| Council Members standing in front of the dais alongside community members who organized to close Smith Foundry - City Budget updates: This week the Council received Mayor Frey’s 2024 Budget address. A key takeaway was that his proposed 2025-2025 Budget would set a tax levy increase at 8.1%, as the City faces a shortfall over the coming two years. Something to keep in mind is that this levy increase does not mean that each residential property’s taxes will automatically rise by that much; it depends on a range of factors including whether your individual property’s value assessment rose or fell and how that change lands within the context of the entire city’s collective valuation changes. The City Assessor's office just launched this Payable 2025 Levy Impact Estimator tool to help you get a sense of the impact given details on your property's details. I am viewing this proposed levy increase as a starting point and hope to successfully work in partnership with my Council colleagues and the Mayor to identify some additional places to trim down on spending.
- Right-of-Way Ordinance amendment: I authored an ordinance amendment to eliminate the exemption that utility franchise holders such as Xcel Energy and CenterPoint had. They will now pay permit fees to house their infrastructure along our public rights-of-way. This will bring these companies into compliance with State statute and realign the City’s relationship to these companies as other municipalities in the State have done. Closing this loophole is estimated to help us recover over $100,000 each year in fees, and importantly, it will also ensure that we have data from CenterPoint and Xcel about the location and timing of the capital projects in the right-of-way. A goal of our Climate and Infrastructure Committee is to pass policy that expands coordination between Public Works and utility companies, thereby lessening the burden that infrastructure work places on residents when utilities plan to dig underground.
- Mandatory Disclosure Ordinance amendments: Council passed a series of ordinance amendments that will help ensure tenants are informed about the condition and operations of the rental unit they are considering before signing a lease. We want the renters in our city to be able to make informed decisions about their housing when they are signing a lease and to not be surprised about code violations at the property later on, impacting quality of life and necessitating enforcement work on all parties to resolve the issues. I also brought an amendment to this ordinance to require that would-be tenants are provided clear information about recycling management at the property. While providing recycling is already required by law, City staff continue to receive complaints from tenants. The City has limited funding for expanding enforcement, so is a proactive way of bolstering compliance. Our Regulatory Services department is working hard to update the City’s public property information dashboards, so that the information now required by this amendment is easily accessible and accurate for landlords to share to prospective tenants prior to execution of the lease.
- Honorary Resolutions: 3 honorary resolutions were brought forth celebrating the life of Officer Jamal Mitchell, the contributions of Urban Scholars, and the organizing efforts of the Shut Down Smith Coalition.
Ward 7 Community Survey Series In each Ward 7 Newsletter, we include a question for constituents to weigh in on. Questions may be related to upcoming policy decisions, future planning, issue prioritization, community project ideas, and more. Today's question: The Mayor is dedicating $300K to zero waste programming according to his 2025 recommended budget address. How would you like to see that allocation spent in your neighborhood or in other parts of Ward 7?
A bright blue and green event graphic with CM Cashman's photo, event details, and logos for the DID and Metro Transit Uptown Safety focus at August “Coffee with Katie” As detailed in my last newsletter, our August edition of “Coffee with Katie” will be focused on the idea of establishing a Safety Ambassador program in Uptown, a program that could be modeled in part upon the successful example managed by the Downtown Improvement District. We know that residents, businesses, and owners in the Uptown area have been struggling through a trend of robberies, assaults, open drug use, and property crimes of all kinds this year. Many residents, workers, and visitors do not feel safe, and it further discourages investment in our commercial corridor. Uptown needs and deserves new resources and a new approach to change the trajectory. This Wednesday evening, I’ll be joined by two guests: Shane Zahn, the DID Safety Program lead, to share firsthand about the effectiveness of the downtown ambassadors, and Lesley Kandaras, the General Manager of Metro Transit, to overview safety efforts at the Uptown Transit Station and transit stops along Hennepin Avenue. At this event we can all learn, ask questions, and discuss ideas for the development of MORE community safety resources for Uptown. PLEASE NOTE: due to limited venue capacity, we have added a virtual option and strongly encourage folks to join this way if they are able. - When: Wednesday, August 21st | 6-7:30pm
- Where:
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A photo of Council Members Cashman, Koski, and Payne with staff from the Bimosedaa building Out and About in Ward 7 - Our team had a great time connecting with folks at National Night Out events around the Ward. In Loring Park, I had a chance to meet Grant and Melanie, the founders of Involve MN, which is a nonprofit organization utilizing the Woman’s Club commercial kitchen to prepare and distribute over 9,000 free meals weekly to people experiencing homelessness.
- Alongside Council Members Payne and Koski, I was fortunate to tour Bimosedaa, a commercial-to-residential building conversion project in Downtown led by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. This project provides deeply affordable units for 48 people and culturally relevant, responsive on-site support tailored to members of the Native community who have moved out of homelessness.
- We toured the historic Kickernick Building in the Warehouse District, which has recently undergone significant renovation with thoughtful homage to its interesting history as one of the first skyscrapers in the city. They are now leasing commercial spaces of all types and sizes and will soon be opening a gallery for local artists on the first floor.
- We also took a tour of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) with Council Member Koski and her team to learn more about how the facility processes Minneapolis’ trash waste.
- I met with a group of young adults in Ward 7 working together to move the needle on climate action in the Twin Cities to share about the range of work we are doing to expand sustainability measures and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Minneapolis.
- Talked with neighbors at the August West Maka Ska Neighborhood Council meeting about the work I’ve been doing and key policy items to keep an eye out for in the weeks and months ahead.
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Event graphic with blue background and white text and photos of Lesley Kandaras and Brian Funk of Metro Transit Metro Transit Listening Session at Nicollet Mall Station Metro Transit leaders are in the process of holding another round of public listening sessions at six METRO Blue and Green line stations. General Manager Lesley Kandaras and Chief Operating Officer Brian Funk invite you to share your comments, thoughts, and feedback on efforts to improve public safety on transit through their Safety & Security Action Plan. A small child with their sleeve rolled up, touching their new band-aid following a vaccination Free Back-to-School Vaccine Clinics August is National Immunization Awareness Month and the start of back-to-school kickoff time. The Minneapolis Health Department’s Maternal Child and Adolescent unit is continuing its efforts to increase access to vaccines and reduce vaccine hesitancy with its series of free community vaccination clinics. As caregivers get their children ready to head back to school, ensuring their vaccinations are up to date should be at the top of the checklist. Nearly 40% of Minneapolis Public School children are behind on their childhood vaccines, including approximately three in five (60%) of Minneapolis teenagers. So, the Health Department is encouraging parents and guardians to talk with their healthcare provider to review and update their child’s immunizations. Find out here how to check your child’s vaccination status, and check an upcoming free vaccination clinic linked below.  |
A yellow background with white and blue text bubble in the center that reads "Neighborhood Super Sale!" Neighborhood Super Sale Two Minneapolis lakes with different forms of blue-green algae, one with an MPRB staff member standing in the water MPRB Beach Sampling for Harmful Algae Did you know that the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board maintains an up-to-date map regarding harmful algae levels at our city’s beaches? MPRB staff analyze weekly samples and issue advisories and beach closures, as needed. Here are some basic tips to keep you and your loved ones safe while enjoying the beach: - Don’t swim if you or your child have diarrhea or are sick.
- Be careful to not get lake water in your mouth.
- Wash your hands before eating and after changing a diaper.
- Avoid swimming for 48 hours after a rainfall when bacteria levels can be high.
- Towel dry immediately after exiting the water to prevent Swimmer’s Itch.
- Do not swim in water that looks like “pea soup” or spilled paint floating on the surface
- Keep children and pets out of blue-green algae scum
Infrastructure Project Updates - Gas line work in Bryn Mawr: Many residents are already aware of the work underway by CenterPoint energy in the neighborhood. Details about the work they are doing, the restoration practices they will enact afterward, and project team contact info are available here.
- 1st Ave Reconstruction: The City is reconstruction 1st Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis between Washington Ave and 8th St, and the second phase of engagement is underway. Share your vision for the street via this survey opportunity by August 31st. Learn more about the project and feedback collected so far.
- Green Line Extension work at Cedar Lake Pkwy: Around-the clock work will take place on September 10 and continue throughout the night and into September 11 to reposition the freight track. Preparatory work for the track shift will begin one day prior when the roadway closes on September 9. This work is being coordinated as part of a larger freight rail track outage window. More details – including traffic plans and durations – will be shared through the construction updates as well as through neighborhood communications channels by the end of August.
- Catch basin repair in West Maka Ska: West Bde Maka Ska Parkway will be closed between Upton and Thomas Avenues from August 12-30 to allow Public Works to perform a catch basin repair and allow new concrete to cure. Please follow all posted detours and stay away from areas where work is being performed. There will be no impacts to bike or pedestrian trails in the area.
- Ongoing updates are always available online for the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction and Lake Street’s Bus Rapid Transit construction.
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A dark blue and beige event graphic with photos of the Council Members, event details, and a QR code to register Save the Date for Ward 7 Budget Workshop Save the date for a workshop I am hosting for Ward 7 stakeholders on Thursday, September 26th at the Woman’s Club (410 Oak Grove St) in Loring Park! With participation by the City’s Budget Director and the Chairs of our City Council’s Budget Committee, Council Vice President Chughtai and Council Member Koski, we’ll learn the basics of how the City’s budget works and collaborate in teams to identify Ward priorities and trade-offs. This will be a great opportunity to actively participate in the City’s 2025 budgeting process. Registration is open and encouraged. To find out about what’s going on in your part of town, check out the nine neighborhood organizations working to keep folks connected and engaged in Ward 7: |
