Good morning and welcome.

My name is Robin Wansley, and I am the chair of the administration in Entreprise Oversight Committee.

I am going to call to order our regular scheduled meeting for today, September 2nd, 2025.

But before we begin the meeting, I do want to offer a friendly reminder to all committee members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation.

These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community.

Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of their rate of speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.

We all we ask that all speakers moderate the speed and clarity of their comments.

And with that, I will ask the clerk to call the role.

Councilmember Vita.

Present.

Ellison is absent.

Cashman present.

Present.

Vice Chair Palmasano.

Present.

And Chair Wansley.

Present.

There are five members present.

Let the record reflect that we do have a quorum.

I'll remind my colleagues that we are using speaker management this morning, so please make sure to sign in.

And if you need assistance, you can find our clerks at the end.

Before we take up today's business, I'll like to acknowledge that this is the city's first public meeting following the mass shooting at Annunciation Church that happened last week.

With that, I will like to recognize Vice Chair Pamasano, where this tragic incident uh happened in their ward as well as the Councilmember Koski's ward, who borders Annunciation.

Vice Chair Pamasano would like to share some comments with us.

And following that, a moment of silence.

Thank you.

And I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues here on the Dais who have come to Southwest Minneapolis this past week and spent time with families there that are grieving.

All of you have, whether at the vigil or at the memorial site, and I really appreciate that.

At approximately 8 30 on August 27th, our city was shattered by a school shooting at Annunciation Church and School.

The loss that we feel, the grief, the outrage are shared alongside victims, along those that were injured, their families, their church community, and the first responders who rushed to help.

We may be a big city, but we're also a small town who have gathered to love and support and cry and uplift and comfort each other in this time of confusion and need.

Two children were killed, 18 other children and three adults were injured, and countless lives forever have been changed by this senseless act of hatred.

Because there are truly no words to describe that pain and grief that we're experiencing right now.

I'd invite everyone to join me in a moment of silence, honoring the young lives lost in this tragedy.

Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moiskey, and the many others who are in the midst of multiple continued surgeries, debilitating trauma, some like Sophia Forkis, who's still in critical condition.

If we could take that moment now.

Thank you, Vice Chair Pomasano, for sharing those comments.

Uh item of business for today's consideration will be ask if we have our city attorneys, or I don't think we have staff outside of MPD that was requested, but I will also give a brief introduction between or before proceeding with the public hearing.

That said, I authored the surveillance technology and contract ordinance that we're considering today after residents shared their concerns with council in 2022 regarding uh MPD's purchase of drones.

And I know that this discussion of surveillance technologies is one that many cities across the country have been having nationally for years.

This is also an issue that was worked on by the previous uh council uh before many of us entered into City Hall just a few years ago.

And many advocacy groups at that time and as well as residents pushed hard for a facial recognition ban that the previous council passed back in 2021.

And since then, many of these same advocate advocacy groups and others have raised questions and concerns on how the council can continue to strengthen oversight over surveillance technologies, and there are limited ways in which the council can influence policy related to MPD.

Um the main tool that we do have is regarding the budget, but policies like banning certain technology devices is also not something that this current council or future councils can do to government restructure because those matters are considered operational in nature, and that all falls within the scope of the mayor's office and administration.

That being said, this ordinance that we're considering today is meant to support the council's authority and responsibility of oversight.

This ordinance will require a public hearing when MPD seeks to purchase new surveillance equipment, which will ensure transparency for the council as well as for the public to be informed about what technologies are in use, particularly in their communities.

The mayor and again the his uh executive team have sole authority to create operational policies that ensure that surveillance technology that are being purchased and utilized at the city is not being used in a way that is abusive, nor impedes residents' rights to privacy.

And also, we know based on the findings from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights report that MPD has used surveillance technologies in problematic ways and in ways that violated uh our residents' human rights.

So it's important that we as a council use every opportunity to mitigate um potential harms like that and to show that we're taking action that will prevent situations like those from happening again.

Um, I know that there were questions raised about the current inventory of surveillance, well, our current inventory of surveillance technologies, and uh Councilmember Cashman particularly had an interest in that and likely uh will have questions for MPD to answer specifically, but I do want to note that I will be continuing this conversation through a new ordinance in the future.

Um the city council NCADO passed the ordinance that requires their city to provide the public with a master list of all surveillance technologies that are used by their police force, and that list is easily accessible online and provides the council and the public with a full accurate list of what is being used by their respective law enforcement department.

But since this ordinance that we're considering today is in the chapter regarding procurement.

Our city attorney's office advised that the language related to the master list would not be appropriate for that specific section, and thus would require a new subsequent ordinance being crafted uh for that particular action.

And once again, want to highlight that I will be advancing that.

So I look forward to working on that ordinance with colleagues who are interested, as well as having further conversations around how the council can fully utilize our legislative authority and oversight authority on this issue.

So with that, of course, I will uh stand for, well, actually, first before standing for questions.

I do believe I have to open up the public hearing first.

So with that, I will check with the clerks to see if we have anyone signed up for the public hearing.

All right.

So with that, no one, I'll make an announcement.

If there's anyone here who was looking to speak to the surveillance technology ordinance, feel free to come into the chamber and sign up and speak.

Seeing no one, I will close.

Oh, but after, yeah.

Uh I will close the public hearing.

Uh that said, we will proceed with questions by uh colleagues who have them.

Uh first I see councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, Chair.

I just had a few questions about this ordinance.

Uh the first one was actually for Commander Reisdorfer if he is here from MPD.

Um, there was an email we had an email exchange about what kinds of surveillance technology MPD is already using that we might expect would fall under this ordinance in the future.

Um, so I'm still looking to kind of understand where we're at with our current inventory.

Have you heard anything?

Chair.

Um, as I named, uh, I believe you were in conversations or were in correspondence through email.

Um, from my understanding, there is not currently a master list, which is why we are interested in pursuing an ordinance that will require that.

Um, but that is very different than what we're taking up today because this is all focused on procurement.

Um, but I also have the same goal of getting a comprehensive understanding of what's being used, but from my understanding, that is not synthesized anywhere.

Got it, okay.

Thanks.

Uh, just a couple questions, then maybe one for you and or the attorneys here.

Do you know if the consent decree or settlement agreement says anything about surveillance technology recommendations?

Attorney Abelson, do you have anything to share?

Chair, Councilmember Cashman.

I don't know if my head, I know we do have uh senior assistant city attorney, Andrea Naif here.

I don't know if she took a look at that issue as well.

Thank you, Chair Bita.

Councilmember Cashman.

Well, nothing I'm I'm so sorry.

Chair Vonsley.

Yes.

Uh Councilmember Cashman.

Um I don't know off the top of my head, I can look into that and get back to you.

Okay.

Not to my knowledge, however, I do believe we would have factored that in, but um, I can't answer specifically as I stand here.

Got it, thank you.

So I'll note that one for follow-up, and then my second question, which also may be for attorney able center for follow up is whether the Zen City contract would qualify within the ordinance of surveillance technology.

I was looking at like the definition of surveillance technology here, and it says any digital record of activities of the general public, which is pretty broad, and it could be used for the purpose of any other law enforcement activities.

So I was wondering if you think the Zen City contract would fall under that definition.

Councilmember Cashman, I would need to review the Zen City contract and get back to you.

Okay, thank you.

That'd be great.

So we have two follow-ups that the clerks have recorded.

One regarding Zen City, and if that would be um considered um uh relevant for the definition in this ordinance, and then also uh if there were any recommendations uh related to surveillance by the Minnesota Human Rights uh department of Human Rights um findings and ultimate settlement agreement.

Okay, all right.

I see next uh Vice Chair Palmasano and Q.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um here's how I see this.

I'm supportive of this ordinance uh at its core, it's about all contracts coming before the city council for approval, regardless of contract value.

All contracts require a public hearing.

Many would be well over that limit that would come anyway.

And I'll offer that I know we knew we use drones.

Lieutenant Kingsbury came and did that presentation, and that seems to be something that some people, many people would consider potentially surveillance.

The City of Minnetonka and something did this recently, and something that I think we're also looking at with interest is the ability to use drones in the future in different ways.

They provide an incredibly fast response.

They provide a lot more information on scene.

And for example, that was used last week in the annunciation response.

So I hope that as we move forward in using different technologies for public safety response that we are balanced in both being concerned about things like privacy and also about things like a fast response.

So thank you.

Not seeing anyone else in queue.

I will then move approval of this ordinance.

May I have a second?

That motion has been seconded.

With that, we can actually do a roll call vote.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Ellison is absent.

Cashman.

Aye.

Chuck Tai.

Aye.

Vice Chair Palmasano.

Aye.

And Chair Wansley.

Aye.

There are five ayes.

That motion uh what am I saying?

Oh, carries, and has been approved and forwarded to uh full council for next week.

We will now take up our consent agenda, which includes items two through 29, uh, which I will read right now for the public record.

Uh the second item is uh gift acceptance from the National Association of County and City Health Officials of Airfare, Hotel Mills, Transportation and Incidentals.

Three is a gift acceptance from the National Association of County and City Health Officials of Registration, Transportation, Lodging, and Appropriate Meals and Incidentals.

Number four is a gift acceptance from the Wisconsin Environmental Health Association of Registration and Lodging.

Five is a gift acceptance from the community's first infrastructure alliance of travel and lodging expenses.

Six is a gift acceptance from the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers of Lodging and Meals for four days.

Noting that those are two separate gift acceptances.

Eight is a gift acceptance from the city match of registration, transportation, lodging and meals, and appropriate incidentals.

Nine is a contract with Karen Scal Access Resource LLC for real-time video captioning services.

10 is a contract with IGA consultant LLC for Entreprise Resource Planning Program Manager Services.

11 is a contract with the research foundation of CUNY on behalf of John Jay College Network, National Network for Safe Communities for Technical Assistance Providers for the Group Violence Intervention Program.

12 is contract with Cornerstone Advocacy Service to operate a 48 hour domestic violence crisis hotline.

13 is a contract with Darcy Luoma Coaching and Consulting LLC for a new elected official orientation program, strategic advance and planning sessions and leadership development slash executive coaching for the mayor, city council and cabinet.

14 is contract with various vendors for the 2025 through 2028 violence prevention services for neighborhood safety department and the total amount not to exceed 3.384 million dollars.

And then 15 is a utility easement agreement with Northern States Power at 2635 University Avenue Northeast.

16 is a contract amendment with group health plan inc and summit orthopedics for pre-employment testing and occupational health services.

17 is a contract amendment with Shehee Construction Company for Royal Stand Roofing and Skylight Repair Project 18 is a contract amendment with short Elliott Henderson Inc.

for the National or sorry Nicolette Avenue Bridge over Minnehaha Creek Historic Bridge Rehabilitation Project 19 is a contract with uh Stantec Consulting Services Inc.

for engineering and design services for the Upper Harbor Terminal Project.

20 is a contract amendment with Hill Chris Development for Public Works Parking and 906th Avenue Southeast.

21 is a contract with ABM Industry Groups LLC for parking services for professional management services for municipal parking system.

22 is a bid for federal courthouse parking ramp security improvement project.

25 is a bid for public works alley snow plowing project.

Four is a bid for public towing services, zone two and four.

25 is the bid for the Minneapolis Convention Center Art Wall Lighting.

26 is Election Judge and Deputy City Clerk appointments for the November 4th, 2025 general election.

25 is a legal settlement workers compensation claim of Yamaka Kellian.

28 is ethics revisions ordinance that's being referred to staff.

And 29 is a staff purchasing letters and joint purchases report for 2025.

With that, I will look to the queue.

First, we have council member Cashman for questions.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, so the paper and the digital version have different numbers.

Um so I'm just gonna read the two that I would like to pull, I guess, for separate discussion.

So the first one is the Darcy Looma strategic planning contract, and then the second one is and it's either 13 or 12, depending on which page, and then um the second one is the hundred and fifty, no, hundred and five million dollar contract, uh, with ABM industry for parking for the parking system.

Thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember Cashman.

I will note in my script it was reordered a bit, so I'm looking for um the second one.

Is it?

Can you reread that one?

The second one is I think it's either number 21.

Okay.

Yes.

20.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh council member Cashman has asked for items 13 and item 21 to be pulled for a separate discussion and vote.

Uh next, I see council member vita and queue.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley.

I have some questions about item 14, the contracts with various vendors, the violence prevention contracts.

Please.

All right.

So I will also pull item number 14 for a separate conversation and vote.

All right.

So clerks, uh, I will do a voice vote on all items on the consent agenda with the exception of item 13, 14, and 21.

So with that said, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those not in favor, right?

The ayes have it, and that motion carries.

Uh, we will take up the items in order of consideration, starting with uh item number 13, uh, which is the sorry uh contract with Darcy Luoma coaching and consulting.

Um, Councilmember Cashman, proceed with your questions, and I also see we have been joined by Clerk Carl as well.

Yeah, thank you, Chair.

Um, thank you, Clerk Carl, for for working on this.

I think strategic planning is very smart thing to do, and you know, I wish we would have done even more of it this term.

Uh we did do work plans for many of our committees, which I found to be really helpful way to develop shared priorities among the committee members and have transparency with the department leaders who come to those committees with items to say these are the things that we're planning on advancing in terms of policy and kind of get on the same page, answer each other's questions, um, and build kind of a roadmap for the term.

So I really support that.

However, my concern here is that this coaching is for uh the mayor and cabinet as well, but all the money is coming from the city clerk's office.

So that's the part that I can't support here today.

And if that I'm wondering how that that conversation came about of us funding um this very large contract or you know, potential contract to 1.38 million dollars for three years, but it's all coming from this department, our our department's budget.

Uh Madam Chair to Councilmember Cashman's uh comment, I'll say uh most of this money is coming from the legislative department in previous transition years.

The administration has allocated a set sum to pay for uh costs associated with transition and orientation, and so that has been included in our budget uh for comparative purposes that's been done in uh previous transition years.

This time we've done a little bit different uh in addition to the regular lump sum that pays for transition, meaning the physical onboarding and offboarding of uh elected officials who are coming and going as a result of the election, and the orientation programming we've planned ahead to include strategic planning for the next four-year term, 2026 through 2029, and in addition to that, offering professional development coaching uh for our elected officials and for senior members of the cabinet.

So that's the additional piece, and we had the money within the legislative department uh enabled we were able to pull monies from our elections budget in order to cover this cost.

So this is uh our plan for the contract.

Certainly we expect there will be additional costs that will be incurred that are unanticipated, as there have been every single year that we've had a transition, and I would look to the administration and contingency funds for those purposes.

So this is uh money that we have in place that we know we have at our disposal to pay for the major aspects of both the physical uh transition, the onboarding and offboarding of elected officials and staff, the orientation program we're planning for December, continuing education in January, a strategic planning advance for mayor and council, and then for that professional coaching and development as noted.

Uh thanks.

I mean, it's good that we have extra money in election voter services, but there's still some needs in the legislative department that haven't been filled.

For example, the comms position for our city council that was budgeted for two years ago.

So why hasn't that been prioritized with the extra EVS money?

Um through the chair, I'll say as I've mentioned uh several times in emails, but I'll do it here again.

The communications position, which is actually titled the manager of uh outreach and constituent services for the legislative department, isn't a matter of not having the funding.

It was a matter of reclassifying that position to get it at the right grade so that we can attract the right candidate.

Um, in fact, just this morning in my weekly uh check-in with my senior team.

Uh learned that the JAQ or job uh analysis questionnaire that's required by our human resources department to complete that classification has been completed.

I shared that in an email with council a few weeks ago so you could see what that job description looked like the last time we had this discussion in this forum.

Uh, and so that job description has been classified and been done.

That means that we are now able to move into recruitment for that.

So the issue of personnel is separate from this proposed contract and aren't tied together.

The funding and JAQ and FTE are moving on a different track.

This is preparing for us to prepare for the transition that's happening in 60 plus days after the election and getting the new elected body ready for success in the 2026 through 2029 term.

Um, well, I guess I would hope that the mayor can chip into this budget line and that we could keep the election and voter services money within the legislative department.

Um, and so for that reason, I guess I'll move this item forward without recommendation to council to have some more discussion.

I'll second that.

Just a couple months ago, in the public health and safety committee, it came up through conversations with our city attorneys when we were trying to also move the safe and thriving communities through a joint legislative and executive approval process where we learned or got the opinion from the city attorneys that strategic plans, not just like that potentially, but also our transportation action plan or our climate equity plan will no longer be a thing based off of government structure, and that raised lots of conversations around the future of how are we actually able to do strategic planning with those were guiding policy documents that really held both the legislative branch and the executive branch accountable and also encourage that collaboration that residents want to see happen around critical priorities that impact them in their everyday lives in our city.

There were also concerns around if we don't have those strategic plans as a vehicle, then maybe we need to be looking at how do we show up using our own legislative authorities and thus resources to advance those critical priorities in a new light in a new way.

And it does concern me that we do have a portion of this around strategic planning and that part still being unreconciled.

And I know my office has reached out to the city attorney's office to come and do a presentation for Cal, ideally to lay out again what is their legal opinion on how we move forward.

I think Clerk Carl, you've been in those conversations too, so that this full body is aware what what does strategic planning actually look like in this new landscape around government structure being in place.

So for me, that makes me want to pause on approving this alone, and why I'll be supporting that motion to forward this without recommendation, and I dilly get a little bit more clarity of when that presentation is coming to Cal.

Um so I at least wanted to name some of my rationale.

But that said, I see vice chair Palmasano and Q.

Thank you, madam chair.

I will support moving this forward without recommendation.

Um I wanted to point out a couple of things because it was flagged in social media that this is a large dollar amount.

This is us signing up for next term, the entire four-year term.

So you could see it as a contract for under $350,000 yearly with three renewals.

But I really object to the fact that we don't need a mayor and his or her team and directors as part of this work.

I don't see this as a fight about whether this money should come from the legislative or executive side.

My concerns are about it's all taxpayer dollars.

Um in this case, given how things have been going at all levels of government, but especially ours, I appreciate that the clerk took the initiative to get us something like this.

Um, as councilmember Wansley just said, many politics want to see collaboration.

And I think we can all agree that that hasn't gone smoothly this term, and that we want to change.

So I think this will be money well spent if it gets us there.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else in queue, um, I will do a voice vote on the motion to forward this item to council without recommendation.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, those not in favor.

All right, the ayes have it, and um that motion carries.

Thank you.

Thank you, Clerk Carl.

Um, next we have item number 14, which is uh regarding the contracts uh related to violence prevention services.

Um I did see uh director Harrington walk in.

Don't know if she's still around, but I will oh perfect.

Okay, thank you so much, Director Harrington.

I will pass it uh to Councilmember Vitaw for any questions you had.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley.

Thank you, Director.

Um, I just had a couple questions about um the specifics on this.

Could you just explain a little bit more what these contracts are for and like what, you know, what process these uh folks were vetted through and how we got to the place of having these new contracts before us?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Um Amanda Harrington, Director of Neighborhood Safety, Chair Wandsley, Councilmember Vita.

This uh contracts that you're referring to are were formerly called the Violence Prevention Master Contract.

Now we're calling them the Violence Prevention Services Program.

The idea was that we knew master contracts existed throughout the city as a way of, as you said, pre-vetting organizations to contract with and then having a pool or a roster that we could tap into when the needs arise.

And so we did a request for proposal, which is typical in our department for a number of different types of violence prevention.

And those included a list that I will have to get back to you on because I don't have the list memorized, but there were three or four different areas that we looked for.

We then um looked at those that passed through that request for proposal process and have been bringing those contracts forward before this body in batches as they were ready.

And so this is the fourth or fifth batch, it's the final batch because there were over 30 organizations that were approved through this contract.

And the idea was that we brought them forward as they were ready, which meant we were doing some of that pre-negotiation, ensuring that they had insurance, for example, before they came through this body, so that as soon as we had approval, we could work with procurement, issue work orders for areas that we knew had needs, and start to get them on the ground.

Now, part of the idea of a master contract or a pool is that not all organizations will get issued a work order, and that was part of the understanding when we did the request for proposal.

We have identified a number of areas throughout the city that do have immediate needs, and then as needs come up throughout the length of this contract, which is a year with the possibility to extend for two more, I believe, then we can initiate more work orders as they're needed.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

I I noticed the name change.

I didn't realize this was just like another part of that.

So has the language been updated so that all the contracts because we have voted on several pools of these.

Has the language been updated for all these contracts to be consistent with using service provider or whatever the new language is?

Because I think we use master contract in some of the other ones.

Uh Chair Wandsley, Councilmember Vita, you're correct.

When they came before council earlier, we had different terminology, but they are part of the same program.

Okay.

The contracts have not been fully executed yet, and so I will double check with our team and procurement to see if the wording, see that the wording is consistent throughout all of the contracts.

And when are you expecting us to start um activating some of these uh this pool of contractors?

Like when is the first person gonna maybe have a completed and executed contract?

Through the chair, we have a work order that is ready to go, and we are waiting for uh at least one work order that's ready to go, and we are just waiting for the contract to be fully executed, which means it's being routed for signatures.

Um it started late last week, it will continue into this week, and so I am hoping that we will have some of these services in place by the end of this week, but it's all dependent on the paperwork.

And then my last question are you expecting us to have more vendors to vote on, or is this the last group?

Through the chair, this is the last group to my knowledge.

Uh we have brought forward to this point over 30 organizations, and this should be the last group that comes before this body.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, next I see Councilmember Cashman and Q.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley, Director Harrington.

This should come as no surprise to you.

Area five on the Minneapolis is still not covered.

So if this is the last batch of groups, which of these groups will be covering uh violence prevention for area five, which covers Ward 7, Ward 10, and Ward 6, uh, Stephen Square, Loring Heights, and Whittier, and really has been promised these services for about a year now.

Um, Chair Wandsley, Councilmember Cashman, I do not have the entire um roster of our plan memorized.

I can certainly get back to you later, but I do know one of the first contracts that we have planned.

I mentioned at least one um work order that's ready to go is for Stephen Square.

And so we have an organization that will be starting in Stevens Square again, I'm hoping by the end of this week.

Okay, can we touch base about that today?

Because I'm actually going to the neighborhood meeting tonight to talk about this very thing, and I I assume that they want to know about this group that they can expect.

Happy to do that.

Thank you.

Um, and getting more clarity of where geographically across the city are these programs either simultaneously or complementing each other.

So I know we have a quarterly presentation coming up in the public health and safety committee.

Uh, I think it might be this week or next, uh, actually, no, tomorrow.

It's happening tomorrow.

Oh, that's quick.

Okay, um, might be good for follow up, but I just, it sounds like it would be good for the body to get kind of that map around like Councilmember Cashman's or in all of us around what services are actually in their respective wards.

Um, and knowing that there's some delineation of, you know, group violence, this does this, you know, violence prevention, this will do this.

So uh wanted to offer that so that there's that consistent kind of clarity of, you know, what services are being provided, but also, you know, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Mm.

Well, I'll see you in the country, so we're not allowed to watch it.