All right, hello, good afternoon.

Um my name is Soren Stevenson.

I am the vice chair of the climate infrastructure committee.

The chair uh uh Robin Wandsey, Councilmember Wandsley, she will be here very shortly and she will take over.

Um I'm gonna call to order our regular meeting for Thursday, June 4th, 2026.

Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all committee 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 translate all comments for the broadcast.

We ask that all speakers uh moderate the speed and clarity of their comments.

At this time, I'll ask the curk clerk to call the roll so we can verify uh the quorum for this meeting.

Councilmember Vita.

Present, Warren, present, trick time, present.

Chowdry, present, palmsano.

Present, Vice Chair Stevenson, present.

Chair Wansley.

Present.

We have seven present.

Let the record reflect that we do have a quorum.

I will remind my colleagues that we're going to be using speaker management.

So if you have any issues with signing up, uh please make sure to follow up with our clerks over there, and they can get you all situated.

Also, for the members of the public that are here for one of the public hearings.

If you wish to address the committee, we do ask that you register with the clerks to the right.

Um, you can also provide any written comments or materials to include in the public record.

Uh public work staff will also be available after the presentation to connect if you have any specific questions or concerns.

With that, our agenda is in front of us.

Madam Chair, I'm sorry, just a quick correction.

Uh, because of the room being at capacity, uh, we are doing we're doing sign-ups uh in the hallway.

So we're sorry, can you share that a little bit?

Uh members of the public that are here for uh the public hearing should sign up in the hallway outside.

Um you should have passed it on the on the way in.

So there's a hallway, there's a there's a table in the hallway.

Thank you for flagging that uh clerk.

Um, so just to reiterate if you are here or um looking to sign up for a public hearing, we do have staff in the hallway because we are at max capacity.

What I will also ask, um, because we have two pretty or one pretty substantial uh item on our public hearing.

Uh if you are city staff, once you are done, you know, hearing your item, I will ask that you leave the chambers to make space for the public as well, um, so that members in the overflow can also be part or come into the chambers.

So that said, uh, we do have the agenda in front of us, uh, which will begin with consent agenda items uh reflected as item three through 17.

Um, and I'll read that for the record.

So the first being number three is authorizing the submittal of grant applications for the 2026 Metropolitan Council Regional Solicitation related to federal transportation funds and for active transportation solicitation for regional sales and use tax funds.

Number four, it's authorizing uh agreement with Minnesota Department of Transportation for whether your safe to routes to school phase two projects.

Number five is accepting the low bid for Nicolette Av planting and maintenance.

Number six is accepting various bids for rental of heavy equipment with operator, seven is accepting various bids for rental of heavy equipment without operator, eight is accepting the low bid for 2026 cleaning and lining restoration only project.

Nine is accepting the low bid for Third Street North Sanitary Sewer Reconstruction Project.

10 is authorizing a contract amendment with Menger Construction Companies Inc.

for the Boston Terrace Sanitary and Storm Sewer Improvements Project.

11 is authorizing a contract amendment with Morcon Construction Inc.

for the federal courthouse parking ramp security improvements project.

Number 12 is authorizing a contract amendment with short Elliott Hendrixing Inc.

for engineering and design services for the second street North Bikeway project.

13 is authorizing a contract amendment with PCI Rose LLC for the Golden Valley Butterfly BAV installation project.

14 is setting a public hearing for June 18th to consider the mayor's nomination of Tim Sexton to the appointed position of public works department director.

15 is approving big hunking truck parade event permit June 18, 2026.

16 is approving the 612 days block event permit June 12, 2026.

17 is passage of resolution related to the redesign of highway 280, the Minnesota Department of Transportation's public engagement.

Um with that, colleagues, is there any discussion or any items that anyone would like to pull for further discussion?

Um I do see council member Chowgery in queue.

Yeah, thank you, Chair Wansley.

I just had some short questions on item number 15 and item number 16.

They're both the block event permits, one for big honking truck parade and the other for 612 days.

Okay.

Sorry, just getting the pen.

Can you repeat that again?

You said item 15 and 16.

Item 15, 16.

So you would like to pull those for separate discussion?

Yeah, just quick discussion.

And then, um, for some reason my computer is not loading, but I will put myself in queue.

Um I would like to pull number 17 also for separate discussion in motion.

Any other discussion?

Okay.

With that, colleagues, I will move approval of the consent agenda with the exception of items 15, 16, and 17.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh those opposed.

All right.

The ayes have it.

That motion carries.

Uh next, we will take up items 15.

And Council Member Chowgery, would you be okay if we take a bow 15 and 16?

Um, is there staff who can come and speak to these items and to answer questions raised by Councilmember Chowgery?

Yeah, Chair Wansley, uh Council Member Chowdry, uh Tim Sexton, Public Works Director.

We're actually waiting for one of our staff to come in, so I just wanted to let you know what's going on.

Is it okay if we maybe move forward to the other agenda item?

Go grab them.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Um, so we'll take up item number 17, which I pulled.

Um, so this is related to the highway 280 resolution.

Um, I am going to make the motion to postpone this item um earlier this week.

Uh my office met with uh public works leadership, uh, where we learned that the Minnesota Department of Transportation would like to actually come to our committee to give a presentation, answer any questions uh related to this project.

Um, so I am uh going to postpone this to our June 18th climate and infrastructure meeting.

I've spoken with city staff.

I've also spoken with the lead author of this resolution, which is Councilmember Rainville.

Um, and everyone is in shared agreement that they would love to have Mendot here to present directly.

So with that, I will ask for a second.

All right.

Um, all those in favor with postponing this item to the June 18th C and I meeting say aye.

Aye.

All right.

The ayes have it.

That motion carries.

Uh going back to items 15 to 16.

I see staff is here.

Would you like to come to the podium?

Thank you.

Councilmember Chowgery, feel free to direct your questions.

Yes, thank you, Chair Wansley, and thank you so much for coming into chamber for some quick questions.

Um, my first question is just it's regarding both of them.

So just wanted to check for deviations.

Is that only the outside of hours of operation deviation?

And then could you just articulate uh what is the standard within our code of ordinance that we're deviating from?

So, Chair Wansley, Chuck Dorry.

Um, we have a couple of different time frames depending on whether it's a block event or a parade or race, and depending on the location within the city of Minneapolis.

So the big truck parade has a time frame that typically won't allow a parade in downtown Minneapolis starting before 6 p.m.

We're just asking for the time frame to be moved to 5 p.m.

to allow this since it's on Nicolette Mall.

We've made um bus route around or made congestions for the buses to get around.

And we're gonna keep all the uh cross streets open.

Okay, so and for the 612 area, it's on a Friday midday, which typically we wouldn't see a uh block event within kind of the city streets before 6 p.m.

Um anywhere else.

So great, and then I had a question on the 612 block permit event.

I noticed that on uh in the fiscal note in 2027, there's uh total expenditure of two dollars.

I just was wondering about that in terms of budget impact, and if there was a reason for that.

That must have been a type one for two dollars for 2026.

That's what I saw.

And if that was just like maybe like a technical error, that's okay.

I think that's a technical error, yes.

Okay, cool.

No worries, and then the last few questions are on big honk and truck parade.

Could you just uh share for the date on June 18th, how um transit from on Nicolette Avenue will be deviated?

And from what time to what time?

So, buses will be buses will be moved off of Nicolet relatively soon or relatively before rush hour starts, so to give a little bit of time to get people used to getting to the other stops so they don't have to move something mid-rush hour.

Um, I believe for the big truck parade, they are going to use Marquette and second as the detours.

Sometimes that switches to Hennepin, but they kind of um kind of go back and forth when we do Nicholet Mall as far as what detours they're gonna use, uh depending on what else might be taking shape in the city.

Okay, and do we have a plan to kind of highlight that to transit riders once that occurs?

I'm sure we're partnering with Metro Transit on that.

Metro Transit actually takes that on and signs all the bus stops to where they're gonna be detoured at.

Excellent.

Um, and then the last question that I had on the big hunk and truck parade is, especially since this is a new event from last year and I anticipate we're gonna do this moving forward as a city.

Is this a city-owned parade event, or is it who is like the owner of this?

It is being put on uh Lisa Goodman is the organizer or has put it in.

So it's through our city of Minneapolis.

Do we have any budget impact that we're taking on to produce this event, or are we getting support from sponsors?

There's a lot of support from the sponsors, there's a little financial from us as well, uh, supplying some of the barricades out there.

Okay, thank you so much.

That's really clarifying.

I'm just gonna ask for administrative follow-up if that's all right, um, to just get a financial picture on um the big hunk and truck parade, who we get sponsorships from, how much, and then how much we're contributing year to year, just with something curious, especially since this is a new event um coming out of a new role.

Um, and I think that's all of my questions.

Thanks for taking some time to answer them.

Councilmember Chowderry, would you like for staff to have that memo completed ahead of our full council meeting to have that information?

Just so we can have that noted as well.

Yeah, that would be great if possible.

Great.

Um, and if our clerk staff needs to follow up with those questions, we can do that offline.

Um, but with that, I will move approval of both items 15 and 16.

Um, all those in favor say aye.

Aye, all right.

Uh those opposed, the ayes haven't that motion carries.

Uh, next, we'll take up the public hearing reflected in item number one on the agenda, um, just as some background information related to our public hearings.

Anyone who signed up for uh both item one and two related to 38th Street in Chicago will be given two minutes each to testify.

Please make sure to keep your comments related to the item that we're discussing today.

Also, I'll add that we will have staff present who can meet in the room or preferably outside in the hallway for those who do have follow-up questions about their relative assessments.

Also, for everyone in attendance, and especially those who may participate in our hearings or comment period, let me offer this notice.

These hearings are being broadcast and recorded.

Both the recording and broadcast are classified as public data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

By attending and participating in these proceedings, your image and any testimony or information that you provide will also be subject to disclosure under the law that includes but is not limited to your attendance, your name, and other personal details you provide, as well as any testimony or comments you provide, which includes any written submissions you make, which are also included in the record of this meeting.

Our first public hearing is for the Loring Park Resurfacing Project.

This public hearing was opened at our previous meeting on May 14th.

It was continued to this meeting today to ensure that people had ample uh time to attend and testify.

Um, I have been alerted that we don't have anyone officially uh signed up to testify on behalf of this item, but I will make one last announcement for anyone in overflow or here in the chambers.

If you would like to sign up for this item and testify, please come forward.

All right then.

Uh so seeing no one uh signed up to testify for this item.

Um, and I forgot I was supposed to officially open the public hearing.

All right.

Well, let me close the public hearing since no one is here to testify.

Um, I'm gonna see colleagues.

Is there any discussion from you all um relating to this particular project?

All right, looking no one is in queue for discussion.

Um that said, I will move approval of this item.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, all right.

The ayes have it.

That motion carries.

With that, our second public hearing is for the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue Reconstruction Project.

I'll now invite up Adam Hayo, um, the P principal Professional Engineer with Public Works to get us started with a presentation.

Thank you for being here.

Uh good afternoon, Chair Wongsley and committee members.

My name is Adam Hayo.

I'm a principal professional engineer with the Transportation Engineering and Design Division of Public Works.

Today I'm here presenting for the public hearing for the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, George Floyd Square Street Reconstruction Project, City Project number 1003.

Uh the reconstruction of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has evolved through a long community-driven process.

The project was first identified in the city's capital improvement program in 2018 and has been shaped over the past eight years through extensive community engagement, planning efforts, technical analysis, and city council director directives that have now set the stage for implementation.

In December 2025, the city council approved the flexible open concept layout.

The most recent council action in April designated the project location and improvements, adopted the report receiving the project cost estimate, and authorized the city engineer to prepare special assessments and set the assessment public hearing for June 4th.

This project involves a reconstruction of 38th Street from Park Avenue to 10th Avenue and the reconstruction of Chicago Avenue from 37th Street to 39th Street.

These streets were last reconstructed more than 60 years ago.

The above and below ground infrastructure has reached the end of its useful life and needs full replacement.

This project will be built in two construction phases.

Phase one construction will begin this month and includes 38th Street east of Chicago Avenue and Chicago Avenue south of the D line BRT stations as shown in blue on the map to the left.

Phase two construction will occur the following year in 2027 and includes 38th and Chicago Avenue intersection, 38th Street, west of Chicago Avenue, and the rest of Chicago Avenue, including the D Line BRT station as shown in green on the same map.

Construction this year will close the South Lake of Chicago Avenue and the East Lake of 38th Street to vehicle traffic as shown on the map to the right.

Access to George Floyd Square, businesses and homes will be maintained throughout construction.

The total cost of the reconstruction project is $15.1 million.

The project is funded through multiple sources, including city funds, state aid funds, and special assessments to adjacent property owners.

City ordinance and state law enable assessments to pay for capital improvement projects.

It is city policy to assess adjacent property properties on all street reconstruction projects.

Adjacent property owners pay only a portion of the project cost, and the assessments are based on an annual uniform assessment rate.

Assessments do not change based on the cost of the overall project.

Special assessments will cover approximately 4% of the total project cost.

The 26th 2026 street reconstruction uniform assessment rates are $3.20 cents for non-residential properties, $1.12 cents for residential properties.

Property owners pay, sorry, property owners may pay for their assessment in a single payment before 2028 or over a 20-year period beginning in 2028 if the assessment amount is over 150 dollars.

To help illustrate the payment options, this example uses an assessment amount of $5,600.

If paid over 20 years, the annual principal amount would be 280 dollars.

The principal amount plus simple interests results in an estimated first year payment of $545.

Annual payments decrease over time as the balance is paid down.

Property owners may pay the full assessment before it is levied, avoiding any interest.

Property owners may also pay off the remaining balance at any time during that period.

A deferment option is available for seniors age 65 and older, individuals with a permanent and total disability, and military personnel ordered into active service.

To qualify, the property must be homesteaded, and the assessment must be $750 or greater.

A deferment postpones the payment of the assessment but does not reduce or eliminate the amount owed.

For public hearing notices, our standard process is to mail notices to property owners four weeks before the public hearing.

For this project, assessment notices were mailed five weeks in advance of the public hearing.

In addition, prior to mailing the notices, public work staff conducted direct assessment outreach to property owners as part of our pre-construction outreach efforts.

Public work staff also hosted a virtual pre-assessment informational meeting on May 18th to provide an overview of the project and explain the assessment methodology and process.

Additional information about the special assessments is available on the city's special assessment webpage.

Property owners may also contact the special assessment office at PW Special Assessments at Minneapolis Mn.gov.

Today, Public Works is requesting City Council to pass resolutions adopting the special assessments and authorizing sale of assessment bonds.

Separately, Public Works is also requesting city council to authorize the abandonment and removal of areaways in conflict with the project.

That concludes my presentation, and I'll stand by for any questions.

Thank you so much for that presentation.

Uh Engineer Heyo.

We do have a number of folks signed up to testify before I open the public hearing.

Again, I see some spots have opened up in the chamber, so want to make sure that security is made aware that we should be allowing some folks to come into the chambers from the overflow so that they can also participate.

With that, I will now open up this public hearing.

And the first person signed up to testify is Julia Johnson.

Please feel free to come forward.

Good afternoon, City Council.

I have to push a button.

No, I'm good.

Okay.

Good afternoon, City Council members.

My name is Julia Johnson from Ward 8.

This morning I went outside to see no parking signs in front of my house.

The presentation that was given was also told to us uh a couple weeks ago at the community civic, the community visioning council for GFS, and that's not what the city told us, right?

Like they uh have sprung this on us.

They have given um gone back on their word of saying that this was going to be a community-involved process, that we were gonna have feedback, um, but instead we're being blindsided.

We are quickly trying to catch up to what the city has mandated to happen.

And uh this tax assessment of six hundred and thirty-six thousand dollars is going to harm our neighborhood and harm the local businesses.

It's probably gonna make my rent go up.

Um, it's gonna cause people to get displaced, to be disconnected from the beautiful community that has been built.

And um, all of this is not happening uh at this time uh by coincidence.

The city had plans for 38th in Chicago after decades of divestment to then suddenly come in and invest in the area in the ways that they saw fit, not the community needs, but what investors wanted to invest in for that area, so that then we could bring in um more, uh, raise the the cost of living in the area and be able to continue to displace the people who live here who are born here who want to thrive here but continue to get disinvested from.

So instead, they're being asked to pay more after not receiving any uh investment for decades.

And so I'm here to say uh no to the special tax assessment.

Instead, we need to have a special tax freeze.

How about that?

Um, because right now it's it's just causing harm to our community.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And again, uh everyone who testifies, you can also provide written comment.

Um, so that is attached to uh this for a public record.

Um, our next uh speaker or testifier is Michaela Zagler.

I am my apologies if I say your name incorrectly.

Please feel free to say the correct uh pronunciation.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, so my name is Michaela Ziegler, and I'm a resident of the central neighborhood and a board member of CANDU, and I'm uh here to talk about the special assessment that will befall the residents and businesses of 38th in Chicago and implore you guys to be creative.

Um, the city is prepared, as we just learned, to assess the community there of over $600,000 because of the imminent construction.

And we're all aware that that is a relatively normal part of city construction, but it's important to accentuate that no part of this process has been normal, and a normal last half of a decade would have been a welcome respite for many of the people who are going to be hit hardest by this assessment.

This is not a normal capital improvement project, and the redesign and reconstruction of this area is a direct result of a city of Minneapolis employee murdering George Floyd there.

City investment is really needed in this community, but the circumstances that led to this roadway reconstruction project make the special assessment particularly egregious throughout the public engagement and design process.

The city talks specifically about racial healing and reflecting community needs, but neither of those things will be possible if this assessment is levied as normal.

What is supposed to be a new dawn for the square will instead leave businesses and residents indebted by as much as $60,000 each.

And the payment plan simply protract the debt that these people owe to the city government that caused this harm in the first place.

We want to make sure that people can stay here.

It's an important part of a healthy community, a safe community to have locally connected businesses.

But these things are not going to be able to come to fruition if such a huge assessment is levied on this already beleaguered group of businesses and residents.

At a community listening session, we were told that there is no legal framework for relieving assessments.

But I know that many of these council members did not run for city council to do things as normal.

Thank you so much.

And again, please make sure you submit your written comments that you couldn't uh fully share with us today with our clerk staff, and they can also have that be recorded.

Next is Lane Brown, and on the docket is my leisha Smith after them.

Good afternoon.

My name is Lane Brown.

Um humans who live here and want to stay here in our neighborhood.

We're here to submit a formal group objection to this special assessment.

Because we've already paid several times over.

Our neighborhoods have experienced extraordinary circumstances and an incredibly short amount of time.

And these circumstances have been amplified again and again by state violence that this body has a direct responsibility of holding accountable.

And we need your help to do so, but not off of our backs again.

This special assessment leaves us all vulnerable to displacement.

And we're requesting an immediate abatement, a dismissal and forgiveness of any assessments levied against this intersection today.

You have in your power to let us stay here to help us build a community that we've been waiting for, and that we deserve.

So I look forward to your partnership.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, we have my Lisa Smith, and up next is Petrice.

Patrice.

Patrick, thank you.

Ooh, uh Patrick is up next afterwards.

Thank you.

Good day, council.

Um, I would like to first voice that um to consider that George Floyd Square is an abandoned space, is ridiculous and very inconsiderate over all the caretakers and neighbors who who take care of this space when something is not when something goes wrong with the space.

The residents and the caretakers take care of it.

When there's somebody in need, the caretakers in this and those connected to the space take care of it.

Can do has been doing a lot of work in regards to supporting the not even the neighbors but the memorial and everything around it.

Um, so to once again to this to consider this space an abandoned space or abandoned things when they are being tended to and looked upon to make sure that everything is remaining in a smoothly manner as we can with what it is that we have with the low resources that we are given.

Um, in regards to that, when it comes to the assessment, I would like to say that that is a how dare y'all ask for such things when there's not no investments, there's not no acknowledgement, there's not no risk, there's not no support, no resources, just the disregardance of not just that intersection, but the whole corridor, because when these, when this intersection is in need, the corridor helps to rent to make sure that people stay in their homes.

It's the corridor that makes sure that people keep their businesses and get what it is that they need.

They tend to the homeless, they tend to the hungry, and they tend to just the people that are in need.

So this to disregard this space for what it is is shameful.

Shame.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And next, I have Patrick.

Uh, my apologies, I can't pronounce the last name, and then after Patrick, there's Geraldine Michael.

Hello.

Hi.

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Patrick Roadie.

Roadie.

Uh I'm resident.

I'm a only resident on 38.

My house was right in the middle of it.

I did nothing to deserve what I'm living through.

I've been there for over 30 years.

I'm taking over what my dad built.

I got 11 kids that I watch over at a time sometimes.

Can't afford 600,000.

I can't afford none of that.

Um that's why I'm up here.

Uh if you put that tax on me, that's gonna put more taxes into to the taxes than I'm even paying on my mortgage.

So, yeah, it's it's very emotional.

Um, it's not the same space, but I would like it to stay the same.

I don't want it to change.

I don't need no construction over there as a as a resident and been over there for longer than a lot of these businesses.

I done seen all these businesses come and go.

So for me, I would like to be able to stay without having to pay extra money.

And I'm a working man.

Uh I try my best, and I still can't uh do what my dad did.

It's got harder, and he got four kids, and I got two.

So I don't know where y'all going with this, but don't text me or the residence or 38 for something we didn't do.

So, thank you for coming to testify.

Next, we have Geraldine Michael, and then afterwards, Bridget Stewart.

Good afternoon.

My name is Geraldine Michael, and I am considered a single parent, but um a senior now.

Um I have lived in my home since 1993.

And when I moved in, I had to do a lot of remodeling.

And I cannot understand.

I like improvement.

I like nice things.

But when it comes down to us senior, we only get a certain amount of money a month.

And I like to know they have said that they want the seniors to live in their home.

And with the cost of living, you can go to the grocery store.

I don't have to tell you about how expensive it is.

How expensive the light, the gas, clothes and everything else, and insurance on you, and showing it on your home.

Only thing that they have said that they was gonna make sure that the seniors are allowed to live in a home.

I had surgery back in May.

I had a knee replacement, and I need another one, but I'm not gonna do it.

And that costs a lot of money.

And then you have to get people to help you.

That costs money.

So I like to know what's gonna happen with us, senior.

It seemed like that we just been pushed in the corner and forgotten.

And that's all I got to say.

So anyway, thank you very much for listening after me.

Thank you.

Next, we have Bridget Stewart, and afterwards is Ellen.

And my apologies, I'm not even going to try to butcher this last name.

But yes, Ellen is up next.

Good afternoon, Council.

I'm here on behalf of the whole community.

I knew Patrick from when I was his youth, his sister's youth cheerleading coach.

I watched them grow up.

I got a phone call earlier this week from Candu and asked if we could give our 15-passenger van to bring the seniors here so they can express what this assessment means to them.

But I'm also here as a business owner to express what this assessment means to us.

Please understand we have been hit hard.

You all know you.

You all have gone through this with us.

Some of you from day one, some of you are brand new.

We are exhausted.

We're emotionally exhausted, we're mentally exhausted, we're physically exhausted, and now you're asking us to continue to be financially exhausted.

We cannot continue to be displaced.

When you talk about hearing community and having community write letters, your community is right here talking to you.

We have been talking to you from the day I stood in front of you and said we're living inside the wire in New Jack City.

It has not changed.

What are you doing to make the change?

Please, please, please, stop playing with us, stop holding us hostage.

We deserve more.

The infrastructure, I sat on that CCT team with a neighbor down the street.

We gave our recommendations.

What happened to them?

Go back.

If it calls for a delay of 60 days, do it.

You owe it to us.

Do not rush this because now it's on the table.

We have waited for six years.

60 days a delay of actually going through and getting it right.

Study it.

Thank you, Bridget.

Next, we have Ellen, and afterwards, we have uh speaker number nine, Michael Olson.

Hi, please feel free to come forward.

My name is Ellen Huffschmidt.

And I've been a member of the uh community vision council.

And I have observed, worked with, sat with, brilliant, smart, dedicated people to their neighborhood.

This is a wonderful group.

They care for each other.

They care for their area.

George Ford Square is so cared for.

It is a wonderful group of people.

And I just want you to know that, to know what they're asking for is reasonable, not only reasonable, I insist that you listen to them.

No one has for years.

Please take these people's needs into consideration.

They are my neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ellen.

Next, we have Michael Olson, and after Michael, we have Erica Erica Thorne.

Hi, thank you.

I am uh resident of the 3800 block of Chicago Avenue.

I've submitted written comments as well, so I'm just gonna keep this relatively brief, but uh I don't believe that the construction project is uh as was stated earlier just a matter of deteriorating infrastructure that somehow magically happens to be within the bounds of the square and no further on 38th Street or Chicago Avenue within the bounds of the square.

Um I don't know how that street would have magically just deteriorated exactly in that boundary and not outside it, which leads me to believe that the cause of the reconstruction is, of course, in fact uh the presence of the memorials and whatnot in George Floyd Square, in which case um that would mean that it is the direct result of the actions of uh City of Minneapolis employee that this project is going through.

And I would say that if there is nothing in place that uh can be done to alleviate or change the fact that there needs to be special assessments done, which I'm not um debating the process that was done to arrive at those amounts or anything like that's been laid out very clearly, but uh if the reason for the project is in fact the actions of the Minneapolis Police Department, I would ask that the special assessments instead be deducted from the budget of Minneapolis Police Department and not the residents of the square.

They have plenty of money, they've blown through way more overtime than was budgeted.

$600,000 is a drop in the bucket for them and uh the world to us.

So that's my request.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Erica Thorne, and after Erica, we have Linda.

Thank you.

Uh hi, thank you.

Um, I mean I'm Erica Thorne.

I live at 3241 Columbus Avenue, um, owner of that duplex uh since 1998.

Um I want to acknowledge that Adam uh has been very responsive in meetings that I've been in when we say, well, you know, we would just can't do that.

And Adam goes back to his engineer folks and they present a different plan.

So, or they present something that has some of what we asked for.

So I appreciate that.

Um I want to name two of the big problems uh in in uh the many meetings I've been in with the city.

One is I know you know this, but one is that Agape was chosen in the highly publicized process he did to take care of the people's way when uh the vast majority of people who voted voted for Ryzen Remember.

That that is hard for us to take.

I mean, it feels like a betrayal to me, certainly.

Um, and then uh the uh another example is that finally in meetings they said they wouldn't uh they were not going to move the central fist or the garden, the glorious garden around it.

Um and so I was like, yay, okay.

And then the next day I hear that Jordan was told that if uh it's damaged in the course of the construction they're gonna do now, then he is liable for any damage to the thing when he had already been to the fist uh when he had already been told that the city would have insurance about that.

So this kind of stuff is very hard for us, and we and we're all here with our hearts, and we're all here because of what has occurred not only uh at uh at George Floyd Square, but of the our neighborhood for 60 years at least.

Thank you.

Next we have Linda.

Sorry if this is Schrootsel.

Again, please correct the record when you come up here, and then after you uh there's Vance Gellert Gellert.

Thank you.

I'm Linda Schatzel.

I've lived on 39th and 10th for 50 years.

I'm very protective of my neighborhood, and I'm really quite angry about your special tax assessment.

I have a question.

Was a special tax assessment mentioned at all during any of the community meetings?

I did not go to the last one.

Sorry during a public hearing, this is just for residents to share their testimony.

We don't do QA, but you can't get that for the public.

So if it was not shared with the residents, why was it kept a secret?

That's kind of got shades of Trump ballroom.

We'll give you something good, but now y'all have to pay for it.

Furthermore, I don't think there should be any special tax assessments for that neighborhood.

It's been through enough.

It was caused by the increasingly poor behavior of the third precinct cops, and I know this because I've been there 50 years.

We should not have to pay for it.

Nobody on that corridor should have to pay for it.

It's the responsibility of the city who did not take care of that neighborhood ever.

So now you're gonna charge us for somebody else's bad behavior?

I don't think so.

Thank you, Linda.

Next we have Vance Gellert, and then afterwards uh PJ Hill.

Yes, uh good afternoon.

Uh my name is, excuse me.

Vance Gullard, I live at 38th and Elliott.

I've been there for 11 years, and uh watched how things have evolved in that area.

I paid attention to what how the uh planning was going, but when the planning was uh laid out, it never said that the changes in the street were going to go down 38th to pass my house, and then as a result, I am going to lose all the parking on the 38th side and all the parking in front of my house.

Now, my house is a homesteaded duplex.

It's two units.

I just developed out the basement, although I'm not going to rent it, it's to value the property, and I feel that this uh work is going to devalue my property.

It says on the assessment that it's going to benefit my property, but it's not going to that.

Plus the location is just not ideal.

It's been devaluing in the assessments over the years in terms of what the value of the property is.

The other thing that I wasn't realizing that was happening is that in the development of the George Floyd, whatever it is, memorial, what have you, although no memorial really is going set up for the exact spot, but just to allow the artwork to continue, that the five fists will remain.

One has been outside my window for the last five and a half years.

Now, here the idea of solidarity, but Trump uses it.

Charlie Kirk followers use it as not a specific black power thing.

In every society, a fist is a threat.

And I say that it leads to the negativity of that area, and it just amplifies it and feel that the progress of this thing has uh really affected me.

And I have uh submitted a letter.

I will appeal this.

I feel it's a tax.

Thank you so much.

And again, please feel free to submit any written comment.

Uh next, we have PJ Hill, and after PJ, we have Bill Graves.

Hello, I have just um some prepare remarks so I don't go over my time.

My name is PJ Hill, and I stand before you as not only a community member, a choke goer on 38th Chicago for my whole life, but also uh a property owner and and a business owner.

Let me start with this.

I support the investment in 38th in Chicago and revitalizing our community, we building the streets, improving public safety, and honoring Brother George Floyd formally with you know how we do things.

But what I strongly oppose is a special assessment placed on us as property owners and the people who have been there and stayed there.

For the last six years, property owners like myself, small business owners in this corridor, have c carried an extraordinary burden.

We have lived through uncertainty, reduced foot traffic, we have lived through public safety challenges, rising causes, vacancy, and just significant declining economic activity.

Property owners or residents and community members.

We did not create these challenges, but we have lived through the consequences every single day.

But yet and still we've stayed, we've paid our taxes, we've maintained our buildings, we've supported minority-owned businesses.

We provided affordable housing, we kept our businesses open despite tremendous challenges.

And we believe that this community deserves more than this to have the financial burden placed on us.

The city has for years, has had years resolve uh these key issues, including reveal uh like the main issue is redevelopment the of the vacant gas station.

It has been in limbo and has caused tremendous economic pressure on all of us.

So today I'm here to say that the community that has stayed and fought and lived through these hard times shouldn't be also put the financial burden on to be able to keep this place alive.

And if I'm being real, the man who's gonna speak after me, I'm gonna have to give the building back to him because I can't afford to keep it.

Thank you, PJ.

Please again feel free to submit any redant comments.

Next, we have Bill Graves, and after I believe this says Lawrence Lawrence.

Who was up next?

Thank you, Councilmembers.

My name is Bill Graves.

I'm a word one resident, but as PJ mentioned, uh financing partner to him in owning the largest commercial property in George Floyd Square.

I would not be here in front of you today if not for the city uh city staff person murdering someone in that square.

I was approached through um the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association uh three and a half years ago by uh to purchase this property uh on behalf of the property owner who was doing very well up until the point when George Floyd was murdered.

Um all of his tenants except one had left uh and he was no longer able to sustain the building.

So my commitment was to purchase the building, if only to return it to community ownership.

Uh, and that is my intent as um and why I'm here with you today.

Um, with this assessment along with the um burden of the I think excessive tax uh that is being placed on the building.

Uh PJ Hill is not able to purchase the building back from us.

So I ask the city to be a partner to us in revitalizing this neighborhood by taking away this special assessment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bill.

Uh next we have Lawrence.

And after Lawrence, Katie Dillon.

Hi, uh Lawrence Williamson.

Uh I live on 3800 Block of Chicago.

Um, kind of feels like a slap in the face to have this um hit to the cost of living to the livability.

Um there's a lot of people in the neighborhood who are very angry about it, who can't necessarily make it to a meeting at 1 30.

Um, so I hope you understand those people are out there.

Um obviously there's a lot of disagreement about the future of the space and how it's going to be developed, but um the city of Minneapolis has taken enough from the neighborhood as it is, and we don't really need more costs uh put on top of us.

Um, I just I think there shouldn't, there shouldn't be costs leveled on working class people in our neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lawrence.

Uh, next we have Katie Dillon, and after Katie, I have Michaela Wolfs, Roofs, Wolfs, sorry.

Wolves, I think.

Wolves.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Katie Dillon.

I am a resident of the Bryant neighborhood.

I live on the 3800 block of Chicago.

I've lived there for 15 years.

I want to focus my comments today on the special assessment, the proposed special assessment.

Um, it feels like to this point it's kind of been billed as business as usual, but I really hope that we can all agree that the situation is anything but usual usual.

We're here, of course, because George Floyd was killed by a city employee.

Uh, after that, a lot has happened to the neighborhood.

I'll just mention a few things.

The block went uh the entire next snowy winter, 2020 to 2021, without any city snow removal services.

It was literally neighbors out there with shovels and tarps.

Um, after the city reopened the streets to regular traffic, in addition to then mourners and visitors paying the respect.

We had quite a bit of influx of traffic, as you can imagine.

We've asked multiple times for traffic homing measures from the city, and we've gotten none.

This assessment certainly placed a places a high cost burden on the neighbors, and it is in addition a direct in direct conflict with the justice revolution resolution that was developed by neighbors.

It's also been framed kind of as a benefit to property owners, but it feels like the benefit is kind of to the city to kind of gloss over what has happened, and God forbid, um try to forget what has happened.

So certainly I encourage you all to consider a different approach, a different approach than assessing the property owners.

Get creative, right?

I heard some creative solutions thrown out today, so I encourage you to get creative.

Um while I'm up here, shout out and hi to all my neighbors.

That is always heartening to see all of you here.

Thank you.

Next we have Michaela Wolfs and then Kay Bollinger.

Hi, um Michela Rolfis from CANDU.

Um this past week, we um door knocked in our neighborhood and connected with 28 stakeholder organizations or properties on 38th in Chicago.

Of those individuals surveyed, only three were aware of the special assessment.

Um, and more than half were not aware that construction would be beginning in less than a week or just over a week, sorry.

Um the community at this intersection has been subjected to a long and well-documented history of institutional racism through redlining, divestment, and over-policing.

In recent years, it has become the global face of state sanctioned killings and the epicenter of an international movement.

Um, but currently we're facing the very real and rapidly accelerating um threat of gentrification, um, and further black displacement in our neighborhood.

An assessment at this time would be devastating to an already struggling economic ecosystem.

Um, this year alone, CANDU has provided emergency funding to four of the businesses located within GFS.

Um, we have coordinated over 100,000 in food support to neighbors, and the residents of just central alone have fundraised and distributed more than 700,000 in rent relief.

So we've already paid.

Um, and now we're being asked to fund their own gentrification and displacement.

Um, how many times will this community be forced to pay for the harms of the city?

And how many times are we gonna have to come down here and say no?

Um we heard the council's desire to repair trust with our community, and here is a great opportunity to start.

Um this is an unprecedented situation which requires unprecedented solutions, and I've seen how creative this council can be, and I believe you will um do it again.

So thank you.

Thank you, Michaela.

Next we have, sorry, I believe it's Key Key Bollinger.

And afterwards, uh LaCelle Cunningham is next.

Good afternoon.

Excuse me.

Um my name is Ken Bollinger.

I live in the Bancroft neighborhood.

I've been there for 38 years, and um, I gotta tell you, right out of the gate, uh, you know, I've been to a lot of these meetings over the course of the last six years, and not once did I hear the term assessment mentioned.

Uh, had that been mentioned, I think we would be talking about a totally different look for this intersection.

Uh, most of us that live in the neighborhood, all we wanted was our intersection back open.

Today, just to get here, I had to walk an additional eight blocks to catch a bus stop that I ordinarily would walk a block and a half to.

Uh, and it's been that way for six years.

Um probably too young to know this, but before 2020, the city of Minneapolis had been working on that intersection through a project, I believe it was called Thrive 38 or something like that.

Uh, they were trying to come up with ways to inspire people to come and do business in that intersection.

The way that it's designed now, we've already had some businesses leave that intersection, and with the design going forward, I can't imagine anybody taking their business plan to a bank wanting a loan and having the bank look at it and say, well, um, where are your customers gonna park?

And saying, you know, that's a great idea, let's do it.

Uh I think it's uh totally unreasonable, and I would also like to mention that uh I lived in my house for 38 years in the neighborhood.

I would imagine that probably 50% of the people on my block are retired now on fixed incomes, and uh, you know, to ask this much money from them going forward thank you, Ken again.

Going forward, I think is uh a tragedy.

Thank you, Ken.

You can submit any other comments through our written process.

Next, we have LaCelle Cunningham.

And after Lachelle, Janelle Austin.

Good afternoon, Chair, members of the committee, and the city staff.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Chef Lachelle Cunningham, and I'm the owner of City Food Studio at 38th in Chicago and founder of Healthy Roots Institute.

I'm here today, not only as a property owner, but as someone who has invested my time, money, and energy into helping this corridor survive and grow.

When people look at 38th in Chicago, they often see a place defined by a tragedy at the hands of their our very own city officer.

What I see every day is a place defined by people who pour into it every day.

Inside my building, immigrant entrepreneurs build businesses, black-owned businesses launch products and events, artists create community organizations gather, small business owners receive training, technical assistance and support.

Food makers, vendors, and entrepreneurs take their next steps towards ownership and economic stability.

Yes, our community needs revitalization, but don't forget that this community is the heartbeat of that revitalization.

For years, this community has experienced extraction, people have extracted wealth, attention, stories, research, political capital, and opportunity from this place.

Meanwhile, the residents, business owners, artists, and community institutions who stayed have carried the responsibility of keeping this corridor alive.

The 38th Street Thrive Vision speaks about investing in small businesses, entrepreneurship and cultural expression, and economic resilience.

That is exactly what is already happening here.

Yet after years of disruption, uncertainty, lost revenue, and extraordinary challenges, the residents and businesses that stayed are now being asked to shoulder another financial burden.

That feels less like investment and more like another form of extraction.

If this corridor is truly a priority, then the people already doing the work should not be paying that price.

We should be investing in this community.

And so for six years, we've been told that this corridor matters.

Today is an opportunity to show us that these words mean something.

I urge you to dismiss this assessment and find another path forward.

Thank you.

Our last speaker is Janelle Austin.

My apologies for being late.

On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was lynched by the Minneapolis police department.

The city killed a man.

And one of the responses was myself and a couple other of black women from our community running up and down the street asking people, what do you need?

What do you want?

What does justice look like?

And demand 14 that came from our neighbors was to have a moratorium on property taxes.

And we were told that that could not happen because it would mess up all the economic finances and stuff.

But alas, here is an opportunity for the city to make good on something and not to assess these taxes onto neighbors who stood with us and stand with us in defense of black lives.

Because the city killed a man.

And whether our neighbors were black, brown, blue, green, or orange, they stood for what was right.

Because we knew that it was important for us to have a community, to have a neighborhood, to have a society, to have a city that didn't throw away black lives.

And if in response to that, the city would just come around and say, you know what, you need prettier streets because the ones you post-tested on are not suitable, and we are going to tax you for it.

That is not okay.

My neighbors have said over and over again that yes, they do want the development.

But the city needs to be transparent at what cost.

And the city needs to be transparent and working with the community as to when, because what has happened up until this point has not been right and has not been good community engagement, has not been just.

Thank you.

Thank you, Janelle.

We have made it through our list of testifiers who've signed up.

I will make a pitch for anyone who is interested in still participating in the public hearing while it's open to please find a clerk, come into the chambers to sign up.

Going once, going twice.

Okay.

I will close the public hearing.

Colleagues, we can proceed to our discussion portion.

I see vice chair Stevenson in Q.

Thank you.

Uh I want to thank everyone who came out today to speak to this.

Um, your voices so often have not been heard in this process.

Um, and so it's very powerful for you to come and speak here with everyone, everyone in attendance.

Everyone is here to hear you, so thank you for doing that.

Um, also want to thank Public Works for being here to answer questions and to work with folks outside in the hall.

Um, I do have a question for Public Works really quick.

There was something in the presentation that um caught my eye that I wasn't aware of.

Is somebody here to answer questions about that?

Um, yeah.

Well, my question is.

Wait first.

Can we have a question?

Yeah.

So my question is about the areaway abandonment.

What does that mean?

Chair, members of the committee, my name is Don Elwood.

I'm the director of transportation, engineering, and design.

Thank you for your question.

So an areaway abandonment, an area way is a part of a building that extends out, typically under the sidewalk.

We see these a lot in downtown.

Sometimes they are um for utility purposes, other times it's an extension of the basement that extends into city right-of-way.

The action that we're requesting is authorization to abandon the right the area way if it's in conflict with the project.

So basically that means if a building has a basement that extends onto the sidewalk, you would be like cutting into that building.

That's what this is, Chair uh councilmember members of the committee.

If it is in conflict with the project, yes.

If it's not in conflict, usually I just make it sure that it's structurally sound and it's allowed to stay.

Okay.

I think when a lot of people saw this, this is a technical term, clearly.

When a lot of people saw this, I think they thought about like are the artworks on top of the street gonna be taken away.

So you're saying that this is about things below ground, not about art, memorials, that sort of stuff.

Uh chair, members of the committee, you are correct.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

That that was important.

Um, I want to frame up uh why we're here.

We're here because uh George Floyd was murdered by the city of Minneapolis, a city of Minneapolis police officer killed him uh in 2020 in this square, and the community wasn't having it, and we're still not having it.

Um, we are not here at some regular special, sorry, some regular street reconstruction where it's just time for Chicago to be redone or time for 38 to be redone, though it is time for those things.

Um that this is not a regular place.

We are here because of the actions of the city of Minneapolis.

I personally never thought that a street reconstruction was the right response.

I wasn't around to make that decision at the time, but after a man was murdered by the city, I just don't think that the right response is to rebuild the street.

I think the right response is police accountability and investment in the community.

But we are here now.

We are here where there is a street reconstruction, and we're we're faced with construction starting on Monday.

So what are we gonna do now that we're here?

But any planning surrounding this historically significant place actually needs to be handled in a very different way than it's being handled presently.

The present course of action proposed by the city of Minneapolis will harm, will result in harm, amplification of a already deeply trauma inflicted on the community.

This is not like any other street reconstruction.

This project has been billed to the community as a gift.

The word was never used, but it was insinuated many, many times that this was reparations for what was done.

And so this is what the community has been expecting.

They expected that this is what the city of Minneapolis thinks is the right response, the right healing to move forward with after the city murdered George Floyd.

Again, I I did not personally think that was the right move, but this is how the city has presented itself.

And so the expectation from community members was that okay, this is the gift, it'll be a gift.

So when a special assessment was folks were notified of a special assessment, they thought, what do you, we're paying for the gift that you were giving us?

What is that?

That's insane.

Um I totally understand.

I myself have been involved in these conversations for years.

I'm sitting on this dais, and I was surprised to hear about the special assessment.

Perhaps that was ignorant of me, but I was, and so I'm I am not uh I'm not surprised at all, and it is of no one's fault that you were surprised to hear about the special assessment either.

Um the construction itself is gonna be hard enough on residents and on businesses, no matter what is reconstructed in its place, having the murder of George Floyd, the uprising, the years that followed was hard enough already on the businesses and residents and community members.

So this special assessment is just salt in the wound.

It's kicking someone while they're down.

Um it's it's not right.

Another email I got was our neighborhoods have been subjected to a long and well-documented history of institutional racism through redlining, divestment, and over policing.

In recent years, we've become a global face of state-sanctioned killings and the epicenter of an international movement which has traumatized and destabilized our community.

Currently, we're facing a very real and rapidly accelerating threat of gentrification and further black displacement.

An assessment at this time would be devastating to an already struggling economic ecosystem.

Um I am gonna make a motion, but I do want to call out that while I don't think that the street reconstruction was the right uh choice.

That was a choice made by leadership.

That was not a choice made by public works staff on the ground.

Uh, the engineers, the planners, they are not the ones who decided that this is the path forward we were gonna take.

And I I have a lot of respect and feel very thankful to the folks who came to community meetings and who really took the brunt of a lot of community frustration and anger uh when that community and frustration and anger was not at public work staff, that frustration was at the police department, it was at city leadership, it was at the racism in our city, it was at so many other things, and we had planners and engineers be the one to receive that.

I think that was wrong.

I think that was a disservice to the folks who work in public uh in public works, and it was a disservice to our community as well.

Um, so I will be moving this forward without recommendation.

Uh I am considering voting no at full council, however, I want to work with staff to come up with an alternative because this special assessment isn't right.

I'm optimistic that we can work together with public works to get this figured out.

Um, I I do expect us to have uh, in my opinion, I expect us to have a solution by next week, and if not by next week, a plan.

Um, but at this time it is not exactly figured out, and I'll be um doing the work with staff and with other members on this dias to get to that point.

Um so, anyways, moving forward without recommendation.

Second.

Vice Sheriff Stevenson has moved this item forward uh with the forward without recommendation, it's been seconded.

That's the motion before us.

Um we will continue on with the queue before taking up that motion.

We have Councilmember Chowder read next.

Thank you so much, Chair Wandsley, and thank you so much to the community members of 38th in Chicago and the neighboring areas for coming into our chambers.

It is good to see you.

Genuinely, it's good to see you.

I hope we see each other in under happier circumstances.

That's a goal.

I believe that we we can, and I I just want to start off by saying I fully support this.

Uh, moving this without recommendation, we gotta find a different path forward.

That was clear just immediately from the first testifier and the first time we were talking about a special assessment.

Um, it's absolutely not lost on me living in our city, being a Southsider, going through 2020 and living here before 2020.

Um, all of the hardship that this community has faced and the amount of resiliency that the black community in particular has had to deliver and over to in order to overcome, overcome.

And it's time that we don't create another condition in which you have to overcome, right?

We all deserve a break, and boy, do the people of Minneapolis need a break.

Um, I sit in this committee, I've sat in this committee a number of years at this point.

I think I'm in my third-ish year of sitting in this committee.

Uh, feels longer than that, and we oftentimes have special assessments come before us.

It's uh a duty of this committee, and we're limited by parameters given to us by state government on the options that we have for people, and people are frustrated about alleyway reconstruction, their sidewalks, a number of different things, but that's the way that the city of Minneapolis does.

Like it's it's a part of how we keep our public goods well tended to compared to other cities.

However, this case has what I believe to be very unique and exigent circumstances, and I won't lay those out because you have laid that out very, very well.

And council member Stevenson has laid that out, and I have appreciated the conversation conversation he's led uh with us as council members and how he is approaching this.

And I also appreciate the work that our public works team has done.

Y'all have had to do a lot, a lot of work in this area, and you're going to continue to do so.

I believe that us as a council with the community and with the department can rise to figure out a way to be creative so we can have another path.

Because I will not be able to support uh special assessment on this one.

This is unique, exigent.

There has to be a way for us to come up with another solution, and I know that from now until uh full council, we'll be in discussions about that.

So want to appreciate your testimony.

It is powerful, it is helpful, and it's a guiding light.

And if you have issues throughout construction that pop up, please.

Of course, you're gonna reach out to your council member.

That's what he's there for.

Putting you on the spot, Councilmember Stevenson, but call 311, make those reports, data is power.

Um, it's important that you get good service throughout this time and construction is tough.

Um, so let us as a city deliver what we're supposed to deliver to you through this to put provide some ease.

If things happen, let's solve them quickly.

Those are my comments.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Chowsery.

Next we have Councilmember Chuck Ty.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um question for staff.

Um I understand the the total cost of this project is uh just north of $15 million, and about 4% of that or the $636,000 is uh proposed to be paid for by this special assessment that we have before us today.

Um can staff speak to what specific components of this reconstruction project are being paid for via special assessment, Chair, uh members of the committee, council member.

I take your question as can I break down the costs are or what elements of the project are funded by special assessments?

That's exactly what's generally the question.

Generally speaking, special assessments go direct to concrete elements of a project.

They go to the concrete, the bituminous, signal systems, lighting.

They are the bricks and mortar of the project.

That's a large generalization for this project.

I have not broken down the exact revenue in expenses out, and how I choose to spend that money against those expenses.

Okay, that's helpful.

And uh I guess what I'm trying to get at here is um having just returned to the climate and infrastructure committee and and served in it my first term on the council.

Uh, I rem I remember a couple sets of um reconstruction project related items that came through over the course of uh over the course of that project.

So speaking specifically to Hennepin Avenue Reconstruction, uh that's what what was uh $35 million project, something in that range.

Um paid for through the capital budget and state and federal uh grants, and then we did special assessments and we did a public hearing for that.

Um, but that was specifically to pay for um garbage receptacles, lighting, um, tree or planters, things like that that uh the special service district was um was had had uh been uh in the driving seat alongside um public work staff and determining exactly what level of service they wanted, um, and and then that's what the special assessment specifically was for.

So I I'm just trying to understand how we ended up with special assessments.

Is it to pay for things like that, or is it uh that there was a sudden increase to the total cost of the project and that needed to be made up?

Um, and that's how we landed on special assessments instead of paying for it through the capital budget that was allocated.

Uh Chair, members of the committee, council member.

That is a great question, and thank you for asking that.

Hennepin specifically.

Hennepin Avenue had the base project assessments, the uniform assessment rate that we do across all projects in the city.

In addition, Hennepin Avenue chose to go above and beyond base level services, special lighting, irrigation, benches, and trash receptacles.

That was an additional assessment above and beyond the base level project.

Is does that get at your question?

Yeah, so this this sort of special assessment would have been a factor kind of regardless in this project's case as a part of the uniform assessment.

Am I understanding that correctly then?

Then Chair, members of the committee, you have that correct.

All roadway reconstruction projects in the city of Minneapolis, no matter where they are, have the exact same uniform assessment rate applied to them.

Gotcha.

So hennepin had that plus.

Got it.

Okay, I'm I I see exactly what you're saying now.

That's helpful to know.

Thank you very much.

That's all I have for staff.

But you know, I I think something that that has struck me over the course of the public hearing that I've uh I've I see the community that is impacted in the reconstruction project area lifting up is the need for uh additional investment, the need for investment period um by uh by the city but by by government agencies to um improve lives, improve the quality of life um that every resident is is deserving of, and then to to also make sure that this is a community that can thrive and and can have nice things too, just like every community deserves.

Um, and you know, I really want to I want to highlight and and uplift the amount of alignment that that we as your your council members, your your city elected leaders have with you in that work, and in particular, um I want to talk about uh the work led by um council member chavez and and former council member Jenkins prior to um prior to this year um over the course of the the budget process for 2026, um bringing forward a 1.2 million dollar investment in the implementation of the 38th Street Thrive Plan, one that is years old and was built uh in in partnership with community about how this corridor can be um the best version of itself, one that is uh that is thriving, that is um that is that has uh equitable economic activity um and opportunity for for entrepreneurship and um these are our resources that are that are uh needed to implement this year's old plan to breathe new life into the commercial corridor.

But um certainly there's a lot more work to be doing here, and I think um that that is made harder by uh by the impact of such a significant special assessment.

So really look forward to seeing what uh type of creative solution we are able to bring forward for council next Thursday, and um here to to work alongside colleagues and staff in getting there.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Chuck Tide.

Next we have Councilmember Vita.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley.

I just wanted to thank the community members for coming today to speak on behalf of the impact uh that this assessment will have on them.

In particular, I want to speak directly to the seniors because one of our seniors said that they want to make sure that they're seen and heard, and that this is a huge impact on their lives, and I completely understand that.

I know that it's true for seniors, for new families, for everyone.

Financial impacts are a real thing, and so um I think most of us are understanding more more than, I think all of us understand more than ever the financial impact that this community has taken over the last six years.

And so I I just want to say thank you for showing up today, all of you to speak on behalf of the impact of this.

Our staff is committed to making sure that um you all don't have to continue to go through trauma in this community, especially financial trauma.

That is one of the ways in which the city can help to relieve you, and I I know that our staff understands that and wants to make sure that that this assessment doesn't become a bigger burden to this community.

So I appreciate all of you for showing up.

I appreciate my colleagues for um making sure that we work on this together and also the staff who again they deeply understand the impact that um that this financial assessment could have on residents, on businesses, on people who have been, someone said 40 years they've lived in this community or and longer.

And um, I love the woman who said I like nice things.

We all love nice things.

We all buy a house and rent because we like nice things, and we want the city to do their part in ensuring that we have nice things.

We we look to our neighbors to make sure we have nice things, and you all coming here together uh to to show that you know we we need to continue to work towards that means a lot to us.

And I and I spoke mostly today because I want you to know that the north side is with you on this too.

We're I don't represent the south side, but I certainly know the impact that this has on the north side community.

A lot of the businesses in that corridor are places we visit, and we haven't been able to visit them like we used to be.

We don't get rib tips on 38th in Chicago like we used to, you know.

Well, LaCelle is a north side resident who has a business, and no, we got in a big fight when she said she was going to South Minneapolis.

So, you know, she so we we I understand, you know, the impact and how this intersects with the North Side.

So although I don't represent the South Side, I do represent folks who love and enjoy your community, and you've always welcomed us into your community.

So we want to make sure we can be helpful.

Thank you for being here.

Next we have Councilmember Chavez, who, while he doesn't stay on this committee, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you, Chair Wansi, and I want to thank the community members for showing up uh today to testify.

Uh, in particular the Ward 9 neighbors who came and expressed their concerns and opinions on this particular issue.

I while I'm not in this committee, I do support the motion to send without recommendation because I do think that we can figure this out ahead of the final vote FO council, and it is my expectation that it does get figured out.

And as I've been very clear in my position in general about like the the future of George Foy Square deserves a comprehensive vision, it's not just about the infrastructure project.

Uh with that being said, I think it is important, and I hope today serves us as a reminder that the 1.2 million dollars that we all funded unanimously in the last council cycle, budget cycle, which was in December, uh, needs to be implemented, and we cannot lose a cent or a penny from that funding, and it needs to be implemented as soon as possible because we do deserve to have a thriving 383 Thrive Corridor, and without the implementation of that 1.2 million dollars, our community members are gonna struggle even more.

So I hope it just I'm tying it back to that because it is important, and my hope is that we get an update as soon as possible on how that money is gonna be implemented because I'm nervous that it won't be.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Chavez.

Next we have Councilmember Pomasano.

Thank you.

Um, I I didn't want to say anything.

My colleagues said everything better than I could have here.

Um, but I will say we're all all together here and trying to find a solution based on the kind of project that this is and the kind of things that you all have endured.

Um, but to that end on regular road and street assessment projects.

Can someone from public works and I'm looking at Don Elwood, but it might be Adam instead, uh, speak a little bit to the program for seniors.

We we do have programs uh that enable senior homeowners to defer assessments and to stay in their homes, and I just wanted to make sure we brought that into the conversation a little bit, because um, in general, we we are sensitive to that.

And so thank you, Mr.

Elwood.

Could you help remind us?

Uh Chair, members of the committee, council member, uh, we do have deferment programs available to uh for special assessments for seniors 65 or older, individuals with permanent and total disability, and military personnel ordered into active military service.

The specific of the specifics of those.

I have staff available today that can meet out in the hall and talk through that.

In addition, they can follow up with my office for how that program works and how to get help from that program.

Thank you.

I don't see anyone else in queue.

So it's share.

I'll also just echo what uh many of the committee members have said amongst this body.

Um, thank you to our residents for coming and showing up.

I know some of you have showed up several times this week um to City Hall, which is not um always the funnest trek.

Um and I know also it's happening during work hours and hear the feedback around how we could be better at making sure our public hearings are happening during a time in which uh everyday people can access them and even within their communities, as opposed to having you have to come down at 1 30 in the middle of the day.

And I know some people have to take off work and find child care and all sorts of things.

So thank you for doing that.

Um thank you for giving us this feedback.

Many of you have been providing this feedback for years around how we shouldn't just be, as someone mentioned, glossing over the history of what has happened within George Floyd Square.

Um, and I've raised those concerns too, and why I was also originally against this project of it being framed as a gift, but also um it having the underlying feels of erasure um of what has taken place in this corridor in this community, um, and as a way, which governments like to do, give you a half fill in the blank um gift or uh a proposition when they commit harm as opposed to doing the actual deep systemic work of implementing our 38th drive.

Um, and when we're talking about also investments in that corridor, I don't think it negates the fact that we should um be giving you all uh quality streets that have traffic calming.

We actually made investments in that um that you all should have the highest quality modern lighting um in that corridor that absolutely we should be providing robust supports to businesses.

Um but we also know there's regular residents that help keep that corridor and intersection afloat.

And who's been carrying out one of the longest standing protests in U.S.

history as it pertains to raising the alarm in the continuation of police violence and brutality in our communities?

Um you all have done so much work and holding that down, and the city has done very little to match what you've already poured into that community and continue to do um with your very modest incomes and resources.

Um so I just want to also name that um this is one aspect or one project that I do sense uh collaborative agreement amongst our body of figuring out how we do uh move forward an option and a plan that takes in light the relief and assistance needed amongst regular working class people in this um intersection who will be impacted by the um the assessment and this goal of also making sure we're pouring permanent investment dollars into this intersection as well.

Um, and so I'll be supporting the motion is my goal that we all come together by council, which is next Thursday, with something that is acceptable that is restorative, that is reflective of the feedback that we heard.

And I know all of us are committed to working and having many meetings to make that possible, and we'll keep you all in loop in case you aren't able to make another trip uh down to City Hall next Thursday.

Please don't if you don't have to.

But uh if you do, we hope that we're bringing something forward in which you also can say I feel grateful that I spent my time coming down to City Hall, and I feel like my experiences and my feedback and expertise was taken into account.

So again, thank you all with the motion to forward this matter or item uh without recommendation.

I'll take actually a roll call vote.

Councilmember Vita.

Hi.

Warren.

Aye, trick tie.

Aye.

Chowdry.

Aye, Paul Masano.

Aye.

Vice Chair Stevenson.

Aye, Chair Wandsley.

Aye.

We have seven ayes.

That item has the votes of everyone on this body, so it uh passes and will be forwarded to uh full council next week.

Thank you all.

Um moving on to our next item, which is related to the lease agreement at 516 2nd Avenue North.

And this item 18.

Also, I will give it a brief moment just so we can reset the room.

So actually, uh committee members, let's take a five-minute recess and come back at 3 15.

Giving uh one minute warning.

Hello, everyone.

We're starting back.

All right.

So our next item is item number eighteen, which is authorizing a lease agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for Downtown Community Storage at five sixteen second Avenue North.

I will invite up Shane Zahn from the Downtown Improvement District to get us started with our presentation.

I'm Shane Zahn, the senior director of community safety for the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District.

But I'm honored to be here to share a little bit about our free community storage program.

But first I want to recognize a few of my staff members.

Joe, my social impact manager, which has developed this program and Essie who manages it, serving some of our most vulnerable at-risk populations.

So it's we're very proud about this program.

I also want to recognize Kim Drew in the room too in uh city of Minneapolis for allowing us the space to do this work.

So with that, I'm here just to share a little bit of what we do and how we're doing it with our free community storage program downtown.

So a couple things that we looked at is we never turn a client away because of lack of capacity.

That's why we've chosen ramp B.

We're operating out of Ramp B for a couple of reasons.

Before we started the program, we uh met with Street Voices for Change for those with lived experience to understand where to select a location, and a couple things that came out really importantly is by public transportation.

The second factor was emergency shelter and resources.

One of our biggest uh emergency shelters, harbor lights is only a few blocks away.

Um so really looking where social service needs are at risk population uh community members are at.

So we're Monday through Friday, nine AM to five PM.

Um some other things that we look at is low barriers.

Um so looking at making sure that folk folks have access to to the storage program.

And then making sure that we're we're serving everybody regardless of their housing status.

What we use is a fifty gallon tote.

Um we give it to them with a service agreement, they fill it in, seal it, we then store it in a secured location in in our storage uh facility.

Some other client needs why we started this is making sure that we uh those individuals seeking secure reliable storage had that, and it's a climate controlled storage facility.

Uh shelter users uh many times have had their items taken uh from them or they're at risk of having their belongings stolen or just moving around.

Um other things looking at is long term, as long as you're checking in, we'll keep your belongings.

You can come and go throughout the day, anytime you need between the hours of nine and five.

Um a lot of two stereotypes, a lot of folks experiencing homelessness, they do have jobs.

So this is definitely uh supporting workforce.

Um so being able to have their belongings there, we have a small changing room.

Um so definitely having that for workforce support.

And then seniors, those that are experiencing homelessness that are seniors, it's pretty hard to carry your belongings through downtown.

So making sure that you have a place to securely come and go at where your belongings are.

And then the other part of it was the bus travelers.

We're right co-located by uh Greyhound and Jefferson.

So those that are coming to Minneapolis, having that quick storage just right next door on the other side of Ramp B is really important for us.

This is some pictures of it.

I mean, the design, we had to do a lot.

Um, and and thank you to Tim and his team helping and supporting this.

But this is what the service window.

We have two of them between those hours, you can come and go as needed.

Um, and then you can see we've been operating since um uh 2021, so roughly a little over four years.

Many of our referrals are coming from the clients themselves using the service, but also I want to talk about the importance of our social workers.

We have two Hennepin County social workers that provide street outreach downtown, our ambassador program, our Mad Dad's outreach team.

Um, when they meet people that are vulnerable on the street to know that we have a location, if we see them with belonging and saying we have a free storage program for you, you can go to ramp B and use it.

Um, this is what the behind the window looks like.

So it's one pin per client.

Um we average they're about 50 pounds um that you can store in it.

We do measure it to make sure it hits that weight requirement.

As long as you're checking in every 14 days, um, we have a 90-day retention period um where we kind of look at where if things are abandoned or not, but we make attempts to contact them if they they don't check in.

So usually we're pretty good at them checking in with 14 days, but they have a secondary person that we can call as well, and we do every effort to make sure that we're trying to contact them if there's a gap into them checking in with us.

Um Lilberry, again, photo um you don't need to have a photo ID.

Um, we can take a photo of you, security questions, data bursts so we make sure that your personal belongings are yours, and when you come to retrieve them, that we're giving you the right bin.

Some outcomes.

We've served over 3,000 clients since we've been operating in October 2021, and this is a big number that that blows my mind, is we currently are storing over 12,000 pounds of personal belongings, over 550 clients currently in ramp B right now.

Pretty amazing.

Um, 90 days is average length of service for a client.

Um, this was a statistic our social impact manager pulled that that was very impressed with it.

Many of the clients say that they're retrieving their belongings because housing was the reason.

That's huge.

And 65% of the clients hear about the program from some somebody else in the community.

Um, so with that, that's just a brief overview of our storage program.

Um, I want to leave it with this, too.

Is if I would love to give you a tour of the facility if you're ever interested in seeing it, but it is a program that we're very proud of that's serving our community.

Thank you, Mr.

Zona, for this presentation.

I will know uh when I saw this come through at agenda setting, I I pulled it immediately because I also was surprised to learn that this uh partnership had existed and uh council in our approaches of of advancing a more humane response to um you know the the issue around unsheltered homelessness in our city.

Uh, what has come up time and time again is we need to be prioritizing uh the provision of storage space.

Um, and to see that this is uh a partnership where we are doing that.

Um, I thought it was important uh to bring that to the public's attention and also to learn um how these services can be accessed as well.

So thank you for uh giving this presentation.

I did have a quick question.

This is more so tied to uh public works and just getting clarity on the um RCA.

Uh I see that there is a zero dollar impact or number listed on the fiscal note attached to the RCA next to the net budgetary impact.

Uh, just wanted to get clarity.

Is that based off of trying to see, is that based off of um the rent that's being collected by MINDOTs, um that NDID that's covering the cost, but just wanted to get a sense of that or more clarity on that.

Sure, I'll turn that over to Tim Drew.

Hi, Tim Drew Parking System Manager, and that is correct.

That exactly what you said is how it works.

Okay, okay.

So okay, net zero impacts.

Um, well, with that, I will move the item for for approval.

Um, uh, and thank you.

That's been seconded by Vice Chair Stevenson.

Uh, we do have a few more folks in queue, starting with Vice Chair Stevenson.

Yeah, I just wanted to say thank you.

Um, in my work uh doing homeless outreach and talking with homeless people, I've heard about this many times.

I knew that it existed, but I didn't know the details.

I didn't know how many people were utilizing it.

So thank you for doing this work.

It's incredible.

And and yeah, I heard about it through the grapevines, so I know others are you've said other people are also hearing about it that way.

So um keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is Councilmember Pomasano.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yes, this has been around for five years, and I was very surprised to learn that my newer colleagues were unaware of it.

Um, I saw this back then as I do now, which is filling a need that is articulated to us by those experiencing unsheltered homelessness and those who work to help serve them over and over again.

And this has been implemented, I think, um, in such a thoughtful way to help with gaps in identification in how long they might need that kind of help.

And uh, like you said, the bus uh near to the Greyhound bus system in our city.

Um, it I think that this is DID's approach to things.

I think this is part of your reputation, and I am very glad that Chair Wandsley gave it voice today.

So thanks for coming to share it, Mr.

Zahn.

Thank you, Mr.

Drew, for everything you do.

Next, we have Councilmember Chowjury.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley, and thank you for the presentation and your work on this.

Uh, me and several of my council colleagues for a number of years have been one on the ground, um, thinking about our homeless and unhoused population, and then also working on um different policies, especially those who are in like a place where they're like sheltered indoors.

Um, something that has always come up as an ask from individuals is storage and how valuable and integral it is for them to move through continuum of care and get to permanent housing.

I think it's really important to uplift that like when we don't have storage, people lose their medicine, people lose their identification, people lose the very few possessions that they have in life that they care a lot about, and it sets them back by so much.

Oftentimes losing opportunities for housing, oftentimes becoming worsened in whatever medical condition they might face.

Um, so I'm really grateful to be renewing this.

I'm really grateful to be highlighting this today, and I just I really want to uplift that um outcome bullet point that you shared that 43% said housing was the reason for the retrieval, and that's that's a goal.

That's the goal that we need to get to, and that's probably one of the gaps that we have is just the triage and the effort and the personnel and the cultural competency that takes to get someone to housing, and so this is a part of that ecosystem and that step.

So grateful that we're going to continue this on for another decade.

It's a really big deal.

So thanks again.

Awesome.

There's no one else in queue, but again, thank you so much for coming down and giving this presentation and public work staff for helping make it happen.

Um, this motion has been uh supported with approval and was seconded.

Um, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed right, uh, those opposed, say nay.

All right.

There is no opposition that motion carries.

Thank you again.

On to our last item, uh, number 19, which is uh related to the passage of various resolutions tied to the acceptance of grant and gift funding for the railroad crossing elimination grants.

Uh staff has prepared a presentation, and I'll invite up Ethan Fawley, the transportation planning manager from Transportation Planning and Programming to get us started.

Thank you.

Thanks, Chair and Committee members.

My name is Ethan.

Your mic is in the way.

And you want to use that one?

I think the green one's, or is it too far?

There you are.

Oh, okay.

Oh, never mind.

Can you turn that one off?

Thank you.

I'm so used to being automatic.

Sorry.

Um, thanks to the staff.

Uh Ethan Foley, I'm a transportation planning manager in Minneapolis Public Works.

Thanks, Chair and Committee members.

Um, I should just recognize off the top that this is really Alan Klugman has done the leadership work up to this point on this project, and I'm here kind of at a transition moment where we're uh us in transportation planning are starting taking more leadership at the next stage of the project.

But this is really Alan's work up to this point, so I want to recognize that as well.

Um so connecting Camden Railroad Grade Separation Project.

This is just to uh orient people.

We're talking about the Humboldt Rail Yard and on the north side and three at grade crossings of Humboldt Avenue North, 45th Avenue North, and Lindale Avenue North.

Uh and these deal with a lot of delays that come from trains coming out of the rail yard, often at really slow speeds.

And you can see just uh over a year.

We have um almost 600 uh delay events of 15 minutes or more.

And you know, you see here 11 that were an hour or more of delays, which is very significant impact for the community.

Um with those delays come safety risks as people are waiting and waiting or know that they might have to wait and start to do risky behavior sometimes to get around because it's a long way, particularly for pedestrians, uh, to try to get around and cross if there is a delay.

Um and it also impacts our emergency response times.

There's a fire station 20 is just on Humboldt Avenue north of the railroad tracks here and experiences uh two-thirds of all train-related delays in the city for fire department response in the city over uh five-year period, um, uh more than 300 delayed response times because of these delay uh backups and trains.

Uh so we really have those challenges in safety connectivity, uh emergency response, traffic flow, and that's what we're trying to do uh address with a railroad grade separation project in this area.

So looking at can we turn one of these at grade crossings into either an overpass or an underpass in some way uh to that would free up from those train delays and address these challenges.

Um so this is a project that has been years in the making.

There's been a lot of in community engagement and feedback, really asking for changes here.

We really uh were able to start doing real work on this in 2024 with some initial engagement.

We heard really strong support for having a grade separation in the area.

Uh as part of that, we did an initial feasibility study that identified eight feasible options for different ways we could do uh grade separation in the area, and that formed the basis for the action before you today, which was a grant application to continue that work with more detailed planning study and initial preliminary engineering, uh which we applied for in 2024 and received notice of that uh last year.

We are now closing in hopefully on the on the on the very grant agreement, um, which is certainly taking time.

Um, and so your action today is authorizing the final uh grant agreement and other pieces related to that, so that we can continue forward with this planning study.

Uh we are the goal of the planning study really is to get us to a preferred or preferred alternatives and set us up to be able to construct one of those to move into final design and construction for one of those.

With that in mind, uh, you last meeting um approved an action to apply for construct uh final design and construction grant um through the same program uh which we are working to apply for and we'll be submitting that application in the next week um for that.

So this planning study that's part of today's action would feed into that uh grant, which hopefully we'll be successful on as well.

And if we are, then that would mean hopefully we are constructing out here in about 2031 or 2032, depending on kind of final details and how it all comes together.

Um, so that's kind of the details around this.

Um, happy to uh there we do have like a like a story map around this, which is linked here for for folks and will be in part of the the added as part of the packet.

Uh reach out to myself or Alan if you have any questions, but happy to answer any right now.

Thank you, Mr.

Folly.

And again, I just want to say thank you, staff for getting a presentation ready on this.

I know I also pulled this during agenda setting.

Um, no, and I see Councilmember Vita and Q, but knowing that this has been a project and matter that uh you have raised for several years and wanting to be able to give space to show like you have had fruits and staff actually coming forward with uh action to really address um what has been a long-standing issue in North Minneapolis, and also just seeing the screenshots of people.

I didn't even know that was taking place.

But with that, thank you so much.

Uh Councilmember Vita is in queue.

Thank you, Mr.

Folly.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley so much for bringing this presentation for for flagging this in agenda settings.

Someone told me that you had done that, and I thought this is fantastic, so that people can see how uh the Northside community has pulled together around this issue that's been happening for decades.

This is uh the the presentation was actually pretty mild.

Alan and I watched some video that it's just terrifying to see people with baby strollers trying to cross the tracks, bicycles.

I mean, so many different things.

And so um, you know, I came into this role understanding that this was a huge issue for North Minneapolis, and it was something that I certainly committed to.

I didn't know that we could get to where we are now on this project, and I'm so proud of the work that we've done as a team.

This has certainly been you know help from my colleagues on this project.

Alan was the biggest fan of this from day one.

We we jokingly say we're gonna name it the Alan Clugman Bridge over or underpass when the time comes because he's been our superhero on this project from from the day I talked about it.

You know, he was just a huge fan.

Um, sometimes more excited than the community about what this project could be because it is one of those things where we felt let down, we felt like there was a lot of momentum around this, and then things just figured like fizzled out, but Alan's kept us motivated, and so has um the TKDA staff, and so has others in public works.

My staff has certainly been superheroes in this process and making sure that we keep neighbors engaged.

You know, this this gift this acceptance of this money today is a big deal.

We've been in limbo for a couple years, and we're just you know, Director Sexton assured me that the routing number and the check and account number has been sent to the proper people for us to receive the money.

So we're excited about that.

This is one of the public safety issues in North Minneapolis.

A lot of times when we talk about public safety, we talk about policing and unarmed policing, but this is truly a public safety issue in North Minneapolis.

If anyone has seen video footage of what happened 10 minutes after Alan put a camera out at one of these stops, someone trying to get across those tracks.

The calls I've received because most of those times, I think you showed 11 times where there was longer than an hour.

Someone's kids being on a school bus.

Imagine your kids stuck on the school bus in either direction, north or south, for over an hour, and they cannot get past so many city buses.

This project has been a collaboration of so many entities because it's such a public safety issue.

Senator Clovishar was the first elected official outside of myself to say we're gonna do this.

I'm gonna see this project through.

I'm not just gonna call the railroad and you know, tell them to move those trains on time.

I'm gonna make sure you get the infrastructure you need so that people can cross um get to their families, get off that school bus in time, cross in this neighborhood when they need to, and and so we're forever grateful for her leadership on this project.

And again, Public Works has done a great job at making sure um this project is real for this community and that we keep trying.

I'm excited that we voted to take the next step to get some funding for this project.

It's it's so cool to hear a date 2030 or 2031.

We can actually be developing the Alan Klugman underpass.

Like that's so exciting.

So I just you know, I can never thank folks enough.

I feel good about the end result.

I think we're gonna do this.

This is a a project long time coming.

Alice Rainville worked on this probably 40 years ago, and that's how we got the fire station in the neighborhood.

Um, council member Warren is in queue, but she's way further south, but they're affected by this also.

It is really a north side connection issue, a first-tier suburb connection issue, and it's um a huge project for the city and for North Minneapolis, and I thank everyone who's been involved this far, and I'm looking forward to how we move forward on uh the Connecting Camden project.

Councilmember Vita, would you like to motion to approve this?

Absolutely.

I would like to motion to move this.

And I second.

All right.

Um the item has been motioned for uh approval.

We do have Councilmember Pomassano in queue.

Thank you.

Um, this has been a known problem for decades, and all I can say is kudos to you, Councilmember Vita and our federal electeds, especially Senator Clobishar for championing this and getting this done when no one else has been able to for years.

And thank you to staff for being willing to take this on this very long-term and uphill battle uh of a project that you, but that we still, I guess don't know if we'll be able to see the completion of, but um it looks a lot more promising now.

This is about a community that deserves to be connected and safe.

That is a privilege the rest of the city enjoys, and congratulations.

I think this is a great first step and win for the city.

This is good news for our city and especially councilmember Vita.

And councilmember Warren.

Next is Councilmember Warren.

Um I just wanna say thank you and congratulations to my council colleague.

Um, it'll be a lot easier now for me to get to my dad's house, and it'll be a lot easier for um the school buses won't be late so much in the morning traveling through the north side if they get caught up by the the train and things like that, and just again the safety component.

So I'm super excited for this.

Um, and just you know, bringing more of a unison within our communities and bringing them closer together and and easing the transportation throughout the city.

So thank you.

I appreciate that.

This is this is exciting.

Thank you.

Next, I see council member Vita and Q.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Chair Wandsley.

I just also wanted to thank um the Canadian Pacific Railroad because they've been tremendous partners in this work.

It's not a traditional relationship, but we've managed to work with them in an extraordinary way where they believe in the project too.

They're putting money forward on this project.

They've helped us with our application.

So I'm so proud of the relationship that my office has built and public works is built with um Canadian Pacific.

They understand how important it is, and they're certainly on board uh for making sure that this project is finished.

So thank you so much to Andy Cummings and so many others at Canadian Pacific who have been with us on this um on this roller coaster ride for the for the last year of seeing this project through.

They they really have been a tremendous help in from financial to letters of support.

Things that have never happened in relation between railroad and government agencies.

They've certainly stepped up, and we are so grateful for that relationship.

Uh before taking the bow on this item, I do know um it's standard procedure for when these resolutions are submitted to just put the chair uh name on there.

But I wanted to see if council member uh Vita and Warren, if you were amenable to this, if their names could be added to the resolution for both um the gift acceptance and the resolution of us um authorizing acceptance as well.

Uh is that okay with you both?

Okay, great.

Uh so our clerks will uh record that.

Uh you can just take a voice vote on this.

All the all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, of course, not hearing that.

Um the ayes have it.

It's forwarded.

Uh that's forwarded.

And we've accomplished everything that was on today's agenda.

So if there's no objection, I call this meeting adjourned.