Good morning, everyone.

My name is Elliot Payne.

I'm the president of Minneapolis City Council.

And before we convene our meeting, I want to recognize that this is the first council meeting since the tragic mass shooting at Annunciation School and Church.

I'd like to reflect on that with a moment of silence for Fletcher, Harper, and all the victims of gun violence here at home and across the nation.

Thank you.

Next, we have presentations of honorary resolutions.

We are pleased to welcome guests to this space to share in these presentations before taking up our agenda.

First up is a resolution recognizing National Dance Day presented by Councilmember Cashman.

Good morning.

All right.

If we run out of room on that side, feel free to keep coming down this way and make a second row.

And any other council members are welcome to join us in reading if you'd like.

All right, welcome everyone.

Good morning.

So we are here to honor and recognize September 20th, 2025 as National Dance Day in Minneapolis.

Yay!

Whereas we recognize that dance has been central to Lakota, Dakota, and Ojibwe history's lifeways, medicine, and ceremony for 10,000 years.

And to this day, and we recognize that Minneapolis is a center for native and indigenous dance with hundreds of tribal affiliations from all parts of the country.

And whereas Minneapolis is recognized as one of their premier national hubs for dance in America, and it has been at the forefront and a home for supporting thousands of highly regarded choreographers, dancers, companies, educators, technicians, designers, administrators, audiences, funders, presenting organizations.

And whereas Minneapolis has been a leader of dance support in philanthropy, including support from the McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Arts Council, and Spring Board for the Arts, among others.

And whereas important institutions, both past and present, have supported dance, including Northrop's Historic Dance Series, the Wacker Arts Center, Red Eye Theater, Patrick's Cabaret, Center for Performing Arts, Hennepin Center for the Arts, Lundstrom Performing Arts, Capri Theater, Hennepin Arts, Southern Theater, Barbara Barker Dance Center, Ivy Building, Cedar Cultural Center, and hundreds of other venues, dance studios, and arts spaces.

And whereas there is such enthusiasm for dance in Minneapolis that the community was determined to move historic Schubert Theater down the street in 1999 to next to the Hennepin Center for the Arts to form the flagship cows Center for Dance and Performing Arts, named after Philanthropist Sage and John Cowells, and the Gooddale Theater named after Bob and Kathy Gooddale.

And moving the calls set the Guinness Book of World Records for the heaviest building ever moved on rubber wheels, not to be outdone by the world's largest tap parade that happened in downtown Minneapolis with 1,800 dancers in 1979, led by the Minnesota Dance Theater to protest the city ordinance that prevented dancing in the streets, which was overturned in 2010.

And whereas in spring 2025, as a response to the advocacy of the Minneapolis Dance and Arts community, the City of Minneapolis launched the Bridge Fund for Dance program to bring support for Minneapolis choreographers, dance companies, event producers, and performing arts organizations together for the creation of new projects and reimagining old ones in downtown and our cultural districts.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis signed contracts with Minneapolis Public Schools and Young Dance to provide dance classes and residency programs in every Minneapolis Public School and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Building and bring dance education to every corner of the city, impacting nearly 30,000 students.

And whereas we recognize the role of dance in providing essential support to youth development and improving their motor skills, boosting their confidence and self-esteem, enhancing their social integration and friendships, supporting their emotional intelligence and inspiring their creativity and imagination.

And whereas in 2025, Arts Nest and Xenon Dance School formed a partnership to become the new operator of the closed cowl center, bringing dance back to the Hennepin Theater District and Hennepin Center for the Arts after 25 years of stewardship by Artspace and whereas from ages 12 to 22, Minneapolis youth have repeatedly competed in and won national dance competitions throughout the country, with the UMN dance team repeatedly going viral, and the dance community has been nationally and internationally recognized for their artistic achievements by receiving important honors, grants, and awards.

And the dance community has been the champions of global aesthetics, diverse dance forms, social activism, community building, and they have been on the front lines of supporting practitioners of all abilities, backgrounds, ages, bodies, and genders.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis wants to recognize the important contributions of the generations of visionary and diverse artists involved in our dance community and to recognize the dance community as a vital part of our cultural ecosystem, tantamount to our quality of life and a beacon of civic pride.

We proudly say that Minneapolis is a city of dance, and we recognize September 20th, 2025 is the 15th National Dance Day in Minneapolis.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby recognize September 20th, 2025 as National Dance Day in Minneapolis, so much to celebrate.

Thank you.

There's so much to celebrate and be proud of this year.

So thank you all for coming to be part of this advocacy for the dance community.

And I thank you all for being a part of that.

I myself was a competitive dancer as a young person, and that really taught me the skills that I needed to be a thriving human with confidence and self-awareness and being part of a global community as well.

So I'm really appreciative for that opportunity and really grateful to be able to represent the theater district and downtown and uptown on the city council and to be able to partner with all of you to give more people in our city the opportunity to dance and to participate in this uh form of art.

So with that, I will ask if anyone would like to say a few words of advocacy.

Sure.

Yes.

Hello, thank you, Councilman Cashman and Minneapolis Council with impassionate advocates of the arts.

My name is Daniel Robinson Prater, and I'm the director of Xenon Dance School and a representative of the dance community today, along with a partner with Arts Ness, recently anointed the gift of operating the Cole Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.

Xenon has had the privilege to be in downtown Minneapolis for 38 years at the Hennepin Center for the Arts.

Today marks a significant milestone fire vibrant dance community, and it is with great excitement and gratitude that we acknowledge a renewed commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity in our community.

We are dedicated to nurturing the art of dance, an art firm, an art form, excuse me, that perseveres, the test of time, celebration, cultures, and even trauma.

It is a gift for both the present and the future, meant to be shared by all.

In these ever evolving times, we are deeply appreciative for your support, your willingness to listen, and your commitment to ensuring that every dancer, every choreographer, educator, student, and presenter in our community has a voice worth acknowledging.

It is essential to create spaces where individuals feel safe to express themselves, share their stories, and grow as dance artists and community members.

With your continued support in our community, we become a sanctuary for creativity, a place where artistic innovation and flourishes.

Collaborations thrive, and dance community can inspire one another as well as the broader audience in Minnesota.

As we look forward to the future, we find that you have paved a way for us to unite in the dedication to supporting our local artists, our educational programs, and together we possess the power to elevate the arts in Minneapolis, highlighting our outstanding dance community and showcasing our city both on national and international stages.

Xenon and Arts Ness want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the trust and the city council and for the dance community and your vision and your steadfast support, and for Ben Johnson and the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department and your team to stepping up to lead this new chapter.

So let's continue to nurture our artists, listen to them, promote inclusivity, and make Minneapolis a beacon for hope for all.

Thank you.

Thanks, Dan.

I'm on.

Thanks, Danielle.

I don't want to follow you, but I have to.

Good morning, Councilwoman Cashman and the entire city council.

I am Karen Charles.

I'm the artistic and executive director of Thrice Dance Project.

I moved here 25 years ago and was immediately amazed by the vibrancy of the dance community.

And that vibrancy encouraged me to share my voice as an artist.

As a result, I've been able to share my work for 14 years with the professionally company and touring nationally.

We've also opened a space in the Seward neighborhood where we can create dance, teach dance, and make space for others to create.

So I'm not surprised that we have our own resolution today, which I'm really proud of.

So again, this funding and support comes at a very crucial time.

With this support, you give the dance community hope to weather the storm and continue to be the torchbearers of culture and diversity.

With the city's support, major venues are reopening.

Woohoo, the calls.

Artists can present their work via support from the bridge fund, and youth will be guaranteed dance experiences to get moving and creating and engaging, especially at a time when they are sedentary on their phones a lot of the time.

On behalf of this the dance community, I thank you.

I also hope and plead that the value you have demonstrated now with this support does not wane but grows to assure that our state and our city continue to be recognized and the dance generations behind me, one standing next to me, a couple that are new creators moving into this space, get the support they need so that the dance will continue in the Twin Cities.

Thank you.

Anybody else like to say a few words?

Alright, we're gonna try to gather for a group photo.

We have to be inside these black lines.

So we'll do multiple, we'll do multiple uh rows here.

We'll do the shortties in the front.

All right.

Five, six, seven, eight.

That's a good picture.

So nice.

And now we can have a lot of people.

Thank you so much.

I have a month from performing our Minneapolis.

We teach dance points and drama to kids through the house.

Next, we will welcome up Councilmembers Jenkins and Chavez to recognize Douglas R.

You were dead.

Good morning, everyone.

Uh good morning, everyone.

My name is Andrea Jenkins, Ward Eight City Council member, and so delighted to be um to do this resolution this morning along with council member Chavez.

Uh honoring and recognizing September thirteenth, twenty twenty five as Douglas R.

Ewart Day in the city of Minneapolis.

Yes.

And whereas Douglas Ewart has been an active thirty five year resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has connected Minneapolis and Chicago as a kaleidoscope composer, improviser, sculptor, visual artist, instrument maker, event producer, lecturer, educator, and all-around visionary, and whereas Mr.

Ewart has taught people of all ages how to listen to and an improvised music together, how to build and play instruments from simple or discarded household items and histories of the Caribbean through music and culture.

He is taught in a variety of schools and educational settings, such as We Win, Compass, Art Star, McPhail School of Music, Urban Gateways, Metropolitan State University, and the School of Art Institute of Chicago.

And whereas Mr.

Ewart produced musical and community recordings and events building Arawak Records, numerous groups and events such as Cluizar, Orchestra Inventions, The Clarinet Choir, and series such as in the Spirit of Nomads.

His community events include the community orchestra and activities performance, crepescule, active at twilight, and an active audience, a microcosm of society where many disciplines could converge, started in Minneapolis and brought to Philadelphia, Chicago, Guelph, Ghana, and Paris.

And Council Member Chavez.

And whereas Mr.

Ewart has been awarded many grants, fellowships, residencies nationally and internationally, including Bush and McKnight Fellowships and Distinguished Artist Awards, a U.S.

Japan Creative Artist Fellowship, and in Chicago, the mayor herald Washington's Outsetting Artist Award, and whereas Mr.

Ewart has woven his remarkable broad gifts into a single sensibility that encourages and celebrates as an antidote to the divisions and compartmentalization of flicking modern life and wholeness of individuals and groups and culturally activist communities through projects done in diverse media throughout his award-winning and widely acclaimed 40-year career and the last whereas and then the final thing.

He has shared his practice and ethic of care, conservation, invention, and ingenuity with tens of thousands of people through teaching, mentoring, and sharing his creative gifts across genres.

He is a starward and generous friend and colleague and a scholar who challenges the frameworks that combine that confine and decontextualize the activities and struggles of everyday people.

His indefagitable spirit has inspired and supported all those who engage him to love themselves and to love the human spirit.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the city of Minneapolis recognizes and celebrates Saturday, September 13th, in honor of Douglas R.

Ewart.

So, you know, I just want to personally say I've known Douglas for for many, many years, decades now.

And you rarely see him without an instrument.

If you are ever in any community setting with him, there will be music that will be made, and you will be a part of that performance.

Absolutely.

And so I I just want to thank you for your um generosity in sharing the your love for music with the community that you stand up for.

And not only do you bring joy to spaces, but you also are a passionate advocate for justice.

And so thank you for all of your service.

And I offer you this microphone if you want to share a few words.

I am humbled.

And I'm gonna change my will today.

Because I've been tricked by the my friends.

But I'm really humbled by this acknowledgement, or it's difficult to to summarize all that has just occurred, but I'm grateful, I'm thankful, and I'm just passing on what I've gathered through community, and I've been supported by so many in so many places that it's only correct to give not back but forward.

So I'm honored.

It doesn't change the fact that I'm going to get those people that tricked me today.

But also the importance of having friends, the importance of developing a circle of people, because we have to build community, it's so crucial, especially as you grow younger, you see the importance of developing a circle of people that we can take care of each other, especially in a society where our elders are often neglected or discarded.

And so I think about these things more and more as time goes on, and the fact that we have to, we have to develop a closer circle because of the things that occur when we're young, but particularly as we grow older.

You can't you don't have the same thing when you're younger.

You're just too busy trying to consume all the beauty that there is to consume.

Thank you very much.

Um I'm really really honored, and I'm gonna get Monk.

All right.

Well, there is there anyone else who wants to say any words?

Uh at the end of Crepuscule, which started around Powder Horn Park, uh, Douglas would lead in a chance, so I would like to invite everyone here, and if you're watching, and the council people, Councilmember Jenkins, Councilmember Chavez, thank you for for making this happen.

I love myself.

I love myself.

I love the human spirit.

I love the human spirit.

I love myself.

I love myself.

I love the human spirit.

I love the human spirit.

I love myself.

I love the human spirit.

I love the human spirit.

I love myself.

I love the human spirit.

I love myself.

I love the human spirit.

I love myself.

I love myself.

I love, I love, I love, I love, I love, uh, I love good.

I love being able to do it.

I love the spirit, the spirit, I love, I love the spirit, the spirit, I love, I love, I love, I love the spirit, I love, I love, I love you, I love you, and you too.

And you and you and you, and you too, I love you, I love you, and you and you, and you, and you and you, and you and you and you, and you, I love, I love, I love, I love, I told you you would be a part of the performance.

You are warned.

Alright, everybody, come inside these black lines, and Douglas, you hang you hold this.

Okay.

Alongside of mine quay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And you can see Douglass perform at the Walker Arts Center this Saturday evening.

7 30.

At 7 30.

Wonderful.

Thanks seven, and you'll be there on time.

Artists just want to be in the same CD.

I know.

Thank you.

Next, we will have Council Members Wansey and Chavez recognize welcoming week.

Thank you.

Thank you, so much.

All the way.

Uh, I think, oh, I love this one.

No, we go this week.

All right, good morning, everyone.

Uh, thank you.

All right, I got the council delegation here this morning.

All right, then.

So we are here recognizing welcoming week for this year 2025 because we are a city that embraces and welcome all of our neighbors.

Absolutely, and that is deeply important, especially right now where we have uh federal administration that is trying and actively working every single day to um divide our communities.

Um, so with that, uh, me and my colleagues are going to read our resolution and then allow our guests to share um some words with us.

So that said, recognizing welcoming week 2025, whereas welcoming week is an annual celebration that brings together neighbors of all backgrounds to build connections, affirm belonging, and strengthen inclusive communities across the nation, and whereas each year in September, welcoming America supports and encourages local communities to host events that highlight the importance of inclusion and collective prosperity and okay, whereas.

During welcoming week, communities across the country host events to bring together residents with roots in the United States, as well as individuals born outside this country, including immigrants, refugees, and new Americans to celebrate and foster mutual understanding and belonging across the nation, and whereas this year, welcoming week will occur September 12th through September 21st, 2025, and whereas the city of Minneapolis is recognized as a diverse and inclusive city whose success depends on ensuring that every resident feels they belong in the city they call home.

And whereas people who have traditional roots in Minnesota or arrive in Minneapolis as immigrants, refugees, or newcomers, own homes, start businesses, and are valued members of our Minneapolis community, and whereas fostering and welcoming environment for all, regardless of immigrant status, race, ethnicity, place of origin, English language, proficiency, religion, income, gender, sexual orientation, differing abilities, age, and other factors.

We enhance the city of Minneapolis health and economic prosperity and well-being for current and future generations.

And we're at whereas community efforts that promote understanding and collaboration between longtime residents and foreign-born community members are crucial to ensuring an welcoming environment.

And whereas Minneapolis.

Of understanding what it feels like to be welcomed and to feel like I belong.

And I know that that's something that not all of our community members experience.

The City of Minneapolis has been celebrating Welcoming Week since 2017.

And although it's the eighth year that we're doing this, this year feels especially important for us to be coming out and explaining that we do this because it reflects our values as a city, all of us, no matter where we come from, no matter how long we have been here in Minneapolis, we know that we are welcoming people and that everyone deserves to feel welcomed and that they belong.

So we're especially excited for Council to be honoring this uh series of events this week.

We invite everyone to come out and join us or to take some time, whether you're welcoming others or you are seeking out ways to be welcomed.

Please celebrate this week.

Come out and join.

You can go to our website to see all of the fabulous activities that we're participating in.

But there's so many other things that are happening that you can do to make sure that you're welcoming people into our community.

So thank you.

I am going to turn it over to our colleague at the national level.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Brianna Broberg.

I am the senior Midwest regional manager for Welcoming America.

Welcoming America is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities, becoming more prosperous by ensuring that everyone belongs and has the opportunity to thrive.

And we believe that all residents, including immigrants, are valued contributors and are vital to our success and our shared futures.

Welcoming America convenes a network of local governments, including the city of Minneapolis and local nonprofit organizations from across the United States.

And one of our favorite things to do every year is our annual Welcoming Week celebration.

We've been celebrating for uh 13 years now.

When Welcoming Week started, it was originally just a very small handful of our members having events, and it has really grown now to be a global campaign with thousands of events being celebrated, not just here across the U.S., but all around the globe.

We're really excited that the city of Minneapolis continues to be such a strong partner in this welcoming work.

We are so grateful to have this community as a part of our our member network to look to as an example for wonderful welcoming work that others can learn from and emulate as well.

And I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be here to commemorate uh the reading of this resolution and the beginning of welcoming week starting tomorrow.

Thanks so much.

Any other words?

No.

Oh, all right.

Showing this week.

All right, then.

So we're gonna do a photo and do I hand this over to you then?

Yeah, you should take it.

Yeah.

Yes.

And then, yes, and then we can get together between the two black lives.

I'll hold it.

Thank you, everyone.

I could take that.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Thank you.

Finally, we will be recognizing Victoria Jackson with Councilmember Chowdry and myself.

All right.

Good morning.

Honoring the community leaders in the search for Victoria Jackson.

Whereas on the evening of August 2nd, 2025, community members became aware that 12-year-old Victoria Jackson went missing near Minnehaha Falls.

And whereas longtime family friends, Daniel Matthias, Jacqueline Jacqueline Robinson, Carla Hernandez, Jennifer Clement organized several community search efforts, created a Facebook page, went door to door in the nearby neighborhoods asking neighbors for information and posted flyers across South Minneapolis in hopes of finding Victoria.

And whereas the South Minneapolis community came together to canvas the areas near Minnehaha Falls Regional Park and beyond.

The search was supported by neighbors across Minneapolis.

Yay!

By local educators, our unhoused neighbors, parents, and families in the area, and whereas the city of Minneapolis, public safety officials, first responders, investigators, police officers, the state of Minnesota and Metro Transit worked in partnership and tirelessly to find Victoria Jackson and reach thousands of Minneapolis residents to alert them of the situation, and whereas Victoria has type one diabetes and was without the necessary medication, adding to the urgency of the search for her.

And whereas the search effort to find Victoria was made possible through the power of community and collective action, and whereas black women and girls face disproportionate rates of violence and neglect with black women and girls often overlooked in public discussions about missing and murdered individuals.

In 2020, despite making up only 15% of the female population in the United States, they accounted for nearly 34% of all missing girls and women reported.

And whereas cases involving missing black girls and women remain open four times longer than those involving other demographic groups on average, highlighting significant disparities in the attention and resources allocated to these cases.

And whereas addressing violence against black women and girls requires an understanding of the historical and present day manifestations of systemic racism and sexism, which contribute to their increased vulnerability.

And whereas the rapid response from community members and support to the family were essential in finding Victoria.

And whereas Victoria Jackson was found on Tuesday, August 5th, and was returned to her family and loved ones.

And now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and the city council do hereby recognize and honor Danielle Matthias, Jacqueline Robinson, Carla Hernandez, Jennifer Clement, members of the North Star Search and Rescue, the Black and Missing Foundation, the Office of Missing, Black Women and Girls, touched by Type 1 Minnesota, Minnesota Freedom Fund, and all community members who assisted with the search for Victoria Jackson for their significant contributions and efforts to find Victoria Jackson and resulted in her safe return home.

I just first want to start off by saying um thank you to Dr.

Bernadette Johnson for calling my office and helping us organize this recognition.

It feels really, really important.

And to you and to Brianna, I cannot imagine just the immense amount of despair, devastation, panic you felt as um loving grandparent, parent to Victoria and to you, Danielle and Jacqueline, I will say our community was just watching with bated breath and wanting to find ways to help to find Victoria and it was really inspirational to watch you just run towards figuring out how to pull together these efforts and give community members a way to come together in collective action to just show so much care for not only Victoria but all of the children in our city, especially our black, brown indigenous children that oftentimes are overlooked in situations like this.

So I just feel really grateful that today we get to recognize you and your efforts.

So just thank you again, and I would love to opportune offer the opportunity for you to say some words.

Hi, my name is Danielle Matthias, and I stand here today alongside my sister, Jacqueline Robinson.

Jackie and I are known as from by many in our community as aunties, alongside our close friends, Carla Hernandez and Jennifer Clement, who couldn't be here today.

As aunties, we are uh we were uplifted by so many who rallied alongside us to bring together our community in the search for Victoria.

Their strength and wisdom and willingness to step forward uplifted us, aunties, emboldening us to trust our feminine instincts and move with action, turning a frightening moment into a moment of care.

So thank you for this resolution, and all who came together in the search for Victoria.

In a moment of fear and uncertainty, we trusted one another and showed up for each other as neighbors, family.

We didn't ask for permission.

We didn't wait for policies.

There weren't thresholds we had to meet before action could be taken.

We knew what our community needed, and we moved with love, courage, and determination.

This recognition belongs with everyone who re-shared our Facebook posts, who posted a flyer, who door knocked, who let us camp out in their coffee shop.

We proved that the depth of our connection is within us, and when it matters most, community will always show up.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Why don't we take a picture together here and we'll get that sent over to you?

Thank you, everyone.

At this time, I'm gonna call this regular meeting of the city council for September 11th to order.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Present.

Councilmember Vito.

Present.

Councilmember Ellison.

Councilmember Koske.

Present.

Councilmember Lonsley.

Present.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Present.

Councilmember Paul Sana.

Present.

Councilmember Children.

Present.

Councilmember Cashman.

Present.

Councilmember Osman.

Present.

Councilmember Rango.

Rosen.

Vice President Shuktai.

Present.

President Payne.

Present.

There are 13 members present.

Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.

Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members and staff that this meeting is broadcast live to enable greater public participation.

The broadcast includes 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 the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.

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

With that, the agenda for today's meeting is before us.

Are there any amendments to the agenda?

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, President Payne.

Before you, I have a motion to move to amend the agenda to include under the order of notice of introduction, notice of intent relating to firearm regulations.

Second.

Councilmember Chowdhury has moved to amend the agenda.

It's been properly seconded.

Is there any discussion on that amendment?

I'll recognize Councilmember.

I'm sorry, Vice President Chucktai.

In queue to make a different motion.

Okay.

Aye.

Opposed, say nay.

That carries.

Next, we will recognize Vice President Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, colleagues, I know we have a lot of paper uh in front of us today.

So the item that I am referring to has says call to order item number two.

Um it's the second, um, the second amendment to the agenda that's before you today.

And this is also amending our agenda to add a notice of introduction under the order of notice of ordinance introductions um relating to earn sick and safe time.

Um I'll move this for approval and ask for a second.

Second.

Uh Vice President Chucktai has moved to amend the agenda.

It's been properly seconded.

Is there any discussion on that?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

Any abstentions?

Uh the ayes have it, and that item has been added to the agenda.

May I have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended.

So moved.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council member Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Council Member Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Shugti.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the agenda is adopted.

The next item is acceptance of minutes from a regular meeting of August 21st and the special meeting of September 8th.

I would entertain a motion to accept those minutes.

So move.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Council member shopping.

Aye.

Council Member Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Shugtai.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries.

And those minutes have been accepted.

Finally, we have the referral of petitions, communications, and reports to proper committees.

May I have that motion, please?

So move.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Shavans.

Council Member Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Ellison.

Aye.

Council Member Koskey.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Chuktai.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and those matters have been referred.

The next order of business is the presentations of reports from our standing committees.

Those are taken in alphabetical order, beginning with the report of our administration and enterprise oversight committee, which will be presented by its chair, Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

The administration and entreprise oversight committee is bringing forward 25 items.

The first is a surveillance technology contracts ordinance.

Second is a gift acceptance from the National Association of County and City Health Officials of Airfare, Hotel Meals, 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.

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 for travel and lodging expenses.

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

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

Eight is a gift acceptance from City Match of Registration, Transportation, Lodging, and Mills, and appropriate incidentals.

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

10 is a contract with IGA Consulting LLC for entreprise resource planning program manager services.

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

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

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

This item was sent forward without recommendation.

14 is a utility easement agreement with Northern State Powers at 2635 University Avenue Northeast.

15 is a contract amendment with Group Health Plan Inc.

and Summit Orthopedics for pre-employment testing and occupational health services.

16 is a contract amendment with Shehee Construction Company for Royal Stonet Roofing and Skylight Repair Project.

17 is a contract amendment with Shore Elliott Hendrickson Inc.

for the Nicolette Avenue Bridge over Mini Haha Creek Historic Bridge for Rehabilitation Project.

18 is a contract amendment amendment with Stantec Consulting Services Inc.

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

19 is a contract amendment with Hillcrest Development for Public Works Parking at 906th Avenue Southeast.

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

21 is a bid for public works alley snow plumbing project or sorry, plowing project.

22 is a bid for public towing services for zones two and four.

23 is a bid for Minneapolis Convention Center Art Wall Lighting.

24 is an election judge and deputy city clerk appointments for the November 4th, 2025 general election.

And 25 is a legal settlement workers' compensation claim of Yamaka Gillian.

And with that, I will move all items for approval, including a motion to approve item 13.

And I will also pull item number one for a separate discussion and vote.

Councilmember Wansley has moved approval of the committee report, pulling item number one.

Is there any discussion on the remainder of those items?

This is yours.

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Ellison.

All right, Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Council Member Wansley.

Councilmember Wongsley.

Sorry, aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasanas.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowford.

Aye.

Council Member Cashman.

Hi.

Councilmember Osman.

Hi.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Vice President Shug Top.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

Those items carry.

Next we will take up item number one and I'll recognize Councilmember Wandsey.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just want to take a minute to briefly discuss item number one, which is my ordinance relating to surveillance technology.

This ordinance will help the council utilize our oversight authority by ensuring that there is a public hearing when MPD purchases surveillance equipment or pursues contracts regarding surveillance.

And now the version that's before you today that I will motion for approval will include when the contract or uh utilized data collection in circumstances where there is no financial cost.

This amendment was in response to helpful feedback from advocacy groups that have worked at the city, state, and national level to ensure that surveillance technologies and policies come with guardrails to ensure that civil liberties are protected.

And once again, the version before you incorporate surveillance data that MPD may use in the future by borrowing or receiving surveillance data that is from another agency's own equipment.

Again, this was identified as a loophole by advocates, and I'm glad that we were able to work with city staff, specifically the city attorney's office to address that and ideally close that loophole.

And while this ordinance is a great step in the right direction for more transparency and accountability around how the police department utilizes surveillance technology, of course, there's more work that can be done around this issue, and I look forward to working with colleagues who aim to also carry that work forward.

And also I look forward to continuing partnerships with community organizations who are also interested in this matter and strengthening uh protections around surveillance uh technologies and data collections.

Um, I also wanted to highlight as I did at Cal and I believe at the administration and entreprise oversight committee.

Um, I am going to be working with community partners to advance a notice of introduction uh related to the next phase of this work, which would include creating a publicly available master list of all the technologies that falls under the definition of surveillance base or outlined in this ordinance should it pass.

That would be the next phase of this work, and I know a number of colleagues have been interested in that, and I look forward to uh working with you all.

So, with that, um, I will ask, well, move approval of this ordinance and ask for a second.

Second.

Councilmember Wandsley has moved approval of the ordinance as amended.

It's been properly seconded.

I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, President Payne.

Thank you, Councilmember uh Wandsley for working on this.

I think it's really important.

I hear a lot from residents that they're concerned about different surveillance technologies.

Then honestly, it's hard for me to answer what we even have, uh, which because it's not public right now.

It's not public information right now.

So I think this is important for transparency's sake.

Um I would like to introduce an amendment to this ordinance, which would is before you, it's under 2B, would ask that the city publish um that the city host the public hearing when we actually issue the request for proposals for a surveillance technology rather than when that contract has already been initiated, negotiated and worked on uh with the vendors.

I was given this feedback by someone who actually works in um technology contracting for for cities and said that this is a much more efficient way to do this because this way um we can weigh in and the public can weigh in on the decision to uh do an RFP and to solicit vendors to do surveillance technology, and it would actually save staff time because they wouldn't work on a contract and build out a contract and then bring that before before the council and the public to get input after it's all the work has already been done.

So I think this would be a good way to save uh staff time, and I think it's an important, I think it's important for the public to weigh in at the time of an RFP being issued rather than once a contract has already been done.

Second, uh Councilmember Cashman has moved approval or moved an amendment to the amended ordinance that was moved by councilmember wandsley.

Uh ICA city attorney and priority queue.

Madam City Attorney.

Yeah, thank you, Council President, Council members.

Uh as this amendment is written, it it does not comport with government structure, the the uh purchasing the decision to request proposals, the content of a request proposals for uh for administrative activities is an exclusively administrative function, so the council can't condition um that doing that work on having a public hearing.

Um we uh just uh I mean we communicated very briefly with the council member yesterday and communicated that information and just saw this language just uh maybe about 20 minutes ago.

Um there may be something that we can help uh draft that um can satisfy what it is that the council member is looking for, but as drafted, this is this does not comport with government structure.

Councilmember Cashman, did you want to speak to that?

Um yeah, I think it's uh I would like to see like which part of the city charter this doesn't comport with or whether it's in an ordinance that the council can amend.

And I I say this because we spent a lot of time talking about the ABM contract this week that we're trying to weigh in on in a policy, you know, on a policy basis, and also are seeing the impacts of not being able to uh weigh in from the public perspective on the the front end of doing contracting, and I think it's important that this body tries to find a way to do that uh in in line with the city charter.

So I would like to see um the evidence for that or where it's mentioned and if there's a way for the council to also shift policies or weigh in on policies to make this possible.

Uh Councilmember Wandsley was I just before speaking, did Councilmember Cashman want a response from the city attorney regarding that line of inquiry?

Madam City Attorney.

Sure.

Uh Council President and council members.

So the the government structure is in charter.

It uh gives to the uh mayor the power to um direct the administration and all administrative functions.

That's just the the separation of powers that our charter creates.

We also have ordinances that are in line with that separation of powers that give the finance department and the administration the exclusive authority over RFPs over purchasing authority.

So it is an ordinance, but those ordinance are ordinances ordinances are required by the whole concept of separation of powers that exist in our charter.

Council Member Cashman.

Thank you, President Payne and City Attorney.

Would it be possible to reword this as a reporting requirement even on the front end where the city uh would report to a council committee on their plans to issue RFPs for six surveillance technology?

Um council president, council members.

I would I I don't want to answer that question on the fly.

What I'd like to do is be able to work with you to figure out what it is that you are trying to accomplish and see whether there is a path there within the government structure rather than uh you know trying to fix things on the fly.

That's not the best way to do legal drafting.

With that, I would motion to hold this a cycle to allow for us to find a way to get this proactive uh input on the front end of a uh RFP for surveillance technology.

Uh Councilmember Cashman has moved to hold this item for a cycle.

Is there a second for that?

Second.

Vice President Chuck Tai.

Wait, yeah.

Uh actually um Councilmember Wansey wasn't cue.

Thank you, uh President Payne.

I believe I've been in conversations with Councilmember Cashman as we have been working on this ordinance for two and a half years now.

And then in AO, um I shared uh feedback for the council member to work with the city attorney's office to draft uh amendment um that aligned with their intents, even just today.

I uh when receiving this uh amendment right before committee, um, I inquired around what the conflicts would be regarding our current procurement or financial policies that we just passed that doesn't allow us to review RFPs.

While I get the intention of this the council member, I really don't want to hold up this work for something that again we're gonna reopen anyways to do further refinement on.

But what we have today feels very solid to move forward with.

I would like to move forward with the original underlying ordinance, um, and ideally work with the council member on subsequent, which I believe I've shared with you on subsequent ordinances that requires a reopening of this chapter, and then we could bring something that's more refined.

Um, but I will say, again, having a week to get this figured out.

I really I really thought there was time that the council member could have worked with the city attorney's office to bring something solid that we could bring, like support today that I could support today.

I felt like a week was enough.

I don't feel comfortable holding this over another cycle.

Vice President Chucktai.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, you know, I I'll support the motion today to continue this item a cycle.

Um, but I am I am really struggling with um the the government structure question here, right?

Um this is not an amendment that uh that that requires um the the administration to incorporate uh any amount of feedback that comes from a public hearing.

Um in fact there are there are many places in our code of ordinances um that require us to hold a public hearing prior to um prior to issuing a license prior to um you know continuing with business and that's outlined in in our code of ordinances um I you know certainly the the the administration has the exclusive right um of of uh entering into contracts and and and uh publishing requests for proposal but there are certain there are there are there are limits to that to that right um that that require approval by this body prior to the publishing of of rfps and so i mean i i don't i think it's like a little bit of a stretch and to to for us to get into a whole government structure thing on this but um you know i i i would you know welcome the opportunity council member um cashman to to um be a part of discussions with you in the city attorney's office i don't think it's appropriate for us to be having that conversation on this dais today um and uh you know whether this is something that is taken up in one cycle or is taken up um as council member wandsley reopens this ordinance i i'd be happy to to work with you and and the city attorney thank you mr president councilmember chavez uh thank you council president payne it seems like the ordinance that council member wandsley has been working on is pretty flushed out I do support the idea of what Councilmember Cashman is bringing forward but I mean Council Matchman would you just be willing to withdraw your amendment allow this ordinance to pass and then just do a new notice of intent to address the concern that you're talking about today I have a feeling the city attorney could probably cook up a new notice of intent as we go through this committee but that way I'm not sure if your concerns are going to be addressed in the next cycle in the next month.

There might be other ideas that other people have about a potential changes to this ordinance but I I do support the ordinance being brought forward by Councilmember Wandsley.

The idea that you are bringing forward council cash and I have agreement with as long as we figure out what that looks like in conversations with the city attorney's office.

So Councilman Cashman I guess my question is would you be willing to withdraw uh your motion so we can pass this ordinance and then introduce a new notice of intent.

Thank you President Payne it seems like a lot of work to like close and codify an ordinance only to reopen it and do another notice.

I mean from the clerk's perspective rather than just working with the city attorneys for two weeks to make an amendment that works so no uh I added myself to Q just to share a little bit of background.

Oh well no that's from her earlier yeah um I added myself to key to share just a little earlier context um last term uh I believed I co-signed with a with councilmember Paul Nossano on a surveillance ordinance that was a carryover from the term before that so this this body of work has we're on the third term of trying to do surveillance work um and my recollection from the last term body of work was that we had a much more expansive scope that we were looking at as far as uh the public participation in the decision making around surveillance technology the the goal was to have much more community control over those some of those decisions and frankly that body of work ran into not a government structure wall but a data practices wall and uh I actually am really appreciative of councilmember wandsley taking what ended up being kind of a frustrating dead end that we arrived at and carving out a real clear path forward with this more narrow scope of surveillance but uh I'm still very committed to that broader scope and I think it's really smart to do this in an iterative way especially good considering that these technologies are so constantly evolving um you know we were a national leader in passing a facial recognition ban uh several years ago but the technology has moved quite beyond that especially with the introduction of AI and the way that uh some of those computer vision systems can um uh make unique identifying uh observations of people and I think that uh we should be as uh innovative and iterative as these certain surveillance technologies are.

So I I would actually recommend that we pass this today and give notice to continue that strength and refinement because I think this is actually not gonna be over anytime soon.

So that that would be my recommendation.

But uh councilmember Chowdry.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just want to um thank council member wandsley for her work on this ordinance uh through the duration of this term.

Um, feel like it is really, really important work and I will be supporting this moving forward today.

It sounds like there's going to be ample opportunity to make changes into the future.

Um I also think it's important to move forward work.

Um if there wasn't due diligence done ahead of this meeting, that's unfortunate.

But there's a timeline and a manner that this project needs to be completed, and so I would like to see that happen today.

So uh I'm grateful for this ordinance.

We'll be supporting it moving forward today, and hope um that whatever NOI and other process steps are necessary for uh the other piece of work that we're discussing, um, can be taken so that can get done as well.

Uh seeing no one else left in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the cashman motion to continue this item a cycle.

Councilmember Chavez.

No, Councilmember Vita, no, Councilmember Ellison uh can I'm not understanding the motion.

The motion is to postpone the entire uh report.

Councilmember Koske, aye.

Councilmember Wandsley, no councilmember Jenkins, aye.

Councilmember Palmasano, aye, Councilmember Chowdhury, no, Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

President Payne.

No.

There are six ayes and seven nays.

That motion fails.

Uh next, we will take up uh Cashman's amendment.

Uh withdraw the amendment.

Okay.

Councilmember Cashman has withdrawn her amendment.

Therefore, we will take up the underlying ordinance as amended by Councilmember Wandsley.

Uh and seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Shavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Shugtai.

Aye.

President Paine.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and that uh item is adopted, completing the administration and enterprise oversight committee report.

Next, we will have a report from our budget committee given by that committee's chair, Vice President Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The budget committee is bringing forward one item for approval today, which is adopting findings, approving the establishment of and approving the salary schedule for an appointed position in the 311 Service Center Department of Deputy Director 311 Service Center.

I'll move approval of this item.

Vice President Chuktai has moved approval of the committee's report.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koski.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Okay.

Vice President Chugtai.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the report is adopted.

Next, we'll have a report from our business housing and zoning committee given by that committee's chair, Councilmember Osman.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, the business business housing and zoning committee will be bringing 19 items forward.

Item one through three are liquor license approvals for Broaders, Italian, North Star Delhi, and Minneapolis Motormarked.

Item four is approving 2026 license fee schedule.

Item five is approving one liquor license.

Item six is approving one liquor license renewal.

Item seven is approving three gambling license.

Item eight is approving and nine gambling license renewals.

Item nine is approving a street name change submitted by Councilmember Chowry for Edmond Boulevard to become Lena Smith Boulevard.

Item 10 is accepting a grant from Minnesota Association for Workforce Board for Services for New Americans.

Item 11 is confirming the mayoral reappointment of Director Alfred Port to the Family Housing Fund Board of Doctors.

Item 12 is approving a local historic landmark to the Nelson of the Nelson House at 2628th Avenue North.

Item 13 is adopting an update to the administration.

Item 15 is approving unauthorizing 2025 transit-oriented communities award agreement with Hennebean County.

Item 16 is accepting a grant for adoption fee waivers for Minabulous Animal Control Care and Control.

Item 17 is approving an ordinance related to the zoning code correcting a map of errors.

Item 18 is returning to an author.

So it's related to the zoning maps of the shoreline overlay district.

And lastly, item 19 is approving amendments to the city comprehensive plan related to the minimum high flexibility.

With that, I will move all items for approval.

Thank you.

Councilmember Osman has moved approval of the committee's report.

Is there any discussion?

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

I did want to motion for item number four uh to be taken up separately.

Councilmember Wandsley has uh removed item four for a separate vote and discussion.

Uh I'll recognize Councilmember Chowdry for the remainder of the conversation.

Thank you, President Payne.

I am speaking to uh my application for the street renaming of Edmund Boulevard to Lena Smith Boulevard today.

Uh I wanna start off by saying how excited I am to have this come before you today.

I am recusing myself from this vote as I am the applicant.

So it's really on the 12 of you uh to move this forward.

Um I want to start off by saying that for nearly two years.

Um we have been working on this application two years ago.

Neighbors approached me with a deep concern that Edmund Boulevard honored the name of Edmund Walton, a man who played an active role in upholding racial segregation in our city's history, and was a harmful actor in our city's history.

He actively um upheld racial segregation through racial covenants and contributed to the generational disenfranchisement and trauma of black, brown, Asian, Jewish, Arab, and indigenous communities in Minneapolis.

And these covenants weren't just words and a deed, they were a part of a broader system of redlining and exclusion that legitimized racial terror and laid the groundwork for discriminatory policies that we still see the impact of today, and housing and education and access to public resources, disadvan disinvestment from communities of color, work that we are always actively um taking up in our committees um to create equity within our city.

And this effort to reclaim and re rename the street really didn't start with me, but I was proud to carry this forward after I was elected.

And what followed was a beautiful and deeply engaged community process of door knocking, open conversations, um, being at community events like Soul of the South Side, generating a list of names from our community, um, having our community participate in uh a vote to decide that we wanted to name the street um Lena Smith.

And together we just discussed what we imagined this name to be.

Uh uh we imagined it to represent a future rooted in justice and healing.

And I want to be really clear, we should not honor someone who used their power to harm and exclude and disfranchise so many of our neighbors, who said that many of us could not have homes in our current neighborhoods.

And in the street renaming, we not only reject the actions of a really painful past, but we uplift the stories that have often been erased and dismissed.

Lena Ov Smith was Minnesota's first African-American woman lawyer, a civil rights pioneer whose work changed this city.

She broke barriers in 1921, becoming the first black women licensed to practice law in our state.

She co-founded the Minneapolis Urban League, led the NAAC ACP as its first female president and used her legal skills to fight discrimination head on.

She defended the Lee family when a white mob tried to drive them out from their home.

She sued the Nicolette Hotel for refusing service to black guests.

She stood up to institutions, including the University of Minnesota, for promoting racist propaganda.

She was a badass.

And her courage still echoes in the streets of our city today, and her home is on the National Register of Historical Places.

The Longfellow Community Council, Mapping Prejudice, Just Deeds, many residents of Edmund Boulevard, St.

James, AME Church, Sister Joy, Judge LeJune Lang, Representative Sensormora, Senator Mohammed, Commissioner Conley, local business owners like Fred DeBoe from Sunbeam Coffee, the grassroots team that really held this effort together called Reclaim Edmund.

They're gonna have to figure out what they're gonna call this organization now.

Many of them are here today.

Joe Larson, Mark Brant, Jesse McClellan, Kristen Eddy, Laura Triplett, Marin Swanson, Roosevelt High School, and our dedicated city staff, Kimberly Holeen, Jeff Handelin, Andrew Friends, and two policy aides who spent two years working on this for my office, Amy Umansor Diaz and Ade Salami.

And I just want to close by sharing the words of Oriana Gruber, a 14-year-old who spoke during our planning commission hearing.

And honestly, like if you need to fill your cup up and see something hopeful, I would watch that planning commission public hearing.

And she is a 14-year-old who lives on Edmund Boulevard, and she shared that this is where I live, this is where I walk home from school, where I ride my bike.

She's right there.

This street is a part of my life, and I want to be proud of it.

Changing the name is not about erasing history, it's about choosing to tell a better story and a story that includes all of us.

And so I'm asking you let's pick a name that is forward-looking and inspires the next generation, and that name is Lena Smith.

Once we are at the unveiling process, you will all be getting an invite, and I hope to see you there when we officially physically change Edmund Boulevard to Lena Smith Boulevard.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I would like to pull item number 19 just for a separate vote.

Vice President Chuck Time has pulled item 19.

Is there any discussion on the remainder?

Councilmember Jenkins.

Thank you.

Mr.

President, I just wanted to just offer my gratitude to Councilmember um Chowdhury for uh continuing his work and and getting this done.

Um a number of residents from Edmund Boulevard reached out to me over the years, and we have been trying to get this process started.

So thank you for your uh commitment to making this happen.

And you know, and for sharing the context of how you came to the name, Lena O.

Smith.

I was gonna ask how you got there, but you you provided that.

So thank you.

Um, and her historic home is located in Ward 8.

And so just really thrilled that um that she is being offered this recognition.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on all items except items number four and nineteen.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye, councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

All right.

Councilmember Koske.

I on all except for eight.

I need to recuse myself from 8.234 and 5.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Children.

Aye.

Did you need to.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Hi.

Councilmember Rainville.

All right.

Vice President Chuck Thais.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 eyes in the report except for item items 8.2, 3, 4, and 5, which have 12 eyes and one nay, and stay on those, I'm sorry, not an A.

And then number nine, which has one extension and 12 eyes.

Those items carry.

Next, we will take up item number four, and I'll recognize Councilmember Wandsley.

Awesome.

Uh thank you, President Payne.

Um, as many of you are aware, for the past three years, my office has worked with city staff on how we could implement a fee for the city to recoup costs related to police officers' off-duty work.

And the amendment before you today reflects that um, well, three years of efforts on that.

And for those who are unfamiliar with off-duty work, it is when police officers work private security jobs while using city owned equipment and are paid directly by the contractor or business outside of their shift with the city.

Um the conversation around our problematic off-duty system has been noted for years.

Um, despite being a known problem, there has been little political will, I believe, from this administration to address it meaningfully and in a way that gets at the core of of how we could regulate this program.

Many constituents do not want to be seeing their taxpayer dollars go towards subsidizing officer side gigs, especially at a time where we're regularly hearing in the media that MPD is understaffed, and that we're spending millions in overtime, and also while we're constantly hearing that the city is currently in a financially stressed position and likely will be will be for the foreseeable future.

So with that, I appreciate the staff who helped to calculate the fee that is before you today.

I do want to note my disappointment that the Fry Administration failed to take initiative to incorporate this into the 2026 fee schedule, so we wouldn't have to be doing this uh separately, but I am grateful for the leadership of staff who worked with both Council President Payne and I to bring this fee amendment before you, which will help the city recoup up to 1.4 million dollars next year when it would be implemented.

And it's very simple with this fee, it it makes sure that businesses who want to contract with MPD officers will cover the full cost that the city currently pays.

And I want to emphasize that point because I know in committee there was lots of discussion around how this has a public benefit, uh, particularly when MPD officers have uh extended off-duty work uh to utility companies.

And I will note as someone who got lots of feedback from my constituents um when they saw uh off-duty officers sitting outside of construction sites.

They were concerned and and didn't have questions of how this improved their public safety.

Um, they were very confused and frustrated as regards to why would we expend um city resources in the form of officers at these sites as opposed to relegating those resources to higher priorities and making sure that all of our communities were safe during that time.

That said, this is a universal policy that should support uh many of our goals, especially financial goals of saving taxpayers over a million dollars annually.

Um it also will help us make an off-duty system that we're currently legally mandated to have more equitable, um, which is currently also being subsidized by taxpayers, which is not an equitable matter.

Um, the action before you today just brings one of many ideal solutions to this problem so that we can again prevent the loss of further civilian life, as we did with Justine Damon several years ago, with making sure we don't have overworked officers who are having to juggle full-time work along with overtime hours and then um their side or private security gigs that put them in precarious positions and once again helps us save taxpayers uh lots of resources that they're currently subsidizing through a program that they don't receive uh public benefits from.

So, with that, I will ask for a second and move this item forward for approval.

Second, uh, is there any discussion?

Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I'll just say a few words.

Um I'll continue to support this.

I did in committee.

I've said on several occasions, several occasions that I'm in favor of adding these fees.

Um, but we were warned during a presentation earlier this year, the MPD does not have the capacity to get this implemented even next year due to other large-scale products projects being implemented, IT projects.

Um, so right now the city doesn't have any mechanism to collect the fee from either businesses using off-duty or from officers getting paid for for it.

Um it's not really clear what department will actually be collecting any fees, but it is great to get this on the fee schedule with the understanding for the public that it will be probably a year before it can be implemented, is my understanding.

Thank you, Councilmember Wandsley, for this effort.

Um, it will also apply to ways that we the city subsidize some kinds of events in our city, such as Pride Festival and Pride March stuff that has off-duty work in it, such as um some of our bids with places contractors like Michaels, because they have in their union contract that they require off-duty work.

So we as taxpayers will be to some extent extent supplementing this fee.

It will end up coming back to us this way in a circuitous way.

Thank you.

Councilmember Wansey.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um, yeah, I just want to offer some follow-up uh comments to what Council uh member Palmasano just shared.

Um, as I highlighted, MPD specifically gave a presentation to the public health and safety committee back in May, where they outlined a very clear program around how they could implement our off-duty program, uh, starting with a fee collection.

And while they noted that infrastructure wasn't in place, which has been very contradictory to statements that MPD leadership, such as Chief O'Hara himself have made where they've said they are tracking and actually have put mechanisms in place to start having a better understanding of how off-duty is being used.

You can't have both.

You can't say we are doing work and then there's no infrastructure.

Nevertheless, what this does do, just like any other fee like PCAR that we're also considering and that this body passed, by making sure that this fee is reflected in the schedule.

We are actually mandating now through law that MPD will have to prioritize this because simply it's just been a decision to not prioritize this work by the administration.

This will give them both the resources and ideally the political motivation to go and take this work serious and start building that infrastructure that they're constantly saying in the public does exist, but actually does not.

Um, so with that, I just want to read for the public the fee itself, based off of MPD's own uh recommendations would mandate that an off-duty officer that is using city-owned resources without a vehicle, a vendor will have to pay $6.99 per hour for an off-duty officer that is offering this service with a city-owned vehicle.

Uh, a vendor would have to pay $27.58 per hour.

Those resources collectively, based off MPD's own recommendations will allow them to hire personnel to actually start tracking um and having stringent, more stringent oversight of how off duty is being used.

I think that's well worth it.

And those are things that if they don't want to prioritize that in their current budget for 2026, council can do so as we did with PCAR last year, and that I'm more than willing to work with my colleagues to do so.

So implementation is absolutely possible next year.

We can work through the budget uh cycle in December to make sure that those resources are available, but this ordinance itself allows the political will to be um available in absence of leadership to prioritize this work that has resulted in the loss of civilian life that has resulted in again officers being overworked to a place where they put themselves in the public in serious and dangerous positions, and have more importantly, we'll make sure that taxpayers no longer have to subsidize private side gigs for only one city uh workforce uh for at the rate of of a million dollars annually.

We can take that weight off of their shoulders through this action.

So again, I asked my colleagues to support.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on item number four.

Councilmember Chavez.

Hi.

Councilmember Vita.

Hi.

Councilmember Allison.

Council Member Koskey.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Hi.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Hi.

Council Member Cashman.

Hi.

Councilmember Osmond.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Vice President Chuck Tai.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That item carries.

Next, we will take up item number 19, and I'll recognize Vice President Chungtai.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I just want to uh I just pulled this item.

I got briefed on it by planning staff uh several months ago.

Um, and I pulled this item because I want to vote against it.

I I um I don't support reducing minimum height requirements um in our our transit corridors.

Um, and and uh some of the recommendations here I really understand um why staff got to the conclusions that they did and really respect the work um that has gone into bringing this recommendation forward.

It's unfortunately not one that I can support um as as someone who um you know represents a community that is incredibly engaged in the issue of um you know progressive land use policy and and you know my my predecessor was one who was really um a leader on this issue on this council.

Uh so um just wanted to indicate that I will be voting against it and and um thank you.

Seeing no one can Councilmember Chavez.

Uh thank you, Council President Payne.

Can the folks from the committee just talk a little bit about this more?

I can do it.

Councilmember Osman.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um well, as we know 2040 requires a lot of dense neighborhood uh dense uh construction and any any development plan where the staff, this is coming from the staff.

Uh I'm carrying the staff have uh contacted me and talked to me, and um what they're trying to solve is that there are some projects that are on hold uh because you know, the the uh project is not possible to build like 10 stores, 10 stories.

Um, this is transit 30 is close to downtown.

Uh it's uh mainly in uh in War Six area, and there are uh projects uh that because of the cost of construction, uh, because of the um, you know, um the difficulties of building tenant stories.

Uh the staff wanna suggest and recommend that we give exception some of the developments that happen in there instead of tennis stories, make it six.

I think Councilmember Chowdhury was in the planning commission if she would like to talk about more.

Thank you.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um, President Payne and Councilmember Chavez for the question.

I'll do my level best to try to give a little bit of a synopsis of what occurred in planning commission, and then also um our committee essentially um this is looking at a few different zoning areas.

So in the downtown core, we have transit 15, transit 20, transit 30A, transit 30 B.

Um particularly for transit 30A and transit 30B.

Uh the map the minimum height record requirement is 10 stories, and staff had indicated to us in our committee and in planning commission that these minimum height requirements uh and far maximum height requirements that are currently in place have not garnered um development in these areas, particularly for different types of housing and other uses, just to really put it in lay terms like the stories are so high.

Uh becomes less and less feasible for developers to take action in creating projects that meet the 10 story requirement.

Um, and so uh transit 30A was brought down to five stories, and the planning commission we wanted to ensure that the standard of uh an apartment building that still has eyes on the street uh was aligned and we brought it up to six stories um in transit 15 and transit 20 that are at four stories and six stories respectively.

It was lowered um to three and four stories, and so that those are essentially the changes um between planning commissions and staff recommendation, and then the biz committee uphill upheld the planning commission recommendation.

I also, if there is staff that's available too to further answer any questions, I think that would be helpful, but um happy to take any other follow-up questions.

Not seeing anyone else left in queue.

I will ask the clerk to call the role, Councilmember Chavez.

No, Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye, Councilmember Wansley, Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

All right.

Vice President Shugti.

Nay.

President Payne.

There are nine ayes and five nays.

That item carries and that completes the biz report.

The next report is from our climate and infrastructure committee, which will be presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The Climate Infrastructure Committee is bringing forward seven items.

Item one is approvement, approving appointments to the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission.

Item two is approving appointments to the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission.

Item three is adopting a resolution uh adopting revisions to the snowbound cart policy.

Item four is approving a resolution related to the Lowry Avenue Southeast Street Project.

Item five is approving the concept layout for the 18th Avenue South Bridge project.

Item six is approving the concept layout for 9th and 10th street corridor improvements.

And item seven is approving the concept layout for Park Ave and Portland Avenue safety improvements.

I'll stand for questions.

And I will move approval of all items.

Councilmember Cashman has moved approval of the committee's report.

I'll recognize Councilmember Rainbow.

Thank you.

I'd like to move item six for a separate vote, please.

Councilmember Rainville has moved item six for separate vote and discussion.

Any discussion on the remainder of the report?

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Hi.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wongsley.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdry.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Hi.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Chuck Time.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries.

And we will take up item number six.

And I will recognize Councilmember Rainville.

Thank you.

I'm going to be voting no on our microphone.

Thank you.

I'm going to be voting no on item six.

I do that because in discussions with staff and with the business community, there's still a lot of unresolved issues coming from Target and how their employees come and go out of their parking ramps.

And the developer on Marquette, who's going to put a very large building between 9th and 10th.

And I think that time still needs to be had.

I think all these issues can be resolved.

But to move forward at this time, they do not have the confidence, and I'm voting to support their efforts.

Thank you.

Councilmember Osman.

Yeah.

Thank you.

I um want to move this item uh for approval.

Second.

But I do also want to comment about uh this is actually coming from the staff recommendation.

Uh the staff once uh this project's done.

We're getting uh uh huge amount of money from the federal government.

Um not really sure the amount, but we're getting large amounts of it.

And the plan is to improve the safety and pedestrian bicycle uh for this project.

Uh we had a wonderful presentation uh during the committee.

Um, and um, you know, uh the staff has been working on this uh for a long, long time, and this is uh located in in Warsix and Wood um seven.

So um, yes, so thank you so much.

That's about Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just wanted to uh urge my colleagues to support this today.

There has been years and years of staff work put into this.

It's actually been work done for almost 20 years, and we're at the point now where we have 4.5 million dollars of federal funding on the line that needs to be spent by the end of this year.

That money's not coming back.

Um it's really important to be able to advance street projects that don't cost any money to our local tax base or involve an assessment to the property owners.

And I do not want to leave federal money on the table for a project that's been in the works for so long.

And to address Councilmember Rainville's concerns, I know that public works has omitted the stretch of the design that is in front of 900 Marquette because they know that there is a development coming in.

So that part, and I really hope that development comes in.

I know that that parking lot has been a surface lot for a long time, and it would be amazing uh to have Heinz build something there.

So with that, I just you know I know Public Works is deeply committed to continuing to work out the details on this final project.

It does take a couple years for construction of these projects to happen, so there is time yet to figure out the striping and other details that will be involved in how target employees will be leaving their ramp, and I know that uh public works will stay at the table.

This is not the end of the conversation.

This is approving them to move forward with a concept layout so we can use this funding and ultimately get protected bikeways in our city.

Thank you so much.

Vice President Chuck Ty.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, both uh this I'm gonna be supporting this item today.

Um, and just want to note that um, you know, something Councilmember Cashman was able to um help me better understand about the climate and infrastructure committee report today is between item number six and item number seven.

So the improvements that are coming on 9th Street, South, 10th Street, South, Park Avenue, and Portland Avenue combined, um, add something like 10 miles of new bikeways into our city.

Um bike lanes are in fact good.

They save lives.

Um they are an important part of uh building the infrastructure needed for us to meet our climate goals, um, improving safety that disproportionately harms um, you know, women in our community and and people who um are our marginalized or systemically disenfranchised in other ways in our community is a good thing, and building the infrastructure uh that we need for for the future we're trying to build together is really important.

So bike lanes are good.

So excited to support this.

10 miles of new bikeways in our city is a really, really big deal.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on item number six.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

No, Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Council Member Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

No.

Vice President Shakti.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 11 ayes and two names.

That item carries, and that completes the committee's report.

The next report is from the committee of the whole, which will be presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, President Payne.

The committee of the whole is bringing seven items forward.

Item number one is accepting a grant for the fire department to purchase clip on gas monitors.

Item number two is approving a legislative directive related to case clearance rates within the police department.

Item number three is approving a legislative directive related to imperial services.

And number four is authorizing numerous contracts for violence prevention services.

Item number five is authorizing acquisition of properties for a public works water distribution maintenance facility.

Item number six is considering a revision to membership and quorums of various council committees.

This item was forwarded without recommendation at our meeting.

And lastly, item number seven is a resolution calling for the Minnesota State Legislature to ban assault rifles and high cap magazine statewide.

With that, I'll move all items forward for approval and pull items number two and item number six for a separate vote and discussion.

Councilmember Chavez has moved approval of the committee report minus items two and six.

Is there any discussion on the remainder of the items?

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um, I just want to make some brief comments around item number five, uh, which is the acquisition of 2700, 2701, and 2705, uh University Avenue Northeast.

Uh all purchases related to the public works water distribution maintenance facility.

Uh, when this came before the committee of the home on Tuesday, of course, like a shared comment about how this item helps uh helps the city close a chapter on the location of the city's water maintenance facility and gives us also the opportunity to close a chapter on the roof depot site, which has been um something that community has been advocating for um for over 10 years.

And the city purchased this site back in 2016 uh while knowing that it did not have the full backing of community support, and despite that clear resistance and and disapproval from community, um, this particular administration and city staff uh push forward, and that decision um has been one of the most expensive mistakes we could have made.

And now for 10 years, community members have worked to put forward a hopeful and generative vision for the Roof Depot site.

Um, and even as Mayor Fry recently to come to the table to really figure out a pathway forward on our upcoming purchase agreement.

Um, but in light of those efforts or in spite of those efforts, um, we learned this week, Mayor Fry rejected the counteroffer from many of our East Phillips neighbors um who have organized for a positive vision and have garnered citywide support behind that vision for this site.

And once again, uh we are potentially put in a position where we are going to continue wasting taxpayer dollars and could see you experiencing damage to the city's reputation, things that are preventable.

And with that said, um, again, we could have had the opportunity to close both chapters and have the opportunity through Mayor Fry to show leadership of working um with community on something that's really really positive and that sets a national standard for how we do community-led development, especially around renewable energy and championing communities bold um and innovative solutions towards our realities of climate change and as opposed to leaning into that opportunity, it was rejected.

So I am, of course, as we're considering the passage of this acquisition of parcels for the new site, simply urging Mayor Fry to go back to the negotiation table with our East Phillips neighbors to forge a pathway forward for the community's vision to be realized.

Let's not keep wasting time on this, let's not keep wasting taxpayer dollars on this.

And I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues regardless of the actions that Mayor Fry takes.

Hopefully, is going back to the table for us to figure out how we can continue working as we have to support the community-led vision around that site, being the Roof Depot site.

So comments I wanted to share and look forward to next coming weeks of actions that we bring forward.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on all items except two and six.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Shugti.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

Those items carry.

Next, we will take up item number two, a legislative directive on police department case clearance rates.

I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, President Payne.

I am bringing a substitute for this today, which I um sent to you all and and noticed in our committee of the whole.

The substitute does change the date from October 1st to October 29th for the information to come back.

And also identifies that while we do have 2024 investigation clearance rates, we do not yet have that information for 2025.

So I have included that we will be asking for that information in 2026 when the information becomes available.

I also had the chance to meet with uh Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty yesterday to talk a little bit more about uh the collaboration and investigations that's happening between MPD and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office just to understand a little bit better how we can improve in actually creating a culture of accountability around closing cases, around providing answers to the community members who are impacted by crimes, and in particular, um Loring Park really has struggled with gun violence this summer.

Many fatal and non-fatal shootings have gone uninvestigated.

I am deeply concerned by um Justin Juice Marshall who was shot and still isn't have answers around what happened.

And I think for our communities to be able to heal from trauma and and crimes that occur, we need to be able to um dedicate more resources and provide more transparency around the investigations.

And I think that it's important for us as we come into our budget season here at the end of the year to be understanding the amount of resources that's being dedicated towards training all of the new CSOs and cadets that are being hired into MPD, kind of what those pipelines are for becoming investigators.

I really appreciate the investigators that I have been able to work with in precinct one and precinct five, but I think the capacity is just not as high as it as it needs to be in that area.

So this legislative directive will help us have a better understanding of where things are at and make some decisions going forward, and I'll move this this substitute for approval.

Thank you.

Councilmember Cashman has moved this legislative directive as amended for approval.

Is there a second?

Okay.

Seeing no one on queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Ellison.

Aye.

Council Member Koskey.

Aye.

Council Member Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Jenkins.

Is absent.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Council Member Osman.

Aye.

Council Member Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Shagtai.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries, and we will take up item number six.

I will recognize Councilmember Vita.

Thank you.

Um President Payne.

Um, so this week the we had an item that came before us, and I just wanted to offer.

I know we have a lot of paper in front of us, but I have a couple motions here.

I just wanted to make sure that I offer a motion that you all should have in front of you around um revising committee structure.

I had asked there was an uh there was a motion that was brought before us by the council president to remove councilmember Ellison from two committees.

I I simply just asked to be added to those two committees as a north sider.

I had no idea that that conversation would spark into what it has become in these uh few weeks.

Yes, thank you.

Um I I really did think it was gonna be a simple um he's off, I'm on.

I was just asking for representation for North Minneapolis.

There was nothing more than that.

And um the original resolution that the council president brought before it I had offered a substitute that clearly was not uh gonna fit for this body.

So I've offered um a different resolution, and this it is the resolution that uh asked um my colleagues to create a committee of the whole um sort of uh how do I say this?

It's it's really about yeah, thank you.

Um so what this does is the structure, it's the last one I think in the packet.

I don't know how they put the packet together, but it's the vitah uh substitute resolution that's dated September 11th.

And so what this does is it takes us to one day of committee of the whole and all members will meet on this day.

All the business of this council will come before us.

We will be equally represented in this structure.

Everyone gets to vote on behalf of their wards on all matters that will then come before the council.

So this does take away the six days of um individual committee meetings and the six-person committee membership, and again, we will all equally have representation.

If you're not there, you're not there, but if you are there, you get to vote and it moves on, it moves everything to full council if it passes.

And so that's what I'm asking now because I again what is important to me is that north side has representation.

That's all I was asking for three weeks ago, and that's all I'm asking this body for today is to make sure that when these matters come up, that um someone is there to speak to North Side residents if they attend these meetings and have questions, or if um like I said previously, Councilmember Ellison and I have always worked together on issues that um are about the north side, rather that's by the phone in person in the elevator in the stairwell, wherever we've always worked on matters uh that cover the north side, and this version of these committees, in my opinion, and I hope you all support it too, will cover that.

Councilmember Vita has moved the resolution dated September 11th.

Is there a second for that?

And that's been seconded.

Uh, I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just had a couple of questions for Councilmember Vita about how um this would work in terms of who is chairing the committee of the whole meeting during all of the um different committees.

So, for example, when it comes to the C and I agenda items, would the chair be turned over to to me to lead that portion, or would it all fall under President Payne?

And then, secondly, how would logistically with agenda setting?

How would that work?

Uh thank you for the question.

Uh Councilmember Cashman.

So the chair of committee of the whole is Councilmember Chavez, and I'm sure we can uh ask the clerk the specific details of this.

This model has been done before on the city council.

So I would um appreciate if uh Clerk Carl could speak to the specifics on this.

Mr.

Clerk.

Uh Mr.

President, as councilmember Vita indicated, we did use this sort of a model in terms of the city's initial response to COVID.

And so what we did is simply collapse all of our standing committees into one committee.

It was called the policy oversight and government government or governance oversight committee pogo for short.

And so the POGO committee was all committees wrapped in one, it had a chair just like a standing committee, that chair ran the committee agenda setting and ran the meeting.

So it would not be as in other situations where the committee of the whole has a standing subcommittee and the committee of the whole chair turns it over to the subcommittee chair.

It would simply be that the committee of the whole chair runs that committee process.

Thank you.

Is it possible to turn over the chair to the existing chairs since the none of the chairs are changing?

Mr.

Clerk.

Mr.

President.

Certainly, if the chair wishes to have another uh council member help lead the the meeting uh for certain portions, that's within the body's control.

The purpose of the chair is to run the meeting, and if the chair wishes to defer to a different member uh to lead on one or multiple items, that's at the discretion of the chair, subject to the will of the body.

Subcommittee style.

Um council member cashman, when I served on the park board, it was what you described, right?

Like we did committees first and then the full park board business.

I'm not opposed to that.

If the gavel gets passed throughout the day, I mean, this is a one long day that I'm here for, right?

And so, like if you want to do subcommittee style or if this body agrees to that, I am completely open to that.

Yeah, I think that uh would be my preference if we are to go forward with this model, um, because I still want to be able to lead the work on the climate and infrastructure committee.

I don't want that work to just get folded in and get wrapped up and kind of go by the wayside.

And then my other question here is if we would return to regular committee structures in our next uh term in 2026 so that we can give these topics the attention that they deserve in uh subdividing up the committees based on expertise, right?

So our so that would be up to council leadership in the next term.

That's not something that I'm I mean, I'm just hoping that this gets us through where we are now.

Yes, okay.

I understand that.

I just wanted to emphasize that that would be an important thing for us all to talk about now and kind of commit ourselves to because I think it's important to have those committees while at the same time, given the time constraints with just uh six or seven cycles left and a huge focus on budget that we're gonna be working on.

I think this is the same.

And budget would be separate.

Budget would be its own committee.

So outside of committee of the whole, we will take up budget as a separate committee in addition to this.

So all of the staff presentations and the items related to the mayor's budget and the city's budget would be a different day, Councilmember Cashman.

Thank you for that, um, outside of the the other uh standing committees and committee of the whole.

Okay, thanks.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Uh thank you.

I'm gonna vote in support of this.

I think it's uh a wise move.

It uh takes an effect uh uh councilmember Ellison's new opportunity.

It it takes an effect that if we start to shuffle these committees, there's gonna be winners and losers and thus create hard feelings.

And oh the model that uh happened during COVID work, so uh I think we should uh support Councilmember Vita's effort to move this forward in the least divisive way.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We don't need to have committees, we choose as a body to have committees.

Um Councilmember Chavez made a good point on Tuesday about equity and representation on committees, and I will support moving all committee work to committee of the whole, and I'm willing to let Chair Chavez manage the work from there.

I'd imagine he would need a break, just as chairs do all the time.

Um during COVID, those were long sessions, but we were remote.

And people handed that chair off to different subject matter experts, even from time to time.

And that's important because the actions that have happened here over the past few weeks really point out that people elected to this body feel it can be a part-time job.

That is not how I treat this role or how others on this body do.

But this doesn't bode well for the Charter Commission and their deliberations who are considering further changes that could easily make this a part-time council eventually.

We also have to hold our heads up in lame duck session at the end of this year to set salaries for the next council term.

How does that look when we've had these conversations over the past few weeks?

I think we should be a model of how we treat residents and taxpayer dollars, and that's not as an exception, but in seriousness and full seriousness.

And this work brings us all into that conversation for the remainder of the term.

Thank you.

Councilmember Husband.

Uh thank you, Council President.

I will tell you that this is a bad idea, and I'll side-wise bad idea.

First of all, we have been using a model that worked for us.

Each chair has an experience and and knows the committee.

He knows the staff.

He is expert in that field.

Business housing and zoning committee, that's my committee as a chair.

So and let's let us remind us we only have six weeks left, and we're trying to scramble everything and start start over.

This is a bad idea because committee itself lasts four hours.

Last long, long time.

What's included?

Some of us might not share what quadra judicial is, and and appeals and and and that kind of process.

And I cannot imagine what our professional staff will think.

Are we trying to bring all of them here?

Because each committee has huge number of staff that come prepare, do what they do best, present uh their presentations, have suggestions, you know, recommend items to approve.

Have we considered our staff?

Did we have a conversation with our staff?

Is the seats enough for our staff that we have?

There's plenty of things that are that I cannot see having one day for all committees, uh, administration, enterprise, the budget, which is coming up, you know, the business and zone committee, which lasts over four hours, the climate.

Am I forgetting some?

There's there's plenty of um uh meetings that will take place.

So it might sign good, it might sound good, but this is really bad idea.

We only have six weeks left.

Let's figure out a way that uh that works for everyone, especially our staff who are uh you know has been uh doing a great work, and I want to thank CBED staff and regulatory services and all of them that come and put all their work and all their energy to BIS committee.

Think about this.

I know a business committee, I have been a member for the last five years.

It's a huge committee that comes with all kind of public hearing um appeal process and everything, and that taking care of that in one day it's not ideal.

So it's uh it's a bad uh bad idea, and I would encourage everyone to vote against this motion.

Thank you.

Councilmember Chowdry.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um this is truly uh very, very interesting discussion as we're contemplating, and I hope we can figure out a solution so we can move forward um to the business of this body and the work of the city that's what I'm looking forward to.

I will first say I'm a council member that sometimes I show up here at 6 a.m and I'm working and some there's been nights where I've had to stay here until 9 p.m.

This is a full time job I work seven days a week every once in a while I'll take a day for health care appointments other things that I need to take care of and these committees are the workhorses of the work that we do as council.

And while we might just have six weeks left there are certain things that come before our committees that impact our residents and those things um take a lot of time so if I think about uh climate and infrastructure committee right there's going to be legislative directives um and public hearings especially for residents that are getting special assessments um that they need to come and speak to I think about the business housing zoning committee one of our largest committee where staff is really really engaged we still have multiple ordinances that will come before us that have public hearings we have quasi-judicial issues um that oftentimes in one quasi judicial issue alone one agenda item can take 45 minutes and they're extremely technical in nature um and uh we also have multiple multiple public hearings so just to imagine sitting through committee of the whole and go through the work of all of the ordinances all of the different public hearings that we're required to have the quasi judicials um it just seems it seems impossible to fit all within a day and I'm struggling to understand how we would do it and I'm struggling to understand how our professional staff who show up into our chambers um would be able to be there feasibly um in order to be ready for that committee and then also do the work that he they do outside of presenting to us as council um I think our committee structures we've been through it for the last two years and I think we should operate within a committee system to continue to do the business of the city um I appreciate councilmember Vita bringing forward something for us to consider um and putting that together I just can't support that today I just don't think that going outside of our committee structure is one feasible two is going to serve our constituents and help us move through our business I think it would just become all too tenuous um and just for the public hearing situation of it all I just that that is a non-starter just to begin with so I can't support this um proposal today.

Councilmember Wandsley thank you President Payne um Councilmember Chowdery you shared a lot of concerns that I also have with this proposal and why I won't be supporting it.

I know so far the conversation is really focused on Biz which does have uh substantial items that move through it that takes up significant time from you know committee members um who are part of it but I'm thinking of other committees that I also am a part of such as the Public Health and Safety Committee also the administration entreprise oversight committee whereas I even just read today we had over 20 items um for consideration that we do thorough review of in committee um and in addition to that I know those respective committees and some others actually pass work plans at the beginning of this term to guide the work uh legislative work of those bodies and from those work plans there were actions uh put in place plans put in place people introduce policies that are moving through the legislative process via our committees and this plan essentially blows all of that up um some of us have worked to make sure subject matter experts from across the twin cities or even the state are coming to our committees to give presentations in the coming weeks to help us uh move critical work forward, such as what we even discussed earlier, responding to increasing gun violence um in our communities and helping us figure out more proactive and effective solutions um to that that.

That work is literally, or a presentation on that is literally scheduled for the coming weeks in PHS.

We will not be able to listen to those subject matter experts who are doing phenomenal and uh data backed work in other parts of our own twin cities communities.

Um and for me, as who do take the committee process very serious, who takes legislative work very serious.

Um I I don't want to bottleneck my work, I wouldn't want to bottleneck or obstruct other people's work um who are using our committee processes to advocate for the interest and the needs of their residents in our city as a whole.

Um, and I don't see how that uh that alone is taking into consideration in this proposal and how that also aligns with our equity goals.

Um, so for me, it's it I I could could not support something like this.

I'm interested in the subsequent motion being brought forward where I get yes, some as we're often encouraging us as body is to engage in compromise.

I think the motion that we'll essentially be hearing from from Council Vice President Chuck Ty allows a compromise solution where people or council members who share concerns around committees they wanted to have representation in, gets that.

It takes into consideration committees that might have overrepresentation from some geographic areas like downtown on them and tries to rectify that.

Um I would rather see that proceed forward than us just completely um pressing the nuclear button on just all of our legislative work and and committee structures in this moment when we literally have six meetings to go.

Um so I will not be supporting this, but look forward to conversation ideally um on the subsequent motion if we're able to get to it.

Councilmember Vita.

Oh, thank you.

I I again I just wanted to state that this is about representation to me and um I've spent the time trying to work through this and make sure that we're all equally represented on what would be now considered the new um committee of the whole structure.

And also, you know, there's been um Councilmember Wandsley brought up the subsequent motion if we get there.

I just want to say to that, and I I can speak to it there, but I I didn't get a chance to talk to Northside residents about if biz or if public safety was more important for me to sit on for them.

And so um that's why I thought this committee of the whole structure would be a better fit for all of us because we all get to represent our constituents over the next six cycles on this.

I know that I was using biz as an example in committees to talk about um what, you know, like me representing to the north side, but I equally wanted to represent the north side on biz and public health and safety.

It wasn't.

It was simply the North Side Council member was going to be taken off, and a north side council member asked to be put on.

That's all it was for me.

That's all it has been.

I never ever thought that that would trigger um the subsequent motion of us now just kind of moving everybody around and like trying to figure out who will go here versus there and the inequities of all committees.

Had I known that, I definitely would have pulled some data on crime stats and thought about who should be on public health and safety versus biz.

There's been conversations around you know the inequities of three council members being on biz that represent downtown.

That could that could be the case for a lot of committees.

I haven't had a chance to figure that out.

I know some of us deal with crime a lot more than others on public health and safety.

And there's people on public health and safety that don't deal with what I deal with on the north side.

Again, all I asked for was to represent the community that I serve on these two committees for six council cycles, and it it's turned into this.

I'm really hoping that this committee of the structure, uh, committee of the whole structure could get us through the end of um this term.

Everyone can represent their respective communities, and um we can finish the business of of the city in that way.

I put myself in the queue just to say that um I'm not gonna support the committee of the whole, and that's largely based on some of the conversations that have already happened here on the dais, just concerns from uh current chairs who have actually planned out their calendar long ago at the beginning of this term, and there and those have been pretty stacked meetings.

Um I'm actually recommending that uh if council member vital would be willing, would be to withdraw this if vice president Chugtai would be willing to withdraw hers and move forward with the underlying motion, which is keeping Ellison on uh the biz committee, uh keeping Ellison on all of his committee assignments, shifting Councilmember Chowdry to be the vice chair.

Um I'm not gonna speak for council member Ellison, but uh just to say that um he's working, he's doing policy work, he's responding to constituents, he's meeting with constituents, um, and this would be the way that we don't have to do a reshuffle, we don't have to completely rethink the entire concept of committees.

We can move forward and finish off this term.

I brought this motion forward with the guidance of the clerk and some of the wisdom that he's brought from multiple cycles of this.

Um, and if if council member vital would be willing to withdraw this, I would ask council uh council vice president Chugtai to withdraw hers and move forward with my underlying motion.

I think that'd be the way that we could finish off this term and not have to completely restructure everything.

Absolutely not.

There we go.

Uh Councilmember Koske.

Uh thank you, President Payne.

Uh with all due respect to everyone, I think we have completely radically overcomplicated this.

And um I the thing that I am hearing is that loud and clear is that Councilmember Vita would like to represent um the North Side, and she stood up and said, I will be, I will be a representation and add more work to her schedule, more time, and do the committee assignments that Councilmore Ellison had.

I heard last earlier this week that Councilmore Ellison was open to that, so I'd like to hear um if that is the case that if Councilmember Vita were to sit on your uh assignments on BIS and public health and safety, if you are amendable to that.

I'm also in queue, so I'm happy to wait until to answer that.

But I think it's a great question, thank you.

I mean, I'd be happy if you could just answer that now.

Cool.

Yeah.

I'll make my full statement now then.

First, I'll say that I've looked at the two committee structures um that have come before councilmember Vita's is acceptable to me.

Uh if it doesn't pass, then I'll support uh Councilmember Chuk Tai's um uh as well.

Uh as far as the uh original proposal from Councilmember Vita uh to just replace me on the committee.

Uh we talked about that.

We did this, her and I uh discussed that.

Uh, you know, and I'd say that on my on my time on the committee, I think that it is would be fair to say that some of the most contentious items uh that I've had to represent and defend um uh whether they be quasi tricky quasi judicials that we've had to resolve uh or upper harbor terminal, they've been in ward four, right?

And so some of the and so when we talk about our ability to collaborate uh as north side representatives, that's what we're talking about, right?

Uh not that uh um not that she's gonna step in and represent ward five or uh or I've that that I've been sitting here wholly representing ward five, but that uh but that we collaborate on north side issues.

Um and so I I see no reason that that that could not occur uh with her on the committee.

Here's the one thing that we also discussed uh that I think is really really important.

It's that uh fundamentally, as a council member, when I think about good governance, I am against us holding up items in committee and them never reaching full council.

Totally against it.

And we've seen that happen on committee sometimes, and and there are times when I've had items that I don't agree with, that I plan to vote against and whip vote again votes against at full council, but have supported them moving out of committee without recommendation, so that they can at least get before full council.

I don't think it's correct for us to hold items hostage in council in committee.

That's that's my position.

We talked about that, and uh, and I gotta and and I hope it's okay to say that I I got a commitment from Councilmember Vita that hey look uh we're not gonna be holding items hostage in the council meetings.

Uh the the the other thing that I want to express that I think is really important to talk about is that when I watched the Cal meeting the other day, um the one thing that frustrated me was that if I felt, and and people can give their own perspective, I felt that uh my uh committee chair essentially tried to ask that.

You know, how you know Councilmember Ellison has an ethos of making sure things get discharged from committee.

Are you gonna carry that same ethos?

And I think that uh I think that his meaning and intention in asking that question got really misconstrued.

Uh uh and so that's a position that I have.

That's a that's a that's an issue that I took.

Uh, if people didn't understand what council member Osman was asking in that moment, I think seeking seeking clarity without accusation would have been the operative move there.

Um, and so that was that was that was how I took took that, and I I would love a little bit of discussion around that, but as but at its face, given the conversations that we've had, yeah.

Let's not hold things hostage in committee if you disagree with them, forward them without recommendation, and vote against them, whip votes against them, work to defeat them at full council.

That's that's my position.

Um there are a lot of things that happen on this uh on this dais and in this body that uh that aren't always ideal, right?

Sometimes we question, we sometimes we're wrong about things.

Sometimes we are uh uh, you know, didn't do our full reading, right?

I don't expect this council to be smart 100% of the time.

I don't expect this council to be uh uh 100% correct 100% of the time.

The one thing that I do expect is for us to not again assign motive, which is what I felt like happened to Councilmember Osman the other day when he asked that question, um and um and uh and I don't expect us to uh uh uh uh weaponize uh you know however clunkily you thought that the question was asked in a way that to me came off as inappropriate outside of council rules, uh even I'm not saying with intent, but even veering in in practice into xenophobia.

Uh, I I didn't appreciate how the discussion unfolded.

So uh that's my piece.

I'll I'll set that down.

Um uh but at its face, Councilmember Vita and I, we don't agree on everything.

We don't have we don't share a lot of idea ideology, but I think the one thing that we do share is a deep and unabiding commitment to the North Side.

Uh and then the last thing I'll say, just since I have have the have the uh the microphone, I think that a lot has been made about how much committee assignments occupy uh a tot uh uh uh a grand percentage of our jobs.

And if that's the case, well, in my career, there have been times where people you've had some folks on four committees and some folks on one committee, right?

Does the person on one committee, are they less of a council member?

So uh uh that's that it's never been articulated that way.

And so uh so I think a lot has been made about sort of the the the the total percentage that committee assignments take uh up in our job.

And I think that that is uh inappropriate in bad faith as well.

And I think that we should move forward understanding that everybody's here doing their job, that everybody on this dias is doing their job full time, uh, and that we shouldn't operate with any other assumption.

Uh so that's with that being said, uh the motion before us, uh I'll support it.

If it if it doesn't prevail, I will be supporting the next motion as well.

Vice President Chuck Tye.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, you know, I want to start with uh with with this incorrect characterization that um that committees take dispositive actions on any item that comes before them.

Ultimately, committees make recommendations to this body, all 13 of us vote on every single item that comes before this body.

We take final action, that is presented to the mayor.

Sometimes it means we then have to continue uh to to dispose of that item if it in different scenarios.

But all that to say, committee assignments are not indicative of whether you get to weigh in on an issue or not.

They just aren't because ultimately the body holds the authority to pass or or to approve or deny any item that comes before us, you know.

Um at its face value.

I I don't I don't have an issue with uh with the motion that that council member vita has brought forward today.

Um the uh unfortunately I will not be able to support it today because you know, um we start a new cycle next week uh on Monday, and um agenda settings for all committees that are that are scheduled for next week have already taken place.

Um in the BIS committee, for example, we have three public hearings.

There will likely be business owners for at least two of them coming in who have likely moved around and accommodated their schedules in order to come in as small business owners and and get approvals for um different items that are coming before that committee.

In the climate and infrastructure committee, we have four um public hearings that are scheduled for next week.

Agenda setting happened yesterday.

This is already planned.

Staff has planned their presentations around it.

People who are coming in for these public hearings have have adjusted their schedules around it.

So we're saying on Thursday today, we're going to completely upend our entire structure.

Um by Monday, we're gonna figure out redoing clerk assignments, redoing attorney assignments, re rescheduling staff time for presentations, asking those who are coming in for a number of public hearings next week to again reaccommodate their schedules.

I don't think that that is fair.

Um and I think that the burden rests on us as the leaders uh of of this body or as equal members of this body um to to do the hard work of of figuring out how we um move our structure around to continue to um to provide the same type of consistency we have throughout this entire term for how agenda settings are operating, how clerk assignments are operating, how attorney assignments are operating, and how staff are uh are foreshadowing and preparing for um the the final items before the end of this term.

So um, you know, really appreciate the the the motion before us today and and and unfortunately I won't be able to support it.

Council uh council member Ellison, you're still in queue.

Did you want to continue to speak?

Uh no, I think I've I've gone.

No, thank you.

Okay.

Council member uh uh council member Palmasano, you're doing a part of order.

Um yes, council vice president mentioned that we'd be needing to rearrange schedules immediately.

It's my understanding, and I just wanted to confirm that this proposal by Councilmember Vita doesn't actually take place until September 29th.

So not changing people's schedules, not changing notices of different committees for this cycle.

So I I just think that's important.

I heard that she seemed very upset by that.

I would be too, but that's just not my understanding of the proposal before you.

Councilmember Osman.

Yeah, just last thing I'm gonna say really think about what we're doing here.

Just think about this.

We have not consulted with professional staff, and we're gonna confuse the public.

Telling you we are gonna be confusing the public.

This might work for um you know uh your desire of being a member of of a committee, but this is a we're bigger than it's a bigger city.

We have a huge staff.

Just think about this.

I think I mentioned I don't want to repeat it.

It's a bad idea.

Uh, for bus staff, uh, for Biz Committee, for the public, uh for the quadra judicial, for the schedule, the way we set up the whole thing.

We don't know what we're getting into.

It might not work.

Are we gonna come back to fix it?

Because we are getting into unknown territory.

So I can imagine those meetings lasting for how long?

12 hours.

I don't mind being here, but is the staff gonna be here?

People gotta maybe sit to pick it up.

They got lives, you know.

They have they have planned there uh throughout the year.

And uh we have huge number of people that come through that door for public hearings.

So just just think about what you what are we voting for?

Uh of course I will be voting against it and I hope it doesn't pass.

Thank you.

Seeing no one left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Shaves.

No, Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

All right, Councilmember Koske.

Nay.

Councilmember Wansley.

Council Member Jenkins.

Is absent.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Childry.

Nay.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

No.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Vice President Shektai.

Aye.

President Payne.

Nay.

There are six ayes and six nays.

That item fails.

Oh, I fails.

We are back on my underlying motion and less some of the uh vice president.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I would like to bring forward a uh a substitute motion, colleagues, that is before all of you today.

Um and uh this this um I will move this item for approval and um and ask for a second and then I'm happy to speak on it.

All right, thank you.

Um, Mr.

President, um this we I think it's really important that we dispose of this item today and we figure out what our structure is going to look like moving forward.

Um I I I you know ended up supporting council member uh vita's motion um after Councilmember Palmasano pointed out the the effective date, um and that that really changed my my perspective.

And I I again have have told her, I've told Councilmember Vita, and I'll repeat it again.

Really appreciate her attempts to help us find a better path forward that that we can find some consensus around.

So this is my attempt to do the same thing.

And um, you know, I I think that this is a structure that uh not everyone is going to be happy with, um, but but provides us with uh at least uh a path forward in which um you know we can keep the work of our committees moving, um, that uh accommodates the realities and and allows council members um uh ensures that no council member is is serving on all four of the of these standing committees um and that there's balance between all members being able to uh participate in in the work of of the body.

Um it ensures that you know no member um is is walks away with less committee assignments than they started with.

Um and it ensures that uh on Biz, um, which which it is very important for us to be able to have quorum in Biz and keep the work of Biz moving.

Um that that um Councilmember Vita is able to uh replace Councilmember Ellison there.

Um so with that I I will um I will ask my colleagues for their their support on on this and and look forward to the discussion, hopefully getting to some resolution here today.

Vice President Chuck Tai has moved um an amendment and it's been seconded.

I'll recognize Councilmember Vita.

Thank you.

Um President Payne.

So thank you so much, Councilmember uh Chuck T Vice President Chuktai for your previous vote and also um for the work you've done on this.

I I'm not gonna be supporting this one because I I just don't even understand how is how it was determined for me that I would rather support the North Side on Biz versus public health and safety.

I would have rather had a conversation with folks that I've had hundreds of people reaching out to me about what was happening here, and I would have loved to, you know, even done a survey and say which committee would you rather see me on versus um it be selected for me.

I think you know what happened was I I was talking, I was referencing Biz over the past few weeks, and so somehow it's been selected for me, that I would rather be on biz than public health and safety, and I I don't like that, and I'm sure the north side wouldn't appreciate that.

So that's one of the reasons why I can't support it.

And the second one is Councilmember Rainville is being taken off of biz um for me, and then I'm being put on biz.

That I don't even know where that comes from, or like how that conversation is even in play with this, and then the idea of um, you know, I know the conversation came up about the inequity of three downtown residents, I mean three downtown council members being on biz, and I, you know, uh the math ain't mathing for me, but I I I get like where where this is going, but I would have loved to do some research on who should be on public health and safety uh versus, you know, like whose wards has public health crises, who whose ward has public safety the most public safety issues.

I mean, I can guarantee that wards four and five are gonna be at the top of the list when it comes to public health disparities, wards four and five are gonna be at the top of the list.

When I joined this council, my ward was leading in violent crimes and um so many other things.

So I would have loved to have time to sort through that data.

Maybe I don't belong on some of the other committees if we took the time um to actually research who's on committees and who's not.

So I I can't support that because of this.

I can't go back and say, um I I am voting for this because my colleagues said you can go on that committee versus this committee when that was not the goal here.

The goal was actually to represent the north side on those committees as they have been this entire term by council member Ellison.

Councilmember Ellison, I appreciate um the conversation that you had on the dais around um you know what you and I talked about, what I felt like in that moment, uh, what council member Osman asked of me is not what was interpreted by the North Side, and it definitely isn't what was interpreted by me.

The conversation that was had up here was literally I will vote for you if you do what I say.

I can't tell you anybody on the north side who's gonna agree to that, and definitely not me.

And so I wasn't gonna say yes to that.

I didn't even understand the question at that time.

And so for that, for that the the conversation is documented and interpretation is interpretation.

I heard what I heard, and and and the many people who reached out to me to ask me if they had heard what they heard, heard what they heard.

It had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with his religion or anything.

It literally was the question that was before me, and I resent anything outside of that.

It was a direct question towards me, and it was related to a vote.

And so, what does that look like for me as a council member now?

Saying I want to be on biz, I want to be on public health and safety, and another council member has said, I'll vote for you if you do what I say.

That ain't cool.

Period.

It ain't cool.

The documentation is there, it's recorded.

And so I can't support this.

I appreciate the work that's went into this.

I don't know where this work is coming from, because again, all I asked was to be appointed to two committees.

This whole conversation was downplayed to there's only six cycles left.

That's it.

This is there's only six cycles left.

All I asked was to have representation for already underserved community on six cycles of this council's business.

That's all I asked for.

I I literally said there are people who come from the north side to these committee meetings and have questions.

I just want to be a friendly face for those people if they have questions.

If they're here for a public hearing, I want to be able to step off the diets and go and answer those questions for them.

That's all I asked for.

I did not ask for, and I welcomed the conversation with Councilmember Ellison about moving things and making sure.

That's happened.

It just happened to me a month ago with Upper Harbor Terminal.

I understand that.

That's not where there's there was no contention with us on that.

I understand business of the city and people having the opportunity to vote.

What you all are saying you want here is exactly what I want.

Representation and opportunity to vote on the matters that happen on the north side.

That was it.

That was all.

And it's turned into now I'm gonna get on the committee and then Michael Rainville is gonna be taken off the committee.

There's no basis for taking him off of this committee.

He represents a ward that is highly, I mean, downtown is 50% of the business in our city.

So if 50% of the council members are like represented on the committee, I mean, could we go back and actually do the math and not like make up figures in our head to um I don't I don't I mean I don't even know where that conversation is coming from or like does council member Rainville have more businesses in his ward than council member cashman?

Should she be the one that's not on this committee instead of Rainville?

I don't know.

Does he have more commit uh more business in his ward than Osman?

Should he have not been the chair?

I don't know.

No one's ever done figures to figure out who shall be the chair of a committee or the vice chair of a committee based on how their ward is affected by it.

People the president directed us to sit on these committees, and I just asked to replace two.

That's it.

Councilmember Rainville.

Uh, the first I heard of this was this morning, so I'm kind of shocked, and I I'm trying to think through what this means to me.

Of course, I take a very personal, it's an affront to me.

You're you're trying to be mean to me.

And I want you to understand I represent the ward with that has the most sales tax revenue, the most license and permits.

And I I worked in the hospitality in downtown for 35 years for the Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association now.

The taxpayers are third ward, will not have a voice on the biz committee if this passes.

I'm being silenced because my knowledge uh my support of the business community.

I'm being silenced uh to represent uh the taxpayers of ward three, and I've been fortunate to uh have lived in the city all my life and seeing council leadership and action on past councils, leadership that consulted with colleagues before they tried to take them off committees, leadership did not silence their colleagues for representing the voices award.

I'm proud of the vote I took that I'm being taken off for on that uh commercial 60 day notice.

That's what the people of the ward three told me to do to vote that way, and now you're punishing me for that.

Shame on you, Vice President Chunk Tai.

I'm sorry, you uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilmember Rainville, I'm really sorry you feel that way.

This is not personal, this is not an attack.

Um colleagues, we have spent a lot of time, hours and hours in committee over um and and as a body over the last two cycles deliberating this issue.

Um, I get it.

Democracy is messy, but it is time for us to find consensus and get back to the critical work that we have to to continue doing on behalf of the residents of our city.

So with that, I'm going to call the question.

Vice President Chuck Tai has called the question.

Is there a second?

I'll just remove myself.

We can take a oh we can take a vote on substitutive, yeah.

Great.

I I'm happy to withdraw my motion if no one else is in queue then, and we can just vote on the motion, all right.

We will move forward with um the vice president motion on the committee structure, and I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye, Councilmember Vito.

No, Councilmember Ellison, all right, Councilmember Koskey.

Nay, Councilmember Wandsley, aye.

Councilmember Jenkins is absent.

Councilmember Palmasano, no, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

And Council Member Cashman.

No.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

No.

Vice President Chuck Tai.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are seven ayes and five nays.

That carries and that completes the biz report.

Finally, we have the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which will be presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, President Payne.

The Intergovernmental Relations Committee is bringing forward one item for approval.

Um that's of Minneapolis St.

Paul International Airport Noise Oversight Committee appointment of Lauren Olson.

With that, I'll move all approval of all items.

Councilmember Chowdhury has moved approval of the committee's report.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Jenkins is absent.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Council Member Rainbow.

It's absent.

Council of Vice President Shugti.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are eleven ayes.

That carries and the report is adopted and that completes the reports of our standing committees.

The next order of business is notices.

We have three notices today.

First, I'm giving notice of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting the subject matter of an ordinance amending the planning and development code, amending provisions, uh related to the joint disparity study, expiration of the chapter, and administration and operation of the program.

The second and third items are from Councilmember Chavez, who is giving notice that the he intends to bring forward a motion at our next meeting to discharge from the business housing and zoning committee.

Further consideration of two ordinances related to commercial property sale.

Next, uh councilmember Chowdhury gives notice to in of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting of the city council the subject matter of an ordinance amending Title 15, Chapter 393 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances related to offenses, miscellaneous weapons, enacting regulations on components, possession, storage, and use of firearms.

Finally, Vice President Chugtai gives notice of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting of the city council the subject matter of an ordinance amending title to chapter 40 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances related to administration workplace regulations addressing enforcement provisions and exemptions.

Are there any questions or discussion on those notices?

Those notices are hereby given and no further action is required at this time.

The next order of business is the introduction and referral calendar.

We have two items on the agenda today.

First, pursuant to notice, Councilmember Palmisano moves to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending the administration code for first reading and referral to the committee of the whole by repealing chapter 36 in whole to allow for the creation of an arts commission consistent with appointed boards and commission reforms and adding section 43.50 relating to funding for public art.

Second, pursuant to notice Councilmember Palmasano moves to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending the administration code for first reading and referral to the committee of the whole by repealing chapter 35 in whole to allow for the creation of a capital long range improvement committee consistent with appointed boards and commission reform.

May I have a motion to approve those introductions?

So move.

Is there any discussion?

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Chavez.

Councilmember Vitoff.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koskey.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmisano.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Cashman.

Aye.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Vice President Shugti.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 11 ayes.

That motion carries, and those matters have been referred to the appropriate committees.

The next order of business is resolutions.

We have four resolutions on our agenda today.

Are there any questions or comments from council members?

May I have a motion to adopt the resolution?

So move.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Shavis.

Council Member Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Aye.

Councilmember Koskey.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Cashman.

Aye.

Council Member Osman.

Aye.

Vice President Shugti.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 11 ayes.

That carries, and those resolutions are adopted.

The next order of business is unfinished business.

We have one item today, which is the consideration of an earned sick and safe time updates ordinance.

This item was originally referred to the council without recommendation by the public health and safety committee and has been postponed twice.

I will see if either the chair of public health and safety or the author, Councilmember Palmasano would like to speak to this item or make a motion.

Oh, I see Vice President Shaktai.

Um, thank you, Mr.

President.

I understand that uh this is the colleagues may remember that this is an item that has been continued uh a couple of times, um, and um is before us again today.

Uh, I know we have a lot a lot of stacks of paper, but this should be the last one left.

We've disposed of all the other new papers.

Um, and this is um a series of amendments to the ordinance brought forward by council member Palmasano.

So for context, you may remember Councilmember Palmasano um worked with um our our staff and uh in civil rights along with the city attorney's office to bring forward a series of amendments to the city's earned sick and safe time policy to align it with the state's sick and safe time policy that was approved uh by the legislature a couple years ago.

The amendments before you are largely technical in nature, except for the very last one.

Um you'll see a lot of like underlines here.

The amendments that I'm offering are all ones that are highlighted in yellow.

Um the most substantive one, as I mentioned, is the the one on the very last page, which just uh removes language around uh collective bargaining agreements.

So this is just making sure that um employees in the city, um, who are covered by collective bargaining agreements, and that doesn't just mean the city enterprise but but within our broader community um have the the same minimum uh rights to um earn sick and safe time that every other employee has.

Um, but beyond that, most of these other changes or all of these other changes are are largely technical in nature.

Um you may remember there were a few more substantive uh changes to this policy that I was I was hoping to make and out of you know respect for the the tremendous amount of patience that council member Palmasano has had um to to complete this work uh instead of continuing to delay it cycle after cycle.

Um, I wanted to bring forward the changes that we were able to work out with the city attorney's office, um, and we'll continue to to work on the the outstanding pieces that's that was uh that a part of the notice that I brought forward today.

Um I'm happy to answer any questions, but I will move um my amendments for approval and and ask for the body's support.

Vice President Chuck Dai has moved approval of the amended ordinance.

Is there a second?

Second.

Uh Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Council Vice President Chug Tai.

Um I feel strongly that we need to move this forward.

Um, and it provides our staff to enforce a higher and consistent standard for safe and sick time regulations, similar to state law.

Um, it's important because it provides consistency and clarity for workers all across Minneapolis, and that doesn't exist today.

Um I feel strongly it's important to have one set of rules for employers to follow and for employees to understand.

Council Vice President Chugtai previously agreed um to continue working on her larger body of work that she'd like to add, and I appreciate her separation in these two pieces.

Um I understood there might be small changes brought forward today that didn't substantively change the intent of this ordinance.

Um this was a dense and complicated set of changes to begin with.

Um there are so many changes here as you see in the document.

Um but I am curious, and just in a friendly way, to ask about these changes, what the purpose is of moving the effective date back to December 31st when city staff is ready to enforce these ordinances, and I would like our city staff to be able to enforce these ordinances and benefit workers in Minneapolis immediately.

Yeah, thank you.

Mr.

President, if I may, through the chair, um thank you for that question, Councilmember Palmasano.

Um this uh this was a we you remember we have that ward week over Labor Day here.

This was a policy that was supposed to be passed um at this point uh over a month, month and a half ago.

Um and so the the moving of the effective date was just to accommodate for when this policy was initially supposed to be passed and and the time between passage and and implementation and just moving that that back um and allowing um staff time to make sure everything is ready to go for implementation, especially as it relates to the collective bargaining issue that that was struck in uh struck out all the way at the end, um, and and just giving folks some time to to be ready to enter into um appropriate agreements to to be in compliance with with our local laws.

So, Mr.

Chair, um Madam Vice President, with all due respect, I I don't know that that's necessary.

Um I have not, because this was just given to me this morning, I have not even had a chance to ask city staff if they would be ready, but I do see Mr.

Kane in the audience, and I'd be curious if he would be willing to opine on whether or not given this these delays, is it necessary um to delay the implementation of this, or could we do that with its original um start date of October 1st, I believe.

Council member, I'm not sure if you saw like the the city attorney also got in cue.

So I don't know if you want her to address your question.

Sorry, I'll call on Madam City Attorney.

Um thank you, Council President, Council members.

So this was actually uh our recommendation to move the effective date.

There in the uh Shag Tai amendments, there are some new enforcement authorities, both in terms of administrative fines to the city and administrative penalties to employers.

Um that's gonna take a bit of time for staff to kind of get the infrastructure ready for for those things and give some time of notice to employers that that there are some more penalties.

So it was our recommendation that we we uh move the effective date to the December 31st day.

See I was not aware of that.

So thank you for that clarification.

Thank you for taking then that advice.

Um I would think that offering more flexibility would take wouldn't, but okay.

I can appreciate that.

Um and then it also seems like per my next question that the city attorney has had time to review and vet all of these changes and does not see um that these changes change the spirit or intentions of this ordinance, which is to be more in compliance with state law.

Madam Zenny attorney, um council president, council members.

So uh the substantive provisions are in line with the the state statute.

There again are some additional enforcement mechanisms that don't exist under the state statute, but that um uh would give some more tools in the toolbox of the uh enforcement agency to be able to address the the uh potential issues and and violations.

Thank you.

Vice President Trek Tiger and Q.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh I'm sorry, you know, you folks may be able to see that I'm I'm struggling with a cough.

So um wasn't able to get through all the all a couple more things that I I just wanted to mention.

I I um want to sincerely thank uh our our city attorney Anderson and assistant city attorney Kane for for their diligence and hard work um and collaboration with my office in in getting these uh amendments vetted and prepared and ready to go for today.

Um, you know, they were um they were in working with us until the late hours of last night um and and early this morning to make sure everything um was was uh actually fully ready to go.

Um and I apologize that that meant um that that this was this was sent to colleagues this morning prior to our council meeting.

So um wanna thank them for for all of their hard work.

Um I want to thank the workplace advisory committee um for their their um review of this policy and making a series of recommendations to us um on making updates to our sick and safe time policy.

Uh we you know weren't able to accommodate uh right now all of the the recommendations they made to us, but this is this is important progress in the right direction um and um I think is going to to be tremendously beneficial to working people in our city.

Um wanna thank Councilmember Palmasano for taking the lead on on bringing this policy forward, and and most importantly, I want to thank the um the working people, the the the you know, uh day-to-day union members, non-unionized low wage workers who have uh led the way on the establishment of this policy um several years ago, um, leading our state in establishing this in the first place, and then again um continuing their advocacy at the state level, and then back again here at the city.

Um, we are we are better for for all of your work for your advocacy and all that you do to improve our community.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on the check time motion.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye, Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Ellison.

Councilmember Koske.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Palisano.

Aye, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Cashman.

Hi.

Councilmember Osman.

Aye.

Vice President Chug Time.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

Very 11 ayes.

That carries, and the motion is adopted.

Our next order of business is announcements.

Are there any announcements from council members?

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um I just want to keep the microphone.

Yeah.

That wasn't on me.

Okay.

Um, I just want to encourage my colleagues as well as the public to go to the University of Minnesota today in the coming days.

Um, Teamsters 320, which are uh critical service workers who help the University of Minnesota function and operate daily and meet the needs of residents.

Well, specifically student residents, um, they are striking and they are facing escalating actions from the U of M administrative leadership as well as the university uh police who've spent the past 24 hours since they've been on strike arresting and antagonizing uh striking workers.

Um so those workers could really use the support of their local elected officials or all elected officials, and I know many of us are used to doing that.

Um many of us walked the picket lines when MFE or our educators went on strike um several years ago, same with our nurses and many other unions who've had to take the unfortunate action of striking um in order to get their needs met.

And Teamsters 320 is advocating for a fair contract.

There are some of the lowest pay workers at the University of Minnesota, also some of the most diverse workers at the University of Minnesota, and deserve to work in a place that honors their dignity and does so through compensation while also not creating hostile work environments that have deeply impacted workers of color at the U.

So again, they're doing 24-7 picket lines, specifically at the East Bank campus, encourage you all to go out and show your support.

Councilmember of Utah.

Um today is September 11th, and we all remember the tragedies of uh September 11, 2001, over nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the terrorist attacks.

It's a day to reflect on the impact of those events and um acknowledge the resilience of those who survived and that helped law enforcement first responders.

So I would like for us all to take a moment of silence in remembrance of September eleventh, 2001.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue, we've completed our business today, and with nothing further to come before the council, and without objection, this meeting is hereby adjourned.

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