The City Council has approved the nomination of Brian O’Hara to serve as police chief. O’Hara joined the City after serving as deputy mayor of Newark, New Jersey, in charge of overseeing strategic public safety initiatives. He officially starts Monday, November 7, 2022.  As former captain of the Newark Police Department’s Consent Decree &Planning Division (2017-2020), O’Hara worked extensively with the Department of Justice on the 2016 consent decree between the U.S. and the City of Newark.

During the public hearing process, Council Member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) had the opportunity to ask Chief O’Hara multiple questions and made additional comments. 

How would you have approached the Civil Unrest that occurred after the murder of George Floyd and how will you rebuild trust with our community? He said that in the future he hopes to put processes to identify bad police officers to remove before terrible things occur. He also asked for accountability. 

Would you be supportive of an alternative response to the police in order to reduce call wait times? He said that in his former police department it was helpful to have social workers embedded in the department to address work that officers are not equipped to do. I let him know that this is work the City will be doing and that I hope he will advocate having more than one social worker per precinct.

What do you plan to implement in the first 100-days to reduce gun violence in Minneapolis? He talked about the intentional work he did in Newark, the need for an across government collaboration, working with people who used to be in street life, and supporting community based intervention work

Now is the time to provide input on the City’s recommended 2023-2024 City budget. There are upcoming public hearings for people to provide feedback.  The City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting the budget Tuesday, Dec. 6. Our partners at Lake Street have put together a list of recommendations for corridor recovery and investment, including additional funds for snow and ice removal, Lake Street ambassadors, safety initiatives and more. View the full list of recommendations attached below. Attend a public hearing or submit comments online to add more strength to these priorities or share your own!

Comments can also be submitted online at the City’s website and will be entered into the public record and shared with the mayor and council members. For “Where is this issue being considered?” select “City Council” and for “Subject or File Number” write “2022-01056”.

City budget public hearings
· 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, November 15, Room 317, City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St.
· 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, Room 317, City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St.

Learn how to participate in public hearings.

Now is the time to reach an audience of engaged women who are making gift-buying and holiday entertainment decisions this year. They look to the Minnesota Women's Press for trusted resources!

Of our audience:

• 90% prefer to shop with local, independent businesses
• 93% enjoy attending special events
• 72% prefer to shop with women-owned or led businesses 

​Invite them to consider you in our December Holiday guide.  Contact us now with questions or to reserve your spot! The deadline for ads is November 10.

Swing by and check out one of the new murals in the neighborhood. This past summer, local artist Megan Moore worked with the owners of The Bungalow Club to paint a mural on west side of the building located at 43rd Ave E Lake Street. Moore, a LoLa artist and LBA member said she loved working on this project:

“Chatting with neighbors and passersby, and creating public art just blocks from my home, was wonderful. The inspiration was the fauna and flora of the Longfellow neighborhood. I love how many people had stories about the eagles, foxes, and turkeys. The Bungalow Club owners are very supportive of the community and artists—it was easy and fun to collaborate with them.”

This partnership was funded through Lake Street Council placemaking grants. Look for more this Fall from Megan Moore as she partners with Wildflyer Coffee for an Artist in Residence program.

And if it’s been a while since you stopped by The Bungalow Club, head on over! Homemade pasta or charcuterie platters by Chef Andrew Kraft are a must. Or, stop by the Bungalow Market on Thursdays and Sundays to stock up on delicious pastas, sauces, prepared foods, wines, beer and other surprises, so you can prepare your Bungalow Club favorites in your own kitchen. For the fall, cozy up with TBC for their wine and cider tasting event coming up on November 7. All details and tickets here. 

The City’s Small Business Team hosts regular office hours at libraries across Minneapolis. Staff will be available to meet with entrepreneurs and businesses owners looking for assistance navigating City processes or getting connected to resources. No appointment is necessary. 

E. Lake Library
2727 E Lake St
First and third Thursdays
10:30 am- 12:30 pm

North Regional Library                        
1315 Lowry Ave N
Second and fourth Mondays
12:00pm – 2:00 pm

E. Franklin Library
1314 E Franklin Ave
Second and fourth Tuesdays            
12:00pm- 2:00 pm

Northeast Library 
2200 NE Central Ave
Second and fourth Thursdays
2:00pm – 4:00pm

Hosmer Library
347 E 36th St
First and third Mondays
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

As of January 1, 2020, businesses that generate large quantities of food waste are required to recycle food waste. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on-site inspections were delayed. Hennepin County staff began conducting on-site inspections in June 2022. Certain businesses (including restaurants, food shelves, caterers and commercial kitchens) that generate one ton of trash per week OR contract for eight cubic yards or more of trash per week must have food waste recycling in place.

• View the how to comply guide (PDF) for more information.
• Complete the optional self-reporting form (DOCX) to confirm your business is compliant.
• Anonymously submit a complaint about a business not following the requirements.

​To be compliant with the requirements, businesses must have food waste recycling service in place, provide food waste collection containers back-of-house and properly label them, separate food waste from trash in back-of-house operations (not required in front-of-house operations), and provide education and train employees annually. Learn more here ... 

On June 27, Mayor Jacob Frey’s Community Safety Work Group outlined recommendations for improving public safety in Minneapolis. The recommendations include strategies for strengthening oversight of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), bolstering officer recruitment efforts and accountability systems, and expanding violence prevention and behavioral crisis response programs.

Frey convened the Community Safety Work Group on Dec. 4, 2021, which is co-chaired by Nekima Levy Armstrong, attorney and civil rights activist, and Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, lead minister for Plymouth Congregational Church. The 22-member volunteer work group includes community members and experts engaged on the full spectrum of community safety initiatives. Read highlights of the work group's recommendations and learn more here ...

The Met Council recently approved four Livable Communities grants, including two grants to the City of Minneapolis to address damages on Lake Street from civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd. The predevelopment grants total $475,000 and are from an account in the Livable Communities program that funds project feasibility studies, site planning, and community engagement work. 

REdesign and partners Re+4RM will receive $150,000 toward planning for redevelopment of the damaged U.S. Bank site on Lake Street. Plans call for BIPOC and community ownership of development projects that include public realm planning and affordable commercial and mixed-use developments, each connected to an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage district energy system. Read more about the program and each of the projects awarded funds.

Wondering what the latest updates are with properties surrounding the Lake and Minnehaha intersection? Thankfully, our partners at the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger have pulled all the information together for us. Read the article Breathing New Life into 27th and Lake or view the Photo Story to learn more about Pangea World Theater, Gandhi Mahal, the Oddfellows building, the Post Office and more!

The rehabilitation will maintain the beautiful historic exterior while supporting local Black business and ownership and actualizing a community-led vision for the intersection of Lake & Minnehaha.  This includes a collaboration between Redesign, Chris Montana, of Du Nord Social Spirits, the first Black Owned Distillery in the nation; Janice Downing of CommonSense Consulting@Work; and Alicia Belton of Urban Design Perspectives. In addition to Black-owned small business, the Coliseum will have an event center and training facilities.