Minneapolis City Council Regular Meeting – February 19, 2026
Minneapolis City Council Regular Meeting – February 19, 2026
The Minneapolis City Council convened its regular meeting on February 19, 2026, at 7:40 a.m. The meeting opened with an honorary resolution for Fletcher Alexander Merkel, a victim of the August 2025 mass shooting at Annunciation School. Following the presentation, the council conducted its regular business, including a consent calendar, discussion on a quasi-judicial fence appeal, debate over liquor license renewals for hotels that housed ICE agents, deletion of a procurement suspension item, appointment of board members, and other legislative items.
Honorary Resolution
- The council presented an honorary resolution honoring the life and memory of Fletcher Merkel, born January 7, 2017, who died on August 27, 2025, in the shooting at Annunciation School. Speakers included Councilmember Paul Masano and Whiting, Annunciation School Principal De Boer, and first-grade teacher Sarah Slack. The resolution was adopted by acclamation, and attendees sang “This Little Light of Mine.”
Consent Calendar
- Agenda Amendment: The agenda was amended to include a legislative directive related to the small business resiliency fund; adopted unanimously (13 ayes).
- Minutes Approval: Minutes from February 5, 2026, were accepted (12 ayes, Councilmember Whiting absent).
- Referrals: Petitions, communications, and reports were referred to proper committees (12 ayes).
- Committee of the Whole Report: 64 consent items were approved, with items 3, 5, 6, 53, 54, 55, and 57 pulled for separate votes. Item 48.1 (appointment) was deleted. Resolution 58 (denouncing immigration enforcement funding) was approved with a Whiting amendment. Expired ordinances from Councilmember Rainville were reintroduced by unanimous consent later in the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Item 3 – Variance Appeal (Fence Height): Councilmember Shugtai moved to deny the appeal and uphold the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s decision, adopting staff findings. Passed 13–0. Councilmembers noted the decision was based on a lack of legal findings to overturn the variance denial and emphasized that legislative fixes must come through ordinance changes, not quasi-judicial appeals.
- Items 5 & 6 – Workers’ Compensation Settlements: Pulled for separate vote by Councilmember Wandsley. Passed 9–4 (Councilmembers Shugtai, Chavez, Wandsley, and President Payne voting nay).
- Item 54 – Liquor License Renewals for Canopy by Hilton and Depot Minneapolis: Staff presented an investigation report finding no cause to deny renewals, as concerns related to hotel occupancy, not liquor licenses. After extensive debate over worker safety and ICE presence, the motion to approve passed 8–5. Ayes: Councilmembers Schaefer, Whiting, Stevenson, Rainville, Vita, Palmasano, Warren, and Vice President Osman. Nays: Councilmembers Shugtai, Chavez, Wandsley, Chowdhury, and President Payne (after vote switches).
- Item 55 – Suspending Procurement Requirements for Operation Metro Surge: Councilmember Shugtai moved to delete the item from the agenda, arguing the emergency management declaration process is sufficient. The motion passed 7–6. Ayes: Councilmembers Shugtai, Chowdhury, Stevenson, Palmasano, Chavez, President Payne, and likely one additional member. Nays: Councilmembers Schaefer, Whiting, Rainville, Vita, Warren, and Vice President Osman.
- Item 53 – Appointments to Boards and Commissions: After tabling earlier, the council considered an amendment to the Meet Minneapolis Executive Committee appointment. Councilmember Schaefer moved to replace Councilmember Wandsley with herself, citing the longstanding representation of Ward 7 (downtown) on the committee. The amendment passed 7–6, with supporters including Schaefer, Shugtai, Whiting, Stevenson, Rainville, Vita, Palmasano, and opponents including Wandsley, Chowdhury, Chavez, Warren, Osman, and President Payne. The full appointments list was then approved 13–0.
- Small Business Resiliency Fund Legislative Directive: Accompanying the budget resolution, the legislative directive requests detailed parameters for program implementation from CPED. Adopted unanimously (13 ayes).
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda adopted with amendments.
- Fence variance appeal denied; staff findings upheld.
- Liquor licenses for Canopy by Hilton and Depot Minneapolis renewed (8–5).
- Procurement suspension for Operation Metro Surge deleted from agenda (7–6).
- Board and commission appointments approved, with Councilmember Schaefer joining the Meet Minneapolis Executive Committee (7–6).
- Legislative directive for small business resiliency fund passed unanimously.
- Notices of intent to introduce ordinances on welcoming all genders and immigration protections in housing were given.
- Introduction and referral of 35 items approved, including ordinances on decriminalizing drug paraphernalia, extending pre-eviction notice length, and others.
- Two resolutions adopted unanimously.
- Announcements included the proclamation of “Diane Moa Day,” Ramadan greetings, and reflections on school shootings.
Meeting Transcript
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.
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