Park Board Selects Officers, Committees, Representatives for 2012

By maryann | January 4, 2012

To view the information, click on the link

Park Board selects officers committees representatives for 2012

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MPRB News Release: Community Outreach

By maryann | January 3, 2012

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MPRB News Release: Community Outreach

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2012 MPRB Annual Parking Permits Available January 1

By maryann | January 3, 2012

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2012 MPRB Annual Parking Permits available Jan.1

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Lowry Avenue Bridge Update

By maryann | December 21, 2011

Lowry Bridge workDecember 7, 2011 — A new bridge is taking shape over the Mississippi River between North and Northeast Minneapolis. Beginning this week, the contractor will install the Lowry Avenue Bridge arches.

“The arches are the exclamation points on this marvel of modern infrastructure. When this process is complete, we’ll have the signature connection between North and Northeast Minneapolis that has been envisioned from the start, and will be a staple of this region for 100-plus years,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein.

The contractor will begin by lifting the south arch, alternating pieces between the east and west banks of the river, followed by lifting the north arch. A crane will lift each of the 22 pieces – nine pieces per arch and four connecting pieces – into place. The arches will eventually form a basket handle design, but the process is detailed and tedious work, and it will be some time before a recognizable arch is visible.

“The arches are the exclamation points on this marvel of modern infrastructure.”

- Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein

Weather permitting, work will continue throughout the winter, with the following milestones:

  • Late December – The first four segments, base pieces weighing approximately 130,000 pounds each, will be installed.
  • Early January 2012 – The segments reaching out over the Mississippi River, which weigh approximately 70 – 80,000 pounds each, will be installed.
  • Mid-January 2012 – The last piece of the arch will be lifted into place. More information about the installation of this piece will be communicated closer to the date.

The next steps will involve installing the cables and lights, starting in February 2012.

Information from: The Hennepin County Website

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City of Minneapolis News: Promise Neighborhood Grant Brings Millions to North Minneapolis

By maryann | December 21, 2011

Minneapolis City leaders applaud the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement today that $28 million in funding is being awarded to the Northside Achievement Zone, which will provide a significant boost to efforts to help Northside children succeed and thrive.

The award is one of five Promise Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded in the country this year. The grant will be used to ensure children and youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to great schools and strong systems of family and community support. The goal is to prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career.

The Promise Neighborhoods program aims to address significant challenges faced by students and families living in high-poverty communities by providing resources to plan and implement a continuum of services from early learning to college and career.  Plans include a range of services from improving a neighborhood’s health, safety, and stability to expanding access to learning technology and Internet connectivity, and boosting family engagement in student learning.

Minnesota’s achievement gap is consistently among the largest in the nation, with arguably the most significant impact hitting in north Minneapolis. Through the coordinated effort of more than 60 organizations and schools in the Northside Achievement Zone, the gap will be closed and replaced with a culture of high achievement.

To learn more, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html.

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Digital billboards will alert drivers when a Snow Emergency is declared

By maryann | December 21, 2011

The City of Minneapolis is adding another tool to help folks learn when a Snow Emergency is declared in Minneapolis. New this year, a dozen digital billboards around town will alert drivers to when a Snow Emergency is declared, thanks to a partnership between the City and Clear Channel Outdoor. The new alert system adds to the many existing ways the City already works to help folks learn when a Snow Emergency is in effect.

Throughout this winter, ads to encourage people to sign up for Snow Emergency alerts will appear on the dozen Clear Channel Outdoor digital billboards in Minneapolis. Once a Snow Emergency is declared, the ads will be replaced with ones that tell drivers that a Snow Emergency is in effect, and to call the Snow Emergency hotline to find out where to park.

The City currently has many tools people can use to find out when a Snow Emergency is declared. They include text and email alerts, automated phone calls, a Snow Emergency hotline, Facebook, Twitter and the City’s website. This new tool will help reach drivers who may not have gotten the news.

When enough snow falls, a Snow Emergency would be declared and drivers will then need to follow Snow Emergency parking rules so plow drivers can do the best job possible. Failure to follow the Snow Emergency parking rules can result in a ticket and tow.

There are many ways to learn about a Snow Emergency

Towing and impounding vehicles is expensive, so it’s in everyone’s interest to help drivers follow the parking rules and avoid a ticket and tow.

Minneapolis offers residents, workers and visitors a number of tools to help people learn when Snow Emergencies are declared and what to do when they are. We’re advising drivers to put several of these tools to use, not just one or two. The more ways they have to learn about a Snow Emergency, the less likely they’ll be towed because they didn’t know one was declared.

  • Call the hotline – By calling the automated 612-348-SNOW hotline, folks can find out if a Snow Emergency has been declared. The hotline will include information on parking restrictions that drivers need to follow to avoid tickets and tows. The hotline includes information in Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
  • Check out the City’s website – Go to the City’s snow page to find out whether a Snow Emergency has been declared and for a wealth of information on Snow Emergencies in many languages. Also, check out the street lookup, which lets you put in an address or a neighborhood to see where you can park during a Snow Emergency.
  • Mail – Every fall, a Snow Emergency informational brochure is mailed to every household in Minneapolis.
  • Phone alerts – Minneapolis uses a phone alert system to notify residents when Snow Emergencies are declared. It is an automated notification system that can place thousands of calls per hour. To add additional numbers beyond just your home number, sign up on the City’s website.
  • Email alerts – You can also sign up to get Snow Emergency alerts automatically emailed to you.
  • The media – News releases are sent to the media so TV, radio stations and other news outlets can inform their viewers, listeners and readers that a Snow Emergency is in effect.
  • On cable – Tune in to cable channels 14 and 79. These channels will have information in several languages when a Snow Emergency is declared.
  • Facebook – “Like” Minneapolis Snow Emergency on Facebook.
  • Twitter – If you have a Twitter account, just follow us. Both the Twitter and Facebook pages will tell fans and followers when a Snow Emergency is declared.


Non-English Snow Emergency information

Information on Snow Emergency is also available in other languages on the City’s website. If you know anyone who primarily speaks Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Oromo, Vietnamese or Lao, you can direct them to the City’s website for information in their language on Snow Emergency and much more.

Dec. 7, 2011

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Tornado Resource Phone Numbers of Organizations that may be able to help

By maryann | December 21, 2011

For folks who couldn’t  make it to the Resource Fair held on December 17,  you can also get help by calling these organizations who may be able to help with home repairs:

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City’s public website gets extreme makeover

By maryann | December 20, 2011

The City of Minneapolis website has received a major facelift. Beginning Monday, Dec. 19, visitors to www.MinneapolisMN.gov will see a more dynamic website with a better design that is easier to navigate and more accessible for people with disabilities. Behind the scenes, the website redesign will also help City staff work more efficiently because of a streamlined process to update content on the web.

The redesign process has been a significant undertaking for the City of Minneapolis and is the culmination of almost two years of work, first with a redesign of the City’s Intranet and now the public website. Approximately 13,000 pages, 50,000 documents and 160,000 links have been converted to the new website format. There are many highlights to the redesign including:

  • www.MinneapolisMN.gov is now more accessible for people with disabilities and those who speak other languages. The new site complies with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines, utilizes Google Translate, and allows for adjustable text size for people with low vision
  • A cleaner layout with better use of white space and more photos
  • More options to highlight popular content and special programs
  • New menu at the top of each page with drop down navigation and more options to choose from
  • A list of all departments at the top of every web page
  • More consistent left-side navigation
  • Increased presence of 311, City Council and Mayor’s office on the homepage
  • Better promotion of City jobs, Minneapolis 79, social media, email subscriptions and language resources
  • Breadcrumbs that show where you are on the site
  • Home → Public Works → Sidewalks

Visitors to the new website will notice that the redesign has changed the web addresses to many of the City’s web pages. Web addresses to department homepages likewww.minneapolismn.gov/311 and pages like www.minneapolismn.gov/snow remain the same, but many others will change. Users will want to visit the City’s website, find the pages they’re looking for, and update their bookmarks.

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City of Minneapolis News: New year brings a change in utility bill calculation

By maryann | December 20, 2011

Your monthly Minneapolis utility bill includes charges for your tap water, storm and sanitary sewer, and garbage and recycling pickups. Beginning in January, you will see a change in the billing for the costs of water and sewer services.

Typically at the start of the new year, people would see an increase in the volume rates charged for sewer and water services (a cost that’s based on how much you use). However, this year there’s a new fixed rate component added instead of an increase in the volume rate. Most homes will see a change that adds about $5 in fixed rates per month, but no increase in the volume rate.

Until now, the amount customers paid for water and sewer service was based solely on the amount of water used during the month. However, there are more costs involved than just producing the water itself. The City must maintain the water distribution system and sewer lines that service all homes and businesses at all times, and a decrease in water usage does not decrease the costs to operate these systems. During times when citywide water use is low, there is less money available to maintain and operate these critical systems. This change reflects the fact that these services require fixed maintenance, and adding fixed rate fees will allow the City to manage these services more effectively.

Find your 2012 utility rates at www.minneapolismn.gov/utility-billing or call 311.

Dec. 19, 2011

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RESOURCES TO HELP YOU CONSERVE ENERGY

By Vann | December 18, 2011

Excel Energy’s Home Performance Rebate Program: 1.800.895.4999 – energy audit

CenterPoint Energy: http://mn.centerpointenergy.com/saveenergy – Tips and videos on weather stripping, insulation and ventilation.

Minnesota Energy Challenge: Simple steps to learn how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, calculate your energy use and sign up for the challenge at www.MnEnergyChallenge.org or call 612.335.5859.

Energy Star: Check out appliance ratings for become more energy efficient at www.EnergyStar.gov.

Minnesota Department of Commerce: Click on “Energy Info Center” on the upper left side of the website atwww.commerce.state.mn.us or call 651.296.5175 or 1.800.657.3710.

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