With news from Minnesota Public Radio, this is Karen Louise Booth. Good morning house Speaker Steve swiggum and Senate Majority Leader Rodger, Moe meet again today to try and reach compromise agreements on tax and spending targets as well as how to spend the state's portion of the big tobacco settlement only 11 days remain until the end of the session and so far key pieces of legislation have yet to make it to the governor's desk? Downtown Minneapolis neighborhood groups say they support proposed changes to the city's zoning code The Business Leaders say the changes would make it too hard to build new skyscrapers at a public hearing last night to downtown Council asked for a two-month delay to review and comment on the plan. But Kim Havey a member of the group save the Nicollet Mall says Downtown must be more than a bland Office Park. I think it's really important for us to stand out as a city of quality and excellent. We should take advantage of the times that we have now the good Economic Times to get to expect a higher standard of development. The proposed changes are part of the city's first major rewrite of its zoning code since 1963. More volunteers from the Minnesota Air National Guard or heading to Europe to assist in the war in Kosovo. They'll fly humanitarian and other support missions and twin cities-based farm co-op Cenex Harvest States says it will merge with Kansas city-based Farmland Industries in weather quite windy, and we have showers that intermittent around the not only the Twin Cities, but around the state Consul decrease tonight will have partial clearing tomorrow and Sunday will be dry with highs in the mid-60s right now in the Twin Cities. We have some light rain 49° that's news from Minnesota Public Radio. This is Karen Louise booth 6 minutes past 11 programming an NPR is supported by the Oak Street Cinema commemorating Fred Astaire's Timeless Grace and 100th birthday this week with a 4 film retrospective. 612-331-3134 Good morning, and welcome to a special edition of midday. You're on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary acting and today we're broadcasting live from the Crystal Court in the idea Center in downtown Minneapolis. If you're in the neighborhood will be here until 1 this afternoon. I hope you can stop by and catch part of the program if you're listening on the radio. Thanks for tuning in. Hope you can stay tuned over. The noon hour. We're going to be focusing specifically on downtown. Minneapolis will be talking with downtown leaders. Jack and Cheryl cherryholmes. Sam kavarsky drug cartel also have a little history of the city. Barbara Flanagan will be here and we'll have some nightlife tips as well. We should also know that right before the noon hour will be catching up on Gossip in the city. CJ will be joining us but to begin Minneapolis, mayor Sharon sayles Belton is coming by to talk about issues facing all of Minneapolis. Those of you here in the Crystal Court. Now if you have a question for the mayor, all you have to do is go. Wave your hand and are Oprah over here? Dan Olson is armed and ready with a microphone and you'll get to you. Those. Are you listening on the radio? Give us a call with your questions and comments for the mayor. We're focusing on Minneapolis. This our our phone number is 651-227-6006 51227 6000 outside the Twin City area. You can reach us toll-free and that number is 1 800 +242-282-865-1227. 6001 800-242-2828. Thanks for coming by today. This is a great great space Crystal Court. Now they've got the fountain in hear the waterfall Fountain flowers The Beautiful People of Minneapolis all gathered here in the Crystal Court. Throughout the day. It's a wonderful place to be good still really the kind of the focus of the city. Well, as you know, if you look around other building the skyways in all directions come right here to the Crystal Court. It's a great place for people to me to find a their lunch partner to just find a little bit of respite. In the middle of the afternoon. It is our meeting place. It's our Civic place in Downtown Minneapolis. You have a building if I think it's phenomenal right now in the City of Minneapolis, there are over. 1 billion dollars worth of investment going on. You can't drive down any Street in the City of Minneapolis without seeing a crane without finding a traffic jam, unfortunately, but it's all associated with a good thing. And that's it. There are private Investments taking place in the City of Minneapolis and we should all feel real good about that. I know I do what happened. What is the one of the things that happen? Of course is that the economy is just wrong. It's it's vibrant. And also the thing that I think we need to remember across of the state of Minnesota is that Minneapolis really is a is a a strong financial center for the entire upper midwestern region and because of that a lot of our companies and businesses want to locate hear American Express is growing to new properties of its own in Downtown Minneapolis as we speak and others are following following suit. They want to be at the heart of the economic engine of the state of Minnesota. And right now that's in Minneapolis. There was a concern correct me if I'm wrong, but it was a concern a few years ago. That many companies would be moving out of the city. You get some big campus is out in the Suburban areas. Is that still going on at the same time to every time I company decides if they're going to reinvest in crow in downtown? It's after they've done a very thorough analysis of what their options are to work constantly competing with the Suburban communities for the campuses with the Rolling Acres or a urban campus in Downtown Minneapolis. I think the urban campus often are winds out because people want to be in a dynamic environment where they can interact with a lot of a different things and in Minneapolis downtown Minneapolis, you can do that. There's a strong cultural presents in downtown. So if you wanted to take an afternoon concert at Orchestra Hall, you could do that if you wanted to hear a little jazz on on Nicollet them all you could do that end in Downtown Minneapolis if you wanted to experience or every single taste that your palette could imagine you can find it in Downtown Minneapolis, and when you're on a single-purpose campus out in the suburbs, your options are limited. That's not to say some people are choosing that option, but Minneapolis has a lot to offer. When is our guests during his first hour of our mid-day program special broadcast today. We're broadcasting live from the Crystal Court at the idea Center in downtown Minneapolis focusing on the state's largest city. Again, if you have a question for the mayor if you're listening on the radio, give us a call. 651-227-6000. Side the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 now Minnesota Public Radio reporter. Dan Olson is standing by he is adopted the Oprah Royal today, and we have some questions right here from the Crystal Court audience Dan Mayor Gary here is Bob from Minneapolis. Play Downtown Development question, Bob. Yes, I'm I'm concerned about the kind of buildings the architecture of the new Target office building and the piper jaffray building. These are just concrete and glass boxes without any aesthetic interest and they're built right up on the street there. I don't think these buildings are in keeping with this building or the nor'-west the center or the other Bank building over here. And I'd like to know when the city council and mayor going to do their job really in insisting that corporations put up architectural e appealing buildings are well, one of the things that I will tell you is that the city council and the mayor of Minneapolis are not that the ultimate Authority on what is aesthetically pleasing, but I do think that we beat need to be in conversation. What the designers of these are building so that we make sure that they are in keeping with our goals and objectives to keep the streets of the City of Minneapolis Lively and as we watch the american the American Express building come online at 7th and and 2nd and as we watch are the piper at our and even the target at Tower which was very very controversial a come online. We will find that are those architectural designs and those outcomes what Willie includes pedestrian level activity that will be in keeping. I believe I with our goals and objectives to have the Nicollet Mall 3rd Avenue and all of our other major arterial full of excitement in life. Many of them are also making commitments. To contribute to the cultural commitments of the City of Minneapolis and they'll be creating art Plaza and other places where we can celebrate the things that define our community. I will underscore the fact that these discussions are controversial. When are we called downtown a residential neighborhood and also of the sender of a economics economic and commerce activities in a city. There is a balance that can be found and we're looking for it. And I think we are cheering it in many cases how much of a role should the city officials have been trying to to decide what buildings look like? They're constructed that show of a commitment of the City of Minneapolis to pedestrian concerns and in the city Minneapolis, we have that every single development project that takes place in downtown or even in the neighborhood Tim development guidelines their standards, there's expectations that we want every one of these developers to adhere to I think the thing that we're learning in Downtown Minneapolis is at the downtown. Environment is changing right now. There's twenty-five thousand people that live in the downtown and so their attitudes and their concerns about you know, being neighbors are with a business are changing a dramatically and we have to respond to that again. We have development tools development guidelines in in place that deal with every single project and we're going to have some better that are that are larger that talk about our objectives in the entire downtown about how it will unfold in the future. We're in a debate right now with the downtown Council and I with the residents of the downtown community about what downtown is going to look like 20 years from now or 50 years from now and we're revising our colds are zoning code and our land use plan to reflect those changes Dan Olson. You've got another person with a with a question out here at the Crystal Court another. Midday groupie and this is Martha from downtown who has a question about development Martha. Hi, I live downtown near the river. If you can call that North and there are many empty areas down in my area which are not being developed. I have a concern about that and also a in a wondering what's going to happen with that also. in my neighborhood The new zoning codes will allow for sexually oriented businesses within one block. I don't think that's appropriate for a neighborhood and it's not I guess I'm not pleased about that and you know, I hope Positive businesses are developed in my area. Not for sex world's per block. Thank you very much. My good for your question first. Let me say that you're going to have many many many new neighbors right now as we speak. There are 1500 housing units that are either under construction or recently completed right in the riverfront area. The riverfront is hot. So we've got developers across the city and even in the suburbs who are coming in and looking to buy some of those vacant Parcels that you just described. So I want to suggest to you that you should stay tuned in Factory. I would just tell other folks that are listening in the NPR audience that if you wanted to find a residential housing unit on the river right now, we've got some starting at about $90,000 and they go up too. Well, the price is the limit and some good things are happening there. And again, there's going to be more opportunities in the future for more diverse housing not let me talk to the issue with regard to the sex industry. Many years ago. I let a big fight that in the City of Minneapolis to try to restrict the number of sex or in the businesses that could locate in the city. I was particularly concerned about the residential neighborhoods thinking that that is absolutely not the place and buy a residential neighborhood time are the areas in the city that are primarily focused on residential living that's a little bit different from the downtown which is more of a mixed-used environment and what we found out from our legal Pursuit is that we couldn't as a community prohibit the sex oriented the businesses from finding a location we couldn't do that. And so we then decided that they couldn't be all clustered together that could only be one per black face and then there's some other rules that govern it and I think you know, we're seeing just like you are that there's a black in the downtown just on the other side of City Hall where there's Lickety splits and all kinds of other things that are low-key. Be there in a little bit disturbing. The only way that we're going to stop that is that we as a community decide that there's not a market for it. And so those of us who are concerned about the pelipper 87064 in the operation. We've got to help organize community and impress upon them that these are not the kind of businesses that we want amongst us, but they have a legal right to exist. So this is about what the community standards are in if you want to change them. There's a lot of people out there who are willing to work with you to do just that they program if you're just tuning in we are out and about today. We're broadcasting from the Crystal Court The Idea Center in downtown Minneapolis. They gave us a passport and a Visa. Let us all go to downtown st. Paul. We were able to cross the river successfully and bears come by to take some questions during this first hour of our program. P.m. Tonight just a limited decent. Those are good here at the Christmas card. If you've got a question for the mayor of Dan Olson are Oprah for the day. I will get to you with a microphone if you're listening on the radio and you've got a question for the mayor about the city. Give us a call 651-227-6000 or 1-800. +242-282-865-1227 6000 or 1. 800-242-2828. Dan Miller hearty soul with a question. They are Gary here is another listener viewer Steve from Minneapolis dazzled by the glamour of radio. It was a question City of Minneapolis invested a huge amount of money to renovate Nicollet Mall to make it both an entertainment in a retail Center. One of the components of the renovation was to have kind of shuttle buses running up and down the mall getting the inner city buses off the mall. I find it really uncomfortable to sit in the sidewalk cafe and enjoy your expensive meal. Well, these huge buses go flying past swimming out to know lots of pollution and noise. What is the city's plan to go back to its original plan of having kind of in transit buses up and down the mall and get the large city buses into the transit stations will first let me just share with you that the idea of the shuttle buses operating in Downtown Minneapolis is still on the agenda for the city. It's a shared agenda with all the other people that operate businesses are in the downtown area and certainly a shared agenda with many of the people that live in in the downtown area right now. Our energies are focused on it a bit a larger discussion about the light rail Transit the end of the region that would allow us to redo some of the impact that we have in the downtown in terms of congestion by getting people into coming to the downtown on the light rail the legislature within the next day or two weeks will be Making the decision about whether or not. They want to be our partners in that initiative and we're hoping that they'll agree to finance help Finance their piece of this this summer project by contributing some 60 million dollars are to the effort that again will leverage about 250 million of from the federal government. So that's our first priority for right now, but I want you to know that it is our commitment to work with a downtown Council and the Business Leaders to get the shuttle are operating in the downtown so that we can increase and enhance the quality of the experience to come to the Nicollet Pedestrian Mall. What's your best guess is the LRT Line going to be built and will it significantly changed the way the City of Minneapolis operates? I think it was absolutely a significant that the newspapers both the Minneapolis and st. Paul reported that there is a resolution to the controversy raised by Ramsey County and st. Paul about when do they come into the plan? So the affirmation that they are in the plan and that their time will come I think will help many of the legislators who are not looking favorably of this proposal to now embrace it. I don't think that it's a done deal yet. This is a decision. I think that's going to be made in the last hour of the of the legislative a session now do I believe that the light rail Transit will have a positive impact on downtown Minneapolis. Absolutely in a lot of different ways I think of when we think about the growth in the downtown with which we do anticipate that girls will be more orderly of more people can come into the downtown without the automobile without the big heavy buses of the MTC. I think that's a positive another positive that we sometimes don't talk about but really should emphasize is that this is an opportunity for many of the people who are living in the city of Minneapolis who are not working in the service industry. The financial industry is that are focused in the downtown to get to some of the jobs that are really located out in the Suburban areas of that where there's a matching skills. And right now there's a disconnect with regard to their ability to get to those jobs. So I think this is this is one of those Investments are Gary that's going to have significant of benefits of for a variety of constituencies in a variety of concerns. It's absolutely a positive and it's the direction that we have to be moving in. There's a hundred and fifty thousand people that are coming into the downtown everyday and with a billion dollars worth of new investment going on that's going to bring even more individuals into the downtown. What's the best way to get them through here mass transportation not the single occupancy vehicle that so many of us have there been Been engaged have been using some callers on the line with questions for me or servant of Sharon sayles Belton Gary your question Place Light Rail in about all the development downtown in the problems of people commuting back and forth. Why is it that the City of Minneapolis itself is not contributing to the cost of the light rail plan. I'll hang up and take my answer off here actually planning process many of the things that the City of Minneapolis has to do is to address some of the infrastructure issues or Investments that we already have in place along Highway 55 and in the downtown, so when all is said and done the City of Minneapolis fluids a capital budget will be partnering with Hennepin County, which is serving as the rella thority that doesn't need a trellis thority of four for the county and as well in Partnership. But with the state and the federal government, so we're all in this together. Does statement that was made earlier related to the sexually oriented business where the most effective solution that I heard proposed by you is that the community it's registered and decrease the demand for this but I think and I'm going to turn in and I have some information about the regulation of the site understand you can fill them out of the city. However, there is very much regulatory work that can be done. The ordinances can be dramatically strengthened a comprehensive sexually-oriented business ordinance could be passed that would regulate how the activities within the club operate and I would ask that you consider that and I asked right now but your thoughts on that are I'm really pleased to hear that your interest if you got some new ideas about the How the City of Minneapolis so I can re-evaluate to reinvigorate of the ordinances that we have. I'm open to them. I spent at least a year working with lawyers across that they Twin Cities community and across the country trying to have a moment one of the most effective assets of us standards for our community. And again, if you've got some new ideas of her ass to consider, please feel free to send them to my office right away and we will take them under consideration. One of the things of that. We try to do in our ordinance ordinance, of course is to affect your ability to display of their product so that they couldn't again undermine committee standards by their advertisement. And again, we limited them up threw up some spacing of requirement Exedra. I'm open. So give me a call so important. Sex related Industries to Convention trade in terms of creating atmosphere of a real big city and a lively place is that do they fit into that mix? I would think that the people that are operating those businesses absolutely described it as entertainment and that there are people who are interested in seeing that level of entertainment at least having that option along with listening to a good blues band Oar country music rock and roll or just sitting in a you know a cigar bar and do you know when having a you know smoke but again we in our community you have the right to determine what kind of entertainment that we think is, you know, it's going to grow and going to flourish. I think we have to be really honest with ourselves. We've seen a number of a sex or no sex oriented. The business is coming online. They wouldn't come online if there wasn't some customer. So we need to talk to folks about what impact of this. Kind of entertainment has on the quality of life or has on our values and standards about what we think is appropriate entertainment or what. We think this entertainment is really all about and there's a lot of people out there who can testify that the people were working in these industries are are being victimized again. I'm not saying that across-the-board. But again, there's a lot of us discussion a lot of controversy about this particular activity The Idea Center downtown Minneapolis. Those of you who are the Crystal Court if you'd like to join our conversation with the mayor Dan Olson is standing by with a microphone. Just let him know that you have a question for the mayor of your listening on the radio. Give us a call 651-227-6065 on 227 6000 outside the Twin Cities one 802-4228 to a lots more to come during our midday program today will be Talking with TJ and little while I'll catch up on the latest City. Gossip Barbara Barbara Flanagan. I'll be along with a little history of downtown will have a panel of guests to talk about Downtown Development will have some nightlife tips for those are you don't get downtown too much too often if you'd like to know good places to eat and party all that coming up this our right now, let's take a little break here catch up on some news headlines Karen Louise Booth with some news headlines. Thank you Gary the pushes on for peace in Kosovo. President Clinton says, he and his aides are working to win support for a plan. Now that Russia has agreed to the idea of an International Security Force. NATO was confirming strikes on the Yugoslavia city of Niche and Serbian State media say they were deadly there are reports of at least eleven dead others injured when missiles landed near a hospital & residential neighborhood. The latest economic news shows. The nation's unemployment rate is up a bit. They were big losses in manufacturing jobs due to the global economic crisis Cenex Harvest States and farmland Industries have announced a merger plan combined the two giant Midwestern Farmers cooperatives would have annual sales of nearly 20 billion dollars. The merger is expected to be completed in about a year steelmakers want to avoid a strike on the Iron Range a contract expires, July 31st with workers and United States Steel in Bethlehem Steel, the company's hope to reach an agreement by the end of this month. 3M could soon see almost a half a billion dollars in cash thanks to an insurance settlement from breast implant cases in the early 90s observers say the money by might be used to make a major acquisition in the healthcare field and beginning today. Twin Cities residence will have greater access to Federal Housing Services the Housing and Urban Development Department has installed a HUD answer machine at the Public Service Center in downtown Minneapolis in weather quite windy and cool in the west today. We'll have some occasional rain and drizzle around the state with highs in the 40s to around fifty tonight clouds will decrease we have a chance of an evening light rain in the Northwest areas of light rain and drizzle will diminish in the central part of the state in the East and tomorrow partial clearing and Sunday dry weather currently in the Twin Cities. We have some light rain 49° and that's news from the Minnesota Public Radio News Room Gary back to you. Alright, thank you Karen. It is all about 28 minutes now before noon like to thank the law firm of a schwebel Goetz & sieben for helping make today's live broadcast from the IDS Crystal Court possible. Lots of questions for mayor Sharon sayles Belton. Now, let's go back to the floor of the Crystal Court where Dan Olson is standing by Dan Mary Mayor Gary. I'll get it right here is a young man. Brian looks as though he's on his day off wearing his Johnny CCAP. You want to tell your boss Where You Are You're here on the radio in the Crystal Court hear. Your question is about Riverfront development. I'm concerned about Riverfront development in North Minneapolis. I live in Northeast Minneapolis, and I'm concerned about the Condor radiator issue and how that might affect Riverfront development. I know the House of Representatives on the state level has recently attached that to another bill and then wondering how that would affect development along the old scrap yards in north and Northeast Minneapolis. Let me first say that I would hope that the bill that's in the Minnesota Legislature with regard to the kind of raider would be defeated. I don't think it's appropriate tip for the state government to be dictating to local unit of government how they should manage their land use the issues. So we're over at the legislature advocating that they not be involved in this. Did we think this is a local issue and we like to be able to solve it locally. Secondly, I would the share with you something that I perhaps you already know and that's what that we've been engaged with the citizens in developing Upper Mississippi river plan a plan of that allows for us to consider other land uses of for the shoreline of the other Mississippi River to the north of the central business district that report is not been presented to council yet. And so there hasn't been a lot of discussion about it. Now. What do I think is going to happen with regard to the scrap metal? I don't know what the answer is. In fact, we haven't identified as a city where we're going to find the money to actually change the land use but we do believe that we have a responsibility to look at changes in to be poised to make some some amendments some changes into the future. So that's where we are right now as you know, our we're involved in litigation there with the with the khanda Raider and so there's not a lot that I can. Say about the way things are today, but please be assured that it is Our intention to honor the Mississippi River as a working River and as well a recreational River City develops mayor. Is there room for heavy industry in a big city anymore City? I think of the things that we've got to understand at least an hour straight to the Mississippi River is that we've got this beautiful damned on the river. It allows us to connect the lower and the upper levels of the river cross at fault. It's a very unique situation and one of the things that I'm concerned about is the mayor of the city is that we would continue to protect the ability of people to be able to move from the hopper to the Lower River keeping the Lock and Dam is important to our ability to do that in the Lock and Dam operates on Revenue associated with moving product through Fayetteville Lock and Dam not recreational boats but product hammers activity. So we're going to have to work hard to strike a balance between the desires of all of us in the city to have recreational uses to the north of the central Riverfront. But at the same time in sure that there's some Commerce activity going on the river so that we can protect our access to the Lock and Dam and so striking that balance is not going to be easy but it's important that we try to find it. I don't like to find out what are you going to do about North Minneapolis development 1 and number 2. What are you going to do about the prostitution on North Minneapolis on the bring back our neighborhood? We need investment up there. Oh, I'm so glad that you gave me that question for a year. Now. The City of Minneapolis has been working with the federal government to a when what we call an Enterprise as own award 150 cities were competing for this designation and winning that award men that the City of Minneapolis would be able to get from the federal government over 100 million dollars in cash in a variety of tax a credit and tax incentives for businesses. Well, we won that award and the three areas that we're going to be making those investments in our number-one the near North Area number 2 in South Minneapolis in the Chicago Lake area where the old Sears warehouse was Gary remember that big store 2 million square feet in that one building alone. That's one of our Enterprise zone areas and the other is an industrial area over on University and 280. We call it semi the Southeastern industrial area. Three areas. Are you going to get the benefit of a hundred million dollars in cash investments from the federal government and as well tax the credits of a made available from the federal government and will create jobs and we will Revitalize community. So they call it should know that there are big plans underway in the north side of the City of Minneapolis and you should find out about those activities and get involved with them. They federal government requires that we are planning in cooperation with citizens and I think good things will happen last year. I also a recommended to the city council and they accept a proposal that would allow us to focus some of the city's resources and it's commercial Corridor now Broadway is a commercial Corridor. In fact Broadway is one of those corridors in North Minneapolis, or we see prostitution and we see drug dealing and a lot of other negative behavior of it does not contribute to the quality of life of those people that are living in those the air. We're going to turn that around we first have to talk with each other about what we want to see change and then we need to spend the money to make the change. We are in the early stages of a revitalization plan for Broadway for Lake Street for Central Avenue just to name a few. So it is Our intention in the City of Minneapolis to not only have a strong central business district in a strong Riverfront, but also to revitalize the commercial quarters throughout the city that give our neighborhood life problem murder specifically. Is the worst over now in the city or is this a safe place to live and work and visit I speak daily about the City of Minneapolis is that it is clean it is safe and it is beautiful and when people come into Minneapolis from other parts of the country or even from the world, that's the way that they describe our community. Yes. We have problems in the city with crime and violence, but I think we're tackling those crime those crime and violence issues. In fact, in fact, we reported to our citizens in a series of five meetings that we hosted across the city that we've seen a 16% drop in crime in the City of Minneapolis, and we are at crime levels that are lower than it has ever been in 20 years. Not one year not 2 years, but twenty years last year. There were sick. Thousand fewer victims of crime in the City of Minneapolis because we have learned to to police smarter. We are doing our job more effectively. It doesn't mean that the problems are solved but it does mean that we figure it out better ways of getting the outcomes that we want as we move towards Safe Community to get to that reduce level of crime. A lot of people are getting harassed that there are violations of civil rights in the rest strategies that we use the I don't have indeed drawing some criticism. But the thing that I'll tell you is that in the neighborhoods where we were hearing the the most reports about crime and violence in the people who are listening in your and your audience were hearing these things as well the Phillips neighborhood the Whittier neighborhood the Jordan neighborhood and Hawthorne neighborhood those Neighborhood were being bombarded by crime if you go into those neighborhoods and ask them whether or not there's an improved quality of life. They would say yes, if you would go to the internal affairs Department of the City of Minneapolis or the civilian review of thority which keep track of complaints that are filed against police officers of 4 / civil rights violations or or aggressive of treatment approach brutality. You would find at those numbers have either stay the same or they have dropped. So in spite of aggressive law enforcement in spite of our more thorough intervention, we are not seeing more complaints. We are still seeing some and we will tolerate none. We are seeing some but we will tolerate none because we think that we can police effectively in our community without violating a civil rights of our citizens and officers that crossed the line will be held accountable and they know how strongly I feel about this, Minneapolis just about lunch hour and the the pedestrian traffic picking up significantly our guests. This hour is Minneapolis mayor of Sharon sayles Belton columnist. CJ will be along shortly to share some gossipinthecity. Barbara Flanagan will be along over the noon hour with some history of the city will have a panda legesse to talk about Downtown Development will have some tips on nightlife in the city all of that coming up yet today. Now if you have a question for the mayor and you're out here in the Crystal Court, Dan Olson is so wandering the Crystal Court with a microphone. And just wave your hand and he'll get over to you if you are listening on the radio, and I've got a question for the mayor. Give us a call. 651-227-6028. He's one 802-422-2828 back to the phones now and that's on the line with a question for the marketplace City. Now we've had people coming from all over the world immigrants and it's really changing the neighborhood and I'm pleased with the diversity and I wonder about I hear about different kinds of conflicts that come up between immigrant groups in between people that have been here and wondering if the city is doing anything proactive to see that we Is it is a community can live together peacefully and I just think that looking ahead and seeing problems before they become really big as important wondering if the city is engaged in a v a proactive conflict resolution or at the churches are if you're aware of anything like that. Thanks first. Let's let us assume that there's not immediately a conflict and really what we're trying to do is to help people understand of a cultural differences between us some of the new immigrants so that there are living in the city of Minneapolis and to that extent I would share with you that there are number of a gathering said that occur across the city at any given time that create opportunities for all the us to come together as a community. If you would look at any of the programs are that are being sponsored in in our public parks, you will see that we've got to meet a festival upcoming. Members of the Somalian a community and they're going to be exposing us a to are there dance their music their food's great opportunity Enda Powderhorn a park just at the May Day celebration last a weekend. Again. We had people from across the city from a variety of communities against sharing their their their culture their food their conversation their concerns a with members of the greater of Minneapolis, St. Paul Community. It happens in churches and happens in cultural centers that happens in our parks. Are we are at no loss as a community to create opportunities for people to come together. I'm glad that the cholera did the acknowledge the fact that the face of Minnesota and Minneapolis and st. Paul is changing and it's changing fairly rapidly and it behooves all of us are to learn as much as we possibly can about our new neighbors are new friends. In doing so I think we'll find something that I found out and in that said we have many of the same goals and aspirations for ourselves and our children and the more that we understand that we have in common the quicker we can get together and work collaboratively to make us some of those things happen in our community. We have to set aside our fears based on a difference is that we see on the outside and focus on what's in people's hearts and what their their values and their objectives are in doing so I think will be richly surprise Dan Olson standing by with another question for the mayor from the Crystal Court. Mr. Olson Gary mayor here is Michelle with a question here that are homeless cuz there's not enough out here for him. And there's too many homeless you saw out here to be smashed all into the ones that we have Michelle. Thank you so much for your your question. And it's an opportunity for us to acknowledge as a community that not only do we have families that are homeless amongst us, but we have young people who are without places to stay without the guidance in our communities every day and every night and we have I think a moral obligation to ensure that the these young people and these families have a place so that the that they can rest a place that that they can be supported a place so that they cannot find us some solutions or to the problems in the conditions that the have contributed to their homelessness churches across of the community are helping in this regard. There's a nonprofit that was created by young people themselves to address of the homelessness that their face When we find out about these organizations, let us do all that we can to help solve the problem, but we think we can ignore it and it is going to somehow go away. We are sorely mistaken. This is the problem not just in Minneapolis, but a problem across the United States and we need a federal government and we need our state government to assist us. And again people listening to what this message. You know, many of them will say well it's the you know, it's due the fault of the individual that the that they are homeless in some cases of that might be true, but I will tell you in many cases it's not and that we have to I think of be involved are in a helping to find a resolution. If not, we will deal with it in some other way and it probably won't will be more horrible than we would otherwise imagine question of homelessness. There is a larger question here of Housing for people affordable housing has become a very very big issue. Is there anything as a practical matter the city can and is doing to try to find Creates housing for people of low and moderate-income housing community to try to create a fordable housing. However, I will tell you that our production does not keep up with the demand and one of the things that we're doing right now in the City of Minneapolis is engaging in a dialogue with the nonprofit housing community with others who serve low income of families to figure out. What is the Right Mix. What is the rate of production that we have to have to keep up with the with Adam and and in June of of this a year, we will get a report from our affordable housing task force and they will make a number of recommendations or two about how we can solve the problem. I want you to know that this is not again a problem that just we in Minneapolis space st. Paul is taking a similar. A similar position in creating a task force of some kind do I create the recommendations of 4/4 at community and many of our friends in the suburban community are also contemplating what role they are to be playing in addressing the issue of affordable housing. Let's face it. We've got jobs out in the suburb and Community for people in the city are they the employment-based and we have a bad transportation system that doesn't ensure that they're going to get out to those jobs in the suburbs. Wouldn't it be nice if those people could live next to the factory where they're going to be worth that they're going to be working with you that cut down on some of the congestion and some of the costs associated with getting to work for some of my friends in the suburban community are saying yes, and they too are trying to figure out what role they should be playing. Let me just make one other common hearing about this. This is also about Education and Training. We need to be doing a better job ensuring that the people are getting access to Education and Training but they're going to help them be a contributor into in the workforce. The expectation is that everybody works the expectation is that everybody make a contribution but you got to be ready for that. You got to be ready for that if you missed out and getting a quality education when you're in K-12 and the public was paying for it. You need to take advantage of training opportunities that are available through various organizations in the community. Everybody's got to be doing their part towards solving the problems that are associated with with poverty with homelessness and it starts with the individual but as a community we got to provide some backup we wrap up here and they are a couple of other questions. Are you going to let st. Paul steal your baseball team the Minnesota Twins And then there he'll try to make sure that I'm not successful but you know what I got to tell you this the Minnesota Twins play baseball in Minneapolis. And I want them to keep playing baseball in Minneapolis. Minnesota Vikings play baseball in Minneapolis. And I want them to continue to play football in in in Minneapolis. So what are we going to do about that? I got a rally all of these people who live in Minneapolis to work in Minneapolis to come to Minneapolis for their entertainment to support the idea and notion that baseball doesn't get played anywhere but in our city and football doesn't get played anywhere but in our city and I'm going to need I'm going to need the support of a Minneapolis of residence if we're going to pull this off because I'll tell you there's some folks over in St. Paul that I just chomping at the bit to take baseball to the other side of the river. That's my hometown. I mean, I've got some in a love for that Community, but I don't love him. Enough to give him the baseball game before we went on the air somebody stop by here and asked you whether you were going to run for re-election. You're only halfway through this term. Are you going to run again? I got to tell you something. I love this job and I can for I can see myself for doing this job until I'm old and gray. Absolutely. Who knows, you know, who knows what's going to happen? But right now I'm going to tell you that it would be my intention to grow old. I am 331 and City Hall. And upstairs here. Just one of the many places little shop upstairs. You can buy the Jessie action figures are now on sale. Will there be a Sharon sayles Belton action figure for sale soon. Absolutely, and I'll be in a red and white and blue a costume and on the front of it. It'll say super mom and Superwoman. Thank you. Are you have a guest from Sweden to entertain this afternoon? Aquavit I'm going to be entertaining them the mayor of uppsala Sweden at the aqua V2 this afternoon. She is here as a guest of the Swedish Institute. And it's our hope that we will establish a sister city relationship between Minneapolis and Upsala and so I'm looking forward to it. And if anybody is listening. In the audience and has an interest in helping us to a foster greater relationships with our friends and Sweden, please feel free to call the Swedish Institute. Because in order for this effort to work, we're going to need citizens of our community to help us not to grow this relationship. I am excited and I will tell you something if you haven't eaten in aquavit, you got to get over there. It is really beautiful and tasty food. We'll have lots more nightlife tips coming up over the noon hour today and we're broadcasting. Live today from the Crystal Court in the idea Center downtown Minneapolis focusing today on the City of Minneapolis. We've been talking with mayor Sharon sayles Belton over the noon hour will be talking with columnist Barbara Flanagan about the history of downtown will have as we say some nightlife tips. We got a panel of folks who have the inside scoop on what's going on in terms of Downtown Development right now though. We've been joined by Star Tribune gossip columnist CJ who has the inside scoop on the Minneapolis celebrity seen thanks for joining us here at mid-day. Thank you for having me now besides that we have any celebrities in Minneapolis to keep an eye out before we before we talk about the mirror and other celebrities. We have a bit of business. Did you see the, my time with a mere contre City Hall reporter out with his dog without a leash? Yes. I got left out of there was an interesting character the city hall reporter is and how is hair sticks up all over his head. His name is Kevin Diaz and how he looks as though he bought his clothes outfit. Then wrinkles and really really good before he puts them on and they go. All right besides mr. Diaz. Who else should we be keeping an eye on here in terms of homegrown celebrities of town generally are going to Club Akshay, which is the smoking Club down there on the same block with the fine line and the local which is kind of an upscale Irish Pub. Do we get many of them through here we get. We get a few I don't hear about everybody a lot of people come to time down to shoot commercials and you never see that you realize that they've been here until I'll get a tip and I won't realize it was actually pallet until I see the TV commercial. What about the sports stars? Do they go to the same places if you're if you want to catch some of them? Yes, they do. Safe places to take my pictures like you if you want anything that is on right now for a people who are not accustomed to dealing with famous people. What's the best thing to do you run into him. Just pretend like you don't notice them you say hello or you run up and grab an autograph and I also think that if you if you were planning to call me and tell me you saw this person. I think you better go up and confirm that it is in fact that celebrity because they are a lot of a misidentification that happens a lot of spotting celebrities. And so I like I like, you know, and also I think I saw someone so and I said well why you think that what they look like that person and and they and I well why didn't you ask just you know, where do most people don't mind that I don't think some of them are spicy, but I've basically I don't think people mind if you walk up in a respectful and say, you know, I Love You movie or something in mind if you ask for an autograph, or is that where do you get your information from people? Call me? Get that support. Is there enough to keep a good gossip columnist busy in the state of Minnesota Minnesota and I do saying I don't do dirt. What local people are doing. This. Is it at New York or anyting by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't usually have any problems tuxedo event at the Mega Mall the other day and I got so much stuff. I can't even get it into my Sunday column. So I was finally I was looking at the items and saying okay, I can't hold this one about Wally McCarthy. I can't hold us about Melinda Jacobs that I can make them into other column items and make him sweat in the meanwhile. I don't know about that in general is a is the city getting livelier or is it years and I don't have that parochial attitude that I don't ever go to Saint Paul. I like Saint Paul. I've always thought Saint Paul's incredibly Charming that the architecture was perhaps more interesting than the architecture in Minneapolis. So I got to go wherever if you don't the whole, you know, it's it's all my Western and so on but no Minneapolis is very likely to CJ who keeps up on the local celebrities seen for the newspaper joining us here at midday live from the Crystal Court. need help planning a special event or holiday dinner click on Splendid Table. Org and check out the recipe box filled with recipes from past Splendid Table programs here lens quick tips for good eating on the kitchen Chronicles when you click on Splendid Table. O r g You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. We have body sky 49° at Cana W FM 91.1 Minneapolis. And st. Paul rain and drizzle is forecast for the day temperature right where it is raining drizzle tonight and the chance for some rain in the Twin Cities tomorrow as well.