ENews from Gary Schiff March 28, 2012
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Midtown Phillips News // This is a new project. Its starting primarily as an aggregator, collecting lots of news from lots of sources, specific to Midtown Phillips and surrounding areas. Who knows where we'll go from there!
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The Redistricting Group posted their final draft for City Ward Maps. It is expected that the Minneapolis Charter Commission will pass the maps without further changes.
As noted earlier, this final draft leaves all of Midtown Phillips in the 9th Ward. The ward's demographics will change as less of Longfellow is in the ward, all of Powderhorn, and most of Central get added. Four full neighborhoods will lie within the 9th ward - Midtown, East Phillips, Corcoran, and Powderhorn.
Proposed:
Current 6th Ward:
It is hard to keep up with the fast and furious changes to the Redistricting Maps. According to the Star Tribune, the Redistricting Group passed a final version of the maps to the Charter Commission. As of right now, neither the Star Tribune or the city's redistricting web site has a copy of the maps.
However, the March 22 and March 23 maps divided Midtown Phillips into the 6th Ward and the 9th Ward along 12th Ave S.
After some emotional testimony (according to the Star Tribune) the Group kept all of Midtown Phillips in the 9th Ward.
Here is a quote from the Star Tribune:
Much of the opposition focused on the map's shifting part of largely Latino Midtown Phillips from the Ninth Ward to the Sixth.
Redistricting officials had sought to redraw the Sixth Ward, which currently spans Whittier, Phillips West, Ventura Village and Stevens Square/Loring Heights, to give East African immigrants a better election opportunity.
But the effort was controversial.
Latinos from the Ninth Ward wanted to keep all of Midtown Phillips. And Indians complained that the changes to accommodate East Africans were dividing them, especially given that the larger East African group is motivated to put one of their own on the council. Council Member Robert Lilligren, who is an Indian, currently represents the Sixth Ward.
"We have absolutely nothing against the Somali people or black people; we just don't like you to put us together ... and turn us against each other," said Clyde Bellecourt, executive director of the American Indian Movement Interpretive Center.
He said they would not wait around for another 10 years -- when the next redistricting will occur -- for "a bunch of pale faces" to make decisions. When Clegg interjected that Bellecourt's time was up, he retorted, "My time is never up. Your time is up." The audience applauded.
A security guard was summoned, though she took no action against Bellecourt.
Once the final map is posted I'll add a new post.
Back on February 22 we reported on the proposed redistricting maps for City Council Wards. Well, the most recent proposal creates some radical changes that have upset some of our neighborhing communities. Seward, Longfellow, and Cedar Riverside have had some interesting converstaions on their respective e-democracy forums, yet Phillips has been eerily silent.
It is possible that the silence in Phillips is because only Midtown Phillips will be directly impacted by the change - the other 3 neighborhoods will remain with their current ward. Though the wards will be dramatically different.
Here is a look at the 6th and 9th wards on the March 6 proposal:
The current map reeks of gerrymeandering, especially as the changes to Ward 6 & 2 are concerned.
It isn't clear on the redistricting website what the next steps are. However you can find a list of the redistricting members here. The City of Minneapolis' calendar lists public hearings on March 15, 19, and 21st for public hearings.
The proposed City Council redistricting creates some major changes for Midtown. The colorful picture below shows the changes. All of Midtown will end up in Ward 6 (Lilligran) and will join all of Phillips West, Ventura Village, Loring Heights, and part of Whittier, East Phillips, and Cedar Riverside. In the picture the red line represents the current district and the yellow/black line the proposed.
| House District: 62A | Senate District: 62 | ||||
| Population: 39,496 | Population: 79,225 | ||||
| White: 14,339 | White: 33,943 | ||||
| Hispanic: 9,974 | Hispanic: 19,435 | ||||
| African American: 10,957 | African American: 18,927 | ||||
| Asian: 1,405 | Asian: 2,681 | ||||
| American Indian: 2,187 | American Indian: 2,981 |
Visit the State's redistricing website for more information.
February 6, 2012
More city links
| Minnesota caucuses will be Tuesday, February 7th
On Tuesday, February 7, thousands of Minnesotans will be gathered at their precinct caucuses with friends and neighbors.
To find out where your precinct caucus is being held, use the caucus finder.
A caucus is a meeting organized by Minnesota's political parties where citizens can engage each other in a conversation about which candidates to support in the next general election and what public policy positions should be adopted as part of the party's platform. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office website has information on caucuses, political parties, and on the time and location where caucus meetings are being held. Caucuses are held in locations across Minnesota, are open to the public, and participation is encouraged.
Next Breakfast with Gary: Capital Update
From Vikings stadium taxes to gay marriage, State legislators from south Minneapolis will take questions from residents about the 2012 legislative session at February’s Breakfast with Gary.
The breakfast will be held Friday, February 24th at the Mercado Central, 1515 East Lake Street from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. There is no charge to attend. Breakfast is available for $5.
Join Senator Jeff Hayden (DFL -61), Senator Patricia Torres Ray (DFL -62), Representative Karen Clark (DFL -61A), and Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-62A).
Representative Susan Allen (DFL-61B) was elected January 10th to replace the seat previously held by Jeff Hayden, who replaced retiring Senator Linda Berglin. Berglin served 38 years at the State Capital.
City cuts emissions by 12.7% in last six years
Since 2006, Minneapolis has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.7 percent. Many factors likely impacted emissions, such as mild weather, the economic downturn and energy efficiency programs, but the trend is consistent with the city’s long term goals set out in the Climate Action Plan. In 1993, in conjunction with the City of Saint Paul, Minneapolis became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a greenhouse gas reduction plan - the Minneapolis - Saint Paul Urban CO2 Project Plan. The City also completed a greenhouse gas inventory for city operations and the community as a whole in 2009. Minneapolis residents and businesses have not significantly cut electricity use since 2006, although electricity is now coming from cleaner sources such as natural gas, wind and solar. This has helped cut emissions from electricity use. Minneapolis reduced natural gas use by 17 percent since 2006. Driving miles and emissions from transportation also declined slightly. Both natural gas and driving emissions may have declined in part due to population loss and unemployment. As part of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, Minneapolis is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through specific actions in the areas of land use, transportation, energy efficiency and waste reduction.
“Minneapolis is on the right track, but more work needs to be done. The recession is an opportunity to develop solutions that will be sustainable in the future,” said Council Member Gary Schiff.
Ninth Ward Award winners announced
At Breakfast with Gary on January 27th, the Ninth Ward Awards were handed out.
The Leader of the Year award went to Hannah Lieder for her work with Minneapolis Swims, a grassroots lobbying effort to save and renovate the last indoor public pool in Minneapolis. Project of the Year was awarded to Friends of the Cemetery Benefit Concert, led by Sue Hunter Weir and Nancy Benson with performers Jeremy Messersmith and Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles.
The 3400 block of 19th Avenue South was awarded Block Club of the Year for their efforts to design and install the first pavement mural in Minneapolis. And the Youth Leaders of the Year award went to Ka Joog, a youth group that sponsored a trip to the Dadaab refugee camp and organized a Somali famine benefit event at the Cedar Cultural Center.
Hundreds expected for sustainability conference
On March 23 and 24, over 500 citizen leaders and volunteers from neighborhoods, congregations, schools, businesses, the media, and city environmental commissions will gather for the Twin Cities Sustainable Communities Conference. The conference is being held at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Highlights include a sustainable business forum, workshop with local government staff and elected officials, and a neighborhood sustainability conference. Participants will be linked with practical resources to conserve energy, grow food, walk and bike, capture rainwater, support local businesses and meet neighbors.
One goal of the conference is to envision local, regional, state, and federal policies that can move the Twin Cities toward social equity, full employment and energy and climate resilience. At the keynote address, local historians and resource groups will share stories and images to examine the past, present and future of sustainability in the Twin Cities community. For more information contact Sean Gosiewski at (612) 331-1099 or look at the conference website.
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January 23, 2012
| Schiff sponsors fee reduction for trained landlords
A Minneapolis City Council committee has given unanimous approval to legislation sponsored by Council Member Gary Schiff that reduces fees for rental property owners who take a property management class.
“This bill addresses the concerns neighborhoods have expressed about the number of homes that are becoming rental property. The reduction in fees provides an incentive for new landlords to learn the property management skills they will need to be successful.”
Current rules require a $1000 conversion fee when a homeowner converts their property from homesteaded to rental. New rules sponsored by Schiff will allow for a $250 reduction in the fee if property owners complete a rental property management course. “In this economy we have many ‘accidental’ landlord who can’t afford to sell their homes because they are underwater on their mortgage. When a job opportunity forces them to move to another region, they often rent their home out as a last resort.”
The $1000 fee was first implemented in 2008 after the housing market crash and the number of homes that were converted to rental began to soar. Final vote on Council Member Schiff’s proposal will take place Friday, January 27th.
Reserve your seat for this Friday’s Ninth Ward Awards
Neighborhood activism will be honored at this Friday’s Breakfast with Gary. The State of the Ward Address and 2012 Ninth Ward Awards will take place January 27th at Mercado Central, 1515 East Lake Street from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Reserve your seat by e-mailing or calling the Ninth Ward office at (612) 673-2209. Awards will be given for Leader of the Year; Block Club of the Year; Neighborhood Project of the Year; and Youth Leader of the Year.
There is no charge to attend. Breakfast is available for $7.
Utility commission tells Xcel to bury high voltage transmission lines
Capping three years of neighborhood protests, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted last week to direct high voltage transmission lines proposed in the Midtown Greenway to be buried under 28th Street East. The vote confirms recommendations by PUC staff, the MN Department of Commerce and Administrative Law Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger.
The decision regarding cost was delayed one more month. “Suburban cities agree with Minneapolis and Xcel,” said City Council Member Gary Schiff, whose district includes the proposed 1.5 mile line. “The costs should be spread out Statewide. Xcel should not be allowed to tariff the increment and punish Minneapolis for a facility we did not ask for, and which cannot be built any other way. We aren’t finished with this fight until the final vote on cost.”
Background and additional information will be updated and available on the 9th Ward Legislative Initiatives webpage.
Credit cards and cabs: It’s the law
Last week the City Council approved a new ordinance sponsored by Council Member Gary Schiff that prohibits cab drivers from rejecting passengers who want to pay with a credit card. Other cities like Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles that require credit cards to be accepted for taxi fares have documented increases in ridership, tip amounts paid to drivers, and faster transactions. During a public hearing, the Council heard testimony about public safety. Del Jenkins, a downtown bouncer testified, ”I have witnessed how difficult it is for patrons who have decided not to drive home to find a taxi that will accept credit cards. Some will go down the taxi cab line from car to car looking to find someone that will take them home safely,” Less cash on hand may also reduce crime against taxi drivers. Last year there were 109 crimes against cab drivers, 71 percent of which were robberies.
The majority of taxis in Minneapolis have already invested in credit card processing technology, according to a survey by city staff. “The technology is already there,” Schiff says. “This law will no longer allow taxis to become cash-only at the driver’s discretion, and will reduce visitors becoming stranded downtown. We want transportation in Minneapolis to be accessible and easy, and accepting credit cards is just one way we can do that.”
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January 23, 2012
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