Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Meeting – June 3, 2026
Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Meeting – June 3, 2026
The Public Health Safety and Equity Committee, chaired by Councilmember Jason Chavez, met on June 3, 2026 at 6:33 PM. Six members were present (Councilmembers Payne, Whiting, Vita, Stevenson, Chavez, with Rainbow arriving later). The meeting included two public hearings, a consent calendar, and several discussion items. Key actions included approval of an ordinance restricting law enforcement identity concealment in joint powers agreements, a decision to postpone a ShotSpotter contract amendment for further negotiation, and postponement of a report on police participation in federal task forces.
Consent Calendar
- Items 4–11 and 13–15 were approved unanimously. These included contract amendments for audit services, violence prevention, strategic outreach initiatives, and acceptance of a grant for emergency management. Public hearing dates were set for ordinances on all-gender welcoming city, law enforcement concealment of identity (separate from the day's hearing), adult bathhouse health and sanitation, the mayor's nomination for emergency management director, and a drone-as-first-responder pilot program.
- Item 12 (law enforcement concealment of identity ordinance) was postponed without action to the June 17, 2026 committee meeting for further author discussions.
Public Comments & Testimony
Public Hearing 1: Law Enforcement Agency Agreements Ordinance Six speakers testified, all in support of the ordinance but urging stronger provisions:
- Jan supported the ordinance but noted it did not address federal officers operating within the city, highlighting the June 3, 2025 Operation Metro Surge as a critical context.
- Alvin (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee) expressed strong support and called for a full ban on secret police, citing the need for accountability after ICE operations.
- Sally (Unidos, Ward 12) supported the ordinance, emphasizing that identity concealment enables lawless behavior and intimidation, especially against immigrants and communities of color.
- Drew (member of 5051) supported the ordinance as a start, but stressed that it alone won't restore trust after Operation Metro Surge and called for stronger language to prevent loopholes.
- Alyssa (Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council) urged a vote in favor, arguing that accountability begins with transparency and that the public has a right to know who is policing them.
- Rob (public school teacher) questioned why Minneapolis was behind St. Paul and other cities, demanded consequences in the legislation, and appealed for a nine-vote majority to overcome a potential mayoral veto.
Public Hearing 2: ShotSpotter Contract Amendment Four speakers opposed the contract:
- Jan cited legal challenges, high costs, and low effectiveness (e.g., 75% false alerts in Pasadena), arguing the technology leads to over-policing of already targeted neighborhoods.
- Drew raised concerns about wrongful convictions (citing a case), the potential for audio surveillance, bias in AI, and lack of transparency from SoundThinking.
- Rob noted that studies in New York and Chicago found less than 16% confirmation rates and less than 1% gun recovery, and also expressed feeling unsafe after Councilmember Rainville allegedly took his photo.
- Alyssa called for community investment instead of more policing, stating that the technology is not always accurate and that resources should go to community-led violence prevention efforts.
Discussion Items
1. Law Enforcement Agency Agreements Ordinance (Item 1) Chair Chavez presented the ordinance, which prohibits the city from entering into or amending a law enforcement joint powers agreement unless the agency prohibits officers from concealing their identity within Minneapolis. Exceptions include undercover assignments (with documentation), protective gear (shields, medical masks, SCBA), SWAT helmets, weather gear with name/badge, and crime scene evidence collection. Amendments were incorporated from discussions with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. The ordinance applies to new or amended JPAs after August 31, 2026. Councilmembers expressed support, though several noted it was only a first step. The item passed unanimously (7-0) and will go to the full council.
2. ShotSpotter Contract Amendment (Item 2) Presentations by Emergency Communications Director Joni Hudney and Deputy Chief Travis Riddle highlighted the technology's role in providing rapid, precise gunshot alerts, noting that 80–87% of activations have no corresponding 911 call. They proposed a three-year extension with a possible expansion, funded partly by E911 funds. Councilmember Wancy moved to postpone the item by one cycle (to June 17) to allow time to prepare a one-year contract extension while the city auditor's independent analysis (due August 2026) is pending. After discussion about procedural feasibility and SoundThinking's willingness to offer a one-year term, the motion to postpone carried. Chair Chavez committed to supporting a one-year contract if it could be prepared in time for the full council meeting.
3. Energy Assistance Contract (Item 16) Alice Frelick presented a new program using $120,000 from climate legacy funds to provide $500 grants to 240 low-income Minneapolis households through the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County. The program targets those not already served by other assistance, with eligibility based on state-set income thresholds. Councilmember Vita praised the program's quick implementation and its potential to identify homes needing additional weatherization. The item was approved unanimously.
4. Green Careers Exploration Program and Public Health Pathways Program Justo Garcia (Health Department) reported on the Green Careers Exploration Program, which provides education, exposure, and credentialing in green jobs (solar, weatherization, GIS, drone piloting) to marginalized communities. In 2024, the program served 335 participants, 69% from priority communities. Giselle Martinez presented the Public Health Pathways Program, a paid internship funded by a CDC grant that diversifies the public health workforce. The first spring 2025 cohort saw 83% of interns with no prior public health experience; 100% increased their knowledge, and 50% said they would pursue a public health career. The report was received and filed.
5. MPD Participation in Federal Task Forces (Item 17) Deputy Chief Riddle provided an overview of the Homeland Security Task Force (formerly OCDETF), explaining that MPD's involvement is limited to an FBI task force officer whose cases are reimbursed under the HSTF umbrella. Councilmember Chavez moved to postpone the item to July 8, 2026, citing that the presentation did not adequately address the legislative directive's requests, including full text of agreements, officer assignments, duration, compliance with the separation ordinance, and risks of immigration enforcement. Councilmembers Payne and Wancy emphasized the need to ensure the city's separation ordinance is not violated, especially given the federal government's immigration enforcement mission. The motion to postpone passed.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved (items 4–11, 13–15) with item 12 postponed.
- Law enforcement agency agreements ordinance approved (7-0) with amendments; to be forwarded to full council.
- ShotSpotter contract amendment postponed to June 17, 2026 committee meeting; staff directed to prepare a one-year contract option.
- Energy assistance contract approved (unanimous).
- Green Careers/Public Health Pathways reports received and filed.
- Federal task force report postponed to July 8, 2026 for a more comprehensive response to the legislative directive.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the regular meeting of the Public Health Safety and Equity Committee for June 3rd, 2026. I am Jason Chavez, the chair of this committee. Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community. Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast. We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments. At this time, I will ask the clerk to call the roll so we can verify a quorum for this meeting. Councilmember Payne. Present. Rainbow. Absent. Vita present. Whiting. Present. Vice Chair Stevenson. Present. And Chair Chavez. Present. That is six members present. Let the record reflect that we have a quorum and we will be joined by Councilmember Rainbow in a little bit. I'll remind my colleagues that we'll be using speaker management today. So please make sure to sign in. Our agenda is in front of us. So before we begin with the consent agenda, I'll move to delete item number three, the appointment of police chief from the former police chief Brian O'Hara from the agenda. Brian O'Hara has resigned from his position as police chief, and no public hearing will be held. So on the motion to delete, I will open up the queue if there's any comments or questions. All right. On the motion to delete, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed say nay. Any abstentions? That motion is deleted. We will have two scheduled public hearings, item number one and number two on the agenda after we conclude with our consent agenda. If you would like to speak on either public hearing item and you have not signed up yet, please see the clerks at the registration table outside of the hall. On our consent agenda, we have a variety of different items. Item number four authorizes a contract amendment with Michael S. Wilson for audit services for neighborhood associations. Item number five authorizes a contract amendment with trajectory changing solutions for violence prevention services. Item number six authorizes contract amendments with restoration inc, metro youth diversion, and touch outreach for Minneapolis Strategic Outreach Initiative Services. Item number seven accepts the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant for Enhancing Emergency Management Capabilities and authorizes an agreement with the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the grants. Item number 11 sets a public hearing for June 17, 2026 for the all gender and sexuality welcoming city ordinances. Item number 12 sets a public hearing for June 12 17th, 2026 for the law enforcement concealment of identity ordinance, which is a separate item from the one we have on the public hearing today. I'll pull this item for a separate motion and a quick discussion. Item number 13 says a public hearing for June 17, 2026 for the adult bathhouse and sex venues health and sanitation ordinance. Item number 14 says a public hearing for June 17, 2026 to considers the mayor's nomination of Rachel Sayer to the appointed position of emergency management department director. Item number 15 sets a public hearing for July 8th, 2026 to consider a no-cost contract with SkyDO for a drone as first responder pilot program for the period of 75 days beginning July 2026. Colleagues, is there any discussion or are there any items anyone would like to pull for further discussion? Council President Payne. Can we take up item 15 as a separate vote? And Council President Payne, yes, we can, but this is the public, it's to set up public hearing, it's not the item itself.
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