August 7 Updates from Ward 7 Council Member Lisa Goodman
Friday, August 7, 2020 at 10:24AM
COVID-19 Situation Update as of August 5, 2020
• There are 7,356 cases in Minneapolis and 204 deaths.
• Thirty-one percent of all Minneapolis cases were diagnosed in July. Overall, 52% of cases were diagnosed in June and July.
• The City shares Minneapolis-specific daily case counts and demographics at www.minneapolismn.gov/coronavirus/dashboard.
• Congregate living facilities in Minneapolis continue to see new cases among residents, but the numbers have decreased significantly, from an average of 49 cases a week in April and May to six cases a week in June and July. Residents of these facilities account for only 7% of confirmed cases, however they account for 71% of COVID-19 deaths.
• Mayor Frey’s Emergency Regulation No. 12 regarding masks is still in effect. The regulation requires people to wear face coverings in all indoor public places.
• Mayor Frey’s Emergency Regulation No. 17 regarding bars and restaurants is in effect. The regulation closed bar areas in restaurants, nightclubs, and indoor spaces of entertainment in Minneapolis as of August 1. Bar areas that can be converted for seated service will be allowed if food and beverage are served tableside while patrons are seated. The goal is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among young adults, food service workers, and bartenders.
Situational updates: Minnesota
• There are 57,779 cases in Minnesota out of over 1 million tests completed. There have been 1,629 deaths from COVID-19 in Minnesota. There are 18,393 cases and 825 deaths in Hennepin County.
• The Health Department is using a color-coded map with multiple layers to show a seven-day rolling average of new cases in Minnesota. The State is at 11 cases per 100,000 and Minneapolis is at 18 cases per 100,000. These numbers put both Minnesota and Minneapolis in the orange category, which represents accelerated spread of COVID-19.
• Minnesota is currently in Phase III of the Stay Safe MN plan for reopening.
• Governor Walz’s statewide mask mandate remains in effect. People are required to wear masks in all indoor public places where people gather and some outdoor venues where physical distancing is difficult.
Health Incident Command Updates
As the Health Department (MHD) continues to respond to COVID-19, we are applying an equity lens to all our work in conjunction with partners across the City enterprise.
Businesses:
o Multiple City departments assisted with distributing over 450,000 masks to businesses, prioritizing BIPOC-owned businesses and businesses in BIPOC communities. CPED led this effort in partnership with the Mayor’s office, the Health Department and Regulatory Services. Remaining masks (48,000+) will be given to City regulatory staff for further distribution to impacted communities.
o Health inspectors continue to conduct follow up at businesses with COVID-19 positive employees.
Case investigations: MHD is conducting over 50 case investigations and contact follow-ups per day for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Currently, we have 26 investigators, including six non-MHD enterprise staff. Of the 7,356 cases in Minneapolis, 85% have been interviewed, 2% have refused, 8% have been lost to follow-up, and 5% are new cases that still need to be interviewed. Forty-two percent of interviews of Minneapolis residents are in a language other than English.
Community testing: The Health Department, in partnership with Hennepin Healthcare and the Minnesota Department of Health, provided community testing on Saturday, August 1, at Incarnation- Sagrado Corazon Church in south Minneapolis (3817 Pleasant Avenue South). Community-based organizations and volunteers staffed the event. Approximately 400 community members were tested, the majority of whom were from the Latinx community. MHD will return to the same location on Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to offer additional testing. Staff are proactively exploring options for providing additional testing to priority groups including BIPOC communities and other populations most likely to be impacted by COVID-19.
Food security: MHD and hunger relief partners continue to see strong demand for free food at food shelves and community-led food distribution events. Despite the reopening of some grocery stores, ongoing unemployment and financial challenges are limiting the ability of many individuals and families to purchase food, especially nutritious staples such as fresh fruits and vegetables. MHD continues to co-host a weekly free food distribution event at Powderhorn Park (Fridays, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.) which primarily serves the Latinx community. In addition, MHD staff are regularly connecting with other community-led food distribution sites and food shelves to assess needs and connect them to resources.
Health at encampments:
o The Health Department continues to work closely with the Park Board, Hennepin County, and community-based organizations to respond to the needs of those living at encampments in parks and other locations across the city. MHD staff continue to distribute harm reduction supplies, masks, and hygiene kits.
o The Park Board has issued move notices to those remaining at the Powderhorn West encampment. Unlike in the past, there is not a hard deadline for moving. Park employees, along with outreach partners and MAD Dads, are encouraging campers to move to one of three other parks (BF Nelson , Marshall Terrace, and Beltrami). Law enforcement is not involved in moving these campers.
o The encampment located on City-owned land at 24th Street East and 13th Avenue South is causing pedestrian traffic issues. Staff from MPD and CPED will be visiting the site to see what can be done to mitigate the problem and ensure site safety.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): MHD has continued with community resource distribution efforts. To respond to community requests, we distributed 5,950 reusable cloth masks, 630 N95 masks, and 2,950 one-time use masks in the past week. Staff were able to work with Representative Mohamud Noor to provide masks for many who gathered in parks to pray during Eid.
Schools: Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) will start the year with distance learning. The MPS school year begins on September 8. Health Department staff are sharing local COVID-19 data with MPS to help with data-driven decision-making and are helping develop metrics to guide reopening. MHD staff are also assisting MPS in planning for testing, responding to outbreaks, and general safety operations as the pandemic continues. Staff are approaching partners at Hennepin County, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield and St. Paul health departments and districts to coordinate school pandemic planning.
Vaccinations: MHD staff are leaning in to prepare for future COVID-19 vaccination events with a focus on early engagement with BIPOC communities and other groups most impacted by COVID-19. Minnesota was chosen as one of four states to be part of a vaccination planning pilot. As part of the Health Department’s ongoing work, staff are exploring ways to promote seasonal flu vaccinations.
- The City specific COVID email address is: COVID19@minneapolismn.gov.
Polling Places Changing Due to Pandemic
To help keep voters and Minneapolis residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, 50 of 125 polling places in Minneapolis are moving for the 2020 primary and general election. The changes will help protect people living in residential facilities and provide more space to keep voters a safe distance from elections staff and each other.
Of the 50 polling places being relocated, 16 were in senior homes, high-rises and other residential sites. Another 32 were in areas with limited space that would make it difficult for people to keep at least 6 feet from others inside. Two were moved due to on-site construction.
Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services partnered with Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation board to find new locations for voting during the pandemic. In total, 94 buildings will be open for the Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 3 general elections, with 35 in schools and 22 in park buildings. Some buildings will have more than one voting precinct.
Registered voters will receive a postcard in the mail indicating their new polling locations. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s polling place finder can also provide voters their new polling places. These locations will be the same for the Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 3 general elections. All voters choosing to vote in person on Election Day should check the online polling place finder or call 311 to verify their polling place.
Ward 7 Polling Places
Bryn Mawr North (7-1C): Bryn Mawr Community School (252 Upton Ave South)
Kenwood (7-2D): Kenwood School (2013 Penn Ave South)
Lowry Hill (7-3): Temple Israel (2324 Emerson Ave South – Fremont Ave Entrance)
Cedar/Isles/Dean (7-4D): Kenwood School (2013 Penn Ave South)
Lowry Hill (7-5): St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral (519 Oak Grove Street)
Downtown West (7-6): Westminster Presbyterian Church (1200 Marquette Avenue)
Bryn Mawr South (7-7): Bryn Mawr Community School (252 Upton Ave South)
Loring Park (7-8): Emerson Spanish Immersion School (1421 Spruce Place)
East Isles (7-9): Temple Israel (2324 Emerson Ave South – Fremont Ave Entrance)
Steven Square West (7-10): Plymouth Congregational Church (1900 Nicollet Avenue)
Voters: Get Your Ballot in Early Without Leaving Your Vehicle with Drive-Through Ballot Drop-Off
Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services will have a drive-through – and walk-through and bike-through – option at 980 E. Hennepin Ave. for voters returning their completed mail ballots. Staying in your vehicle or on your bike not only makes returning ballots faster and more convenient, it also helps you maintain a good physical distance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With less than a week before the Aug. 11 primary, the City recommends ballots not be mailed back because they may not be delivered in time to be counted. Instead, mail ballots may be dropped off at Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave., from now until the primary. Minneapolis voters may also drop off mail ballots at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. Sixth St., in the skyway level of the building.
Deadlines
For the State primary, a voter’s ballot will count as long as it is postmarked on or before the day of the primary (Aug. 11) and is received in the mail no later than two days after the primary (Aug. 13). This is a change from previous election law requiring mail ballots to be received by the day of the primary.
Office hours
Hours for Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Voters delivering their ballots the day of the State primary, Aug. 11, must bring it to the office no later than 3 p.m. Ballots may not be dropped off at polling places Aug. 11.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging voting early by mail, and Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services supports voting early by mail along with other CDC and Minneapolis Health Department recommendations to make sure every voter in Minneapolis can safely cast their ballots this election year.
What’s on the ballot?
Minneapolis voters will cast ballots for the following primary races:
- U.S. senator.
- U.S. representative (District 5).
- State senator and State representative (some districts).
- School Board member at large.
- School Board member (some districts).
City Council Approves Funding Package to Expand Capacity for Three New Homeless Shelters
The City Council has approved a roughly $8 million funding package to expand shelter capacity for three new shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis.
The City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County’s response to homelessness during COVID-19 prioritizes moving people from unsheltered homelessness to safer shelter and housing situations. There has been a significant increase in unsheltered homelessness since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City has received a one-time influx of funding from the federal government, through the CARES Act, to provide help with responding to homelessness during the pandemic. This historically large, one-time Emergency Solutions Grant funding provides an opportunity to strategically respond to COVID-19 across a range of strategies and to reshape the City/County homelessness response system to better serve people experiencing homelessness in the coming months and years.
Learn more about the new shelters.
City Council Approves Changes to Minneapolis Homes Programs in Effort to Close Racial Gaps in Home Ownership
The City Council approved changes to the City’s Minneapolis Homes programs that reflect a citywide strategy to create sustainable homeownership opportunities and make a meaningful impact to close the homeownership gap between white households and Black, Indigenous, people of color and immigrant (BIPOCI) households in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Homes focuses on reducing property vacancies, creating new housing units and sustaining homeownership in the city by providing educational, financing and property opportunities to homebuyers, homeowners and developers.
Minneapolis Homes programs are changing significantly in response to market data and community feedback through a long-term affordability housing study led by the City and Grounded Solutions Network. Highlights of changes include:
- Focusing on lower income households: All homebuyer programs are changing to focus on households that make less than $80,000 a year with concentration on households making less than $60,000 or $40,000 a year. All City-owned land suitable for residential development will be reserved for creating affordable housing moving forward.
- Diversifying the types of units funded: One- to 20-unit ownership projects throughout the city are eligible. Projects can be on City-owned land or privately owned land. Acquisition, rehabilitation, down payment assistance and new construction are all eligible activities.
- More options for perpetual affordability: The City is launching its own model for perpetually affordable housing, which will sell homes at an affordable price and provide homeowners with a 2% rate of return annually in most market conditions. City of Lakes Community Land Trust partnerships and new perpetually affordable housing models will also be encouraged through City programs.
Learn more about Minneapolis Homes on the City’s website.
Important Census Updates: Complete Your Census by Sept. 30, Census Takers Begin Door Knocking
Have you completed the census yet? Completing the census will ensure that our communities receive resources for programs and services that we need. Many programs that our communities rely on, including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Head Start are funded through data that is obtained by the census. The 2020 Census is our chance to shape the future of Minneapolis for the next 10 years.
Census takers have begun following up in Minneapolis with households that haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census. Census staff have been hired locally and are here to help households complete their census forms. The goal of census door knockers is to help get an accurate count. Census staffers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge that includes their photograph and a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark.
Census field staff follow both CDC and local public health guidelines, are trained in physical distancing protocols and will provide census takers with masks during their visit. Census staff have sworn a lifetime oath of confidentiality. Any information that you provide to them will not be shared with any entity other than the Census Bureau for statistical purposes only and never to identify an individual.
Find more information here on verifying a census taker’s identity, COVID-19 protocols or the strategy to visit households that haven’t responded yet.
Fill out your census
If you haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census application and would like to avoid a census taker coming to your home, you can submit your form online, by phone or through the mail (using the U.S. Census Bureau form that you received in the mail at home). Language assistance is offered in multiple languages online or over the phone and can also be requested at your visit if they come to your home.
Take your census by Sept. 30
The U.S. Census Bureau officially announced that the 2020 Census self-response period will end Sept. 30, 2020. This means that there are less than two months remaining to ensure that our communities are counted and that we get the resources that we need for the next 10 years.
In 2010, Minneapolis had a census completion rate of 72.8%. Currently, Minneapolis has a completion rate of 69.9%. It is important – now more than ever – that our communities are counted.
Let’s get counted, Minneapolis.
City Council Passes Ordinance Protecting Freelance Workers
The City Council has approved a freelance worker protections ordinance to help prevent the exploitation of freelance workers, including many self-employed entrepreneurs who work as independent contractors. The new ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2021.
The City is dedicated to ensuring that everyone gets paid for the work they do regardless of their employment arrangement. Freelance work is a growing segment of the economy, and Minneapolis is home to one of the largest communities of freelance workers in the country.
Many freelance workers face difficulty getting paid on time and have limited recourse. In a response to a City survey of independent contractors, more than 33% reported lost income in the past 12 months due to a hiring party’s failure to pay, underpayment or late payment for work performed.
Highlights of the freelance worker protections ordinance
- Businesses that hire certain freelancers for their work in Minneapolis must confirm their agreement in writing.
- The hiring party may not refuse to pay the freelancer as stated in the contract or demand a freelancer accept less compensation after work has started.
The Labor Standards Enforcement Division of the City’s Civil Rights Department will enforce the ordinance by investigating claims and imposing remedies up to and including damages and penalties as appropriate for the violation. The division also oversees compliance of the City’s sick and safe time, minimum wage and wage theft ordinances.
For more information, email wagetheft@minneapolismn.gov.
City Seeking Diversity of Applicants for Fall Openings on Boards and Commissions Appointments
Twenty-four City boards and commissions have openings for appointments this fall. The City seeks applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. Translation and interpreting services are available so all residents can participate. The positions are open until filled; application review begins Sept. 30 unless marked otherwise.
City boards and commissions have brought forward recommendations that resulted in renter protections, wage protections and a ban on a hazardous chemical in dry cleaning. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis help shape key policy decisions, give community-based input into the City’s administration of services and supply valuable insights.
People can apply through the open position pages linked below and stay up to date on vacancies, position descriptions and timelines by visiting minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings. Applications are open now.
These 24 City boards and commissions have 97 open positions:
- Animal Care and Control Advisory Board.
- Arts Commission, Minneapolis.
- Bicycle Advisory Committee.
- Capital Long-Range Improvements Committee.
- Commission on Civil Rights, Minneapolis.
- Community Environmental Advisory Committee.
- Futuro Latino Empowerment Commission.
- Heritage Preservation Commission.
- Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging.
- Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Housing.
- Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities.
- Minneapolis Public Housing Authority.
- Northside Green Zone Council.
- Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
- Police Conduct Oversight Commission.
- Police Conduct Review Panel.
- Public Health Advisory Committee.
- Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee.
- Transgender Equity Council.
- Southside Green Zone Council. (Application review will begin Aug. 9.)
- Workforce Development Board, Minneapolis. (Application review will begin Aug. 15.)
- Workplace Advisory Committee.
- Violence Prevention Steering Committee.
- Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Boards, commissions and advisory committees
The City of Minneapolis has more than 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees that advise the City on issues and help develop policy and administer services. Boards and commissions fall into a handful of categories: appeal boards, development boards, general advisory boards and special service districts (defined areas within the city with special services).
Appointments to boards and commissions are made twice a year: in the spring and fall.
Potential applicants can find more information at 612-673-2216 or OpenAppointments@minneapolismn.gov.
National Night Out Recommended Date Changes to Sept. 15 for 2020
The Minneapolis recommended National Night Out date for 2020 is Tuesday, Sept. 15. Residents can find out if their block is already signed up by emailing crime.prevention@minneapolismn.gov. Registered block leaders received notices directly about closing their streets to hold their event, but a block without a block leader could still hold a COVID-19 safe event by spreading out across three or four yards to make enough space for physical distancing.
Event safety in a pandemic
A safe event during a pandemic follows guidelines from the Minneapolis Health Department, Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Events are outdoors.
- People keep their masks on when they’re not eating or drinking.
- People keep at least 6 feet from others not in their household.
- Households bring their own food, beverages, utensils, tables and chairs.
National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, holding block parties and getting to know their neighbors to prevent crime. It’s a great way to promote community-police partnerships and enjoy a Minnesota summer evening surrounded by friends and family.
Find out more about National Night Out at www.minneapolismn.gov/nno.
Save the Date for the 7th Annual Trans Equity Summit: Sept. 13-15
The 2020 Trans Equity Summit will be Sept. 13-15, virtual and outdoor in person, 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. daily. Programming will include breakout sessions, performances, a job and resource fair, and healing justice offerings.
This year's theme is "Claiming Our Power for Change: Caring for Community." It reflects a critical need for trans/GNC folks to embody themselves through community care, bear witness to one another without sacrifice and with joy, condition their collective emotional-spiritual excellence, and prepare to assert their power in the dramatic reshaping of Minneapolis.
The summit is free and open to the public. Watch for updates on the City website.
