Vision

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Rebuilding the Third Precinct to be a Comprehensive Safety Center

Ward 12 Residents want to see a Third Precinct return to the geography of the Third Precinct. It is important to residents that they have the same public safety services as any other area of the City. I am committed to leading a vision for a comprehensive safety center that includes police and also transforms public safety by delivering more to community members I will help build consensus, and have the experience to get to work on this on day one.

The Vision: We all deserve and want to be safe. The best way for us to achieve a public safety system that can do this is to come together. I recognize that our community has a diversity of viewpoints and that we deserve elected leadership that will be thoughtful in finding common ground, instead of furthering divides.

I support us moving in a timely manner and with the commmunity on a Third Precinct Site that is a Comprehensive Safety Center. The City Council voted on 2633 Minnehaha site as the location. I support this and believe that this was the right call. I am committed to engaging our community, informing you on the process and delivering on a comprehensive safety center. As a Council Member, I will work to make sure that this process helps to build trust and not break it, that it takes us forward, and that the communities voice and needs are reflected.

As a City Council Member I will work towards a vision for a comprehensive safety center model. We can have more than a police response at this location. I will push for a vision to have deployable resources that are centered out of the site:

  • Violence interrupters go out to light rail stations, build relationships with neighbors, de-escalate situations, provide resources, and build-up communities.
  • Third precinct embedded social workers
  • Crime Prevention Specialists to connect with neighborhood block captains
  • Behavioral Crisis Response to dispatch mental health professionals in the place of police in the case of a mental health emergency
  • 311 Services because going downtown for in-person services is inaccessible to many residents
  • Community space to gather and meet

Transform the Corner of Lake Street & Minnehaha: The old Third Precinct has been left blighted, covered in graffiti, and wrapped in barbed wire-- I will work to transform and clean this corner. Lake & Minnehaha is an important part of our Lake Street Cultural Corridor and work with the community to determine what this corner can become.

An important note for Ward 12 residents and residents across the Third Precinct. As we embark on putting back a public safety infrastructure where police operate back into our community, we must recognize and acknowledge that we still have the hard work of making deep reforms to policing, structural changes to ensure accountability, oversight, discipline, and an end to unlawful discriminatory policing. I am fully committed to being a council member who will do everything in my power to lead on this and work with residents so there is transparency, space for feedback, and education on the process

Invest in Safe, Accessible, and Affordable Housing

Regardless of our income we all deserve safe and stable housing we can afford—no exceptions. A Stable home should not be a luxury. But as the cost of living rises, many people in our city are struggling to afford their lives. Minneapolis renters are burdened by soaring rents. Rising interest rates and the cost of homes have created barriers to homeownership. Not only is the rising cost of living expensive for new homeowners to buy a home, current homeowners are also feeling its impact and want themselves and their neighbors to be able to afford their lives. This disproportionately impacts our Black, Brown, Indigenous, and working neighbors and families. As we recover from the devastation of COVID-19, addressing the housing crisis and creating pathways to homeownership is a top priority of mine.

As your council member I will:

  • I have already been leading work to increase affordable housing in our City that goes beyond 60% AMI. I am proud that my platform has now been adopted by others.
  • Increase the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to build deeply affordable housing.
  • Work to remove zoning restrictions that make it harder to build mixed-income housing.
  • Expand the Minneapolis Homes Program to increase homeownership and reduce disparities.
  • Change Land Use Policy to create wider availability of Accessory Dwelling Units. This creates more affordable housing availability for middle and lower-income residents and will provide homes for our seniors who are in need of care and want to be close to their loved ones.
  • Support the “Minneapolis Stable Homes Stable Schools” program that provides funding and resources for families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
  • Expand the 4D program to incentivize property owners to preserve affordable housing units and support them through tax deductions in being a part of the solution to the housing crisis
  • Advocate for the creation of more quality public housing that can directly serve people who are unhoused and have been on the public housing waitlist

Addressing Homelessness Humanely & with Dignity

Develop a public health approach to our encampment response. The City's current practice of sweeping encampments is harmful and prevents us from doing the real work of reducing homelessness. Human dignity and the safety of our unhoused residents must be at the center of our approach. It should focus on healthcare and social services, a bridge to stable housing, mental health support, chemical dependency treatment, and storage of personal belongings. I understand that encampments create safety issues, and health hazards, and must do everything possible to ensure that we are housing people instead of displacing and recreating encampments. I have been working on this issue and intend to be a leader in supporting our unhoused residents and reducing homelessness.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Create a standard operating procedure for a municipal encampment response the City takes to remove encampments through a just transition that is rooted in care and service provision:
    • Proper notice of encampment removal
    • Provide Storage for belongings and adequate time to move
    • Hire professionals who have experience working with people who are unhoused to have a care-driven approach to the City of Minneapolis” Homelessness Response Team
    • Ensure that unhoused residents maintain relationships with service providers
    • Notify and work with service providers
    • Have Behavioral Crisis Response on-site to assist the process
  • Ensure that while the encampment is present there are trash pick-up, portapotties, and handwashing stations to maintain the safety and health of unhoused residents and housed residents alike.
  • Advocate for a across government approach to make short-term and long-term plans for preventing and reducing homelessness.
  • Continue my work to establish a second Avivo Village Tiny homes on the Southside of Minneapolis.
  • Build out a plan with government partners to create a navigation center or safe outdoor space so it is easier to bring people to housing, treatment, and recovery.
  • Work to develop pathways for economic mobility.

Protecting Renters

Minneapolis is a City of Renters with different stories, jobs, family types, and they are a part of our community. People who rent deserve a safe, affordable, and accessible place to live where they can live their best lives without fear of displacement, economic distress, and negligence. Renters deserve to be able to save money and move into homeownership if they so choose. Renters deserve to be reflected in our local policy and participate actively in our community.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Fully fund the right to legal counsel to ensure all residents can access legal representation when facing evictions.
  • Pass a “Know Your Rights” ordinance to ensure renters know their rights when signing a lease.
  • Work on a common-sense Rent stabilization policy that’s tailor-made for the City of Minneapolis. Rent Stabilization is not the silver bullet for addressing the housing crisis but prevents predatory rent hikes which are happening now in our city and are displacing the most vulnerable in our community. I support new construction exemptions and creating a system to support small landlords in our city. I have not committed to any other feature because I want to ensure that Ward 12 residents have a voice in the policy-making process.
  • Pass a Just Cause Notice of Ending Tenancy policy to protect renters against predatory evictions by preventing landlords from unilaterally terminating or attempt to terminate the tenancy of any tenant unless the landlord can prove in court that just cause exists.
  • Improve existing regulatory services so inspections of problem properties are more efficient and move away from a complaint-based process.
  • Work with housing partners to educate people who rent on ways to prevent evictions.

Build a Just & Equitable Climate Resilient City

Minneapolis residents deserve a Climate champion that will fight for clean air, energy, and water for generations to come. Local governments must lead the way and work hand-in-hand with state and federal leaders to achieve strong climate resilience goals. The harmful effects of climate change have a devastating impact on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and working-class people, and our voices must be at the center of our work. We can have a City that invests in a strong walk, bike, and transit infrastructure, pushes for policies that will get us to net neutral carbon emissions, increase renewable energy resources, and delivers an equitable green economy.

As your council member I will:

  • Improve the Green Cost Share Program so more residents can take collective action to prevent climate change. Residents will receive matching funds for energy efficiency, solar, pollution reduction, and environmental projects.
  • Bolster transportation access by ensuring Minneapolis becomes a partner in the Transit Assistance Program (TAP), which will help make public transit more affordable.
  • Prioritize investments in walking, biking, and transit infrastructure. All residents should be able to walk, bike, roll, and ride transit in our city.
  • Increase access to electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicle carshare.
  • Reduce pollution by investing in tree canopy, home and small business energy efficiency programs & solar gardens,
  • Preserve and invest in our local green spaces and natural systems.
  • Support the Peoples’ Climate and Equity Plan
    • Guarantee affordable and carbon-free buildings for all of Minneapolis by 2030.
    • Reduce the racial wealth gap by creating jobs in the growing green economy.
    • Ensure every person has a safe, healthy and climate-resilient neighborhood connected by accessible and carbon-free transportation.
    • Enact a City dedicated fund to ensure bold climate justice.

Shaping Public Safety Together

We all deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes. For too long, public safety in our city has felt disjointed, stretched thin, and focused on reacting to crime as opposed to preventing it. We deserve a fully-funded public safety system that unequivocally works for all of us. Our community wants a system built around culturally competent mental health response, violence prevention, and de-escalation. This will allow the city to respond to emergency calls quickly and efficiently. Every community deserves quality public safety services. We can establish programs that prevent auto-theft, invest in youth programming, and get serious about ending gun violence in our communities. We must build a public safety system that is comprehensive, resourced, and rooted in community.

As your council member I will:

  • Support funding to get our Minneapolis Police Department to the Mandatory Minimum level and support recruitment efforts necessary to get to this level.
  • Expand the Behavioral Crisis Response Team to 24/7 access for anyone having a mental health crisis.
  • Ensure Law Enforcement is able to address high-priority emergency calls quickly and effectively. Continue the 9-1-1 first responders study to determine how to divert less urgent calls to alternative first responders.
  • Support the increase in funding for 911 Dispatchers and Crime Prevention Specialists.
  • Pass a policy declaring gun violence a public health emergency to open opportunities for funding, prevent and intervene in violence, and reduce the amount of illegal firearms on our streets.
  • Host meetings to ensure we are all shaping our community safety efforts together. Collaborate with neighborhood associations, community leaders, and block club leaders to ensure our ward receives funding opportunities from the Violence Prevention Fund.
  • Reinvigorate block captain programs by working with violence prevention specialists to give neighbors tools to help prevent crime, keep their blocks safe, and build a system where block captains are able to actively communicate with the City of Minneapolis.
  • Act on day one to determine the future of the Third Precinct with the Ward 12 community. I support a centrally located site that has comprehensive safety tools and a process that allows the community to determine its design and how it will relate to our neighborhoods.
  • Support satellite safety locations to increase response time and presence in areas that are in need.

Standing Strong on Police Accountability

We all deserve to be safe and we all deserve a public safety system we trust and that is accountable. We need City Council Members who have experience building out our public safety resources while being honest with the fact that our Minneapolis Police Department needs deep reforms. Our police department for decades has exhibited a culture racist, misogynistic, othering, and unconstitutional policing practices. We must name the problem to change it. Only officers who will serve with integrity and care for the community should serve our community and there should be a transparent system to hold officers accountable when they are not and a clear way to let go of officers who are not meeting the expectations required of them in their job. I believe that we can do this but it will require electing candidates like me who have a proven record in building our public safety responses and staying true to our communities' values on police accountability.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Work with the Minneapolis Labor Relations Director on the MPD Union Contract to eliminate the cooling-off period, the past practices clause, and coaching. These are extraneous parts of the contract that have become a proven barrier to creating accountability in the City’s Police Department.
  • Continue to strengthen the Community Commission on Police Oversight as the City works through the Federal and State Consent Decrees.
  • Hold management (the Mayor of Minneapolis and the Police Chief) accountable for executing their role in enforcing discipline and upholding policies that govern the police department.
  • Leverage existing experience working in City hall to implement the State Consent Decree and forthcoming Federal Consent Decree to reform the Minneapolis Police Department. While keeping the community informed of every step in the process. A consent decree is a court enforceable document that resulted from State and Federal investigations that found the Minneapolis Police Department in violation of the law. Learn more below.

Information on the Minnesota Department Human Rights and Department of Justice investigations and Consent Decree:

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights Report and The Department of Justice Report clearly lay out that MPD has a pattern and practice of engaging in race-based policing, violated constitutional rights like protected speech, uses of unjustified and deadly force, and has engaged in policing that discriminates against people with behavioral mental health issues.

There are court enforceable documents on the City of Minneapolis and MPD called consent decrees that are binding agreements from the State Government. These agreements mandate the City of Minneapolis (City) and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) to make transformational changes to the MPD and offer remedial solutions. The City of Minneapolis is currently in the process of negotiating a consent decree with the Federal Government. These are a result of violations of State, Federal, and Constitutional law.

You can read more about the consent decrees & MDHR & DOJ Reports:

Deliver Good Governance & Strong Constituent Services

In my years of public service and advocacy, I have learned how important it is that our elected officials deliver quality public services. As your council member, I will put my years of experience to work so that Ward 12 residents have a council office that is responsive, transparent, and accountable to its residents. I will be a strong steward of our taxpayer dollars to ensure that we spend wisely and that we focus on giving back to the community. I will leverage my relationships to work with our partners at the federal, state, county, parks, and school levels to move our values to action.

As your council member I will:

  • Host regular community office hours and community meetings to hear feedback from constituents and solve constituent cases.
  • Send regular newsletters with updates.
  • Be active and present in the community, not just during election years.
  • Host forums ahead of the city’s Budget process to ensure our investments reflect our values.
  • Leverage my existing relationships across government to advocate for the City of Minneapolis and hold roundtable events to address our most pressing intergovernmental issues such as, homelessness, youth investment, the opioid epidemic, transit, and so much more.

Support our Small Businesses and Local Economy

Small businesses are the fabric of our culture and enrich our neighborhoods– and they deserve our support and investment. As we recover as a City, small businesses should be given all the tools necessary to flourish and our commercial corridors should be fertile ground for new local business. The economic hardship of the pandemic and past unrest have left small business owners to operate on razor thin margins, some had no choice but to close their doors, and many are pushing forward in hopes of a brighter future. Ward 12 business owners should be at the forefront of City Hall’s decisionmaking on the policies that impact them most. I have spent the last year hearing from small businesses and helping to deliver COVID-19 relief funding to them– I plan on using this experience to support small businesses in Ward 12.

As your council member I will:

  • Designate Minnehaha Avenue as a Cultural District to open up access to support, city investment, and promotion of small businesses along the corridor. Especially to support our BIPOC Businesses and Businesses dedicated towards giving back to the community.
  • Push to quadruple the Commercial Property Development Fund program. This will help secure funding to activate vacant properties, rebuild commercial properties that need improvement, and add more liveliness and connection to our beloved corridors.
  • Explore developing recovery grant programs, so small businesses that have been struggling from the height of the pandemic have financial support to keep their doors open and ensure future success.
  • Prevent the gentrification of our area by passing the advanced notice of sale for commercial property that will help build community ownership.
  • Modify the Facade Improvement Matching Grant Program to increase access to building enhancements and storefront improvements. This will help more small businesses make repairs, and aesthetic enhancements, add lighting, and attract more business at no cost.
  • Expand the City’s financial and technical assistance programs to help entrepreneurs build strong small businesses and help navigate challenges.
  • Support City Energy Efficiency Programs that help reduce the cost of operations, reduce pollution, help comply with regulations, and ensure a healthier work environment (LED lighting, improved kitchen equipment, HVAC units, replacement of industrial equipment, and more).
  • Bring life and vitality to our small business corridors through creative art and placemaking. This will attract additional visitors and grow the customer base of small businesses through public art and improvement of public spaces.
  • Provide additional support for public realm upkeep like litter cleanup, graffiti removal, and replacement of damaged infrastructure.
  • Include small businesses in our block by block public safety conversations and explore piloting a Safety Ambassador Program that will help address small business safety concerns.

Supporting People with Disabilities

People with disabilities deserve to have a City that is accessible, safe, and addresses their needs. People with disabilities have diverse experiences and live in every neighborhood of our city, yet have lacked representation in local government that meets their needs and invites them to be a part of civic life.

It is my goal as a Council member to directly work with constituents with disabilities to learn what needs aren’t being met by the city, create a more accessible Ward 12 office, and learn as much as I can to make decisions with the experiences of having disabilities in mind.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Incentivize buildings to update to be ADA Compliant. Currently, there are many public and private buildings that will remain non-ADA compliant and only make changes if they are facing legal action from a disabled person. We can change this by proactively offering some form of incentive to building owners to meet ADA compliance standards sooner.
  • Improve Crosswalks. Many crosswalks throughout our City and Ward 12 do not have an audible crosswalk signal (ex: crosswalk on 38th street) and are often hard to hear on loud streets. We should increase the number of audible crosswalks in our city and increase the volume at corridors with increased traffic.
  • Improve Sidewalks & Curb Cuts. When sidewalks and curb cuts have cracks, holes, and inconsistent inclines, they become inaccessible to people with mobility devices or parents with strollers, sometimes forcing people to move in the street, leaving them vulnerable to speeding cars. We as a City need to recommit ourselves to making sure everyone is able to get around our neighborhoods safely. I am committed to collaborating with the relevant city, county, and state departments to address inaccessibility of sidewalks, as well working with public utility companies to ensure construction does not impact pedestrian infrastructure, and collecting data to determine where we see consistent accessibility issues.
  • End the Subminimum Wage. People with disabilities can still legally be paid below the minimum wage. This makes it harder for people with disabilities to gain upward mobility and economic stability. We must work to find a greater incentive for employers to employ disabled people, and support people with disabilities in the work they do. I have been proud to have started some of this work as a policy aide and will continue to see it through as your council member.
  • Improve the City of Minneapolis Emergency Preparedness Plan. The City of Minneapolis needs to ensure in the case of natural disasters, extreme weather events, fires, and tornadoes that there is a plan in place to help safely evacuate people with disabilities and provide accessible emergency shelters for residents. I am committed to ensuring that our climate resiliency plans have disability and accessibility in mind.
  • Advocate to improve Metro Mobility. Right now, it’s the norm for metro mobility rides to arrive an hour later than scheduled. This is unacceptable. I am committed to working with the Met Council and relevant stakeholders to understand why this is the norm, and to create a more reliable accessible transportation option for residents.
  • Accessible Office Hours. I am committed to listening to your concerns about accessibility needs. Whether we need to meet virtually, with an interpreter, or out in a community setting, I am committed to making your voice heard and the Ward 12 office accessible to all.

Supporting Our Beloved Seniors

Ward 12 is home to a wonderful and active Senior Community. I have had the honor of spending time with so many residents of our wisest generations. What is clear is that we need to support our seniors in aging with dignity, connecting to our multigenerational community, and ensuring that they get quality public services. Thank you to the Becketwood & Nokomis Square Senior Communities for hosting me for multiple meet and greets this year.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Improve and work to increase the number of healthy housing options for Seniors as they age.
  • Strengthen multi-modal transportation options to meet the needs seniors have and tailor options for them.
  • Expand health and wellness initiatives and services. I hope to work with organizations like Nokomis Healthy Seniors
  • Improve city information distribution. Having more accessible forms of information, such as bulletins or people being able to sign up for mailers, ensures expansion of access to our Senior community.
  • Advocate for ways for local governments to lift financial burdens off of Seniors with fixed incomes.

Supporting our Neighborhood Associations

Right now more than ever, we need to foster community connection and Neighborhood associations are core to Ward 12 in building up these relationships. Neighborhood associations such as Nokomis East Neighborhood Association, Longfellow Community Council, and Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association create paths for us to connect as neighbors and implement important work to support residents at the local level.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Fully support increasing funding for neighborhood associations to pay their workers a livable wage to do the work of connecting our residents
  • Host town hall meetings with neighborhood associations to address resident concerns
  • Help strengthen relationships between renters, BIPOC and immigrant residents, and neighborhood associations to ensure everyone has a sense of community
  • Collaborate to ensure all residents have access to information and resources that implement our climate plan
  • Work with neighborhood associations on building out snow removal programs

Parks & Recreation and Our Natural Systems

Ward 12 has an abundance of parks and beautiful green spaces that everyone deserves to enjoy. I am proud to be endorsed by Park Board Commissioners Becky Alper and Tom Olson. Building a climate-resilient city is a top priority of mine and maintaining our parks and natural systems is key to addressing our climate concerns.

As your Council Member I will:

  • Preserve and invest in our local green spaces and natural systems.
  • Work with organizations such as Friends of Lake Hiawatha and Friends of Minnehaha Park to address concerns about pollution that impacts our parks and natural systems.
  • Collaborate with Parks Board and School Board Members to counter the privatization and loss of playgrounds such as the Cooper Playground.
  • Support funding to upkeep and maintain park infrastructure to ensure the safety of community members walking, biking, rolling, and at play.