Word on the Streets

Now Hiring: Two Positions

Our Streets Minneapolis is hiring for two positions. Click on the links below for full job descriptions.

1. Communications Specialist

2. Events and Program Coordinator

Contact Haley Foydel, [email protected] with any questions about these positions.

These positions will remain open until filled.

posted by | May 26, 2021

Now Hiring: Events and Program Coordinator

Our Streets Minneapolis seeks an Events and Program Coordinator who is passionate about our work to create a city where biking, walking, and rolling are easy and comfortable for everyone. One of our primary methods of connecting with communities is our annual Open Streets events across the city, which average over 100,000 visitors each year. We’re looking for someone who’s excited to lead this event series as well as smaller-scale events throughout the year.

About Our Streets Minneapolis

Our Streets Minneapolis envisions a city where biking, walking, and rolling are equitable, easy, and joyful for people of all backgrounds and identities in all parts of Minneapolis. Our work is rooted in anti-oppression and creating spaces that support and welcome all identities, meaning all genders, races, religions, abilities, orientations, etc. We work to prioritize the voices of people and communities historically left out of the transportation decision making process.

We encourage prospective candidates to read about our mission, vision, and methods, our policies and positions, and our current programs to learn more about our organization.

Our Streets Minneapolis is an equal opportunity employer with a focus on creating safer spaces for our employees. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, people with disabilities, transgender people, nonbinary people, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Please send a resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Your resume should include any relevant paid or unpaid experience and education and skills. We’re interested in getting to know you, so please use your cover letter to introduce yourself and share your interest in Our Streets Minneapolis as well as any relevant experience that you believe could contribute to your success in this role.

Position responsibilities and qualifications

Essential duties and responsibilities

Open Streets Minneapolis (approximately 7-8 events annually)

Lead event proposal and planning processes in collaboration with community and program partners, including the City of Minneapolis
Build and manage relationships with event stakeholders, including all businesses and organizations on event routes
Coordinate community notification, street closures, traffic signage, security, and all necessary permitting
Manage sign up and logistics for all activities, vendors, and partners
Design event layout
Ensure a safe, accessible, and compliant event day-of

Design, plan, and execute other Our Streets Minneapolis events, including:

Annual Bike to Work Day events
Advocacy campaigns
Community outreach and engagement efforts
Fundraising and development initiatives

Coordinate volunteer efforts

Collaborate with advocacy and development teams to recruit and engage volunteers through Our Streets Minneapolis events and programs
Assist with volunteer communications and management before, during and after events

General

Manage event budgets
Manage reporting for all events, including attendance, satisfaction surveys, etc.
Collaborate with Executive Director to develop long-term events strategy
Perform other duties as needed

Skills and qualifications

Basic skills and qualifications

A demonstrated commitment to working towards justice and equity, particularly within marginalized communities, in alignment with our Safer Spaces policy and equity commitments
Demonstrated understanding of how events and direct community engagement can further an organization’s mission
Experience designing, organizing and leading large scale events
Experience building and managing relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
Experience creating partnerships with local government, businesses and/or community leaders
Proficiency in Google Apps
Ability to work several outdoor events on weekends, including all Open Streets Minneapolis events
Ability to work some evenings
Meet all criteria specified in Work Conditions section below

Preferred skills and qualifications

Knowledge of the cultural and political landscape of Minneapolis
Proficiency in Spanish, Somali, Oromo, or Hmong
Proficiency in NationBuilder
Experience managing budgets
Experience working with volunteers

Position will be open until filled. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Application review will begin on Monday, May 31st.

About the Events and Program Coordinator position

Pay & benefits

The Events and Program Coordinator will be a salaried, exempt position expected to work 40 hours per week. Starting annual salary for this position will be $43,000 to $48,000, depending on experience.

We offer a generally flexible work schedule, except for required events and meetings.

Our benefits package includes paid time off, health insurance reimbursement, retirement contribution matching, partial cell phone reimbursement, transit and bike share allowance, and bike/walk to work credit.

Work Conditions

Our Streets Minneapolis staff are currently working remotely due to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time the Events and Program Coordinator will need to work from a computer using personal wifi in their home.

All Our Streets Minneapolis staff are required to have a smartphone.

Once it is safe, the Events and Program Coordinator will work out of the Our Streets Minneapolis office in downtown Minneapolis, and at local community events within Minneapolis.

The Our Streets Minneapolis staff is a small team that works in an open plan office. The Events and Program Coordinator will work closely with all other staff members.

This position involves working at outdoor events which includes the following requirements:

Ability to transport themselves to and from events across Minneapolis
Ability to sit or stand outside for up to nine hours at community events in all weather conditions
Ability to go up and down one flight of stairs to reach our office
Ability to lift 25 pounds to move equipment for events

posted by | May 26, 2021

New Overlook Comes to Minneapolis Northside Riverfront

5/21/2021

Cyclists and pedestrians have a soaring new lookout on the North Side riverfront at 26^th Avenue N. in Minneapolis.

The 26^th Avenue Overlook project transforms into an inviting nest-like oasis what previously had been an industrially dominated dead-end space where a chain-link fence and scrub brush blocked the view of the river.

The overlook features a platform that cantilevers people over the river and its bank with a combination of netting, metal grates and black locust planks. The most visible feature is a 35-foot-tall beacon that’s intended as a new riverfront landmark. It incorporates Audubon Society guidelines to minimize impact on migrating birds.

The $1.7 million project creates another beachhead for North Siders to savor the river and its wildlife. It is part of the emerging RiverLink, which eventually will include a trail connection to W. River Parkway. RiverLink stems from the RiverFirst Initiative, which fleshed out the groundbreaking Above The Falls master plan, now 20 years old.

The overlook connects with the North Side section of the walk-bike Great Northern Greenway, a sidepath that leads from Wirth Park to the Mississippi River. along 26^th. That implements one of the major themes of the master plan, which called for better bridging Interstate 94 to ease access to the river for North Siders on foot or bikes.

The overlook is largely funded by the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, but also includes regional park funding to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and funding from the Mississippi Water Management Organization for shoreline and bank stabilization.

A $3 million grant from the state will help to further strengthen the North Side river connection. Park Board staff are currently studying routing options to connect the overlook and greenway to Ole Olson Park, and to recreational paths that stretch far down the river’s east bank to destinations as far as downtown, Minnehaha Falls and Inver Grove Heights. The route study will provide information for preliminary designs, construction estimates and a project timetable, according to Andy Schilling, who managed the overlook project for the Park Board. One likely possibility is to route the connector under the nearby Burlington Northern Santa Fe bridge, Greenway advocates hope that one day the bridge will accommodate recreational traffic to link with the Northeast section of the Great Northern Greenway.

The overlook has an elliptical shape, with the light mast emerging from an open middle, covered by play netting. The surrounding locust plank platform gives way to a metal grating closest to the river. The railing around the platform includes metal artwork created by Juxtaposition Arts, a North Side teen-staffed art and design center. A bench sits on the river side of the beacon mast.

The landmark beacon’s full-color LED lights were designed to be visible up to half a mile away, and the shaft also is illuminated by downward-facing lights. Schilling said that the beacon will be programmed to use bird-safe colors during known periods of the year and times of day for migratory fowl. A Fordham University conservation biologist concluded that the beacon is unlikely to have any measurable impact on night-migrating birds.

posted by | May 19, 2021