City briefs February 2023

City settles suit with Town Talk Diner
The city council has approved a settlement regarding the lawsuit brought against the city and mayor Jacob Frey by Kacey White and Charles Stotts, owners of the Town Talk Diner. White and Stotts owned the restaurant that first opened in 1946 at 2707 E. Lake St. and was burned down on May 29, 2020 in the civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. They sued the city and mayor for failing to protect property and alleged in the lawsuit that Frey failed to follow policy "leaving the citizens of Lake Street to defend themselves and their property." While most of the claims were subsequently dismissed, the claim that the city did not adequately respond to their request for public data was not. In January, they agreed with the city to settle all alleged damages, fees and costs for $10,000, with $5,000 going to White and $5,000 to Stotts.

Historic registration of Golf Course
Following a letter in December from the State Historic Preservation Office requesting comments, the Heritage Preservation Commission has approved the nomination of the Hiawatha Golf Course (4553 Longfellow Ave.) to be added to the national register of historic places. A 129-page report they reviewed details the history of the course and found that it “is locally significant under National Register Criterion A, in the areas of Entertainment/Recreation, Social History, and Ethnic Heritage: Black, as a significant site for civil rights in Minneapolis.” If the nomination is successful and the course is put on the national registry, it is unclear exactly how this will impact planned future changes to the area. National registration is associated with preservation incentives, including rehabilitation tax credits, but it does not include the same level of restrictions that comes with local historic designation.

Citywide zoning regulations proposed
In January, the city initiated a 45-day review period of proposed land use regulations for primary zoning and some overlay districts, throughout Minneapolis. The new rules are intended to implement the goals and strategies of the city’s Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. They cover 11 land use districts, and would add specific details to the range of uses and intensity allowed in each district. The deadline for written comments on the draft regulations is Feb. 26. The city is holding an online forum on the proposal at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The city planning commission will likely hold a public hearing and make a recommendation to the city council on March 20 with a city council vote on the new regulations expected in April 2023. Learn more at minneapolis2040.com.

Met Council overhaul
Some state legislators are again proposing changes to the Metropolitan Council. The council was established in 1967 and oversees planning, water treatment and public transportation projects, including the Southwest Light Rail project that has received scrutiny in recent years because it is significantly over budget and years behind schedule. The 17 council members are appointed by the governor. Senator Scott Dibble, who represents most of southwest Minneapolis and chairs the Senate transportation committee, is working on legislation that would make the council an elected body and could shift management of major transportation construction projects, like light rail projects, to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

2023 city election
This year there will be a city general election held on Tuesday, Nov. 7 for the 13 Minneapolis city council members, as required by state law due to the 2020 census and the redistricting that followed. Candidates who have announced campaigns so far in the Longfellow/Nokomis area include: Ward 2, Robin Wonsley; Ward 6, Jamal Osman, Abdirizak Bihi, Kayseh Magan, and Tiger Worku; Ward 8, Andrea Jenkins; Ward 9, Jason Chavez; Ward 10, Aisha Chughtai; Ward 11, Emily Koski; Ward 12, Aurin Chowdhury, Jerome Evans, Nancy Ford, and Luther Ranheim. The Minneapolis Democratic Farmer Labor party plans to hold precinct caucuses on Tuesday, March 14 with ward conventions scheduled in April and May.

Parking pay app
In January the city council voted to change its provider of parking payment app services by approving a five-year, $5 million contract with Flowbird to provide a parking payment app. The current contract with ParkMobile will end March 31. The app of the city's current provider, ParkMobile, was used for 3.7 million transactions last year, or 65%, of parking payments in the city.

Public school superintendent search
This year, the Minneapolis Public School Board will be hiring a new superintendent plan to have the process completed and a superintendent hired by July 1, 2024. Rochelle Cox is expected to continue to serve as interim superintendent until then. The school board has been seeking community feedback through listening sessions and a survey that was open through Jan. 23. More at https://board.mpls.k12.mn.us/suptsearch