 What: Butter Bakery will be celebrating their 14th year with stories, music by J Francis Olson, news of their efforts to become a Social Benefit Corporation, and a silent auction to raise funds for their efforts to build community here in southwest Minneapolis! There will be treats! Free admission
When: Saturday, January 26th from 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: The Center for Performing Arts, 3754 Pleasant Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
 The City Council passed a resolution recognizing January 22nd, 2019 as the National Day of Racial Healing and urged all people to promote racial healing and transformation in the ways that are best suited for them individually to ensure the best quality of life for every child. The resolution recognizes racial divisiveness rising in America’s communities that threatens the core of this great country’s unified front.
On the National Day of Racial Healing, we celebrated with a wonderful program at City Hall. Thank you to Joy Marsh Stephens, Laurice Reed, Christina Manancero and the Office of Race and Equity for putting together an important, healing event, and for doing this work for the City each day!
We enjoyed performance peace from Healing Drums Youth, Mankwe Ndosi, Universal Dance Destiny, Nothando Zulu; a blessing from Patina Park; a panel discussion with Mayor Jacob Frey, Council Member Alondra Cano and myself; plus a host of special activities with healing at the forefront.
Later that evening, we held space at Blackeye Roasting Co. to address a recent incident involving their former staff member who caused harm in our community, and sparked an important public conversation around racial trauma, white body supremacy and community healing.
Thank you to our facilitators Desralynn Cole and Rachel Martin, Keno Evol for sharing powerful words and for initiating the redress of the incident immediately. And thank you to community for showing up, being vulnerable and open. And to Blackeye Roasting Co. leadership for hosting this forum and working directly with community to continue to redress racial harm.
 Sign up now for the 2019 Community Connections Conference Saturday, Feb. 2, in the Minneapolis Convention Center. This year's theme will be “Together: Mobilizing for a Better Minneapolis.” The free conference exists to build connections and foster collaboration between community, neighborhoods and government. Last year's event had more than 690 attendees from all over Minneapolis.
New this year, the conference will host a legal clinic on immigration, family law and housing issues. The exhibit hall will feature a neighborhood organization showcase and information on City of Minneapolis appointed boards and commissions. You can apply to serve on a board or commission that focuses on the issues you care about. City staff will be on hand to answer questions.
Metro Transit will provide complimentary bus passes for transportation to the conference.
Register
Register through Eventbrite here.
Want to help spread the word?
Email Rebekah.Tedrick-Moutz@minneapolismn.gov to request printed flyers, or share the Facebook event.
 The City Council has accepted a grant for a project that seeks to reduce bench warrants for arrest due to failure to appear in court for low-level charges. The MacArthur Foundation awarded $50,000 to a pilot program in the City Attorney’s Office that will provide free round-trip rides to court for defendants who meet the financial eligibility requirements for representation by public defenders.
Court Ride will provide free rides for people charged with misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors so they can make pretrial court appearances. The program will also offer free rides to allow people charged with more serious crimes to attend scheduled meetings with their public defenders. The goal is to reduce the number of arrest warrants issued by the court for failure to appear in court and further reduce arrests and use of the jail. This grant is expected to provide more than 1,600 round-trip rides.
Furthering bail reform and reducing jail use
This pilot program joins other measures implemented by the City Attorney's Office to reduce arrests and use of jail without compromising public safety. Since 2015 there’s been a 53 percent reduction in the number of people in the jail due to misdemeanor cases.
Other City Attorney initiatives include:
Sign and release/book and release warrants
The City Attorney’s Office collaborated with the courts and law enforcement to have a new court date provided to people charged with lower level cases in lieu of a bench warrant for their arrest after a first failure to appear for court. Close to 70 percent of those being given new court dates appear for the re-scheduled appearance. There’s also been a 16 percent reduction in the issuance of arrest warrants for failure to appear being issued in these lower-level cases.
New risk assessment tool
Through a cooperative project with the courts and community corrections, a risk assessment tool was developed and implemented for people charged with misdemeanors not including domestic violence and targeted misdemeanor cases. Those not in a high-risk category on the assessment tool can be released from jail by community corrections with no bail and prior to waiting for a court appearance. This has resulted in substantial reductions in the length of jail stays.
Pathways to New Beginnings
Approximately two-thirds of defendants charged with the gross misdemeanor offense of carrying a pistol without a permit are between the ages of 18 and 25. Often it’s their first adult-level criminal offense. As the City Attorney’s Office reviewed our handling of these cases, a high rate of recidivism was discovered: approximately 70 percent over time and all too often led to more serious felony-level violent offenses. The City’s standard sentence had been for 30 days in the workhouse with the balance of time stayed.
While still a relatively new program, it is promising. The first cohort to complete the full program will graduate in February. Several participants have even voluntarily added extra programming offered by Urban Ventures to develop their parenting skills to help them better connect with their children.
 Are you thinking about solar panels for your house? You can get help from the City of Minneapolis Green Cost Share Program and other resources in 2019. Solar energy is clean and renewable, and over time it can save you money on your electricity bill.
Current federal tax credits covering 30 percent of the cost of a solar project are at their peak this year and decrease each year after that until expiring at the end of 2021. Xcel Energy also offers incentives, which expire in 2021.
To get started
- Find out if your location gets enough shade-free sunlight for solar power. You can check the University of Minnesota solar suitability maps for an initial look before talking to an installer.
- Choose an installer. City staff recommend getting two or three bids and looking at company reviews.
Find more information about energy incentives here.
Green Cost Share Program
City of Minneapolis incentives are based on the size and electricity production of the system. Minneapolis residents may qualify for additional incentives between $1,500 and $4,000 from the City of Minneapolis depending on the size of the array. Applicants must be part of a group purchase of five or more property owners. See “To get started” above. For more information about the Green Cost Share Program, call 311 or email GreenCostShare@Minneapolismn.gov.
 Community gardeners and market gardeners apply by Feb. 28 to lease City-owned vacant lots. The City of Minneapolis offers vacant lots for qualifying groups to lease for community gardens or market gardens.
Attend an information session to learn about the program and resources available to gardeners, get help with your application and talk with City of Minneapolis staff.
Information session in English 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30 Waite House, community room, 2323 11th Ave. S.
Information sessions in Lao and Hmong 4-5 p.m. program in Lao 5-6 p.m. program in Hmong Monday, Feb. 4 Harrison Recreation Center, 503 Irving Ave. N.
Find the garden request form, information on the leasing process, lease fees and a map showing which lots are currently available here. Email gardenlease@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-2466 with any questions, or attend one of the information sessions to learn more.
 The City's Department of Regulatory Services has compiled a short video entitled “What to expect during a rental license inspection?” to help address any potential concerns a tenant may have prior to the inspection, as well as to inform tenants of their rights as City staff regularly inspect rental properties to make sure they are up to code.
This video is available in the following languages:
Learn more at www.minneapolismn.gov/inspections.
 This video highlights a reminder about the Community Connections Conference Feb. 2, an update on the temporary Navigation Center, and Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
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