Request for Committee Action

• (2017-00773) & (2017-00774) June 16, 2017: City Council accepted grants from The Funders Network and The McKnight Foundation to support the Southside Green Zone and Task Force and passed resolutions appropriating the funds.
• (2017-00486) April 28, 2017: City Council unanimously approved the Resolution Designating Green Zones, with direction for Sustainability staff to establish a Southside Green Zone pilot Task Force and Work Plan.
• (2016-01567) November 28, 2016: (wcmsp-191272.pdf) City Council staff direction to report back with Green Zones recommendations by end of Quarter 1, 2017 and include best practices for mitigating gentrification and displacement.
• (2016-00915) July 22, 2016: City Council accepted a $10,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to support the City’s Green Zones Workgroup.
• (2015-01411) February 12, 2016:(wcmsp-174139.pdf) City Council Resolution 2016R-040 “Promoting racial equity and sustainable community revitalization through the development of a Green Zones Policy and creating the Green Zones Policy Task Force”
• March 7, 2014:(wcms1p-121909.pdf) City Council adopted the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan Two-year (2014-2015) Priorities, which included developing a Green Zone initiative.
• March 7, 2014:(wcms1p-121909.pdf) City Council adopted the Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study, which listed establishing a Green Zones pilot with key community leadership as a next step on Minneapolis Energy Pathways recommendations (page 24).
• June 28, 2013:(wcms1p-110763.pdf) City Council adopted the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, which identified developing a Green Zone initiative as a cross-cutting strategy under the Buildings and Energy chapter on page 15

In 2013, Minneapolis City Council approved the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan which included establishing a Green Zones initiative as a strategy. In 2016, Minneapolis City Council approved a Resolution creating a Green Zones Workgroup to develop recommendations for designation criteria, goals and strategies for Green Zones in Minneapolis. On April 28, 2017 Minneapolis City Council approved a Resolution designating two Green Zones in Minneapolis: a Northside Green Zone and a Southside Green Zone.

In the April 2017 Resolution, City Council directed the City Coordinator’s Offices of Sustainability and Equity and Inclusion to establish a Southside Green Zone Task Force to be selected in accordance with the City’s Open Appointments process. Applications for the Task Force were received between July 3, 2017 and August 11, 2017. A small selection committee of City staff from Health, Neighborhood & Community Relations, Mayor’s Office, Council Member Cano’s Office, Sustainability and Equity & Inclusion as well as representatives from the Phillips HIA Steering Committee reviewed the Task Force applications.

Task Force members were sought who live, work, worship and/or play within the Phillips and Cedar Riverside neighborhoods and have the following affinities or affiliations:

1. Have been impacted by cumulative pollution. We are especially interested in diverse representation from all cultural communities, including but not limited to Indigenous, East African and Latino.
2. Have expertise in climate resiliency and /or cumulative health impacts and environmental justice
3. Are Phillips based businesses or industries WITH expertise in green manufacturing or environmentally friendly business practices
4. Are organizations based in the neighborhood who have a practiced interest in Environmental Justice
5. Are from the Minneapolis Green Zones HIA Steering Committee
6. Representatives from pertinent City departments with interest and impact in the community

It has been a challenge for the selection committee to find Phillips based businesses or industries interested and available to participate in the Task Force. In addition to Steve Schact from Town Hall Brewing, staff have communicated with the Franklin Area Business Association, West Bank Business Association, Lake Street Council and other business-serving organizations and will engage with local businesses and get input during their regularly scheduled association meetings. Over the next six to nine months, the Task Force will work with staff and area stakeholders to develop a Southside Green Zone Work Plan. The Work Plan shall be presented to Council for approval and shall include a community outreach plan, identification of targeted strategies, expected outcomes, evaluation of programs that fit within the Southside Green Zone’s geography, and identification of resources needed for implementation.