Category: neighborhoods 2020

Last year, in the midst of deciding what future funding of neighborhood associations would look like, the City Council commissioned an equity analysis of how these groups function. The report concludes that various funding schemes overseen by the city for the last 30 years reveal “a system of institutional racism.” And, “it’s reasonable to conclude that equity has not been realized or advanced in neighborhood organization work to date.”

The report was presented to the City Council last week by C. Terrence Anderson of the University’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). Council Member Lisa Goodman had the most colorful reaction, repeatedly telling Anderson that the results make “neighborhood folks” in her ward feel like they “suck.”

Continue reading “Equity Analysis Makes Some Neighborhood Groups Feel Like They “Suck””

Here’s how the debate about neighborhood association reform and funding in Minneapolis has unfolded so far:

• City’s NCR department recommends some good ideas
• Engagement is done almost exclusively to neighborhood association board members/staff
• Neighborhood associations hate it with a passion
• In response, the framework was watered down to eliminate good ideas
• Council passes framework on a split vote

And it’s left me confused trying to figure out what the debate is even about anymore. Neighborhood associations still hate it, even though it’s so tepid I can’t imagine what it is they don’t like about it. In watching the council conversations, I have a hard time figuring out what we’re trying to achieve.

I do want to give thanks to Ward 3 Council Member Steve Fletcher for being as confused as I am. I found this three minute video very reassuring:

Continue reading “Steve Fletcher is as confused as I am about Neighborhoods 2020”

The City Council’s PECE Committee held a public hearing last week to debate neighborhood organization oversight and funding.

About a week before the meeting, the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department revised their “Neighborhoods 2020” recommendations to remove all the the parts of the diversity action plan proposal that would actually require accountability from city-funded neighborhood organizations.

Continue reading “More urgency needed on oversight of neighborhood orgs”