We will be in East Harriet tomorrow for another listening tour. Our tour is also mapped on Google Maps.

We hope to see you out and about in the neighborhood, starting at 8:30, when we'll be joined by Sandra Rieger at Alma Provisions. These times are subject to our walking speed. If you'd like to connect, text us at 612-204-2887.

Yesterday was Indigenous Peoples' Day. Minneapolis has a significant place in the movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Of course, Minneapolis is no stranger to Indigenous activism. This week I talked with the person who wrote the Minneapolis resolution to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Today at 1:30 p.m. the Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning Committee will discuss the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County's joint strategy in responding to people going through homelessness.

This joint strategy discussion is especially relevant because just last week the City of Minneapolis cleared two major encampments. In response, activists and people who are unsheltered erected tents outside of City Hall. Yesterday was also World Homeless Day.

The committee discussion today focuses on funding agreements between the county and city. Both Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis have existing teams responding to homelessness.

The city has a Homeless Response Team to help connect "unsheltered individuals to resources and services." Its Response to Homelessness page gives detailed instructions to property owners on how to respond to encampments, including contact numbers for fencing companies and three phone numbers for shelter resources to give people going through homelessness. The same numbers are posted on the notice to vacate signs posted at encampments scheduled to be cleared.

Despite repeated encampment clearances and shelter resource sharing in Minneapolis, encampments continue to form around the city. If unsheltered people do not move their property before a clearance, their belongings are at risk of being destroyed. This includes cell phones and identification. The City points to the Downtown Improvement District's program that offers free, unlimited-time storage for belongings.

At the county level, the Hennepin County's Office to End Homelessness has a Continuum of Care partnership--a countywide effort to prevent and end homelessness. Some of the work being done by the partnership includes the Heading Home Hennepin Executive committee which last met in August. A large group of people attend the meetings, including representatives from the Mayor's office and Street Voices for Change. The committee's focus is to "act as champions for efforts to prevent and end homelessness, as evidenced through public advocacy, funding and external communications" and "provide an enduring forum for broad-based, collaborative and strategic leadership on homelessness in Hennepin County."

M̶o̶n̶d̶a̶y̶ Tuesday Meeting Review

If you are looking for summaries of past civic meetings, check out the Minneapolis Documenters website. They also have a meeting calendar.

Minneapolis City Council and committees
The Budget Committee meets today at 10 a.m. to hear proposed 2023-24 budget presentations from the Civil Rights Department, Communications Department, and Community Planning & Economic Development Department. They are also meeting on Thursday with no posted agenda as of yet.

The Housing/Rent Stabilization Work Group meets today at 11:30 a.m. The group meets at the Minneapolis Central Library and is not live-streamed.

The Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning Committee meets today at 1:30 p.m. Before the joint strategy on homelessness discussion, the owners of the now-closed Fremont Restaurant & Bar are applying for a liquor license at the same location (1300 Lagoon Ave) for their new business, Fire House.

The Public Health & Safety Committee meets Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. The committee is set to approve a public hearing for the police chief nominee, Brian O'Hara. If approved, the hearing would occur on October 26. Here is the O'Hara's nomination letter from Mayor Jacob Frey send to the City Council. The committee will also accept a $1.3 million grant to address the opioid epidemic through a hospital-based, medicine-assisted therapy program.

The Charter Commission meets Wednesday at 4 p.m. The commission will be discussing a proposal to add the ability to recall public officials into the charter. Charter Commission meetings are not live-streamed.

The Public Works and Infrastructure committee is meeting Thursday at 1:30 p.m. There is no posted agenda yet.

Most city meetings are on Comcast Channel 14 or 799, City Council TV, or the City's YouTube channel. Here is how you can participate in the meetings.

‍Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education

‍The school board is holding a regular business meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. All Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education meetings are held at the John B. Davis Education Service Center at 1250 W. Broadway Ave. You can watch livestreamed meetings in real time or recordings of the meetings after they conclude.‍

‍Met Council ‍

‍The full Met Council meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. You can access Met Council meetings through the agendas, which include a live YouTube link to the meeting. ‍

‍Hennepin County‍

‍The Hennepin County Board is meeting today at 1:30 p.m. Hennepin County meetings can be watched live via Microsoft Teams and meetings recordings are also made available. Closed captioning for board meetings can be accessed here.‍ ‍

‍Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board‍

‍The Park Board meets tomorrow at 5 p.m. On the agenda is a presentation on the Park Board's 2023 budget. Minneapolis Park Board meetings are streamed live and saved to its YouTube page. All Park Board meetings are open to the public and held at the Mary Merrill Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Headquarters at 2117 West River Road N.

LINK ROUNDUP

Former Councilmember Cam Gordon wrote about concerns raised over the Minneapolis PEACE Recruitment Plan, which would "provide part-time employment and a career pathway to law enforcement for high school juniors and seniors." (Southside Pride)

A visit to Newark to learn about Brian O'Hara, Mayor Frey's nominee to be the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. (Star Tribune)

Check out this super rad video shot along Lake Street. Part music video, part cinematic experience. Song by Blood $moke Body.  (Instagram)

Minneapolis's homicide rate is down about 18% from last year's almost-record-setting rate. (Minnesota Reformer)

A theory as to why trees are dying in Loring Park. (WCCO)

Jinx Tea and Folly Coffee will open in a week at 45th & France. The new sign is up! (Instagram)

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

“Cracking the Code: State Purchasing Power & Economic Prosperity in North Minneapolis” takes place on Wednesday from, 9 - 12:30 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center. The program is designed to "reduce disparities and empower small diverse businesses in state contracting". Register online or call 651-201-2402.

Tomorrow is National Walk & Roll to School Day. Here is what Bryn Mawr is planning before school. Check your local listings -- Barton Elementary is celebrating Friday.

The Lyndale Neighborhood Association's Lyndale Education Program is raising funds for its digital literacy programming. "Since 2011 we have provided free, placed-based education programming that serves over 250 students each year and provides about 12,000 hours of state-approved adult education and digital literacy instruction to English Language Learners (ELLs) in South Minneapolis."

Kingfield's Pollinator Pathway Project Education Forum is now on YouTube.

OUT & ABOUT

At Bryant Lake Bowl Theater tonight, Oyate Hotanin (“Voice of the People”) returns with Buffalo Weavers featuring Dakota elder poet and storyteller Strong Buffalo, and musical bike riding singer songwriter, Ben Weaver.

The stakes are high for TILT's fall pinball league, which begins tonight. Winners will be invited to the soft open of their new pinball bar, LITT (formerly Liquor Lyle's).

The Lake Harriet Spiritual Community is hosting a gratitude meditation tonight at 8 p.m.