Cam Gordon
Minneapolis City Council Member, Second Ward
673-2202, 296-0579
cam@camgordon.org
City Council website
Gordon’s blog

Upcoming Neighborhood Events. Two neighborhoods in the Second Ward are having community events this fall – be sure to attend the one nearest you. In Seward, come celebrate King’s Fair on September 22, Noon-5pm at Matthews Park. In Southeast Como, come have fun and meet neighbors at the Como Cookout on September 15th, 4-7 pm at Van Cleve Park.

Cedar Riverside Small Area Plan meeting. A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, from 7-9 PM at the Brian Coyle Community Center. Come give input on recommendations for better connections for pedestrians and bicyclists, Central Corridor station conceptual designs, economic development strategies, future land use, and development guidelines. For more information, please go here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/planning/cedar-riverside.asp.

35W Bridge. The I-35W Bridge municipal consent public hearing is set for 5:30pm Thursday, September 20, at the Thrivent Financial Auditorium 625 Fourth Ave S. The meeting will give people a chance to comment on the final layout and project report for the new Interstate 35W Bridge presented by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). This is the next step in the state-mandated municipal consent process, in which MnDOT asks the Minneapolis City Council to grant its approval of the project, or offer its suggested changes. The proposed bridge plan incorporates the Statement of Principles (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/minneapolisresponds/vision.asp) that the City Council unanimously approved August 17. The proposed bridge would include five lanes in each direction, including two lanes that could be devoted to Bus Rapid Transit and/or managed lanes. At the united urging of the Mayor and all of my Council colleagues it will be designed and built to be Light-Rail-ready, which may help accommodate our future transportation needs. The bridge would follow the same alignment as the previous bridge, but more lanes and wider shoulders mean the bridge will be about 189 feet wide, compared to the previous bridge’s 113-foot width.

The 10th Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River reopened Friday, August 31 in time for the first day of classes at the University and the Minneapolis Public Schools. City workers have added a walkway and new pedestrian viewing area on the upstream side. The bridge also carries one lane of mixed use traffic in each direction, a bike lane in each direction and the preexisting sidewalk. I have heard concerns from some residents about traffic congestions and the placement of the bike lanes, and am considering ways to improve this situation.

Critical Mass. As you may have heard, there was a significant incident at last Friday’s Critical Mass, a monthly group bicycle ride. Nineteen people were arrested, many more were pepper sprayed. The arrestees included one of the Second Ward Interns. I have serious concerns about the police’s response on Friday, and will be pushing for a formal review of both the specifics of the event and the MPD’s plans for dealing with future nonviolent protests, especially during next year’s RNC convention.

Welcome Packet. The new student renter Welcome Packet has been printed and will be distributed to rental units in Southeast Como over the next several weeks by the Second Ward Interns. You can see an electronic version of the Welcome Packet here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ward2/.

Transportation Policy Public Meetings. The City is hosting public meetings to discuss the City’s draft Ten-Year Transportation Plan and its Streetcar Feasibility Study. The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on plan recommendations and to discuss key transportation issues facing Minneapolis. The two meetings closest to the Second Ward will be on October 10, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Communication Workers of America building, 3521 E Lake St, and on October 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, at the Van Cleve Recreation Center. For more information, go to the City website: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us.

Street Lighting Policy Public Meetings. The City of Minneapolis is hosting a series of open houses in September to give folks the opportunity to learn about a proposed Street Lighting Policy and Program, and to share your feedback. Public Works is sponsoring the meetings, which are each scheduled from 7-8:30 pm at the following locations near the Second Ward: Wednesday, September 26 at Van Cleve Park, and Thursday, September 6 at City Hall Room 220, 350 S Fifth St. For more dates and locations, please see the City’s website: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us.

National Night Out. Congratulations to all on a successful NNO! The Second Ward Interns helped form new block parties in Seward, Cedar Riverside and Southeast Como, as well as assisting organizers with the registration process, getting silent auction items from local businesses and doing outreach to neighbors.

CLIC Appointee Needed. I am looking for a new appointee to the Capital Long Range Improvement Committee (CLIC) appointee. CLIC makes recommendations to the City Council and Mayor on capital improvement program development and annual capital improvement budgets. It meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with additional meetings at the call of the chair.

Unpaid Judgments Ordinance. The ordinance I introduced giving the City the authority to revoke or not renew rental licenses to landlords who have unpaid legal judgments against them has passed the Council. This ordinance is a win for tenants’ rights, especially in the neighborhoods surrounding the University.

DeLaSalle Stadium. I was the only member of the Zoning and Planning committee to vote against vacating Grove Street on Nicollet Island for use as part of the proposed DeLaSalle football stadium, and voted against it at the full Council as well. In the end, I agreed with the many groups who have weighed in on this issue: the Heritage Preservation Commission, the Planning Commission, the Friends of the Mississippi, Clean Water Action and so many others that the vacation of Grove Street is not in the public interest, will negatively impact an important historic district and the surrounding community, and is not in keeping with the plans at all governmental levels for riverfront parkland along the Mississippi.

Requiring Produce in Grocery Stores. Regulatory Services staff have presented the Council with a proposal that all businesses with grocery store licenses carry “staple” food items. I am working with my colleagues to strengthen this recommendation to ensure that all licensed grocery stores have an adequate stock of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Farm Stand Policy. My office is continuing to work to make it easier and cheaper for small farm stands selling local produce to navigate the City’s bureaucratic processes, to increase access to healthy foods in communities with little access at this time.

Free Speech / Proposed “Protest Permit” ordinance. City Staff have drafted a proposed ordinance to require that protests obtain permits. I oppose this proposal, and will try to use the Free Speech Work Group I pushed to create to craft more constructive and constitutional methods for dealing with the inevitable protests we will see during next year’s convention.

Public Art Policies. The Council has passed Phase III of the Minneapolis Public Art Policies, as drafted by the Minneapolis Arts Commission’s Public Art Advisory Panel. For more information, go here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2007-meetings/20070831/docs/09_PublicArtPoliciesPhaseIII.pdf

The Animal Protection Ordinance that my colleague Ralph Remington has sponsored and that I support, prohibiting wild animal circuses in Minneapolis, has been postponed due to the bridge collapse. It will come before the PS&RS Committee for a public hearing on September 12 at 1pm.

Hubbard / University Lot. The University is attempting to purchase the property at 3245 4th St SE from Hubbard Broadcasting, for temporary use as a surface parking lot. The Council has twice voted to delay terminating the contract between the Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) and Hubbard Broadcasting. The University has not been willing to go through the City’s formal approval processes, but we are attempting to craft a compromise that will address the City’s and neighborhood’s concerns. Responding to the concerns of the immediate neighbors of this parcel, I am working secure an additional access to this parking lot, besides the only one currently offered from University Ave and Bedford Ave S. The intersection at Bedford and University is substandard currently, and putting 1000+ additional car trips through it every day will likely have severely negative consequences for residents.

Cliquot Club accident. I was shocked and saddened by the terrible accident several weeks ago at the Cliquot Club. Please keep the family of the single fatality Jerome Perkins in your thoughts, as well as Pearson-Cater family from Seward and all the other victims, the driver of the truck, and the restaurant’s owners and employees. Please make a point to stop by and support the Cliquot Club in the months ahead.

Seward Coop Expansion. This project on the old Riverside Market site was approved by the Planning Commission on Monday, August 27. It will likely be before the Council later this month. I am fully supportive of this project.

Stadium Village Special Service District. The Advisory Board for this Service District was approved by the Council last week.

Seward Bike Racks. My office is working with local businesses and Seward Redesign on a unique and consistent Seward bike parking design for E Franklin Ave, as recommended by the Riverside Market Task Force. So far, at least seven property owners have verbally committed to purchase around 40 bike racks with an emblematic, artistic design that you won’t find anywhere else. The City will be covering half the cost of each of these racks.

Morningstar Coffee has received two $200 administrative citations for odor violations and noncompliance with City orders. They will continue to receive escalating citations every two weeks until they install the afterburner they committed to install by 7/16/07.

Openings on City Boards and Commissions. There are openings on the Minneapolis Ethical Practices Board (closes 8/10/2007). To apply, call (612) 673-3358 or email cityclerk@ci.minneapolis.mn.us.

Yours, in peace and cooperation,

Cam Gordon

last revised: September 6, 2007

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