|
My deepest condolences to the victims and families of the New Zealand Mosques attacks. All should be free to worship in their own way without fear of persecution, that includes Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sihks, Buddhists, etc. We are facing a serious decision point as humanity. It is time for each and every one of us who believes in justice, in equity, in love, to stand up to hatred, white supremacy and patriarchy. “If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem” African Proverb
 What role should the neighborhood organization system and NCR play in meeting the needs of our growing city in 2020 and moving forward?
The Neighborhoods 2020 Framework Recommendations is a policy document that outlines the recommendations gathered from two years of community meetings, with input from three work groups, and is now open for public comment through March 31, 2019.
Read the Recommendations:
How to comment:
Next engagement opportunity with NCR about Neighborhoods 2020
When: Thursday, March 21st from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 4055 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
 Sips and Scoops with MnDOT and CM Schroeder
When: Wednesday, March 20th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Pearl Park Recreation Center 414 E. Diamond Lake Rd., Minneapolis
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremy Schroeder will be hosting a Sips and Scoops event to learn how MnDOT has incorporated sustainable practices in the 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown project and across the state. Tim Sexton, MnDOT’s chief sustainability officer, will talk about the vision of a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment and our economy and give specific examples of what’s happening in our communities. Steve Barrett, MnDOTresident construction engineer, will talk about environmental considerations on the 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown project.
Coffee with a Contractor
Coffee with the Contractor is an opportunity for residents and local business owners to get all project questions answered by the 35W@94 project staff and hear about upcoming construction activities that will impact access to local roads. Join us for free beverages and donuts at our next Coffee with the Contractor!
When: Wednesday, March 27th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: Harriet’s Inn, 4000 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis, Mn 55409
For more information about this event and the 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown project contact the following:
When: Friday, March 22nd from 12 to 1:30 pm
Where: Butter Bakery Cafe, 3700 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409.
March is Women’s History Month, and I am proud to say the residents of Ward 8 are served by an all women staff. We have a historic number of women running for the highest office in the land, including MN Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and women have been stepping up for public service all over the country. Let’s continue to salute and lift up the extraordinary women in our lives.
We will celebrate Women’s History Month by highlighting the Women of Transportation at Afternoons with Andrea, Mar 22, 12pm, at Butter Bakery, 3700 Nicollet, including City of Minneapolis Public Works Director Robin Hutcheson, Transportation Planning and Programming Director Jenifer Hager, and Metropolitan Council Chair Nora Slawik. This is a unique time in our city and region with women leading our Public Works Department, MN Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Council. These women are outstanding! Join us!
You can find the Facebook event here.
 The City Council has approved a Renter-First Housing Policy — a framework that affirms the City’s commitment to advancing renter protections and developing new tools to support affordability and stability in rental housing.
The policy prioritizes the safety, stability, health and dignity of people who rent their homes in City decision-making. It directs departments to view their work through a renter-centric lens to minimize impacts on the housing stability of renters. Regulating rental housing has been one of the City’s core functions since 1956 when it established some of the first housing maintenance ordinances in the country.
The implementation of the Renter-First Housing Policy will include both early intervention and safety-net strategies. Highlights include strengthening enforcement measures to ensure repair issues are addressed quickly while minimizing negative impacts on the renter; targeting inspections efforts toward properties in disrepair or with a high volume of renter complaints; and creating financial opportunities for property owners to maintain housing conditions and affordable housing without increasing rents.
A majority of residents rent their housing in Minneapolis. People of color and indigenous people are more likely to be renters than white people in the city. Renters are vulnerable to challenging market conditions, including low vacancy rates and limited affordable housing options.
 The City of Minneapolis is planning on participating in Earth Hour again this year and encourages its residents and businesses to show their commitment to burning less fossil fuels by turning off their lights for an hour 8:30-9:30 p.m. March 30.
Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has grown into a global movement.
When we burn fossil fuels such as coal and gas, we pump more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This buildup creates a blanket effect, trapping in heat around the world. If nothing is done to halt this process, the planet we leave our children will be hotter with more violent weather, fewer species and disrupted systems such as food chains.
In 2015, 38 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Minneapolis came from electricity. The City has set targets of reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2025 (using 2006 as a baseline) and 80 percent by 2050. Emissions from citywide activities decreased 17.8 percent in 2015 from the 2006 baseline, exceeding the first reduction goal of 15 percent by 2015.
Reduce fossil fuel energy use every hour of the year
Residents and businesses are invited to join the City of Minneapolis in this important global initiative and encourage their families and friends to switch off their lights for Earth Hour at 8:30 p.m. Saturday March 30. Check out the actions people can take to benefit the planet beyond the hour.
The Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, adopted in June 2013, provides a roadmap for reducing citywide carbon dioxide pollution. To learn more about Minneapolis’ sustainable policies and practices, visit www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability.
The City benefits from the volunteer efforts of about 300 residents who serve on 20 appointed advisory boards and commissions. Board and commission members provide valuable insights, help shape key policy decisions and provide community-based input into the design and administration of City services. Apply by the deadline listed on the pages below, which range from March 30 to April 19:
 Unseasonable warmth, droughts and flooding rains are the new normal in Minnesota. A resilient yard meets these challenges head-on and protects the local ecosystem.
Workshops
Planning Your Resilient Yard builds an understanding of resilience and how to support it in your yard using site planning, intentional plantings and more. The workshop includes one-on-one design assistance from Blue Thumb landscape designers and UMN Extension Master Gardeners — Hennepin County.
Turf Alternatives focuses on converting traditional lawns to low-input turf alternatives that support pollinators and clean water.
Healthy Soil digs into the world beneath our feet and reveals specific practices to build resilience from the ground up.
Scholarships are available on request. Space is limited.
The City of Minneapolis sponsors these workshops as part of its focus on the well-being of people and our environment.
For more information, dates and to register, go to metroblooms.org/workshops or call 651-699-2426.
At our March meeting, we revisited the Bring Your Own Bag ordinance. Council Member Gordon's staff was there to talk us through where the current ordinance is at in regards to adding a fee to all carryout bags in 2019. You may recall that the city of Minneapolis passed an ordinance to ban all plastic bags in 2015, but our state legislature swiftly passed a law that preempted us from carrying that ban out. You can find more details about the history of the ordinance and take a quick two-minute survey on the Zero Waste page of the city website. Your input on the carryout bag fees is greatly appreciated!
If you're interested in learning more about CEAC and have an environmental concern you would like the group to consider addressing, please visit CEAC's website for additional details and our contact form. Our meetings are always open to the public, and we encourage you to join us.
Next CEAC Meeting: April 4, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Phillips Community Center, 2323 11th Ave S.
 Minneapolis homeowners will soon begin receiving their property value notices in the mail. The estimated market values of homes in these notices are used to calculate 2020 property taxes.
Property owners can review the values of their homes with an appraiser, ask questions and, if so desired, appeal their value at the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization. Each notice includes the name and phone number of the appraiser assigned to the property in question. Contacting the appraiser is the fastest and most efficient way for homeowners to get answers to questions or to start the appeals process.
The local board convenes April 23 and begins hearing cases May 7, 2019. More information about the appeals process is available on the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization’s webpage at minneapolismn.gov/assessor/marketvalues/LBAE.
For more information, visit minneapolismn.gov/assessor.
| 
