Greetings! Here’s city-related news for residents of Ward 1 and beyond.
Local governance in the time of Trump: It’s been less than a week since the new administration took office, but already it looks like local communities will need to be on high alert to maintain stability and keep moving forward. Federal funding for infrastructure and other projects – historically a reliable revenue source to keep cities safe and well maintained – is more uncertain, and policy changes around issues like immigration enforcement and tariffs create risks and unknowns for both residents and city leadership. Like other cities, we are keeping a close eye on what these potential changes might mean for our community and preparing as best we can. Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic here. Vision 4.0 getting underway: Way back in 1995, I participated in St. Louis Park’s first-ever Visioning Process – and can see very clearly the impact that process had on what our community looks and feels like today. Back then we prioritized responsive government, putting children first, building civic pride, welcoming and celebrating diversity, and expanding housing options, among other goals. See what I mean? Visioning has taken place every decade since then and in 2015 led to the development of our current strategic priorities. Now, the city is gearing up for Vision 4.0. Nonprofit Forecast Public Art, in partnership with Bolten & Menk, will lead a robust community engagement process throughout 2025. Community events will commence this spring; please sign up here to stay informed on how you can participate. Everyone’s voice matters in creating our community vision! Holding housing developers accountable: Concerns about wage theft are not uncommon in the construction industry. There are bad actors out there, and nonunion workers, who comprise almost 90% of workers and are disproportionately people of color, are vulnerable. My colleagues and I are increasingly committed to holding all developers doing work in our city accountable for ensuring everyone on their site is treated fairly, regardless of whether they were hired by the developer, a contractor, or subcontractors. A recent preliminary approval request from developer Roers Companies for a project near the future Wooddale LRT Station provided an opportunity for me and my colleagues to make that expectation clear at the beginning of the approvals process. New affordable housing development opens: There’s a housing emergency in our country and our community is helping. Back in 2020, Union Congregational Church in SLP sold a portion of their property to nonprofit housing developer Project for Pride in Living, with the shared goal to create housing affordable for people working in the local service economy – e.g. in our hospitals, schools, and retail establishments. Earlier this month, new tenants started moving into Union Park Flats, a three-story, 60-unit, all-affordable apartment building just blocks from the future Wooddale LRT Station. Congrats to all who worked to make this vision a reality! More good news on housing: Bickham Court (formerly Perspectives Inc.) was recently awarded $8M in funding from the state to fund critical renovations on 56 deeply affordable, 1960s-era apartment homes in SLP. This is an amazing turnaround for this community resource serving women in recovery and their children, which last year was at risk of being sold and converted to market-rate apartments due to Perspectives’ financial challenges. The complex was recently renamed in honor of George Bickham, who worked as a teacher and mentor at Perspectives for 24 years. Board & commission work nearing a milestone: For decades, SLP’s boards and commissions have provided residents with valued opportunities for community involvement through service. After a nearly two-year analysis of the current role and function of our boards and commissions, including how they engage with elected officials, city council will hear recommendations for improving the program in 2025 and beyond, with a focus on how they can better fulfill their advisory role. If this topic interests you, you may want to attend the study session on Feb. 3 (following the regular council meeting) to listen in on the recommendations and discussion. Is your money good here? Several businesses in SLP don’t accept cash. For many of us, that’s not a big deal. But for people who are “unbanked,” the majority of whom are low income, have a disability, are single parents, and/or are from communities of color, cashless business practices are a barrier to full participation in our local economy. Across the US, twelve states and several municipalities have enacted legislation requiring businesses to accept cash as a form of payment. To promote financial inclusion, I’d like to see SLP do the same. For now, our city council has issued a resolution encouraging local businesses to accept cash as a form of payment; staff are also sharing information with business owners on the barriers being cashless creates. Increased funding for social services: As the wealth gap grows in our nation, so does the gap in people’s basic needs being met. Council recently approved competitive funding proposals from two local nonprofits to help meet basic needs through contractual services. A total of $219,000 was awarded, primarily from our city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to the St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) to address housing and food insecurity, and to the HOME Chore Program of Senior Community Services to provide low-income seniors with repairs, maintenance, home safety assessments, and other support so they can stay in their homes and community. The $219,000 represents an increase of $88,000 over the amount the city provided in 2024 for these services. Call for nominations for the SLP Human Rights Award: The St. Louis Park Human Rights Award is back! The award recognizes individuals and entities who have made an outstanding contribution toward uplifting human rights, justice, equity and inclusion in the community, and/or fostered increased understanding and cooperation between people of different backgrounds in St. Louis Park. Past winners include Craft & Crew Hospitality and SLP HS teacher Cory Litzow Lorentz (2021) and Hope Speaks (2020). Learn more and nominate and individuals, group, or business here. Deadline for nominations is Feb. 12. Zoning Code Updates: I’ve written about this in previous updates, but it’s time to refresh and resurface: Council is likely to approve changes soon to our city’s zoning code to create more sustainable, community-focused neighborhoods and meet our housing goals. In single-family (R1) neighborhoods, which comprise 80% of the city’s residential land, these changes would permit one-, two-, and three-unit housing to be built – at the same scale as is currently allowed for single-family homes (not bigger). Along key transportation corridors, increased density (townhouses, fourplexes) may become more common through permitting of what’s been termed “missing middle” housing. Here’s a comprehensive summary of the proposed changes, including useful background, history and images. Related: In last month's update, I wrote about four city-owned land parcels including Rock Island’s “North Meadow” near 2800 Toledo in Ward 1 and a 4.77-acre parcel at 3940 France in Ward 2. These parcels are currently undeveloped (I call them “wild”) with no active plans for development. Our Planning Commission recently recommended rezoning these parcels to park and open space, rather than future residential development, a move I’m in favor of. Council will have a first reading on zoning code updates and related issues at our Feb. 18 meeting. Since these items are on the agenda, public comment can be taken. Environmentally friendly eating places in SLP: City staff recently released a map you can use to find SLP food establishments that are in compliance with the city’s Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance. Thanks to these businesses for adhering to the ordinance! Flood risk in the age of climate change: Property insurance costs are rising, and knowing your flood risk can be important for insurance and other reasons. You can find out if your property is near an area of historical flooding or natural floodplain, along with other information about your potential flood risk, by calling SLP’s Community Development Department at (952) 924-2575. Ice rink shout out: I love our community’s ice rinks and feel lucky to live just up the street from one of them! They’re so well used and well maintained. Shout out to city staff for their expert work to keep these rinks in great shape despite the new unpredictability of our winter weather. Did you know we have eleven outdoor rinks and five warming houses across the city? Here’s where you can find a list of outdoor rinks and warming house hours. Reminder about the Fern Hill Flyer: If you live in Fern Hill, you’ll want to subscribe to their wonderful newsletter. Email here to get on the list. Thanks to the creators! Cool opportunities to get involved: One of the many things I love about SLP is the many ways residents can get involved and make a difference. Here are a few current opportunities: Charter Commission Member: The City’s Charter Commission evaluates and proposes changes to the city's home rule charter and monitors legislative activities on an ongoing basis and is seeking new members. This is a low-intensity commitment – meetings are held as needed and any resident who is registered to vote can apply. Here’s where to find more information and apply. Recycling Champion: Recycling Champions share what they learn with family, friends and neighbors to improve recycling habits in the city. I attended this training long ago and learned so many interesting, surprising, and useful things! The next Recycling Champions training will take place Wed., Feb. 5, 4-6 pm, at the Municipal Service Center. Email here or call (952) 924-2562 to sign up. Community Energy Ambassador: Convened by nonprofit Metro CERT, ambassadors are trained to make meaningful clean energy changes in their communities. Learn more at a networking event Thursday, Feb. 20, 4-6 pm at Westwood Hills Nature Center. Register for the event here. I’m not running for re-election: St. Louis Park is my heart – I love everything about this amazing community and always will. I also love serving on city council. My current term concludes at the end of 2025, and then it will be time to pass the baton. If you’re considering a run yourself, please reach out! I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned through two election campaigns and 7+ years on council. Here’s a select list of upcoming events in our community: Mental Health & Wellness Art Gala, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 6-8 pm, Westwood Hills Nature Center. View youth artwork centered around the theme “What Does Mental Wellness Mean to Me?” and hear from Dr. Michael Rodriguez, U of M College of Education and Human Development and members of the Youth for Change Coalition (Y4CC). Hosted by the Y4CC and Children First. I’ll be there! RSVP here. Walk the Park, Saturday, Feb. 8, 9:30-10:30 am. This group got started years ago and it’s cool that it’s still going strong! Everyone is invited to take a 1-2 mile walk together the second Saturday of every month at various locations around the community. Winter walks are indoors at the SLP Middle School. Info here. SLP Friends of the Arts Artist Showcase, through Feb. 22, Westwood Hills Nature Center, during open hours. View works by artists from St. Louis Park and Golden Valley. I stopped in last weekend to check it out and highly recommend it! More info here. Seth Rowe at the SLP Library, Thursday, Feb. 13, 6:30-7:45pm, SLP Library. Hear stories from longtime Sun Sailor reporter/editor Seth Rowe, who helped us stay informed about local news for decades. Hosted by SLP Friends of the Arts and the library. STEP into Steel Toe Fundraiser, Monday, March 3, 4-7 pm, Steel Toe Brewing. Raise a glass while raising funds for STEP. Info and register here. Thanks for reading and please stay in touch! Margaret |
I send out a monthly summary of city-related news to Ward 1 residents and interested others, posted here. If you’d like to receive it via email, let me know here.
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