Metro Transit’s Transit Assistance Program helps make public transit more affordable for people with lower incomes. The program provides a yearlong reduced fare pass on a Go-To Card. Customers can use a bus or train for just $1 per ride – even during rush hour – with a two-and-a-half-hour transfer.

Signing up is easy

1. Apply or renew online or at an in-person location.
2. Show an identity document with your name and address and an accepted document (see details on the Metro Transit website) to show that you meet the income guidelines.
3. Once approved, you’ll get the discount pass added to a new Go-To Card or your existing card – then just add value and go.

Watch a video about how to apply and find more information on the Metro Transit website.

The labor crisis has led to a declining volunteer workforce. How much of a decline? Over one third of Area Agencies on Aging have lost at least 50% of their volunteers since 2019! Relying on volunteers helps us serve older adults low- to no-cost meals and helps them remain in their own homes longer.

Info: 612-277-2529

[email protected]

https://www.eastsidemeals.org/volunteer-information/

The City of Minneapolis invites the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, the Minneapolis Board of Education, the Minneapolis City Planning Commission, Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood, and other interested parties to review and comment on the 200 Central Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan.  The TIF Plan is available for review on the City’s website at: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/public/index.htm.

The TIF Plan has been prepared to help finance the construction of a 27-story mixed-use apartment building in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District located at the intersection of Central Avenue and 2^nd Street Southeast in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.  The 200 Central project will contain 359 apartments, 3800 square feet of commercial space, underground parking and other amenities.  It will include 72 apartments affordable to households at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), 108 apartments will be available to households at 80% AMI, and 179 apartments will be at market rate.

Please submit your comments by noon on Monday, March 13, 2023 via e-mail to Dan Lauer-Schumacher, Senior Project Coordinator, Department of Community Planning and Economic Development, [email protected], (612) 673-5068. 

It is expected that the Plan will be considered at the following meetings of the Minneapolis City Council and its committees:

Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning Committee

(A public hearing will be conducted at this meeting)

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

City Council

Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

All meetings will be held in Minneapolis City Hall, 350 S. Fifth Street, Room 317.

If you or your group would like to meet to discuss the proposed TIF Plan, if you would like paper copies, or if you have questions or comments, please contact:

Dan Lauer-Schumacher, Senior Project Coordinator

Community Planning and Economic Development

505 4^th Avenue S, #320

Minneapolis MN  55401-2534

612-673-5068

[email protected]

Thank you for helping with valuable feedback over the past months regarding the current transportation conditions along University and Central Avenues (Hwy 47 and Hwy 65). Most recently, many local residents provided insight during the summer 2022 engagement activities by attending in-person meetings, virtual events and completing surveys on how the roads could work better. The MnDOT study team is using that information, along with traffic data, to develop alternative concepts for the roads and intersections to better meet the community’s needs.

You can visit and bookmark the study webpage at talk.dot.state.mn.us/hwy-47-hwy-65-study. Click “subscribe” for the latest project updates.

The new concepts will be ready for public review in March 2023. We hope you will attend one of the upcoming sessions and encourage residents to do so to learn more and provide additional feedback. Details on these sessions appear below.  

Upcoming Public Engagement Meetings

1)    Attend in-person

Focus area: Central Ave and University Ave south of 694

Thursday, March 16, 4 to 7 p.m.

Northeast Recreation Center

1530 Johnson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN

Focus area: Central Ave and University Ave north of 694

Thursday, March 23, 4 to 7 p.m.

Fridley City Hall

7071 University Ave NE, Fridley, MN

2)    Join online

Focus area: full Central Ave and University Ave study area, with separate breakout rooms for north of 694 and south of 694

Tuesday, March 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

3)    Complete a survey

A survey will be posted on the project website in March.

Family Storytime

Saturdays: Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4, March 18, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

For children of all ages and their caregivers.  Talk, sing, read, write, and play together.  Share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement.  Stay and play afterward! 

Chinese Papercrafts

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2-4 p.m.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year by learning the art of Chinese papercraft.  Practice folding and cutting techniques and create your own decorations. 

Register at hclib.org/events. Collaborator: MN Taiwanese Cultural Services Center. Funded by MN’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Smarts and Crafts

Thursdays: Feb. 9, Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m.

Join your neighbors for a new kind of book club.  Drop and chat about what you’re already reading, get recommendations, and craft something cool.  Project supplies provided or bring your own work-in-progress.  Upcoming projects:

• Feb. 9 - Easy DIY printmaking
• Feb. 23 - Needlework bookmarks

Block Printing: Winter Landscapes

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m.

Celebrate the winter season with a handmade touch! Learn how to design, draw, carve and print using a linoleum cutter and printing block. Then use your favorite colors of ink and press a set of handmade cards.

Register at hclib.org/events. Collaborator: Parcel Arts. Funded by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Call for Artists

Ongoing through 2023

Arvonne Fraser Library is seeking local artists for a rotating display of community art.  New or emerging artists, those who represent diverse communities, and artists living or working in our immediate neighborhood are encouraged to apply. 

Apply online at tinyurl.com/AF-artdisplay

Donations Needed

Now through March

Arvonne Fraser Library is collecting clean, dry, and gently used warm weather gear of all sizes.  Look for the bin near the entrance.  Take what you need, leave what you can!

Collaborator: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department

Minneapolis officials have decided to implement Winter Parking Restrictions beginning 9 p.m. tonight, Jan. 26 to ensure city streets are passable for emergency vehicles, buses and other travelers in the face of heavy snow accumulation this winter.

When Winter Parking Restrictions begin tonight, parking will be banned on the EVEN numbered side of non-Snow-Emergency routes until April 1, unless conditions allow the City to lift the ban earlier. Parking is allowed on Snow Emergency routes, parkways, and the ODD numbered side of non-Snow Emergency routes, unless otherwise posted. Drivers parking in Minneapolis must follow these Winter Parking Restrictions, or they could be ticketed and towed. Winter parking restrictions include critical permit parking areas as well.

Minneapolis has had over 52 inches of snow this winter season. The heavy accumulation has narrowed streets, which pose a safety hazard when emergency vehicles cannot navigate these streets to reach people who need assistance.

It is possible that Snow Emergencies can be declared while Winter Parking Restrictions are in place. When it snows, people should take advantage of the many tools the City offers to stay informed of parking rules.

Visit the City's website to sign up for Snow Emergency alerts. 

The University of Minnesota is hoping to connect with Marcy-Holmes residents and businesses regarding current Climate Action Planning efforts at the UMN. They are hoping to engage with local neighborhoods to inform and gather feedback from the community. 

They have created a webform to receive feedback on their planning process. 

This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept confidential, only reported in a summary and not associated with you individually. Your responses will not affect your relationship with the University of Minnesota. 

We realize some of the questions will not be applicable to all and you're invited to skip questions that are not relevant to your relationship with the University of Minnesota. 

After completing this form, you will be entered for a chance to win one of 10, $25 gift cards.

Please send any questions to the Office of Sustainability at [email protected]. 

The Minneapolis Health Department and Tree Trust work together to offer low-cost trees for Minneapolis residents. Below you will find information about our tree programs and resources you can access in your neighborhood. Please fill out this short survey to let us know how we can get more trees in your neighborhood. We can come to your meeting, bring you flyers, host workshops, and more

Residents Minneapolis residents can enter our lottery to buy a low-cost, $30 tree (~$150 value). The lottery is open from Feb. 1 - March 31. We’ll notify you in April if you’re selected to order a tree and pick-up will take place in May.  All the information to plant and care for your new tree will be provided. Enter the lottery

Businesses and organizations We plant trees for businesses, organizations, and nonprofits. Trees cost $30 each, which includes: A consultation with a landscaper to find the best trees for your property. Professional planting. Mulch. Watering bags. Businesses must water the trees weekly and prune them. Request a tree for your business or organization.

Plastics can be a hassle – they create clutter and can be confusing to recycle – plus they contribute to litter, harm water and wildlife, and have largely unknown health impacts for us. Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to help create a plastic-free world, from learning more about plastic waste and recycling to making simple swaps to advocating for changes in your community and sharing your story with others.

Be part of the solution to reduce waste, protect water and wildlife, address climate change, and look after the health of ourselves and future generations by joining the Hennepin County Plastic-Free Challenge.

About the Plastic-Free Challenge

The Plastic-Free Challenge is a month-long effort starting February 1 to reduce plastic consumption, especially single-use plastics, in ways that fit best in your lifestyle and have the most impact on reducing your footprint.

The online challenge has 70 actions you can choose from in seven categories. Sign up opens on January 1, and the challenge runs during the month of February 2023. Once you sign up and create your profile, you can browse the categories and actions, check off the actions you already take, and select up to five one-time actions and five daily actions to make progress on during the four-week challenge.

You can also create a team to take the challenge along with your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Or encourage an organization, business, or community group you are a part of to become a Hennepin County Plastic-Free Challenge Partner.

Learn more, sign up, and get ready to go plastic-free at hennepinplasticfree.ecochallenge.org.

A vote was conducted at MHNA's recent Membership meeting over the organization's bylaws. That voting period concluded on Wednesday, January 18th at 9 pm.

As it does with all of its board elections, amendment voting, and major funding decisions, voting was held using the online service, Election Runner. All graphics and numbers below are provided by Election Runner.