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Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday morning a group of 25 bipartisan legislators came out to the Chicago/Lake, Bloomington/Lake, and 27th/Lake street area, as well as an impacted area of St. Paul. The tour was informal and intended to familiarize a cross section of legislators with the situation in these neighborhoods. Later that afternoon I was honored to attend George Floyd’s memorial service.
This morning Governor Walz came to meet with Senator Torres Ray and myself along with several black and brown small business owners from a variety of sectors – convenience stores, distilling, pharmacies, mental health, and food service. Senator Klobuchar also joined.
I was able to make the point to the governor that we need:
- the comprehensive package of police reforms developed by the POCI caucus;
- economic development to assist Minneapolis in rebuilding, including targeted support for black/brown small business support and development;
- structures in place that allow Minneapolis to rebuild as a unique and diverse community to not become a target for national chains with greater capital reserves. Additionally, community organizations and other nonprofits that support the community and facilitate engagement need support.
No Curfew Tonight
There will be no curfew in place tonight. The unified command structure will remain in place. While there may be less of a public National Guard presence, members of the Guard will remain in the Twin Cities in case there are any further disturbances. Public Safety Commissioner Harrington asked that in the absence of a curfew people continue to act as if one was in place.
FEMA Assistance Requested
Additionally, today, the State of Minnesota requested Public Assistance Preliminary Damage Assessments in Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties as a result of the civil unrest. FEMA Region V will coordinate directly with the State of Minnesota on this request. I will keep you updated as additional details are available.
Neighborhood Amenities Update
Food distribution by nonprofits, churches, and community members is welcome but not a long-term solution. I have great gratitude to all who have been stepping in to fill the need for food and hygiene products, but am concerned that the public’s attention is often short. These food distributions are critical in ensuring neighbors can eat today but people will need to eat in July and August, too.
The Aldi at 2100 East Lake is expected to reopen this Sunday, June 7. Cub Foods is in process of cleaning, assessing the damage and planning their path forward. Hopefully a second full-service grocery option will be open by the end of summer or early fall. The Grocers Association is also looking at supply chain concerns, already stressed by COVID-19, to ensure that groceries can be available at open stores in the area.
Today, Target committed to:
- rebuilding and reopening the Lake Street Target store by the end of 2020
- providing food and essentials to the community through partner Second Harvest and their network of organizations
- working with Second Harvest and partnering with non-profits to provide food and essentials to members of the Lake Street Community
- engaging with community leaders to support local families as the community heals.
In addition, they announced a $10 million commitment in addition to ongoing resources to advance social justice and support rebuilding and recovery efforts in local communities nationally.
South Minneapolis residents who utilize SNAP benefits can now use them to shop online. This is a new program, unrelated to the recent civil disruption locally. E-SNAP benefits unfortunately can only be currently used with Amazon or Walmart.
U.S. Bank will be offering temporary services at their branch located at 2800 E. Lake Street On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during regular business hours. They do cash checks for non-customers. I am urging them to provide cashiers check services for neighbors who don't bank and rely on those for paying bills and rent.
New Immediate Policies for MPD
The City of Minneapolis agreed to implement structural changes of MPD and joined the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in submitting a court order that establishes the following terms:
- Chokeholds are immediately banned;
- Police officers have a duty to report and intervene if another officer utilizes an unauthorized use of force;
- The use of crowd control weapons during protests and demonstrations may only be approved by the Chief of Police;
- Timely and transparent discipline decisions for police officers must be made; and
- Body camera footage may be audited by the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.
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