Halloween Decoration Tour
Enjoy the sights and frights around Armatage for our second annual Halloween Decoration Tour, which runs each night from 6:00-8:00pm through Sunday, October 31! Check out the tour map and plan your route at armatage.org/halloweentour/
Voting
Once you’ve checked out each tour stop, head back to armatage.org/halloweentour/ to vote for your favorites! The top display in each of the following categories wins a $50 gift card to an Armatage business: Best Use of Pumpkins, Spookiest and Neighborhood Favorite. In the spirit of fairness, please hold off on voting until you’ve visited every stop. Happy Halloween!
Compost Your Pumpkins
When you’re done with your carved pumpkins and other gourds, you can put them in your green organics recycling cart. They don’t need to be bagged. Remember to remove any candles, etc.
If you haven’t signed up for organics recycling, you can put them with your other bagged yard waste for collection. Added synthetic materials such as paint, glitter or jewels make pumpkins non-compostable, and then they have to go in the black garbage cart.
Remember: Wrappers from Halloween candy go in the garbage. They are not recyclable or compostable. Learn more about organics recycling, yard waste collection, and more at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/garbage-recycling-cleanup/
Halloween Events at the Parks
The Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board is hosting free or low cost Halloween events this week. Click here to see a full list!
Fall Street Sweeping
Watch the progress, look up your sweeping date, and get all your street sweeping questions answered at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/parking-driving/street-sweep/
Comment on the E Line BRT Through October 31
Metro Transit is currently holding a public comment period through October 31 on the E Line Bus Rapid Transit proposed station locations. The E Line BRT would run every 10 minutes each day and most of the evening and Route 6 would also see some changes.
Here is the current Route 6 map versus the proposed E Line/Route 6 map. Also to understand why certain bus stops are being phased out, here is a map showing ridership rates, before the pandemic.
There are a few ways to comment on the plan:
- Review the plan and take the Metro Transit E Line Draft Corridor Survey
- Email comments to ELine@metrotransit.org
- Call Customer Relations at 612-373-3333
Get Ready to Vote Early or on Election Day
The Minneapolis Early Vote Center at 980 East Hennepin Ave now has extended hours and is open to anyone who is eligible to vote in Minneapolis. Learn more at https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/vote-early-in-person Here are the remaining hours to vote early:
- 7:00am to 6:00pm on Thursday, October 28 and Friday, October 29
- 9:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday, October 30
- 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday, October 31
- 7:00am to 5:00pm on Monday, November 1, which is the last day the Early Vote Center is open
Fun Fact: Did you know that more people have now voted early in this year’s municipal election than voted early in any recent municipal elections in Minneapolis? As of yesterday, the City had received 17,000 early ballots for the Nov. 2 election. That’s higher than the total number of early ballots received for municipal elections in 2017 (12,174) and 2013 (5,023).
Ranked Choice Voting
Minneapolis voters will use ranked choice voting this fall to elect a mayor and members of the City Council, Board of Estimate and Taxation, and Park and Recreation Board. Ranked choice voting is a way of voting that eliminates the need for separate primary elections. Voters rank up to three candidates for each office. The ballot has three columns, and choices are made from left to right in those columns. Ranked choice voting in Minneapolis is used only for municipal elections. Learn more at https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/ranked-choice-voting/
Quick Voting Links
- Check your voter registration at https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx
- Check your polling place at https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
- See what’s on the ballot at https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot
Bylaws & Funding Plan Approved
Thank you to everyone who weighed in on the new Armatage Neighborhood Association Bylaws and Funding Plan! Community feedback gathered during the public comment period was overwhelmingly positive on both. The ANA Board met to discuss feedback and approved both documents on October 19. Learn more here.
Candidate & Charter Forum Recordings
We teamed up with our neighboring communities to host informative, non-partisan City Council and Park Board candidate forums and an educational forum on the proposed charter amendments to help you get ready for Election Day on November 2! Links to recordings from each event are below:
- Park Board District 6 Candidate Forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtV9pSqEdY8
- City Council Ward 13 Candidate Forum: https://vimeo.com/event/1373162/videos/630240864/
- Proposed Charter Amendment Educational Forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C9jE4kJZrA&t=263s
LWV 2021 Voter Guide
The League of Women Voters Minneapolis has released its 2021 Voter Guide to help you be informed about the 2021 City of Minneapolis elections, learn how to register and vote, find a list of candidates/websites, and read the Charter Amendments language. Check out the guide at lwvmpls.org/2021-voters-guide-now-available/
Participate in Minneapolis Redistricting
After every census, Minneapolis updates the boundaries of its 13 City Council wards and six Park Board districts to reflect new population counts. The Redistricting Group, made up of 24 Minneapolis volunteers, builds the new maps with input from their communities. The Redistricting Group needs your help with the redistricting project to make sure all voices are heard.
Participate in the Redistricting Project
- Explore the redistricting webpages.
- Draw and submit draft maps.
- Register for redistricting meetings presenting draft maps for public discussion.
- 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17.
- 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15.
- 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.
- 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2022.
- Sign up to get notices for all redistricting meetings.
- Email comments or questions.
City Budget Review is Underway
Review of Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposed 2022 City budget is underway by the City Council. The proposed $1.599 billion budget includes a 5.45% levy increase. The mayor’s recommended City budget invests in affordable housing, youth programming, community safety, climate action and an inclusive economic recovery. Learn more about the budget process at https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/budget and save the date for upcoming public hearings:
- Public hearings are scheduled for1:30 p.m. Nov. 16, 6:05 p.m. Dec. 1 and 6:05 p.m. Dec. 8.
- Dec. 8: Council scheduled to vote on budget adoption
COVID-19 Vaccines are Coming for Kids 5-11
Minnesota providers cannot begin vaccinating children until the CDC issues final recommendations, which could come later next week.
Once CDC has approved the vaccine for 5-11-year-olds and your child is eligible, Minnesota families can:
- Check with their pediatrician or family medicine clinic about appointments;
- Visit mn.gov/vaccine to use the Vaccine Locator Map to locate and contact providers near them;
- Utilize the CDC’s Vaccine Finder at vaccines.gov to find pharmacies offering pediatric vaccinations; or
- Look to your local school district for more information about vaccination opportunities in your child’s school.