Minneapolis City Council Regular Meeting — November 20, 2025

The Minneapolis City Council met on November 20, 2025, beginning with several honorary resolutions and then conducting formal legislative business, including adoption of multiple committee reports, ordinance amendments, a referral regarding the historic John Cook House, direction related to George Floyd Square decision timing, approval of a major street reconstruction layout, and a closed-session litigation briefing followed by a $475,000 settlement vote. The meeting reconvened from closed session at 12:23 p.m. and adjourned after final action.

Consent Calendar

• Committee reports adopted (multiple unanimous roll-call votes):
  • Administration & Enterprise Oversight Committee (22 items) including bids (e.g., sidewalk snow/ice removal; Target Center steam station improvements; Fridley softening plant lime system replacement), workforce development master contracts (2026–2028), contract amendments (including for after-action reviews and Target Center work), interpreting services, partnership engagement fund contracts, disability advisory committee appointments, and 2025 special assessments for delinquent utility charges.
  • Budget Committee (1 item): Resolution approving adjusted 20-year Neighborhood Park Plan guaranteed minimum annual amounts for 2027–2031 due to inflation.
  • Climate & Infrastructure Committee (10 items): Included multiple reconstruction projects (First Ave S; Cedar Ave; Lowry Ave NE Phase 2), Metro Blue Line Extension local-cost agreement, capital appropriations adjustments, Park Board joint powers agreement for parkway paving/repair/reconstruction, and EV Spot Network pilot rate updates.
  • Public Health & Safety Committee (2 items): Included an item related to opioid overdoses/naloxone (as described by the chair) and a Minnesota state grant (as described by the chair) to improve road safety.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Honorary resolution recipients and staff remarks:
  • Caitlin Hanson (Hennepin Healthcare, trauma prevention specialist) described trauma prevention work and expressed excitement to promote safe cannabis storage at upcoming events (including a “baby safety shower”).
  • Evelyn Carberry (Minneapolis Health Department, cannabis and substance use prevention coordinator) stated the city launched a safe storage campaign after increases in accidental childhood poisonings.
  • City Auditor’s Office (Fraud Awareness Week): The City Auditor (name not fully clear in transcript) highlighted easy reporting on the city website for employees and the public.
  • Youth Coordinating Board representative (“Ann”) accepted the World Children’s Day resolution and expressed a position emphasizing centering children’s rights in policy.
  • Shor Shulkis (City of Minneapolis, Two-Spirit LGBTQIA Equity Manager) invited the public to a 4:00 p.m. event at the Central Library for Transgender Day of Remembrance.
  • Annunciation Catholic Church & School community members (parents and family members) expressed gratitude for city departments’ coordinated response to the Aug. 27, 2025 shooting.
  • Mike Moeske (Harper’s father) expressed gratitude to responders and city staff and described the importance of ongoing outreach.

Discussion Items

Honorary Resolutions (presented before the regular agenda)

• National Child Safety and Protection Month (November):
  • Resolution cited a 176% increase (2018–2023) in reports of potential cannabis poisoning and stated poisonings involving children under 5 increased from 7% to 24% of reported poisonings during that time.
• Fraud Awareness Week:
  • Recognized Nov. 16–22, 2025 as Fraud Awareness Week.
  • Resolution cited an estimate that organizations lose approximately 5% of annual revenue to fraud (attributed to ACFE).
• World Children’s Day:
  • Recognized Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025 as World Children’s Day.
  • Noted Minneapolis became the second Child-Friendly City in the U.S. after a Feb. 14, 2020 MOU with UNICEF USA (as stated in the resolution text).
• Transgender Day of Remembrance:
  • Resolution referenced that “at least 55” transgender and gender-expansive people had been killed in the U.S. in the past year; Councilmember Jenkins clarified this was an estimate and may be undercounted due to misreporting.
• International Employee Resource Group Day:
  • Recognized International ERG Day (third Wednesday of November) and highlighted ERGs’ workplace inclusion role.
• City enterprise response to Annunciation shooting (Aug. 27, 2025):
  • Councilmember Koski described cross-department coordination among numerous departments (police, fire, emergency management, health, 911, 311, communications, public works, etc.).
• Harper Lillian Moeske recognition:
  • Declared November as Harper Lillian Moeske Month in Minneapolis.

Agenda amendment and procedural actions

• Agenda amendment (added item): Motion to add an introduction/referral item related to an ordinance on humane encampment response passed 13–0.

Business, Housing & Zoning (selected pulled items)

Heritage Preservation Regulations ordinance (Item 1)

• Council President Payne amendment (adopted 13–0): Added clarity regarding property-owner responsibilities for interim protections to maintain building security and weather-tightness (intended to prevent deterioration of designated historic properties).
• Councilmember Wansley amendment (failed 5–8): Would have exempted the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) from a new eligibility screening step before nomination. Staff (CPED historic preservation supervisor Andrea Burke) explained the screening was intended to ensure significance/integrity criteria are met before interim protections and a lengthy public process begin.
• Final passage of the ordinance: Adopted after the Payne amendment. (Transcript contains an apparent discrepancy: the roll-call announcement stated “15 ayes,” despite the council having 13 members; the ordinance was nonetheless declared adopted.)

John Cook House demolition appeal (Item 6)

• City Attorney Anderson recommended referral back to staff because regulatory services and the City Attorney’s Office were finalizing an agreement with the property owner.
• Action (13–0): Referred back to staff based on an agreement framework to:
  • Facilitate sale of the property within six months,
  • Require upkeep/maintenance during that period,
  • Extend the city decision timeline under Minn. Stat. § 15.99 for six months.

Signage ordinance (Item 22)

• Councilmember Cashman highlighted changes including: ending regulation of painted wall signs citywide, expanded signage allowances in certain zones, reducing permitting burden for replacement signs, signage allowances for Skyway businesses, experimentation with new sign types (building wraps/light projection), and limiting billboards’ ability to subsidize vacant properties.
• Amendment (13–0) and final adoption (13–0): Added/clarified language so existing off-premises signs converted from static to digital would be subject to any future revenue-share/municipal-tax legislative mechanism “to the extent permitted by law.”

Introduction & Referral Calendar

• Humane encampment response ordinance:
  • Councilmember Chowdhury described provisions including pre-closure notice, public health tools/approaches once an encampment reaches a certain size, storage requirements, and closure provisions.
  • Action: Approved referral and set a public hearing at Committee of the Whole on Dec. 9.
  • Vote: Passed 9–4.

Motions

George Floyd Square (GFS) concept layout and easement timing

• Motion by Councilmember Jenkins: Directed the City Clerk to return the pending GFS concept layout and easement item (LIMS 2024-01336, the “flexible/open concept”) to the council for potential action.
  • Jenkins stated the intent was to have the flexible option available if the pedestrian mall option is determined not viable.
  • Councilmember Chavez opposed, citing upcoming community meetings (town hall Dec. 2, 2025; CNI presentation Dec. 4, 2025) and emphasized positions of constituents and election results.
  • Clerk clarification: The pedestrian mall path (LIMS 2025-00226) required additional statutory analysis and would require an ordinance; staff would report back at a forthcoming CNI meeting, but a pedestrian mall ordinance could not be completed in the remaining term.
• Vote: Motion passed 8–5, returning the item for future council consideration.

Unfinished Business

• 35th St & 36th St reconstruction project layout approval and variance requests:
  • Chair Cashman and Councilmembers Jenkins and Chavez described ongoing design concerns, including the shared-use path segment and bridge ADA/safety considerations; Public Works was expected to seek a state aid variance.
  • Vote: Approved 13–0.

Closed Session (litigation)

• Closed session authority: Minn. Stat. § 13D.05, subd. 3(b) for attorney-client privileged briefing.
• Matter: Cheryl Frazier et al. v. City of Minneapolis.
• Council voted 12–0 to enter closed session. The council reconvened in open session at 12:23 p.m.

Key Outcomes

• Honorary resolutions adopted recognizing child safety month, Fraud Awareness Week (Nov. 16–22, 2025), World Children’s Day (Nov. 20, 2025), Transgender Day of Remembrance, International ERG Day, enterprise response to the Aug. 27, 2025 Annunciation shooting, and declaring November as Harper Lillian Moeske Month.
• Heritage Preservation Regulations ordinance adopted, including a 13–0 amendment on interim protections and weather-tightness responsibilities; a separate HPC exemption amendment failed 5–8.
• John Cook House demolition appeal referred back to staff (13–0) with an anticipated six-month sale/maintenance framework and § 15.99 timeline extension.
• Signage ordinance adopted (13–0) with a clarifying amendment to apply future revenue-share/tax mechanisms to converted digital off-premises signs.
• Humane encampment response ordinance moved forward to Committee of the Whole with a Dec. 9, 2025 public hearing; passed 9–4.
• George Floyd Square flexible/open concept layout returned to council consideration via a clerk directive; passed 8–5.
• 35th/36th Street reconstruction layout approved (13–0) with variance process expected to continue.
• Settlement approved (10–0 in reopened session): Claims in Cheryl A. Frazier (next of kin of Laniel Lamont Frazier) v. City of Minneapolis settled for $475,000, payable as determined by anticipated court distribution order; City Attorney authorized to execute settlement documents.