Upcoming Budget
*Updated 12/11/2020
City Council approves 2021 City budget
 The City Council has approved a roughly $1.5 billion City budget for 2021 – a budget plan that includes new investments in violence prevention efforts, new approaches to public safety and affordable housing.Mayor Jacob Frey signed the budget today. The budget includes a 5.75% tax levy increase. With a 12% increase in the overall tax base, three-quarters of Minneapolis residential property owners will see a decrease in their property tax bills with the median-valued household experiencing a $59 annual decrease. The 2021 City budget is $88 million (roughly 5.6%) less than the $1.56 billion City budget for 2020.Visit the City’s website to learn more about the budget. You can also watch a series of videos on the City’s budget process.Beginning 6 p.m. tonight, there’s a marathon weekend showing of all of the City Council meetings and hearings in the 2021 budget process. The City will rebroadcast them all back-to-back on Minneapolis City Council TV, Comcast channel 14 and 799 and on the City’s website. Learn more. |
It is scheduled for the City of Minneapolis’ budget proposal to be voted in on December 9th, 2020. Below are included resources from which many are working including council members, residents, and local businesses.
2021 Mayor Frey’s Budget Proposal
Read the full plan HERE and watch his August address HERE.
Safety for All Budget Proposal
Co-author and Council Member Steve Fletcher of Ward 3 released the Safety for All Budget Proposal on Friday with Council Member Phillipe Cunningham and Council President Lisa Bender. You can read the full plan HERE and CM Fletcher’s entire message HERE.
2021 Minneapolis People’s Budget
Read the plan HERE and an open letter from small businesses including many from Seward HERE calling for the formation of emergency response teams.
Share your feedback
There are two upcoming online public hearings for people to share thoughts on the 2021 City Budget. Comments can also be submitted online at the City’s website and there are multiple ways to share using links in the documents above.
Remaining online public hearings
- Wednesday, December 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Learn how to participate in online public hearings.
Comments submitted online will enter the public record and be shared with the mayor and council members. The City Council is scheduled to amend the Mayor’s proposed budget on Thursday, December 3 and Friday, December 4, and vote on adopting the budget Wednesday, December 9.
Visit the City’s website to learn more about the mayor’s recommended budget, key dates in the approval process, FAQs and more. You can also watch a series of videos on the City’s budget process.
December Committee Meetings
Community Development Committee
- Meeting Tuesday, December 1st at 7pm
- View agenda HERE
Community Building Committee
Other committees are not meeting in December and will resume in the new year.
Please check back to this post for updated meeting details.
Show Your Care for Our Climate
Interested in low waste holidays?
Take Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling’s survey on how your waste generation and purchasing behaviors have changed since March. The responses are anonymous and will serve as a guide for developing community outreach and educational messaging for 2021. The survey will close December 20th at 11:59 p.m. but don’t wait, fill it out today. Take the survey.
Email admin@sng.org to let us know if you’re interested in a short presentation with tips for having a low waste holiday season.
Climate action survey for Hennepin County residents
About the plan
Hennepin County is developing a climate action plan with initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strategies to adapt to our changing climate in ways that reduce vulnerabilities and ensure a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County.
The plan will serve as the foundation for the county’s coordinated approach to planning, policy development, and responses to climate change.
Survey to gather feedback from residents
The climate action survey is a chance for Hennepin County residents to:
- Reflect on the impacts they have experienced from climate change.
- Share what they value that is being threatened by climate change.
- Provide feedback on the county’s priorities for responding to climate change.
- Tell us what they think we need to do to create a climate-friendly future.
The survey will be open until Friday, December 4.
Small Business Relief Fund
Emergency funding available for local restaurants, bars, gyms, entertainment/event venues. DEADLINE 12/1/2020 at NOON
The rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases throughout the state of Minnesota requires new public health measures to reduce the spread of the virus, including restrictions on restaurants, bars, and other food service establishments, as well as a four week closure of gyms, fitness and other indoor recreation, event, and entertainment venues.
Relevant orders include:
To reduce the economic impacts of these restrictions, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners allocated $8 million in CARES Act funds on Tuesday, November 17, to support restaurants, bars, and food service establishments.
In addition, approximately $5 million in CARES Act funds remaining from prior Small Business Relief rounds is available to support gymnasiums, fitness facilities, and other indoor recreation, event, and entertainment venues.
Grant amounts:
- Businesses who have not previously received Hennepin County Small Business Relief funds can apply for grants of $15,000.
- Businesses who have previously received Hennepin County Small Business Relief funds can apply for additional grants of $10,000.
Program guidelines may be subject to change prior to the deadline. Please review this page prior to submitting an application.
Application
Click here to apply
All applications must be submitted by Tuesday, December 1 at noon.
A randomized numbering system (i.e., lottery) will be used to select grant recipients if applications exceed available resources.
Frequently asked questions
Updated November 21, 2020: Click to view frequently asked questions (PDF)
More details HERE.
Introducing Our 2021 Board:
Two Year Term:
Until 2022 Annual Meeting
- Saida Mohamed
- Raphael Coffey
- Celeste Robinson
- Anne Kent
- Ramla Bile
- Matt Plummer
- Jamee Elsayad
- Maya Gilchrist
One Year Term:
Until 2021 Annual Meeting
- Alexandra Lopez-Rivera
- Marcel Thompson
- Tony Korum
- Kieran Morris
Current Board Members:
Until 2021 Annual meeting
- Marina Luger
- Abdirisaq Moallin
- Tiger Worku
- Mark Splett
Congratulations and welcome to our incoming board members!
Thank you to all who attended our Annual Meeting, voted, and are improving our community through your engagement.
Read the bios of our full 2021 Board HERE.
Elections occurred at SNG’s 2020 Annual Meeting and results were certified by Jim Davnie, Minnesota State Representative, and Jerome Evans, Former Board Chair at Nokomis East Neighborhood Association. There were 17 applicants to fill 12 vacancies. A motion was passed to fill all those seats and suspend the bylaws stating that only 6-8 board members can be elected at a time. The motion is as follows: SNG temporarily suspend the bylaws that call for 6-8 board members to be elected at our annual meeting to allow for 12 board members to be elected so that SNG may have a full board of directors on January 1st, 2021. The 8 elected candidates with the most votes will be elected to a two year term while the four candidates with the next most votes will be elected to a one year term.
Look at the ballot count results here.
Use Your Voice!
The City of Minneapolis is asking for your input. As a resident, you have the right to shape the City’s plan for these important issues. Please use the information provided below to get involved, make your voice heard, and share these resources with others.
Upper Harbor redevelopment plan
The City is seeking input on the redevelopment plan for the Upper Harbor site on the Mississippi River in north Minneapolis: a 48-acre City-owned site formerly home to a barge shipping terminal.
You can comment on the Upper Harbor Draft Coordinated Plan by taking an online survey on the project website by Jan. 15, 2021.
The redevelopment of the Upper Harbor will connect north Minneapolis to the Mississippi River, retain public ownership of the land, and include a new 19-acre park, the Community Performing Arts Center, a health and wellness hub and new affordable housing. It will also provide commercial spaces for local businesses, opportunities for a community-based organization to own or manage commercial real estate and bring 300 living wage jobs to the North Side.
To learn more about the plan and take the online survey, visit the project website.
Upcoming online open house
5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5
Link to participate
Call-in info: 1-612-276-6670 (Conference ID: 827 312 393#)
*Please note: choose either the link option or the call-in option (not both), as there is a short audio delay between the two.
Covid-19 Vaccination
Help the City, State and County plan to equitably distribute the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available later in 2021. Your perspectives are vital on:
· What vaccination means to you.
· Your concerns, hopes and suggestions
More information and the survey link can be found here.
Public comment period for new MPRB Comprehensive Plan, Parks for All, extended to July 18
At its Jan. 6, 2021 meeting, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commissioners voted to extend the Parks for All public comment period by six months. The new deadline to send feedback on the draft plan is July 18, 2021
Parks for All will set MPRB priorities and policy direction for the next decade. Minneapolis community members, park users, MPRB staff and partners are encouraged to review the plan and send feedback before the comment period ends Sunday, July 18, 2021.
Your input is welcome whether you have been deeply involved in the planning process over the past two years or if you are hearing about this for the first time! There are numerous ways to learn about the plan and send feedback using the link below.
Draft Parks for All Plan
Following the public comment period, the draft plan will be revised based on public input and presented to MPRB Commissioners for review and approval. Share the Parks for All draft plan with your friends, family, neighbors or other networks using minneapolisparks.org/parksforalldraft or bit.ly/MPRBCompPlan.
Learn About the Draft Plan
There are number of different ways to dive into the plan, including:
About Parks for All
The draft document will be the MPRB’s agency policy direction based on shared values with community, agency staff and elected officials.
It will provide guidance in developing policy, establishing or changing programs and services, setting the annual MPRB budget and creating park improvements over the next decade.
It is a tool for communicating to MPRB staff, commissioners and the general public about what the MPRB does and it values.
It will build on what works now while identifying gaps in programs, services and strategies that need to be filled in the next decade. Parks for All focuses on the park system as a whole, not specific recommendations for individual parks.
It will build from master plans, other policies and activity plans, strategic directions and the community input gained during the last two years of engagement across the system, all of which incorporate more specific recommendations.
To learn more about this project and others, visit www.minneapolisparks.org/planning.
Seward Spread Joy Fund DEADLINE EXTENDED to Monday!
The Seward Spread Joy Fund (SSJF) has been made available by an anonymous donor for distribution by the Seward neighborhood Group. The SSJF is intended to help create unique and lasting experiences for members of the community. Each year the SSJF will award a grant of up to $1,000 to a Seward resident who yearns to do something that is just beyond their budget. The lucky recipient of this yearly grant will be drawn at the Seward Neighborhood Group’s Annual Meeting in November. The guidelines are as follows:
- Applicant must currently live in Seward and have been a resident for at least three years
- No age limit
- The grant must benefit the recipient in an experiential way, meaning limited physical gains. A grant application that includes physical gain that benefits the community may still be considered (see examples)
- The grant must fund something that would have been difficult for to the applicant to experience without the assistant of the SSJF.
- No more than one application may be submitted per individual each year.
Application
Application forms will be available at the Seward Neighborhood Group office and online HERE. The brief application will include:
- a brief description (50 words or less) of how much money is being requested and how the grant will be used
- applicant’s name, address, and contact information
- confirmation that the applicant has lived in Seward at least 3 years
- agreement that applicant will allow the grant to be publicized
* If awarded the grant, the applicant must sign a contract agreeing to submit a report on their experience. The recipient will be expected to share with the Seward community how your project or experience turned out.
Examples
Appropriate
- A person living in Seward wishes to take a language course
- A person living in Seward would like to fulfill a personal dream by taking a hot air balloon ride over the twin cities
- A Seward youth hopes to have a wilderness experience in the BWCA
- A person who lives in Seward wishes to have a bench build on their block for neighbors to use (an appropriate exception to the physical gain rule)
Inappropriate
- A Seward youth wants to buy an iPhone
- A Seward homeowner needs funds to make repairs to their home
**Seward Neighborhood Group retains the right to deny any application if the application does not appropriately adhere to the grant’s guidelines.
***No board members or SNG employees are eligible to apply.
Check that you live in the Seward neighborhood! Seward is the area bounded by I-94 on the north, the Mississippi River on the east, the Midtown Greenway on the south and Hiawatha Avenue on the west. For a map of Seward CLICK HERE.
APPLY!
- Fill out the application HERE.
- Email completed application to admin@sng.org or coordinate an office drop off at our new location.
- Deadline Monday, November 16th at 3pm.
Feel free to reach out with any questions regarding the Seward Spread Joy Fund or your application to admin@sng.org.
Voter Guide for 2021 SNG Board
Elections for the 2021 Seward Neighborhood Group Board will take place at the Annual Meeting on November 18th at 6pm. Join us for the virtual meeting HERE!
Use the VOTER GUIDE to get to know the applicants then come vote!
If you are self nominating for the SNG Board election, please email apply@sng.org ASAP with the following information: your name, your address, your phone number, and a description of interest in serving SNG in 1-2 paragraphs. We will update the guide to the best of our ability to aide informed voting. Thank you.
Annual Meeting Registration
We would love to see you at the Seward Neighborhood Group Online Annual Meeting happening November 18th, from 6-8pm.
Click the link below to register for this event: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W96v2kdIS4q10NMo4T0IXA
If you need assistance registering and speak Somali, please contact Faisal Aideed, Seward Towers Community Organizer, via email at Faisal@sng.org or by phone at (952)649-0512.
Each year in November, the Seward Neighborhood Group invites all of our members (the people who live, work, play, and pray in Seward) together for our Annual Meeting. The traditional community potluck has been put on hold this year due to the pandemic.
At our Annual Meeting, we plan to share our highlights of the past year, hear from our elected officials, and vote new board members onto the SNG board! We will also be drawing to see who the winner of the Seward Spread Joy Fund will be! We look forward to seeing you there!
If you are self nominating for the SNG Board election, please email apply@sng.org ASAP with the following information: your name, your address, your phone number, and a description of interest in serving SNG in 1-2 paragraphs. This is to create a voter guide which will be shared prior the meeting. Thank you.
Save the Date: SNG’s Annual Meeting is Nov. 18
We would love to see you (virtually) at the Seward neighborhood Group Annual Meeting on November 18th, from 6-8pm via Zoom.
Seward Neighborhood Group is excited to announce and invite you to our Annual Meeting on November 18th at 6pm. Due to COVID-19, our annual meeting will be held virtually. A link to register for this event will be available on our website at www.SNG.org beginning on November 4th.
The Seward Neighborhood Group’s Annual Meeting gives us a chance to come together to share what we’ve accomplished over the past year, hear from our elected officials, and to elect SNG Members to the SNG Board of Directors.
If you are interested in running for one of the open seats on the SNG Board of Directors, please email Apply@SNG.org with the following information:
- Your name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Description of your interest in running for the SNG board (1-2 paragraphs)
Applications received prior to November 7th will be included on the Candidate Guide.
Any applications received on or after November 7th through November 17th and nominations from the floor at the annual meeting will be included on ballots but cannot be guaranteed to be included in the Candidate Guide.
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting and welcome you to reach out with any questions at Info@SNG.org
