The Climate & Infrastructure Committee met on November 13, 2025 (afternoon; meeting adjourned after committee business) under Chair Katie Cashman. The committee issued an honorary resolution recognizing the multi-year reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue South and then approved multiple consent items and three street reconstruction public-hearing items (First Ave S, Cedar Ave, Lowry Ave NE Phase II). The committee held an extensive public hearing on proposed gas and electric franchise fee ordinance amendments (over 50 speakers; testimony limited to 60 seconds each) focused on climate equity funding, program transparency, and customer cost impacts; the committee continued the franchise fee ordinances to December 4, 2025 (committee) with anticipated full council consideration on December 11, 2025.
So that's after this. Okay, thanks. Good afternoon. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Climate and Infrastructure Committee for November 13, 2025. I'm Katie Cashman, chair of this committee. Before we convene our meeting, we have a presentation of an honorary resolution. Our resolution today recognizes the city staff and the contractors who worked on the design and construction of hennepin avenue south in uptown which just reopened so i'll invite council members who are excited about this new street and our public work staff to join me to present this resolution All right. Welcome. Welcome everyone. So our resolution today recognizes city staff and contractors that worked on the design and construction of Hennepin Avenue South. Whereas the Minneapolis Public Works Department is being recognized for the incredible work they have done over the past seven years to plan and construct the new Hennepin Avenue corridor. And whereas through years of robust community engagement, the public works collaborated to find a design that would meet the needs of as many community members as possible, as well as reduce the high rates of deadly crashes on the street. And whereas over 100 people who work for the city were part of making this redesign possible, and each one deserves our gratitude today. And whereas in order to ensure reliable and continuous delivery of high quality safe drinking water and public fire protection, staff from the Division of Water Treatment and Distribution Services relocated 21 hydrants at improved pedestrian crossings and transit stops, replaced 25 lead service lines within the project limits, closely managed the water main relocations and improvements necessary to accommodate electrical infrastructure and stormwater improvements at 15 intersections, rebuilt 20 original 1880s vintage brick maintenance holes to protect the integrity of the new roadway, and replaced nine water main isolation valves. And whereas in order to create a safe, equitable, efficient transportation corridor for all travel modes, the reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue included a narrower roadway that will promote slower speeds and shorter pedestrian crossings, two new signalized pedestrian crossings, a two-way off-street bike facility to promote bike accessibility and safety, dynamic transit priority lanes, BRT stations, and transit signal priority along the corridor. Dynamic or dedicated left-turn lanes and a better managed system with fewer conflict points to promote safety, 10 fully rebuilt traffic signals with ADA compliant ramps and accessible pedestrian push buttons, and 100 new street lights plus festoon decorative lighting. And whereas in order to keep our surface water as clean as possible and reduce flooding following rain events, surface waters and sewers and project staff installed 11 bioswells, 26 stormwater planter boxes, 23 tree trenches, 10 infiltration box culverts, approximately 1.2 miles of stormwater pipe, and a small ramp leaving the tree trenches to let wildlife go in and out. Whereas to improve the experience of rolling, walking, biking, and riding transit on Hennepin Avenue, the project includes wider sidewalks with enhanced landscaping placed with increased separation from vehicle traffic, shortened crossing distances at crosswalks, and a raised median to allow for easier crossing. 1.11 miles of protected bikeway, improving connections to the all ages and ability bikeway network, including 26th and 28th Street, Bryant Avenue, Franklin Avenue, and the Midtown Greenway, making bicycling through one of the busiest areas in Minneapolis safer for residents on their way to the lakes shopping, dining out, going to a show, or passing through. Creating a roadway that highlights the Metro E line which will be open in a couple weeks here. A $64 million investment in fast frequent transit that will increase bus trips available to and from uptown by 20 to 30 percent. Supporting the city's mode shift goal to three out of every five trips taken by walking, biking, or transit. And whereas Hennepin Avenue is home to to hundreds of locally owned businesses that make Uptown the unique neighborhood it is in our city. And whereas Prince once wrote of Uptown, now where I come from, we don't let society tell us how it's supposed to be.