Latest news with #MetropolitanCouncil
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Metro Transit employee claims religious discrimination in lawsuit
A former Metro Transit worker is suing the Metropolitan Council, claiming religious discrimination and workplace retaliation drove him out of his job. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court alleges Jihad Hamoud, who is Muslim, left his job in 2022 after repeated questioning of his religious accommodations, discrimination based on his faith, and disciplinary measures from management after reporting problems. It also claims management sent police with Hamoud to pray after repeatedly declining his requests to do so during a 2021 discipline meeting with management. The Met Council can't comment on ongoing litigation, spokesman John Schadl said in a statement. Metro Transit is just one service run by the regional planning organization. The lawsuit comes after an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found probable cause that the Met Council violated state antidiscrimination law and retaliated against Hamoud. The council appealed the November 2024 ruling, but Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero reaffirmed her decision in January this year. Minneapolis law firm Storms Dworak brought the lawsuit on Hamoud's behalf. Hamoud had been an employee of the Met Council since 2010, when he was hired as a Metro Transit bus driver, according to court documents. He transferred to a job cleaning and maintaining Metro Transit facilities in 2019. Work was based out of a central hub in St. Paul. While in that position, Hamoud experienced multiple incidents of religious discrimination, the lawsuit claims. In one incident detailed in the lawsuit, a supervisor blamed the bathrooms becoming dirty on Muslims ''who pray in there and wet up the whole place and throw tissue and paper towels all over the place and get the toilets clogged.'' Hamoud told the supervisor Muslims must pray in clean settings, the lawsuit said. In another incident, according to the lawsuit, a Met Council janitor told Hamoud that Muslims were creating problems and leading to a conflict with Christianity. Problems continued, but when Hamoud met with managers to discuss his concerns about religious discrimination, he was placed on administrative leave, according to the lawsuit. When Hamoud returned to work, a manager accused Hamoud of driving past him and the janitor to intimidate him, and later called Hamoud into a meeting with two police officers present, according to the lawsuit. The manager allegedly accused Hamoud of insubordination. As they waited for a union representative, Hamoud asked to pray, which, as a practicing Muslim, he is required to do five times a day. The manager allegedly directed the two police officers to 'keep an eye on' Hamoud while he prayed, causing him to, among other things, feel 'degraded, humiliated, disrespected, vilified, and discriminated against.' Hamoud was placed on a five-day suspension without pay and escorted off the premises. In a later meeting between Hamoud's union and Met Council, the group's assistant director of Facilities Maintenance said the situation was 'blown out of proportion,' and 'border[ed] on ridiculous,' the lawsuit claims. Hamoud returned to work, but continued to experience discrimination and eventually resigned in May 2022. He is seeking a total of $100,000 in damages and any other relief a court deems appropriate. St. Paul police name detective, officer, employee of the year Jerome Johnson: A new era for Riverview mobility St. Paul weighs consolidating some downtown offices at Osborn 370 building State seeks to cancel permit for St. Paul's Northern Iron foundry St. Paul's Maxfield Elementary breaks ground on 'community schoolyard'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Open house set for proposed Maplewood-Woodbury-Afton trail
Area residents will have the chance to learn about a proposed multi-use trail running through central Washington County at an open house later this month. The paved trail, temporarily called the Battle Creek-St. Croix Regional Trail, will run for about 11 miles from Maplewood to Woodbury and Afton, said Connor Schaefer, a senior planner with Washington County Public Works. Once fully developed, it is expected to connect trail users to regional destinations such as the Central Greenway and St. Croix Valley regional trails, Battle Creek Regional Park and the St. Croix River. 'We hear from the public how much they appreciate the existing trails in our communities, and the hope is that this trail will help set the stage for us to continue to grow and link our trail system,' Schaefer said. County officials are working to create a detailed vision for the future trail – where it might go, what land is needed, what features it may have and how it will be maintained. On tap for this year: visioning, site analysis, engagement, data collection, route development and plan drafting, Schaefer said. No funds will be devoted to the implementation of the plan until it is adopted by the Washington County Board and the Metropolitan Council, he said. In the meantime, county officials are looking forward to hearing what residents would want to see in a trail – and what they might possibly call it, Schaefer said. 'Battle Creek-St. Croix Regional Trail is kind of a placeholder name,' he said. The open house will be 4 to 6 p.m. April 21 at Woodbury City Hall. For more information, go to At Capitol and Stillwater, a swing to commemorate baseball history MN robotics teams preparing to compete in the big one: FIRST Championship Work underway on Woodbury's new water treatment plant; traffic impacts expected St. Paul Park: Jeff Haggerty appointed to city council Longtime St. Paul Park city administrator to resign
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
SWLRT audit prompts more Met Council criticism from Minnesota lawmakers
Minnesota state auditors on Monday released the results of their investigation into construction of the Metropoilitan Council's oft-delayed and over budget Southwest Light Rail Transit project. The Office of the Legislative Auditor's report found "instances of noncompliance and weaknesses in internal controls" in cost discrepancies, work with certain subcontractors, contaminated soils and security. The audit focused on "construction activities and the work performed by the civil construction contractor, Lunda/C.S. McCrossan Joint Venture," the OLA said. The 14.5-mile extension of the Metro Green Line from downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie is the most expensive public works project in state history at $2.8 billion. Construction began in 2018 and has been delayed numerous times. The Metropolitan Council expects it to be up and running sometime in 2027. At a hearing Monday morning with the Legislative Audit Commission, the Metropolitan Council responded to the findings. "Most importantly, as I mentioned before, there were no overpayments and we have protected, we believe, taxpayers' interests in delivering this project," Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle said. "Southwest Light Rail, or we refer to as the Green Line Extension, is a generational investment in a transformative network of transit throughout this metro area." Lawmakers on both sides excoriated the Met Council during the hearing. "There is a big problem in the Met Council, the way they conduct business, spending other people's money," Republican state Sen. Calvin Bahr said. "People work hard for their money, and all three of your problems go so over budget, it's like you don't care." "We will continue to get these results because that's the way the system is designed. It's up to the public to rise up if they want better outcomes from this regional body," DFL state Sen. Scott Dibble said. The auditors' full findings and recommendations can be found on the OLA website . Two years ago, an OLA report found the Met Council wasn't fully transparent about the project's cost overruns and delays and began construction without securing the necessary funds for completion. The council's alleged mismanagement of the SWLRT project has led to calls to reform the unelected body.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Comcast keeping Twin Cities connected amid surging internet use
The numbers are in, and local internet usage is surging — increasing the need for connectivity now and in the future. Comcast has solutions that'll keep you online all with a smarter, faster, and more reliable converged network that can meet and exceed every customer's increasing demand for speed and capacity. The recent boom in Internet consumption along with the long-range population forecast by the Metropolitan Council, which shows the Twin Cities is expected to add approximately 65,000 residents over the next two decades, underscores the importance of connectivity and having a network that can seamlessly handle the influx in demand. Modern networks require ongoing investment and innovation to remain resilient, secure, and future-ready. Year after year, overall network traffic for Internet providers has grown by double digits. The average Xfinity Internet customer has 36 WiFi-connected devices in their home. Today, over 70 percent of Xfinity's Internet traffic consists of entertainment, with more live sports on streaming, more applications, and more uses. And that usage is likely to accelerate in the Twin Cities, with its roster of professional sports teams and dedicated fans. This past year, Comcast saw the largest consumption in Internet history driven by sports streaming and large gaming downloads. In fact, the top five days all happened within the last few months of 2024, including a Thursday night football game last October, which featured the Minnesota Vikings. As population and Internet consumption trends rise, Comcast remains focused on delivering the best converged WiFi experience across its network, with continuous upgrades made to enhance how you stay connected – whether on your laptop, iPad, or mobile phone, whether at home or on the go. Over the last 10 years, Comcast invested into its network and infrastructure nationwide to futureproof solutions for consumers and support businesses of all sizes through our Comcast Business services. Our network starts with of fiber—enough to circle the Earth 12 times. It's this essential infrastructure that brings you all the Internet has to offer every day, and in every situation. Comcast's investments provide features like WiFi PowerBoost, which automatically supercharges speeds for Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile customers up to one gig whenever they connect to millions of WiFi hotspots across the country, including throughout the Twin Cities. Here's what you need to know about the changing internet landscape. Every 20 minutes, our network is testing more than 4,000 data points across tens of millions of devices to enhance your experience. We can detect when there's bandwidth available to be used more efficiently and have your modem automatically adjust to optimize your experience. In the past year alone, we've pushed more than 350,000 upgrades across our network to make sure people get the best the Internet has to offer, including our recent speed increases for no additional cost. Our network has the ability to self-heal. Today, automation and AI driven tools resolve 60% of network issues before the customer even notices. And coming this year, our new XB10 modem will be Comcast's fastest and most powerful device yet – with the unprecedented capacity to simultaneously connect up to 300 devices in your home. As the need for connectivity continues to grow, Comcast will be at the forefront, delivering an unparalleled experience with our next-generation network. Whether it's video calling grandma across the country or streaming the big game with friends, the Twin Cities can rely on Comcast to connect you to the moments that matter most. Learn more about competitive deals on technology that keeps you online, on budget.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Transformative' $130M downtown St. Paul development plan advances
A Indiana-based developer's plans to transform a vacant property in the heart of downtown St. Paul have taken a significant step forward. The city of St. Paul said this week the $130 million proposal for the property, known as the Central Station Block, is advancing. Developer Flaherty & Collins recently gained approvals from the Metropolitan Council and the city's Housing and Redevelopment Authority to enter into a tentative developer agreement, clearing the path to begin public engagement, design and other steps needed before a final agreement. A 20-story apartment tower with 300 market-rate apartments and 10,000-square-feet of ground-floor retail is currently envisioned for the site, which is served by the METRO Gold Line and several bus routes. The Central Station Block proposal also calls for a six-story building to be connected by skyway over the light rail. In a statement, Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle said the agency is excited to advance the "transformative" development. "This pivotal project will not only revitalize a key urban hub but demonstrate our commitment to smart growth principles," Zelle said. "By strategically increasing density around major transit modes, we're creating a more sustainable, equitable, and economically vibrant region that benefits all residents and positions us competitively on the national stage.' The property is comprised of two parcels owned separately by the Met Council and city of St. Paul. Both were acquired over a decade ago as part of the Green Line's construction. 'Central Station is a key intersection for commuters, residents, and visitors to access our urban core," stated St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "Flaherty & Collins' ideas to reimagine this area with housing and retail echo our vision for a vibrant, connected, and revitalized downtown Saint Paul.'
