On Sept. 26, 2008 the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved establishing a Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission and a Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. Because the state legislation that funded NRP sunsets in 2009, City leaders have been working for several years to improve the City’s community engagement system and to find ways to make sure neighborhoods remain a valued part of the City’s culture, serving as a link between City government, residents and businesses. Together the new commission and City department will collaborate to support the ongoing work of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), partner with neighborhoods to promote resident participation in City decision-making, and support the community engagement work of City departments.

The new Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, a group of 16 residents will be appointed to oversee the City’s relationship with neighborhoods and community organizations. The commission’s charge is to provide direction to the next phase of NRP and be primarily responsible for the review of neighborhood plans. The commission will also make recommendations to the City Council on allocation of a variety of types of funding to neighborhoods. Neighborhoods will have significant representation on the commission with eight residents selected by neighborhood organizations, five residents appointed by the City Council, two appointed by the Mayor, and one appointed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Through the input and work of the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission, residents and neighborhood organizations will play a key role in enhancing and shaping how the City engages its residents.

The approval of a new City department, the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department, is designed to bring existing staff from different departments together to leverage their expertise to jointly serve residents and promote community participation through the work of neighborhoods and City departments. Department staff will help neighborhood organizations navigate City processes and continue developing partnerships with City departments. Plans call for the department to offer leadership training to residents and develop opportunities for all residents of the City to learn more about civic participation in the City of Minneapolis.

Additionally, department staff, in cooperation with community crime prevention, would work to promote more collaboration between neighborhood groups and block clubs. The department will also be situated to create a forum for neighborhood organizations to share lessons learned and best practices and similarly for City departments to learn from one another’s experiences. The department will begin its work in January 2009 and will use much of the year as a transition period to establish staffing and programming details.

Many successful components of NRP will continue under the new system. Neighborhoods will continue to receive City funding for operations and programs, and as independent organizations, neighborhoods will retain control over their goals, budgets, and work plans. The department will administer the new State authorized funds available for neighborhood operations and programming that will support the next phase of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). Another of the department’s duties is to provide staff support to the new resident-controlled Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission. Together the commission and department staff will collaborate to oversee and support programming details and funding of the next phase of NRP.

For more information on the City’s Community engagement work, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/communications/communityengagement.asp. The final language of the authorizing resolution for the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission is made available through the City Council Archives Web page under Official Council Proceedings at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/archives.asp.

The Minneapolis Police Department and Housing  Inspections are sponsoring a Rental Property Owner Workshop:

Thursday, October 23, 5-9 pm

St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church

3450 Irving Ave. S

Pre-registration required

Cost: $20 if registered by Oct. 16; $30 thereafter. The fee covers a manual and other materials, a DVD on Housing Court and a box meal.

This 4-hour workshop includes useful information on:

The ABC’s of property management

Dealing with tenant behavior issues

Tenant screening

Effective leases

Housing Court

Working with the MPD and Inspections

Much more

The workshop is particularly helpful for new owners and those owners/managers who are having problems at their properties.

There are more details and a registration form at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/safe/workshops.asp#TopOfPage.

For more information, contact your Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS) in the MPD, e-mail ccpsafe@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or leave a message at 612-673-2812.

eatingforart-logo
Thursday October 2—All Day!

What is the Purpose of Eating for Art?
The purpose of Eating for Art is to encourage people to visit our local neighborhood restaurants & to provide funding for community art projects in the Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhoods.

What Types of Projects has the money been used for?

· Walldogs on Nicollet – 10 exterior murals on Nicollet Avenue
· Music at the Kingfield Farmers’ Market and other local events
· Music and Movies at neighborhood parks
· Annual March Community Art Show
· Deck the Walls—a holiday performing arts extravaganza
· Future community art projects designed by community members!

How is Eating for Art organized?

  • All neighborhood restaurants were offered the chance to participate: this year 7 locally owned and operated places selected to be a part of the event!
  • Each restaurant sets the percentage of sales they will donate; this year all participating restaurants chose to donate 20-31% of the days’ sale!
  • The Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhood associations are responsible for organizing and marketing the event to the neighborhood, schools, churches, and the wider community.
  • Everybody eats>—in 2007 participants reported a 25% increase in their daily sales!

    Questions on the project or how to get involved in community art projects should be directed to:
    Sarah Linnes-Robinson, Executive Director
    Kingfield Neighborhood Association
    612.823.5980 – kfna@email.com

Julene here at Nicollet ACE Hardware on 38th and Nicollet.

We would like to talk about the old Theison building. The building is disgraceful weeds and garbage everywhere and the graffiti is unacceptable. The Lander group has removed the awnings and anything else that was decent.

I find it difficult to understand the city of Minneapolis and KFNA. A few years ago I was sighted by the city for a few weeds in the back of our building and a while back was forced to replace a large window because it was graffiti etched about 4 inches square. That was after we had paid someone $200.00 to grind it out, then a person called and the inspector had to locate the etched graffiti with a light in order to see it and still required us to replace the front glass to the some of $2000.00.

Fast forward to today and Michael Lander a disgrace to our community his negligence is appalling. We have worked on this corner for years always striving for a better corner, always improving always cleaning and painting. If Michael Lander was a HOME owner instead of a commercial real-estate developer he would have been forced to clean up his building.
I am disappointed that this community would accept Michael Landers delinquency and not require him to step up.

All the neighborhood festivals and events are pointless if we allow this blight to continue.
–Julene Lind, 38th & Nicollet

My neighbor, Amy, said a man came to her house and opened her screen door. Fortunately, the inside door was locked. The man had a case of pop under his arm and held up a card, saying he was from the End Time Apostolic Church. Through the locked door, she told him she wasn’t interested.

She then called the church, located in North Minneapolis, and the representative said they don’t have church solicitors and to call the police about this incident. Our non-emergency precinct number is 612-673-5705.

Both Amy and I think her house was being cased – if her inside door wasn’t locked – he would have entered their house. She wanted me to contact our neighbors with this update.

Please, do keep your doors locked. When I was a counselor at the Minneapolis Sexual Violence Center – I was amazed at the number of crime stats that listed – walked in, door unlocked…

Anne, Harriet Avenue, Kingfield Neighborhood

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