Council Member Cam Gordons
Report to the West Bank, 2-15-12
Cams next West Bank Office Hours:
Tuesday, March 6th, 9:30-11:00am
Hard Times Caf, 1821 Riverside Ave
Items:
1) Tenants Rights Meeting
2) Redistricting
3) Funding for Cedar Sidewalks
4) 4th and 6th Streets and 15th Avenue
5) Riverside Avenue Reconstruction
6) Resolution on Remittances to the Horn of Africa
7) Compost Ordinance
8) Urban Agriculture Text Amendments
9) Vikings Stadium
10) Taxis Forced to Take Credit Cards
11) Oromo Cultural Exhibit at Augsburg
12) Congratulations Fartun Hassan!
13) West River Parkway Sewer Repairs
14) Openings on Boards and Commissions
1) In light of the concerns I heard at the most recent meeting about the
Riverside Plaza renovation project, my office has scheduled a public meeting
for West Bank residents regarding tenants rights on Tuesday, March 27 at 7pm at
the Brian Coyle Center. City staff and legal experts will be there to help
people understand their rights as tenants and what they can do if they have
concerns about their housing, maintenance, management or landlords.
2) As you likely know, the Redistricting Group of the Charter Commission is
currently drafting new Ward maps for the City of Minneapolis. Various maps
have been drafted both by the Commission and outside groups. The most recent
map from the Commission (dated February 15), agrees in principle with the
Committee for a Fair Redistricting map and would create a minority opportunity
ward. The proposed Ward 6 would have very similar minority populations to the
Fair groups proposed Ward 2, with an African American population of 39.4%, a
Hispanic population of 20.43%, a Native American population of 4.44% and a
White population of 33.86%. Both maps would divide the West Bank into two
different wards. You can find the Redistricting Groups February 15 map here:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/redistricting2012.
3) The Councils Community Development and Transportation and Public Works
committees have voted to allocate $300,000 in Transit Oriented Development
funds towards fixing the sidewalks on Cedar Avenue. These City funds match an
existing $300,000 grant from Hennepin County and a $150,000 commitment from the
Central Corridor project, for a total of $750,000 to be spent on improving the
Cedar Avenue streetscape. I expect the Council to support these committee
actions on Friday. After that action is taken, Planning and Public Works staff
will lead a community input process on the specific improvements to be made. I
want to thank Joe Bernard in Planning for his work to find a source for these
City dollars. The streetscape on Cedar has been in disrepair for far too long,
and I look forward to seeing it dramatically improved.
4) The CHANCE students have started their review of the streetscape on 4th
Street, 15th Avenue and 6th Street. I look forward to working with them on a
community process to get broad agreement from the whole community on what these
streets should look like. This agreement will include the idea of time
limiting the parking on these three streets.
5) The resolution calling on all those who have played a role in the
stoppage of money transfers through Hawalas from Minneapolis residents to
relatives in Somalia to find a way to reopen this absolutely critical financial
link has passed the full Council with my strong support. Read more at
http://secondward.blogspot.com.
6) Final approvals are moving forward for the second phase of the Riverside
Avenue reconstruction project. The Council has designated the location and
improvements proposed to be made (Cedar Ave S to 23rd Ave S); received the cost
estimates of $5,850,000 for the road reconstruction and $272,800 for the
lighting; authorized the acquisition of permanent easements for sidewalk and
ramp expansions; and directed the City Engineer to prepare proposed special
assessments against the list of benefited properties. There will be a public
hearing on the project on February 28 at 9:30 am at City Hall. For more see:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-084582.pdf
7) The ordinance amendments I have authored to the Citys composting
ordinance come before the Regulatory Energy and Environment committee on
Monday, February 27th, at 1:30pm in Council Chambers. These changes would
increase the allowable size for compost areas, clarify the requirements on
compost bin construction and the types of materials that can be composted,
require that compost areas be covered with a layer of odor-reducing material
like dry leaves or straw, and authorize City staff to require people who
violate the terms of the ordinance to take a course in composting. These
amendments came from recommendations from the urban gardening community, have
been vetted by City, County and MPCA staff, and are supported by both the
Environmental Advisory Committee and new Food Council.
8) On January 25, the City Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve
the zoning code amendments I have authored to help implement the Urban
Agriculture Policy Plan the Council adopted last spring. This is an exciting
first step in changing the Citys land use rules to make urban agriculture
possible. You can see the draft text amendments here:
www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/
webcontent/wcms1p-083823.pdf. The commission received 70 written comments and
13 people spoke at the public hearing and all were in favor of the amendments
as proposed and recommended by staff. The amendments will now move to the
Zoning and Planning Committee for consideration on March 1. Read more analysis
on the Second Ward blog: http://secondward.blogspot.com.
9) On January 26, the City Council discussed the Mayor and Council
Presidents proposal for a new Vikings Stadium in Minneapolis. (See
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/cow/WCMS1P-084388, and
http://v.qwikcast.tv/view.aspx?q=PVG6 for more). I was glad to see that the
plan includes a way to remove the costs of the Target Center from property
taxes and that the preferred location is the current site of the Metrodome.
This site has already been assembled at great cost in east Downtown and is
currently served by a light rail station that will soon grant access to two
light rail corridors. But I was very concerned about the use of public funds,
the amount of debt that would be taken on by the City and the use of local
taxes as a funding source. Under this plan, the City would take on over
$300,000,000 in debt to be paid back with local hospitality, entertainment and
sales tax revenue over 30 years. I am also very concerned about the plan to
ignore our Charter. I believe that no city resources over $10 million dollars
should be used without a referendum, in keeping with the Charter. The state
legislature should not pass any proposal that undermines our Citys most
fundamental legal document, essentially our Constitution.
10) Over my objections, the Council has voted to force taxis in Minneapolis to
take credit cards. I opposed this action because it became clear that the
credit card fees (amounting to 5-7% of each fare) will almost universally come
out of the income of drivers, many of whom are low-income new Americans of East
African origin living in my Ward. I do not believe it is fair to place the
convenience of taxi passengers or profits for Wall Street above the well-being
of taxi drivers. You can read more on the Second Ward blog:
http://secondward.blogspot.com.
11) On February 25 and 26, a photography exhibit and cultural presentation
that documents the ways the Oromo women of Ethiopia cultivate beauty will be
held at Foss Center, Augsburg College. The event is sponsored by Resources for
the Enrichment of African Lives (REAL), with the support of Augsburg College
Womens Resource Center, and Bareedina & Siiqqee (Beauty & Solidarity), which
celebrates the Strength of the Oromo Women of Ethiopia through art. The free
exhibit is open from 1-4pm each day of the program. For more see:
bareedinafina.pdf.
12) Second Ward seventh-grader Fartun Hassan has won third place in the 2012
Martin Luther King Essay Contest. Great work, Fartun! More information is
available here:
http://civilrightsminneapolis.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/2012-mlk-essay-contest-and-the-winners-are/.
13) The Metropolitan Council is beginning work on a segment of its sanitary
sewer that runs along West River Parkway in Cedar Riverside on the bluffs below
the University Medical Center Riverside campus near 4th St. Work includes
digging access tunnels and repairing damaged pipes. It is expected to be
completed by the end of June. For more information contact Met Council staff:
Seng Thongvanh at 651-602-4538, <email obscured> .
14) There are openings on the Animal Care & Control Advisory Committee,
Capital Long Range Improvement Commission, Family Housing Fund (McKnight),
Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, Public Health Advisory
Committee, Public Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and Senior Citizens
Advisory Committee. To apply, call (612) 673-3358 or email
<email obscured>.
Report to the West Bank, 2-15-12
Cams next West Bank Office Hours:
Tuesday, March 6th, 9:30-11:00am
Hard Times Caf, 1821 Riverside Ave
Items:
1) Tenants Rights Meeting
2) Redistricting
3) Funding for Cedar Sidewalks
4) 4th and 6th Streets and 15th Avenue
5) Riverside Avenue Reconstruction
6) Resolution on Remittances to the Horn of Africa
7) Compost Ordinance
8) Urban Agriculture Text Amendments
9) Vikings Stadium
10) Taxis Forced to Take Credit Cards
11) Oromo Cultural Exhibit at Augsburg
12) Congratulations Fartun Hassan!
13) West River Parkway Sewer Repairs
14) Openings on Boards and Commissions
1) In light of the concerns I heard at the most recent meeting about the
Riverside Plaza renovation project, my office has scheduled a public meeting
for West Bank residents regarding tenants rights on Tuesday, March 27 at 7pm at
the Brian Coyle Center. City staff and legal experts will be there to help
people understand their rights as tenants and what they can do if they have
concerns about their housing, maintenance, management or landlords.
2) As you likely know, the Redistricting Group of the Charter Commission is
currently drafting new Ward maps for the City of Minneapolis. Various maps
have been drafted both by the Commission and outside groups. The most recent
map from the Commission (dated February 15), agrees in principle with the
Committee for a Fair Redistricting map and would create a minority opportunity
ward. The proposed Ward 6 would have very similar minority populations to the
Fair groups proposed Ward 2, with an African American population of 39.4%, a
Hispanic population of 20.43%, a Native American population of 4.44% and a
White population of 33.86%. Both maps would divide the West Bank into two
different wards. You can find the Redistricting Groups February 15 map here:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/redistricting2012.
3) The Councils Community Development and Transportation and Public Works
committees have voted to allocate $300,000 in Transit Oriented Development
funds towards fixing the sidewalks on Cedar Avenue. These City funds match an
existing $300,000 grant from Hennepin County and a $150,000 commitment from the
Central Corridor project, for a total of $750,000 to be spent on improving the
Cedar Avenue streetscape. I expect the Council to support these committee
actions on Friday. After that action is taken, Planning and Public Works staff
will lead a community input process on the specific improvements to be made. I
want to thank Joe Bernard in Planning for his work to find a source for these
City dollars. The streetscape on Cedar has been in disrepair for far too long,
and I look forward to seeing it dramatically improved.
4) The CHANCE students have started their review of the streetscape on 4th
Street, 15th Avenue and 6th Street. I look forward to working with them on a
community process to get broad agreement from the whole community on what these
streets should look like. This agreement will include the idea of time
limiting the parking on these three streets.
5) The resolution calling on all those who have played a role in the
stoppage of money transfers through Hawalas from Minneapolis residents to
relatives in Somalia to find a way to reopen this absolutely critical financial
link has passed the full Council with my strong support. Read more at
http://secondward.blogspot.com.
6) Final approvals are moving forward for the second phase of the Riverside
Avenue reconstruction project. The Council has designated the location and
improvements proposed to be made (Cedar Ave S to 23rd Ave S); received the cost
estimates of $5,850,000 for the road reconstruction and $272,800 for the
lighting; authorized the acquisition of permanent easements for sidewalk and
ramp expansions; and directed the City Engineer to prepare proposed special
assessments against the list of benefited properties. There will be a public
hearing on the project on February 28 at 9:30 am at City Hall. For more see:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-084582.pdf
7) The ordinance amendments I have authored to the Citys composting
ordinance come before the Regulatory Energy and Environment committee on
Monday, February 27th, at 1:30pm in Council Chambers. These changes would
increase the allowable size for compost areas, clarify the requirements on
compost bin construction and the types of materials that can be composted,
require that compost areas be covered with a layer of odor-reducing material
like dry leaves or straw, and authorize City staff to require people who
violate the terms of the ordinance to take a course in composting. These
amendments came from recommendations from the urban gardening community, have
been vetted by City, County and MPCA staff, and are supported by both the
Environmental Advisory Committee and new Food Council.
8) On January 25, the City Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve
the zoning code amendments I have authored to help implement the Urban
Agriculture Policy Plan the Council adopted last spring. This is an exciting
first step in changing the Citys land use rules to make urban agriculture
possible. You can see the draft text amendments here:
www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/
webcontent/wcms1p-083823.pdf. The commission received 70 written comments and
13 people spoke at the public hearing and all were in favor of the amendments
as proposed and recommended by staff. The amendments will now move to the
Zoning and Planning Committee for consideration on March 1. Read more analysis
on the Second Ward blog: http://secondward.blogspot.com.
9) On January 26, the City Council discussed the Mayor and Council
Presidents proposal for a new Vikings Stadium in Minneapolis. (See
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/cow/WCMS1P-084388, and
http://v.qwikcast.tv/view.aspx?q=PVG6 for more). I was glad to see that the
plan includes a way to remove the costs of the Target Center from property
taxes and that the preferred location is the current site of the Metrodome.
This site has already been assembled at great cost in east Downtown and is
currently served by a light rail station that will soon grant access to two
light rail corridors. But I was very concerned about the use of public funds,
the amount of debt that would be taken on by the City and the use of local
taxes as a funding source. Under this plan, the City would take on over
$300,000,000 in debt to be paid back with local hospitality, entertainment and
sales tax revenue over 30 years. I am also very concerned about the plan to
ignore our Charter. I believe that no city resources over $10 million dollars
should be used without a referendum, in keeping with the Charter. The state
legislature should not pass any proposal that undermines our Citys most
fundamental legal document, essentially our Constitution.
10) Over my objections, the Council has voted to force taxis in Minneapolis to
take credit cards. I opposed this action because it became clear that the
credit card fees (amounting to 5-7% of each fare) will almost universally come
out of the income of drivers, many of whom are low-income new Americans of East
African origin living in my Ward. I do not believe it is fair to place the
convenience of taxi passengers or profits for Wall Street above the well-being
of taxi drivers. You can read more on the Second Ward blog:
http://secondward.blogspot.com.
11) On February 25 and 26, a photography exhibit and cultural presentation
that documents the ways the Oromo women of Ethiopia cultivate beauty will be
held at Foss Center, Augsburg College. The event is sponsored by Resources for
the Enrichment of African Lives (REAL), with the support of Augsburg College
Womens Resource Center, and Bareedina & Siiqqee (Beauty & Solidarity), which
celebrates the Strength of the Oromo Women of Ethiopia through art. The free
exhibit is open from 1-4pm each day of the program. For more see:
bareedinafina.pdf.
12) Second Ward seventh-grader Fartun Hassan has won third place in the 2012
Martin Luther King Essay Contest. Great work, Fartun! More information is
available here:
http://civilrightsminneapolis.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/2012-mlk-essay-contest-and-the-winners-are/.
13) The Metropolitan Council is beginning work on a segment of its sanitary
sewer that runs along West River Parkway in Cedar Riverside on the bluffs below
the University Medical Center Riverside campus near 4th St. Work includes
digging access tunnels and repairing damaged pipes. It is expected to be
completed by the end of June. For more information contact Met Council staff:
Seng Thongvanh at 651-602-4538, <email obscured> .
14) There are openings on the Animal Care & Control Advisory Committee,
Capital Long Range Improvement Commission, Family Housing Fund (McKnight),
Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, Public Health Advisory
Committee, Public Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and Senior Citizens
Advisory Committee. To apply, call (612) 673-3358 or email
<email obscured>.
