Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says city-approved funds for homeless shelter don’t exist

Published

3 months ago

September 27, 2024

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says city-approved funds for homeless shelter don’t exist

MINNEAPOLIS — Without major repairs, the Agate homeless shelter in Elliot Park would permanently close in less than two weeks.

However, a recent City Council action allocating $1.5 million dollars of surplus funds, combined with matched money from an anonymous donor, is set to save the 95-bed space that serves 135 people.

Agate Executive Director Kyle Hanson said the shelter will still close on Oct. 9. After that, work will be done to repair things like plumbing and heat, while adding air conditioning.

Hanson said the shelter will reopen in eight to 12 months.

“The City Council stepped up and made sure that we funded a shelter to prevent its permanent closure,” said Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez.

But Minneapolis Mayor Frey said there’s just one problem: That money is already allocated.

In a letter to council members Thursday, Frey wrote that the funding decision lacked proper vetting and was based on point-in-time budget projections.

The council’s action will either cut $350,000 for a Minneapolis park, or will cut city staff, according to Minneapolis’ Chief Financial Officer Dushani Dye.

“They didn’t talk to anybody that actually knows what they’re talking about with respect to the budget, and the repercussions are they ended up cutting things that they didn’t realize they were cutting,” said Frey.

“To those claims, I’ll say the money is there and if the money isn’t there, did the mayor’s administration share inaccurate information to the public a couple days ago?” said Chavez.

According to Chavez, the shelter funds are coming from surplus dollars from city departments that regularly underspend. The 2024 city budget projects underspending, he said.

While the funding was approved and Frey did not veto it, the mayor said, in his letter to council members, that his administration will work to find “…a less disruptive source of funding.”

“Our team is going to continue to dig in on this to figure out how we make lemonade out of lemons,” said Frey.

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Minneapolis, MN

Business People: Jan Malcolm, Brian Thun added to Blue Cross board

Published

3 minutes ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

OF NOTE

Jan Malcolm

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, announced that Jan Malcolm and Brian Thun have joined its board of trustees. Malcolm served as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health for three governors over the span of more than 20 years; her initial term on the Blue Cross board ran from 2010 to 2014. Thun serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Duluth-based women’s apparel retailer Maurices.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Midnight Oil and the Imagine Group announced they received Clio Entertainment Awards and the Graphic Design USA Awards. Midnight Oil’s Clio awarded campaigns include: Silver – Netflix’s Leo Dueling Tongue Billboard, Silver – Disney’s Inside Out 2 Billboard, Bronze – Warner Bros’ Godzilla x Kong Billboard; Imagine’s winning projects: Belk Back-to-School Campaign, General Mills National Cereal Day Advent Calendar, Dick’s Sporting Goods Retail Displays, General Mills K-Pop Influencer Box, Soskin’s Hot Sos The Buffalo SturdyStand Display. Midnight Oil is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Imagine Group.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Nelson-Rudie & Associates, a New Hope-based engineering consultant, announced it has named Matt Elhadad as president and board chair. Elhadad previously led Nelson-Rudie’s finance, human resources and ESOP domains.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis, announced that Jason Holt, an Ameriprise financial adviser with a practice in Wayzata, has received the 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager award by Five Star Professional, a third-party research firm. … U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced Kristy Carstensen as leader of its Global Treasury Management business. Carstensen also will oversee the bank’s prepaid card organization. … Winter & Associates, a St. Paul-based financial services firm, has welcomed fifth-generation family member Shelby Tietel to the firm as associate wealth adviser. Tietel is the daughter of financial adviser, President and Chief Compliance Officer Nicole Winter Tietel.

HEALTH CARE

Cassia, an Edina-based operator of nursing facilities, announced that President and CEO Bob Dahl plans to retire in January 2026. Dahl recently completed 30 years in leadership combined, first at Elim Care, then at Cassia, following the merger with Augustana Care in 2020.

HONORS

The City of Champlin announced that the Elm Creek Restoration and Dam Rehabilitation project, led by the city, was honored with the Environmental Project of the Year award at the 2024 American Public Works Association Conference.

LAW

Nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis announced that Gina K. Janeiro has been inducted as a 2024 Fellow to The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Janeiro is managing principal and litigation manager of the firm’s Minneapolis office and is certified as a Labor and Employment Law specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

UroMems, a development-stage company working on the first smart automated implant to treat stress urinary incontinence, announced the appointment of Rinda Sama to its board of directors. Sama previously was chief operating officer of Axonics prior to its acquisition by Boston Scientific. UroMems is based in France with U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul, announced its updated board leadership and officers for the 2024-25 calendar year: Bill Keegan, Dem-Con Cos., Board Chair; Jill Bollettieri. Post Consumer Brands, Past Chair; Brooke Lee, Anchor Paper Co., Chair-elect; Angela Heikes, SMSC Gaming Enterprise, continues as treasurer and secretary; board members are: Ashton Boon, Mayo Clinic; Jabari Bush, Jasper Engineering; Brett Edelson, Unitedhealthcare; Valerie Finarty, Medtronic; Ryan Jackson, Schwan’s; Eric Levenhagen, Sun Country Airlines; Julie Pierce, ALLETE, and Shane Zutz, DigiKey.

SERVICES

APi Group Corp., a New Brighton-based parent company whose partners provide safety and equipment services to the construction and energy industries, announced that Chief Financial Officer Kevin Krumm has stepped down from his role to accept another opportunity. David Jackola, current chief financial officer and vice president of transformation at APi International, will assume the interim CFO role.

EMAIL ITEMS to businessnews@pioneerpress.com.

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Minneapolis, MN

Art therapy helping with holiday stress

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

While the holidays can be stressful, there are beautiful ways to help ease that stress and bring families together. An art studio in south Minneapolis focuses on art therapy and brings people together for collaborative art projects that cater to a variety of people. Heart Space owner Maddie Johnson shared her creative ideas with Leah Beno on FOX 9. More information can be found here: https://www.heartspacetherapy.org/

Posted December 22, 2024 10:32am CST

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