance for me to hear directly from you while we share coffee or a meal (virtually).
Office hours is on a first come first served basis. Please try not to call in past 12:50 p.m. as we want to leave enough time to chat about what you’d like to discuss.
Please RSVP below, and my staff will follow-up with the call-in details. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Dieu Do, Policy Associate, at dieu.do@minneapolismn.gov.
Aerospace engineering and manufacturing firm Ion Corporation will build a new factory in North Minneapolis. Wendell Maddox, CEO of Ion, says his company is partnering with RiverNorth Development Partners and will invest more than $300 million.
I was happy to be engaged with ION Corporation as they announced an expansion to the Northside. ION is a local, BIPOC-owned aerospace engineering company headquartered in Eden Prairie. They are looking to expand operations to a second facility to be built as Phase 1 of the RiverNorth Development on West Broadway Ave. ION provides a variety of scientific, engineering, and custom manufacturing services to its clientele, such as NASA, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. This manufacturing facility will be bringing over 100 jobs to West Broadway. 50-75% of those jobs will be available to our community who only have a high school diploma and with starting wages between $25-$75/hour with a career trajectory. The groundbreaking will likely be this fall with completion in the first quarter of 2025.
On Thursday, March 23rd, 2023, in partnership with Councilmember Vetaw, the Wards 4 & 5 offices gave notice of intent at full council to bring forward a mold ordinance which would implement mold remediations by updating ordinances to be more effective to reduce mold hazards and provide information on these hazards to property owners and renters.
Exposure to mold can cause a range of health problems, including respiratory issues, allergies, headaches, and even neurological problems. Infants, young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to mold-related health problems.
Mold growth can create unsafe living and working conditions, particularly if it is left untreated for a prolonged period. Mold can weaken the structural integrity of buildings, creating hazards for occupants. A mold ordinance will help ensure that properties are maintained in a safe and healthy condition, protecting the health and well-being of occupants and preventing costly property damage. Our office will keep you updated on the status of this policy.
On Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, city and housing leaders shared that the City of Minneapolis is making history in the number of affordable and deeply affordable homes being built in Minneapolis. Deeply affordable means units that are available at or lower than 30 percent of the area median income.
According to city data, there were 264 closings on deeply affordable housing for rent in 2022, compared to 41 average annual closings between 2011 and 2018. “We are producing six times, more than six times the amount of deeply affordable housing, low-income housing than we did in those seven years,” Mayor Jacob Frey said.
In recent years, much of the deeply affordable units developed are in Ward 5, including Wellington Management’s Currie Commons in the Harrison neighborhood. In total, there were 919 deeply affordable and affordable closings in 2022.
I am thankful for the partnership between my office, Mayor Frey, and housing leaders in our city who are dedicated to creating deeply affordable and affordable housing for our community so that our neighbors can afford to continue living in this city. The Northside is my home, is our home, and there’s nothing I want more as a councilmember than to ensure that Northsiders can continue calling North Minnneapolis home and to continue to invest in this vibrant, creative, and resilient community.
We’re asking for the public’s help to report potholes to 311. Public Works uses those reports to help prioritize work and take care of street issues as efficiently and effectively as possible. Potholes form when water enters cracks in the streets, freezes, expands and then breaks up the pavement. While it’s typical to see potholes form in the winter and spring, we’re seeing more potholes than usual because this winter has had more freeze-thaw cycles than usual. We even had a stretch of days in January with a freeze-thaw cycle almost every day: above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.
To fill potholes in the winter and early spring, City crews use “cold mix,” an asphalt product that is temporary. It may pop back out and need filling again. It will likely need to be replaced when the asphalt plants open in the spring.
Once the asphalt plants open in the spring, usually after April 1, City crews will be aggressively filling all potholes with more long-lasting material. Then in the summer, crews fill cracks in the streets to keep water out and prevent the next year’s potholes as much as possible. We also resurface about 15 miles of streets each year and have multiple yearly reconstruction projects.
Watch a press conference about the City’s response to the challenging pothole season.
Join Metro Transit for community workshops to discuss opportunities, impacts and potential solutions for businesses and residents along the route options in Minneapolis. Project staff will be on hand to share the latest design and environmental updates and take your questions. You can come and go at any time.
Community Meetings about the Recommended Route and Stations
Since fall 2022, the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County have been working through the environmental review process to understand the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts and benefits of the route options for the Blue Line Extension. The findings from the technical analysis completed to date, along with ongoing public feedback and agency coordination, will determine a single recommended route and station locations by this summer.
Hear a project update, learn more about the environmental impacts and benefits of the options studied, and give your feedback on the recommended route and station locations advancing in your community.
In-Person Community Meetings
- Minneapolis
- Monday, April 17, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Sanctuary Covenant Church, 710 West Broadway Ave.
Virtual Community Meetings
Find meeting materials, request assistance to participate in the events, and find ways to share feedback at the project website at www.BlueLineExt.org.
The Partnership Engagement Fund at the City of Minneapolis funds community organizations working with neighborhood organizations on projects that engage under-represented groups in local decision-making.
Please visit the City website for more information and contact this email, partnershipfund@minneapolismn.gov, with any additional questions or concerns.
Find resources to help reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your energy bills. The City of Minneapolis has funding to help improve energy efficiency, promote renewable energy and reduce air pollution.
Resources for Residents
Minneapolis Solar Group Buy Programs
Homeowners: Consider learning more about getting solar panels for your roof with a solar co-op. Solar co-ops are neighbors joining together to get the best price and service from a solar installer, tap into the co-op’s expertise and support each other through the process.
The solar co-op will help members access solar incentives, including the City of Minneapolis Green Cost Share program. The solar co-op is free to join, and there is no obligation to commit to purchase a system.
Learn more and join:
With the extra COVID emergency SNAP benefits ending, City officials want you to know about food resources in Minneapolis.
Food Shelves and Food Distribution
- Check out the Minneapolis food security resources on the City website. You can find locations, hours, contact information, and volunteer/donation needs of local food shelves and food distributions.
- To see food shelves by location, explore our map.
Winter Farmers Markets
You might be eligible for free or low-cost internet services. The City is partnering with local providers to help make the internet more accessible.
Resources include:
- Discounted internet for household use.
- Free temporary internet access at Wi-Fi hotspots.
- Free internet access to public sector information including City, County and State resources.
- Low-cost computers.
- Public computer access.
- Personal help from a “digital navigator.”
Call 311, email 311 or look on the City website to find details, a list of resources and how to find out if you qualify for different internet services programs.
To help others find these resources, Hennepin County has developed flyers in four languages to share.
The Affordable Connectivity Program helps households pay for internet service and get a discount on a device. Find out if you qualify for the program on the Hennepin County website.
Are you experiencing struggles with food insecurity, housing, career readiness, and legal matters? Are you in need of help? Please look below to see which resources can be beneficial to you.
Career Readiness
Family Support & Educational Programming
Food Insecurity
Housing/Tenant Protections
Legal Representation
The City of Minneapolis has a ton of job opportunities that span across multiple departments. If you’re interested, please view and apply for jobs here.
Hennepin County also has a vast array of job openings. If you’re interested, please view and apply for jobs here.
Kemps LLC on West Broadway also has a ton of job opportunities ranging from shift supervisor to cooler worker. If you’re interested, please view and apply here.
Here are other FT and PT employment opportunities in the nonprofit sector near you:
If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, please apply and share with your communities.
The Minneapolis Teen Job & Opportunity Fair brings together hundreds of young people and youth-serving programs every year from around the city to learn about opportunities with many local employers. This is the perfect place for Minneapolis youths to power up their summer job search.
Employers attending and hiring at the job fair include:
- City of Bloomington, Minnesota.
- Great Wolf Lodge.
- Home Depot.
- The Loppet Foundation.
- Minneapolis Police Department.
- Steven Scott Management.
- True Friends.
Minneapolis Teen Job & Opportunity Fair
Saturday, April 15, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
2117 West River Road North, Minneapolis, MN
Young people can attend one of the prep rallies in the days and weeks before the April 15 event to meet employers, research jobs, discover their skills and interests, and create their resume. Learn more about how to get involved.
Need to report an issue? Can’t find the right information? Minneapolis 311 can help. 311 coordinates with City departments and service providers to report your concerns, find you information and connect you with nonemergency City services. For example, if you report an icy sidewalk or have questions about winter parking restrictions, 311 connects with the experts in the right department to get to the bottom of it.
There are many ways to get in contact with 311 for non-emergency City information. Choose what’s easiest for you.
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Call 311. Agents are here to answer your call 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 311 from within city limits or 612-673-3000.
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Email 311. You can email 311 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Agents will respond 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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Text 311. You can text 311 a short question any time. Just text two or three keywords to 311TXT (311898) to receive an answer from the Minneapolis 311 information database on your mobile phone.
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Get the 311 mobile app. Report neighborhood issues on the 311 mobile app 24 hours a day.
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TTY. 311 agents use computer-based technology so hearing-impaired callers can easily communicate with the City using TDD/TTY devices. Call TTY 612-263-6850.
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Use the contact form. You can send 311 your comments or questions on the website contact form.
All community members 5 and older who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine are invited to get a free vaccination during an event offered by the City of Minneapolis.
Vaccination continues to be one of the most important ways for people to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Anyone 5 years and older who may have delayed getting their updated vaccination can stop by these community clinics and reduce their risk of getting or spreading COVID.
Upcoming Pfizer Vaccination Clinics
- Saturday, March 18, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Unidos, Mercado Central, 1515 E. Lake St.
- Saturday, March 18, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Neighborhood Health Source, 4150 Dupont Ave. N.
- Tuesday, March 21, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- The Family Partnership, 1527 E. Lake St.
- Tuesday, March 28, 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- A Mother’s Love, Northside Community Center, 701 W. Broadway
Find details and any updates on the City website.
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