November 8th, 2017

I couldn’t be more honored, humbled, and excited to continue serving as your Minneapolis City Council Member!

Over these past four years I have had the privilege of working with countless individuals, staff, and organizations to lift up our community and the people within it. It’s a team effort and we’ve accomplished so much together – our victory, with over 87% of the vote, is validation of that shared work. Such a vote of confidence also hardens my resolve in rising to the challenges ahead, of which there are many.

I once again recommit myself to putting the people of our ward and city first, being accessible and responsive, listening with an open-mind, and carefully weighing decisions. I am committed to telling you where I stand on issues and why I vote the way I do. In the next four years I will strive to find compromise, partner with our neighborhood associations, and continue to work tirelessly on behalf of our residents to make our community even better than it already is.

Thank you to everyone who supported me: family, friends, staff, neighbors, delegates, volunteers, donors, and of course voters. Thank you as well to candidates across the city who worked hard to build community and bring their best ideas forward.

To follow my work at City Hall, please visit my official website: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/ward12/

Yours,

~ Andrew

Proudly endorsed by:

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 a thousand 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

• Led effort to break up City's largest contract (IT services) and saved taxpayers more than three millions dollars annually
• One of only two CMs to vote against $24.5 million in additional funding to renovate the exterior of the Target Center
• Scrutinized contract with Xcel Energy, resulted in $227,500 in savings for taxpayers
• One of only two CMs to vote against $395,000 in funding to subsidize a downtown Christmas market
• One of only two CMs to vote against the City spending money to roll out a new logo
• One of only three CMs to vote against $2 million giveaway for The Commons

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