Update from the Mayor - May 19, 2006
Choosing a New Police Chief
This week I launched my plan for a fair, open, and public process to select a new Police Chief. The chief is a central public leader in our city and that’s why I want the residents of Minneapolis to understand that you have a voice in this process. It’s up to you to use that voice.
I believe that it is important for us to select a new chief by focusing on WHAT we want, not WHO we want. That’s why I am using criteria from the extensive community-driven process we used to hire Bill McManus in 2004 to guide our conversations about selecting a new chief now. Here are the priorities under discussion about the kind of police chief we want:
1. Maintaining Public Safety. The number-one job of the Chief and every police officer is to keep Minneapolis safe.
2. Strong Leader. The Chief must hold officers accountable, reward exceptional performers and deliver immediate consequences for unacceptable behavior.
3. Strong Manager. The $100 million police budget needs innovative, efficient management with measurable outcomes.
4. Demand respectful, consistent service in all communities. This includes aggressively diversifying the department.
5. Visible leader who builds partnerships with the community. The Chief and the force he commands should empower all members of the community who want to continue to build a safer city.
I strongly encourage you and other residents to call the Minneapolis "311" phone line and share your thoughts about these priorities to select a new police chief. You can also share your ideas by going to my website and clicking on the "Police Chief Selection Survey" button.
1,200 New Americans Became U.S. Citizens in Minneapolis last Week
Speaking at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony last week, I proudly welcomed over 1,200 new American citizens to Minneapolis and celebrated their contributions to our growing community. The new naturalized citizens are from 110 different countries, with the most coming from Somalia (248), Laos (106), Ethiopia (93), Vietnam (92), India (70), Liberia (45), and Mexico (39). As these new Americans arrive to help our city thrive, we must remember that Minneapolis sits where it is today because of a waterfall, on a river, that powered grain mills, but it was immigrants who powered those mills. We stand here today because of the work and sweat of people who were new to this country and built our city and our future will depend on these new Americans success. [ Click here to read more.]
Minneapolis and St. Paul Ready to Host a National Political Party Convention
This week Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and I launched a joint-city bid to host the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Hosting a national political convention is extremely valuable for a city – both economically and for visibility. The last time a national convention was held in Minnesota was in 1892, when the Republicans nominated Benjamin Harrison, who later lost to Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 24th president. One hundred sixteen years is a long drought. It’s high time we brought a major political convention back to Minneapolis and nominate the nation’s 44th president in 2008. In the next few weeks, both national political parties will narrow the pool of cities being considered and schedule site visits during the summer. [ Click here to read more.]
Spotlight on Building North Minneapolis
This week I joined Honeywell and Rebuilding Together for an exciting all-day revitalization project at the Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) in North Minneapolis. More than one hundred volunteers dedicated their time, and tens of thousands of dollars in donated materials, to refurbishing the center’s Capri Theater, gymnasium and library and to completing outdoor landscaping. It looks beautiful!
Many thanks to everyone involved in this tremendous effort to improve an historic and important gem of our city. Working together, block by block, we will revitalize North Minneapolis. To learn more about PCYC and the Capri Theater, visit their website at http://www.pcyc-mpls.org.
Learn More About: Smart Living in Minneapolis
Minneapolis-Saint Paul ranked #2 on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine’s list of America’s "50 Smart Cities." The list ranks cities on the basis of cost, livability, and vibrancy. Now Kiplinger’s readers can know what we’ve known all along: it’s smart to live in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Kiplinger’s reports that Minneapolis and Saint Paul have a hip and progressive atmosphere with multiple cultural outlets, pro teams in all four major sports, a dozen universities and colleges, and a diverse economy. The profile describes a "cosmopolitan gem" and hails that the Minneapolis skyline is as "riveting as Oz." [ Click here to read the article.]
See and be Seen: Upcoming Events
Central Library Opens!
Sat., May 20, 10AM-6PM
Minneapolis Public Library
300 Nicollet Mall
Join the celebration weve been waiting for! Enjoy outdoor festivities and live music, roam the library's four floors, discover public art by artists from across the nation, explore gallery space, and join kids activities.
Published May. 19, 2006