It is 1 34.

We have quorum now.

Communications, are we ready to begin?

Good afternoon and welcome.

My name is Soren Stevenson.

I am the vice chair of the Climate and Infrastructure Committee.

I'm going to be chairing today's meeting.

I'm going to call to order our regular meeting for Thursday, July 9th, 2026.

Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all committee members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation.

These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community.

Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.

We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments.

At this time, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll so we can verify a quorum for this meeting.

Councilmember Vito.

Present.

Warren?

Present.

Is absent.

Chadri?

Present.

Question Stevenson present.

Chair Wandsley is absent.

We have five present.

Let the record reflect we have a quorum.

I'll remind my colleagues we'll be using speaker management today, so please make sure you're signed up.

If we're still experiencing tech issues, we may need to shift to using our red tags.

For members of the public that are here for one of the public comment periods, if you wish to address the committee, we ask you to register with the clerks to my right.

You can also provide any written comments or materials to include in the public record.

Public works staff will also be available after the presentation to connect if you have specific questions.

With that, our agenda is in front of us, and we'll begin with the consent agenda reflected in items four through 22 on our agenda.

Item number three of consent.

I think there's something wrong in the script.

But item number three on consent, passage of resolution for uh gift acceptance from Equivolve.

Number four, passage of resolution for a gift acceptance from Brookings Transportation Initiative.

Number five, passage of resolution for a gift acceptance from Minneapolis Foundation.

Number six, passage of resolution for the for a resolution of support for the Minnesota Department of Transportation Highway 280 project.

Seven, setting a public hearing for August 20th for the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Central Avenue improvement project.

Number eight, passage of resolution for the land sale of two parcels at Wedge Point Park to Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Number nine, authorizing grant applications to Minnesota Department of Transportation for 2026 Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds.

Number 10, accepting the low bid for the West River Road Phase 2 project.

Number 11, approving a legislative directive related to the proposed closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center.

Colleagues, if there's any discussion or are there any items that anyone would like to pull for further discussion.

Seeing no further discussion, I'll move uh approval of the consent agenda.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say nay.

Next, we'll take up our public comment periods reflected in items one and two on the agenda.

Anybody who has signed up for these items will be given two minutes each to testify.

For everyone in attendance, and especially those who may participate in our hearings or comment period, let me offer this notice.

These meetings are being recorded and broadcast before the recording and broadcast are classified.

Sorry, both the recording and broadcast are classified as public data under the Minnesota Government Practices Act.

By attending and participating in these proceedings, your image and any testimony or information that you provide will also be subject to disclosure under that law.

That includes but is not limited to your attendance, your name, and other personal details you provide, as well as any testimony or comments you provide, which includes any written submissions you make which are included in the record of this meeting.

Our first public comment period is for the 2026 to 2029 climate and infrastructure committee work plan, which I'll be which I will not be presenting, but we will be uh receiving.

Um in the future, Chair Wandsley and I will be presenting it.

Um so without without a presentation, we have one person signed up to speak, Leslie.

Vice Chair Leslie may be just coming from the overflow space to join us here in chambers, so just a quick second.

And then I don't I'm sorry if I missed you earlier.

Did you formally open the public?

I didn't.

Just thank you.

Hi everyone, my name is Leslie Mint.

I am the policy and research director for the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the CNI committee's work plan.

We are very excited to see zero waste be a strategic objective for the climate resilience area.

There's a lot of passion for this endeavor.

And in particular, the zero waste ambassadors who will be overseen by the newly created zero waste program manager FTE will be instrumental in increasing participation and buy-in for zero waste initiatives.

So we want to emphasize that support for the ambassadors and planning that keeps their potential in mind is key.

One framing in the work plan that gave us pause was identify measurable waste reduction strategies in support of public discussion of Herc closure.

We are worried that this wording might convey the message that getting to zero waste is a prerequisite for her closure, and that is a trap.

Even if Minneapolis generated zero waste, if Herc remained opened, it would still be burning 1,000 tons of trash a day.

This is because the restriction on disposal statute requires that any municipality with a waste processing facility must send its trash to that processing facility before it is disposed of in a land bill.

So even as Minneapolis is getting to zero waste, Herc will be siphoning trash from surrounding areas and continuing to poison the residents who are doing the work of waste reduction.

So instead, we can name zero waste as a priority in its own right and reinforce the idea that the county must initiate the closure process with a vote.

Thank you for your time and thank you for your work on this committee, and we look forward to the work that is coming.

Thank you.

Is there anyone who wishes to speak on this?

Um I will ask three times, so two more times.

Is there anyone wishing to speak to this?

And is there anyone wishing to speak to this?

Seeing no one, I'll close the public hearing.

Is there any discussion on this?

Seeing none.

Um clerks, are we moving this for approval?

I sorry, I don't remember what we came to.

I believe this is being postponed to the August 6th.

Okay.

Without uh objection, I will postpone this to the August 6th meeting of climate infrastructure.

Hearing no objections.

With that, our second public comment period is for the Lindale Avenue Reconstruction Project and Designation Resolution.

Staff have prepared a presentation, and we've also been joined by Josh Potter from Hennepin County.

Before we start the presentation, I'll now invite Fontaine Burris, Senior Transportation Planner, Transportation Planning and Programming, to get us started.

Welcome.

Thank you, Vice Chair, Committee members.

My name is Fontaine Burris.

I am a senior transportation planner in Public Works.

I am here today to introduce Josh Potter with Hennepin County to talk about the Lyndale Avenue Reconstruction Project.

And I will hand it over to Josh.

Thank you, Vice Chair Stevenson, committee members.

I just want to thank Fontaine as well.

This has not been minutes of time on Lindale, it has been years of time working on Lindale.

So Fontaine, Jenny Hager, Tim Sexton, everybody on city staff, just want to from the county side give appreciation for the time committed towards this project.

So talking about Lindale Avenue here, just want to note our project scope.

Just a varying scope depending on where we're at within the project limits.

Just want to note those limits start on the north end near I-94, South End, just south of 31st Street.

This road is almost a hundred years old.

For reference, it was Highway 169 when it was rebuilt in the 1930s.

It's not a highway anymore.

It should be connecting the community, not dividing the community.

Generally, rotary reconstructions last about 50 to 75 years, and so this is very much overdue for reconstruction.

You know, with this rebuild, we really are focusing on safety improvements.

Very much the utilities under the street need work, drainage, the sewer, water, communications, gas, electric, etc.

There's flooding on this corridor.

For those who are familiar by the co-op and there's a speedway gas station, etc.

at 22nd in Lindale, flooding.

There's pictures of people in kayaks at that intersection when we get heavy rains.

You know, one thing we've heard a lot from the community is lighting this corridor.

This corridor is very busy, but it doesn't have lighting on it.

So it's certainly a focus for us.

And then just want to acknowledge it's a hundred years old almost.

We're putting a lot more time into maintenance than we are on a newer road.

Uh where we started.

I have to be multitasking.

Where we started, uh so in 2022, we actually worked with the city on a pilot project.

So Lindale was four lanes, two lanes each direction.

We made that conversion to one lane each direction with a center left turn lane.

You know, we saw a lot of very positive success out of that, very strong support we heard from the community on this work.

You know, just want to call out the successes here.

Uh, and that is we reduce the speeds more in line with the speed limit out there.

It's 30 miles an hour.

We're actually seeing speeds below the speed limit, and that's what we want to see.

Certainly for safety for all of our users, people walking, uh biking, of course, in vehicles as well, et cetera, rolling.

Uh, and then just want to note as well, uh, we saw crashes drop by over half 57%.

That's performing even better than when we typically do these conversions.

Typically, we see about a 35 to 4 to 50 percent reduction.

So 57% is very impressive.

Uh just want to talk about the context that we have.

Uh, certainly want to recognize residential, there's single family, there's apartments, there's multifamily, uh, there's as well many businesses, many small businesses that are an anchor to the community in this corridor.

Uh, it really is among the densest neighborhoods outside of downtown, uh, certainly up there with a couple others.

Uh, important street, certainly for many people, especially in their day-to-day lives.

Uh, as noted, we want to be a connection, not a barrier to the community.

Project goals here, you know, really, then these were established based on what we heard from the community.

Uh, safety, number number one here in this project.

Uh, accessibility, comfort, and connections, greening.

You know, Lyndale's unique, it has a lot of mature trees.

That's something we typically don't see in these types of corridors.

And then finally, meeting the community's needs.

Talking about all of our community engagement.

So, uh, we had originally planned in this project for three phases of community engagement.

Uh, we have so much, we've had so much interest in this project.

We have had five phases of engagement with this community, and so really appreciate everybody giving their feedback.

Want to call out too based on the feedback we received, we did introduce a design last summer to the community.

And based on the feedback we received, we did actually make adjustments to that design, particularly the bikeway, change from a shared use path, separating out the bikeway and sidewalk, and then as well some additional space for future transit lane on the south end of the project.

And we brought that back out to the community this past spring and generally generally supportive of those revisions.

So just want to note this has very much been a community-driven process.

I want to go over the themes that we've heard for this project.

Generally, we've heard, of course, universal support for safety and accessibility, greening, business support.

Generally, I'll say kind of breaking down, we kind of see two themes.

People want to see more parking, maybe less space allocated towards transit and bikeway elements, and then we see on another, I'll say kind of another side.

People want to see less parking, more space for transit, more space for bikeway.

You know, as we've gone through these five phases of engagement, those themes have not changed.

We've heard that throughout, and generally, that has been consistent.

So just talking about the overall safety improvements.

Uh the slides, of course, list just various improvements that we plan to make with this project.

You know, one thing I want to call out in this corridor is those who have people who have been injured or unfortunately those who have lost their lives in this corridor are people who have been walking.

And so that's something that's very much on our minds as we've uh continue to work through this design.

So that includes certainly trying to calm down traffic, uh, moderate those speeds, bring them down, you know, limiting the street widths, um, generally limiting the number of moving lanes.

Uh, you know, another intersection that's prominent in this project is Lyndale and Lake Street.

Uh, you know, certainly we're calling this out because in 2019, the city had a report that showed uh this was the top crash intersection for people walking in the city.

Uh since then, certainly uh we've been working on implementing strategies to reduce those crashes.

Uh so there are improvements made in 2022 with that pilot on Lyndale Avenue to the three lanes.

2024 improvements late made on Lake Street with B line.

And with this project, certainly we want to continue to build on that.

So looking at reducing crossing distance for people crossing, making adjustments as needed to the stoplights, looking at our left turn lights and other safety measures at this intersection.

So just want to flag, of course, uh, being the top intersection, we don't want to be at the top for any intersection related to crashes.

We want to bring that down.

Just want to note, you know, building off those pedestrian safety improvements.

Uh, want to identify that those crashes typically we've seen more in the evenings and at night time, so really lighting will be a big improvement for this corridor.

Uh, you know, certainly as well, focusing on vehicle speeds, um, shortening those crossing distances, uh, you know, we're adding uh refuges, curb extensions.

You know, want to note here too as well, we're adding center medians.

Uh, generally, those medians are included in locations that are more residential, or and I'll add as well, locations where uh generally people aren't making left turns.

Uh the center-left turn lane uh in the design is being retained uh where business access and accommodating business deliveries.

Uh we do certainly see deliveries out of uh the left turn lane in the center.

Not that that's something that we endorse, but something that does happen in this corridor.

Uh the other thing I'll note with the medians, you'll notice in the design that there are medians kind of peppered in different locations in this design.

We've noticed after making that conversion, the three lanes, some people are using that left turn lane to pass lines of cars, and so we're putting in medians in strategic places where the left hand lane is not used to really prevent that behavior from occurring.

Bikeway improvements certainly with this project as well.

So want to note we're looking at two-way bikeway on the east side.

That would be from I-94.

I should say where Hennepin and Lyndale come together all the way down to 28th Street.

You know, generally we've gotten the question of why 28th.

28th is a logical tie-in to the bike network.

Uh 28th Street and connects to Bryant, it connects to the east as well.

Bryant connects to the Midtown Greenway, just overall connecting to the network.

South of there, generally, we're very limited in our project scope.

It generally is a mill and overlay, a paved just a pavement resurfacing with some minor curb moves.

And then really to the south, we are prioritizing transit and so retaining space for a future transit lane.

We'll talk about transit now.

So transit, very important in this corridor, Route 413.

This is identified, although not funded at this time for bus rapid transit as well.

So we've had many conversations with Metro Transit staff, very much focused on trying to increase ridership.

We are proposing some transit advantage lanes in this corridor, very much focused on where are the delays, both today and what we anticipate in the future.

We're really balancing that out with safety, that accessibility elements for walking, biking, the greening community needs.

I'll note on the north end, 24th Street and to the north.

Uh that is the segment with the highest transit delays.

So we are implementing with that pro with the project that transit advantage lane that'll connect up to the existing transit lane that already exists.

Where Hennepin Lindale comes together to the north above the tunnel, past the walker, etc., above 94.

The segment 31st to 28th northbound will be parking, but we're leaving the space where it could be converted to a transit lane in the future.

As the needs continue to involve to evolve, we don't want to preclude that dedicated transit space where it could be beneficial.

I'll note that was a change that was added as part of the phase of engagement this past spring here.

So the last phase of engagement.

Greening, talking about trees, a lot of mature trees in this corridor, love the tree canopy.

So want to note we started out this process.

We were at over 90 trees as we looked at the design were impacted.

We have brought that down to about 50 to 60 trees.

We continue to refine, we'll continue to refine that design, really focus on trying to save trees.

Of those 50 to 60, about 15 are more mature or healthy trees.

Also want to note just we're adding more green space, opportunity to plant up to 90 new trees.

So just want to note supporting space for existing and future sidewalk cafes.

One thing that has been identified by the community has been the potential and the particularly the businesses.

It's potential for a business district in this area.

Certainly we'll continue to work with the city and work with those who are organizing that district, if it is established in time for this project to incorporate elements for that district within the project.

For businesses, you know, certainly our small businesses in this corridor are certainly an anchor in the community.

You know, certainly we've had many discussions with them about deliveries, uh, ride share, food delivery, et cetera, for curbside uses, how all that is occurring along this street.

I'm really getting to and from businesses.

Um, really just the vitality um for Lindale Avenue uh that the businesses bring, just creating that inviting environment.

Uh so we are with this design generally maintaining that three-lane configuration, so that'd be one lane each direction with that center left turn lane.

Um there are some dedicated left turn lanes at some of the busy intersections.

I'll give Lake Street, Franklin as an example.

Um, generally, our lane widths in this project are pretty standard like other projects.

Um, we are retaining as well uh currently about 76% of the parking uh that exists today.

Uh those changes really due to, you know, we're adding curb bump outs, we're adding medians, we're adding different elements that do make some adjustments for parking.

Uh, just want to note we have coordinated with uh fire staff as well on these medians, and uh have received uh generally their approval for these median designs and really just a design accounting for all year, recognizing our four seasons.

Uh so certainly providing space uh for those four seasons.

I'll give the example of the snow has to go somewhere, so space to put the snow as well.

Uh next, just talking about so the lowering greenway connection.

So this is the segment north of Franklin.

Um so just want to identify this is a uh bikeway gap, and especially with Franklin Avenue this year, with the bike county has a project on Franklin, and we are adding a bikeway on Franklin.

This becomes a gap basically in between uh Hennepin Lindale and Franklin, and of course, with this project Lindale to the south as well.

So uh filling in that bikeway gap, and then as well.

Uh this is the area with generally the highest transit delays, so continuing that northbound transit lane.

Um, this those transit lanes delays are northbound.

And then generally, you know, one thing I'll identify as well is safety improvements for those walk people walking and biking, uh particularly we've been flagged by the community and we knew this going in.

Uh, the entrance ramp to I-94, it's a tough crossing for people.

So uh certainly trying working to make improvements there as well.

Schedule.

So we have been working on this project uh for five years, but we only show basically the schedule from when we really kicked off after the pilot here, so starting in 2023.

Uh construction was originally planned on this project in 2026.

You know, we may we adjusted the schedule based on those two additional phases of community engagement that we added.

Um, you know, just continued project coordination, uh making refinements to designs.

Uh this is a critical point for this project.

Uh we can't have any further delays.

Uh we are at risk for losing our federal funding.

We do have a federal authorization date on this project of June 30th of 2027.

Uh we will get into uh we are planning to start construction in 2028.

Uh we do not have a construction schedule developed yet.

Really, we wanted to get to a design so we knew what we were building, and then we can uh start developing a construction schedule after we get after we work through the approval process.

You know, certainly as we work through our project development here, we are very focused on minimizing that construction deadline, sorry, timeline, and reducing uh business impacts.

So, certainly we want to as well uh construct this in an efficient and expedient manner.

So just want to note that we are planning to of course continue to talk to the community, of course, up and through construction, our next plan to continue to talk to communities uh again in the fall or winter, fall of 2026, maybe into the winter here.

Um, you know, one big thing is we will continue to work with city staff on uh construction staging, minimizing those time frames, reducing impacts, having further conversations with uh the public.

Um, you know, it's important.

This is very important work desk construction is impactful, so we want to make sure that we work through that.

I want to acknowledge too there's the challenges and the trauma, just everybody's experienced since 2020.

Multiple tragedies, you know, knowing everything that is going on has gone on, I should say.

Um I have to pause just to catch my breath here after stating that.

Um there's been a lot.

Uh we are planning construction in 2028.

That is the latest date as well.

Um, that we can start construction and retain those federal funds.

And also, as well, really our goal is to allow businesses in the community to prepare for construction.

Getting into the federal funds a little bit more, just to emphasize the importance.

Um, they do account for about half of the uh construction cost for this project, and uh they are used both to reduce costs for the city and the county.

Um we do share costs generally on county projects, and uh this project, similarly, like other county projects following kind of those same breakdowns.

Uh as noted, you know, we've used our time engaging the community to get to this established design that we are recommending moving forward.

Um, there is no time left in this project to keep talking about this and kick the can down the road.

We need to keep move, we need to keep moving to meet those federal, meet the federal funding deadline.

Uh just want to get into the end towards the end here.

Uh just want to appreciate everybody's passion for Lindale Avenue.

I mean, as you can tell, we had over 50,000 point of contacts on this project.

You know, many great stories and feedback shared about Lindale Avenue.

Just grateful for everybody over the past five plus years who have given feedback.

Um, and uh those who are taking their time today to attend, um, I know many familiar faces in the room.

So uh just included here, just wanted to note that uh before I conclude the presentation, and uh that is the end of the presentation.

Thank you, Vice Chair and Committee.

Thank you for the presentation.

Um I'm going to open the public comment period.

Uh the first person to who is signed up to speak, is apologies if I don't pronounce your name right or misread it.

Is this Jonah from ZRS?

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.

I'm John McCartell, ZRS Fossils and Gifts of 3018 Lindale Avenue.

South.

I also live a half a block off of Lindale Avenue, so I am part of the local community.

I am here to talk about the plan that you've gotten.

Uh the business community had previously reluctantly agreed to a compromise to support and get the project moving.

What you were looking at is not the plan that the business community agreed to.

What I specifically want to address, since my background is in the hard sciences, and I know a little bit about looking at statistics and when data is being manipulated to produce an outcome that isn't justified.

I want to talk about three aspects of that very quickly.

I know I've only got a couple minutes.

With regard to parking, uh the county says only 24% would be reduction.

I'm not sure that figure is accurate since the base calculation includes off street parking.

If a dedicated vice lane is put in, it'll eliminate all parking on the east side of the street, and they're talking about doing that in the future.

There is a study out there about available parking and usage that people are using.

That study included vacant lots like the one next to my building, as if it were parking, and including parking lots that have now been sold for development, included neighborhood parking as part of available Lindale parking.

The use of statistics were taken at the lowest possible volume time of the year.

With regard to comparative studies, it's very common within the biking community and their literature to hear the statement that study after study after study supports a benefit to businesses from good dedicated bike lines.

That is simply not true.

That's false.

I've read every single one of those papers.

I've gone through the details.

If you just look at the title, yeah, you might think that look at the methodology.

Look at the data.

How is the data used?

In every single case, without exception?

The conclusions of those papers are either simplistic, biased, incomplete, misinterpreted, or outright fabrications.

Oh, I only have eight seconds left.

Jesus, for a quick thing.

I am very concerned that they have a minority of people that represent a very small percentage of the community that are influencing decisions.

You can leave your written comments with the clerk and it'll be included in the you can leave your written comments with the clerk and they'll the entirety included.

Yep, thank you.

Next, we have Julie Johnson.

And then number three, four, and five are Andrea, Will, and Jim.

Julie, go ahead.

Hi, council members.

Um, my name's Julie Johnson.

I live in Ward 12.

Um, and I'm also the senior community organizer for Move Minnesota, which is a nonprofit that advocates for just an equitable transportation system that puts people first.

I'm also the lead organizer for the Livable Lindell campaign.

Over the past three years, Livable Lindale has mo has mod mobilized a powerful, powerful support for safe and welcoming street design for people who walk, bike, roll, and bus along Lyndale Avenue.

And I just want to point out just how much support there is in our community for a livable Lyndale and better biking and busing.

Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers, many of whom live directly along Lyndale Avenue.

We've collected over 2400 signatures.

We've hosted over four or we've hosted four rallies with over 350 combined attendees.

We've can we've sent 2700 postcards to various elected officials, and we've collected over 250 personal stories from people who want a livable Lindale.

Our movement is supported by residents, by local businesses, by local by local organizations.

I'm really excited for a lot of the changes proposed by Hennepin County in this final design, including the two-way bike lane throughout part of the corridor, the dedicated bus lane from West Franklin to West 24th, and the wider sidewalks with green spaces and more opportunities for businesses to take advantage of patio season.

Um better opportunities for people to bike walk roll and spend more time on Lindale is better for everyone.

It leads to cleaner air, more affordable cities, and a place where people want to spend time in their community.

However, this proposed design contains dangerous and stressful interfaces in infrastructure decisions for people who walk, bike, roll, and it's been very frustrating that we've had to spend so much time advocating for policies that have been put in place already.

We know that the county and the city have priorities for people who bike walk and roll, and we'd love to see that in the design.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council members.

Everyone in this room wants safer streets.

Every life matters.

That's not the question before us today.

The question is whether this project and Vision Zero more broadly is delivering the results it promised.

Vision Zero was adopted in Minneapolis in 2017 with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.

Yet today we are still experiencing traffic fatalities at the same levels of those before vision zero began.

If we are asking our communities to accept permanent changes to how they like, live, travel, and do business, then we should expect measurable evidence that those changes are making us safer.

Where is that evidence for the major changes coming on Lyndale Avenue?

Public policy should never be judged by its intentions, it should be judged by its outcomes.

I've spoken directly with the management of both Lowry and Red Cow after recently closing on Hennepin.

They told me that reduced customer access caused by the median was a major factor hurting their business.

They're both gone.

The point is that these transportation decisions have real consequences for businesses, employees, and neighborhoods they affect.

Safety and economic vitality are not competing goals.

They are fundamentally connected.

A thriving commercial corridor is one where people feel safe to walk, bike, drive, shop, dine, and invest.

Strong businesses create active streets and active streets contribute to safer communities.

Roadway designs that don't make us safer, according to real data, are decimating our commercial quarters at the same time and are having the opposite effect of what we're trying to attain.

Most of the businesses did not make it through the Hennepin construction, and neither will the businesses on Lindale.

We're going to put another major commercial corridor.

And stop within a mile of each is Ludic.

Thank you.

Next, we have Will.

I will be limiting everyone to two minutes.

There's a timer here.

If you can't meet your two minutes, you will be asked to stop or asked to leave if you don't.

My name is Will Woodworth.

I live at 28th in Lyndale, and I'm a proud resident of Minneapolis, directly impacted by the very welcome and overdue improvements to Lyndale.

I'm speaking in support for those who cannot be here today but want to live to work and play along this corridor.

Today, Lyndale is too dangerous to ride.

We all deserve a safe way to walk, ride, and roll to destinations and support businesses right where we live.

Just as these businesses deserve support.

Residents deserve a future that supports their needs.

While hundreds have died in the heat wave in Europe last month, Minnesota will again bake under extreme temperatures next week.

This heat is unsafe for life and human caused.

And our commitment to the next generation must include consideration and a little space for everybody.

This design with dedicated bike lanes meets our Minneapolis city goals, which include public safety, environment, and multimodal transportation, public health, community engagement.

When you vote, remember our vision zero action plan, our complete streets policy, our priorities for safe access for all ages and abilities.

These save lives.

The future of Lindale in 2050 is in your hands right now.

And if history is any guide, residents in 2100 will have you and advocates to thank.

Please feel our joy.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next is Jim, then Tamara, then Jason, then Ben.

Jim?

Hi.

My name's Jim Sherman.

I own a business on Lindale.

I don't think there's any debate about the safety issue.

I think the debate, well, from my point of view is the construction in Uptown.

Uptown's dead.

People aren't coming.

People are concerned about traffic.

And I think this project needs to be pushed off and put on hold.

And we need to evaluate what happened on hennepin.

It's obvious that the businesses don't want to come.

The businesses that survived, like the Lowry and Red Cow, they survived the construction, and afterwards they closed because people weren't coming.

So there's a lot of old streets in Minneapolis that need to be repaired, and there's a lot of streets that go south out of Minneapolis, like Chicago and Portland and Park.

Let's do those first.

Let's stay out of Uptown.

Let's get Uptown back to where it was.

Get it repaired, get people coming, get it safer so that we can figure out what the challenges are and then move forward with Lindale.

There's plenty of time for Lindale.

The money that they're giving to Lindale from the government is minuscule to what the project's going to cost.

And there's plenty of other roads to put money into before we devastate Uptown even more than it already is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Tamara.

Hello, my name is Tamara Kaiser, and I live in the Uptown area, and um have been a pained heartbroken resident as I watched what happened in Uptown on Hennepin Avenue and around there to the businesses.

We have been to several meetings.

The last two meetings were about this, the about this project.

You may have heard about the last of the two meetings where there was enormous hostility towards the businesses.

And when I look at the DSA platform and see the people who are, if not members, at least aligned with that platform, I see a platform that has many beautiful ideas and wishes.

And I also see a platform that is very hostile to the idea of people owning businesses and having them there.

In that meeting, people cheered.

They cheered when one of the business owners can't got up and told a heartbreaking story about how he was gonna lose his business, which he needs to support his brother's family, his brother died, his own, you know, his own family, his parents, etc.

And the only thing that we've heard from the county or the city about how to help those businesses is we'll put up better signs.

Sorry, we have no money to help you.

Sorry, this thing has to take three years.

So given that the, you know, the train seems to have left the station.

I would beg you to do consider at least one thing, and that is put the money into doing 24-7 construction so this thing does not take three years, consider that.

Thank you.

Next we have Jason.

Greetings, environmental committee.

I am Jay Felds.

I am non-binary, and I live on Lake and Bryant.

So I am a resident nearby the area in question.

We recently celebrated our semi-quincentennial, so I feel it's appropriate to quote Benjamin Franklin.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

We right now have the money in order to do investment, and I'm not even talking about just the surface level of Lindale Avenue.

I'm talking about underneath.

We have sewer lines, we have gas pipes, we have who knows what's under there.

Lyndale was built over a lake that was drained.

Fortunately, we still have over 10,000 lakes, so we haven't lost the nickname.

But we have to do maintenance on it.

As Josh Potter said at the beginning, this is an ancient road here, an ancient street.

And if we don't take care of the maintenance now, while we have the money, it's just gonna cost more time, more money, more effort, when an accident does happen.

It's better to prevent that now.

If we let this decision, if we let this pause, we're going to lose out on money, we're going to lose out on more funding, more things that'll help all of us.

And once that happens, well, I'm just going to quote the traffic advisor from SimCity 2000.

You can't cut back on funding.

You will regret this.

We do not need roads to have potholes.

We need to take care of the roads, and if we can add a bustling or bike lane on top, so much the better.

Please vote yes on this process.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next we have Ben, then we have Judy, Pam, and Chris.

Ben.

Afternoon.

Ben Johnson.

I'm here as a resident of the Whittier neighborhood and also as a licensed professional civil engineer.

I'm here to support the committee recommending approval to the full city council.

But I just want to be clear that while I do support this project proceeding, it is with a lot of reluctance, which I will broadly outline.

Street reconstruction is a necessary reality of living in a civilized society.

This matters in reference to the utilities that necessitate bringing clean water to our homes and businesses, and that necessitates sanitation networks which carry our waste away.

This infrastructure grants us the privilege to live comfortably in clean and safe environments.

Our society transformed in large part because of cars leading to a restructuring of how humans lived with and among each other.

Simply speaking, with the world as it is today, we have never lived so far apart from each other, and we have never generated as much energy and pollution as we have in the last 100 years.

Cars are not the sole fault for this, but they do play a significant role.

And street reconstruction is an opportunity to alter our collective trajectory and how we relate to systemic transportation through the incorporation of pedestrian-oriented design and by minimizing space allocated for automobiles, which this design only partially achieves.

However, throughout this process, the county has at times minimized the community's voice, whether it was through insincere engagement or the unfortunate attempted implementation of the shared use path.

As a civil engineer, I'm asking all policy leaders, public works directors, and project managers to first reflect and to second work with your staff to understand why this process remains so limiting, leading to agencies barely being able or capable of following their own guidance documents and oftentimes minimizing the voice of the community that they are working in.

The standard road or thank you.

You can leave the rest of your written comments with the clerk.

Next we have Judy, then Pam, then Chris.

Hello, council members.

My name is Judy Longbottom, and I've owned UPS door and a franchise business on Hennepin Avenue for the 20 plus years.

We provide UPS services, shipping printing, and mailbox services to local business owners and residents.

I'm here because my business was hit hard by the two-year construction on Hennepin Avenue.

During that period, our revenue dropped by over 30%.

Construction ended last November, and even now, despite the work being completed, we're still recovering.

For a service business like ours, customer access isn't a nice to have, it's essential.

People depend on us for quick, reliable errands.

Printing, notary, mailbox package pickup and shipping.

So when access is disrupted for two plus years, customers adapt and they don't always come back.

What made the new Hennepin Avenue design worse is the placement of the median down the middle of the street.

Two lanes reduced to one lane, reduced on-street parking, and where there is on-street parking, customers have had to pay to park via meter apps.

That means they look for easier options because time and convenience matter.

I'm asking the city council and Hennepin County at minimum, if you move forward, you must build a design that truly protects direct customer access, turning movements, parking, loading, and delivery access, and winter accessibility so small businesses can keep serving our residents and providing important tax dollars and jobs locally.

Thank you.

You can leave the rest of the written comments with the clerks.

Next we have number 10, Pam.

Uh, number 11, Chris, and then number 12, Noah.

Hello, council.

I'm my name is Pam Sabi, and I live in Bryanton Lake area.

I'm just here, um, just to express concern for the loss of so many mature trees.

Uh, I don't consider a tree something that can just be removed and replaced.

I think we need to focus on really preserving the tree cover we have.

As a person who's spends a lot of time walking in my neighborhood, the streets without trees are almost unbearable in the summer.

And I don't think that it any area can become livable without the natural tree cover that we have.

And I would really like to see that prioritized much higher on the list than more cement.

And my other just comment is you've heard from business owners, I'm just going to give the perspective of a person who uses business on businesses on Lindale and Hennepin that I want to see much more support for what the businesses have to say.

I feel like we don't have a neighborhood if we don't have small businesses we can walk or bike to.

And too many of these designs do not consider the needs of businesses.

There's many options, possibly small lots, but there's not enough consideration to that need.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have number 11, Chris, then number 12, Noah, then number 13, Stephanie.

Chris.

Hello, City Council.

My name is Chris Norton.

I live in Ward 10 in the Whittier neighborhood on 27th Street.

I travel along this Lindell Avenue corridor very frequently to get groceries and visit shops and businesses.

I walk, bike, use bus for, and even drive.

When biking down Lindell currently, it is very dangerous.

There's less than one foot of paint between me and a multi-ton vehicle on both sides.

I have to dodge doors that open on the side without warning.

A person just this last week in St.

Paul was killed by actually having a door opened in front of them.

I love biking in Minneapolis to visit businesses and shops, but it's simply just not safe.

And eventually I will I will get hit or killed.

I just want to be safe and not have to constantly worry that I'm going to make it home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Number 12, Noah, number 13, Stephanie, and number 14, Josh.

Noah.

Hello, council.

My name is Noah.

I live in the East Isles neighborhood.

I'm just here in support of the presented concept for Lindale Avenue.

The transit and land use organization, advocacy organization, Smart Growth America dropped a report last month called Dangerous by Design, which is essentially outlining all of the issues with pedestrian safety in America.

And though the Twin Cities ranks fairly high, it was not one of the 18 metro areas that had decreased pedestrian deaths.

It was one that increased between the years of 2015 and eight uh 19 to 2020 to 2024.

Um, so I just wanted to read a little bit about that.

The U.S.

did not become a dangerous outlier or uh by accident due to the unavoidable cultural differences.

It happened because the US failed to put real resources and intention behind implementation of what is known to save lives.

We need action.

That means design standards that reflect best practices, funding, resources to actually get projects using those standards into the ground.

And the measures that hold those who don't comply accountable.

Real progress will only come when proven countermeasures to street design and implemented or are implemented across all levels of government and jurisdictions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Number 13, Stephanie, then number 14, Josh, then number 15, Anna.

Stephanie.

Yes.

Council members, my name is Stephanie Panaz, and I'm the executive director of the Uptown Association.

While I am new to this role, one thing has become abundantly clear.

In the short time I've been here, our businesses are resilient, but they are exhausted.

I've spent my first weeks listening.

I've met with business owners up and down Hennepin Avenue and throughout Uptown.

They have welcomed me into their stores and restaurants, and they have shared the same message over and over.

They were told that after years of construction on Hennepin Avenue, reopening the quarter would bring customers back.

Instead, many tell me they're still waiting.

Sales have not rebounded the way they expected.

Foot traffic has not returned to the levels they hoped for.

Many are operating on incredibly thin margins, looking out their windows at neighboring vacant storefronts and wondering whether they'll be next.

Now they're being asked to accept another major reconstruction project before they have even had the opportunity to recover.

These business owners are not asking you to choose between safety and small business.

They want both.

They want streets that are safe for everyone, and they want customers to be able to reach their business.

These goals should never be in conflict.

As the executive director of the Uptown Association, I believe our responsibility is to ensure that public investments strengthen our neighborhoods in every way by improving safety, supporting accessibility, and protecting the businesses that are creating jobs.

Generate tax revenue and making uptown a destination.

Today, I ask you to pause, pause, and truly listen to the people who have invested their lives, their livelihoods in this corridor.

They are not opposed to progress.

They are asking to be partners in creating a solution that is safe.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Josh, number 14, Josh, then number 15, Anna, then number 16, Philip.

Josh.

Hi.

Yeah.

Good afternoon, Council members, and I thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Josh.

I am a Loring Park resident, but I work in Uptown and frequently use both Hennepin and Lindale as commuting routes.

I absolutely support safer streets.

I absolutely uh support improved infrastructure and longer term planning.

I respectfully ask that this project becomes paused, not abandoned, paused, to allow for more analysis and impact research into what has happened on Hennepin.

Our businesses in Uptown have endured years of disruption, including the pandemic, public safety challenges, and the lengthy reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue.

We are beginning to see very encouraging signs of recovery.

Businesses are opening, customers are returning, investment is coming, but it is hesitant, and starting another multi-year construction project at this very moment puts that fragile recovery at risk.

We ask for three things before moving forward, allowing businesses additional time to recover from what has endured on Hennepin, additional dialogue with businesses and the community on a design that better balances safety and accessibility with economic vitality, and most importantly, for a complete comprehensive economic and safety impact assessment of the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction.

This is not about opposing change.

This is about preserving access to businesses, to third spaces for our community, for maintaining uh turning movements, addressing safety and winter operations, protecting the character of the Lindell corridor, and ensuring that the project supports not harms the local economy.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next is number 15, Anna, then number 16, Philip, then number 17, Sunil.

Hi, my name is Anne Don Riswick.

I live in Whittier.

I'm here on behalf also of my good friends Nadine Schaefer and Susan Ishrotha, who own the Nomestic Cafe on Hennepin Avenue.

Um, basically, we the main thing that we're worried about, we know that Lindale is gonna have to be re-repaired and needs needs infrastructure work.

We're afraid of two or three more years of construction.

There's been so much pain on Hennepin Avenue, and to prolong the pain for two or three more years devastates not only the businesses on Lindale, but also on Hennepin Avenue.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Philip, number 16, Philip, number 17, Sunil, and number 18, Connor.

Hi, I'm Philip Schwartz, and I'm a resident of the Lindale neighborhood.

I've spent the last 10 years advocating for a more livable Lindale, and I'm here today to speak in favor of this project.

Building on its recent safety improvements, the new design will be a beautiful addition to our neighborhood.

I'm particularly excited about the bikeway that'll provide access to the wonderful destinations on Lindale.

Huge upgrade.

Acknowledging the difficulty businesses will face during construction, I urge urge everyone in this room to find creative ways to keep people coming to the corridor.

I know my kids would love construction viewing patios.

The current design does a great job accommodating people walking, biking, and taking the bus while still preserving parking on both sides of the street.

But today I want to highlight what I believe is the design's most fatal flaw: the disappearing bikeway at 28th Street, just one block shy of the project's biggest destination, Lin Lake.

This will not only frustrate generations of riders by forcing multiple block detours and dangerous street crossings, it also robs Linlake of the vibrancy that comes with a bustling bikeway while crowding bikes and scooters onto already busy sidewalks or squeezing us into heavy traffic.

In Minneapolis, biking is ingrained in our culture.

Go to the beach, a farmer's market, downtown concerts, Mayday, Art Oral, T-ball practice, or literally just the grocery store, and you'll find full bike racks and people swirling around on two wheels wherever you look.

I love that we're a real bike city, but we can't just give up when faced with solvable engineering problems.

We've done such a good job building a city where I can confidently ride across town with my kids, but we just can't seem to avoid these small yet critical gaps in our network.

Take the Lake Street bikeway dead ending just before Hennepin and Bryant just missing the greenway.

I'm grateful the city is now seeking funding to correct those flaws, but these were just built a few years ago.

Let's not make the same costly mistake on Lindale.

Let's get it right now.

I urge you to vote to support this project, with the condition that the bikeway be extended all the way to 31st.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next in number 17, Sunil, number 18, Connor, number 19, Eric.

Um, thank you, counselors, for this time.

Hello, my name is Sunil Controlla, and I live in the Como neighborhood, and I'm the crazy person that bikes a half hour to the wedge for groceries at least once a week throughout the year.

First off, I'd like to argue against the idea that Uptown is dead and present the Hennepin Avenue Teacup that opened two years ago during the construction process, a place I frequently visit just for the shade dice, especially in the seat.

Uh furthermore, I'd like to echo those who've come before me that would support uh improved bike, bus, and walking infrastructure on Lindale itself, beyond even this design.

I'd also like to thank the county for taking feedback from the last design, which I feel was woefully inadequate for the type of community and uses on and around Lindale Avenue.

This design shows a willingness to respond to community engagement, and I do broadly support it.

What I'd like to bring up specifically is the connection between the Bryant bikeway and this new Lindale bikeway.

As is, the Bryant Bikeway ends at Lake Street, as has been mentioned, uh, with a very short piece of concrete north of the intersection for bikes going south to weigh that.

That leaves two blocks of unprotected road on Bryant and two blocks of bikeway in only one direction on 28th Street, sticking people on the sidewalk going in the other direction.

In design documents, the 28th Street bikeway is supposed to be made bidirectional west of Lake.

Um, and I believe there's been talk to extend Bryant bike lane protection up to 28th Street, though I might be listening to be quite honest.

What I'd like to see from the city and county are concrete plans for this admittedly second rate connection across lake as opposed to staying on Lindale to be constructed either with the rest of Lindale or shortly thereafter, guaranteeing that it's at least usable for people living south of Lake to access businesses along Lindale and not just people like me coming from the north.

Thanks again.

Thank you.

Next we have number 18 Connor, then number 19 Eric, then number 20.

Forgive me if I got that wrong.

Hello, council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

My name is Connor Carroll.

I'm a resident of Kingfield in Ward 8.

Um next week I'm celebrating my one-year anniversary with my girlfriend.

I love Kingfield, but within the next six months, I plan to move in with her in her neighborhood in South Uptown.

And I'm speaking in support of the latest project plan, and I hope that the staff can extend the protected bikeways out further than the current plan as well.

Um I drive as much as I bike or walk, and it's often scary to drive on Lindale due to unsafe and fast driving.

So we really need to slow down car traffic through that corridor, in my opinion.

Um the presentation uh at the beginning by staff, a 57% decrease in crashes from that four to three lane conversion corridor alone is just amazing to me.

I didn't know it was that high.

And so a number that large, that means there are people who could have been injured or killed who are alive today who wouldn't be without that enhancement.

And we have an even bigger opportunity with this project plan to save even more lives over the next decades.

Whatever we build next will be there for what was it, like 50, 60, 70 plus years.

And so we have a unique opportunity to really lock in saving people's lives over that amount of time.

In many media reports, the Lindale Reconstruction Project has been framed as a businesses versus cyclists argument, which I think to pigeonhole supporters of safe streets as just cyclists is reductive to put us put it mildly.

I think the supporters here today, a lot of us bike for transportation and for fun.

I think to pigeonhole us just as cyclists, you know, we live in the community, we um we raise our children, we spend our money, and and we want a safer environment for ourselves and for future generations.

Um so it's not a businesses versus cyclist thing, it's it's more nuanced than that, and I I would hope that everyone keeps that in mind.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um next we have Eric and then sorry, number 19, Eric, and then number 20, uh Story.

Hey, my name's Eric Gengi.

I'm a 35-year resident of Uptown and a business owner of Uptown.

I agree it's not shouldn't be put to a bike and business uh fight.

But I also got to say to uh some of the bikers, um, it's not been it's not flown with bike bikers on that bike lane.

It's just not I I have a business on it, and we count bikers, they're not using it very much.

Um I just gotta say it's three percent of the population bikes for uh their uh traffic, and it's to change all that for three percent, one is nuts.

Let me just say that.

I am pro-bike, I am pro safety, I ride every week, um, but I'm a businessman too, and I think we need to pause this um Lindale thing and study hen and pin.

Um, and we also need to pause it because Uptown needs to come back.

It's not there yet.

It's gonna take a couple years before it comes back on Lindale if it does at all.

We need Uptown to be a thriving business community for bikers, for bus people, for walkers, for community, and for people who drive.

And we are not there yet.

So we really need to pause this a couple years, let uptown heal a bit, come back, and then do this uh uh construction that needs to happen.

Again, I am pro-bike, I am pro-bus, I am pro-family and kids, right?

We all are in this community together, and there is a fight between the businesses and the bike people, and it should be both.

We both are the business owners want bike bikers to be safe, have their community, um, come to businesses on their bike as much.

Um, so thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Um we got a bunch more signups just now.

So we have number 20 story, and then 21, uh Jerome, number 22, Regina.

Apologies again if I'm getting people's names wrong.

Hi, I'm Story Schwantis.

Uh, I live in Ward 10 in Uptown, and I live a few blocks away from Lyndale, and I eat and I drink and I dance and I hang out and I grocery shop there regularly.

Uh, and the vast majority of my friends live in uptown and in the area and frequent Lyndale and businesses there.

Um, I'm also a multimodal transit user.

My partner and I share a car, and I walk and bus and bike frequently to get around as well, given that he has the car some of the time and I get the car some of the time.

And sometimes we're together in the car.

Uh I want to first say that while I spend a lot of time on Lindale right now, I don't find it to be an appealing place.

Um, it feels unsafe.

It's not like a place I want to go and bop around uh from store to store or like spend an afternoon shopping.

It's usually sort of like an in and out kind of vibe for me.

Um, I never really want to be on a patio along it as it makes like the vehicle traffic around there make it feel kind of scary and also gross.

I work as an air quality scientist and I know a lot way too much about vehicle pollution.

Um, and all that could be changed.

Uh the hennepin redesign with the e-line um and the bike lane actually changed my life, and I'm like not joking about that or being dramatic.

Um it's easy and it feels safe in the winter, and when I can't walk or bike, it has made me much more interested in making my way up and down the street to have that kind of like designated transportation lane.

Um so I think, you know, first of all, bus lane.

Yay, day one, bus lane.

Uh just last week I actually I biked up Henneman to get my glasses adjusted at the spectacle shop on Hennepin, which is where I usually get my glasses.

Um, and it was so easy, and I want that on Lyndale.

I want to be able to use my neighborhood and grab lunch with my friends by the lake intersection and then like bike our bus up to Aldi to pick up my groceries, and then head back down to my house on 32nd.

Um, and I don't want to get hit by anybody or hit anybody myself, or have a car door open on me, or have to ring at a pedestrian who's in the way because we are all sharing a lane together, which I would never bike on a sideway.

I would only bike on something that I'm designated to bike on.

Um, I also just want to comment briefly on parking.

Um, I have found parking to historically suck on Lyndale, and it basically always has, um, ever since I've been driving.

And uh, leave the rest of your comments uh in writing uh with the clerks.

Next we have uh Jerome, number 21, number 22, Regina, and number 23 are Sally.

Good afternoon.

I'm Jerome Chateau, resident of Sathaptown, originally from Paris.

I've been here for 40 years.

I'm chair of the land use committee of our neighborhood, and we sent a letter of support to this project, but with caveats, and I have a personal comment on one caveat that refers to small businesses on Lindale Avenue.

We urge you to do as much as possible to help them do reconstruction.

For this matter, I'd like to take you to Amsterdam.

You think bike lanes?

No, 17th century Amsterdam with its beautiful houses, overlooking canals and narrow facades in order to pay less taxes.

Fast forward 2026 Minneapolis.

You guys have an assessment policy for any street reconstructions that I think is profoundly unfair, very unequitable, and is going to slam small and brick and mortar businesses more in proportionally than residents.

One dollar for square fruit for residents, two dollars or three dollars, sorry, for businesses.

This is very unique to Minneapolis.

There's very few cities in the US and in the world that have such policies.

I think it's time for you to revisit this.

It's so unfair with construction harm those businesses, and in the meantime, Amazon can drive on our streets without paying any tax.

Please look at this.

You've just done it for George Floyd Square.

Do it for the whole city.

It's time to move forward and abolish this unfair, unequitable, archaic, atavistic policy that is not that is not that does not honor our city.

We can do better.

Idina, Duluth, Northfield have abolished this policy.

There would be a very low-hanging fruit for you.

A way to kill tubers with one stone where you help the disenfranchised property owners.

People in North Minneapolis pay the same as people in Kedwood for street assessment.

And also will help those businesses that are going to suffer greatly.

This is a unique opportunity for you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, number 22, Regina, number 23, Raseli, and number 24, Jeremy.

Hello, my name is Regina Berstein.

I'm a woodyer resident in Ward 10, and I live one block east of the Lyndale Project Corridor.

I'm a transportation planner and I've been volunteering with a livable Lindale campaign for three years since before we had a name for the group.

I've chosen to live close to this part of Lyndale because it's my favorite part of the city.

Just about everything I need is within a short walk or bike ride, including dozens of my friends who also live there, and a bunch of public, and there's a bunch of public transit options nearby to get me to other parts of the city.

I interact with Lyndale Avenue every day, whether that means walking along Lyndale to a business, crossing it on foot, by bike, or in my car, taking the four-bus or driving along the corridor.

It's not a well-designed street.

It's not working well for anyone, no matter what mode of travel they use.

In fact, when I walk to Aldi's or Bob, Bob's, or when I'm walking my dog, I specifically avoid walking along Lyndale because it's so unpleasant.

It's loud, it smells bad, it's dangerous, it's noticeably hotter in the summer, and it's just an uncomfortable place to be, which is really unfortunate because there are so many great businesses on Lindale.

I am so excited for the changes in this proposed design.

The separated two-way bikeway, wider sidewalks, medians, more green space, and partial length dedicated bus lane.

These changes will drastically improve my experience walking, biking, and taking the bus on Lindale.

They'll also improve my experience driving on Lindale, since I won't have to worry about hitting someone on a bike in the road, and I won't have to be extra vigilant for dangerous drivers trying to illegally go around me because they can't be bothered to drive the speed limit.

But the design could have gone even further to improve the corridor.

For example, the design team did not propose any significant changes to the Lindale and Lake intersection, which is the intersection with the highest number of car crashes in the entire county.

There's no bike lane between 28th and 31st, which will force people who bike to mix into a space designated for either pedestrians or cars, potentially with oncoming vehicle traffic, and the bikeway is not consistently separated from the sidewalk, which will create opportunities for conflict between people who bike, walk and roll.

We must center the needs of people walking, rolling, biking, and taking transit.

Uh, we can do so much better.

The new Lindale Avenue should be future-oriented and an example for the rest of the city when it's complete.

We should be planning for our change in climate and improved quality of life.

Thank you.

You can leave any writ remaining written comments with the clerks.

Next is 23, RSLI, 24, Jeremy, 25, Tim.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for the committee.

Listening to all of us this afternoon.

My name is Adesai Casasola, I use she hair pronouns, and I live in Ward 10.

I'm a teacher, a community organizer, and a volunteer advocate for Livable Lindale.

Um, the Lindale Avenue reconstruction is a historic and much needed update to this 90-year-old infrastructure that cannot be delayed.

If we have a chance to rebuild our streets along one of Minneapolis's densest, most vibrant corridors, we must do it to reflect our transportation equity and climate goals.

I do not own a car, and I use public transit and bike every day, and I know so many of my friends and neighbors do the same.

We love visiting Lindale and its businesses, but it often have to we often have to negotiate buses stuck in traffic, as we did today on our way here, long distances between crossings, high speed traffic, and simply no infrastructure for biking on Lyndale except for paint.

I do not represent the distant minority for South Minneapolis.

Just in Whittier, the 2024 census found that 47% of people use public transit bike roll or walk to work, and we know that percentage increases when you include non-work trips.

Twenty-two percent of the residents in this neighborhood don't even own a car.

So we should ask the question: who are we building for?

Designing safe and accessible infrastructure for people who walk, roll, bike, and bus is so important for building a healthy, sustainable community that we all deserve to live in.

And although there are pedestrian and safety and connectivity issues I would like to see address, I'm excited to see what steps this design takes to make Lyndale better for everyone.

The dedicated bike lane between Franklin and 24th will speed up commutes for public transit users.

The plan also includes a future transit ready lane that could easily be converted to a dedicated all-day bus lane from day one.

The small change would make meaningful improvements to speed and reliability of metro transit service that many people rely on.

Yet our designs and timelines make compromises for those who drive in dense urban corridors.

And it compromises the affordability, health, safety of the people who live there.

Street design changes that have been repeatedly proven safe bikes are non-negotiable.

Thank you.

Uh next, number 24, Jeremy, number 25, Kim, sorry, Tim, and number 26, uh Madeline.

Hello, my name is Jeremy Winter.

I live in Uptown.

I frequently walk bus or bike over to Lyndale Avenue to shop and dine at local businesses, Moto E, SK Coffee, Baba's.

There's plenty of other people like me who live in the area and support local businesses.

Not everyone who shops on Lindale, lives in the suburbs and drives into town.

There have been claims made today that traffic medians will harm local businesses.

There has been research done on this topic.

A 2013 study by William Frawley and William Isle titled Raised Medians and Economic Impact on Adjacent Businesses found that, quote, the research has found the installation of a raised median does not equate to economic losses by adjacent businesses.

In fact, only two types of businesses, auto repair shops and gas stations, were found to generally experience losses in gross revenues.

In almost all cases, employment increased in businesses surveyed, end quote.

There have also been claims about losses in parking.

People have talked about Lowry and Red Cow uh going out of business after the street reconstruction.

But both of those businesses had massive parking lots.

There's been talk about a median killing the businesses, but it's 2026, and it's very easy to use Google Maps to navigate to a business by car and work around the medians.

It's very easy to do this for any either of those two.

So what is the real problem here?

If medians don't kill businesses, and part loss of parking isn't really a factor here, remember the only portions of Lindale that are losing their parking are between on the east side of the street between 24th and Franklin, where there are some of the biggest surface parking lots in the city.

The Leaning Tower Pizza Parking Lot and the Wedge Co-op parking lot.

They already have their own parking, and that parking isn't removed for the bike lane, it's removed for the bus lane.

The real problem is the street construction itself.

And we must ask ourselves should we never reconstruct any commercial corridors because of a temporary loss in business revenue?

I wish that we had a program to support small businesses, but we cannot ignore critical infrastructure upgrades.

This street has not been reconstructed since 1934.

If we don't do something, a sinkhole could come up, and that will cause far more problems, and we won't have federal funding to deal with it.

Thank you.

Next, number 25, Tim, number 26, Madeline, and number 27, Lauren.

My name is Tim Keen.

I grew up in Ward 10 and live in ward 11.

I'm here to speak on behalf of the voiceless who are not able to attend today.

And that are those are our trees and our urban canopy.

And we'd like to speak to the uh loss and the current plan of an estimated 52 to 67 mature trees under the current plan.

This is a removal of decades of mature tree growth when starter trees will set back our urban canopy on Lindale Avenue by generations.

The avoidable destruction of the urban tree canopy associated with this project is a direct contradiction of our own city's climate and environmental policies.

The benefits of a vibrant urban tree canopy are too numerous to chronicle, but they do include urban cooling.

They provide critical cooling and shading, which offsets urban heat island effect, air quality and carbon sequestration, pulling carbon from the air and exchanging with oxygen, stormwater management, a mature tree can absorb hundreds of gallons of trees of water in a significant rainfall event.

Health benefits access to the tree canopy spaces have been proven to lower stress, improve overall health, lower blood pressure, and improve the quality of life.

Energy conservation, reducing energy for cooling, biodiversity, habitat for birds, insects, and wildlife.

Trees are not merely a backdrop in our community, they are indispensable allies to our health, our climate resilience, and our quality of life.

Too often our public infrastructure improvements considered tree loss and preservation of the urban canopy as an afterthought if it's given any consideration at all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have number 26, Madeline, number 27, Lauren, and number 28, Jesse.

Uh so 26, Madeline.

Thank you, Council members.

My name's Madeline Loger.

I live nearby Lyndale.

I've lived here for six and a half years.

I primarily walk bike and take transit for almost all of my trips.

I love the sidewalk crossing, crossing improvements, bike and transit features of the new plan, especially at 29th and Franklin.

I love the Hennepin Avenue bike lane and the E line that has recently been opened, and I'm so excited to see this project move forward as soon as possible.

These are critical and critical safety and infrastructure improvements, and we need to do them as soon as we can.

I want to advocate for a swift and urgent construction process, and for the city and county to provide funding and aid to keep our local businesses afloat during construction.

These are critical repairs and upgrades to do in a timely fashion.

And I really also want to thank the county and city staff for listening to the safety advocates and for all the hard work that the staff have put into the project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have 27, Lauren, 28, Jesse, and 29, Nadine.

Hello, my name is Lauren McCarley.

I am a professional civil engineer and I do wastewater work, so I understand that when it's due, it's due.

I do not think there's any question to be had about pausing this project.

I understand that my support for this design comes with the caveat that I do believe the bike lane should be extended past 28.

I think that would be more consistent with the city's safety goals and promote interconnectivity between the corridors.

There's also, I have a concern about the Lynn Lake crossing distance.

It looks like the last roll plot I saw actually had an increased crossing distance, and certainly extending the bike lane to Lynn Lake would help with that.

I also echo the concerns about supports for small businesses throughout construction, whether that mechanism is through the county or the city or both or something else.

I do think that that, you know, recognizing the financial burden that they bear.

Also looking at assessments, I think is an important uh way to consider how we can support through the very necessary non-negotiable construction.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next we have number 28, Jesse, number 29, Nadine, and number 30, Mel.

Hi, my name's Jesse Lorenz.

I'm from Ward 13.

Um, I have listened to everyone speak here today, and uh I'm reminded of how important Lindale is for the whole city.

Um I uh very much support this design with a few exceptions as people have noted here.

I know Councilmember Palmasano, uh, we've talked in the past about how important it is to connect a bicycle network and how that will really unlock a lot of value.

I know it's very important to you.

I would like to see the bike lanes extended down to 31st as well.

Um I also think it's very important for the city to and the county perhaps to figure out a way to support these businesses.

I have three children, one of whom is 14.

She cannot currently safely bike on Lindale to milk jam with her friends.

She wants to do that.

I have two more children coming along that are also going to want to do that.

So I want to see these businesses around.

They're an important part of why I live in Minneapolis because of the bike lanes, because of the businesses, because of all the wonderful things we have here.

So I want to see support for these businesses.

I also want them to support all of us bicyclists who are taking our lives into our hands when there are people parked in the uh bike lanes on Hannepin in front of the UPS store, and many other things where bicyclists are disrespected and put in very unsafe positions.

I haven't heard as much support from the businesses as I think I've provided to them living in Minneapolis for the past 14 years.

I am disappointed in that.

This is very important.

People have lost their lives.

I've been talking about Lindale with Marion Green and other people since 2019 when Ted lost his life.

This is this is not hypothetical.

People have died on Lindale, and we absolutely need to protect bicyclists, and we do come to your businesses.

You may not recognize it because we're not wearing our helmets inside and looking like dorks.

We're taking our helmets off.

I biked with my children to the pinball bar on Sunday.

I would not have driven to that pinball bar.

Part of the attraction was the bike ride.

I think you're being short-sighted, and you need to listen to the people up here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um number 30, Mel.

Dear City Council.

I'm Nadine Shefa.

I'm an uptown resident and business owner, restaurant owner on Hannepin Avenue.

We love bikes and public transportations.

I bike around Uptown and the cities with my daughter.

We have reservations uh regarding the constructions project because of our experience during Hennepin Avenue.

Our restaurant has been open for 20 years, but that was the worst we have ever seen.

It is important to realize that all uptown businesses haven't been able to come back since 2020.

The construction phase means that the revenue for retail and restaurants will be down by 40 to 50 percent.

If it takes two years or even longer, many of the existing ones won't survive.

We ask you to pause the project so that businesses can revive.

If the project starts in 2028, Uptown would be looking at 10 years of disruption, starting with the pandemic and ending with a Lindale construction.

That will be very hard for everyone.

Thanks.

Thank you.

We have number 30, Mel, and then some new sign-ups.

We have number 31, Alex, and 32, Ann.

Hi, my name is Mel, and I live in the South Uptown neighborhood.

I had the benefit of showing up late today because I was biking, and I got to hear from everyone else.

I biked along Hennepinav, and I want to note that Hennepinav in Uptown is the highest volume two-way road in the city with a two-way bikeway.

Lindell Av will probably be the second.

I want the worst part of my bike commute to be sweating.

But unfortunately, that's not the case.

When I biked on Hennepinab and through downtown on 4th, I was stressed.

I have to continuously look for cars crossing the bikeway.

There are many crossings, stop signs, and cars turning left over my bikeway.

The worst part are where cars turn right on red and where they turn left in the center turn lane.

And the most dangerous part of a street is the intersection.

By making turns possible mid-block and over a left turn lane, you have intersections the whole block.

And with the two-way bikeway, you have cars having to look both ways.

It doesn't go well.

How do you think we get more people to bike?

We make it safer, more convenient, and more pleasant to bike.

We want people to be able to bike wherever they want, including businesses on Lindale.

Well, how do you think we get there?

Remember, design influences behavior, narrower roads, slow streets, sign, don't signs don't do as much as narrowing streets.

And enforcement isn't feasible unless everyone wants speed cameras everywhere in the city, like London.

In my opinion, the only on-street parking should be on Lindell should be for handicap and short-term parking for taxis and delivery drivers.

Member design influence behavior.

Andrea Corbin, the leader of Uptown Association, even said everyone wants safer streets, and I agree.

How do we get to zero deaths?

How do we think we get there?

So I think the next phase of design should focus on closing driveways, continuing the medium, and implementing no right turn on reds along this bikeway in every bikeway in Minneapolis.

Thank you.

Um I mixed up the numbers of the next two, so it's actually 31 and 32, Alex.

Is Anne here?

Anne.

Um, okay, is Alex here.

Hello.

Uh, I just moved to the uptown neighborhood.

I've been really enjoying uh finding out all of the places on Lindale, and I'm excited to continue going there during this construction.

I'm a big fan of all of the pedestrian walkways that are being added.

I just wanted to come up here and mention that the lighting being added.

Um I haven't heard anyone talk about it, and I was looking in the plans, and it doesn't seem like I can find it anywhere.

Um I'd really like to encourage that that lighting is as um focused down towards the street and doesn't include um adding more light pollution to our already pretty light-polluted city.

Um one of the ways we can do that is just by adding like lights that point down, like just LED lights that point down, or just using warmer lights in general.

I just want to um have somebody think about that.

Thank you guys for your time.

Thank you.

Number 31, Ann.

Thank you.

Um, I'm a business owner of the Lynn Hall and also a building owner.

I also live in, so that's in Ward 10, and I also live in Ward 13.

Um, I share Tim's concerns about the trees.

Um we've already lost several of the trees in front of Lynn Hall due to salt and different issues over the years, and I feel like the more trees that we take out of that very beautiful stretch of our city, the longer it's gonna take to bring them back.

As a business owner, I feel like that's such an integral part of city living is mature trees.

And the second that we start replacing those with these small ones that often type are broken off or are killed by the winter.

Um I'm really concerned about our street frontage and what that looks like for our guests.

There's been a lot of conversation today about parking and whether this is really a project that the business owners are worried about parking in front of theirs.

Right now, what we're worried about the most is being shut down for three years, just like our friends over on Hennepin Avenue experienced.

That will devastate the business corridor of Lindale Avenue just like it's devastated the community on Hennepen.

This morning on my drive into work down Lindell Avenue, there was open drug use going on at the corner of Flindale and Lake at Rectangle Pizza.

I have drug dealing going on in my business parking lot at night.

We have done everything that we can to bring business back to our community.

If you shut us down, you are only inviting in more crime, you are only inviting in more issues in our community.

We implore you to please reconsider this project now.

We are all fighting to survive.

We are all fighting the public perception about safety in our neighborhoods.

But I'm telling you that we are all barely hanging on by a thread in our corridor.

Facing a long-term assessment on top of three years of business loss will devastate everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else who wishes to speak to this item?

Is there anyone else who wishes to speak to this item?

Is there anyone else?

Alright, this public hearing is now closed.

Um, colleagues, I'll move it to discussion.

I put myself in queue first because I'm bringing an amendment.

Um you should have it with you, and if you don't, uh basically my amendment, uh, and really this city staff had a last minute amendment that included a couple of points.

I'd like to bring up.

Let me pull them up again, sorry.

City staff brought a last minute thing that has amendments that says uh mostly to the effect prioritize the preservation of existing healthy mature trees along Lindale Ave, explore design modifications to the proposed medians to ensure driveway access and support small business operational needs, and three collaborate with city staff and corridor stakeholders to develop a construction phasing plan that minimizes disruptions to businesses and maintains access throughout construction.

I am bringing an amendment that includes uh one more, which um I apologize that I don't have the language right in front of me, but essentially says uh that the city thinks it's important to keep with the uh proposed timeline and keep the federal funds.

Um, okay, great.

Well, you have it then, thank you.

It says it's by honestly, but.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, great, thank you.

Um, yeah, I I will let others speak if you like, but I just wanted to start out by saying it is very, very clear that um that this uh that this is a very controversial issue.

It is splitting folks in not exactly clear ways, but um some folks are wanting even more safety improvements, even more changes to the pedestrian bike and transit realm, and there's those who want the project to not uh go through at all or to see different changes uh taking away uh certain things.

But anyways, all that is to say is that the project that we see in front of us, the concept plan that we have in front of us is clearly a compromise.

It no one here is getting everything that they want.

I want the bus uh the bus lanes to be from day one.

I want the bike lane to go all the way down to 31st.

I want the bus lane to go uh the entire length.

I want all these things.

I am not getting what I want.

There are folks who don't want the bus lane at all.

There are folks who don't want the bike lane at all.

Uh and they are not getting everything that they want.

My ward, ward 8 touches the very bottom corner of this, and it's unfortunate that Councilmember Chucktai is unable to speak for herself here, because I know she has many thoughts on this.

31st is a dangerous crossing, a very dangerous crossing, and and many, many families use it to cross every single day.

And so I am supporting this uh compromise project, not because I am getting what I want, but because this is the compromise that we have in front of us that is balancing the needs of uh many in the business community and balancing the needs of many others uh who live in the community who use this um every single day.

I am encouraging my colleagues to support this, support this concept layout, uh, not because it is giving us everything that we want.

In fact, it is giving none of us everything that we want.

I am encouraging you to support it because this is the compromise that we can do.

This is the one that gives as many people as much as we can have.

And I would like to note that I spoke um extensively with Director Sexton before this.

Uh some of those grays in his beard are from me just earlier today.

I apologize.

Um, and uh I know I know from that conversation, and I know from uh what I know of city staff that they are very much taking everyone's concerns very, very seriously.

Uh they've discussed areas where they can where they see that they can save additional trees, additional mature trees, as well as discussed ways to maintain or improve the safety for transit riders, walkers, bikers.

Um, so I I am moving this concept, moving this uh forward in faith that city staff and that county staff um have all of our best interests at heart.

I really believe that that is true.

Um I believe that they have listened to us over the many years that we have spoken at them.

We have said a great many things and they have struck a balance that is not perfect, but it is the balance that we can do.

And I want to stress that this is the compromise.

This is the balance that we are able to accomplish.

It has many great things about it, and it has uh some things that are not great about it.

Um so I encourage my colleagues to uh to approve this, and so I'll move this uh for approval.

Second, I I sorry I meant to move it with recommendation if that's all right with others.

Yeah, I'm moving it with.

Wait, so are we moving it with or without?

With.

Oh, you said with?

Yeah.

Okay.

Are you still seconding?

No.

I second it.

Sorry, um, Councilmember Warren, you're next.

Um, yeah, I was just gonna elect to move it forward without um recommendation.

Um to the council meeting.

It's a complicated Melanie.

Clerk, can you help us with this?

Uh Mr.

Vice Chair, we have a proper motion that's been seconded already, so we would need to.

Yeah, that was that was the reason why I put myself in queue.

Okay, um, but it's already been voted to move forward, Stevenson's motion is the one currently on the table.

Okay, so we just have to vote on that before we can go to the other one.

If yeah, if there's no more discussion on it, we can do a roll call.

Okay.

Um councilmember Chowdering.

Um I'm interested in hearing my colleagues' discussion on this, and if we want to revisit which motion we're taking up.

Like I'm open to that.

So I'll just start off with that.

Um I just had some questions for staff to start out with.

Um, so I'll wait for a city staff to come up.

First of all, just thank you to all the staff that's been working on this for a number of years, and thank you to all the community members that have come to our chambers, and then all the community members that have engaged in all of the efforts regarding Lindale over the years.

So hence almost half.

Yeah.

Yep.

Pretty significant amount.

Um would this project be possible without the federal funding?

Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Chaudhry, that's a great question.

I guess I'll call that a little bit of a hyperbole, but right now in the budget, no, there is not nine million more dollars sitting there for us to just replace that funding.

That of course each agency has budgets, and obviously in losing nine million dollars for the project to proceed without that 9 million, that 9 million would have to come from other areas, and most likely I assume it would be other delayed projects or deferred projects.

Thank you.

And I asked that question because I think it just shows just how stark it is for us to move a project on this current timeline, 40 to 45 percent of funding from the federal government, especially in this moment, is really critical for local governments and street reconstruction projects.

Um I think any level of local government right now would be very hard pressed to find a nine million dollar funding amount to fill that gap.

My next question is could you kind of share what the responsibilities are between the city and the county in terms of this construction project and uh tree removal replacement, kind of where do things break down here for us?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, uh Councilmember Chowdery.

Uh I'll I'll stick with more of a higher level.

If you have more questions in detail, let me know.

But generally, so the county certainly leads the project, but all the way up to construction and design and in construction, we work with city staff, you know.

Ultimately, of course, just like with many of our projects, we hire a private contractor to do that work.

That contractor is directed by staff on, for example, trees, tree protection.

Um, you know, it is a it is a rebuild.

We're not gonna be able to save every tree, but certainly as noted in the presentation, um, we'll continue to sharpen our pencils and also look towards other projects to see what they've done as well, uh, to save trees.

Um, generally I'll note too as well uh participation as noted both financially from the city and county.

So uh appreciate just staff certainly having that that collaboration between city and county staff um as we continue to move through this process.

Thank you.

I think that's helpful at a high level and might follow up before our um council meeting or full council meeting.

Um, another question that I have is that you had mentioned that there's going to be an effort to reduce the construction timeline, which is currently three years.

What are some things that staff are discussing at a high level to reduce construction timeline?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Chowdery, that's a great question.

Um, just want to acknowledge.

So we are just we've talked very high level, but we are really starting to get into those discussions.

It's how can we set up the contracting to keep the contractor moving?

You know, we talk about incentives, disincentives for finishing late, talk about how the project is built, do they do it?

Um, I'll say, for example, portions at a time, or do they tackle it you know more at once?

There's all these different scenarios that we'll be working through, as well as coordinating with uh metro transit, coordinating with, I mean, there's other utilities like Center Point and Excel, etc.

Um, we've got to coordinate with all different entities really to come up with a plan with our plan is to come up with multiple different options and really come back to the community and talk further about those as well.

Just get feedback on those, but really our goal being we recognize the impacts of construction.

Three years is a very conservative number.

Certainly we want to bring that uh construction time frame to be as quick and as efficient as we can.

Thank you.

It's good to hear that that's your conservative estimate.

Um I think that is definitely a priority for me and several people on this body, and I think anyone that's been invested in this project is how do we make it happen sooner rather than later?

Um I have just a few more questions here for you.

Um you mentioned in your presentation that transit delays will be improved.

Could you speak to the current transit delays that exist and how are those transit delays going to be improved for the future?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson and Councilmember Chowdery.

Great question.

So uh in particular today, so we know that.

So it's the Route 4 and the Route 113, um, Route 4 really being the workhorse in this corridor.

Uh so the Route 4 experiences delays, um, generally, uh especially at the north end of the corridor.

So that is uh 24th Street and North, uh, but especially gets to 22nd Street, which is a block south of Franklin approaching Franklin, and then getting north of Franklin, very much centered uh those who are the delays at.

That's really based on data from Metro Transit.

Uh we know as well, um that you know there's different, I'll say I'll say every day is different on our streets, you know, snow events, etc.

Um, can create challenges for everyone, but um you know, just in general, that's really where we see the significant delays, and that is northbound in this corridor.

Great, thank you so much.

And then even if there were no bike facilities on Lindale Avenue and this street reconstruction, let's say we just didn't add any bike facilities.

Would construction still have the same timeline and impact?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Chowdery.

Yeah, we the construction of a bikeway within the project really does not change the schedule drastically one way or the other.

There's this project is large enough that there's so many activities that need to happen during construction that a bikeway is not gonna drastically change that timeline.

Great.

I think that's really important to just make clear to the public.

Um this construction project is gonna have the same amount of project uh project impact on the area, whether we have bike facilities or other amendment amenities.

I know we're also doing some um stormwater improvements under the right-of-way, and so if we're going to dig up a hundred-year-old street that really needs reconstruction, we might as well take full advantage of what we can get done to improve the street, and that's something that I'm really glad that we're seeing within this project.

And then I just have one last question.

I have some remarks, I'll get back in queue for that.

This question is for uh pick on council member Palmasano.

Hey, Councilmember Palmasano.

Why did the uh why did the council member bring a shovel to the street reconstruction meeting?

I don't know, but it hopefully wasn't taboo a small business owner.

Oh, it was it was uh you're wrong.

It was to dig into the details.

I think everyone just needed to breathe for a second.

It's okay.

We can there we go.

Um next, uh councilmember Palmasano's not able to get into speaker management.

So uh councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you.

I you know, I've heard a lot of stories beyond this room today about people cheering at these design meetings, and someone today called out there being three rallies.

Let me just suggest that is not welcoming community engagement.

That's not dialogue.

While I appreciate the quantity of engagement that's been done on this project, this has gotten frankly difficult to stomach sometimes, difficult to follow.

Small business owners being booed, anyone being booed.

Come on.

Um, it's shameful, and I'm sorry that that has happened during this engagement process.

Um I don't think that would ever be considered a public engagement meeting.

Um, I'd suggest the strong gavel of councilmember Sorensen, or ask you to employ other kinds of Stevenson.

Sorry, I'm deciding from now on I'm gonna care.

So we can all hear one another and their concerns and hopes for this space.

Um thank you, Councilmember Stevenson, for your equitable management of this meeting today.

Um I hear the concern about the loss of parking and the loss of income to small businesses, and I understand that fear.

We have seen it in the past.

So the concerns and people wanting to ask for a delay.

I've heard a lot of calls to delay this project a little longer, and I think that's a pretty difficult idea to entertain at this point, given the federal funding for this project, as explained a little bit more in depth here.

Um a question, and I think this is also confusing through the community engagement process.

I've heard you say, Mr.

Potter, that you need municipal consent, and frankly, that's different than what I've heard from county commissioners themselves.

Is that true?

Because I wonder why there aren't just as many people in forums with county commissioners.

Maybe there are, and I'm just not aware of them.

But is it true that you need municipal consent from the city for this project?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Palmasano, uh, yeah, per state statute, which I would have to defer back to the city attorney's office or county attorney's office.

Uh, but there is via statute, uh, the county does need to get uh support or layout approval uh from uh cities as we do projects within said city.

Okay, thank you.

Um that is different than I've been told by others at the county.

Um I want people here today to be assured that many of us have reached out to the county to ask what supports they have to offer businesses during the construction, and they're aware of these serious concerns.

Um to that end, I echo the concerns of Councilmember Chowdhury to ask more specifically.

The current commitments to a construction timeline of two to three years is way too large a construction margin, in my opinion.

It's hard to plan for.

Um is that construction timeline mean that things would be open and in a construction zone in front of every business for that entire timeline?

Somewhere I got the impression that this is a moving project, so that would not be the entirety of space obstructed outside every business for the duration of the project.

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Palmasano, uh just repeating the question just to make sure that I get your question correctly.

Essentially, will construction be outside of all the businesses over that two to three.

Over that entire time.

Two to three years.

Yeah, that's uh that's a great question.

Um, you know, I'll I say this in the regards of like I said, we're still trying to figure out what construction will look like here, but just want to acknowledge that you know there are scenarios where you know maybe construction happens.

I'll say for example, on the north side of this corridor in one year, and then the south side the next year, or the east side for a portion of the year or the west side for the portion of the year.

And so I recognize I'm giving you a little bit of a gray answer on that, but it also comes down to ultimately how the project ultimately gets constructed, is really you know, where is the construction at to answer your question?

So I appreciate your very detailed slide talking about where we've come to date, but then when it says construction starts in 2028, that just becomes an unknown, a dive into the unknown, and that's hopefully as you get closer to that point, you'll be able to more specifically outline that um for people that are trying to operate or move around that street.

Um, that is a I will note that's a that's certainly something we will do is as we work through this construction staging, etc.

Those pieces with city staff and the public, we will have more of those details for people who are have businesses along this corridor who move up and down this corridor across this corridor, et cetera.

I appreciate that the county took the feedback um from the city and the community, and it looks like you've retained 76% of the parking, and the area that's losing parking seems to have a couple of surface parking lots, though, as we also heard mentioned at least one, and I think more are actually empty lots.

Um testimony today mentioned medians as a primary issue, and that's different from what I've understood from some of the same businesses on Hennepin, where the primary issue is about other city regulations and downtime from construction that hurt them the most.

How many legal turns are new medians going to prevent in this design?

I don't have those numbers directly in front of me.

I'll have to follow up, but I will certainly note that, you know, I th as I go through the design in my head, I'll just note more at a high level that generally the most of the turns that are legal today remain open for use in the proposed design.

Um I am going to point out there, I'll give the example of there's medians where we have pedestrian crossings at 25th, 27th, and 29th Street.

And at those locations where we have pedestrian flashing beacons and those pedestrian crossings, we are prioritizing the medians just because we want to ensure uh safe and effective crossings.

That brings me to another concern I heard from a frequenter of Lindale that uses that has difficulty with her mobility traversing medians.

Um so I think that's what you mentioned in the ramps, right?

Like this person, she struggles moving over medians, as say my mother would in moving over like concrete curbs and that.

Um are people getting in and out of vehicles expected to go over medians or curbs as they cross the street?

I'll leave it to you.

Vice Chair Stevenson and Councilmember Palmasano, uh answering.

So you're asking curbs, or can I clarify and ask you asking curbs or asking medians?

Well, medians because to me that has a curb to it, but yes, that's for medians, and that pardon my confusion.

Oh, that's that's all right.

Uh so Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Palmasano.

So just want to note that uh since the medians are in the center, where there are crossings in those medians, there are uh pedestrian ramps and ramps to get through those crossings, of course, that'll all be um American of Disabilities Act accessible, and then of course, parking being next to uh the curb of the street generally a similar to will be similarly designed, uh like parking in other parts of the city.

Um, while I think um I would like follow-up about how many new medians are we doing that prevents um things that are legal today that we're going to say are no longer safe or legal as we install a median.

Um I do think this design is a reasonable compromise.

I do think it is a compromise.

Um I realize this isn't the exact business friendly design that people were going after, but I do think it shows that those designing this street have been listening.

Um the most important piece to me that we're addressing is that we have one of the most dangerous intersections in the state at Lindale and Lake, as well as a couple others along this corridor, and this isn't just car versus car crashes, this is car versus cyclist or pedestrian kinds of crashes.

Um I was pleased to hear you talk about those safety improvements.

Um, I'll also say this.

I have always consistently approached street design discussions and decisions in the context of our adopted city policies.

This Lindale layout meets the intents of things like our transportation action plan, our vision zero plan, our climate equity plan, our strategic and racial equity plan, and it adds to our existing all ages and abilities bike, sickle network.

Um I've supported several layouts now based on those policies, and I will apply that again here.

Um trees.

Should we talk about trees since the testifier said they were voiceless?

Um, I'm also a strong advocate for trees, and I've seen this process really improve over the years.

Um did I hear correctly?

Not today in this forum, but that trees on Lindale would be started earlier than in the past, so that they might be more mature by the time Lyndale is open to use again.

Is that something that you have looked at?

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Paulisamo, uh, that is something that we can certainly discuss further.

Uh you know, I'll note that generally just because of the heavy nature of construction and the trees that are of course planted after construction, we also are balancing, we don't want to plant too early and just have them impacted, of course, by any remaining construction.

I'll say cleanup work, they come back to plant grass, they come back to do those different types of construction activities.

When we plant them, we want to know that generally they're gonna be planted in the time they need to be planted, some trees in the spring, some team, some in the fall, and of course uh give them the best chance of uh chance to survive and grow.

And we and the last thing I'll note is uh we as the county as well, we certainly for the first two years are the most important two years for a tree in terms of getting it established.

So we do uh take on uh watering and we do take on those trees, and then at the end of the two years, you know, if the tree has not survived, because there are times we do plant new trees and they don't survive, we do come in and we replant that tree.

In a project that's about to start down in my ward, tree loss has gone from nearly a whole side of the street to just two trees and a very deep sewer project.

So I am hopeful that as we start to take a look at these things a little differently, that maybe we can have less um trees removed.

I like that we have started to use people with a great deal of arborist kinds of skills to talk about when a tree needs to be removed because it has been destabilized by cuts to the balancing um type of root system that it needs.

So thank you for this.

Um thank you for being here today, Councilmember Vita.

Thank you, Chair Stevenson.

I I do like now that you're gonna start correcting people for that that name combo.

It's a combination of your first and last name.

It's kind of cool, right?

That's the combo names, but I like that you're gonna fix it.

Um I uh I really do hope you consider moving this forward without recommendation.

I'm not opposed to this or fully with this.

I just have a lot of questions, like I told you before the meeting today, and that's kind of the process to not force people to take a vote that they're not sure on.

So I really do hope you consider moving this forward without recommendation.

Um, and I have more questions now that we've had public testimony because I had only had people reach out to me from the business community on this about the losses they've taken and how hard these projects have been on their um their businesses, and I I had folks from my ward who were impacted by what's been happening in Uptown uh over the years also.

You know, it it's not a ward that I represent, but the north side certainly frequents uptown for businesses that exist now and that are gone, and so I've had people reach out to me mostly opposed to the project, and now I'm hearing from the other side of this, and we have a week to work through this and to answer questions and ask our colleagues questions.

I have not been able to speak with the council members who represent uh where this project is gonna happen either.

Um, I've been busy with drones in my ward, so uh I I'm uh hoping to speak to people over the next week or so, and so I really do hope you'll consider moving this forward without recommendation.

Um, also I just wanted to say what I said to you earlier, Chair.

You know, my biggest concern is the county's role in this financially.

I've I've heard a lot from folks who have businesses that have been greatly impacted over the last, I think someone said 10 years by um lots of things happening, and I'm trying to uh figure out what the county's financial commitment could be to our businesses uh based on the impact some of them have shared with me.

I don't know if that's possible, but I at least want to be able to ask the question to some county commissioners and others.

Not I'm sorry, not to you, but to the people that are in charge of the budget at the county, right?

Like just to know what what their financial commitments are because my fear is we do things uh to support their projects here at the city of Minneapolis, and then um we also have to financially support the impact of those projects uh after the fact and um I know for certain that we are um we we don't have the money we used to have at the city of Minneapolis uh when the Hindepin County when the Hindepin project uh was going on, and so I want to make sure that there is gonna be support for the businesses if it this has that kind of impact, and I I think just some time to be able to talk to folks on both sides of this is what I need to be able to make a final decision, Mr.

Chair, Councilmember Chowder.

Um, thanks, Chair Stevenson.

I'll just say as someone that seconded the motion to move forward with recommendation.

I think it's fair for us to move it without recommendation.

It's gonna end up in the same place.

I'll just say like council member Chowdhury supports this with recommendation very much so, but just for the public, it's gonna end up at the same place, and we're gonna have to take a final vote on it there at full council on Thursday.

Um just a couple questions.

I did have another street construction joke, but it's not done yet, so um, so I will just share that I do think that there is something really to anti-displacement work during construction projects, and I think that's a place where the county does need to step up.

Um there was uh county led beeline construction on Lake Street, the very far east part of Lake Street in my ward, and it was really really different difficult for the small businesses in that area um to make it through that moment, and they struggled to even have an individual uh to engage with, and just having an anti-displacement plan, and that's why I really support this um point that our public works team is putting in this resolution of support where it says work with city staff and corridor stakeholders to determine a construction phasing plan that minimizes disruptions to businesses and ensures access during construction to the extent possible.

I'll also just say minimizing disruptions to businesses.

If you think about it from a people-centered place, like it's community members that are trying to access these different spaces or have a better understanding that the places where they want to go and gather are still available to them.

So that's just a point of feedback that I really wanted to share.

Is there going to be any discussions at present about anti-displacement work and making sure that there's activation on the corridor during this three-year timeline?

Yeah.

Vice Chair Stevenson.

I'm gonna let Lisa step in here.

Wonderful.

Vice Chair Stevenson, Councilmember Chowdhury.

My name is Lisa Cerney.

I'm the assistant county administrator for the public works line of business.

Hennepin County takes a very strong approach to disparity elimination.

And we have been working through for the Blue Line Extension Project, a conversation, and you use the the term that we've been using is um anti-displacement work.

And so through all of our roadway construction projects, we are also kind of engaging with a very similar sort of group across the county to think about what can we do for housing for small businesses and all of these different individuals and businesses with various different needs.

And so, how do we make sure that we do the best job in each unique location to make sure that they're connected to whatever resources we the county may have or the city may have, again, so that we can collaborate and work and do the best that we can for the residents that we are shared residents.

Thank you.

And I think that needs to be some actionable steps for that to be realized, and I think there's a lot of agreement and a potential for collaboration between the city and county.

There's a testifier that brought up the idea of having like a construction watch, like patio, NACTO has shared several ideas to activate spaces during street construction, right?

Like if the street is going to close before the actual digging up of the ground begins.

Like there could be play spaces, there could be block parties, street fairs, there could be interim public plazas, just like what are the things that can create like an active third space?

And I mean, for us in the city of Minneapolis this year, we did fair free or yeah, fee-free events where businesses and community organizations could put up an event in an area that has a lot of economic weight in our city for free when it came to like all the permits and fees that they had to pay to the city.

And that was in spot in response largely to Operation Metro Surge because we needed to reactivate the activation in different areas.

But I think that's an interesting place for us to look, especially considering we would plan for three years without events.

So if people are willing to host the events, that's a way that we can support.

I just I think we need to bring more whimsy into the conversation.

Like fears and bulldozers, bulldozer naming competitions, like this part of town is a place that likes to do weird, fun, creative things.

Um, so I'm hoping that we can take a look at that.

And then I'll just say my remarks.

I want to just take some time to again reiterate how excited I am to vote in favor of this plan.

I feel like invest in our communities and our residents so they can walk, roll, bike, take transit, and drive safely in our city.

I want to thank every single city staff, Hennepin County staff.

I want to really thank Council Majority Leader Chug Tai, who spent a lot of time with me and my office talking through this project and the constituent engagement that she's done, and the other stakeholders that have put a lot of effort into this project.

I think this design will ultimately improve safety and livability for residents who live and visit this area by improving those hazardous intersections where we've seen some of the highest number of car crashes, protect pedestrians and make transit more accessible for all while preserving 76% of the parking.

The proposed design also adds green space.

We're going to make some efforts to mitigate mature tree loss.

One thing I think we could also consider is what does it mean to do uh large tree replacement versus having these smaller baby trees.

I think it would be great to see the county invest in that.

There's a real big opportunity to beautify the area that currently feels really hostile.

This design project, I think really most importantly is future forward, right?

This is going to be the design that we'll have for the next hundred years, long after everyone in this room is long and gone, unless you've found uh a way to access the fountain of youth.

I think it sets our communities up for success, and I also think there's a good opportunity here for us to kind of think that think about the things we've been trying to innovate on and in terms of street reconstruction, anti-displacement, bringing some whimsy back into the project, figuring out how we can reduce construction timelines and have better engagement as local government.

I think in this moment in time where the federal government is really not listening to people, this is a great time for local government to flex.

We're listening, we're engaging, and if we have the staff to do it, I think that's a it's a really low-cost way to build a lot of trust with our community members.

And again, construction can be very difficult to navigate.

But I I saw that after the horrendous operation metro surge that we had when I attended Lyndale Open Streets this year.

Firsthand, how much care and support there was from community members, support from local businesses and vendors along the corridor, and I trust that our city can support one another through the process, and I look to the county to take the lead in this moment, and I I also look to our city staff here in public works to really delve into the partnership that's required to ensure that this is a moment where we're not just always feeling like we're getting through something, but we're getting to something.

And again, I think it's a I really acknowledge the fear that comes with the uncertainty of street reconstruction, especially after the last six years in our city.

But I I think that there's a possibility that this can be a moment of growth, and many people have said it like what we currently have is status quo, is just untenable, and we have a great opportunity to build for a community.

And I'll just close off by saying this like there are parts that I super love about these projects.

This project, the medians, alighting, filling the bikeway gaps, improving transit, but there are things that we're not achieving, right?

Like the bikeway ending at 28th.

That sucks.

Like that's how I felt when I looked at it.

Um, there are some intersections that are still left wide open with little infrastructure to prevent collisions.

People are worried about that, I'm worried about that.

And then we're saying that there's going to be a future-ready transit lane.

I think that in and of itself is a major compromise.

And so that's what I see here when I'm voting on this project.

A lot of opportunity, possibility for growth, and compromise.

Not everyone's getting exactly what they want here, but we're taking one big step together as a city.

So thank you.

With that, without objection, we can move this uh without recommendation.

So sorry, uh Councilmember Vice Chair Stevenson.

You're changing your motion.

Yes.

Okay.

And I'll second it.

Thank you.

And then uh you can call the role.

Council member Vitoff.

Hi.

Excuse me, Trick Tyson.

Um, I.

Palm Saddle.

Aye.

And Vice Chair Stevenson.

Aye.

We have four eyes.

Um just as a note, the captioners are here until just as a note, the captioners are here until four o'clock.

So we'll have to end at four o'clock, which is thank you both for coming.

Um so our next item is to receive and file a response to a legislative directive related to the proposed closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center HERC.

This directive was passed December of 2025 and reintroduced at the beginning of this term.

Um I just want to ask the clerk, do you think we have time in 10 minutes to do this, or should we push this to the next meeting?

Uh it's my understanding from agenda setting that staff anticipated this being 15 minutes.

I don't know that we'll be able to, but I'll defer to um, I'll defer to staff staff in the room for that.

Yeah, Vice Chair Stevenson.

Um, I think we could probably do this in 10 minutes.

This is a legislative directive.

I think our intent was to share the information.

I think we'd have a preference to convey that today if possible, and if there needs to be further discussion, we could come back.

Yeah, let's do that.

Thank you.

Please introduce yourself and then go for it.

Good afternoon, Chair Stevenson and Council.

My name is Nick Gerald, and I'm the director of the solid waste and recycling division for Minneapolis.

I'm here today to respond to a legislative directive put forward by Councilmember Rainville.

So we got a slide deck here.

Basically, everything in the slide deck will be answering the specific questions from Councilmember Rainville's LD.

So I'll start by.

So the questions on the LD were as follows.

It's um what steps are there for the city to prepare for proposed HERC closure, projected cost and timeline associated with preparing for disposal or proposed closure, how it handles city trash that is delivered HERC, what environmental impacts of the ultimate disposal location would be, and how does the loss of work impact electricity rates for residents in Minneapolis?

So closure step preparation.

One is where's the trash gonna go?

Two is where's it gonna who's gonna handle it?

Three is how how much it's gonna cost, and and what are the steps for implementation.

Um, when you look at the options we would have if we were not gonna go to HERC, we had we hired a consultant company to come in and do this this investigation for us or this research for us.

So there's really in a slide later in the deck.

I'll show you all the different options we would have, but when you boil it down to a nutshell, there's South Transfer Station, which is currently our voucher program down off of Lake Street where residents can drop stuff off.

We have our north transfer station, which is right now in the middle of the potential um EPA grant finishing and and creating a residential drop zone there as well.

Um so both of those will be the transfer stations we would have to use because our our route trucks are not equipped to go to the landfill, and we would have to double our fleet, double our staff because they already haul two to three loads a day.

So that to the amount of time it would add for them to run to a landfill in the suburbs would take way too long.

So we would use one of the transfer stations and then have to long haul from that transfer station to a nearby landfill.

And we could do it multiple ways.

We could run and operate the transfer station as a city entity.

We could long haul as a city entity, or we could contract some of those projects out as well.

Now we don't have any contract rates in here because without releasing an RFP, it's only able to get the information.

So the the cost we'll have in this proposal are strictly what it would cost for the city to do it itself.

The other option on there, too, is to completely release all the the work that by going to SKB, which is a transportation in Minneapolis, and that would be the most expensive path, but it is a path we could take where they would we would drop there, and then they would try they would long haul out to landfills.

They already do that for other private haulers as as it stands right now.

But the next slide shows that the alternate disposal cost and environmental impact.

Um the things that were included in that were the cost of the environmental impacts sending Minneapolis Minneapolis solid Waste to three different transfer stations or three different regional landfills.

Landfills would be Elk River, Burnsville or Pine Bend, Ober and Rosemont.

Um it also talked about also included increased staff and vehicle time, number of type of vehicles transporting the waste and then emissions due to increased transportation.

What it didn't cover was commercial and multi-waste, which we don't have any control over at this point yet.

The cost upgrade and maintain the facilities itself because either facility, whether we use South Transfer or North Transfer, will need extensive repairs and upgrades to to make this work.

It does not talk about the reduction in solid waste customer services or the cost upgrading type of fleet or CNG systems.

Alright, on the next slide, there's a couple pictures there you can see of our two transfer stations we currently own.

The left is the North Transfer station.

Right now, that's got the EPA grant right now, which we're trying to complete a project there to make it a public drop zone for all the residents of Minneapolis.

That property would need significant work to the foundation of the building to the pit where the trailer backs down inside of, and then also to the roof itself there.

The picture on the right is our South Transfer station, which currently holds the voucher program for our residents right now to drop materials off at the work that's we need there is the stack removed because in its current footprint, you're not able to have 14 different semi-trailers working around that property.

It's too small.

So we'd have to remove the stack, and then we would have to maintain or not maintain but repair the roof, which is in significant disarray or disrepair right now on the over the old burner section.

The roof is recently done over the tipping floor, but not the rest of the building, which potentially could be problematic.

So those are the two buildings there that we would bring our trash to, then we would long haul it to the landfills.

So the next slide it talks about cost options and cost comparisons.

Now, when you look at the bottom right corner to the 6.65 million, that's where our current disposal costs are to HERC.

And so when you look at the options we put out there, 7.91 million would be the cheapest option, which for disposal would give our residents about a 7% increase on their daily rates.

If we went to the most expensive one, that would be 9.39 million dollars.

And these are not in addition to the 6.65, but the difference offset from the 6.65.

So those are the that's the additional cost there.

And then the 9.5 over here in the far right would be what if we went to SKB and did an all-in package with something like that.

On the next slide, this is what it would take for us to staff and operate a transfer station.

So we need about eight FTEs, costing approximately $718,000.

We would need an initial equipment investment of 1.14 million for the list of equipment.

And that's that equipment is just to operate a transport station.

There's nothing new with long hauling to a landfill, it's just operating a transfer station.

And then $75,000 annually to maintain and keep that equipment and the maintenance of the facility going forward.

Right now, we currently run about 53 rearload trucks a day to the incinerator.

So those trucks will all be coming to a transfer station.

Now the other thing to consider with both of our transportations, one is in heavily populated area, which is a self transfer, and the north transfer, which is not, is in more of an industrial area.

So those are things that we'd have to take into consideration as well.

And then 14 outpond loads of 14 trailer loads of trash would be left every day of the one of those transfer stations and head to a landfill, whether it be Pine Bend, Elk River, or Burnsville.

This next slide talks about city staff long haul operations and what it would take for us to do the long hauling ourselves.

So it would be anywhere from four to six FTEs, and that would be depending on which facility we used and where we were going because it timing of the loads and how it works.

So that's why there's it's not an exact specific number.

Six to eight units of equipment, and that would be tractors, trailers, that such.

So our next slide kind of puts those two together.

So it gives you that first line of what it takes to operate transportation, which is 80 FTEs, 10 pieces of equipment and about approximately 1.14 million.

And then the second line is in-house log hauling, which is four to six FTEs, tractors and trailers, and the 1.7 to 2.28.

So all in, if we were to do both operations on our own, we're looking at approximately 2.84 to 3.42 million based on which plan of the which seven locations we would choose from, whether it's north, south, and which landfill we're going to go to.

This here shows you the breakdown of which of cheapest to most expensive, or least expensive to most expensive of the different options we looked at.

So north to Burnsville and south to Burnsville and south to Pine Bend and so on.

And the the second column from the right shows you the increase percentage-wise that would be ongoing to the residents as disposal costs.

Whereas the column on the far right is a one-time purchase of equipment and the needs of the facilities to get them upgraded and ready to go.

So there will be a long-term cost to the residents, and it just depends on the plan.

7% anywhere up to 26%.

So it really varies based on the plan you would choose.

Steps from implementation.

So first off, one thing I want to make sure we put out here is if if we pull our waste from the incinerator and long haul it to landfills, until the incinerator is closed, they will backfill our tonnage with somebody else's tonnage.

So the environmental impact doesn't change from the incinerator because the state hierarchy says we're gonna we're gonna burn before we bury.

So they will find other sources of volume to backfill what we take out.

So when we look at any CO2 numbers down the road here in a couple slides, understand that some of it isn't going to change because they're going to continue to operate until they're closed.

Once they're closed, then those emissions and those CO2 levels change.

But until then, they're gonna operate at full capacity because that's the state hierarchy.

So for us to implement though, would be evaluating the transportation we want to use, getting community engagement on, especially think if it was going to South Transfer, we need some community engagement there.

Um determine the selected alternate disposal location Pine Bend, Burnsville, Elk River, devise and plan RFPs.

If we're not going to do it all in-house, and even if we were gonna pull out, we would probably have to do some interim, either RFP or SKB uses until we were staffed and equipment was purchased and the upgrades of the buildings were done.

But then purchase some reason equipment, hire staff, and then route the trucks to the different location.

So this talks about some of the environmental environmental impacts, and you can see on the top right, it kind of talks about the hierarchy, the state's hierarchy for disposal.

One's reduction, reuse, recycling, and so on down the line to waste energy and landfilling.

But what this slide really talks about is the diff the change in two things liability of the trash, and then also the long-term effects of the CO2.

So when trash is burned at the incinerator, CO2 is generated and then it's done.

And once the ash is ashed, there's no more CO2 being generated.

When it goes to landfill, it's CO2 for a period of time, and then it changes to methane, and it's methane released for the next 20 to 60 years.

So it's a long-term effect when it's in a landfill.

Um, I think that's it for this slide.

To talk about the trash that we would be diverting from the incinerator to go to landfill would be 70,430 tons a year.

We 90% of what we currently haul because 10% of what we haul is already in ash, so that's why it's a 90% increase.

That ash is being hauled from the incinerator to a landfill.

So the increase is 90% to the landfills in our area.

But if you look at the volumes, we added this just to kind of show you the volume of it, equivalent to 20 or uh, yeah, 26 Olympic swimming pools, a train of cars from Rochester to Minneapolis.

It's the volume is significant.

Here's air emissions.

So on this slide, we talk the blue box on the top explains and talks about the additional mileage that our city trucks and vehicles will be put on yearly.

This is not weekly or daily, it's but yearly.

And then below talks about the additional emissions due to the additional mileage of the vehicles operating.

And it's important to note that 54 to 90 percent of our added emissions from the additional traffic would be happening to the communities outside of Minneapolis.

So it would not be happening directly in here because they'd be hauling through these communities to get to the landfills.

Some things the study could not evaluate.

Total emissions impact of an alternate disposal location, and part of that's because HERC will continue to operate.

So we're not able to get numbers on that.

Neighborhood level of air pollution exposure risks.

We're not able to encapsulate that in the study or increase landfill impacts due to receiving city residential waste because landfills are not required to report their leach shape, their CO2s, any of those kinds of any of that information.

So kind of the summary of the LD then is timelines uncertain because we don't know when Herc would close.

Oh yeah, I'm sorry, I skip a page.

Electricity rates.

So we did reach out to XL.

They their contract with HERC closed in 2024, so they're no longer purchasing electricity from HERC, but mid-continent electricity is HERC, or I'm sorry, XL is part of the plans, they knowing that HERC is going to close at some point in time.

So they're working around that already.

So they've developing plans.

They were not able to release any plans to us about that, but they have adopted resource planning around the closure of HERC and how it would affect the residents, but they couldn't give us any information about rate increases, rate changes, or rate adjustments.

And then the summary I want to get to then here, so I can keep you on track is that again, timetable depends on when it closes, or if we may if we were to take action prior to a closure of HERC.

Um, if no closure, the timeline to develop, we need to file and create a plan with the MPCA that says we're going to deviate from the waste the state's waste hierarchy and and follow this plan for us instead of following the hierarchy.

Um increased cost.

So on this second box, you can see disposal increases from 480 to 1944 per resident per cart.

So it depends on the size of the cart they have and which plan we go with.

So if a resident has multiple carts, then the rate goes up double that.

So if they've got if we go on the cheapest rate, their disposal costs go up 480, but if they got two carts, then it's 10 bucks, so it's going to continue to escalate based on how many carts they have at the residents.

Um the one-time capital would be approximately $50 to every resident within the city.

And if you extrapolate that over an annual rate, if we did it for one year, it's approximately um $31 or $26 to $31 if you did it on one year recapture, or if you stretched out, it would be less than that.

Um so the best case scenario, $20 to $50 on the overall cost to residents, and then that's for the capital, then additional cost would be the annual increase to the disposal fees.

With that, I'll leave myself available for questions.

Uh colleagues, we have until 4 15 actually.

So apologies, my speaker management just went down.

I'll be here in just a second.

All right, go for it.

I thank you for the briefing you gave me earlier.

So I really don't have any questions, but I just want to publicly thank you.

This is a lot of work, but it's great information.

It as you know, this is very controversial, the idea of closing it down ahead of time without a lot of a lot of other steps being taken by other forms of government.

And what really impresses me is that we need the state of Minnesota to be involved in any discussion about closing down that HERC.

It's not just the city or the county, it's the state as well.

And that's that's the biggest piece of information that I took away from your presentation.

So thank you so much to you and all the staff who did this hard work.

Thank you.

It helps us make a better decision.

All right.

Right, sorry, go for it.

Thank you.

Um Chair Stevenson.

Um just a couple of interesting things that I learned through this presentation.

Thank you for this presentation is that less than twenty-five percent of Herc's business is the city.

Um that's news to me.

Um that really is informative, I think, as to how we move and what that means if we make a change, and also that even if we pull our trash out, it doesn't mean that the HERC is going to close.

So thank you.

These are things that um really came to light for me during your presentation today.

All right, thank you for that presentation.

Um, seeing no further discussion, I'll ask the clerk to file that report.

Our last item is the postponement of the climate equity action plan, which is being postponed to the 23rd.

Are there any questions or discussions from committee members?

Seeing none, um, uh with that, we've concluded all our business to come before the committee today, and if there are no objections, we are adjourned, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.