9/14/2023 -- 2024 MPLS Budget, MN Drought, Homeless Discussion

Good morning. Today is Thursday, September 14. Here is everything you need to know to start your day in the Twin Cities.

City Council Considers Mayor Frey’s 2024 Budget

On Monday, the Minneapolis City Council officially began discussing Mayor Jacob Frey's 2024 budget proposal, marking the first spending plan directly linking taxpayer expenses to the specific positions mandated by court orders stemming from the scrutiny of the police department in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing in May 2020.

All New Spending: The proposed budget put forward by Mayor Frey includes spending of $7.6M in 2024 and $5.8M in 2025 in order to hire 34 new full-time roles including lawyers, counselors for cops, trainers for cops, and people to review body-cam footage. The budget also includes $8M in a reserve fund for public safety reform.

Minneapolis Police Reform: The court mandated reform and subsequent new budget comes as a result of a Justice Department report issued earlier this summer. The report alleged widspread racial discrimination and excess force that went unchecked for years before George Floyd was killed.

Historic Minnesota Drought Has No End in Sight

Incredibly dry conditions continue to plague much of Minnesota with 55% of the state now in severe drought. According to the Minnesota DNR, several counties are now experiencing “exceptional drought” and the forecast outlook doesn’t present much hope for rainfall.

Farmers take the hit: Minnesota’s 3^rd consecutive dry summer has left farmers anxiously waiting for much needed rain for their crops. The historic dry conditions have resulted in poor yields for many farmers across the state.

What they are saying: This is the worst I've ever seen it as far as drought conditions and stress that the crop has been under all year” –Ryan Miller, U of M Extension (CBS News)

Homelessness Discussion Held in Minneapolis

Community members and leaders gathered at the Phillips Community Center on Tuesday night to discuss homelessness in Minneapolis. The public conversation comes after a summer that featured multiple homeless encampment “clear-outs” including a sweep of over 100 unhoused people near Highway 55 back in late August. The latest significant encampment in Minneapolis is now more than 150 unhoused people in the East Phillips neighborhood.  

Context: According to the most recent point-in-time survey conducted on January 25, 2023, Hennepin County had 2,843 unhoused people. Minneapolis has a relatively low homeless population compared to other metro areas in the United States. However, the global pandemic exacerbated homelessness across the country and the Twin Cities was no exception to this growth.

The Path Forward: New homeless encampments popping up in Hennepin County as well as the subsequent sweeps that have occurred have prompted more dialogue around addressing the issue. Community members at Tuesday's meeting proposed solutions including multi-jurisdictional coordination on encampment response, overdose prevention sites, safe outdoor spaces, wrap-around treatment and housing services, homelessness navigation hubs and pathways to economic mobility.

🍁🍁 It’s Leaf Peeping Season!

Planning a trip to the north shore this fall? You may want to go sooner rather than latter as cold evening temperatures have accelerated the color change. While it’s shaping up to be yet another beautiful fall season, certain areas may have more muted fall colors as a result of the historically dry conditions across the state. Make sure to track the changing colors using the Minnesota DNR’s Fall Color Finder

✔Quick hits

🐶 This Friday only, Minneapolis Animal Care & Control Department waiving all adoption fees on cats and dogs that are up for adoption. (Kare 11)

✈ Delta Airlines announces that it will begin to restrict access to Sky Club airport lounges as a result of overcrowding in major hubs (Star Tribune)

🏀 The Minnesota Lynx struggled in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Connecticut Sun. They look to bounce back on Sunday in game 2 of the best of 3 series. (Deadspin)

🚭 The City of St. Paul is moving forward with a plan that bans smoking marijuana in city parks (KSTP)

➖ A St. Catherine student was physically and sexually assaulted by her boyfriend over three days in her dorm room (Pioneer Press)

Oktoberfest Is In Full Swing – Here’s Where to Enjoy a Bier 🍻

Fulton Brewery (sept 22-23 & 29-30): The longest-running Oktoberfest celebration in the Twin Cities. Be sure to dress up to fit in!

Pryes Brewing (Sept 15-16, 22-23, 29-30): The popular North Look brewery is hosting three weekends of Oktoberfest featuring a goat petting zoo, pumpkin patch, live music, and, of course, great beer.

LTD Brewing Oktoberfest Block Party (Sept 16): Located in Hopkins, LTD Brewing Oktoberfest party is crammed with activities like stein racing, Oktoberfest themed dress up competition, German themed trivia, and other street games.

New Ulm Oktoberfest (Oct 6-7 & 13-14): Just 90 minutes away in New Ulm, MN is the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the state. The town was largely settled by German residents and this heritage shows through in your Oktoberfest celebration that has received national praise.  

The Final Word

Vikings fans — how are we feeling heading into tonight’s game against Philly?

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