Duluth City Council Meeting – February 9, 2026

The Duluth City Council met on February 9, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a consent agenda with routine approvals, public testimony on immigration enforcement and other topics, and votes on resolutions and ordinances. A resolution calling for state-level eviction protections was tabled, while a resolution clarifying the city's relationship with federal immigration enforcement passed unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Meeting Minutes of January 26, 2026 – Approved unanimously (9-0).
• 26-0089R – Appointment of Janet Kennedy to Duluth Economic Development Authority – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0092R – Appointment of members to Housing Trust Fund Committee – Pulled from consent agenda, debated, then passed 6-1-2 (Forsman, Johnson, Randorf, Tomanek, Kennedy, Nephew yes; Desotelle, Durrwachter no; Clanaugh abstain).
• 26-0104R – Appointment of Erik Birkeland as Director, Property, Parks and Libraries – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0072R – Vacating part of North 94th Avenue West – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0088R – Purchase of a 2026 Ford van with sewer camera system ($335,597.52) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0090R – Contract for lift station improvements ($1,149,200.00) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0094R – Purchase of Western Star tandem dump truck chassis ($175,541.18) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0097R – Grant application for Hallett Dock 7 project (up to $18,000,000) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0098R – Purchase of programmable logic controllers ($64,995.18) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0099R – Annual contract for Class 5 gravel ($332,300.00) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0108R – Grant agreement for W. Superior Street reconstruction ($24,999,160.00) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0079R – Acceptance of reimbursement for ballistic vests ($7,774.50) – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0083R – Amendment for EV charging station at Endion Station – Adopted unanimously.
• 26-0095R – Amendment for City Hall restroom remodel ($15,000 increase, new total $60,150.00) – Adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Roy Hamlin – Opposed a vape shop opening on Grand Avenue near a music academy, a handicapped facility, and senior housing; requested council hold licensure approval for further discussion.
• Barb Montee – Expressed support for housing; later spoke against an eviction moratorium, arguing it would harm affordable housing providers and tenants.
• Gail Francis and Jessica LaBumbard – Spoke on election protection; Francis asked for ordinances barring ICE staging near polling places and for an emergency election task force.
• JoAnne Bates – Spoke about a hyperscale data center in Hermantown being on hold; requested environmental review.
• Ginka Tarnowski – Criticized council for not enforcing civility tools and for disorderly conduct by repeat offenders; urged council to focus on city functioning amid ICE protests.
• Rose Stout (Clove) – Spoke in favor of Ordinance 26-005-O; described a frightening incident at a child care center where unmarked SUVs with armed men (later identified as DPD) caused lockdown; argued that promises not to work with ICE are insufficient.
• Donny Banerti – First-generation immigrant and naturalized citizen; condemned ICE actions as immoral and cruel; cited statistics that 164,899 of 396,619 ICE arrests were of people with no criminal charges.
• Brandon Parker – Raised a transparency issue about council standing rules and the mayor's elimination of the public council email; demanded the eviction moratorium resolution and amendments to Ordinance 26-005-O (including requiring judicial warrants, protecting legal observers, prohibiting sale of city property to ICE).
• Eleanor Dolan – Supported eviction moratorium and Ordinance 26-005-O; asked for amendments to prevent DPD from interfering with legal observers; cited friends in Minneapolis unable to leave home.
• Mabel Smebakken – Supported resolutions and ordinance; proposed amendments including requiring city employees to document all ICE activity (not just alleged illegal), protecting legal observers, and removing language allowing collaboration on criminal matters.
• Ahnika Berg – Urged passage of eviction moratorium and Ordinance 26-005-O; criticized council for focusing on landlord impacts rather than on families at risk; asked for amendments closing loopholes.
• JT Haines – Shared quotes from three federal judges criticizing ICE for violating court orders and constitutional rights; supported council action.
• Andrew St. Croix – Accused council of ignoring constituents; asked for vote of no confidence in President Nephew if council did not meet demands.
• Geoff Schumacher – Supported Ordinance 26-005-O and Resolution 26-0105R; emphasized that ICE's illegal actions are not by new recruits but veterans; asked for clear eviction moratorium language.
• Will Richardson – Supported both eviction moratorium and Ordinance 26-005-O; noted deep connections between Duluth and Minneapolis communities.
• Kathy Peterson (from Good Trouble Indivisible) – Asked council to prohibit DPD from participating in federal immigration enforcement, prohibit masked law enforcement, and ban ICE from using city-owned parking lots.
• Harry Redmann – Supported Ordinance 26-005-O; argued it codifies protections into law rather than relying on policy; urged amendments to close loopholes.
• Nicole Charles – Supported Resolution 26-0100R and Ordinance 26-005-O; asked for amendments to remove collaboration language, require judicial warrants, and protect legal observers.
• Larry T. (rental property owner) – Opposed eviction moratorium; argued it is unfair to landlords and could harm Duluth's business climate.
• Tabby Helgeson – Supported Ordinance 26-005-O and Resolution 26-0105R; called for clear, codified law rather than policy; urged council to act quickly.
• Max Huber – Supported all measures; noted that 700 ICE agents have been removed from Minnesota but over 2,000 remain; called for continued pressure.
• Ken Loeffler-Kemp – Asked for concrete public safety measures such as banning ICE staging on city property, requiring visible identification, and requiring judicial warrants.
• Lindsey Lee – Child therapist; reported children expressing fear, confusion, and hopelessness due to ICE activity; argued that housing and healthcare access are suicide prevention; urged council to be brave.
• Alendara Panovich – Stressed broken public trust; supported eviction moratorium and ordinance; urged council to listen and act.
• Jim Klukkert – Former landlord; supported eviction moratorium; acknowledged hardship on landlords but said community should step up; called for defense of democracy.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 26-0105R – Eviction Moratorium / Rental Assistance (Replacement) – Councilor Durrwachter explained the replacement resolution, which calls on Governor Walz to issue an emergency executive order instituting a temporary statewide program of financial residential protection for families impacted by Operation Metro Surge. The resolution includes language for rental assistance and a temporary pause on evictions. After debate, Councilor Johnson moved to table the resolution. The motion to table passed 5-4 (Forsman, Johnson, Tomanek, Kennedy, Nephew yes; Clanaugh, Desotelle, Durrwachter, Randorf no). The resolution will appear on the next agenda.
• Resolution 26-0100R – Clarifying City-Federal Relationship on Immigration Enforcement – Councilor Johnson presented the resolution, which clarifies that the city will not assist in federal civil immigration enforcement. Councilor Desotelle noted it is a first step and that further ordinance language may follow. The resolution passed unanimously (9-0).
• Ordinance 26-005-O – Communication and Enforcement Relationship with Federal Government – Councilor Randorf introduced the ordinance, which amends Chapter 2 of the city code. It was read for the first time. Councilor Durrwachter attempted to propose several amendments (e.g., prohibiting masked federal agents, barring use of city property for ICE operations), but City Attorney Lear advised that amendments should be prepared in coordination with the attorney's office. The ordinance will be further discussed at the next agenda session.
• Ordinance 26-003-O – Zoning Map Amendment (Duluth Heights) – President Nephew presented an ordinance reclassifying parcels from Residential-Traditional (R-1) to Residential-Planned (R-P). It was read for the first time.
• Resolution 26-0084R and 26-0085R – Sub-Recipient Funding Agreements for Employment and Training Services – Both passed unanimously (9-0).
• Resolution 26-0101R – Perch Lake Landing Site Improvements Contract – Authorized a contract with MJ Companies LLC for $276,750. Passed unanimously (9-0).
• Committee of the Whole Scheduling – Vice President Kennedy announced upcoming committee meetings on Robert's Rules of Order, a visit from Mr. Benning, and Spirit Valley Core Investment Areas; requested counselors indicate scheduling preferences.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda – Approved with the exception of item 26-0092R (Housing Trust Fund Committee appointments), which was pulled, debated, and passed 6-1-2 after a motion to table failed 3-6? (The motion to table failed 3-6? Actually the minutes show motion to table failed 6-3? Let's check: minutes state motion to table failed 6-3? Wait: minutes: "A motion was made by Councilor Durrwachter to table this Resolution. The motion was seconded by Councilor Clanaugh. This motion failed 6-3" – but the roll call shows different? In transcript: motion to table failed? Actually after the motion to table, the clerk called roll: Clanaugh no, Desotelle yes, Durrwachter yes, Tomanek? The transcript shows: "Councillor Klana. No. Councillor Desatel. Yes. Councillor Durrwachter. Yes. Councillor Tomanek? ..." Actually the minutes say motion to table failed 6-3? The transcript says: "The motion to table does not. The motion to table failed." And then later vote on resolution passed 6-1-2. So we'll use minutes data: the motion to table failed 6-3 (but who voted? Not fully clear). However, the final passage vote was 6-1-2. We'll report that.
• Resolution 26-0105R – Tabled 5-4, to be considered at the next meeting.
• Resolution 26-0100R – Passed unanimously (9-0).
• All other resolutions on the consent agenda and subsequent items – Passed unanimously except where noted.
• Ordinances 26-005-O and 26-003-O – Read for the first time; further discussion and amendments will be addressed at subsequent meetings.
• Councilor Forsman indicated he would write a letter to state officials supporting rental assistance, but noted he does not support a statewide eviction moratorium.