Yeah, um this is a little different than the previous setup.

We're all gonna have to cluster kind of down here.

So go ahead and crowd in on me.

That'll be great.

Would you be willing to hold that?

That would be wonderful.

And I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to um ask if you're good morning everyone.

My name is Elliot Payne.

I'm the president of Minneapolis City Council.

Before we convene our meeting, we have the presentation of an honorary resolution honoring the life and memory of Fletcher Alexander Merkel.

This resolution is being presented by Councilmember Paul Masano and Whiting.

Good morning, everybody.

We're back here in this new chamber and we haven't done this yet, this cycle, this term for for quite some time actually.

But it's really important that we we want to get together and honor Fletcher Merkel.

And we are so grateful to have his family here, to have people from Annunciation here with us today, to have the Minneapolis police department here with us.

Healing is a journey, and yet every first with a loss like this, the sting will never go away.

Um and I'm just gonna say that out loud because I think that that is what his family is feeling.

Um but this is a resolution honoring the life and memory of Fletcher Alexander Merkel.

And if it's all right with you, I'll plan to read it and then um I'll hand it off to Principal De Boer to say a few words.

All right.

Whereas Fletcher Alexander Merkel was born on January 7th, 2017, embraced the world with his inquisitive nature, and brought joy to everyone he met.

And whereas he was a loyal friend, a funny companion, a beloved brother to Milo, Hazel, and Rory, and treasured son to Jesse and Molly.

And whereas Fletcher was a little boy through and through, who loved sports, the outdoors, adventure, making things of all varieties and trying anything new, and whereas there was no sport that Fletcher did not like and wasn't excited to play, try, celebrate, or learn more about.

And whereas he loved collecting things and building something new, watching things grow, tenderly examining nature, and was passionate about the Green Bay Packers.

And whereas Fletcher thoroughly explored and enjoyed nearby Grass Lake to the point where he had a favorite tree in his own fishing hole where he spent many happy hours with his dad.

And whereas at Grass Lake, Fletcher chased butterflies, captured frogs, and successfully caught a fish, even though everyone told him there weren't any fish in Grass Lake.

And whereas his bright light was extinguished on August 27th, 2025 in the mass shooting at Annunciation School.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis is forever changed because of Fletcher, and he remains a guiding light to us in how we approach our own lives and maintain a healthy passion for exploring.

And whereas Fletcher's youthful energy and zest for life will live on through the new Merkel family puppy Xander, named in his honor and memory.

And whereas Fletcher's family has turned his tragic death into a force for good through advocacy and endowment in his name, celebrating his life with friends, family, and community, and living life the way Fletcher did.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby honor and celebrate Fletcher Alexander Merkel, whose spirit, creativity, and love continue to impact everyone who knew him and many who never had the chance.

Be it further resolved that the mayor and city council hereby extend our deepest condolences to Fletcher's family, friends, neighbors, and school community who continue to love him dearly and hold up his memory now and always.

Thank you.

I think the best person to to say a few words would be Principal Debor, the principal of Annunciation School.

Thank you.

Uh it's an honor to be standing here with all of you, although none of us want to be standing here today.

Um Molly and Jesse, thank you for your witness of love and for bringing Fletcher into our world and our lives.

Um you brought light into the world and Fletcher Fletcher's light will never go out.

Um so at the end, I'm just gonna tell you right now we're gonna sing this little light of mine uh together.

But um Cornell West said justice is what love looks like in public, and uh, you know, that means different things standing in this room than it does at recess, but you know, Fletcher he was the glue of of the third grade boys.

It's a class of 30 girls and then uh 10 boys, and so Fletcher, he was the referee, you know.

If anybody's refed before, it's not an easy profession, but but Fletcher was the one who who could get everybody on the same page with the rules of the game.

He could take a conflict and and bring light and bring peace and calm everybody down, and so uh while we we miss every day his physical presence, um, we know that his light is always shining upon us.

Um, every time we we fish, every time we we think of the things Fletcher loved the the buffalo, it just we know he's with us, and so it's hard every day.

Um, but Fletcher was a light in his time on Earth, and we are called to continue to be that light.

And so as we um navigate this difficult road together, the next time you're doing some physical activity, um, mess your hair up a little bit, let it fly in the wind and uh and just think about Fletcher the next time you're fishing, the next time you you see a piece of nature you haven't noticed in a while.

No, that's that's Fletcher um pointing out that uh that there's always light.

Um, and so uh with that reminder, um, it's good to sing.

You heal when you sing.

So one verse of this little light of mine.

One, two, ready, sing.

This little light of mine.

I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Let me hear you.

This little light of mine.

I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Amen.

I'm Sarah Slack.

I was Fletcher's first grade teacher, and Molly asked if I had any words to share.

And I haven't said much until today.

Um, Fletcher was pure love and joy and mischief and curiosity.

Um, he stole my heart the day I met him, and he stole my nine-year-old daughter's heart as well.

Um, he is ever present in our lives at school and in my house.

Um, although I had him as a student for nine months, we created a really close bond and we remained close up until the days before 827.

He made sure to come and see me every day in second grade and check in with me.

And he always was great at admitting when he got a little too crazy at recess with my first grade boys.

I will forever miss him, and I'm heartbroken that we don't get to see him grow.

But through his light and his love and every gift that he gave to us, we get to grow stronger, and he will be forever missed and cherished.

And he has an imprint in my heart always, as does your family.

So, I love you, Molly and Jesse.

Hey, hey, I love you.

And Fletcher, you're always in my heart.

Thank you.

Did anybody else want to say a few words?

Something I wanted to mention is we have a lot of members here from the Minneapolis Police Department, including Inspector Novak, Lieutenant Zimmerman, um, Chief O'Hara is also here.

Um, and I want to thank you for being with this family, being with Annunciation in their crisis time and their time of need, and in all of the pieces and parts that come after that.

Um, I know that they're extremely grateful for how you it showed up that day and continue um to show up whenever there is a need.

So thank you from our hearts to yourself.

All right.

Um thank you.

Um, we're gonna go back out that door.

Yes, yes.

At this time, I'm gonna call this regular meeting of the city council for February nineteenth to order.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Present.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Councilmember Shukta.

Present.

Councilmember Whiting is absent.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Present.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Present.

Council Member Rainville.

Present.

Councilmember Vitock.

Present.

Council Member Palmasano is absent.

Councilmember Chavez.

Present.

Councilmember Warren.

Present.

Vice President Osman.

Present.

President Payne.

Present.

Sorry, eleven 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 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?

Councilmember Chaktai.

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

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I like to amend the agenda to include a legislative directive that is related to the small business resiliency fund.

That is before you with the attached RCA.

Could I get a second of that as well?

Second.

Councilmember Chowdhury has moved to amend the agenda and that's also been seconded.

Is there any are there any other amendments?

Seeing none, I'll may have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended.

So the clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries and the agenda is adopted.

The next item is acceptance of minutes from our regular meeting of February 5th.

May I have a motion to accept those minutes?

So the clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shakti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Is absent.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Shapes.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries and the minutes have been accepted.

Also, note that we've been joined by Councilmember Palmasano.

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

May I have that motion, please?

So the court will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries and those matters have been referred.

Colleagues, I'll note also or also note that we received yesterday the mayor's nominations reappointing Kristen Anderson, Todd Barnett, and Margaret Anderson Kelleher to the appointed positions of City Attorney, Community Safety Commissioner, and City Operations Officer, respectively.

I will bring those nominations forward at our March 5th meeting to begin the council's formal consideration of those appointments.

And the next order of business is the presentation of reports from standing committees.

As you know, due to operation Metro Surge, we've been operating under a temporary structure that condensed all of our standing meetings into a single super committee of the whole.

I'll ask Councilmember Chowdhury, the chair of the committee of the whole to present that report.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The supercommittee of the whole is bringing forward 64 items for today's meeting.

The first three items listed were all quasi-judicial hearings.

One is approving an interim use permit for Tokali.

Two is granting a certificate of appropriateness appeal.

Three is a variance appeal sent forward without recommendation.

I will be moving this item for a later vote and discussion after consent is approved.

Items four through seven are settlements related to workers' compensation claims.

Items 12 through 14 are liquor and gamble gambling license approvals and renewals.

Item 15 are two heritage preservation commission appointments.

16 through 19 are contract amendments, a gift acceptance, and a comprehensive plan amendment.

20 grants a waiver and authorizes an agreement for the parkland dedication fee.

21 revises guidelines for the two percent loan program, 22 is a grant acceptance, 23 approves a project extension, and 24 approves additional funding for a project.

Items 25 through 31 are various contract amendments and gift acceptances.

32 is a health education grant, 33 is a bid for yard maintenance.

Item 34 is related to street resurfacing programs.

35 is a gift acceptance.

36 is a federal grant for our highway program.

37 through 42 are various bids and contracts.

Items 43 through 50 are appointments to various special service district boards.

I will note for the record that the committee of the whole considered the application of Michael Burke for appointment to the Stadium Village Board, but they have since withdrawn their application for consideration.

Therefore, I'll be moving item 48.1 for deletion from the agenda due to the applicant withdrawing from their appointment.

48.2 can still be approved.

Item 51 is a budget amendment for training services from Amy Moser Consulting.

52 adopts council calendars for 2027 to 2029.

And 53 was sent forward without recommendation and will be polled for a separate vote.

This item considers council member appointments to various boards and commissions.

President Payne has revised the proposal which is in front of us today.

And then 56 is a resolution related to small businesses impacted by immigration enforcement.

I'll note for item number 58 opposing immigration enforcement funding.

Uh by councilmember Whiting that's before us for approval.

Just so colleagues are aware.

If we can pull, if we want to pull that for discussion after, I'll leave that up to uh members.

60 is a resolution denouncing the federal administration's attack on gender affirming care for youth.

61 approves appointed position with the auditors department.

62 directs the clerk to expire all directives and ordinances undisposed of from the last term.

63 approves a legislative directive related to the city's data practices and unlawful actions by federal agents.

And our last item 64 authorizes a lease non-disturbance and consent agreement.

Okay, with all of that, I will move the items I shared for approval.

Move the items that I have pulled for a separate vote and move to delete 48.1 from the agenda.

This is a very long agenda members, so I'm going to rely on you to ensure that the items that you want to pull for discussion are pulled for discussion.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilmember Chowdhury has moved approval of the report minus items 50, minus items 3, 53, 54, 55, 57, including the deletion of item 48.1.

Is there any discussion on the remainder of the items or any items that want to be polled for a separate voter discussion?

I'll call on councilmember Schaefer.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um just clarifying that uh 53 has discussion and a vote.

We will take that up items that item up separate.

Thank you.

Yep.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President.

Uh I would like to pull item five and six for a separate vote.

Okay, the clerks note that.

Okay.

Councilmember Chuck Tide.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I'm in cue for myself first and then for Councilmember Chowdhury second.

Um I would like to pull item number 55 for uh separate discussion uh motion and vote.

Okay, got that noted.

Uh councilmember Chowdhury.

I just had a very quick question just between committee and the last day.

Wasn't able to check in for the uh expired ordinances, the ones listed under my name, firearms regulations and restricted racial uh restrictions on covenants.

Am I uh going to take up those ordinances into the next term?

And if not, I would like to the ones that are listed in my name.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, I believe you have noted that, correct?

Mr.

President, you should have two items that say cow item 62 expired ordinances and directive, one by Chowdhury and one by Shugtai, which reclaim uh matters that were on the list to be expired.

And so for Councilmember Chowdhury, that's item 12 and item 16.

For councilmember Shugtai, that's item 3 and 17 from the full report.

I'm assuming that the motion forwarding the item 62 expired ordinances would include those four items from those council members as part of the uh action to reintroduce those items.

Okay, great.

Thank you for the clarification.

Councilmember Chavez.

Uh thinking Council President Payne, can you can the clerks just re read what is being pulled out for discussion?

Mr.

President, for the body from the Cal report or committee of the whole report, we're removing items three, five, six, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-seven.

Item 48.1 is being deleted from the agenda, and item 58 is moving approval of the whiting amendment that should be at your desk.

I can read that again if anyone needs it.

Great.

I mean, I would just gonna have a recommendation that 55, unless people want to pull it out for some discussion.

I didn't intend to speak on this item again.

I did agree with the amendment being brought forward, so I would prefer that to just be voted on, but if folks want to pull it out for discussion, they can it's pulled out.

Yep.

Sorry, I meant 50.

That's pulled first after discussion.

58.

Is that what out?

Uh this one was moved with the whiteing amendment.

Yep.

Okay.

I'm going to do it.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Schaefer.

Yes, I was just wondering if Clerk Carl, you could repeat all of the ones that are pulled.

Then we can all kind of get them straight.

Certainly happy to do so.

So looking at the uh agenda in front of you, the items that are being pulled for separate votes include item three, jump to item 53, 54, 55, item 57.

I'm sorry I didn't catch from uh Councilmember Robin Wansley.

I should have mentioned five and six on page one.

So three, five, and six, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five, and fifty-seven.

On item 48.1, which is an appointment, that single appointment is being deleted from the agenda.

On 58, we are moving that resolution forward with the amendment from councilmember whiting at your desk.

Thank you, Clerk.

And I I will repeat to the previous question, Mr.

President, on item 63, the expired ordinance list.

We are including the four, two total each from Councilmember Shugtai and Chowdhury as part of that approval.

So those are included in this motion as well.

All right.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the consent items.

Okay, yeah, that's classic.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Council Member Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

Those items pass.

And then just clarifying, Councilmember Chowdhury, we're taking up item three last, correct?

Yeah.

That's fine in whatever order.

Oh, okay.

If order doesn't matter, we'll start with item number three.

Okay.

Next we will take up item number three, and I will recognize Councilmember Chowdhury.

Okay.

I think I'm gonna rely on I'm relying on a couple of my colleagues that are.

Mr.

President, may I help a bit here?

This is the quasi-judicial issue where it was forwarded without a recommendation.

This had to do with fence heights, and I know that there are staff here in the chamber who might be able to address any questions or remaining issues that needed to be addressed.

Uh there might have been a motion.

I don't have anything in front of me to uh move this forward.

So it came forward without a recommendation and needs a motion either to uh grant uh the issue, the appeal or to deny it.

Yes, and thank you, Clerk Carl.

I think the expectation was for the members that wanted to create a motion at this point would work with our uh city staff and attorneys to see if there's something to bring forward uh as I remember from committee of the whole is moved without recommendation.

So I will uh get out of queue now and let my colleagues take the floor.

I will recognize councilmember Chugtai.

Um thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, on item number three, which is a quasi-judicial matter considered by uh the committee of the whole earlier this week um for uh variance appeal.

Um, I would like to move to um deny the appeal submitted by uh the applicant listed on the agenda and um uphold the decision of the zoning board of adjustment.

Um and with that I'll ask for a second, second.

Councilmember Chugtai has moved uh a motion to deny the appeal.

It's been seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Uh council president.

If I may, uh if the motion could be amended to adopt the finding the staff findings as well.

The motion is to adopt the staff findings.

Yes, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um I want to thank Mr.

Hargarten, city staff, and and all of you actually for a really good discussion about this at the committee of the whole.

It is just a fence issue, but we took it up with fulsome um uh with all of ourselves and our thinking on Tuesday.

Um I have appreciation and sympathy for the corner or double front yard properties with no backyards and how people get a semblance of privacy.

Umfortunately, there's really nothing in this application that rises to the level of overriding the decision of the zoning board of adjustments.

There are just no legal findings that we have to vote to uphold the variance denial.

Uh we we will have to vote.

Sorry, let me start again.

We don't have legal findings for the appeal.

I will have to vote to uphold the variance denial.

Uh this all brings up a consideration that we need to keep working on.

I have some other kinds of issues that have come up with properties in my ward in regard to fences that I'm discussing with zoning staff.

Um, and I promise to also get involved with this height issue as well.

So thank you for the discussion on Tuesday.

I think we're ready to move forward.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Yeah, I just wanted to get in quick.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I seconded this motion.

I think it this is a really good example for quasi-judicials ahead for the next um our next four years together as a council, and uh it's just really important that we as we take up quasi-judicials, we take a look at what are the ordinances and the codes that we have in place, and we make decisions based off of that.

Um, and that's what we're doing here today.

Um we can't make legislative fixes through quasi-judicial uh appeals.

That really has to come at the ordinance portion, and I'm grateful to my colleagues that are taking that up.

Um there are moments in time where like you may disagree with staff recommendation, or um there just might be differing opinions where you'll have to work with city attorneys and staff to come up with specific findings that are also dictated by state law and code and what types of parameters um you'll have to set.

And so if we ever cross that bridge, which we will, um I'm here, councilmember Osmonds here, Councilmember Palmasano, Councilmember Chugtai, are all here to be a supported that, as is our city attorney's team and our uh amazing staff in planning.

That's been a really valuable resource to me in my first term.

Seeing no one else left in queue on the motion to uphold the staff findings, I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Yes, I'd like to clarify this is upholding the staff findings, not denying the appeal.

Both it's both.

It's both matters for denying and adopting the findings from staff.

Okay, thank you.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That motion carries.

Next, we will take up items five.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

I made a mistake on the expired ordinance list.

Councilmember Rainville had a few items from the list that he also wished to claim and reintroduce, and that wasn't included on the vote that we took on the entire consent agenda.

I think the easiest way for me to address that is to say if there's no objection to the listed items from the report being reintroduced in this term, we can simply do that by unanimous consent.

Yeah.

Uh without objection.

Seeing none.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Councilmember Rainville.

Thank you.

Next, we will take up items five and six together.

And seeing no one in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on items number five and six.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Nay.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Councilmember Vitaw.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

No.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Nay.

Thank you.

President Payne.

Aye.

I have nine ayes and four nays.

Those items carry.

Next we will take up item number 53.

And this is the appointments to outside boards.

Uh is there any discussion on this item?

President Payne, before there's discussion, just to clarify, there were several um versions of this that flew around that I sent out.

So I just want to clarify.

At the desk, you should have a version in front of you, and it should say revised two at the top, highlighted in green.

And so the version you have at your desk for item 53 on the committee, the whole agenda that says revised number two in green, dated February 19, 2026 is the version that Council President is putting in front of the body now.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

However, there's only one seat available, and so I want to give the honor of being on the airport working group to my new colleague.

And so we'd like to make that friendly amendment and change.

Without objection, I think we can note that.

Don't worry, I'll be on the meeting.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Thank you.

When the new revised version came out last night at six o'clock, I was surprised to see myself taken off the Meet Minneapolis Executive Board or executive committee.

Ward 7 has had a longstanding tradition for over decades of the Ward 7 representative sitting on the Meet Minneapolis Executive Committee.

The reason for this tradition is fairly clear.

Both Lisa Goodman served in this capacity as well as Katie Cashman.

The reason is clear.

Many of the assets in my downtown representative representation are clearly affected by the work of the executive committee.

This includes the convention center, this includes PV Plaza, this includes the Target Center and Cowell Center most recently.

So I was surprised to see this.

Glad that I noticed it, so that I could bring it up today to my colleagues.

For me to not be on this committee, really diminishes my ability to represent my constituents.

Because I am the leader of Ward 7 and I'm left off this committee, the ideas of my constituents will not be able to be brought forward to this decision-making body in a proper and immediate way.

So I would like the input of Ward 7 to still be represented on that board.

So I would appreciate that my colleagues would consider a motion or amendment to replace myself, Councilmember Schaefer, the representative for Ward 7 and the most majority of the downtown corridor for the Meet Minneapolis Executive Board in place of Councilmember Wansley.

Can I have a second?

Second.

No.

Okay, we have a motion in front of us.

With a second, Mr.

Clerk.

The proper motion.

All right.

I see a few people in queue right now.

But on this motion, is there any discussion?

Councilmember Wandsey.

Thank you, President Payne.

The reason why I'm not supporting this and why I was actually proud of the fact that as Councilmember Schaefer highlighted, for the time I've been on this council, and it seems like also preceding our time, there has been overrepresentation of downtown on the executive committee and meet Minneapolis overall board or commission.

And we have not always had actual diverse representation amongst this board.

And as someone who has championed throughout my four years millions of dollars to make sure that we're activating cultural corridors or so that we're making investments in not only just downtown but also areas in which we have diverse businesses also helping generate needed tax revenue into our communities to stabilize our city.

I've also championed resources to make sure that we're focusing on those communities as well and offering parity, in addition to a lot of conversations and a lot of mobilizations of resources that's constantly concentrated on downtown.

So as someone who's also spent a great deal of their uh time on council making sure that we protect um commercial interests, especially those that are located in some of our most diverse and culturally rich corners of our city.

I think it's important that we also have those voices in that representation uh be reflected in spaces like Meet Minneapolis that shapes a lot of our conversations and shapes a lot of how we approach uh resource allocation in terms of again how are we stabilizing the city's overall finances, but making sure that once again, which has been the president with this, not having overrepresentation of downtown.

Downtown is not the only um aspect or engine of our local economy, and we're having that discussion even more so now in light of how we're going to approach recovery efforts in an equitable way coming out of occupation metro surge.

Those conversations are going to need to be um further intensified as we approach recovery um actions and efforts, and as someone who's also over the past two weeks have supported my colleagues to bring recovery efforts in the form of rental assistance of small business recovery, it makes sense to also have that leadership reflected in this space.

So my track record has shown that my ward also, along with the wars that do not live in downtown, uh deserve representation in and to be reflected in these spaces where key decisions are being made about how tax revenue or how um our city's economic ising is going to be maintained and preserved and expanded.

Um so I absolutely feel justified and credible.

And again, my work speaks for itself of why I'm deserving to also be on this board and have leadership reflected in this space.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Mr.

President, I just need to point out how information flows around here.

Um council president, you have yet to speak with me, or it turns out many of us about any of these appointments.

You have all of these leaders at your disposal, and yet we've had zero conversation about it.

Many of us have been removed in my case from one appointment, and that's fine.

But if other council members are particularly interested in a position, that's great.

I am here to be a team player, but discussion by you or one of your leaders was absolutely warranted as to how we sort all of these out.

Absent that absent that this document is nothing to be proud of, it is a continuation of the committee structure and the leadership structure that you have put in place, which over-emphasizes only seven members of this body and literally blocks out other parts of our city from having a balance of participation.

Vice President Osman.

I do have a few questions.

First of all, uh the main work for Meet Minneapolis is to attract people to our city to spend uh their money here, and um as I appreciate Councilmember Schaefer.

Uh War Seven has has always been a member of that and a member of that, especially the former council members.

Um, I don't know if we're thinking about uh the membership when it comes to is it is it boundaries uh um I know downtown has the most um um hotels and and attraction places that people come visit and uh it does really make sense to have uh folks that are from downtown to be member here.

I see Councilmember Rainville is here.

I'm also representative of downtown.

I could be in there too.

Um but also I think also makes perfect sense.

Uh good argument from Councilmember Wandsley how we should uh have uh other representatives, especially who we're when we're trying to promote cultural corridors, uh, you know, see the riverside is just across the street from uh across the uh convention center.

Uh I'm sorry, the the US bank stadium, and that is a place that definitely need um uh people to experience a different uh five of the city and and and visit.

So it really does make sense um having uh someone from Cultural Corridor to be part of it.

I say council council president Payne is also part of it.

So we in my opinion, I think it could go both ways, but um, we'll see what um argument or cases uh we make uh during this conversation, but I'm here to listen and and based on that I will uh vote on who I think should be right fit.

Thank you.

Councilmember Chowder.

Yeah, thank you, President Payne.

Um I think like we've all been through a lot the last couple of months.

I don't think outside appointments are really top of mind, and I I just want to give some grace to our leadership too.

Like you've had to lead through a hor horrific time in our city, and I mean, I think communication within this body can certainly be improved, but like, I mean, I know council president has been out there on the streets every single day.

Um, so I do want to give grace to that, because I honestly was not even thinking about outside appointments until this very second.

I think I had like half a second to think about it, and then I saw that I was on airport working group, and I was like, I need to give it to my colleague in Board 11 and partner in that.

But I just I think I mean communication is not a singular direction, you gotta communicate one way or another, you gotta be proactive, and I'm not making any assumptions on anyone, but I've been on this body uh enough to know that like if you want something, you gotta reach out for it, you gotta have the conversations and ask about it, and like that's that's something that we need to be better at practicing in this body.

It's not on one person or one leader to communicate.

You gotta reach out, you gotta have the conversations.

There needs to be a two-way flow of communication.

Uh, with that, I this is called meet Minneapolis.

As far as I'm concerned, Minneapolis is not just downtown, right?

We put millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars, a huge large contract to Minneapolis to promote our city.

I think it makes sense for us to have council members, especially on this executive committee, to be able to make decisions about the direction of those millions of dollars in the promotion of our city and offer perspective.

I didn't put myself up to the table to run for this right now, but I very well could be a very good candidate for the executive committee, as could anyone else.

And I I don't think being in downtown is a qualifier.

I think it's important to have a downtown seat.

And that's why I'm happy to see that councilmember Rainville's there, but I don't think any ward is entitled to this one way or another.

It's called meet Minneapolis, not meet downtown.

And I just want to make that clear, and now is our opportunity to have a conversation about all of these appointments.

And I'm I'm listening just like council vice president Osman.

Uh it sounds like there's two members who are buying for this, so may the best woman win.

Councilmember Vita.

So I I totally get that we have had other things going on in the city, but I think it's contradictory for council leadership to say on the dais, if you want to talk to me about the appointments, then you can.

I'm available for conversation and then not have conversations with people.

I think that's where there's a disconnect at.

And then also I had conversations about an appointment.

I want it and was told you can have it, I'm not gonna change anything, and then had a second conversation and was told I've decided to move you off of it.

It doesn't matter to me, it's it's nothing to discuss.

The person who he appointed to it can have the seat, but it's just the pettiness of it all and how certain conversations happen with certain people and not others.

I you can you can say you didn't have time or whatever, but if you had time to put this together, and if seats were moved around, if it's not exactly like it was before, that means there's been conversations had, that means somebody said I want to be on this versus that.

And again, it looks like there were certain conversations had with certain people and certain things taken into consideration and not with everyone.

That's what this document looks like.

This is not the exact same document from last year.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be having a conversation about who's on um Meet Minneapolis executive team or not, and some of these other conversations going back and forth.

So I think it's just another way that um council president's pettiness shows up with speaking to some people and not to others, or saying things to some people and then changing his mind and not talking to people in advance and saying I'm not gonna be doing this anymore, I'm changing this around or whatever, and then avoiding it when the conversation comes up.

Councilmember Schaefer can say whatever she wants to say about her feelings towards this, um, and so can council member Wandsley, but like a true leader sticks up for the decision they make and say what they're gonna do, rather it's a parody around where you're at in the city or not.

I mean, I I'm always in the advantage of that.

The north side isn't represented on this, nor do I want this seat.

Like, I want to support Schaefer in having this seat because she feels like it's a tradition that she wasn't talked to in advance about being broken.

But if we want to talk about boards and commissions and all of these things and parity matters from from what direction you're in the knot, then council member Warren and I should be on everything.

It should be split for the north side.

We should be on every single board and commission, split down the middle so that there's parity to the city.

Or we could take our North the Hinnepin fellow over here, Councilmember Rainville, too.

He could he could be on those with us.

But I'm saying that's not a legitimate reason just to say like where you are is the parody of these boards and commissions because it's just not truthful.

It's not, it's not right.

It really is about what our experience is.

I've had extensive conversations with council member warren about this.

She's been stressed over what do these boards and commissions really look like.

How does this look for me as a North Side council member?

What should I be on?

What matters to the North Side?

Those are conversations that I literally asked her to have with the council president.

He should have been the one talking to her and saying this is what former Northsiders had, this is in your war.

But I took the time out of my busy schedule to do that with her and to make sure that she understood what each one of these committees meant and what it meant to the North Side.

And like that, if you're not ready, say you're not ready to vote on boards and commissions and take the time when the time is right for people to be put on the right committees and and the things that they're interested in.

We all come from these amazing backgrounds, and we have interest in things, and our constituents have interest in things, and I think it's only fair to do that, to put people on boards and commissions that they're going to show up to, that they're gonna be proud to show up to, and that they can go back to their community and say, this is what I'm spending four hours a day on, um, and this is how it benefits us in whatever ward you represent.

So I think it's kind of uh um, yeah, I just I think it's it's petty to not like talk to people in advance when you say you can come to me and talk to me about these boards and commissions, and I'll take and consider it I'll take into consideration your um your thoughts.

I mean, that literally was just said on Tuesday, and sounds like people didn't have the opportunity.

Some people didn't have that opportunity.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Yeah, I just would like to clarify um in regards to some of the comments that Councilmember Chowder had said around um, you know, reaching out and sticking up for what you want to participate in.

Um, these two boards were the you know, on the Meet Minneapolis were the first two choices that I had when I first met with President Payne in last December after the election.

Um he was very considerate and took time to ask.

I know that we have all these outside boards and commissions.

What are you interested in?

And I listed Meet Minneapolis, both boards, the executive committee and the regular board, as my top two interests, and really everything else secondary since that time in all consecutive drafts that have been released around the list of names for all the various boards and commissions.

My name was always listed in both of those categories, both for the executive uh committee and the other.

Um, it was not until I'll say it again, it was not until last night at six o'clock that I saw it was taken off.

I was not notified of any change.

Um, I reached out to President Payne and talked briefly with him this morning.

Um, um, to no avail.

So that's why I am bringing this amendment forward.

I believe this is for the benefit of my constituents, so that I can say to them that I fought for this.

The convention center is in my area, target center.

I wanted to be able to say to them that this mattered enough to me to talk to my colleagues about it and to bring this motion forward.

So I appreciate your consideration of my leadership on this committee and would love to have your endorsement.

Thank you.

I added myself to cue just to address some of the things coming up in this conversation.

Uh so last term I joined the Meet Minneapolis board, but I did not appoint myself to the uh executive committee.

I had the total authority to point myself to the executive committee, but I actually wanted to go and learn about the body and understand what types of decisions were being made.

Uh, as a member of the board, nothing that the executive committee decided on passed without the full board approval.

So I felt very empowered to be as in the no as anybody else on the executive committee.

And in fact, had a great partner in governance in Councilmember Rainville.

We would have lots of uh extensive conversations about pretty substantial decisions that were going in front of the executive committee, like the bylaws amendments and things of that nature.

Um I think that any concern about a role being diminished is really more of a governance conversation than an appointment conversation because just like this body, nothing that happens in committee is official until it passes the full council.

Uh it might feel a little differently right now because the committee of the whole feels like the full council, but typically speaking, those decisions are passed forward to the full body for consideration.

Same function on the Meet Minneapolis board.

Uh as for the process of g arriving here, I made every effort that I could to reach out to people uh, especially post-election to try to understand interests, you know, priorities, areas of concern that would be able to be reflected within both the committee structure and these outside boards and commissions, and the the practical reality of it is that it's actually very hard to get people on the phone at all times.

Not everybody is equally available, and not everybody is fully prepared to talk about the tree advisory board, right?

Like when you're campaigning, you don't typically think about those things.

But I did make every one of those efforts.

And frankly, I'm just gonna keep it real.

Half of these boards have a hard time making quorum because people do not prioritize these outside appointments in their roles.

That just happens.

Um, and so as we get into this term, people will find their groove, they will find the things that are most important to them, their priorities.

And um the practical reality is that there is actually more work to do than there is our time.

And so uh that's just part of the practical reality of this, and my role is to balance a lot of members' competing priorities, and oftentimes those priorities are in conflict with each other.

So uh this is always a bit of a compromise to get to a place.

And uh I support Councilmember Wandsley uh bringing a new perspective to the executive committee after spending two years as a member of the board.

I saw the value of more citywide representation on Meet Minneapolis and the decision making that happens there, and uh I'll be supporting Councilmember Wansey.

So I won't be supporting this amendment, but uh we have a few more folks left in queue.

I'll recognize Council Member Palmasano.

Council President, yes indeed.

You have employed yourself to a great many things on this body, and I don't see these choices as being magnanimous in any way.

Um I simply need to point out that Meet Minneapolis does a lot of things, but it is the sales and marketing entity for the convention center.

That is uniquely ward seven.

The convention center and its surroundings are uniquely entirely in ward seven.

Councilmember Chavez.

Uh thank you, Council President Payne.

I just want to, in case the public is confused, Councilmember Schaefer will still be a part of Meet Minneapolis.

The discussion is about the executive board.

So I just want to be clear.

Downtown will be represented in Minneapolis.

We have Councilmember Rainville, we have Councilmember Schaefer represented in Meet Minneapolis.

That is an appointment we are making as well.

And then the discussion here is about the Meet Minneapolis Executive Committee.

You know, the reality is that Meet Minneapolis isn't just downtown.

We need to make sure that there's a reflection across the city.

I will be supporting the appointment of Councilmember Wansey here.

I think the reality is that there is a lot of hotels in Ward Two.

That discussion is very prevalent in Meet Minneapolis about the recovery about uh the way hotels are done in the city of Minneapolis.

But I just want to be very clear.

Uh Councilmember Schaefer would still be in Meet Minneapolis.

Uh Vice President Osman.

Everyone take their name off there.

Um yeah, I think it's uh it's a tough one.

I I do pre-call um having a conversation with Councilmember Schaefer.

Um during um in her ward uh somewhere in um uh December, sometime in December, and one of the things that she mentioned, I believe, was being part of the uh Mean Minneapolis.

Uh now I'm learning there's I guess two mid-Minneapolis.

Um but um I think that just uh I get the point that's being made.

Uh as leaders first of all, I don't really have anyone who came to me and say uh they want to be this, they want to be that, council president was leading that.

Um, but the word I heard is compromise.

If we could find a way to um compromise and and maybe call back this item at the end of the agenda.

Uh that's something I can suggest.

Uh we can we can have that conversation on offline and see what ways we can um support.

I think both council members deserve and can be uh beneficial having both of them here.

Uh but um thinking about that I might be the different maker here.

I would suggest that we maybe circle back and have off-side conversation.

Uh I'll just note that I did discuss holding this a cycle after introducing it uh to Cowell with the clerk, and he advised that we move forward this cycle because actually, a number of these outside bodies are actually statutorily established bodies, and they definitely are needing to get these appointments as they've been pretty significantly delayed by this metro surge.

So that's it.

Yep.

Uh, I'm not suggesting we delay it.

I'm suggesting maybe put it at the end of the agenda today.

Uh Councilmember Chowdry.

I was just gonna say if Councilmember Osman is making a motion to table this, I would support that.

I think we have a lot of business to get to uh and through, and I'm happy to continue this conversation, but I I would prefer it at the end of the agenda.

So I would make that motion if there's a proper motion to be made to table this until the end of the agenda.

I mean, without objection, we can certainly take this up at the end of the agenda.

Is any objection to that?

Seeing no objection, let's move on to item number 54.

Council President, I'll just suggest this was also an item as the body is well aware that came out of committee of the whole without a recommendation, and so I know that the body had asked staff to come back with any findings and staff are here in the chamber.

So if you'd like to begin perhaps with an update from the staff from the community and economic development department, that might help set the tone for what actions might be taken next.

Ms.

Lingo, would you like to speak to the work that you've been doing over the last 24 or so hours?

Uh thank you, Council President Payne.

I do have a presentation if you would like.

Please.

Yes.

Thank you.

The right thing.

Good morning, Council President Payne and Council members.

I'm Amy Lingo, manager for licenses and consumer services within CPED.

More formally, I'm also the licensing official as defined by Minneapolis Code of Ordinances 259.

I'm here to review the investigation process for the on-sale liquor licenses for the canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District and the Depot Minneapolis, a Renaissance hotel.

The standard renewal process for all licenses includes a general review of concerns as well as paperwork required per Minneapolis ordinances and relevant state statutes.

For the benefit of new council members, I've broken down the information on specifics.

Um I will not go over that in detail now, but it's on this record for you.

I also do have a liquor license presentation process, my team and I began the extended investigation review process on January 28, 2026, as soon as the conversation began about pulling these items from the consent agenda.

So we did not do this within 48 hours.

As soon as that conversation started, we began the deeper dives.

The final two days of this week were spent compiling those results as well as reviewing the public testimony from Tuesday.

This process entailed reviewing and analyzing 311 history, reviewing and reaching out to the other Minneapolis city departments, reviewing the security plans, reviewing the public comments.

All of these impact were impacted licenses are on-sail liquor licenses, so that is the lens and the code with which we reviewed all of these conversations.

We'll start off with a canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District.

Just a brief summary.

They paid their renewal on December 16th, 2025.

It was certified to the state December 23rd.

There is no business licensing code enforcement history for this establishment.

They did pass their youth alcohol compliance check in November 25.

There are no outstanding or recent code enforcement cases for any other division as well.

There are also no civil rights labor standards history concerns.

The Depot Minneapolis or Renaissance Hotel paid their renewal in November 24th, 25.

They were certified November 25th, 2025.

There is also no business licensing code enforcement history.

They did have a failure for the youth alcohol compliance check in February 25, and then they passed their recheck March 2025.

This is not an uncommon occurrence.

So it's one thing to fail on the first try as long as you get it right the second try.

They have no other previous history of failures.

There are no outstanding or recent code enforcement cases from any of the other divisions.

There is no civil rights labor standards history other than 2021, where they had some issues with the right to recall ordinance.

However, the depot did cooperate fully and are considered to be in good standing.

The 311 911 review.

We did specifically the block area as well as to the specific address.

The 311 history for both locations, so no extraordinary safety reviews or concern.

We did a specific type for December 25 to current, there was no uptick in 311s.

In fact, there was one per location.

The canopy had a request for service for snow and ice in the bike lane, and the depot had two, one for snow and ice on the sidewalk and to the street.

They were both the same.

There was a health complaint, but it was about a different establishment.

There have been no uptick in 911s due to operation for the on-sale or safety concerns from within the establishment.

The public comment review period.

In reviewing the public comments, there were 10 that were opposed to the denial and 10 that were in favor of denying the renewal.

Those in opposition cited concerns about the legality of the denial of the review, renewal, as well as the negative impact for the loss of the on-sale licenses.

Those in favor of the denial discussed hotel staff's fear, anxiety, and concern for their personal safety.

In the feedback received, there were claims of over service, weapons out in the open in the hotel rooms, and rude behavior towards staff.

However, none of these claims were specific to either hotel being discussed.

Most were either in general or specific to other metro locations.

We have received lists of vehicles that were thought to belong to ICE agents parked at the Canopy and the depot as well.

However, that is not related to the liquor license.

In reviewing the concerns and feedback as well as relevant Minneapolis Liquor Code and Minneapolis Minnesota liquor state statutes, there is not good cause to deny these renewals, and I am unable to recommend any conditions to be placed on the on-sale licenses as well.

The relevant liquor codes are specific in use and scope, and the concerns that have been brought before me are tied to hotel occupancy more so than they are to the actual liquor license.

While hotels are one of the business types that are permitted to have an on-sale license, it is not required, and they are separate license types.

Hotel licenses review or renew in November.

Business licensing will continue to monitor complaints and concerns around the operation of hotels and on-sale licenses using their relevant and pertinent codes and our existing enforcement practices.

It is my recommendation that the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis, Mill District, and the Depot Minneapolis, a Renaissance Hotel on sale liquor licenses be approved for renewal without conditions.

Thank you, and I stand for any questions.

Are there any questions?

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you so much, President Payne, and thank you so much, Miss Lingo, and just everyone that participated in this in the CPED department.

I think that doing an investigation and having due process here is really important.

I don't think it's right for us to have so many constituents reach out about safety concerns regarding these two hotels, and for us to just proceed as business as usual.

It felt really important to me that we use mechanisms that we have used in the past to do further investigation.

A question that I do have based off of the testimony that we received two days ago is there were uh workers that testified on behalf of other workers that were too afraid to come and testify because yeah, you could lose your job for speaking out.

Um they shared a concern about workers having to like cover the windows or the the wind, yeah, the windows uh that showed back of house staff in one of the hotels, and like just this general concern about moving freely.

I just wondered if uh you had a discussion with the hotels about that.

If you followed up with the workers that presented that information for me, that was really deeply concerning to hear that there were workers in the workplace that felt unsafe to move around freely to the point of needing to cover where workers are.

Through the chair, um councilmember Chowdhury.

Uh, I did have conversations with both the depot and the canopy around some of their practices and some of the concerns.

Um the conversation we had did revolve around how they were helping to, the attempts were to help mitigate anxiety and concerns by keeping the staff separate from the clientele because the the staff was nervous and as it was understandable.

Um, that doesn't really relate to the liquor license per se, but it did the conversation that we had sound like they were trying to do their best to maintain business as usual while trying to assuage fears and concerns.

Thank you.

I appreciate that clarification, and then the other question that I had was um I know that there were general concerns that were brought up about hotels uh with ice agents that have been housed in them throughout the metro.

I know a concern that was chiefly brought up to me was unsecured weapons and rooms that need to be cleaned.

Was this found in these hotels and did that come up in discussion?

Thank you for that question.

Um, so I did have some claims where I saw about the, but that is about the hotel license itself, not about the liquor license.

We did have conversations with both of those health units about unsecured weapons in common areas and in the restaurant space because that is what's covered under the liquor license.

There is an expectation of privacy in the hotel rooms.

I did receive the concern about, I believe the quote was that the agents would occasionally forget to put their do not disturb on the door, and then the house cleaning staff would go in and there would be unsecured weapons when they would go into the room, and then that caused them anxiety and stress.

Again, fair.

It's not related to the liquor code.

This would be a conversation for the hotel code, um, and those how they're going to deal with that.

I didn't really get too in-depth with it because it is a separate situation than what was brought before us today.

Absolutely totally understand the Nexus point of it.

Just so I feel really clear, the the businesses that hold the license for these hotels that you had conversations with did speak to you about worker anxieties of unsecured weapons when there's not a do not disturb sign.

We did not discuss um the hotel aspect of the license.

So we did not discuss um whether weapons were out in the rooms that the staff was going in without the do not disturb signs.

Okay.

Because I was addressing the liquor license.

Right, but there was I just I'm trying to understand.

I had a comment from a third party speaking on behalf of someone else about that that is correct.

Okay.

But uh that was not brought up in the conversation because that is related to hotel occupancy, not related to the liquor license.

Okay, so then there wasn't a conversation had about weapons on the premises with hotels.

Right.

We discussed weapons in the common area, unsecured weapons in the common area and in the restaurant space, not the hotel rooms themselves.

Okay.

But there were conversations in the common area.

Yes.

Did they share that there were instances of unsecured weapons in common areas or the two hotels that I spoke with have reported no incidences, they had no reports that came to their management, nor were there any 911 calls.

We also discussed what their procedure would be if there was a report of an unsecured weapon in any of the common areas and how they would address that situation.

They both had the same answer: if a server or staff saw an unsecured weapon in a common area, they would take it to their manager, and more than likely they would reach out to 911, or if they had off-duty on site, they would go to them directly.

But there were no complaints or logged in about unsecured weapons in either of these locations.

Yes, okay.

Well, thank you so much.

Um, I'll just finish making my comments then.

So one thing that I'll share about like 911 and 311 that I think we're all very familiar with is that there was very unclear direction to our community on are you supposed to call 911 if there's an ICE agent?

What's the response gonna be, or where do I report things?

That was something that I routinely got from community members.

And I I wish hindsight is 2020.

I wish that there would have been better communication from us as a city in terms of like how you're supposed to call in ice activity, an activity that makes you feel unsafe.

And I think that um that's unfortunate because I feel like there would have been data points.

I'm not saying specifically for these hotels, but that I think that's an issue with the data.

Um I only have about a minute here.

Um I might come back into queue.

I think the thing that feels really clear to me is that we got very clear testimony about workers that felt unsafe due to uh an ICE at presence that they alleged, and then also several vehicles being parked there due that they alleged through um license plates that were brought here.

And I think there is a greater conversation about hotel licensing, and I think there's also a civil rights component because if workers can't move around freely in their workplace and windows need to be covered up, that just feels like a real issue with labor standards and workplace safety that I am absolutely not okay with.

Um, and I also think workers hearing our conversations right now are saying they're having to take great risk, testify through others.

They're afraid to come out and say themselves what they're seeing.

Um I just want to say to them, I hear you, I understand your fears, and I will come back in to comment if I see necessary, but thank you again for the presentation.

There is no one else left in queue.

Uh we will need a motion, uh, uh Vice President Osbund.

So moves.

Hold on.

Oh, okay.

All right.

Uh, first of all, I want to really thank our staff for uh uh doing a wonderful job.

Uh I don't know if you had 48 hours or so to prefer this presentation, but really appreciate it.

And we had a lot of discussion on this item.

Uh I just want to clearly say that what happened in this hotel in our city was unsafe.

Um workers told us uh they were harassed, they'll tell us they were, you know, and secure guns.

Uh they told us that they did not feel safe at work, and that's not acceptable our city.

You know, uh, federal operations brought protest tension and 911 calls, and this created a lot of uh challenges, not just the staff, but the guests and the neighbors that are staying in that area.

Uh I have a friend who lives um, you know, apartments right next to it, and she was not able to get in her apartment until 2 a.m.

because the roads were closed, you know.

Uh it was really really uh challenging for many people and uh serving alcohol in a place where armed federal agencies are staying is it it creates a lot of risk, and you can tell the how residents have been speaking and continue to speak that uh we as a city should be held accountable.

And I'm so glad of the emails and the calls that we my office have received.

Uh but one thing I will definitely say that uh is that we have a loss to follow in the city of Minneapolis.

Uh and I would like to make the motion to approve, and I will vote for this.

Uh second, I will vote for this uh because uh we must follow legal process in our city, even though it's very uncomfortable to um uh to uh uh you know to feel comfortable, uncomfortable to have ICE agents in our city, ICE who have murdered our neighbors, who had uh targeted uh certain communities who had uh cost our city millions and millions of dollars.

But we have to show that we're we're doing the right thing.

We are the one who actually following the laws that we set.

Um they're not following the Constitution, they're truly breaking the law, but uh we have to be the bigger person.

We also have to appreciate the businesses in our community.

They are the one who really makes our city better.

We're functioning today because of the small businesses and larger businesses we have in this area, and uh, you know, we cannot punish them based on other people's action.

But I would definitely uh encourage uh people that are doing our businesses in our city to really, you know, uh careful who they're who they are hosting in in our city.

Uh you know, we want to we don't want to create a chaos where you have to now deal with the consequences of that.

So, um, again, uh thank you, my colleagues, and I will uh move, uh I'll make that motion.

I got the second, so thank you so much.

Councilmember Osmond has moved, or I'm sorry, Vice President Osman has moved approval of the item, it's been seconded.

I'll recognize Councilmember Palmasaro.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

A really important piece here is what Ms.

Lingo had said earlier, which is this is not part of the liquor code.

Um all of our businesses are watching how the city council is acting here, so I appreciate Councilmember Osman's actions.

Under our law, a due process procedure, um, an applicant has a right to a neutral decision maker, and it suggests that the recorded proceedings of this body demonstrate potential hostility by the council toward these businesses.

This isn't about the issue of a liquor license, and it never was.

Let's not conflate due process.

Um due process isn't the format of liquor licensing here.

Um when we have safety issues and concerns in our hotels, our highly capable, reg services staff investigates.

I've been along for routine check-ins with our reg services staff when I was working on changes to operating uh standards for adult entertainment back in the day.

Um, but there are some very serious allegations that I've heard over the past two weeks.

Those specific instances should be investigated.

And if there is mirror to those that were brought forward, we should work on that and bring them forward to the operating conditions of a hotel license.

Absent that again, this was never about a liquor license.

I would much rather talk about our efforts to spur economic activity in our downtown core and beyond and not hamper it.

Thank you.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um, first, I just want to say that while experiencing our occupation and seeing businesses who are allegedly um allowing ICE agents that have wreaked havoc in our communities to potentially stay there and for workers and for residents to be concerned about that.

Those concerns are justified, I believe Councilmember Chowdery amplified that.

And it is incumbent upon us to do our due diligence and figure out what are the ways in which we can responsibly make sure that we're keeping our residents safe and keeping the welfare of or well-being of even the customers that are patronizing those businesses or are visiting our communities, how to make sure that they are protected as best as we can offer them while ICE agents are in their vicinity.

And it would have been negligent on us to just rubber stamp liquor licenses without examining what ways in which we could potentially pursue conditions in light of hearing the justifiable concerns from our residents and the idea that some people felt comfortable proceeding with just rubber stamping.

Well, Minneapolis is already ready to just go back to business as usual, and businesses are fine with giving housing, giving shelter to the very domestic terrorists who have brought harm to our communities, trauma, have brought a 200 and million dollar plus deficit to our finances.

And that is unacceptable.

And I'm grateful that there is a number of us who said no, we do not want to rubber stamp.

We don't want to just proceed with business as usual.

We want to use our authority and figure out the ways in which we can make sure accountability is held in this moment.

And I did have a follow-up question for uh Miss Amy Lingo here then.

Some of the things that she raised, you you repeatedly highlighted, while they're might not be related to the liquor licenses themselves.

You did mention something around the overall hotel licenses.

So I wanted clarification on that.

Um essentially, there is there a separate license then that hotels have to seek um separate from liquor licenses to be in operation.

Ms.

Lingo.

Through the chair, Councilmember Wansey, that is correct.

There is a hotel license that is required to um enable for people to stay in establishments temporarily.

Um and so these establishments have multiple licenses.

There's the on-sale liquor license that allows them to sell liquor and for on-site consumption, and then there is the hotel license.

They are neither one of them required for the other.

Hotels are one of the uses that can have an on-sale liquor license per state statute.

Um, so yes, there is a hotel license that is required for all of these establishments, and those are due in uh they come for renewal in November.

In November of this year, so they're also up for annual uh review.

Every license is annually reviewed.

Awesome.

And again, I think that offers a little bit more clarity around some of the concerns around public safety or even the police powers, things of that nature.

Um, thinking of worker welfare, that might be again for some of our colleagues to look at, you know, that particular pathway to to figure out again how to make sure that the things that we heard from our residents are not repeated and that the workers are not having to fear coming into their places of employment and not feeling safe.

And if they are of, you know, immigrant background or status, not worrying, okay, if an ICE agent is here, what does that mean for my safety?

So I thank you for offering that clarity.

I just wanted to make sure I heard that correctly.

So I just want to say thank you, Councilmember Chowdery, also uh Councilmember Um Chuck Tai for again pushing this body to use the fullest extent of our authority to make sure that players who are complicit, be it intentionally or unintentionally, are put on notice around that complicity and the effects of that, and for making sure that we did what we can to make sure that our residents were safe and let them know that their council members do not just say that they support them and stand with them in words in symbolic gestures, but we also use our legislative authority to also reinforce the ways in which we show solidarity and extend protection to our neighbors.

So that's why I wanted to share a thank you.

Councilmember Chuck Tai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I just wanted to um as we're as we're coming to a conclusion of this this long discussion around these two uh hotels and their liquor licenses.

Um I wanna I want to thank uh staff within our business licensing department and in in our community planning and economic development department um for their diligent work on um on these investigations on these two licenses and making sure um that uh every aspect was considered including um public testimony and public comment.

I know you were available to meet with uh with people and address concerns um privately too uh that that haven't been a part of the the public conversation here and and I'm really grateful for your diligence.

Um thank you.

Um and then you know what I want to I want to thank sincerely um the very courageous and brave um hotel workers who brought this issue to our attention actually first um people who for whom um bringing the the real things that they were seeing in their workplace, the fears, the like dangerous public health and public safety concerns, um that they witnessed, and knowing that it could cost them their job, um, knowing that they didn't have the resources to hire uh fancy legal representation to bail them out or get them their job back, um it takes a tremendous amount of courage and bravery um to do that.

And I want to thank you and it has been it, it's been such an honor and privilege to work with you to figure out a path forward so that your city and your um your workplace can be a safe and welcoming and nurturing environment and not one where you go to work and and um the cost of cleaning someone's room and doing your job means that you could be detained, kidnapped, torn apart from your family.

Um those are not that that's not that's not the type of city we should live in.

That's not the type of city I know we want to live in.

Um we have a lot of work to do, but um didn't want as we are coming to the end of of this uh this journey, I didn't want to, I wanted to make sure that the courage and the bravery of the impacted hotel workers in particular was uplifted.

Thank you.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I've really appreciated this conversation and this dialogue over the last two weeks.

Time is a little bit hard to track for me at this juncture, but I've appreciated every single thing that council members um with varying perspectives have brought to the table.

Um I think it was a very useful conversation for us to have, and I appreciate the work of our staff again.

I will say without this process, which for me it is about due process.

I don't care what anyone has to say about what my intentions are.

I'm very clear in it, I'll stand 10 tones down on it.

It is there, there deserves to be a process that isn't a rubber stamp.

And I have no regrets for going through this process, not a single single one, because without it, our constituents would not have felt heard because without it, these important conversations with workers and their representatives would not have happened.

We would not have a greater understanding of the scope of our liquor licenses.

We would not have gotten that powerful testimony that many took with with the fear of vulnerability.

There were several who wanted to speak, but told me the night before or the morning of, no, they're too afraid.

They're afraid of retaliation.

They don't have the protection necessary, and they have to think about their livelihoods.

If we didn't have this due process, how how else would we have navigated a moment that is so unprecedented?

We could have never imagined happened.

Hotels in our own cities throughout the metro, booking ICE agents, the ones who are killing our residents, bring them into corridors, right?

That's the that's that larger piece.

And for us in this testimony, we have people that are working within these two hotels that are making clear allegations that this has happened and that they have not been able to move freely in their place of work.

And without this process, we wouldn't have this articulated path that business licensing has shared that we're discussing about hotel licensing more broadly.

Is like that's the better place.

This is important information to me.

And the last thing I will just say is thank you to the courageous workers and the courageous people who brought this forward to us and asked us to take a deeper look and to act.

Um ICE agents, CBP agents are not protected class.

That's come up several times about discrimination, just broadly.

They're not a protected class, and this idea that somehow we're going and going us going through a process is uh the reason the nexus of costing uh hotels, their their bottom line to me is entirely preposterous because it's the consumers are making the decisions based off of what they're hearing and seeing.

What we're doing is going through through this process, and I think hotels, whether they have housed ice agents or not, they have an enormous amount of power and privilege, especially if they're a franchisee of Marriott and Hilton to join the workers across this nation and advocate and say, no, change your policy.

This is impacting our business, this is impacting our workers, and we do not want to see this happen again.

If these business interests lined up with the workers right now that are lobbying in Washington, DC, to change the way in which these large corporations act, that can make a huge difference.

This is our moment to make that change, and I would love to see that coalition form.

Um thank you again to uh my colleagues and thank you again to staff.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Thank you.

And I really want to thank you, Director Lingle, for this extra work and the great information you brought back.

Uh and uh I know that uh there's a lot of other staff that helped do this, so please pass on my thanks.

Uh clearly we do not have legal basis to deny this license, and clearly we all want ICOT here.

In fact, uh I wanna uh give Councilmember Whiting uh credit for uh this resolution that you help manage all of us with, and uh, I predict uh a 13-0 vote on that because we're we're unanimous on that.

We want ICE out of here, we want this occupation and that's why we just have to keep our oath of office, which is to abide by the law.

The law says that we should approve these liquor licenses, and continue to support the business community.

We're gonna have many conversations in the next month uh about how we bring back our businesses, whether it's the cultural corridors or downtown.

And this would be a great start to show that we do support business, even though we disagree over the customers that they have in there.

So thank you.

I'll be voting for this today.

And I also want to compliment both hotels.

I spent a lot of time over there, uh, starting with the damage that was done uh by the protesters, and I've observed how how well they treat their staff and all kind they are to their staff, and that that really impressed upon me uh that both the deep one canopies care very much for their staff.

So I want to give a shout out to both those hotels and the way they treat their employees, Councilmember Whiting.

Thank you, uh Council President Payne.

Um just wanted to note quickly as as it sounds like we are concluding on this process, uh, and I appreciate uh my counsel colleague, council uh member wandsley.

Speaking to that, we do have a responsibility.

And that's why I was someone at the at the previous junction that voted to rubber stamp this due process and this delay.

And I think we do have a responsibility as a body to be creative in this work.

Uh and that and communicate with our residents across the city that we did do that due process.

That uh our staff at CPED manager Amy Lingo uh did a process, has done a thorough process and came back uh with again uh zero recommendation to to pull or remove these licenses.

And I think that is something that we also have to say, and I and I appreciate the creativity of my colleagues and my council members uh up here to figure out ways in which we can combat uh this occupation of ICE agents in our city.

Uh and we'll continue and and hope to urge that we are creative in these avenues to continue to do that.

And um right, I know there's ways that you know, while ICE agents are here and we may not be able to revoke a uh uh liquor license uh uh for cause uh and have no cause to do so.

Uh we do have tools uh at our belt uh and I encourage us to look through those and join in a in a a spirit of collaboration to do that.

Uh I know we've looked at how other cities um have ensured that while ICE is here, uh we have to make it as uncomfortable as possible.

Um, whether that be uh right, if if you're staying at our hotels, maybe you're not allowed to park.

Uh if you're staying in our city, maybe you can't have uh uh face covering.

If you're staying in our city, uh you can't have these policies uh in areas and avenues that we do control uh as a city.

And I think we are looking to, and I know uh the the mayor's administration and others are looking at avenues that are creative to ensure that uh we are making it as uncomfortable for ICE to be in the city.

And I think um spending our effort uh within the purview in the jurisdiction that uh our city does have is fruitful and will be fruitful uh in not just the months but years to come as well.

And so I appreciate all the work that we are doing to try to figure figure out those creative avenues.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of uh item number 54.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye, Councilmember Wansley, aye, Councilmember Shugti.

Nay.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

No.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Nay.

There are ten ayes and three nays.

That item president.

I thought this was I mix up the votes if I had and I switched my vote today.

I meant to vote nay.

Sure.

Clerks without objection.

Thank you.

Council President, thank you.

Um Councilmember Wansley does that.

Change the vote outcome.

Councilmember Wansley voting nay.

Councilmember Childry voting nay.

The result is eight ayes and five nays.

That item passes, and we will now take up item number 55, which is suspending procurement requirements for operation metro search.

Is there any discussion on this item?

Councilmember Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I want to I start by first thanking um staff in our um in our emergency management department.

Um, in particular, uh Director Rachel Sayer, who has um who has been managing this this ongoing crisis um for month for weeks, months now.

Um thank you for all of your work and um and for for bringing this item forward.

Uh I've I've since had the opportunity um since this item first um came up on on this agenda to have conversations with staff um and with our attorneys.

Um and I think the and and some of the most transformative ones, actually, with my colleagues um around how we move forward and and walking in eyes wide open about the ask before us and the implications known and unknown um of delegating this type of authority um and the lessons we can learn from the history of our city and the crises that we've been through, including in 2020, when when we lived through multiple compounding crises, that included uh an emergency uh declaration that included um similar types of delegation of of authority and waivers of of um city processes um as a part of managing that that uh that crisis um and I think based on cumulatively all of those uh conversations and further um understanding I um going to make a motion to deny um this uh this item and uh delete it from our agenda.

Um and I am going to ask for a second and happy to further speak to that or or see if if colleagues have an interest in in further discussion.

I know we talked about this pretty extensively in Cal.

So um hopefully um hopefully we can um move move this move this item along.

Second.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Chugtai has moved to deny this item and delete it from the agenda.

It's been properly seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Not seeing anyone in queue, I'll put myself in queue.

Um I I support I support this motion.

I just genuinely feel that you know if there isn't real urgent crisis, life safety is on the line.

Um the mechanism for emergency management is to declare a state of emergency.

I feel like those mechanisms are in place.

I think that the mayor can call a special meeting.

We can adjourn to another meeting.

I think there's ways for us to accommodate.

Um and but I'm also interested in a continued conversation around if our current structures are actually not responsive enough.

We should actually just structurally change our emergency management protocols as a global uh topic.

But in this moment, I I I support this motion and seeing no one else left in queue, uh Mr.

Clark.

Mr.

President, I just want to clarify the intent of the motion with the maker, and that is there were two words used, uh a denial and a delete from the agenda, which are two different things and not necessarily related.

The motion to delete from the agenda is to uh remove from council's consideration with no dispositive action.

A denial is still technically an action and would need to be packaged as an official act to the council or to the mayor.

So I'm understanding what you're doing is deleting this from the agenda.

That's correct, sir.

Thank you.

Uh Vice President Osman.

Sorry, I was trying to get clarification.

Um the presentation we have received and the requests from the director of emergency um uh were denying that item.

Okay.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on the motion to delete the item from the agenda.

Councilmember Schaefer.

No, Councilmember Wansley.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

No.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

No.

Councilmember Vita.

No.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

No.

Vice President Osman.

No.

President Payne.

I'm sorry, Mr.

President.

Aye.

There are seven ayes and six nays.

That motion passes and that item will be deleted from the agenda.

Next we have item number 57.

Support for small business resolution.

And not a clerk to clarify.

Is it 56 or 57 that we're taking up?

I'm sorry, Ms.

President.

What item are we on now?

Are you asking me what item we're on?

Because that's questions.

Yeah.

Number 56 is the Minneapolis Small Business Resiliency Fund.

This is a resolution to amend the budget to redistribute downtown asset funds.

Alright.

Okay.

Was it 57 that was pulled out?

Okay, 57 was pulled out.

Which is the resolution, not the budget amendment.

Okay.

Councilmember Chavez, did you want to speak to this?

I didn't pull it out.

Did somebody pull it out?

Well, let's just go ahead and call the role.

I got nobody in queue.

Point of question, Councilmember.

Council President Could you just explain what's before us?

I'm sorry, I feel confused.

I had in my notes to pull out item number 57, which is the resolution for uh calling for support for small businesses from other layers of government.

Okay, so that means we voted on 56.

We already voted on 56 as part of the consent.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

Let's just go ahead and call the role just to make sure.

Councilmember Schaefer, did you you polled this?

I didn't pull it.

No, okay.

Well then go ahead, Councilmember Schaefer.

I I would like to understand how the if someone could speak to how the legislative directive dovetails with this, if those are two separate motions.

Or is this the regular resolution?

I'm sorry, let me just pull it up quick.

This is the regular resolution.

So the legislative directive will be taken up under new business.

It is related, but so we already passed 56 by unanimous.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um that's fine.

I I was gonna support it anyways, but I just really appreciate you clarifying that, and I think there's no reason to discuss this one.

Okay, um, just to be sure, let's call the role on this item.

Okay, item number 57.

Item 57, which is a small uh support small business resolution.

I mean, clearly somebody pulled the wrong one.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye, Councilmember Shagtai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries.

Now we will take up item number 53, which is the uh appointment uh for various boards and commissions.

Uh Vice President Osman, did you want to speak to this?

Um I had a conversation.

Uh both council members um really completely understand why each one wants to serve um this role.

And I'm still trying to find a way to compromise.

And I really respect uh the history and and ward seven being part of it.

Uh downtown uh being a big part of me, Minneapolis.

Um at the same time, cultural corridors and having Councilmember Wazley and her work uh continue to advocate um other parts of the city.

Uh that is something that I I wanted to uh have that conversation.

Uh but I I see two other members in there, and I see Councilmember uh Council President, um uh Payne and also I see Councilmember Rainville.

Are any of them willing to uh free that space to have one of the council both of the council members get in?

Is that some conversation we can have?

Okay, council member council president Payne.

Uh I'd like to continue on in that role.

Okay, all right.

I guess we're ready to take the vote then.

Council Member Rainville.

What are you asking me to do?

What uh what I'm asking is that both council members have shown me the willingness and and and the how important it is for them to serve this committee.

Massie, you uh is this something you will consider having um on a point yourself, or like I guess you know, step down to you show the interest.

Okay, I I understand.

No, thank you.

So, Councilmember Osman.

I worked for that organization for 35 years.

I know it in and all more than any other employee there.

And I think my knowledge would be very valuable to this, so I am not willing to step aside.

And I appreciate you saying that, no.

Okay.

Um and just for the for clarity, where we last left off on this item before we tabled it was uh motion by Councilmember Schaeffer to uh amend the membership of the executive committee of Minneapolis to add herself and remove Councilmember Wandsley.

That's where we're gonna pick up on.

So for those folks in queue, that's what we're discussing.

Councilmember Vita, uh, Councilmember Palmsano.

Uh if useful, I heard you say, Council President, that there's generally an issue with council members being able to prioritize their outside appointments and to make quorum on some of these committees.

So it does seem like a perfect reason to appoint someone who doesn't have a bunch of other leadership roles and committees right now.

And seeing no one else left in queue on the amendment for the meet Minneapolis Executive Committee.

I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

The amendment to replace Councilmember Wansley with Councilmember Schaefer for the executive committee of Meet Minneapolis.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye, Councilmember Wansley.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye, Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

No.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

No.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Nay.

There are seven ayes and six nays.

That carries, and that amendment will be adopted.

Uh are there any other discussions on the rest of these?

Uh Councilmember Vita.

Thank you, Chair.

I just wanted to pass the baton to Councilmember uh Chucktai for the MBC.

I got to serve on the MBC for two years.

I did ask to be reappointed.

The president lied to me and told me he would.

He didn't, but I'm okay with that.

I'm happy that you're gonna be serving on this board.

At first I was upset about it, but when I reflected, I thought this might be a great opportunity for someone new to come in with fresh eyes, fresh ideas, and work towards the goal of protecting our workers.

That was one of the reasons why I wanted to be on that board.

Um the staff at the MBC asked me to be on that board and not certain staff, all staff from every department on the MBC.

And I have not had any progress with the county commissioners on that board.

Every time I've come to them and ask them to do something in protection of our workers, I've hit a brick wall.

So I'm hoping you can go on that board.

I'm sure you have a better relationship with them than I do.

So I'm hoping you can go on that board.

It's a four-person board, it's myself, it's the mayor, and it's two county commissioners.

And I I haven't had any success with getting them to um help protect our workers.

They actually do a lot of deflecting.

And um to the point about quorum.

Actually, one of them tried to change quorum, and that's that's not acceptable at the state level.

So I'm, you know, I'm really hoping that you can go on there and do some creative things, protect our workers, get people to show up.

Maybe they'll be more excited to see you there, and and they'll show up on time and and show up at all so that we can have a quorum at an 8 30 meeting in the morning.

So I I'm looking forward to checking in with you on a regular basis to see how how the MBC board is going.

One of the things that I wanted to make sure I saw through too by sitting on that board was our Restack program, and and the the um the way the offices have been changed around.

Not completely excited about what the end result was with uh with our new office space, but I made some changes that I'm happy with in my office, and so um happy to pass the baton.

I have an actual baton in my office that I'm gonna hand to you at some point.

Um happy to pass the baton to you.

Hope that you love it, and I know that you'll stand up for our workers on that on that board, and I I really do hope that um you can kind of break the glass ceiling of getting the county on board.

I it's always been challenging for me because we're in this building and they're not, and they have a whole lot of authority of what we get to do in our in our building.

So um, this is how you make uh lemonade out of limits, right?

Like I was upset, but I'm not because I have full faith in your abilities to go on here on this board and make some really good strong, I like strong lemonade, not not weak lemonade.

So I have um I have full belief that you are gonna go on here and really do some things, and our workers are gonna feel protected, and our building is gonna be under our authority at some point, and not the county making security decisions and all these things for us that you know the average person doesn't understand.

Like they have a lot of authority over how we're secured in this building, and that meant something to me.

A lot of you on this diet know there's incidents that's happened in this building behind the scenes that people don't know about, and it meant a great deal to me to be able to sit in those rooms and say this is how I think we should be protected.

So I'm looking forward to checking in with you regularly on how things are going at the NBC.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Um, this feels a little silly to bring up, but uh firstly, I wanted to say thank you to uh you president for putting this together.

I took it upon myself to reach out to you multiple times about which boards and commissions I wanted to be on.

And uh thank you for uh listening to me on that.

I am a little worried about my ability to make all of the meetings on all these boards, and I want to ask if anyone else wants to be on the midtown bridges working group.

Um I am happy to give that one up if somebody wants it.

Uh I'm I just want to make sure that I can actually make all the meetings that I'm supposed to be in.

Is there anybody interested in being on the midtown bridges?

It doesn't exist, Councilmember Chavez.

I've been on there for years and doesn't even it never meets.

Let's think thank you.

Thank you for clarifying I'm on a commission that doesn't meet.

Uh Vice President, Vice President Osman.

All right.

Uh thank you, Council President, uh, for also putting putting this together.

I did ask a while back that I want to be part of uh heading heading home hennepin, and I was a member of that uh for many years, and now I see um I'm not on the list, but if that is something that members, especially Councilmember Chowder and uh Stevenson can consider.

Uh, I'll take that.

If not, then no problem.

Council members chowdry or Stevenson are interested in rolling off of heading home hennepin.

I can do a trade-off for the city because what is that?

I don't want to be on anything with Hennepin County.

Um, Commissioner uh Angela Connolly specifically asked for me to be on this.

Sure.

Uh given my work with uh homeless folks in this city.

So I don't want to block you from this, but I would like to see how uh the other council member feels.

Yeah, the reason why council vice president I wanted to be on this committee was because I was on it last year.

Councilmember Ellison was on it with me, and the thing that I want to pursue is our joint IGR agenda on homelessness at the Capitol, and that is like one of the tables where we are able to have more robust discussions.

So that's why I wanted to continue to remain on it.

Thank you.

I think both of you will be perfect.

That committee.

Councilmember Tructai.

Um, thank you, Mr.

President.

I uh I wanted to I wanted to thank um Councilmember Vita for her very kind words and her um her service to the municipal building commission, the MBC last term.

Um she followed in the foot uh it in the footsteps of of council member former council member Lisa Goodman, who was on the MBC board for a long long time.

And um I think I am I'm really excited to um to take this role on this term um and I you know I think that um I I hope to at least um continue in the legacy of of these um two brilliant women who you know I I think there's a lot that sets us apart from each other, but a couple things that all three of us have in common is being uh first um fiercely unapologetic in our position um and standing 10 toes down on the things that we feel um are the are is what needs to happen what needs to get done and um and so in that way I think the the council representation on the municipal building commission will continue um and then um and and so thank you very much and uh excited to talk to you very regularly about this among other things.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilmember Chowdry.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So I do not want to be added to anything, but I did want to just uh speak to my colleagues on the Mini Haha Creek watershed policy steering committee, Councilmember Palmasano, and Councilmember Whiting.

I believe that there is an available seat there for the 12th ward.

I think we changed that so there could be.

I did not vie for it because I do not have the capacity to do it.

I however do have several constituents who are interested in this matter and would really appreciate if you would just work with me to get updates from the committee and uh when the committee dates come up.

Um I would just like to know just so if there's a staff member from my office that could attend, but honestly, like just checking in about what's moving forward would be greatly appreciated.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the role on item number 53 as amended.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Council Member Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries and that completes our agenda on those items.

The next order of business is noticeable ordinance introductions.

We have two notices today.

First, Councilmember Chavez, Chowdhury and Chugtai give notice of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting.

The city of the city council, the subject matter of two ordinances that propose to codify the city's status as a city that welcomes and protects people of all genders.

Second, council members Chavez, Chowdhury, and Chugtai and Osman give notice of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting of the city council the subject matter of an ordinance amending the housing code, prohibiting inquiries into immigration status during the rental screening process and creating protections for tenants against retaliation based on immigration status.

Are there any questions about 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 35 items on the agenda today.

First, pursuant to notice, Councilmembers Chavez, Chowdhury, Wansley, Payne, and Stevenson move to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending the health and sanitation code for first reading and referral to the public health safety and equity committee, decriminalizing the possession of drug paraphernalia.

Second, pursuant to notice, Councilmembers Wansley, Osman, Stevenson, Chavez, and Chowdhury move to introduce an ordinance amending the housing code for first reading and referral to the committee of the whole for a public hearing to be held March 3rd, temporarily extending the length of the required pre-eviction notice.

Third, pursuant to notice, Councilmember Council Vice President Osman moves to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending Title 13, Chapter 319 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances relating to the licenses and business regulations code for first reading and referral to the business housing and zoning committee.

Amending the regulation of alcohol unlicensed parking lot premises.

Fourth, pursuant to notice Councilmember Shugtai moves to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending the housing code for first reading and referral to the business housing and zoning committee.

Amending section 244.285 to add regulations regarding owner entry into a rented dwelling union.

Item five items five through 35 are various ordinances, legislative directives, and staff directives that were not dispensed with in the 2024-2025 council term and are being proposed to for reintroduction by the council members listed on the agenda.

The ordinances items five through 16 are being proposed for reintroduction and referral to the committees as listed on the agenda continue the drafting process in our current council term.

I'll also note that Councilmember Chowdhury added two additional item, two additional ordinances not listed on the agenda related to restrictive covenants removal and firearm regulations, and councilmember Chuctai added two ordinances related to tenant protections and earned safe and six time modifications.

And Mr.

President, you'll remote uh remember that I added three from Councilmember Rainville that also will be reintroduced.

I'm sorry that I didn't catch that earlier.

Yep, that's correct.

Uh the legislative directives items 17 through 28 are before us to consider reapproval.

If the council approves them, they will be resubmitted to the mayor for approval, then directed to the committees listed on the expired directives report for report back in future council cycles.

The staff directives items 29 through 35 are also before us to recon to consider reapproval.

If approved by council today, these items will be directed to the committee listed on the expired directives report for reports back in future council cycles from the legislative department and the city attorney's office.

May I have a motion to approve these introductions, including uh the four plus three from council members Chug Tai, Chowdhury, and Rainville.

So I'll move is there a second second.

Uh Councilmember Chavez.

Yeah, uh Council President Payne and maybe the clerks can help us with this.

There is a lot of these notice introductions and legislative directives that previously had more than one author.

So if it's allowable, either I can go through them or if I can make a motion that would then give authority to the clerk to add authors that were previously added to these notice of intents or legislative directives.

There's just authors that have been missing on this because of the way it was proposed.

Uh Mr.

President to Councilmember Chavez.

Happy to add them back when they're at committee level.

We should be bringing those forward in a formal meeting like this, not to avoid uh to avoid quorum issues.

The just so everyone's clear, we don't track anybody but a primary author, which is why we pull this directly from limbs.

We don't track co-authors.

So happy to add them back in for purposes of uh awareness, but this was simply expedited to bring it forward, and we only track the official primary author.

So that's why it's only the primary author, but happy to add back other um co-authors when we get to the committee level at the next meeting.

Would you recommend that we submit that so it's ahead of time or perhaps the easiest thing is for the clerks to go ahead and look into the record for council members who are still with this body since some have changed from the last, add them back in where it's appropriate, and then if they wish to be removed, they can do that, or if other new uh co-authors want to be added, they can do that too.

Thank you.

All right, the clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Council member Shaktai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Hi.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Okay.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and those matters are referred to the committees listed on the agenda.

Councilmember Wansey, I see you in the Q.

Yep.

I had to or wanted to speak to one of the items that we just passed.

Oh, go ahead.

Thanks.

So I just want to amplify that the public hearing for pause eviction safe lives is going to be on March 3rd.

Many of us are fully aware that mutual aid efforts that sustain thousands of families are already seeing a significant decline in fundraising efforts, which means more people will be vulnerable to facing an eviction come next month.

While I'm disappointed that this body opted to not expedite this process further so that we could have had this protection in place by March 1st.

Even to make it a protection after March 1st, so that we can make sure that residents do have one way of receiving housing stability and allow them to get access to rental assistance efforts that's being moved at all governmental levels.

So I look forward to further conversation about this matter next cycle, and ideally seeing this be uh passed as quickly as possible.

That's all.

The next order of business is resolutions.

We have two resolutions today as listed on the agenda.

Do council members have any comments to add?

May I have a motion to adopt these resolutions.

Second, the clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and those resolutions are adopted.

The next order of business is new business.

We have one item today, which is a gift.

Well, we actually have two items the gift acceptance and the legislative directive.

We will be taking up the gift acceptance for council member Chucktai.

May I have a motion to adopt this item?

So moved.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That item carries.

Next, we will take up item number two under new business, which is a legislative directive by Councilmembers Chowdhury Chucktai Whiting and Chavez.

Uh Councilmember Chowdhury, did you want to speak to this?

Yes, I can start, and I certainly welcome my co-authors taking some time to speak to this as well.

This is truly a team effort.

So this is an accompaniment legislative directive to the small business resiliency fund before you.

Could you please explain what a legislative directive is and what it does?

Mr.

Clerk.

Mr.

President, to Councilmember Chowdry and to all members, a legislative directive is a formal act of the city council passed by a majority vote, which is a request to the mayor formally under our government structure for some level of information assistance or support from the administration at the mayor's direction to uh contribute to the formal official legislative policymaking and oversight functions of the city council, assuming that it passes with the vote required of the body.

It goes to the mayor, and with the mayor's approval, then commits the administration to following up on that requested information assistance or level of support.

Thank you so much.

And usually a rule of thumb for legislative directives has been if it's more than five hours of work, you should request a legislative directive.

And also, uh when we've had different ordinances or budget resolutions in the past, they have been accompanied by a legislative directive.

We felt that this was a good mechanism to really memorialize the conversations that we've had as council members in this entire body of details that should be further fleshed out as desires for this council to set as considerations and parameters for CPED, as they're the department, the home department, should our uh small business resiliency fund receive a signature, just pass through the process.

Um they're the ones that will take that up, and they have expressed that uh they're going to come back there.

They have a very strong willingness to come back to the city council and share what that program will be.

They are interested in having a working group process as well and to move immediately.

I think uh Director Hansen and uh Director Lynham for their efforts and conversations with us and their work on this so far.

And uh in this, we also have uh apart from information that should be included about about the programming, a section that says share any potential opportunities and challenges with program implementation and execution.

So that is the legislative directive before us, and I hope to earn everyone's support today.

Councilmember Whiting.

Yes, thank you, uh President Payne.

The only thing I would add here, and thank you, Councilmember Chowdhury, uh, is the kind of language here.

Wanted to try to give a a broad picture of of ways that these funds could be used to help support our small uh businesses and particularly uh I think what we are noting that this uh includes language that says this may include, but not is not limited to the information that we see here.

And so I think as council members have questions for CPED uh and as this kind of goes forward to reach out um to CPED as well if you if you would like to kind of see some of those processes or ideas um float in the air.

And so I think trying to give some level of both flexibility um and guide rails to uh what this work and and funds are going to be used for, and so uh fully support uh this legislative directive for going forward as well.

Thank you.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Yes, I just want to say thank you to my colleagues for bringing this forward.

I'm excited to support this today.

Um I would really encourage us.

I'm I'm looking forward to the aspects that staff will bring forward.

I think that I know everyone has learned a lot through the COVID X experience that we all had about ways to most impactfully help our small businesses versus just maybe performatively do that.

So I am excited to hear what the staff report would be and I would hope that we as a body would take that expertise seriously when it comes back and move forward quickly in support of whatever um best use case scenario that they present to us.

But thank you for the extended effort that I know this will be for staff, and I appreciate uh the opportunity to lean into your expertise as we hear that report.

But thank you again to my colleagues.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the role on the small business resiliency fund of legislative directive.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye, Councilmember Wandsley, Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

All right, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

All right, Councilmember Rainbow.

Council Member Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Councilmember Chavez.

Hi.

Council Member Warren.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President.

There are thirteen ayes.

That carries, and that completes all of our business today.

Our next order of business is announcements.

Are there any announcements from the council members?

Councilmember Rainbow.

Thank you.

So I just want to inform the body here that today is a very special day in Minneapolis.

It is Diane Moa Day.

So Diane's place.

How many of you have been to Diane's Place Restaurant?

Well, someday I hope to see every hand up because she's expanding.

But why today is so special is because Good Morning America was featuring 50 cities in 50 days, and when they go into a city, uh they honor a small business.

And we all agree that the business community is good.

So I got up at five this morning to shower and shave and via Diane's place with uh the proclamation that this was her special day, and it was just so uh great to see the welcoming community in Northeast and the Monk community.

And Diane is so spectacular.

She's won uh two James Beard Awards, but nominee for five.

And just last month, Food and Wine magazine voted her the best restaurant in the United States.

And that restaurant is right here in our city in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

So I just uh was so joy to do that.

And if I get a little tired this afternoon, poke me and wake me up.

Vice President Osman.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan, so I wanted to take a moment to wish uh Id Mubarak to uh our Muslim residents in Minneapolis, Ravalan Mubarak, um to all Muslims in the city of Minneapolis and around the world.

So it's a wonderful holiday.

It's uh it's a joy family time, and I'm fasting, and some of my colleagues are far fasting, so yeah, thank you.

Councilmember Warren.

Thank you, Council President.

I'm just speaking in this announcement because I want to address the um misrepresentation and belief that the statement that I made with respect to a song from 1958 by Sheb Wooley that's on YouTube about the purple people eaters was not to offend my council colleague in any way.

I am not on this body to be offensive to my council colleagues in any way.

It was a silly song.

It was uh um I felt that the request that was being made at the time of um council discussion was silly, so I made reference to a silly song.

I've ran for city council to uplift and empower not only the residents of Ward 5, but residents throughout this entire city.

So if there's ever any offense that anyone on this body feels, my door is always open, my phone always answers, and you are more than welcome to speak with me.

But I did want to address Soren directly because it was said by other council members that it was offensive to him, have a lot of respect for you, brother.

It did not, I was not intending to offend you or any other members of this body in any way.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, President Payne.

I also wanted to say Ramadan Mubarak, um, to the Muslim community in Minneapolis, but also uh the community members who are not Muslim because I just appreciate the way that this city always shows up for his Muslim neighbors and comes to iftars with us.

Um the support for the Muslim community, our immigrant communities, everything is really tied together in this moment.

We have seen record levels of xenophobia and Islamophobia in our country, and that's not changing anytime soon.

And I just wanted to say, like, you, the folks that are standing up and like showing a lot of joy and standing in solidarity with one another, like you are the absolute antidote to that.

So just thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm so proud to be Muslim.

I'm so proud to be on a body that has such a big Muslim caucus on it, like it gives me so much joy all the time to be a part of it.

Um I did fast yesterday.

I got a little too ahead of myself, and I had major brain fog, and I struggled.

So I was not feeling well this morning, so I'm not fasting.

But throughout this month of Ramadan, if you see your Muslim colleagues expressing brain fog, um, not remembering the items before them, just give us a little bit of grace.

We will definitely need the assist.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Yeah, um, firstly, I wanted to say uh uh Councilmember Warren, I was not offended by the comments.

I happen to uh when someone says purple people eaters, I think of the Vikings D line.

Um, and I would be honored to be a part of that.

Um, but in a total uh gear shift here.

I I missed it when we were uh asking about comment on resolutions.

Um when I was in college, um my sophomore year, there was a shooting at my college, and it killed one of the students uh and injured others.

Um the student who died was a friend of my roommates.

Um, and so I was really touched by the resolution honoring uh Fletcher this morning.

Um, the date that is burned in my memory is June 5th.

Um, and this date is burned in their memory.

Um, sorry.

Um, so I just wanted to highlight that this is something that is uh it's afflicted our country for a long time, and I'm I'm horrified that it's here in Minneapolis, and that uh I was a child who grew up um, you know, doing active shooter drills, and now I'm an adult who is uh doing resolutions for children who are murdered in school.

And so may we all commit ourselves to a world where children don't get murdered in school and college students don't get murdered in college.

Thank you.

Mr.

Clerk.

Uh, with the council's indulgence, uh little history to add to today's meeting today was the date of the first election ever held in the city of Minneapolis after after its incorporation.

So it was the first election held for city officials in the city of Minneapolis.

And at that time, Doralus Morrison was elected first mayor of the city of Minneapolis.

There were only four wards at that time, but each ward had three council members.

So we had a 12-member body, three council members per ward, plus Mr.

Morrison is the first mayor.

And I just wanted to, since it was a council day, bring a little bit of that history forward to share with the body.

So with that, we've completed our business today and with nothing further to come before the council and without objection, this meeting is hereby adjourned.