In response to the park board’s draft Cedar-Isles Plan the City of Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee, a volunteer group reporting to the city’s Department of Public Works, prefaced their comments with the following statement about the process of creating the plan in the Hill & Lake community:
“…it is imperative to address a community engagement process that permits those with wealth and privilege to perpetuate a destructive, collapsing status quo and to demand that they control public land regardless of public good.”
This type of gross mischaracterization of any other community would not be tolerated in speech, much less printed as part of an official city document. The members of the Citizens Advisory Committee and residents who attended countless open public meetings to help develop the plan have a deep interest in restoring and preserving the habitat and water quality of Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles for the benefit and use of all. Making assumptions about the motives or privilege of those who participated is absurd and contributes to rancor and divisiveness in our city.
On March 13, East Isles resident Sandra Nelson wrote a letter to committee chair Peter Vader, requesting an apology or retraction, and copied Commissioners Elizabeth Shaffer and Meg Forney, Council Member Lisa Goodman, Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Mayor Jacob Frey. She had not heard back from any of them at the time of this publication.
On March 17, the Hill & Lake Press contacted public works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher about the issue. She replied that it was being worked on internally and a response was forthcoming. The following statement was received on April 7 from Sarah McKenzie, media relations coordinator for the City of Minneapolis:
“City staff had a conversation with the Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) Chair about the PAC’s resolution. The committee, however, has declined to amend the resolution or issue an apology. Note: the PAC is an advisory committee that advises the Mayor and City Council on policies and programs related to improving pedestrian safety. Members are not City employees. Public Works provided to the Hill and Lake Press the official City response and review of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's Cedar Lake-Isles Plan. This document is the formal and official feedback to the MPRB (park board) planning process.”
The City’s official response to the Cedar-Isles plan is covered on page 5: "Minneapolis Public Works Weighs in on Cedar-Isles Park Plan."
