It has been an honor serving you over these past four years and I am happy to be running for re-election in order to continue our great work together. As your DFL & LABOR endorsed candidate, I ask for your first choice vote this Tuesday, November 7th.

My record and accomplishments are below for your review.
Have a question? Need help with an issue? contact@andrewmpls.com or 612-564-2639
Where do you vote? http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us

Finally, none of this work could happen without the countless amazing staff, organizations, and individuals who I work with every day to make Minneapolis a better city... THANK YOU!

~ Andrew
Proudly endorsed by:
DFL Party Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Minnesota Nurses Association OutFront MN Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82 Our Revolution - Twin Cities TakeAction MN Stonewall DFL DFL Environmental Caucus SEIU Minnesota Young DFL AFSCME Southside Pride Newspaper Sierra Club

Accomplishments and Record

Quick Highlights

  • Providing excellent constituent service and being accessible, transparent, and responsive
  • Established a Small Business Office and cut red tape by eliminating more than three-dozen ordinances
  • Secured paid sick leave for over 100,000 workers across our city and paid parental leave for nearly 4,000 City employees
  • Working on the proposed redevevelopment around the 38th Street Station Area and more than 350 units of affordable housing in Ward 12
  • Saved taxpayers $3 million a year by leading the effort to break-up the largest City contract and voting against more spending than any other council member
  • Led efforts to increase the number of firefighters, reduce 911 wait times, and secure more investigative resources for the Police Department
  • Led to unprecendented transparency by authoring the Open Data Policy, launching a portal, and getting Council videos permanently online
  • Helped pass a historic deal to solve the decades-long deficit in our park and road infrastructure
  • Consistantly helping to advance a number of environmental and racial justice policy changes
  • Helped mentor and elect the nation's first Somali American legislator, Ilhan Omar

Ward 12 Specific

  • Hosted nearly two-hundred open office events and community meetings, attended nearly every neighborhood association meeting, and resolved over 1,000 constituent issues
  • Currently working on more than 350 units of affordable housing (including: 4041 Hiawatha Ave, Snelling Yards, and 54th Street & Riverview Road)
  • Leading effort to improve the 38th Street Station Area with excellent transit-oriented development, public amenities, better lighting, more trees, and more commercial spaces
  • Provided support to businesses during Minnehaha Avenue reconstruction, from securing a billboard on Hiawatha Ave to helping with logistics such as parking access
  • Led effort to restore funding for Nokomis Healthy Seniors, which has helped thousands of residents stay in their homes as they age and stay physically/mentally/socially active
  • Split up multiple election precincts to improve Ward 12 voter experiences and reduce wait times
  • Worked with Representative Wagenius and Senator Torres Ray to pass state law allowing Cap's Grille to expand their business
  • Currently working to have trash grids installed at Lake Hiawatha to reduce litter entering the lake from the stormwater system, along with other water quality improvements
  • Secured funding to repair several areas that had fallen into long-time disrepair: 46th & 46th, street near the Holiday station, and the railroad tracks at 35th Street
  • Working to speed up rollout of fiber optic internet across Ward 12 and all of Minneapolis by helping ISPs address barriers
  • (See a number of additional efforts related to Ward 12 under other categories)

Small Businesses

  • Led effort to create a Small Business Office to help small businesses navigate City processes (and identify opportunities to further improve)
  • Authored the repeal of over three-dozen antiquated ordinances and helped lower a number of license fees
  • Authored budget amendment to create one-page checklists for opening a new business, improve customer service training, and explore business incubators and microloans
  • Authored budget amendment to create a business portal (see example) and make permits available online (launching in 2017)
  • Authored an ordinance allowing temporary extended business hours
  • Endorsed and campaigned for repeal of the outdated 70/30 laws
  • Worked with Representative Wagenius and Senator Torres Ray on SAC fee reform bill at State Capitol in 2016
  • Helped get SAC fees waived and reduced for a number of Ward 12 businesses
  • (See efforts to support businesses during Minnehaha Avenue reconstruction under "Ward 12")
  • (See efforts to pass state law enabling Cap's Grille to expand business under "Ward 12")

Public Safety

  • Secured additional resources for North Minneapolis in 2014 from the Sheriff, which led to Joint Enforcement Teams and better investigations follow-up
  • Led effort to get the Fire Chief, Finance, and others on the same page to increase the number of firefighters
  • Worked with Mayor's Office to secure additional resources for MPD investigations in 2016 budget
  • Brought attention to delays in 911 call time answers and pushed for system improvements (before and after story)
  • Appointed to the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, working to increase cross-jurisdiction collaboration for Emergency Management Systems
  • Advocated for and supported funding of rolling out body cameras to all police officers
  • Worked closely with MPD 3rd Precinct, neighborhood associations, and residents to address crime and promote home/block safety
  • (See co-authorship of budget amendment for police training under "racial equity")
  • (See appointment to DOJ subcommittee under "racial equity")

Environment

  • Authored ordinance change to enforce ban on environmentally-harmful containers, require commercial recycling, and to make it friendlier for businesses
  • Authored 2017 budget amendment to develop plan to eliminate fossil fuel vehicles from the City's fleet
  • Identified restrictions on urban agriculture as unconstitutional, resulting in lifting of restrictions
  • Completed study on deconstruction and currently working with staff and Council Member (CM) Palmisano on a construction and demolition waste diversion ordinance
  • Requested Public Works to bring forward proposal to fast-track LED streetlight rollout, ultimately included in the 2016 budget
  • Worked to make Ward 12 PERC-free (a carcinogenic dry cleaning chemical) and authored ordinance prohibiting new PERC use across Minneapolis
  • Worked with legislators to provide municipalities authority to restrict pesticides that are harmful to pollinators
  • Opposed expansion of HERC burner, which helped pave the way for a city-wide organics recycling program via a compromise with Hennepin County
  • Co-hosted a city-wide forum on Zero Waste
  • (See effort to reduce litter in Lake Hiawatha under "Ward 12")
  • (See co-authorship of Green Zones under "racial equity")

Racial Justice and Equity

  • Leading Restorative Justice expansion, including working with the Mayor to triple funding via the 2016 budget, completing a study, and hosting a city-wide forum
  • Co-authored 2016 budget amendment to fast-track implicit bias and procedural justice training for police officers
  • Co-authored 2016 budget staff directive to create website for increased transparency and accountability of racial equity initiatives
  • Fought during 2015 budget process for equity office positions, One Minneapolis Fund, and Clean Energy funding
  • Co-hosted northside forum with CM Yang in the aftermath of Ferguson to examine community/police relationships
  • Appointed to Department of Justice subcommittee on improving Minneapolis community/police relationships (recommendations currently being developed)
  • Pushed on HR, Legal, and MPD (with CM Yang) for greater action on racial disparities in officer hiring, and later co-hosted a public forum
  • Co-authored ordinance to decriminalize posession of small amounts of marijuana
  • One of only three CMs to vote against the East Phillips Water Yard (watch speech)
  • Co-authored Indigenous Peoples Day resolution
  • Co-authored Green Zones Resolution, forming a task force to bring forward recommendations addressing the disproportionate impact of pollution on communities of color
  • Authored Coldwater Springs resolution, resulting in the Dakota People returning to their sacred site and freely/publicly performing ceremonies for the first time since exile
  • Co-authored resolution against the Dakota Access Pipeline and spoke out against use of Hennepin County resources to infringe on protests in North Dakota
  • Co-authored resolution calling on Washington to change their NFL team name
  • Laid out a strong case for repealing the lurking and spitting ordinances
  • Called for an independent federal investigation into the death of Jamar Clark

Transit

  • Led effort to improve light timings along Hiawatha Avenue (Highway 55)
  • Led policy change to increase ADA pedestrian infrastructure compliance
  • Advocating to route Minnehaha Creek trail under 28th Street bridge as part of the upcoming reconstruction
  • Pushed for better sidewalk snow removal enforcement in the winter, led to a ten-fold increase
  • Successfully pushed for dedicated bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks for 38th Street reconstruction (from Minnehaha Ave to Hiawatha Ave)
  • One of four CMs to vote against Penn Ave reconstruction plans due to absence of dedicated bicycle lanes despite them being in the City's master plan
  • One of six CMs to vote for safer bicycle infrastructure on 3rd Avenue downtown
  • Helped fund bicycle safety awareness mailer to all residents via utility statements
  • Hosted community meeting in Standish-Ericsson on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements
  • (See securing funds for several long-deteriorating streets under "Ward 12")
  • (See safety improvements around our schools under "For Kids")

For Kids

  • Helped secure funding in the 2015 budget to maintain adequate mental health services at Roosevelt High School
  • Implemented multiple pedestrian safety improvements around our schools (and working on even more)
  • Currently working on a positive youth corridor project around Roosevelt High School, leveraging volunteers and businesses to work with youth
  • Worked with Homegrown MPLS to create a website to help neighborhoods start school gardens
  • Advocated for increased funding for Northrop and Roosevelt in 2015 MPS budget
  • Helped resolve several roadblocks as part of the Sanford Middle School expansion project
  • Organized with SENA a community welcome for students starting the school year at Roosevelt

Financial Stewardship

Labor and Workers

  • Started effort and was co-author of ordinance to ensure paid sick leave for more than 100,000 workers, which passed unanimously and paved the way for other cities
  • Led the effort to bring 33 non-union jobs in-house by breaking up the Unisys contract
  • Led early effort to get paid parental leave for nearly 4,000 City employees
  • Led effort to close a loophole that allowed contractors to skirt the City's apprenticeship requirements
  • One of only three CMs to vote against the reappointment of Director Korbel due to Labor concerns

Government Transparency

  • Led effort to pass an Open Data Policy and launch website, making Minneapolis 16th in the nation to do so
  • Authored staff directives to post neighborhood association budgets, performance reports, and bylaws online
  • Worked to get City Council meetings posted on YouTube so that they are now available indefinitely and more easily shared

LGBT Issues

  • Authored ordinance change to allow gender-neutral single-stall restrooms and authored resolution encouraging businesses to go gender-neutral
  • Co-founding CM (along with CM Glidden) of the Transgender Issues Workgroup, addressing everything from police training and HR policies, to youth employment and public education

Airplane Noise

  • Knocked doors to encourage and help eligible residents take advantage of airport noise mitigation funds before they expired
  • Introduced a new idea to create market incentives for airlines to fly quieter model aircraft in and out of MSP
  • Lobbied for action on airport noise in Washington, D.C. to members of Congress and staff

Miscellaneous

  • Led effort on comprehensive rewrite of Animal Care and Control Ordinances to improve outcome for animals across Minneapolis and under facility care
  • Brought historic preservationists together to pilot a workgroup model for proactive preservation
  • Defended neighborhood association funding by co-authoring 2015 budget amendment to return TIF revenue to the NCR department
  • Worked with legislators to legalize medical marijuana, including authoring a City Legislative Agenda amendment and testifying before state committee