Pandemic effects linger as University of Minnesota students still spend most of their time at home. 

Americans spent more time working from home in 2023 than they did prior to the pandemic, according to data from the American Time Use Survey released in June. About 35% of employed people did some or all of their work at home in 2023, compared to just 24% in 2019.

Liza Meredith, a licensed psychologist and University professor who studies college students’ mental health said the pandemic gave people a complicated relationship with the comfort and routine of being at home.

“Sometimes we can develop really engrained routines at home that don’t even help us anymore, right?” Meredith said. “It might prevent us from saying yes to a really good opportunity, like going out and seeing friends or seeing a concert or doing something we care about.”

In a survey of undergraduate University students conducted by the Minnesota Daily, about 89% of respondents said doing school work is one of the two things they spend the most time doing at home.

Tristan Sohr, a third-year student, said he does the majority of his schoolwork at his off-campus apartment because he is most comfortable there, despite knowing he is more likely to get distracted.

“Because it’s the environment I’ve set up around me, I have a lot of stuff that I enjoy doing,” Sohr said. “So instead of working on an assignment, I might end up using my 3D printer or something completely unrelated, not productive, at least for schoolwork.”

Meredith said there is a positive work-life balance side to the lingering pandemic effect.

“Maybe the pandemic slowed some of us down and made us realize, ‘I don’t need to be doing as much of what I was doing before,’” Meredith said. “If people are still getting out and doing the things they value sometimes, it’s not so bad if they’re doing a little bit less than what they used to be.”

Exactly 75% of students said they feel recharged by being at home and 25% said they prefer doing activities outside of their home, according to the Minnesota Daily survey.

Third-year University student Wayde DeYoe said the pandemic changed how he and his friends socialize today, spending more time communicating online than in person.

“We used to hang out before in person and play board games,” DeYoe said. “But is there really a reason to go over to a friend’s house to play games when you can just do it online?”

These at-home attitudes could be changing. The majority of students who responded to the survey said they spend the same amount of time or less at home today than they did before the pandemic.

Meredith said she noticed a striking difference in her freshman students’ preferences for being on campus this fall compared to her students in 2023.

“I’m not having students miss classes as often, they seem more in the routine of coming in person for things,” Meredith said. “Last year, I gave students the choice to take the exam from home or take it in an exam room and very few people came to the exam room.”

Data from the American Time Use Survey for 2024 will not be available until next year, so changes to how Americans spend their time at home will not be clear until then. 

DeYoe said he does most of his schoolwork on campus because it is where he feels most focused.

Meredith said she feels more productive in her own life when she works in person and gets out during her day and thinks college students may be experiencing a similar post-pandemic learning curve.

“When forced to go out, they have a better experience and a better day,” Meredith said. “Maybe over time that kind of reward they’re getting for having a better day, actually being out, will help us change our preferences.”

Minnesota’s unseasonably warm and dry September put a damper on typical fall foliage and autumn activities.

The highest temperature recorded in September was 92 degrees in Granite Falls amid a period of above-80-degree days throughout the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

This September beat September 2023’s highest temperature by more than one degree, according to Sven Sundgaard, a meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio. 

Most of Minnesota is also in a drought period, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Twin Cities had its driest September on record this year, according to Sundgaard.

Brandon Miller, the plant collections curator at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, said the unseasonable warmth puts stress on plant life and reduces the intensity of tree color, sometimes causing plants to skip changing color altogether.

“If there is color, I’m not anticipating it will last very long. It might be short and sweet and maybe not as vibrant as we had hoped, which is unfortunate,” Miller said.

Sundgaard said the high temperatures the West experienced this summer and severe weather events like Hurricane Helene have left more heat trapped over the Midwest through September.

“I call it, for lack of a better term, weather constipation, because nothing can move when you’ve got a system like that blocking the pattern,” Sundgaard said. 

Trees change color in response to colder temperatures, according to Sundgaard. The Twin Cities typically has 10 nights in the 40-degree range by Oct. 2, this year the area only had two.

Bill Jacobson, production manager at Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake, said apple and pumpkin harvests at the orchard look good despite unseasonably warm temperatures.

“The fruit finish on the apples is tremendous,” Jacobson said. “Very similar to last year which was just one of our best years ever for quality, so we’re kind of on track for that again.” 

Jacobson said some apple trees are smaller this harvest season because of the current drought and less frequent irrigation compared to last year. 

The abnormally hot September is related to climate change and is part of a dramatic warming over the last few decades, according to Sundgaard. September, June and December are Minnesota’s fastest-warming months. 

“Summers are getting longer,” Sundgaard said. “They’re starting earlier and ending later, that means frosts are coming later.”

Sundgaard said colder temperatures this year will take all fall to develop, but Minnesotans could see more than average snowfall levels. 

“My hunch as a forecaster and watching these patterns for more than two decades is that winter will probably have a late start this year,” Sundgaard said. 

Miller said he does not think the lackluster tree color has dampened the spirits of Minnesotans wanting to enjoy the fall season.

“The fall activities that people like to partake in, especially here at the Arboretum with purchasing apples and pumpkins and such, do still seem to be in full swing,” Miller said.

Jacobson said business at Pine Tree Orchard was lighter on hot weekends, but he feels confident the weather patterns will balance themselves out this fall. 

“We’ve got a really faithful following of customers,” Jacobson said. “They always have that annual trip and they’re gonna do it and everyone’s waiting for the perfect weather.”

Sundgaard said Minnesota’s natural life and citizens have learned to thrive in the cold, but residents may need to recognize that abnormal weather conditions like this will become the new normal going forward. 

“How do we as farmers or just average citizens adapt?” Sundgaard said. “Farmers are already experiencing this, how do you go from drought to flood to drought?”

The merging of three University-area neighborhood associations will move forward after the Marcy-Holmes community voted strongly in favor of the merger Friday night.

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA), Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) and Nicollet Island-East Bank Neighborhood Association will become the East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership following the vote. 

Around 90% of Marcy-Holmes residents voted in favor of the MHNA Board of Directors moving forward with the East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership. Marcy-Holmes was the last neighborhood to finish voting, ending at 8 p.m. on Friday.

About 91% of Nicollet Island community members voted to move forward with the merger. Nicollet Island was the first of the three neighborhoods to approve the merger concluding their voting period on Sept. 22, according to the NIEBNA website.

Southeast Como community members approved the merger with a 61% majority, the lowest approval rate of the three neighborhoods. Southeast Como’s lowest approval rate likely stems from a group of Southeast Como community members who campaigned against the merger leading up to the voting. 

Community members started a petition and posted yard signs reading “Keep Como Going” to encourage residents to vote against the merger. The petition argued that merging neighborhood associations would disrupt Southeast Como’s neighborhood autonomy.

In total, 366 community members across all three neighborhoods voted in favor of the association merger and 112 members voted against it, according to the election results.

Both SECIA and MHNA shared an image to X, formerly known as Twitter, Friday night depicting the name “East Bank District,” likely the title of the to-be-merged neighborhood association.

Voting results will be formally accepted by the three neighborhood associations in the next two weeks, according to the MHNA website.

Early voting is underway in Minnesota as election officials aim to educate voters ahead of election day and increase voter turnout.

Early voting began on Sept. 20 in Minnesota. Voters can cast their ballots early either in person or by mail until the general election on Nov. 5, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website. 

Lydia McComas, the voter engagement division manager for the Hennepin County Elections Office, said the office prepared for early voting with community engagement events, partnerships with 35 community organizations, ads on Metro Transit vehicles and social media posts.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said voting early allows voters more time to research the candidates and questions on their ballot.

“For example, you vote from your dorm room, vote from your apartment, it enables you to vote one or two contests one day, put it down for a day or two or more, pick it up again,” Simon said. “You can vote at your own pace.”

University of Minnesota students have the option to register to vote on campus or from their hometown in and outside of Minnesota, according to Simon.

Simon said he wants to demystify the voter registration process for voters. 

“When you hear about voter registration, I think most people know you’ve got to do that before you vote,” Simon said. “It’s simple, all it means is you have to show that you are who you say you are and you live where you say you live. That’s it.”

University students can use their University ID to verify their identity if they register to vote in person on election day, according to the Secretary of State website.

The deadline to register to vote in Minnesota both on paper and online is Oct. 15, according to the Secretary of State’s website. Voters will be able to register in person on election day.

Problems and concerns ahead of election day

Misinformation and disinformation are major concerns for the upcoming election, according to Simon.

“I want to make sure that all voters get correct and accurate information about the voting system and don’t necessarily listen to the myths and rumors on their social media feed or that someone tells them or that political figures are talking about. Go to a trusted source,” Simon said.

McComas said a challenge is voter confusion caused by receiving multiple absentee ballot applications from voting advocacy organizations. Minnesota voters will only receive their absentee ballot from the Hennepin County Elections office, however, other organizations can send out absentee ballot applications.

U.S. postal service delays and mail-in ballots returned as undeliverable are two major challenges to this election season. While mailing issues are frustrating, Simon said these issues are less common in Minnesota than in other states.

Minnesota is not a postmark state, meaning ballots marked before Nov. 5 but received after election day will not count, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures website. Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

If voters are standing in line at their polling place by 8 p.m. on election day they will still be able to vote, according to the Secretary of State website.

Simon said he is hoping for an election with high voter turnout and minimal drama.

“We don’t want political violence or threats of violence,” Simon said. “We want every eligible voter to be able to vote easily, and we’ve got to work at that. We can’t just hope it happens.”

The Hennepin County Elections Office is available to answer student questions about voting in Minnesota, according to McComas. McComas recommended students connect with their local election office if they are voting outside of Minnesota and have questions.

While absentee voting laws differ from state to state, students voting outside of Minnesota can register to vote online and order their mail-in ballots through their county clerk or election office’s website.

McComas said she advises all first-time voters to make a plan for how and when they will vote, whether in-person or by mail, in Minnesota or their home state.

“If you’re voting from out of state, make a plan, order that absentee ballot and make sure that you’re getting your voice heard,” McComas said. “It can be really easy on election day to say, ‘Oh, I’m too busy, I’ve got classes,’ or that kind of thing, so make a plan to vote and get that done now.”

For University students looking to vote early, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) will be hosting a one-day early voting event at the Weisman Art Museum on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to an email from USG.

More information about voting as a college student can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Job openings decreased throughout Minnesota in July, leaving University of Minnesota students and recent graduates to enter a more competitive job market.

Minnesota’s job market has largely recovered from the pandemic, which means fewer job openings and less hiring, according to Assistant Director of Minnesota’s Labor Market Information Office Oriane Casale. 

In March 2022, there were more than 12 million job openings nationwide — the peak of pandemic recovery in the labor market, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job openings have steadily decreased over the past two years, hitting just over 7.6 million non-farming job openings in July.

Minnesota lost about 41,000 job openings between June and July, a notable decrease in opportunities, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. 

Casale said Minnesota’s labor market is still strong with unemployment ticking up at a lower and slower rate and more job openings per worker compared to the U.S. overall. 

“We have been hearing more and more that it is harder to get those sorts of first professional jobs which may be a sign of the labor market slowing a bit,” Casale said. “Employers are possibly a little bit anxious about hiring new folks that they know they're going to have to maybe spend some resources training.”

Minnesota’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3% in August, below the national rate of 4.2%, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Although full-time University students do not count toward the unemployment rate, they are still affected by employment troubles.

Casale said slowing employment rates and higher ratios lead to a more competitive job market as more people vie for fewer jobs.

“It's kind of easy for us to, big picture, say you want that one-to-one ratio,” Casale said. “But for you as a job seeker, that might be less than ideal.” 

Students are feeling the effects

Joseph Nelson, a first-year University student and St. Paul native, said he switched summer jobs because he was being scheduled for fewer hours than the amount promised by his employer. 

“A ton of my friends had job issues and the majority of the cases were they were stuck at their, I don't want to say bad jobs, but more challenging jobs, either not getting enough hours or not getting close to enough pay,” Nelson said. “Some that did look for other jobs weren't able to get any.”

Casale said many older workers were attracted to wage and benefit increases that employers offered to make up for pandemic staff losses. Employers, meanwhile, were attracted to older workers with more flexible hours and experience.

“Because the labor market's tightening up a little bit, they just have more options of who to hire,” Casale said. “Not that college students aren't an awesome workforce, but employers have to balance that, you know, ‘Am I gonna lose this college student next summer because they're going to go off to their first professional job?’” 

Nelson said he ended up working in a warehouse for most of his summer, a position he does not think he would have gotten without a family connection.

“If I hadn't gotten that job, I wouldn't have been able to come here (to the University) mainly because there's no other job that guarantees more than 40 hours a week that we were able to find and give enough pay,” Nelson said. “It just was not there.”

Casale said the current job market students are dealing with is not abnormally competitive. It is more similar to pre-pandemic markets as employers have largely recovered from staffing shortages.

“(Employers) were hiring thousands of workers every month, for months and months and months and months,” Casale said. “Then all of a sudden, that really has totally tapered off now because they're basically back to where they need to be, so now it's just that regular turnover and churn.” 

Nelson said he, like many of his friends, worked a few jobs throughout high school and the pandemic at a chain restaurant, a coffee shop and a warehouse this summer.

Casale said employment rates for ages 16 to 19 increased considerably during the pandemic, an unusual trend that has not been seen since the 1990s.

“A bunch of people who worked in food service and retail and all those things that were older, they left and they got that $300 or whatever a month (unemployment) benefit,” Casale said. “It opened up all of these jobs for teens and so they really filled the void, so that really increased the labor force participation of that age group.” 

What about first professional jobs?

It is not just minimum wage jobs that are experiencing problems. A first professional job is likely harder to come by for a newly graduated University student, Casale said.

Employers could be more reluctant to hire first-time professionals because they have the option of hiring applicants with more experience after the pandemic, which is how employers generally respond to the job market tightening, according to Casale.

Executive Director of Career Services for the University System Sara Newberg said University career fairs have seen an 8% increase in employer involvement this fall and in job postings on Handshake. 

“It's hard to look at those numbers and say that we're seeing a huge problem,” Newberg said.

A survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the spring found overall hiring projections are down 5.8% from last year. However, survey results also indicated employers would increase or maintain hiring for the class of 2024.

Employment struggles are not equal across all industries.

Construction, manufacturing, financial services and some trade sectors in the state dipped in employment from July to August, according to DEED data. Construction decreases are likely related to high federal interest rates, according to Casale.

Casale said healthcare facilities like hospitals, nursing homes and childcare also struggled to hire employees after the pandemic. Education and health services had notable increases in job openings, gaining 4,200 jobs in August, according to DEED data.

Newberg said gaining any type of work experience during college, such as volunteer work and service jobs, can help students prepare for the job market after graduation and make them stand out to employers.

“The old adage of 'control what you can' is so important, so control that you have a career plan and a backup career plan that you could pivot to, and work with the (University) resources,” Newberg said. “We get so focused on internships, which are really helpful, but also our employers tell us that just basic job experience is really valuable to them.”

Newberg added that persistence is key for students who face challenges finding a job after graduation.

“I've seen students who are really talented just have some kind of bad luck, just things that should work out, don't work out,” Newberg said. “They just stick with it until they get there.”

Casale said while Minnesota’s job market has slowed from pandemic recovery, she remains optimistic.

“It’s still a job seekers market,” Casale said. “People can still expect to find opportunities.”

State legislators and conservation activists are campaigning for a ballot question to keep using Minnesota lottery money to fund outdoor conservation ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

This is not the first time Minnesotans have had to vote on whether to use lottery money for environmental conservation efforts. In 1988, around 77% of voters decided to dedicate 40% of the money earned from the Minnesota State Lottery to the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for outdoor conservation and environmental research, according to Conservation Minnesota’s website.

A decade later, voters rededicated the lottery funding to conservation efforts for the next 25 years, according to Campaigns Director for Conservation Minnesota Marcus Starr. 

Thanks to the two previous votes, Minnesota has invested over $900 million in lottery funds to preserve its lakes, parks and natural habitat since 1988, according to the Conservation Minnesota website.

Starr said voter support for the lottery funding bill is widespread because the money goes toward natural resources vital to the state’s identity.

“Having a plethora of parks and trails and clean water and recreation, our tourism industry really depends on these sorts of projects,” Starr said. “What makes Minnesota, Minnesota is what this funding does.”

Rep. Athena Hollins (DFL-St. Paul), the primary sponsor for the lottery funding bill, said it was a bipartisan effort in the state legislature to get the question on Minnesotans’ ballots. 

With 2024 being a presidential election year, Starr said Conservation Minnesota is focusing on making voters aware of the bill itself and that leaving the question unanswered counts as a ‘No’ vote.

“One thing that we’re really pushing with voters and educating them on the ballot is that this isn’t just a contest between those who vote on the question, we’re competing against no votes and blank votes,” Starr said.

Voters can find the lottery funding question on the right side of their ballots under the “Minnesota Constitutional” section, according to Starr.

If Minnesotans do not pass the conservation funding bill, the lottery money will be added to the general fund where it can be spent on education, local governments and other state efforts, according to Hollins. 

Hollins said she is not worried about this year’s presidential election overshadowing the lottery funding bill and other state issues on Minnesotans’ ballots.

“Having a high-profile presidential election is actually advantageous because most people don’t come to the polls and only vote for the president,” Hollins said. “They will at least look at other things that are on the ballot and make those choices and that really ultimately benefits us in getting the votes that we need for this particular measure.”

Riley Hetland, director of civic engagement for the University of Minnesota Undergraduate Student Government (USG), said she sees the presidential election increasing voter enthusiasm among students.  

“It’s just really remarkable to see how much people truly do care about the decisions that are going to be affecting them for the long run,” Hetland said. 

Hollins said Minnesotans could notice a difference in the upkeep of state and regional parks, recreational trails and research capabilities if lottery money is not guaranteed to fund outdoor conservation. 

Starr said the University is a major recipient of lottery conservation funds and whether voters guarantee that money for research or not will directly affect students and faculty looking to receive a grant or conduct research. 

Hollins said it is important for young voters to be educated about the lottery funding bill and the rest of the ballot because the outcomes of the election can have a significant impact on their lives.

“I tell (young people) all the time, ‘You shouldn’t feel bad if you’re not sure what’s happening, that’s totally reasonable,’” Hollins said. “It is absolutely within your purview to call up your representative or to call up your senator and say, ‘What is the plan for education? How are you going to fund public schools? What is your plan for climate change?’ Those are things that are going to impact you all more than me.”

The Minnesota Department of Health received part of a $5 million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to expand its biomonitoring program in September. 

The grant gives Minnesota and five other states a combined $5 million annually from 2024 to 2027 to expand their biomonitoring programs, according to the CDC website. 

Part of Minnesota’s program tests urine samples from participating children ages 3 to 6 at their required Early Childhood Screening exams for chemicals that can harm a child’s development, according to Minnesota’s biomonitoring website.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) began its biomonitoring program, now called Healthy Kids Minnesota, in 2018 in rural North-Central Minnesota and urban North Minneapolis, according to Program Director Jessica Nelson. 

Nelson said about 1,350 kids have participated in the program over the last three years. Their results have helped MDH identify chemical exposure patterns and sources.

“We’re definitely identifying important differences in exposure for some groups of kids, whether it’s by family income or by race and ethnicity,” Nelson said. “That’s pointing us to some really important areas to try to take action to reduce exposures.”

Chemicals of serious concern for children include pesticides, air pollutants and heavy metals like arsenic and lead, according to the MDH website. Long-term exposure to these chemicals can increase a child’s risk of some nervous system disorders, diabetes and certain cancers.

Nelson said the new grant will allow MDH to reach two more metro and two more non-metro regions by partnering with more healthcare providers and increasing the number of participating families in all parts of the state.

Stefan Saravia, a public health laboratory manager and biomonitoring program lead, said the grant money will be used to hire laboratory staff, and purchase and maintain the equipment and the unique materials used in the urine testing.

“The grant has allowed us to bring on well over 70 different analytes within our laboratory, but it has required significant investment in equipment and staff,” Saravia said. “We have a very unique capability in Minnesota to be able to do this.” 

Iftu Hunte, the program coordinator for Early Childhood Screenings in Minneapolis Public Schools, said she was encouraged by the biomonitoring program growth between its pilot in 2018 and now.

“When we did the pilot for this project, they would only recruit families that lived in a certain zip code,” Hunte said. “I’m not sure if that was because of funding, but the second year we did it, it was opened up to everybody which I really liked.”

Nelson said expanding the biomonitoring program statewide is crucial to improving the health of Minnesota’s children because MDH will be able to intervene if children are being exposed to harmful chemicals. 

If a specific child has high exposure to one of the tested chemicals, the MDH will locate the chemical source and recommend steps for families to lower the child’s exposure to it, Nelson added.

“Thanks to all the families who participated, we can look at some of these bigger trends and ways kids are exposed and differences between groups of kids, and come up with some important findings for our state that point to actions, policies and programming that we need to tweak or implement to try to reduce exposures,” Nelson said.

MDH will begin selecting new participating school districts in the northwest, west-central and southeast metro areas of Minnesota in the spring of 2025, according to Nelson. Only children in selected districts will be able to participate in the program. 

Director of Early Childhood Education for Minneapolis Public Schools Cindy Hillyer was involved in the program’s 2018 pilot and said understanding the differences in urban, rural and metro area health issues is important to creating effective state policy.

“Suburban communities have different environmental issues, farming communities have different environmental issues than urban communities,” Hillyer said. “It’s very important that we understand each other’s issues and that we support the wellbeing of all children in our state.”

Three neighborhood associations near the University of Minnesota are planning a public vote on a permanent neighborhood association merger on Sept. 19. 

The Marcy-Holmes (MHNA), Southeast Como (SECIA) and Nicollet Island boards approved the East Bank Neighborhood Association Partnership plan in August, however, the association partnership plan is facing pushback from some SECIA community members.

The Nicollet Island group will begin voting on Sept. 19, SECIA members on Sept. 28 and MHNA members on Oct. 1. 

Homeowners and renters of the three neighborhoods will have 72 hours to cast their votes. 

President of SECIA DeWayne Townsend said holding a community vote is a crucial step in the merger process because association boards are not necessarily representative of entire neighborhoods.

Chris Lautenschlager, executive director of MHNA, said a waiting period between board approvals and neighborhood voting allows time for community members to understand the merger plan.

“We knew that people would need time to read about this, learn about this, ask questions about this, be mad (or) happy about this (and) advocate for (or) agitate against it,” Lautenschlager said.

Townsend said the partnership will remedy diminishing financial support from the city by combining the financial and personnel resources of the three neighborhood associations to create a more productive organization.

“The concern we had is that without joining forces, we wouldn’t have the bandwidth to do even the simplest things like the Como Cookout,” Townsend said.

Funding from the city government for Minneapolis neighborhoods has been declining for years, according to Nicollet Island Secretary Barry Clegg.

The combined association would receive over $140,000 annually from the city, according to an FAQ document about the partnership.

Clegg said the Nicollet Island Board believes being a part of a larger organization with more resources is preferable to remaining a stand-alone association.

“We’ll be a small part of this organization, but together we’ll have much more capability,” Clegg said. “Most people on the board would rather be a smaller voice in a larger organization that has more influence than a smaller voice, period.”

Townsend said University students will also benefit from a merged organization because it will have a greater capacity to “be more responsive to student needs and student issues” such as off-campus living.

The merged association would form a 15-person board with three members elected from each neighborhood and five members must be renters, according to Townsend. The remaining six board seats would be elected from the merged area at large, according to a summary of the merger plan. University students will also be eligible as board members.

If the three neighborhoods vote in favor of the merger, an interim board would be formed until the first official board elections in the fall of 2025. 

Not everyone is on board for one board

Larry Crawford, a Southeast Como resident, said he started an online petition titled “Keep Como Going” and posted signs of the same slogan around the neighborhood to encourage residents to vote against the merger.

Crawford, who also serves on SECIA’s board, added he opposes the merger because neighborhood associations are strongest as autonomous, local organizations.

“When you merge things together you lose that local sense,” Crawford said. “The organizations, as far as I can tell, usually kind of wither away because people don’t feel a close adherence to it or engagement with it.”

Lautenschlager said those opposed to the merger have unrealistic expectations for how the neighborhood associations will continue to successfully function autonomously.

“It’s an unfortunate initiative by individuals who overestimate their ability to run a neighborhood association,” Lautenschlager said.

Questions about the neighborhood association partnership can be sent here.

Minneapolis City Council amended the rideshare ordinance Thursday, postponing its start until July 1 to allow more time for emerging rideshare companies to prepare to launch in the city.

The ordinance was passed on March 7 and originally expected to take effect May 1. The effective date was pushed back for emerging companies to recruit drivers and publicize riders, according to a joint statement from the ordinance’s co-authors Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), Jason Chavez (Ward 9) and Jamal Osman (Ward 6).

Currently, around a dozen Minnesota-grown and out-of-state companies are aiming to fill the shoes of Uber and Lyft, who have said they will leave the city if the state does not pass a compensation rate lower than the city’s current rate. The collection of companies includes MOOV, MyWeels and The Driver’s Cooperative.

Founder of new rideshare company MOOV and Cedar-Riverside native Murid Amini said he has been working with drivers since October, but operations to “level the playing field of the rideshare industry” with MOOV were kicked into high gear when the ordinance passed.

“When the vote passed, that’s what really kicked in a sense of urgency to say, ‘Oh, [I’m] not looking to capitalize, but I’m certainly looking to ensure the community isn’t left without a way to get around,’” Amini said.

MOOV is running a GoFundMe page to help cover insurance costs and operating license fees before it is ready to launch operations in the city, according to its website. 

Jiao Luo, a professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota, said all startups face similar difficulties when entering a new marketplace.

“There are all kinds of challenges in terms of financial [and] in terms of platform, companies need to invest quite a bit in terms of the infrastructure itself before you’re able to operate,” Luo said. “Then there is the issue of attracting in two-sided platforms, how do you make a name for yourself, both among the drivers [and riders].”

Elam Baer, CEO of MyWeels, said investments from a private equity group differentiate MyWeels from other rideshare startups.

“We have a funding base that has already put a significant amount of money in and is willing to put in a substantial amount more,” Baer said. “At first glance, it looks like a business that can be run on a shoestring, and if you had two years to build it, you probably could, but if we all have 60 days to go from zero to 60, it does take some capital to pull that off.” 

Baer added that this financial support makes him confident in MyWeels’ ability to “be there on the day Lyft and Uber pull out of the market.”

Luo said the rise of small rideshare companies will be “a period of experimentation” rather than a profitable venture for the companies to see if fair wages for drivers is a sustainable business model.

Both Amini and Baer said a foundational aspect of their respective companies is a focus on paying drivers the increased compensation rates set by the city.

The Driver’s Cooperative, which launched in New York City in 2020, has a cooperative business model owned by workers instead of investors or individuals, according to Driver’s Co-Op co-founder Erik Forman.

Forman said a major challenge to launching a co-op is that they are less appealing to investors but more appealing to workers and consumers. 

“By creating companies owned by workers and consumers, you have the opportunity to create a business that is run in their interest,” Forman said. “For workers, that means making sure the drivers make a living wage. For consumers, that means making sure that people are not being gouged.”

Nearly 2,000 drivers and over 4,000 riders in Minneapolis have signed up with Driver’s Co-op, numbers the business aims to grow in the next month, according to Forman.

Luo said while the economic sustainability of the emerging companies is uncertain, she is primarily concerned with how this transition and increased business regulations will affect the city’s drivers.

“How do we make sure that the drivers who we’re meaning to protect won’t get hurt in this process? That is something that I’m quite concerned about,” Luo said. “It’s not obvious to me [that] every driver will benefit out of this.”

Luo added that while this transition will bring initial confusion for consumers, market competition brings more options and often benefits “the welfare of the customers.”

Amini said the emergence of new rideshare companies like MOOV will take market control from Uber and Lyft and put it back into the hands of drivers and the community.

“It takes away their ability to basically say, ‘We’re not going to pay people fairly or price fairly or anything like that, and there’s nothing you can do about it,’” Amini said. “The truth is, now, there’s something you can do about it. You can go to another rideshare company.” 

Conservation leaders and community members gathered at the Pillsbury A-Mill apartment building Tuesday night to discuss the restoration project plan for the Father Hennepin Bluff Lower Trail, also known as East Owamniyomni.

The restoration planning project, initiated by the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association (MHNA), is led by Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) and Full Circle Indigenous Planning and Design. The plan is largely funded by grant money MHNA received in 2023 from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, according to FMR ecologist Leah Weston.

Cordelia Pierson, a lead volunteer for the Feather Hennepin Bluff Stewards, a volunteer group involved with restoration efforts, welcomed a group of around 15 community members. Pierson said the project’s goals were “being smarter about ecological restoration, integrating indigenous knowing” and “community engagement.”

Father Hennepin Bluff Lower Trail is an around-6-acre public park bordering land owned by Xcel Energy and a sacred site for the Dakota people. The land was historically an oak savanna: sloping land covered with trees growing among wildflowers and grasses, according to Weston.

The Lower Trail is currently riddled with invasive species and needs erosion control measures, according to Weston’s presentation. The primary goal of the plan is to restore pre-colonization native vegetation and species to the area.

Weston, the project manager, presented the plan’s development and goals while seeking feedback from community members, saying both the plan’s biggest challenge and advantage are that so many different groups care about the area’s future.

“In meetings like this, it just feels like such a win because people show up and give feedback and they deeply care about this site, which propels me forward after you’re in the weeds when you’re doing a planning effort,” Weston said.

Sam Olbekson, Full Circle’s founder and CEO, said the design firm’s involvement in the restoration project is minor, but these discussions with the Indigenous community, especially the  Dakota, are important for the long-term success of the area.

“Being invited in a meaningful way to have these discussions is important for the Indigenous community to understand the stewardship, the history and the cultural knowledge that we have to share,” Olbekson said. “It’s important in the long-term success and just [the] simple identity of the place.” 

Pierson said a challenge she has seen since the Hennepin Bluff Stewardship group was formed in 2017 is frustration around the length of projects, like the Lower Trail restoration.

“It is a generational project, so if you expect instant change, you’re going to be disappointed,” Pierson said. “If you are in for the long haul, then it’s really, really rewarding.” 

JoDee Schumer, a lead volunteer with the Hennepin Bluff Stewards, said the restoration efforts attract all types of community members and for her, every aspect of the work is valuable.

“If you’re a garden person or an outdoor person, like I said, we get a real mix of people, and we get big events, and we plant trees, and we take out plants, and everything about it is fulfilling for me,” Schumer said.

Pierson said the satisfaction from working in and enjoying nature is why she and other volunteers are so committed to the project.

“The energy people get from giving some sweat, learning something new, using their muscles, being out in nature, that energy is so powerful,” Pierson said. “That gives me a lot of motivation to keep on organizing people to come to this amazing place.” 

Schumer said places like Father Hennepin Bluff Lower Trail are special to her and deserve protection and care.

“I’m a country gal and I’m living in the middle of a city, and [the Lower Trail is] a treasure and allows me to stay here because I have that in my front yard,” Schumer said. “Why would you not take care of your front yard?”

An hour-long tour of Father Hennepin Bluff Lower Traill led by volunteers will be held on Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. for all interested volunteers.