OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Super Committee of the Whole Meeting – February 17, 2026: Emergency Responses, Quasi-Judicial Hearings, and Liquor License Renewals

City Council — Tuesday, February 17, 2026
BodyMinneapolis, Minnesota
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 7:35:54
Transcript — Verbatim
0:30

Good morning.

0:32

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Super Committee of the Whole.

0:35

My name is Oreen Chowdry, and I am the chair of this committee.

0:38

Before we begin, I'd like to reiterate that council has temporary temporarily restructured into a single committee of the whole, which is consolidating all standing committees into a single body.

0:50

During this temporary restructuring, regular committee work, which includes reviewing, revising, refining, and making recommendations on all matters will be done by this committee of the whole.

1:02

All items from today's meeting will be forwarded to the full council for its consideration on Thursday, February 19th at 9 30 a.m.

1:12

As usual, these meetings are broadcast and live streamed from our public access channels and the city's website to enhance public accessibility.

1:22

With that, I'll call this meeting to order and ask the clerk to call the roll to verify a presence of a quorum.

1:30

Councilmember Payne.

1:32

Present.

1:34

Present.

1:43

Present.

1:43

Stevenson.

1:44

Present.

1:45

Chavez.

1:46

Present.

1:47

Whiting.

1:48

Present.

1:49

Paul Masano.

1:50

Present.

1:51

Vice Chair Chugtek is absent.

1:54

And Chair Chowdhury.

1:56

Present.

1:56

There are 12 members present.

1:58

Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.

2:01

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

2:11

Those meeting broadcasts include real-time captioning to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community.

2:19

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.

2:28

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

2:34

And then colleagues, we will also be using speaker management today.

3:12

Thank you, Chair Chowdhury.

3:35

So with that, I will ask for a second.

3:37

Second.

3:39

Okay.

3:40

That has been seconded, and for members, you have a printed copy of the motions to amend before you next.

3:49

Thank you, Chair Chowdhury.

3:50

I'd like to uh move to amend the agenda to include uh as item 68, a consideration for a lease non-disturbance and consent agreement at 1500 44th Avenue North, please.

4:02

Great.

4:03

Is there a second for that?

4:08

Second.

4:08

Okay.

4:09

Great.

4:09

We will take that up together then.

4:12

So with the amendments to the agenda, all those in favor say aye.

4:16

Aye.

4:17

Those opposed say nay.

4:19

Abstentions, that carries, and the agenda has been amended.

4:24

Colleagues, as reflected on our agenda, we have a significant number of items to take up today, including three quasi judicial hearings, a public comment period tied to a request for renewed liquor licenses.

4:37

I'm going to take up the 53 items that on the list that's listed on our consent agenda first, so we can release any staff who are waiting to address questions or concerns about those items.

4:49

And then we will take up the three quasi judicial hearings, the public comment for the liquor license requests after, and then if we if it comes to time at noon, it's my intention actually after we finish the public comment period and the discussion on the liquor license renewals that we will break for lunch and then reconvene to take up the rest of the items on our discussion agenda.

5:17

For those in the audience, let me now let me know.

5:22

Let me know that we'll sorry, my apologies.

5:26

We'll be taking comments on the hearings for each of the three quasi-judicial matters in the public comment period tied to the two license renewals in the order that folks are registered.

5:36

If you wish to address the committee during any of these three hearings or public comment periods, you'll need to register with the clerks at the registration table in the corridor outside the chamber.

5:46

So if you want to speak today on any of those agenda items, please take time now to register with the clerks at the registration tables.

5:53

Also, if you have any materials to submit to the record on those matters, please give those materials at the registration table as well.

6:02

All right, thank you.

6:04

Is there any questions from members on the flow of the agenda?

6:08

It doesn't seem like it.

6:10

So with that, I'll summarize the items.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████32%
Public Safety████████████████████████24%
Economic Development██████████████████████22%
Land Use and Zoning███████████11%
Intergovernmental Relations██████6%
Personnel Matters██2%
Community Engagement█1%
Pending Litigation█1%
Technology and Innovation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Super Committee of the Whole Meeting – February 17, 2026

The Minneapolis City Council met as the Super Committee of the Whole on February 17, 2026, from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT. The meeting addressed a wide range of items, including three quasi-judicial hearings, public testimony on liquor license renewals for two hotels allegedly housing ICE agents, emergency procurement authority for Operation Metro Surge, a $7 million small business resiliency fund, and several resolutions responding to federal immigration enforcement and other issues. The meeting was broadcast live with captioning.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved consent agenda items 4–56 (excluding items 21, 25, 49, 4, 5, and 6 that were pulled) by voice vote. This included routine approvals for contracts, grants, license renewals, appointments, and other administrative matters. A correction was noted that a rescheduled hearing (item 53) will be moved to March 24 instead of March 17.
  • Items 4, 5, and 6 (settlements) were voted on separately: Item 4 passed 13-0; Items 5 and 6 passed 10-3 (with Councilmembers Wandsley, Chavez, and Vice Chair Chugtek voting no).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Liquor License Renewals (Canopy Hilton and Depot Renaissance Hotel – Item 57): Ten speakers registered. Key testimony:
    • Joan Soholt (hotel worker, Unite Here Local 17): Urged renewal, stating ICE activity is not limited to these hotels and that targeting them harms workers; called for rejection of punitive actions without legal cause.
    • John Eric Haynes (attorney for Unite Here): Argued that liquor licenses are a privilege, not a right, and that the city has broad discretion to deny renewal if the general welfare is threatened. He stated that housing ICE agents could be a rational basis for non-renewal.
    • Jeffrey Packett (internal organizing director, Unite Here): Read a statement from an anonymous worker at the Depot describing ICE presence, covering of windows, and safety measures that limited worker movement.
    • Uriel Perez Espinoza (Unite Here): Shared worker accounts of ICE agents staying at the hotels, wearing camouflage, and arriving/leaving at specific times.
    • Wade Luneburg (Ward 3 resident): Requested that hotel operators deny lodging to ICE; cited safety risks to workers and guests.
    • Shelley Stein (Restaurant Opportunity Center): Stated workers fear ICE presence and that businesses have the right to refuse service to ICE.
    • Additional speakers raised concerns about due process, public safety, and the impact on workers and community.
  • Note: A speaker from Arizona Taco Company mistakenly addressed the committee; he was informed his item was not on the docket.

Discussion Items

  • Item 21 – 2% Loan Program Revision: Director Eric Hansen (CPED) explained the program's cap would be raised from $75,000 to $125,000 to meet modern business needs. The program has had $2.2 million annually for 15 years. Councilmember Schaefer requested a detailed memo on program history. Passed 13-0.
  • Item 49 – Stadium Village Special Service District Advisory Board Appointments: Councilmember Wandsley moved to deny the appointment of Michael Burke (Graduate Hotel general manager) due to the hotel's alleged housing of ICE agents and its response to protests. After debate, the motion to deny 49.1 passed 8-4-1. The appointment of Amy Campbell (49.2) was approved 12-1.
  • Quasi-Judicial Hearings:
    • Item 1 – Interim Use Permit for Parking Lot at 1901 East Lake Street (Tocali): Applicant sought a five-year surface parking lot for La Alborada Market. Staff recommended approval. No public testimony. Council approved 13-0, adopting findings of fact.
    • Item 2 – Appeal of Certificate of Appropriateness for 201 Franklin Avenue East: Property owner Nicholas Bates appealed two conditions requiring removal of newly installed vinyl siding. The HPC had required fiber cement or composite wood siding. Council Vice Chair Chugtek moved to strike conditions 1 and 2, citing economic hardship and improved appearance. Approved 13-0.
    • Item 3 – Variance Appeal for Fence Height at 3906 York Avenue South: Applicant Patrick Hargarten sought a variance to allow a six-foot fence on a corner side yard. Staff recommended denial, citing lack of unique circumstances. Councilmember Vita and others noted ongoing ordinance work. Motion to approve variance failed; motion to recommend without approval passed 13-0.
  • Item 58 – Suspension of Procurement Policies (Emergency Operations): Director Rachel Sayer requested authority to bypass procurement rules for catastrophic emergencies during Operation Metro Surge. After extensive debate, an amendment was adopted with reporting requirements and a March 26 expiration. Passed 13-0.
  • Item 59 – Small Business Resiliency Fund (Downtown Assets Fund): Councilmember Chavez moved to allocate $5 million from the downtown assets fund to support businesses impacted by the ICE occupation. Councilmembers Chowdhury and others amended to increase to $7 million. Despite concerns about fund depletion and program design, the motion passed 11-2 (Rainville and Schaefer opposed).
  • Items 60–63 – Resolutions:
    • Item 60: Supporting Small Business and calling on federal/state/county aid. Passed 13-0.
    • Item 61: Opposing immigration enforcement funding and asking Congress to act. After debate on language, passed 8-4-1 (Rainville, Vita, Warren, Schaefer opposed; Whiting abstained).
    • Item 62: Electric and gas shutoff moratorium. Passed 13-0.
    • Item 63: Denouncing attacks on gender-affirming care for youth. Passed 13-0.
  • Item 64 – City Auditor Position (Director of Special Review and Advisory Services): Presentation by Brenda Miller and Tartha Paudell. Context provided by Council President Payne. Approved by voice vote.
  • Item 25 – Eviction Moratorium Referral: Councilmember Schaefer sought clarity on the process. Staff explained the standard legislative procedure. Motion to approve referral passed.
  • Expired Actions Report: Clerk Casey Carl presented a list of 44 expiring items from the 2024–2025 term. Council approved 15 claims for reintroduction; remaining items will expire if not claimed by Thursday.
  • Council Tracking Report: Clerk Carl presented the final report of official acts (2,940 actions) from the past term. Andrew Hawkins (Legislative Research and Oversight) previewed enhanced tracking dashboards.
  • Walk-On Items: Councilmember Wandsley introduced a legislative directive regarding preservation of evidence related to ICE misconduct – approved. Councilmember Vita introduced a lease non-disturbance agreement for 1500 44th Avenue North – approved.
  • El Cerrito Resolution: Council received and filed a resolution of solidarity from El Cerrito, California.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved (items 4–56) with pulled items voted separately.
  • Quasi-judicial hearings: Parking lot permited, siding appeal granted, fence variance denied.
  • Liquor license renewals for Canopy Hilton and Depot Renaissance moved without recommendation to full council (motion to refer to staff failed 6-7).
  • Emergency procurement authority approved with amendments (expires March 26, 2026).
  • $7 million small business resiliency fund approved (from downtown assets fund).
  • Four resolutions passed (items 60–63) with varying vote tallies.
  • City auditor position approved.
  • Expired actions report accepted; 15 items reclaimed.
  • Walk-on legislative directive and lease agreement approved.
  • All items forwarded to the full council for final action on February 19, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Super Committee of the Whole. My name is Oreen Chowdry, and I am the chair of this committee. Before we begin, I'd like to reiterate that council has temporary temporarily restructured into a single committee of the whole, which is consolidating all standing committees into a single body. During this temporary restructuring, regular committee work, which includes reviewing, revising, refining, and making recommendations on all matters will be done by this committee of the whole. All items from today's meeting will be forwarded to the full council for its consideration on Thursday, February 19th at 9 30 a.m. As usual, these meetings are broadcast and live streamed from our public access channels and the city's website to enhance public accessibility. With that, I'll call this meeting to order and ask the clerk to call the roll to verify a presence of a quorum. Councilmember Payne. Present. Present. Present. Stevenson. Present. Chavez. Present. Whiting. Present. Paul Masano. Present. Vice Chair Chugtek is absent. And Chair Chowdhury. Present. There are 12 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, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. Those meeting broadcasts include real-time captioning 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'll ask all speakers to please moderate the speed and clarity of their comments. And then colleagues, we will also be using speaker management today. Thank you, Chair Chowdhury. So with that, I will ask for a second. Second. Okay. That has been seconded, and for members, you have a printed copy of the motions to amend before you next. Thank you, Chair Chowdhury. I'd like to uh move to amend the agenda to include uh as item 68, a consideration for a lease non-disturbance and consent agreement at 1500 44th Avenue North, please. Great. Is there a second for that? Second. Okay. Great. We will take that up together then. So with the amendments to the agenda, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed say nay. Abstentions, that carries, and the agenda has been amended. Colleagues, as reflected on our agenda, we have a significant number of items to take up today, including three quasi judicial hearings, a public comment period tied to a request for renewed liquor licenses. I'm going to take up the 53 items that on the list that's listed on our consent agenda first, so we can release any staff who are waiting to address questions or concerns about those items. And then we will take up the three quasi judicial hearings, the public comment for the liquor license requests after, and then if we if it comes to time at noon, it's my intention actually after we finish the public comment period and the discussion on the liquor license renewals that we will break for lunch and then reconvene to take up the rest of the items on our discussion agenda.

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