Good morning, my name is Elliot Payne.

I'm the president of Minneapolis City Council.

Before we convene our meeting, we have the presentation of honorary resolutions.

I'll invite Councilmember Chowdhury to give the first presentation recognizing gun violence awareness.

And I believe we have some guests joining us, so we'll wait for them to be brought into the room.

Thank you.

Welcome, welcome.

Come on up.

Come morning, Director.

Let me get close to y'all.

We can have some of you all right over here by Councilmember Palmasano and Whiting.

Come over here.

Yeah, don't be shy.

Come on down here, everybody.

Yeah, yeah, please.

Come on.

Got a little bit more space down here.

We can do some rows.

Good morning.

All right.

This is recognizing June 2026 as Gun Violence Awareness Month in Minneapolis.

Whereas National Violence Awareness Day originated in June 2015 to commemorate the life of 15-year-old Hadea Pendleton who was shot and killed on a Chicago playground, and nearly 130 people shot and killed every day in the United States.

Whereas in 2024, 44,447 people died from gun-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

And whereas over 3,000 shooting deaths have occurred in the United States between January and March 2026.

And whereas in Minneapolis, from January through May 2026, 22 homicides have occurred in 88 people sustain gunshot wounds.

And whereas gun violence homicide is a local and national public health concern that disproportionately affects teens and young men ages 15 to 35 and individuals who identify as black American Indian and Latino, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Whereas, in the last year, Minneapolis and Minnesota have experienced gun violence due to interpersonal conflicts, crime, suicide, federal law enforcement, school shootings, mass shootings, and political violence.

And whereas gun violence leaves lasting impacts on survivors, families, neighborhoods, first responders, and communities who continue to carry the emotional, psychological, and economic consequence of violence, and whereas gun injuries and death are preventable, and whereas community organizations play a vital role in community violence intervention by providing services such as violence prevention, youth and group violence intervention, violence interruption, hospital-based violence intervention, community trauma response, and have demonstrated success in reducing violence and saving lives.

And whereas, the city of Minneapolis is committed to honoring survivors, those who have lost their lives to gun violence and their families by bringing an end to this preventable public health crisis through investment in awareness, education, training, violence prevention, and policy change.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby honor the survivors and remember those whose lives have been lost to gun violence.

Recognize the ongoing work of community organizations to build safer communities and recognize June 2026 as gun violence awareness Month in the city of Minneapolis.

Well, thank you everyone so much for being here and being here to bring awareness about gun violence in our city, in our country.

I know that the city of Minneapolis in particular has faced a lot of heartbreak, especially with the shooting that took place that took two young lives at Annunciation School and Church.

The shooting that happened just a few days before at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and several mass shootings that we've experienced in the community, whether it's on the north side or the south side, we've all been impacted, and I just want to give a big and deep thank you on behalf of the Minneapolis City Council for everyone's advocacy, everyone's hard work and your storytelling.

I know how difficult it can be to have to share your trauma and your harm and to do it in such a selfless way.

Because of you, we were able to pass sweeping gun violence prevention legislation at the Minnesota State Senate.

And that is something so proud, something to be so proud of.

Even if we didn't get at the House, we know.

We know which seats we need to flip, we know what work we need to do, and because of you and your advocacy here on the Minneapolis City Council, we had a unanimous vote and support from the mayor on local-level gun violence prevention laws that will go into effect once the state gives us the authority to do so, and that's something we should be proud of.

And with that, I'm gonna have Director Harrington of Neighborhood Safety Department open us up.

Hi everybody, I'm Amanda Harrington.

I'm the director for neighborhood safety.

Um, I just want to acknowledge the staff from neighborhood safety that are here today.

Many of them have personal reasons why they do this work, and all of us care deeply about protecting and supporting this community in whatever ways safety means to all of you.

In particular, we're prioritizing gun violence prevention, and I need to say we couldn't do this work without the community organizations that we partner with, and so there's a number of organizations present today, some of which we contract with, some of whom advocate for gun violence awareness or safety reduction in a number of different ways, and I think we should just take a moment to thank all of those organizations who show up and do this work every day.

Thank you.

We don't have a lot of time, but if any of the organizations feel called to speak about your work or the reasons that you do this work, we would love to hear from you.

I think we have Molly Chase from Moms Demand Action to kick us off.

Thank you.

The first time I set foot in City Hall was last August after the enunciation shooting, there was a press conference.

I showed up in my red shirt with a sign that read, my daughter starts kindergarten next year, and I'm scared, or sorry, next week, and I'm scared for her.

And then yesterday was a makeshift ceremony at her school with her and her classmates in their homemade shirts, putting on a parade for cheering parents, and all of us were marveling at how much had changed over the last 10 months, and I would argue that Minneapolis and Minnesota have also been through tremendous change in the last few months.

And I know that moms demand action protect Minnesota and volunteers across the state have been talking with their electeds.

We've been sharing data, sharing deeply personal stories, and a lot of those electeds would hear us, some of them would cry with us, but then they would get to the threshold of action and stop.

Which is why it is all the more meaningful that our city council has taken action, and we see that and we appreciate it, and we are so grateful.

And I just want to say uh a ceremony is more than a ceremony.

This means so much to us.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else from any of the organizations that would like to say a few words?

Want to give y'all the opportunity?

Okay, and then we'll close it off with Councilmember Vita.

Hi thank you I'm Christina with Protect Minnesota and I want to thank Council President Payne Council Vice President Osman Chief Author Councilmember Chowdry and all of the council members for their work on this and honoring this month and also your unanimous vote on passing gun violence prevention in this city it's so important um I just want to say to all of the advocates here thank you for your tireless work for decades it moves slowly but it is important and hopefully it is working we know it's working um and I just want to implore the voters out there we have a chance in November to elect gun safety candidates so it's up to us um the number one leading cause of death of children in this country is guns so we need to vote like our children's lives depend on it because they do thank you thank you good morning I just wanted to make sure that we acknowledge that gun violence has been a public health crisis in the black community for decades uh back to the times where we had the nickname murder appolis and so lots of people in this room and in this city stepped up to work on gun violence prevention way way back in the 90s and so I just want to make sure that the African American community is acknowledge because this has been our work for years this has been the work that we've set out to do for decades and make sure that black men black young men a part of that resolution was read and said that African American and men and young men um are hit hardest by this epidemic and that is factual and I want to say thank you to the black men who showed up here today in representation of all the fantastic work that you do I know a lot of your work is done in the barbershop and out on the streets making sure you love on these young men and protect them and make and and doing your best to ensure that we don't continue to die from this epidemic called gun violence so thank you all so much for the many decades of hard work and commitment all right everyone let's get together for a photo we're gonna just squeeze in yeah if you're short like me you know where you belong we're the coolest right here let's squeeze in and get a big photo get up there I don't want to council member Palmasano I'm not even Palmasano you have the resolution the resolution I'm gonna have you're gonna hold it you're gonna vote out right now next we will recognize pride morning happy pride hello hello we're gonna have folks join us on the council chambers move down just a little bit more please we're a full house today.

Come on down and come right now it's so good.

Oh good side right Minneapolis, we're gonna start with recognizing June 2026 as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual pride month.

Happy Pride Month, Minneapolis.

Whereas in 1974, Minneapolis was the first city in the state of Minnesota to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

And in 1975, the first to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity expression positions, subsequently adopted by numerous Minnesota cities and the state itself.

And whereas Minneapolis was the first city in the state of Minnesota to adopt an ordinance creating a domestic partner registry.

And, and I'm gonna pass this around a little bit because it's a lot.

Whereas the city of Minneapolis has been steadfast in its commitment to full legal equality for same-sex couples, in particular, to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, as well as public and vocal prominent of the marriage equality statute passed in 2013 by the Minnesota State Legislature and signed by the governor.

And whereas the Minneapolis City Council, in partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools, our legislative delegation, and numerous advocacy orgs long advocated for the passage of the 2014 Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, meant to provide a clear definition of bullying and focuses on bullying prevention.

And whereas by 2015, same-sex measurement, same-sex marriage expanded to all 50 states through various state court rulings, state legislation, direct popular votes, and federal court rulings, and I give it to me about council member.

Okay, all right.

Whereas in February 2017, the City Council approved the creation of the Transgender Equity Council as an advisory board to the city on matters of importance to the transgender community.

Yes.

Where?

Yes.

Whereas in January 2018, Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins and Councilmember Philippe Cunningham were sworn in as the first openly transgender council members elected to the city, Minneapolis City Council, and the first two openly black transgender individuals elected to any city council in the United States.

Whereas in 2019, the city banned conversion therapy for minors, and in 2021, Governor Tim Walls signed an executive order restricting conversion therapy throughout the entire state of Minnesota.

Yes.

And whereas in 2021, the s Minneapolis City employees organized to create the sexual orientation gender identity SOGI employee resource group for people who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, and allies who help drive diversity and inclusion strategy and ensure we have a workforce that reflects the community that we all serve.

I really like this whereas.

Whereas in January 2022, Councilmember Jason Chavez, was sworn in as the first LGBTQ Latinx council member elected to the Minneapolis City Council, and Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins was elected by her council colleagues as the first black openly transgender council president in the United States.

Whereas Minneapolis has a thriving two-spirit LGBTQIA community, sustaining and sustained by so many welcoming organizations, places of worship, businesses, neighborhoods, schools, events, and more.

And passing it back to you.

Where do you go?

Minneapolis has benefited from the service and towns of numerous two S LGBTQIA plus elected officials on the City Council, the Park and Recreation Board, the Board of Estimate and Taxation, and in both the Minnesota House and Senate, as well as countless appointed officials and city employees.

And whereas the Minneapolis annually hosts a Twin Cities Pride Festival, the city's largest outdoor festival, in which Laurent Park is turned into a forum for celebrating two S LGBTQIA Pride and those including allies who work for it.

And whereas Minneapolis annually hosts Miampus People's Pride at Parter Horn Park, which intends to be a space for 2S LGBTQI plus folks to experience joy, eat food, trade art, and create space for rest, collaboration, and love, centering those most marginalized and affected.

And whereas in 2022, the city of Minneapolis and in 2023, the state of Minnesota issued executive orders to protect and support the rights of Minnesotans to LG Minnesota's two L two S LGBTQI plus community members to safely seek and receive gender-affirming health care services and to accompanying bill was passed at the legislature in 23 in the new state law that took in effect uh requiring health plans that cover physical or mental health services to cover medically necessary gender-affirming care.

Whereas in June 2023, the city council passed a resolution honoring drag performance and drag culture as a form of free speech, thereby supporting the rights of all individuals to express themselves freely and openly stand in support of drag artists and performers everywhere.

And in December 2024, the City Council funded a 2S LGBTQI Plus mental health program to support the work of community-based organizations that delivers affirming and holistic mental health services to support the well-being of our community and individuals.

Whereas in 2025, the city of Minneapolis awarded a mini grant to Queer Space Collective who supported trans youth mental health by reducing social isolation by fostering peer and mentor connections, building resilience to skill building, and increasing self-confidence by trying new things in a safe and affirming environment.

And in 2025, the city of Minneapolis awarded a mini grant to the family tree clinic that planned and hosted an event for trans youth to provide them with support and let them know that they are cared for and appreciated.

They had gender-affirming activities, books, and care packages for participants, and a local resource directed directory was available.

And whereas on February 19, 2026, the Minneapolis City Council adopted a resolution denouncing the Trump administration attack on gender-affirming care for youth.

And whereas across the U.S., 2S LGBTQIA plus communities continue to face growing threats, including harmful legislation targeting transgender youth, drag performance, gender-affirming health care, self-expression, and inclusion curricula.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis stands firm in opposing such efforts and remains committed to being a safe, welcoming, and affirming city for all.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby recognize June 2026 as two spirit lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual pride month in the city of Minneapolis, and that the residents and visitors are encouraged to join the events celebrating 2S LGBTQI Plus month throughout the city and to support the ongoing efforts to advance equity across Minnesota.

We brought the house to City Hall, y'all.

Happy Pride Month.

Today, before we began, we had a light breakfast and what we believe to be the first ever drag show and ballroom here at City Hall.

And that is history in itself in a time when there is so much attack on our communities by the federal government.

We are saying that in Minneapolis, we love our neighbors and we're gonna do everything that we can to protect them.

I also want to acknowledge that we're joined by so many community members here, and want to give an opportunity for a cat from out from Minnesota, the executive director to say some words and to acknowledge the moment that we are in today.

Thank you, Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, everybody, and again, huge appreciation to our performers.

It is a beautiful thing to bring joy and art into any government spaces ever, and especially to bring our community's joy into these spaces here in Pride Month.

So happy Pride.

Thank you, Councilmember Chavez, and thank you again.

And I think a really important piece as we step into this month is to remember that it is not just a celebration, it's a memorial, and it is also a call to action.

Thank you for remembering Rolasia and Savannah earlier in your speech today.

And remembering the work that we still have to do for our young people for the generations to come, for all those in the city who the promise of welcome is not living up to their lived experience of welcome here.

I have the honor of leading outfront Minnesota, which is our state's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.

We were founded in 1987 at the height of the HIV AIDS crisis.

A time when our communities were quite literally dying all around us.

When government looked the other way, not just ignoring our needs, but actively saying that this was a problem they didn't need to deal with because it was ours.

And the only people we could look to were ourselves.

We didn't have elected leaders in these public offices.

We didn't have the same kind of advocacy voices at the tables that are sitting there today, but we built from a place of belief, knowing that our communities had power, knowing that our communities standing together could move mountains, knowing that we would get through this time of loss and emerge out the other side triumphant, joyful, and more connected.

This year has been another deeply challenging year for so many of our communities.

Renee Good was a member of the LGBTQ community, and so many of the names that we don't know that we don't talk about are members of the LGBTQ community.

People sitting in detention centers right now who are wondering what their future looks like, who called this city home.

People who have stood up for their friends and neighbors from our community because the connection and the power of community extends beyond just us.

When we talk about Pride Month, the pride that I feel is in this.

It's in looking around at the many different faces and the many different ways that our communities show up for each other.

The ways that we show up in spaces of government, in art, in community, in labor, in all of these different ways to support one another and to build in communities that we can believe in, that reflect us, that care for us, that support us as full people.

And being able to step into that as an LGBTQ person is a position of real joy and real power.

This Pride Resolution is a statement, but it's also a statement that's been backed by action and that will lead to actions to come from this city council and from this city to support our communities.

The work is ongoing.

To be clear, this is generational work.

It was handed to those of us who are standing here today.

We will hand it to the next generation as well as they step up to take this on because the work of equality and inclusion is ongoing.

We don't get to a finish line.

We don't get a single ruling that says the missions done, we're over.

We are here for the long haul because we are here for each other.

Happy Pride.

And I didn't ask Rox to speak, but you have led the way for many of us to be able to sit here to stand here and to lead in these incredibly difficult times.

And you've made it really possible for us to, as queer folks, be able to be out and proud.

So I I I didn't ask you to speak, but if you would do us an honor, I would love if you uh if you Thanks, council member.

I appreciate that.

Uh yeah, this year marks uh rare production and the Twin Cities Pride, doing power to the people in the park.

Twenty-five years.

Yeah, that's big.

That's big.

And um, I think, you know, our community is not whole until black and brown bodies have equity.

Until we can take up space, until we have housing, until we have jobs, until we have real equity.

And so thank you for giving me a chance to say that.

And happy pride.

And Rox is gonna come back next week because next cycle because we're also honoring that.

So that's on the agenda for June twenty fifth.

Um, can we give it up to Vogue down and our and our incredible drag queens who also threw down?

And they gave us a stellar opportunity to celebrate our culture, our life, and the members of our community that deserves so much more.

So uh with that, uh, I want to make sure that we also acknowledge the work of Soji, our incredible staff who are here, folks in NCR, uh Director Sayer, folks uh from that have been working on this resolution.

I don't know if you want to say a few words.

Okay.

Um, we'll keep it brief then.

We'll we're gonna take a fo we're gonna try to take a photo.

Uh, see what happens.

A lot of work went into the writing of this resolution that we do every year, and it's our incredible city staff that really put time and effort along with our city council staff that put time and effort to write it, and it keeps growing every year, and it should be growing because there's a lot more left to do.

Next up we will recognize Juneteenth.

Okay, if you're here for the Juneteenth resolution, Juneteenth.

What's up, brother?

Hi.

You look familiar.

You look familiar.

No.

Well, you know what?

I'll take it for last year.

Good morning.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Good morning.

Hello.

Hello.

Hello, beautiful.

Good morning.

Hello, how are you?

Yes.

Good morning.

How are you?

What's she doing?

Testing, testing.

All right.

Come on in.

Come on in.

Come on in.

Scooch in, scooch in, don't be shy.

Get in.

Get in.

Right.

Act like it.

All right.

Good morning, everyone.

So glad you're all here.

And I I love that a lot of these resolutions just intermingle.

And you can't stay for all of them.

Stay for everything.

So this morning, we're honoring and recognizing the national holiday of Juneteenth in the city of Minneapolis.

Whereas on June 19th, 1865, in the state of Texas, where it was believed to be the last enslaved people of African descent still held in human bondage, received news of their freedom and entitlement to natural born human rights under the law which had actually been bestowed upon them two and a half years earlier when President Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, which had become official January 1, 1863.

And whereas later that year, on December 6th, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery was ratified by Congress and whereas other systems of oppression, such as sharecrapping, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration and the plunder of black bodies and black wealth continued past slavery and persisted to this day.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis recognizes the extent of the harm done and is taking active steps to reverse and repair the harm by adopting and implementing our strategic racial equity action plan, creating an increasing systemic change to public safety responses that include unarmed and non-police safety response for certain emergencies and for crime prevention, passing and implementing a resolution declaring racism as a public health emergency with several policy changes, formalizing and implementing a truth and reconciliation process, building out affordable housing with historic investment, creating inclusive economic development policies, and working to improve authentic engagement and build trust between community and city officials, and whereas June 19th has since come to be known as Juneteenth and is one of the oldest celebrations in America growing out of the experiences of black Americans and their enslaved ancestors and is a celebration of the ending of chattel slavery in America with the first official Juneteenth provides an opportunity for the city to celebrate Black American heritage and honor the lives sacrifices and contributions that are woven into the American fabric.

And whereas on May 14th, 2021, just prior to the adoption by the United States Congress the following month, the Minneapolis City Council by ordinance officially declared Juneteenth, a city holiday to be honored with a paid day off for city employees and to be recognized by everyone in Minneapolis.

And whereas the city of Minneapolis in partnership with Hinnepin County and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board recognizes and celebrate the week of Juneteenth with activities to commemorate June 19th, 1865 in lighting of the I 35W Bridge.

And whereas Michelle Gibson Webb's visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to community empowerment helped establish and grow one of Minnesota's largest Juneteenth celebrations, creating a lasting tradition that honors the history of emancipation while advancing cultural pride, economic opportunity, and community unity.

And whereas her dedication to preserving and elevating the significance of Juneteenth in Minneapolis has left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire generations and strengthen the community she so faithfully served.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby honor and recognize June 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth, the National African American Independence Holiday in commemoration of the resistance and liberation of African Americans in the city of Minneapolis and in the nation.

Thank you.

I just want to say Michelle Gibson Webb was um a community member that we lost last year who was deeply committed to the celebration of Juneteenth, who made sure that um we came together to celebrate freedom and we miss her.

We are carrying on that legacy.

There's gonna be so many Juneteenth celebrations all over this city, all over the state, and I hope you all can come and join us at those.

I'm a little older, and a lot of us up here are.

We remember Juneteenth, where Glenwood Avenue was full of thousands of, I mean, you couldn't even see the ground.

Thousands of people showed up to go to Theo Worth Park and celebrate Juneteenth.

It was one of the biggest events in this state, and we're getting there.

We're getting back to those Juneteenths where you showcased black culture, you showcased all the greatness and everything valuable that we bring to this community.

And so I'm excited that a lot of people are here representing their organizations and the phenomenal work they're doing around economic development, housing, uh voter, voter turnout, like so much work is happening, and most of the people are humble and don't want you to know how hard they're working.

So I'm glad a lot of you showed up today.

If a couple people want to speak, happy to turn the mic over.

We got NAACP representation here.

Oh, hey, Al.

Hey.

Yeah, thank you, Councilmember Beatle, Warren, Whiting, Wandsley, and uh Payne.

Uh, this is a uh time to uh say this resolution.

One of the things happening right now is we're working in our community on the United Black Legislative Agenda to bring us all together.

And we just had a big meeting.

We had Councilmember Warren there from here, uh Councilmember Johnson in St.

Paul, uh Mayor Winston out in Brooklyn Park.

We had a leader uh from Deloup, brought uh Carl Cross Crawford.

Uh, and we uh and we try to bring us all together to try to uh solve some of the uh worst problem, the disparities in the state of Minnesota, not just Minneapolis, in the state of Minnesota.

This is a big thing.

So I'm I'm glad to uh for us all to be standing here and we got issues that we got to deal with right here in Minneapolis, and I'm asking this city council, this mayor, work with us.

Don't don't work against us.

We can come together, and we can solve a lot of our problems uh uh together.

We get we got things that we need to do, particularly on George Floyd on 38th Street.

We got things we got to do over north in Heritage Park.

We're gonna need all y'all's support.

Our people are suffering.

This is not a game to me.

I don't put my time in.

I've been over south over 30 years in the droid, Florida area.

That's where that's where I stay.

So that's why I'm saying we can come together.

I hope this council, uh helps help us come together.

Let us heal.

We sent a letter from the Unity Community Mediation team to y'all to say the work we were doing.

We do it quietly.

We didn't we're not trying to make no noise.

We're trying to bring this city back together, but we can we need to heal ourselves, and we need y'all help to help heal us.

Help us get healed and and not don't don't don't uh split us, don't separate us.

Ain't nothing that we can't do that we can't come together.

I believe that.

So whatever you're doing, hold up and just believe in the community.

Believe in the black, foundational black community.

Believe in us one time, and I'm uh and and we all know what's going on, and they you know I heard uh speakers earlier.

I work with the GLBT community when our front first got started.

I've been there, I done uh did it all.

But this is a time that we're in trouble in our own community, and we uh need y'all to come together.

And council member B talk warned.

Uh uh Whiting just uh uh got here and uh the council member saying, come on, but this is too important to say, come on, uh, because I want y'all to we need, no, we need y'all, we need y'all right now.

They don't nobody else need to speak but me.

You know, so uh yeah, but I'll let it go by, but but uh everybody here that we speak and they know I'm saying the truth.

We need y'all to work together and and listen to council member uh uh pain and uh uh council member pain and warn.

That's one way to get the mic.

But hey, hey, let me just say one more.

Let me let me say one more thing.

Uh let me say one more thing, one more thing.

Come on.

I just did it one more thing.

Wow.

All right, so I do want to thank the council for the resolution.

I do want to say uh to all people that Juneteenth is a reminder of the promise of America, so it's not just a celebration of African Americans, it's a celebration of the promise of what America is supposed to be.

And you know, Dr.

King says rising tides lift our boats.

And so if you rise our community up and you help our community up as Brother Al was talking about, you will see the best of this city as well as the state.

A known fact that racism in this country has cost America over 21 trillion dollars in economics.

I'm gonna say that again, racism in this country has cost America, not African Americans, not immigrants, but America, 21 trillion dollars in economics.

What does that mean?

That means that even though we are free out of bondage, people are still bonding us through legislation, through policy, as well as through culture throughout this city, and we do need that to change because we're doing more than just celebrating.

We are here to get ours.

All right, now we're moving in for a photo.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I just want to say everyone is welcome.

We're kicking it off this Saturday at Bethune Park, Phyllis Wheatley, Northside, big celebration.

You're welcome to come out.

I'm excited.

This is going to be beautiful.

We got a lot of beautiful artists and young people and elders and folks that we are going to be acknowledging again for their hard work and dedication and accomplishments in community.

This is a day of remembrance.

This is a day of black joy, it's a day of healing, it's a day of resilience, and we're gonna party all the 10th.

So just know that all the 10th, we kicked it off with Prince Day, Purple Day.

We're teething it out, okay?

We partying all the way out, and um, I'm so excited because the love, love is just omnipresent, and and it's bountiful and it's abundant, and so I want to treat it like that and just love all the way through this.

So please come out and join us and and embrace community with us.

I mean, you can have it off, I'm just saying.

We don't need permission.

We have to council any of that.

You were supposed to go right.

You were supposed to go.

Oh, one, two, three, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Yeah, one more time, one thing.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Where is my resolution?

Next up, we are recognizing Special Olympics Week.

Special Olympics.

I think we have some of the frequency, where's Michael Lab?

I think it's like it.

You already got the special cert, too.

I was gonna say he's already got it.

So when yeah, when it's his turn, uh Mike can just go up to the speakers, and then that'll be the one I'm on my um, is it just gonna read it on to the birthday?

Good morning, everyone.

Um, I am so honored to be able to introduce the resolution recognizing June twentieth through twenty, uh June twentieth through twenty-sixth as Special Olympics Week in Minneapolis.

Yes, and just want to say thank you to our staff to our community leaders um for helping us draft this resolution for the presentation today.

So, gonna kick it off.

So, whereas Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition and a variety of Olympic type sporting events for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, participate in a competitive environment, share skills and friendship with their families, other special Olympic athletes and community, and whereas the special Olympics movement promotes inclusion, awareness, and understanding in communities worldwide and inspires people of all abilities to achieve their full potential and whereas Minneapolis has a proud history of supporting special Olympics programs and celebrating the accomplishments of athletes in the community and whereas the Twin cities last hosted the special Olympics USA Games 35 years ago in nineteen ninety-one, and whereas Minneapolis recognizing the Special Olympics weeks provides our opportunity to honor the dedication, perseverance, and achievements of over 3,000 special Olympic athletes and 1,500 coaches and countless volunteers and supporters representing all 50 states and whereas the city of Minneapolis wishes every athlete and coach good luck as they participate in their respective events on the University of Minnesota campus and in the city of Blaine, our friendly neighbors to the north.

Now therefore, be it resolved.

The week of June twentieth through twenty sixth, twenty twenty six is hereby designated as Special Olympics Week in the city of Minneapolis.

All residents are encouraged to participate in activities and programs that promote awareness, inclusion, and support for special Olympics athletes.

The city of Minneapolis commends the efforts of all volunteers, coaches, and athletes involved in Special Olympics for their dedication to fostering courage, confidence, and community.

So seeing if any of our staff or community leaders will like to share a few words.

Thank you.

Well, thank you for having us.

Thank you for the resolution.

On behalf of the 3,500 athletes, 1,500 coaches, and almost 15,000 volunteers, our gratitude to the city of Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota for welcoming the USA Games, which happens every four years here to Minnesota and to Minneapolis.

Yes.

What started out as an idea just down the street 1500 days ago.

In nine days, we will welcome these amazing athletes from across the country to come in and celebrate the success of their capabilities through the warmth of Minnesota, receiving them and celebrating Living Unified.

This is an amazing activity.

We invite everyone in the community to come out, volunteer, support us, and cheer.

We are going to have an amazing event in the next week in the city of Minneapolis and the city of Blaine.

You're all welcome.

We'd love to see you there.

Thank you.

Finally, we will recognize Immigrant Heritage Month, World Refugee Day, and Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Okay, so I'll do the up here to right here.

You do towards it there and then does the ads of Amsterdam here.

All right, y'all, we're doing the last one.

We're honoring Immigrant Heritage Month, World Refugee Day, and Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Woo!

Whereas we recognize Minnesota Mokach Mokoche, Minnesota as the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe native nations, and honor the indigenous community who have stewarded this land since the beginning.

And whereas immigrants, refugees, and Caribbean American communities are an essential part of Minneapolis's social, cultural, economic, and civic life, bringing vision, talent, entrepreneurship, resilience, and care to every corner of the city, and whereas from neighborhood small businesses and restaurants to hospitals, schools, and construction sites, arts organizations, transit systems, and places of worship, immigrant and refugee communities help power and sustain Minneapolis every day.

And whereas the city recognizes that diversity is not a challenge to overcome, but one of Minneapolis' greatest strengths, creating a richer, more vibrant, more innovative, and more connected community.

And where Caribbean American residents carry forward histories of liberation, creativity, and cultural influence that continue to shape Minneapolis through music, food, storytelling, activism, interpretership, and community leadership.

And where whereas world refugee day recognize the courage, dignity, and preference of people forcing to flee war, violence, persecution, climate disaster, and stability, and honors the journey of those who rebuild their lives, communities with hope and determination.

And whereas immigrant heritage month is an opportunity to celebrate the stories, sacrifice, and dreams of immigrants whose pursuit of safety and opportunity and belonging reflect the endurance promise of more just and inclusive society, and whereas at a time where immigrant and refugee communities are facing heightened fear, harmful rhetoric, uh, family separation, over policing, and threats of their dignity and sense of belonging.

Whereas Minneapolis rejects xenophobia, racism, anti-blackness, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hate that seek to divide communities or diminish the humanity of immigrants and refugees, and whereas the city recognizes that welcoming immigrants and refugees strengthens neighborhoods, grows local businesses, expands cultural vitality, supports economic prosperity, and builds a more connected and resilient Minneapolis for future generations.

And whereas Minneapolis remains committed to ensuring meaningful language access, equitable access to city services, and opportunities for all residents to participate fully in civic and community life, regardless of immigration status or country of origin.

Whereas the city celebrates the youth, elders, families, and community leaders who continue to preserve cultural traditions, advocate for justice and create spaces of belonging and mutual care across Minneapolis.

And whereas the city acknowledges the leadership of immigrant and refugee-led organizations, cultural groups, and grassroots advocates who work every single day to protect human dignity, support new arrivals, and strengthen community trust in our solidarity.

And whereas Minneapolis believes that a welcoming city is one where all people, regardless of where they were born, are valued not only for what they contribute, but for their inherent humanity and the right to belong.

Now, therefore, be it resolved, the mayor and the city council do hereby recognize the month of June as Immigrant Heritage Month and Caribbean American Heritage Month, as well as June twentieth as World Refugee Day.

I also want to thank our employee resource group, NTR, Oyro for all their work, uh, especially during these very tough times for our community staff up here have done a tremendous work in supporting our immigrant neighbors, our refugee communities, uh, Caribbean American community members, and just want to at least thank our incredible city staff, not only for always holding it down with these resolutions, but for doing the work meant to keep families together and keep families safe.

So, wanna offer an opportunity for any staff member to say anything that they would like.

Okay.

Um hi everyone, my name is Sain up Meyer.

I use she her pronouns, and I am a community relations specialist with the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

Um we are housed in the neighborhood community relations department.

I want to thank you.

I want to thank all of you for recognizing immigrant heritage month and world refugee day with World Refugee Day, which is recognized um globally on June 20th, and Caribbean American Heritage Month this year.

I know we do it every year, but these resolutions send a clear message.

Um, please be sorry.

Regardless of where you are born, regardless of where you are.

Um, it sends the message that you belong here in Minneapolis and you matter, and your voices matter, um, or our voices matter, I should say.

With you wanna be connected to the Office of Immigrant Refugee Affairs, um please come connect with us.

You can find us at Minneapolis Mn.gov slash O-I-R-A.

I was told not to say OIRA because it smells really weird, but it's O-I-R-A.

Um, if you want to be connected to legal services for immigration legal services, or just want to celebrate immigrant heritage month this year, please connect with us.

Thank you.

Would anybody else like to say a few words?

Um I am proud to be a refugee immigrant and of course a U.S.

citizen.

And a representative of City uh Minneapolis and War Six.

I'm also really wanna uh give a shout out to uh NCR, our immigrants office, and all city departments and city employees who stood up with us and a special shout out to all the neighbor neighbors that stood up with us on December and January when I see invaded in our city and stand with immigrants.

Thank you so much, and the bottom of our heart, thank you so much, and we belong here.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah, we can use my fire.

How high?

Thank you.

Thank you for coming up.

And thank you so much for this.

Thank you, everyone.

At this time, I'm gonna call this regular meeting of the city council for June 11th order.

The clerk will call the roll.

Present.

Councilmember Ponisano.

Present.

Council Member Chavez.

Present.

Councilmember Warren.

Present.

Council Member Schaefer.

Present.

Council Member Wansley.

Present.

Council Member Shugtai.

Present.

Council Member White.

Present.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Present.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Present.

Councilmember Rainville.

Vice President Osman.

Present.

President Payne.

Present.

There are 13 members present.

Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.

Before we begin the meeting, let me remind all members and staff that this meeting is broadcast to enable greater public participation.

The broadcast includes real crime real-time captioning as a means 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 the captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.

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

With that, the agenda for today's meeting is before us.

Before I ask for amendments, a note for my colleagues in the public that we have a meeting of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency or MCDA today.

Also, notice for 9 30 a.m.

The MCDA as it is comprised of the same 13 members of the city council will conduct its business immediately prior to the item slated for closed session on today's agenda.

With that, I'll move approval of the council's agenda.

Are there any amendments to the agenda?

Councilmember Chuck Tai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I want to move an amendment to the agenda to include under the order of new business as item new business item number seven, a amendment to the 2026 general appropriation resolution related to the uh uptown art fair and the Meet Minneapolis contract.

I'll ask for a second.

Councilmember Chugtai has moved to amend the agenda, and that's been seconded.

Uh, recognize Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I would like to I have three different items.

The first one is I'd like to amend the agenda to include under order of due business a grant application to the federal emergency management agency.

I have another one uh regarding to the condemning the ICE funding in Congress, and then another one related to 38th Street Thrive Plan.

And I would motion to add those under new business altogether.

Councilmember Chavez has moved to amend the agenda adding uh three items.

Is there a second?

Second.

That's been moved and seconded.

Uh, Councilmember Palmasano.

Mr.

President, I'd like to just address walk-on items at full council in general.

Um, while all five of these items that I didn't see until 6 p.m.

last night have merit.

Only one of them, the safer grant, I see as truly time-sensitive.

There is no reason the others couldn't wait and be put through a normal committee process.

At our strategic planning sessions, we agreed to norms and practices that allow us to follow known and predictable processes.

At the beginning of each meeting, we talk about enabling public participation better.

I'm not here to hold all these items up, and I will certainly agree to add them to the agenda here today, but I think we need to start the conversation about how we codify our strategic conduct agreements.

I'll remind my colleagues that in California there's an open meeting law called the Brown Act that requires agendas of public bodies like ours to be published 72 hours in advance, and absent in emergency, there are no additional items allowed.

Now I don't think that's necessary, but in the past, former council presidents made it clear what critical means and what a walk-on at full city council means.

That there's a certain level of risk if we don't walk something on and get that business finalized.

I think we should work on something that suits us here in 2026.

This level of walk-on items mean that standards and deadlines, and frankly, committee meetings are simply optional.

It means the public can't rely on publicly posted agendas.

Um President Payne would like to work with you on this in the future.

Happy to work with you on that, Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I just like to add context into what these items are just so the public knows.

Uh the Trump administration and the House Republicans and Senate majority led by Republicans in Congress just passed a nearly 70 billion dollar funding bill for ice and border patrol.

That was just finalized a couple days ago.

And the one of the resolutions I'm saying is that this body does not support that action.

I don't want to wait till next week for this body to say collectively united that we oppose ICE and this funding that is gonna impact our undocumented neighbors across the city.

So that's context for one of them.

The other one, we heard many neighbors come testify when it came to the assessments for George Floyd Square and the project.

The legislative directive that I'm bringing forward as a walk-on is asking for an update on the plan for the 30th Street Thrive plan and an update on the budget amendment that we authorized and adopted unanimously as a city council in December.

So we're trying to be responsive to the concerns that community members are advocating for, which is what is a plan for 38 C Thrive.

What are we doing with the funding that we allocated in December?

And then the last walk-on item is a walk-on for the fire department that reached out to my office, and that if I wouldn't have been able to alert them that if this wasn't passed today, it likely would mean that they wouldn't be able to apply to a grant application.

So that is very much important.

So I understand the need for protocols and rules and stuff, but I think context matters, and in this context, ICE literally is getting a 70 billion dollar check for our our from our country to impact our undocumented neighbors.

Community members came here and told us what are we doing about the 30th Street Thrive plan.

We have nothing to show for it.

I'm asking for a plan and an update.

And our staff from the fire department is asking us to allow them to apply to this grant application.

So I just want to give context of what these items are, and I'm not the only one doing this today.

There's many others.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just wanted to uh note the procedural angle and also highlight the fact that we're making a problem out of nothing actually in this case.

Um walk-ons is allowable in our legislative process.

I don't know where it's been stated that it's not.

Um, it is of course preferred that we move work through our respective committees.

But what I will name, and maybe this is um uh a moment of reflection for those who don't relate to the committees as much or push work through their respective committees um as much, but I will name every single council member who are bringing walk-ons, also have moved substantial work through committees that we are taking up today and are continuously producing um policies, budget appropriations, all in response to the urgent needs of their respective constituents, and that includes myself.

Um, so I am proud of the fact that we have council members who can do both in, they can both move work and move presentations and create spaces for community within their respective committees, and also say, hey, we're hearing things in between that.

Let's bring that to the forefront of the full council and have that be part of our agenda.

Also procedurally, every single council member in order for us to even do a walk-on has to work with our city attorneys, the city clerk, so it is verified and it will be added to the agenda afterwards.

So again, I think this is one where we're creating um issues out of nothing.

Um, and I want to say thank you to our colleagues who constantly do hold a high standard of being some of the most productive council members on this body, and that is why you see walk-offs, and that's also why you see robust committee agendas that's filled with legislative directives, budget appropriations, and those are in in indicators that you have council members who are actually working for you.

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

Well, actually, um, is there a motion to adopt the agenda as amended?

So move.

Second, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll councilmember veto.

Aye, council member Palmasano, aye, Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren, aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye, Council Member Wandsley, aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting, aye, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the agenda is adopted as amended.

The next item is acceptance of the minutes from our regular meeting of May 21st.

May I have a motion to accept those minutes?

So second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the minutes have been accepted.

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

May I have that motion, please?

So move.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Shavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

All right.

Vice President Osmond.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and those matters have been referred.

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

Those are taken in alphabetical order, beginning with the report of our uh budget committee, which is given by the committee's chair, Councilmember Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The budget committee is bringing forward two items for approval today.

Item number one approves a staff direction to the legislative research and oversight division of the legislative department to research a potential payment in lieu of taxes or pilot program.

And item number two accepts a donation from Strive Together for interim deputy city operations officer Katie Topinka to attend the Strive Together 2026 Policy Summit and City Accelerator Cohort Meetings.

I'll move approval of these items.

Councilmember Chucktai has moved approval of the committee report.

Is there any discussion?

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you.

Um, President Payne.

I just wanted to uh highlight something about the gift acceptance that I think is like a good practice as we're trying to stay um within the guidelines of our financial policy about gift acceptances coming ahead.

Uh, was able to have conversations uh with staff um about the travel for director Topinka, and we were able to move it to a committee budget committee ahead of the date of the travel so we could at least have a form of consent from this body ahead of travel, and I think that was a way for us to um address something very nimbly and just take opportunities in committee.

And I think I think that should be rare, but it is a way for us to further work together on addressing gift acceptances, especially if they're um coming close to deadline.

There is plenty committee opportunities, and I think that's something as leadership uh you should also consider in terms of making sure we feel organized about that moving forward.

So just wanted to express some gratitude for that since we've been talking about gift acceptance and financial policy the last couple meetings.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on the budget report.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Palmesani.

Aye.

Council Member Shaves, Council Member Warren, aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the report is adopted.

The next report is from our business housing and zoning committee given by that committee's chair, Vice President Osman.

Thank you, President Payne.

Bis committee is bringing forward 18 items today.

Item one approves expansion of premises of for mestizo.

Item two approves a liquor license for Blisbury Club.

Item three is an extended hours of operation obligation for tobacco.

This was sent forward without recommendation.

Item four and five were license verification for the same business university tobacco.

I'll move to delete these items from agenda due to their clearance.

The letter is coming from earlier this week.

Item six approves sidewalk cafe license for Yellowbird Cafe Bar.

Item seven authorize the land sale for 34 houses of a part of the Minneapolis homes of finance program.

Item eight approves seven liquor license.

Item nine approves twenty-four liquor license renewals.

Item 10 authorizes an amendment to the stable homes stable schools contract.

Item 11 authorize a contract amendment for the art fund initiative.

Item 12 approves affordable housing finance for Northview Project.

Item 13 authorizes a program changes for the home improvement program.

Item 14 authorizes a grade street gap loan to Marcado Central.

Item 15 approves 11 appointments to the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Housing.

Item 16 approves amendment to our conduit bond policy.

Item 17 denies exclusive development rights to Minnesota Agabe movement.

And lastly, item 18 approves a legislative direct related to the Heritage Park.

With that, I'll move to delete item four and five and move to denies item 17 and move approval for all other items.

Thank you.

Vice President Osman has moved approval of the committee's report, including the deletion of items four and five and the denial of item number 17.

Is there any discussion?

Councilmember Warren.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I am would like to pull item number 18 for the legislative directive as it pertains to Heritage Park to report to Committee of the Whole no later than the um August 4th.

I mean July 27th, I'm sorry.

Um we have that printout here.

I think we can take it up with consent if uh there's no objection by the uh body.

Seeing no objection, um, let's take up uh item number 18 with the amendments that were provided.

Uh is there any discussion on the remainder of this report?

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of the report, including the deletion of item four and five, the denial of item number 17, and um the amendment for item 18.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Um Councilmember Pomasano, aye, Councilmember Chavez.

Aye, Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Is absent.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye and all items no on 17.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

We're voting on the business housing and zoning committee four and five are to be deleted.

17 is to deny, and there's a number 18.

Councilmember Fietal.

Councilmember Vita?

Thank you.

I'm having a problem with the screen.

I didn't think 17.

Is 17 the agape?

Yeah, we pulled out.

Okay.

So you want to pull out.

We can pull that out for a separate vote.

Um once again, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the approval of the committee report.

With the deletion of item four and five, the amendment of item 18 and pulling out 17 for a separate vote.

And discussion.

The clerk will call roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Shabbat.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries.

Next, we will take up item number 17, and I will check the queue for any discussion.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Thank you.

Sorry, give me a second.

Yep, yep.

This process has been so extremely painful for everyone involved.

Uh there was little to no transparency on major decisions and steps.

Community input is touted and derided.

Positions are fought in the media and overflowing in community meetings.

The city of Minneapolis started all of this with the murder of George Floyd, and then was tasked with facilitating the process of reimagining, rebuilding, and trying to heal the community.

That recipe for disaster has yielded so much ongoing pain, delay, and trust breakdown.

Community members, elected officials, George Floyd's family, and movements have been pitted against each other and between each other.

This vote to deny the recommendation is painful as well, but it is also the right thing to do.

This is not the right plan or timeline for the people's way.

Community input was clear this was not the path forward, and if we're going to take the time to get community feedback, we should follow it just like we did with the street reconstruction.

Not including George Floyd's family is not the right path.

CM Chavez, Councilmember Chavez, and I have reached out to the mayor to sit down and talk about a way that we can move forward on this on the same page.

Council members have reached out and offered their assistance in breaking the impasse in helping our community move together.

Thank you.

So I'm asking my colleagues to vote yes to deny this recommendation.

Then I'm asking for folks in City Hall and in the community to put our battles aside and work together, not against each other.

George Floyd Square, the People's Way, and the 38th Corridor are crucial to our store, our city's story and our future.

We can figure this out together.

Council members, community members, George Floyd's family and partners.

Thank you.

I'll recognize Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Vice President Osman.

Colleagues, I want to begin by reminding us that George Floyd Square is a sacred space and that the community build the people's way through years of grief, organizing and hope for a better future.

The process into the selection of development rights must be transparent and it needs to have community buy-in in order to be successful.

Our community was previously promised that the selection of the developer would be made in May 2025 for the people's way at George Floyd Square.

Unfortunately, you have heard many frustrations from community members across different beliefs here that that did not happen and that it is frustrating.

Much of the feedback that my office has received since a decision was made, has been frustration and distrust in the process.

In April 2025, the city of Minneapolis receives access to the results of a city commission survey to understand stakeholder opinions on the redevelopment of the people's way.

The survey results showed us that the path being ushered today, and this vote today is not in alignment with the community, and it also was not presented to us until a year later.

That being said, I think it is important that we figure this out.

So we hope that you all will join us here in Warder and Ward 9 voting this down and have confidence in us trying to figure this out.

Alright.

Next, I'll recognize Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, Vice President Osman.

So when the city purchased this site, it made a public commitment to the community that they would participate in reparative justice and honor the vision of this site being transformed into both a permanent memorial and into a hub for racial healing.

And that was a promise that the city made that if the community engaged with the city in a genuine way, the city would not just listen but would take the lead of the community.

Yet the city absolutely fumbled this process from start to finish.

And I have spent my entire time on city council doing thorough oversight over the Fry administration's procurement processes, but I have never seen a contract mishandle in the unique the unique way that this one was.

An outpour of outreach from community members to city council members about why the city had delayed announcing a developer, and that they also had never seen such a thing happen with other contracts.

And the Fryer administration didn't provide a reasoning to council members, so we had no answers to give to community.

And there was a complete shutdown of information to the council, to the community, and to the applicants who spent time and their resources actually engaging in what was supposed to be a very authentic and serious process about how we transform the people's way into a racial healing hub.

And I'm also I'm unaware of any other city RFP having a one-year delay of announcing a selection as we saw be played out in this case.

So now, despite the promises for this to be a restorative and reparative process, we are now in a situation where the administration decided to ignore the community.

And city council members are being asked if this selection was due to political patronage, because there's no other plausible reason for why this proposal would be granted.

And the city staff has even publicly acknowledged that they also don't believe the plan that was brought forward by the chosen vendor agape, they don't believe their development plan was feasible.

The community surveyed also conveyed a preference for another developer.

And with all these acknowledgments made, I don't understand how this recommendation got before us today.

And I want to recognize that there was significant harm done by the administration in these actions because it fosters further lack of credibility and trust between the city and the community.

And this is also why I did not want to see the city be the final decision maker in this election because we do not have a good track record of delivering on promises to community members when it comes to the handling of site selections, especially when there's issues around racial harm at hand.

And the proposal before us today essentially show it's a reflective of those broader problems within the city, and the proposal in itself also has been found to not be both fiscally and legally viable in addition to not being in alignment with the community's vision or the city's vision for this site.

Um I want to name that I've brought my concerns about the many inadequacies that we've seen be played out in the procurement process around this contract.

I brought those concerns to the city auditor, and I look forward to advancing next steps because this should not happen again.

And this should not have happened in the first place.

But in the meantime, community members have already suggested pathways forward.

I know I'm committed to working with my colleagues and doing everything that we can to honor the commitments that have been made.

Um and I do urge, as my colleagues who represent George Floyd Square have acknowledged, I do hope the Fry Administration takes this as an opportunity to listen and propose actions that do reflect what residents have been demanding and organizing and has actually worked collaboratively with the city to accomplish for years.

That's it.

Councilmember of Utah.

Thank you, President Payne.

You know, I've never really said much about um what's happening at George Floyd Square because it's not my ward, and I I really do respect that the leaders who were elected to serve that area have been vocal, have been um, you know, engaging us.

And thank you, council member Chavez and Stevenson for this last week just having conversations with me about the future of George Floyd Square and how you want to work collectively to do something.

I will say that I'm very disappointed in where we are today on this particular building.

I have really hoped that as a city, as an area, you know, I go to George Floyd Square, and it's a place of acceptance, it's a place of love, it's a place of unity.

And I was really hoping that this project would have reflected that love, unity, and acceptance.

And there are groups that have done phenomenal work in that area for six years to make sure that when you walk there, that's what you feel, that's what you see.

And I thought this project could be that.

I thought this would be an amazing thing for us to come together on, not only as a city, but the women, the people who are there protecting and preserving the legacy of um the violence that's happened there and and the impact.

And you know, I I wholeheartedly support agape because I know that they are one of many who could do that.

There are so many brilliant folks over there who are hurting, who have a vision.

And I I just think sometimes when we're grieving and when things are always heightened, and the city plays a role in that.

This stuff never comes out like in unity.

We we haven't done you all right.

Like most of you are here today because you're stressed about an assessment, and that's not okay.

There's so many things that have been prolonged and politicized.

And this is the one thing we can't let that happen as a community.

This is in honor of a man who lost his life.

If you ever talk to me, you ask anyone.

I've always said I think that this space should be the Daniela Frazier Youth Community Center with a community garden on the rooftop to teach kids how to garden.

As a gardener, I would love to show kids how to grow Dahlias or some of my favorite flowers.

You know, we need a community room there.

I have a vision, but you all do too.

What I want out of this is for us to truly come together.

This is how you show people how to get things done.

This is the one project that we can all work together in love and collaboration and really build something amazing on this corridor that reflects all of us, that reflects what our city has been through and the future of our city.

This is it.

And we have to stop fighting about it, we have to stop politicizing it.

We have to come together and say, we're gonna show the world.

When they come to this area, we're gonna show the world that something terrible happened, but look what we built out of it.

And I know we can do it.

I believe in every single person that's ever stepped foot in that area, every single person that has spent time building what is there now.

I think about the celebrations you all just had in the last couple of weeks.

We need a place where we can have a celebration whenever we decide to.

It doesn't have to be in memory of the day that that tragedy.

We need to just say, Friday, we're celebrating on the corner of 38th in Chicago.

And we need a space that is safe, that is welcoming, that is loving, that brings and showcases this community together.

So I've committed to working on this.

I've committed to making sure that every single person over there is heard.

We don't always get everything we want, but I think we can do this.

I really believe in the community.

I believe in the strength of us.

I believe that we can get it funded.

I believe that we're all gonna celebrate.

There's gonna be a huge ribbon-cutting ceremony.

There's gonna be, it it'll be the place.

As a north sider, I want it to be the place that I want to go to.

And I know we can do it.

We're gonna do it.

So I I the only reason why I'm speaking here today is because I want you all to know that this is something that we're working on.

We will never ever, ever forget what happened to George Floyd.

But his memory can be elevated in this space, and I think we all owe it to him, his family, the young woman who captured the video to show us what happened.

Where is she in this conversation?

She's a young woman in our community, and I would love for us to sit down with her and ask her what is her legacy.

She gave something to us.

What are we giving back to her as a community?

This is about us collectively, and I want this to be a celebration for our community because we deserve it.

Everything we've been through, we deserve something spectacular that will help us to never forget what happened to us and what the this is what showcased us in the worst way possible, but we show the world how we come together in support of each other, and I want this to ultimately be that.

So I am deeply committed to making sure that everything I said today and everything you are saying to me happens.

And I just want you all to know that we can do it, and I hope, starting today, we build on that and we make this spectacular.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Well, thank you, Councilmember Vita, for really casting a vision of where we can head together in unity.

And my simple point that I want to bring forward at this point in time is that you know we all have responsibility for moving this forward together.

And that means that we need to be able to represent and and look in lean into the representation of wards eight and wards nine and see what they have a vision for, but at the same time, really want to encourage my colleagues that this is the time to lead.

This is the time to get your team.

If we make this motion to deny, this is the time to move forward immediately.

We cannot have any further delay.

We cannot continue to wonder what's gonna happen.

If this is the not the right step from those that are for frontline elected representation from your point of view, then we've got to really move forward.

And that's my commitment to the community that we can continue to move this forward in a timely fashion and not continue to have delays.

But thank you for everyone who has worked on this for all the community members, and I look forward to being able to celebrate uh some time together in this space.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Importantly, um I just want to reiterate what was already said by those that represent this immediate area because it deserves reiteration.

You reached out to work together on how to still move this forward.

Not to stall it for another year, but how to move it forward, albeit in a different way than the motion that was brought forward today.

Um the city purchased this property in 2023.

Sometimes I needed to be reminded of that because it really wasn't that long ago.

Um it has taken us three years to get to this point, and I understand there are competing visions and choices that at some point had to be made, and I do appreciate the mayor and city staff for making a choice.

Um I would like to see development that will bring economic investment and opportunity to this community and hopefully even some affordable housing.

But my fear about denying this item this past couple weeks would be to be starting over again.

But I had some very good conversation with councilmember Stevenson about that yesterday.

Um I'll be voting in accordance with that conversation.

I wonder if there is a way to salvage this and move forward.

Um in short order.

I'd like to know after you have those conversations, what we should do differently, how we should open up proposals.

Um I think we need ideas of of others with experience in development.

This is a valuable site for the community, and I want us to utilize it to its fullest capacity.

Councilmember Whiting.

Thank you, President Payne, and thank you to my colleagues.

Uh, I think uh rightly and have correctly noted uh this is a moment um particularly for for collaboration and unity on this specific spot.

I think all of us in the city of Minneapolis understand uh what this site means to to many of us.

I know many of us uh got into public service because of the murder of George Floyd.

Um, particularly I want to kind of talk about uh the logistics of what this does.

I think there is there is confusion around uh what this denial actually does and what moving forward uh with this uh with the the proposed uh amendment or sorry the uh recommendation would do uh, right?

If this this proposal as as recommended move forward, uh Agape would have two years and then uh up to an extra year uh to kind of develop out the out a site attached to that, just looking at kind of our term sheets.

This is not an unsophisticated development.

Um, this is requires a lot of environmental remediation uh along with kind of the permitting process that can take years to kind of build out a development of that.

And so when we talk about these things, we also have to understand we don't uh want to set up community setup uh our version of development, the city's version, this community's version of development to be uh to kind of not meet what this actually should be.

Um, and so I think when we speak about this and and seeing this as as you know, it sounds like this will probably move forward with a denial, um, making sure that in conversation with uh council member Stevenson and Councilmember Chavez, along with the mayor, uh, we figure out how best to set this up for success.

I think every single one of us in this room uh on this dais wants to see this move forward in a way that is successful, like Council Councilmember Vitas said, uh, that meets the moment uh and is spectacular in that.

And so I think we also have to to come to an understanding that this is this is a a process in a logistic logistics that is deeper than just hey, let's figure this out, right?

This is requires uh a level of of understanding um and experience that will meet this development because it this is a this is a a site that has a lot of requirements around as well.

And so I know I'm looking forward to those hearing about those conversations, and I know this body is as well.

So thank you.

Councilmember Charlie.

Thank you, President Payne.

I'll keep my remarks brief.

Um I spoke to this in the climate and infrastructure committee, and I'm seeing several of the community members that were there at that meeting here again.

Um thank you for coming to City Hall.

I know it is really out of the way, and it's been uh it's been a tough week over at the square.

So I just appreciate you coming back down here.

And again, like I hope we can come together in a moment of something positive and something bright rather than having to continue to mull through conflict and community feeling unheard.

Um, like I said, in climate and infrastructure, community needs to get a break.

This area, the black community, the indigenous community, everyone that's in 38th in Chicago need to get a break, and the city of Minneapolis absolutely has a role in providing that.

Um, just want to take a second to thank Councilmember Chavez and Councilmember Stevenson.

They really have been up here talking to each and every council member and trying to move us forward.

Um, a few things that I feel is really necessary is there needs to be just better communication and leaning in within the city here.

Our CPED department, our public works department, city council, mayor's office, and I think there is a friction there that community is ultimately feeling.

So that needs to be number one.

There needs to be a way for us to streamline a way to do this positively, and that's the work that's on us.

Um and the other thing that I hear is that community needs to be a part of deciding the process in terms of selecting the the organization, organizations, however, this will go for the people's way.

There needs to be more collaboration, and the other thing, and where my support for denying this application today comes from is the survey results were very clear.

This does not have democratic support from the neighborhood, and it's the people's way after all, and there isn't clear consensus, and I think that's something many of us can agree, and that's what we're seeing.

And we need to do this right.

This has to have the trust of the community because the city of Minneapolis cannot supplement that trust.

The city of Minneapolis has been a part of breaking that trust.

And lastly, one thing we can do, and one thing I'm hoping we will do today is looking at that special assessment.

We're gonna talk about that in our next committee report, but also bringing investment into 38th in Chicago.

It's been a very, very long time.

It's time for the city to put their money where their mouth is and make it happen and do it in partnership with the community.

Councilmember Warren.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I just have a question of clarification.

So as we are voting at this time, if we are um looking to vote yes or no, I mean, does this it's gonna start this process all over again on behalf of what's happening?

Can someone provide me with some context?

Of what exactly is because I'm confused right at this particular moment, and I just need some clarity.

So voting yes on the denial would end this process, and then we would be we could do the same process over, we could do an entirely new process, we could do something else.

So a vote yes is to end this current process, a vote no uh is to continue this current process.

That's the decision we have before us.

Okay, thank you for um the clarification on that.

And can I just um ask one more small question?

So then how long will the process be after this?

Is this gonna be or we do we know what the response time will look like when we acquired the land in 2023?

Um we're approaching 27.

So I'm inviting Director Hansen up to speak to that.

Thank you, kindly.

Council President.

Uh Council President, members of the city council.

My name is Eric Hansen.

I am the director of community planning and economic development.

And to answer your question, Councilmember Warren.

Yes, the um if the body decides to uh vote to deny it, it would end that RFQ process, the request for qualifications process.

Um we have talked to council members uh Chavez and uh Stevenson about a meeting with the mayor next week where we would plot out another path forward.

Um, if that is the will of the body, I'm gonna let you guys vote and then we'll get to the mayor.

Um, uh, but if we're having that meeting, we'll be setting out the process uh for what to do with it.

So we're going into that, potentially if we have that conversation, we're going to with an open mind about um uh what will be the the most prudent way to move it forward.

There is time involved in the development process, as I think I've heard council member whiting, this is just as all development processes are there, there is a complicating factors in taking a um vacant uh uh property and moving it into some other use.

Um there are a lot of technical uh steps that they have to take, those are all the the conventional ones are in the term sheet that you see in the RCA for this for this project.

Those those those steps would still have to uh we'd still have to take those steps, and if there is interest in, you know, we know that there's some interest in the community for a more community robust participation in the process, um uh that would take some time as well.

So, as far as the exact moment in time of how long it would take to come back to the council, it's um uncertain at this moment.

Thank you for that, Director Hansen.

Councilmember Chavez.

Uh, thank you, Council President Payne, and uh thanks for that question, Councilmember Warren.

I think the other part is that Councilmember Stevenson and I have committed to meeting with the mayor, and so once that meeting happens, we're more than happy to update members of this body who wish to be updated on how those conversations go so we can get a better picture of what that could look like.

So it's hard to give a specific timeline when we are gonna have that meeting next week, seeing no one else in queue on the motion to deny item number 17.

The clerk will call the roll.

There's no there's no audience participation here.

On the motion to delete item number 17, the court will call the roll.

Councilmember Vito.

No, Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez, aye.

Council Member Warren, abstention.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shuktai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Nay.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 10 ayes, two nays, and one abstention.

That motion carries, and that completes the biz report.

The next report is from our climate and infrastructure committee, which will be presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

The Climate and Infrastructure Committee has 17 items to bring forward.

The first is the Loring Park Resturfacing project approval and Assessment.

Number two is the 38th Street in Chicago Avenue Street Reconstruction Project Approval Assessment and Area Way Abandonment.

I will be moving this separately.

Number three is a grant application for the 2026 Metropolitan Council regional solicitation for federal transportation funds and active transportation solicitation for regional sales and use of tax funds.

Number four is agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for Whittier safe to routes to school phase two project.

Five is a bid for Nicolette F planting and maintenance.

Six is a bid for rental of heavy equipment with operators.

Seven is a bid for rental of heavy equipment without operator.

Eight is a bid for 2026 cleaning and lining restoration only project.

Number nine is a bid for the Third Street North Sanitary Sewer Reconstruction Project.

10 is a contract amendment with Mangar Construction Companies Inc.

for the Boston Terrace Sanitary and Storm Sewer Improvements Project.

11 is a contract amendment with Morcon Construction Inc.

for the Federal Courthouse Parking Ramp Security Improvements Project.

12 is contract amendment with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.

for engineering and design services for the second street north bikeway project.

13 is a contract amendment with PCI Rhodes LLC for the Golden Valley Butterfly Bow Installation Project.

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

15, the 612 days block event permit, June 12, 2026.

16 is the lease amendment with the Minnesota Department of Transfer Transportation for Space at 516 2nd Avenue North Ramp B.

17 is a grant and gift acceptance for the railroad crossing elimination grant for Camden Railroad Gray Separation Project Study.

I will move approval of this report with the exception of item number two for a separate discussion and uh vote.

Councilmember Wandsley has moved approval of the committee report minus item number two.

Is there any discussion on the remainder of the report?

I see councilmember Stevenson in cube.

Is that for item two?

Um I had a question for item number two.

Um I want to break uh one, two, and three into one and two separately and three on its own, and I'm not sure if I do that now or later.

We'll do that when we get to the item.

Thank you.

Uh any discussion on the remainder of the report.

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll on the CNI report minus item number two.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

All right.

Councilmember Warren.

Hi.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Hi.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Childry.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

Those items carry.

Next we will take up item number two.

And I'll just restate Councilmember Stevenson.

You were wanting to take up items sub-item 2.1 and 2.2 together.

And then item three as a separate vote.

Yes.

Okay.

Is there any discussion on items 2.1 and 2.2?

Councilmember Stevenson.

Items 2.1 and 2.2.

I just want to correct for people in the audience and and the council.

This has been very confusing.

So I just wanted to lay out 2.1 and 2.2 are the portions that would levy the special assessment against the property owners.

2.3 is unrelated, and it's something that public works needs in order to continue with construction aside from the special assessment.

So with that being said, I will be voting against 2.1 and 2.2, and I will be voting for 2.3.

But right now we're taking up 2.1 and 2.2.

A special assessment in the reconstruction of the streets of George Floyd Square is not right.

This is a reconstruction project that is not like, sorry, not like any other that has come before it, and it is not like any other that will come after it.

This is a unique situation, and we should not be levying the property owners and the businesses and the homeowners with this special assessment given that the murder of George Floyd happened here.

This project has been billed for so long as something that the city was doing for the community, and you can't do something for the community and then charge them for it as a way of recompense for uh the murder of George Floyd.

And so I think there is a lot of agreement on this body, and I don't I don't know that I need to get into that, but I just need to say that this is not like any other street reconstruction project.

It is not right in this case for us to levy this special assessment against those involved, uh, given the amount of pain and heartache that they have gone through for the last six years alone.

Um I ask my colleagues to join me in voting no on 2.1 and 2.2 and voting yes on 2.3.

Uh before I recognize Councilmember Chavez.

Uh I'm getting word from the clerks that the probably the appropriate motion here would be to move to deny 2.1 and 2.2.

Would you like to make that motion?

Yes, please.

Is there a second to that motion?

Second.

Okay, I'll recognize Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

Colleagues, I hope you'll join me and Councilmember Stevenson and voting to not assess the property owners for 38th and Chicago Reconstruction Project.

This is a reasonable ask based on the unprecedented and unique situation at George Floyd Square.

Our neighbors and small business owners have also united on this particular issue.

In particular, I'm thankful for both Ward 8 and Ward 9 neighbors who had been reaching out, and I hope that you feel heard today on this issue.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um, I just wanted to give um kudos to Councilmember Shabeth and Stevenson for uh taking the time to work together and really listen to community who showed up and gave ample input at our public hearing and climate infrastructure on this item about how absolutely what's already been echo.

Why will we um charge residents um to help upgrade an area that they did not help perpetuate harm against or perpetuate divestment into?

Um so I just want to say thank you to our colleagues and also to our public works uh leadership and staff um for uh working together and really getting to this place, but also subsequently uh moving forward in how we're gonna cover um the difference of what we're waiving today.

So I just wanted to acknowledge you all's leadership in getting us to this place where I do feel like out of all the the decisions we made today, this is one that is in full in alignment with what our communities came and asked of us.

Um so that's why I'll be supporting the motion and just wanted to say thank you both.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you.

I agree this is a unique situation, and I'm in agreement to cover the street assessments um in a different way, and I appreciate public works help in getting us there.

It feels like it's just the thing to do in this extraordinary situation.

Um, but I also want to make it clear for the record that this is a one-time solution.

Street assessments are laid out in ordinance and they're reflective of a direct benefit to the property.

None of us wants to pay them, but our properties are improved, and I support the property owners need to pay a portion of that cost in the work.

Um, let's not forget that assessments in general are a very small portion of cost.

Um, our general fund, the sale of bonds and grants and et cetera, covers all of the rest.

Councilmember Rainville.

Uh thank you.

And again, uh I'm a complete agreement uh agreeing with everyone else that this is unique circumstance.

I do want to thank Councilmember Chavez and Councilmember Sorensen for uh the lead on this.

And I look forward, and I'm gonna hold you both uh to working out uh all the other details for George Voice Square.

So thank you for volunteering, but let's go forward and be unified.

Thank you.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Um I I forgot to mention that I think it's important to mention that this lat remaining 4% will be paid with MSA funds, and that'll be corrected in the mayor's 2027 budget.

And we worked with uh city staff in order to do that.

So the project is moving forward.

Um construction is happening right now.

I I woke up to the sound of construction this morning.

Um so the the project is happening and it will be paid for uh and it's not cutting any services or or any um other projects.

Uh the the money was left over funds from uh MSA funds.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue.

There is a motion to deny items 2.1 and 2.2.

That is to deny the um assessment at George Floyd Square.

I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Yeah, Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Is absent.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That motion carries.

And next we will take up item 2.3.

Did you want to speak to this, Councilmember Stevenson?

Yes, please.

Just to clarify.

Item number three, considering a resolution ordering the abandonment and removal of areaways located in the public right-of-way in conflict with the project.

City staff has told me that this refers to things underground, like old uh ice boxes that would be underground in the city's right-of-way.

This is not referring to the FIS, to the memorials, to any of the artifacts.

That is not what this is referring to.

The reason we are voting, or that at least I will be voting yes on this is that this is uh required in order for construction to move on smoothly and in order for these old relics to be taken out and for the city to be able to legally do that.

Um so I will be voting yes on this because this will help construction uh move smoothly, and I I encourage my colleagues to also do that.

And again, this is not about the memorials and the artifacts.

Very helpful clarification.

Uh I'll note we've been joined by Vice President Osman and uh without objection.

Uh the clerks could you record him as an aye for items 2.1 and 2.2 denial.

Okay.

Seeing no one else after the queue on item 2.3.

I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wongsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the report is adopted.

Next, we'll have the report of our committee of the whole given by that committee's chair, Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, President Payne.

The committee of the whole is bringing forward four items for today's council meeting.

Item one is a contract amendment with exceptional edge consulting for MPD.

Item two is a contract amendment with the first response actors for MPD.

Item three is another contract amendment with DLG consulting, advisory services for MPD.

And lastly, item four is an honorary resolution recognizing June as gun violence awareness month in the city of Minneapolis.

I'll also recognize that items one through three were a part of our settlement agreement subcommittee chaired by councilmember Whiting.

Just want to shout out him for uh doing a good job chairing that meeting.

With that, I'll go ahead and move all items for approval.

Seeing no one in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the report is adopted.

Next is the report of our Enterprise and Labor Relations Committee, which will be presented by its chair, Councilmember Palmasano.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The ELR committee has 12 items to bring forward.

Item number one is a gift acceptance from local progress for Councilmember Wansley.

Item number two is the American the AmeriCorps program to host five VISTAM members for the next five years.

Item number three is the Hiawatha Public Works Maintenance Facility Expansion Project, reapproving project authorizations and appropriations and bond issuances.

Item number four is a contract with Deloitte for benefits consulting and actuarial services.

Item number five is a contract with multiple vendors to provide temporary staffing services.

Item number six is a contract amendment with principal financial group for custodial banking services.

Item number seven, a contract amendment with environmental systems research institute for support and maintenance of our GIS system, our geographic information system.

Item number eight is a contract amendment with Shaw Lundquist for City Hall Restack Phase Three.

Item number nine is a legal settlement, a workers' compensation claim of Stephen Morris.

Item number 10 is a workers' compensation claim of Tracy Turbo.

Item number eleven is approval of the 2026 City of Minneapolis Open Streets Events.

Item number 12 is the 2026 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Report.

I will move approval of this full report.

Councilmember Palmasano has moved approval of the committee's report.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Is absent.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries and the report is adopted.

Next we have the Intergovernmental Relations Committee presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Chowdhury.

The Intergovernmental Relations Committee is bringing forward one item for today's council meeting.

This item is approving a special law for employee related to the public employees retirement association or pair.

I will move this item forward for approval.

Second.

Councilmember Chowdhury has moved approval of the committee's report.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries, and the report is adopted.

Finally, we have the Public Health Safety and Equity Committee, which will be presented by that committee's chair, Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The public health safety and equity committee is bringing forward 10 items.

Item number one is an ordinance related to law enforcement agency agreement.

Item number two deletes for neighborhood association.

Item number four authorizes a contract with trajectory training solutions for violence prevention services.

Item number five authorizes contract amendments with Restoration Inc., Metro Youth Diversion and Touch Outreach for 2026 Minneapolis Strategic Outreach Initiative Services.

Item number six accepts the urban area security initiative grant for enhancing emergency management capabilities and authorizes an agreement with the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the Grant.

Item number seven accepts the emergency management performance grant for emergencies and disasters and authorizes an agreement with the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the Grant.

Item number nine approves of Eat Street Crossing Amplified Sound Permit Extension for June 12th, July 10th, August 1st, August 28th.

And item number 10 authorizes a contract with community action partnership of Henry McCounty for direct energy assistance and administration.

Is there any discussion?

Sorry.

Councilmember Chucktai.

The incumbent um resigning.

Yes.

So the uh the position is now vacant and the the nomination, you know, once the position is vacant, that starts the the clock running for the the 30 days for the police chief.

My recollection of the charter is that the nomination uh has to be made within those 30 days upon the vacancy.

So I do not believe that this counts, but I can follow up.

Uh maybe in writing, want to go back and look at the charter more carefully.

That would be excellent.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you, President Payne.

I am in queue for a different item.

Oh, sorry.

I thought we were just speaking to item number two.

I'm seeing that this is delete this, it's the whole report deleting item number two, right?

Yep.

Okay, so we can speak to everything on the agenda.

Okay, very briefly.

Just want to speak to item number one, law enforcement agency agreements ordinance.

This is basically restricting law enforcement that we do joint powers agreement with um the city of Minneapolis moving forward from concealing their face with the mask.

Um, I am really proud to co-author this with uh councilmember Chavez and Councilmember Chug Tai.

Uh we've spent a lot of time on this with our city attorneys, um, talking to the mayor's office, talking to the sheriffs, and I think it's really important that we as local government take a very vocal stand and have policy on the books that say if you cover your face as law enforcement, especially with what we saw with ICE agents covering their identity and literally breaking the law and attacking our communities, it breaks down trust and it is an absolute, especially in the city of Minneapolis, where we have seen so much harm when there isn't transparency and accountability from our law enforcement, and I think this is one very narrow and small step that we're taking forward when it comes to our future joint powers agreements.

Um, I think that there is more that we need to do.

I'm glad that the state legislature took some action around banning masking.

And I also um want to uplift the provision that for us uh with joint powers agreements, even in cold weather where there might be a reason due to inclement weather to cover faces.

We are requiring that the name and badge number of an officer is affixed on that mask.

So there is that transparency and there is that accountability.

Because we saw in real time uh the horrors of what that looks like and how it creates anxiety, distrust, and fear within our community when we don't have it.

Especially for our immigrant communities.

Madam City Attorney.

Just following up on the question that Councilmember Shogtai raised.

So the charter says if an office has been vacant for at least 90 days or 30 days in the case of the police chief, and the mayor has failed to nominate a successor, or if the mayor has nominated three candidates that the council has rejected, then the council may, by a majority of its membership, name three more candidates from whom the mayor must nominate one.

I would read that deletion of the item from the agenda does is not the same as a rejection, and also we're not within that vacancy period.

So member Truck Tide, did that answer your question?

And so then I'm wondering why we uh have decided to move forward with deleting this item from the agenda instead of denying the nomination, since we did receive like a dutiful nomination that went through our process and and circumstances have certainly changed.

Um it sounds like in order for this it sounds like the nomination is before us until we dispose of it, and so shouldn't we move to deny it instead?

Uh I see I'm gonna call on the clerk.

Mr.

President, this is a procedural piece for us.

Uh former chief O'Hara resigned his position.

It's in our agenda because the nomination was made, but that nomination, no action this body can take on that would be anything other than to delete for the agenda.

I'll remind people delete from the agenda so that we the clerks procedurally can just simply close the file and take it out of limbs.

So that's why we put it in front of you is because there's nothing to act on because that nomination is null and void when the officer in question resigned the position.

So I think that our action today on deleting is separate from the question you've asked, council member uh to the city attorney, which is about the nomination process and the number of um nominations that are allowed to be made, councilmember Chowdhury.

Yeah, I think maybe there's a question for the city clerk.

I think for me, it feels really important to understand process and like adhere to the charter processes we have laid out as it comes to the nominations.

I know we've had discussions about this, and I'm really not trying to pick fights about it, but I do want to get it right.

So, like, where does it say that um in policy that once an officer resigns, a nomination is null and void?

Is that codified somewhere?

Mr.

Clerk.

Through the president.

I don't know of anything that's codified that would speak to your specific question.

The fact of the matter, though, regardless of policy, is that a nomination was made, the person who was nominated resigned.

They're no longer even an employee, they've they're not in consideration.

The mayor has a duty to bring a new nomination.

The question that council member Shugtai asked that the attorney was addressing, I think, is a separate question.

The delete from the agenda is a purely procedural issue to take it off the agenda to close the file and separate that off the agenda.

Because when things come in front of us, it's in front of us to deal with.

There's nothing the body can do on a nomination of Brian O'Hara to the piece of uh the position of chief of police.

He's resigned.

So I think it's not a matter of a policy, it's just procedurally.

That's why I said this is this isn't um a charter issue.

It's not a city policy issue.

It's cleaning up our own agenda so we don't keep an item out there.

As you know, if we don't put things postponed to a certain day, if we leave things on, items will continue to come up on the agenda.

So this item has no value to the to the council because there's nothing to act on.

Okay, thank you.

And I I feel like this discussion is important, and I want to be very clear.

Like, I think I'm right in having a conversation about this because we as a group and as a city as elected leaders have not had a single conversation together about the resignation of the chief.

And I think we do need to have that because it is a very important deal.

And if we're gonna come together on figuring out how to appoint the next chief of police, we're gonna need to have this conversation.

I have also shared that with the mayor.

I felt like that was a productive conversation, but this is the first place that we're having it.

The other point that I want to make is that within the city charter, the council has to reject an appointment for a try to happen.

So it is my understanding that, and I don't think we're gonna need to have three tries.

If we delete, that's my understanding.

And I'm not making an alternative motion, but it's just we've had so many conversations about the rules.

Our city attorney had to weigh in, and so I don't I don't think it's like something that is wise to just like pass by, um, and better understanding this charter process.

Uh before I kind of call in Councilmember Warren uh to the clerks, should we take up the rest of the uh consent agenda and then take up item number two separately?

Because it seems everyone is in cue for item two.

Uh council president, if you wish to separate item two, we certainly can.

Uh I'm gonna recommend we take up the remainder of uh the committee report so that we can do focused conversation on item two.

Are you in cue for something else?

Alright, Councilmember Warren.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I appreciate um that so I'm just wondering about item number one.

Um with us telling law enforcement then that they have to disclose their identity, they can't conceal their their faces or anything like that.

Um I'm confused here.

I can answer that.

Councilmember Chavez.

Uh thanks, uh Councilman Warren.

So this ordinance, a little bit of background, prohibits the city from entering into or amending a law enforcement joint powers agreement unless the agency's officers are prohibited from considering their identities while performing activities within the that particular contract.

So there are different joint powers agreements that we have in the city enterprise.

Uh officers would not be able to conceal their identities under those joint powers agreements, uh, with a variety of different exceptions that are in the ordinance.

So there's a different there's a lot of different exceptions, whether it's cold weather, uh medical emergencies, and a variety of other stuff where they would be able to uh cover their face, but this would be effective at the end of August uh for any of these contracts that we enter into after that date or amend before after that as well.

So and for the um I'm gonna just leave it alone.

Thank you.

Is anybody else in queue for anything other than item number two?

Uh Vice President Osman.

I just want to make a comment on how important item item one is.

Um there's a lot of history and stories of what happened last uh six, seven months in our city.

We have seen uh people pretending to be uh law enforcement, we have seen um ICE, of course, who are covering their face.

People could not tell.

I myself wouldn't um you know sheriff's office, and some people thought that they were they were eyes because they were just I guess searching uh doing their work in uh in the area, and it's really sometimes you might not see the badge on on the shirt they're wearing or my wearing special um clothing, uh, but also covering their face makes it makes it super super difficult.

And we also have other cases that you know bonnie hunters that are pulling out guns and doing all kind of um things to the community, acting like they are law enforcement, so it's very um, you know, easy for members and the public to know who they're dealing with.

Um, even criminals cover their faces, so just put it out there that that this is really important.

I'm glad we're having this uh and I would love to be uh a co-author uh for this um item.

Uh would the authors no he said he said he's happy to be he isn't a co-author, he said he's happy to be a co-author.

Oh okay.

Got it, got it, got it.

Follow.

Uh okay.

Uh let's take up the roll call on all items except item number two.

I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdry.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are thirteen eyes.

That carries and those items are adopted.

Next we will take up item number two, and I'll recognize Councilmember Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'm really sorry to continue harping on uh deleting from agenda versus denying appointment.

And I really appreciate the the point the clerk is making that the in the incumbent chief uh former former uh chief O'Hara Um has resigned from his his role at the city.

However, you know, we found out about this news uh from um from an email that the the mayor shared with the body on the 26th of May, and he has since communicated uh once more um with the with the body uh as it relates to the appointment of the chief of police.

And so when I'm reading um the the email from the mayor that came to us um on the 26th uh in the evening, right before the the news of the resignation became public.

Um at no point in this email do I read uh any words along the lines of the mayor withdrawing his nomination.

The nomination he has made to us um is before the body, and I and uh I don't see written communication formally withdrawing a nomination, and so um I would ask then whether it is out of order for me to make a motion um and uh to to deny this this appointment.

And if it is out of order, if if it can be explained to me exactly why it is.

Mr.

Clerk.

Uh Mr.

President, no, I don't think it's out of order.

So I don't want anything I said to do that.

I let me explain again though.

The procedure of deleting from the agenda was important for us because that's the same thing as if an applicant had failed to pay their bill in time, but then they paid it right before the meeting.

You see this happen all the time.

That issue of denying the license is no longer in front of us because action was taken outside of this body.

So we simply delete it from the agenda so that it comes off of the agenda, and that file is closed and limbs.

Uh likewise, an action to deny the nomination, if that's the will of the majority of the body, also is a dispositive action.

The difference would be that is an act, it is a vote, and so we'd have to package that and send it to the council.

So the only difference here is a procedural delete the agenda, delete from the agenda, it closes it dispositively today, or uh deny the nomination if that's the motion that comes forward and a majority votes for it, in which case it's an act, it has to be submitted to the mayor, and the mayor can go through the mayor's process provided by charter.

I appreciate that.

So, with that colleagues, I will make a motion to deny the appointment of Brian O'Hara to serve as the chief of the Minneapolis police department and ask for a second.

Second, the uh motion to deny has been moved and seconded.

I will recognize Vice President Osman.

Um there's nothing to deny here.

He's she's no longer with the city, and deletion is the right way to go in my opinion.

So I will not be supporting this motion.

I just think that we're making it too complicated and creating um uh more discussions with something that might not might not be there.

We um Chief O'Hara is no longer with the city, and I think that we just we should just move on, delete the item just like we did on um biz uh report.

As as the the clerk give example there.

So um that's it.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Warren, you're in for a priority or uh raising the motion.

Uh that is not debatable.

Is there a second?

Second.

Uh the clerk will call the role on the question.

Council member veto.

No.

Councilmember Palmasano.

No.

Councilmember Chavez.

No.

Councilmember Warren.

No.

Councilmember.

It was tired of the council.

The vote is on the calling of the question.

Okay, no more.

Point of order.

I'm sorry we're voting on this, but I thought the rule was always you it had you had to be in queue in order to call the question.

She did.

We didn't follow our rules.

I raised a priority.

Yeah, I don't think you can do that, right?

Clerks.

No, Mr.

Clerks.

Calling the question is not a priority motion.

I'm sorry, that was put in front of us.

Yep, it goes to Councilmember Whiting.

Well, uh, let's just continue calling the question.

I'm gonna I won't support it so that we can make sure that we uh get back to discussion.

We can't present it if it's called out of order, you can simply move on to whoever was in cue.

Uh call the question is not a priority motion.

So everybody else is.

I will just call on council member white and go ahead.

Let's get this up.

Thank you.

Thank you, President Payne.

Um just uh maybe a clarification question for the clerks.

And so looks like the motion in front of us is to deny the nomination.

So we have a new motion in front of us to deny a nomination, not delete.

By virtue of a denial, if the will of this body is to deny uh and it goes to the mayor, it's an act uh that the mayor can either approve or veto, uh, or not sign.

Is a approval is a denial, is a veto of a denial, one of the mayor's three picks.

It's not like one for this, Mr.

President.

Um you're gonna quickly tag in the attorneys here, but as we've mentioned many times, on any act which is a vote of this body, the mayor has three options.

The mayor may approve that and authenticate the act by his signature.

He may veto and return the act with his objections in writing, in which case it's back before the body for automatic reconsideration, or he may allow the act, he may not sign the act and return it unsigned, in which case it's considered deemed approved.

So I I think uh council president, council member, I think your question is is if there is a successful rejection of the nomination, whether it counts as one of the mayor's three.

Is that the question?

Yes, and then if it c then if it comes back to us as a veto.

And it's vetoed.

So let's let's sort of play this out step by step by step.

So if you uh reject the nomination, deny the nomination today, it gets presented to the mayor.

The mayor has the opportunity to veto, if he vetoes and it comes back and the veto is not overridden, then just like in uh in uh commissioner Barnett's situation, it's it's limbo land and there's not a rejection.

If on the other hand, he either doesn't veto or he vetoes it comes back to the body, and the body overrides the veto, then it is a rejection.

Um as I sit here today, I believe that it would count as one of the three.

That's I think there are sort of two different things that are going on in that paragraph that I read.

One is talking about a vacancy triggers, like you have to make start making nominations within that vacancy period.

But even outside of the vacancy period, if there is a nomination and it's legally fully rejected, it would count as one of the three.

Does that mean any sense?

Yes.

And does it if it is if it is if the if the movement if it goes to the mayor as a denial and it is it is vetoed and it doesn't achieve the two-thirds majority to be overridden?

Does it stay on our agenda?

Does it come back similar to what is happening with Commissioner Barnett's?

Council President, Councilmember, yes, it does.

It would just stay on the agenda, you know, until and unless there's an action to delete it, and action to like that's actually successfully a denial, or the mayor could could you know withdraw.

Okay.

Helpful.

Thank you.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Yes, I have a question for Councilmember Chugtai.

Why would we want to limit the mayor's choices and deny our options for a police chief?

What would be your reasoning in that?

Uh thank you.

Uh Mr.

President, if I if I may, through the chair, um, Councilmember Schaefer, that is an excellent question.

Um, what I am concerned with is that we have a proper nomination before the body of a person who has been accused of abusing their power in manners that are incredibly egregious, and are the reason that that uh that ultimately um at least the way the the mayor uh has shared the discussion that that took place between himself and and the former chief, that it is what resulted in um the uh in his uh in the chief's resignation.

So I'm concerned with making sure that uh this body is taking dispositive action, taking final deliberative action um to deny the appointment of someone who has very clearly missed the mark of what it means to be a public servant, what it means to uh lead here in the city of Minneapolis, and what it means to have any type of responsibility in ensuring the safety of the 400,000 plus people who call Minneapolis home.

So I don't I don't have a personal gripe to pick about limiting anyone's options.

I would hope actually that the next nomination for the chief of police that comes before us is one that is the product of uh collaboration and discussion with the council.

That's all I actually really want.

Um, but I I think that this body has taken previous actions, at least in my time here, that uh that very clearly reject this type of behavior and and condemn it.

And so I I want that reflected in in such an important choice before us, too.

Uh thank you.

That's helpful in hearing that.

Um but at the same time, I feel like we need to keep our options open.

We need to be able to not limit the uh influence of this body on on a smaller number of choices that may come before us.

Thank you.

I would I would just know uh Mr.

Um this is her speaking.

Yep.

Uh Councilmember Palmasano.

Mr.

President, this is probably a question for the city attorney, and I'm not sure if you would be ready to respond, but does the outcome here hasten a process in recruiting a new nominee?

Madam City Attorney.

Um council president, council members.

Does it speed up the number of days in which the mayor has to submit a new nominee?

No.

I mean, the vacancy, the vacancy began.

So I'm gonna back up a little bit, right?

So Chief O'Hara was in his holdover period, so there was no vacancy during that period of time.

Once he resigned, the position became vacant, and under the charter, you know, the vacancy period for the chief is is 30 days, and you know, within that period of time.

Um the mayor uh if he doesn't make a nomination, that would open up the opportunity for the council to nominate a slate of three, or if within that time there are three rejected candidates, you know, that would that would also open up the opportunity to create the the council to you know by majority of vote of the entire body to to present a slate of three or more to choose from.

Obviously, that's an opportunity that the council has.

It's not a mandatory thing, and so if the council wants to give the mayor additional time to do a full comprehensive thorough search and and hiring process, you know, that's something that the body can do.

Is does that answer your question?

It does, but it makes it sound like the mayor has 30 days, and I think that the mayor had 30 days to appoint an interim, after which there's a longer timeline.

So 30 days, are we going to get a new nomination for a new chief then?

So again, so what the charter says once there's a vacancy, the mayor, if the mayor does not successfully nominate a candidate within 30 days, that can trigger the opportunity for the council to by again majority vote of all of the members to put forward a slate of three or more candidates from which the mayor must choose one.

So the opportunity ripens if the mayor doesn't make a successful nomination.

Mr.

President, can we have one conversation at a time?

Everyone, let's uh focus on the city attorney.

Okay, so again, and I'm I'm gonna try to try to be as methodical as I can be, and and maybe amend my words just a little bit.

So once there's a vacancy, and there is, there was as of the date of resignation, then um the charter says if an office has been vacant for 30 days in the case of the police chief, and the mayor has failed to nominate a successor.

So it's I was wrong, it's not a successful nomination, he has to just make the nomination of a successor, or if the mayor's nominated three candidates, but the council is rejected, so there's sort of two different ways, then the council may by a majority of its membership name three or more candidates from whom the mayor must nominate one.

So the so my interpretation of that is is that during this vacancy period, this 30-day vacancy period, the mayor, uh if the mayor makes a nomination, it doesn't have to be six, doesn't have to like finish, but if the mayor makes a nomination during the 30-day period, it staves off the council's opportunity to name a slate, but even if the mayor doesn't make a nomination within that 30-day period, it's always an opportunity that the council has to vote on and name a slate of three, but the council does not have to avail itself of that opportunity.

It could determine that it's going, you know, it's in the best interest of the city to have a full, you know, national search and a thorough recruitment process and give the mayor more time than than the 30 days.

Does that make sense?

Thank you.

Yeah, I I don't think that the outcome that we want here is um uh rushing a process and recruiting a new nomination.

I'll just leave it at that.

I added myself to cue to speak to the motion to deny, and that's because um I think that you know you can there's the letter of the law, and then there's the spirit of the law.

Uh and our charter, the spirit of it is to say that the mayor and the city council need to come together and agree.

Uh and that's why there is this provision for council consent for the mayor's nominations.

Uh what we've learned with previous nominations that were denied is that they can be placed in limbo, and then if we were to delete this, then that also doesn't count.

So that would basically create a condition in which there's actually no point to having this provision in our charter for three attempts.

If nothing that the council does counts as an attempt, then that charter provision is irrelevant, which doesn't seem to be the spirit of that charter provision.

The spirit of that charter provision to me is that the mayor, through whatever process the mayor wants to use, and it's the mayor's prerogative on whether or not they want to pull up the a contact in their Rolodex to bring forward a name or work collaboratively with city council to identify a name.

Either way, it's the mayor's prerogative to bring a name forward, and then it's the council's prerogative to either accept or deny that name.

And if a denial doesn't count when it gets vetoed, it almost feels like that there's no reason for this provision, and if deleting from the agenda doesn't count, then it really doesn't matter.

So I want us to actually live by the spirit of this charter provision of three attempts by recording this as attempt number one through a formal denial.

And I will recognize council member vita.

Thank you, President Payne.

I I am so confused about what is happening here because it seems like there's like four different things going on with so one would be to just deny this and move on.

The other is um we're we're making the mayor sign off on the fact that he nominated O'Hara and it didn't go through.

Like that that's another portion of this, like, or he has to veto a nomination for someone that's not even here anymore.

Like I'm that's the part I'm stuck at.

And then the other two pieces are this 30-day thing.

Where don't we have an opportunity to do a national search?

And uh that could take 60 days.

I mean, we don't know how long a national search could take.

So, like, is is the action we're taking today taking that off the table, or is that still an option?

Madam City Attorney.

Um Council President, Council members, that that's still an option.

Okay.

So national search can be announced.

Now, the next part of this is the council selecting three and given to the mayor.

Where is this coming from?

Like, is this um like how how does this play out?

Madam City Attorney.

Um, okay, so I again the way the charter that this is probably one of the more confusing pieces of the charter, tell you.

But the way that the charter works is once there's a vacancy, for the police chief, there are there during a 30-day period.

If the mayor doesn't make a nomination, or if the mayor has already had three nominees rejected, like legally and completely rejected during that 30-day time period, it triggers again an opportunity for the the city council by a majority vote of all the members to to decide hey, we're gonna put for forward three or more candidates from which the mayor has to choose.

Got it.

Okay, colleagues, I really hope that we can just go back to the process that the community is familiar with and we're familiar with.

Um, and I I and I'm I'm hoping we can all work together and work with the mayor on this.

I totally understand um the frustration around finding out who's nominated in the news and not having conversations before that happens.

So I'm really hoping that all of us are gonna work together.

I know that the mayor has asked myself and council member Osman to sit on the committee to help um recruit a new police chief and and to be a part of that process.

Uh we both agreed to do that.

I I think all my colleagues know previously when I was a part of that.

Not only did I engage every single one of my colleagues, but the community in the best way I could.

I had listening sessions throughout the city of Minneapolis to hear from community.

Um so I I hope that we can go to the process where community understands what's going on, community has time to understand what's going on, and to me, that is doing a search.

I I don't know that it has to be a national search, but having a process where there's a committee of folks who are um reviewing what the city wants in the next chief, and the mayor is working with us to nominate the right candidate, um, and and that there's a process where we get to interview these pe this person who is nominated.

I'm certainly hoping that we don't have to get to three failed nominations before we have a decision.

So I really do hope we can stick to the process that we're familiar with and and make community a big part of this as they had been in uh the previous nomination of a police chief.

Councilmember Whiting.

Thank you, President Payne.

Just another question, probably for the clerks in our city attorney here.

Within the process throughout from today onward, is the mayor able to withdraw an official nomination.

Okay.

I suppose my shaking my head doesn't count.

Uh council president, council members.

Yes, the mayor can withdraw the nomination.

Yes.

Yep, at any point before he takes a dispositive action.

Or is it before we do or before?

So if if we pass today a denial, is the mayor able to withdraw the nomination before he has to act on a uh a dispositive motion or act of what we just did.

Madam City Attorney.

I'm gonna yeah, maybe with the attorney's uh approval and your acceptance, Mr.

President, uh, if this body acts, that's an action of this body.

The mayor can't then um act in the between to countervene what the body has done.

The mayor's duty under the charge to react to what this body has done.

So it would be incumbent upon the clerk as the charter provides to produce an act that reflects what the majority of this body did and transmit that to the mayor.

The mayor then has to react to that action.

So it wouldn't be that we would vote today, and then the mayor could in between withdraw that.

Council president, council members.

I mean, I think theoretically he could withdraw it, but that doesn't change the fact that he still has an act before him that he either has to veto or sign or not sign.

He still has to react.

He yeah, he still has to react in some way, and I can't right here give you a legal opinion about what effect his withdrawing would have.

I mean, that's a level of complication that there's no way I'm gonna try to opine as I sit here.

Thank you.

Yep, appreciate it.

Councilmember Palmasano.

This feels to me like an action to shove someone out the door who's already left the building, um, and to see if the mayor will join in on it.

Um I want a process for our next chief that in order to as it has in the point of order, Mr.

Chair.

Note noted I didn't ascribe motion.

Councilmember Palmasano, you can continue.

Um I want a process that includes the city council as it has in the past.

Let's not try to sling motions back and forth.

I will substitute and move to postpone this action because it does seem like the mayor intended to withdraw it then.

Uh there's a proper motion on the floor.

We have to dispose of that first.

Uh councilmember Schaefer.

Uh I'm sorry.

I will second that motion.

There's just a proper motion at the time.

Okay.

We can take that motion up after we dispose of this motion.

Okay, thank you.

Um, I have a question for the legal team as well.

Um so my re I'm just gonna spit back what I think I'm understanding, and you tell me where it's faulty or on on track.

Number one is um, you know, the chief former chief resigned on May 26th, so the mayor has until June 26 to put forward another nominee.

Because that's 30 days or approximately 30 days.

Is that correct?

Madam City Attorney.

Um council president council member, um, he has that period of time to put forward a nominee.

If he does, I'm gonna put this in the negative.

If he doesn't put forward a nominee within that 30-day period, that triggers the opportunity of the council to vote on this slate of three.

If he doesn't make the nomination, that you know that opportunity for the council is there, but the council doesn't have to take advantage of that opportunity.

So that does that make sense.

Yes, that's really helpful.

And then I sec and then I guess secondly, what is the action that needs to happen for us to be able to extend that window and allow for a national search before the city council might decide to put their own three forward?

Council president, council member, it it's really an inaction as long as the council doesn't take the opportunity to put forward, you know, again to vote on by a majority of its members to vote on a panel uh slate of three, as long as the council doesn't take advantage of that opportunity, it gives the mayor more time to put forward a nomination.

Okay, thank you.

So it's not an official action.

That needs to be stated.

Okay, all right.

Thank you that for those clarifying answers.

Councilmember Chavez.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

I'll be in support of this motion to deny.

I think it's clear that the motion says is to deny this appointment.

I don't want the public to misinterpret um us as supporting his nomination because this motion is deliberately saying to deny.

I also think that a motion to postpone would signal that we're still um it just would signal miscommunicated to the public after our chief already resigned, anyways.

So uh I'll support this motion and call the question.

I see no one else left in queue.

If without objection, I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the motion to deny, which an I would mean to deny.

Councilmember Vita.

No.

Councilmember Palmasano, no.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

No.

Councilmember Schaefer.

No.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

No.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

No.

Vice President Osman.

No.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are six ayes and seven nays.

That motion fails, and we can accept a new motion.

I will make a motion to delete the item.

Second.

Vice President Osman has moved to delete.

And that's been seconded.

Is there any further discussion?

Seeing none, I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Childry.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osmond.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries and that completes the PHSE report and the report of all of our standing committees.

Yes.

I'm sorry to pull your attention, but on the IGR committee report and on the ELR committee report, numbers two through twelve, council member Stevenson was out of the chamber.

And I before we move too far, I know it's a courtesy to council members, and I wanted to raise that back up before too much time intervened.

Yes, thank you.

I'd like to be added as an aye.

Okay, without objection.

And then also, Mr.

President, in conferring with my colleagues, I think that we failed to record, and I this is uh I think a scrivener error on the script on the enterprise labor relations agenda.

We didn't hear read into the record item number one.

So just for clarity, if we could do a quick roll call on item number one, we did definitively check that two through twelve were done, but don't have assurance that we actually voted on number one.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Palmsana.

Mr.

Chair, I am certain that I said we that item one was a gift acceptance from local progress for Councilmember Wandsley.

Is that what we're doing?

No, Mr.

President, this the clerks didn't get your script correct.

So on the agenda is an item that wasn't in your script.

And so we need to put the one that's on the agenda on the record and get a vote.

I see.

So let me go back to that on the agenda.

Can you can you just tell us what it is?

Civil Service Commission appointment.

Yeah, we're making an appointment of William Walker to seat number three in the Civil Service Commission beginning uh March 1, 2026.

Thank you.

I'll move that for approval.

Second.

On the motion to approve item number one on the Enterprise and Labor Relations Committee, the clerk will call the role.

Council member Vito.

Aye.

Council Member Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wansley.

Aye.

Council Member Shuttai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osmond.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

My apologies to the council.

That carries.

And now that completes the committee reports.

Colleagues, I was originally intending on getting through the full agenda and then taking a recess before the closed session to finish off the meeting.

Given the time, I think now would be a great time to take a lunch recess.

Madam City Attorney, do you have a preference?

Council President, as long as you're asking me, I think it would be more efficient to finish your business, take a lunch break and then reconvene for the closed session.

But that's.

We want to finish our business.

Is that what I'm hearing?

All right.

On the next order of the okay, I'm gonna watch the queue on who wants to get in and see if that aligns with what the decision we're making.

Uh the next order of business is noticeable ordinance introductions.

We have one notice today.

Councilmember Wandsley, Osman, Chavez, and Chug Tai.

I'm sorry.

Chowdry, give notice of intent to introduce at the next regular meeting of the City Council the subject matter of an ordinance amending the licensing and business regulations code, adding a new chapter 342 regulating operation of autonomous vehicles for commercial purposes.

Councilmember Wandsley has a related item in front of us.

So I will call on her to introduce that item and move approval.

Councilmember Wansley.

Yes, thank you, President Payne Colleagues.

Just want to share a few words on the notice and the staff directive that's attached to it for share understanding.

So many of you have seen way more cars that are currently on our streets mapping and testing with the state intention to launch commercial autonomous vehicles in Minneapolis as soon as even this fall.

Um there are many questions that have come up when we think about autonomous vehicles, but first and foremost, uh one that is really important is what is going to happen to workers who rely on driving rise share for income to support their families.

An automation threatens to displace these workers and push thousands of working families into poverty.

And a few years ago, the Minneapolis City Council took on Uber and Live because we believe that Minneapolis drivers should have been earning and should earn minimum wage equivalents when working for multi-billion dollar silicon valley companies.

Now the same drivers, many of whom are workers of color, members of communities targeted by Operation Metro Surge, are asking the Minneapolis City Council to protect them from losing their income altogether because tech billionaires want to automate their jobs.

As local legislators, our job is to protect vulnerable communities from extractive uh corporations and to build a pro-worker economy where everyone can thrive.

And there are so many again outstanding questions about how autonomous vehicles might impact not just our work workers, but also infrastructure, our public transit, as well as our stated climate equity goals.

And local government doesn't need to be passive and assume that these impacts are inevitable.

We have the responsibility to work with our community and city staff in each other to pass responsible regulation that creates a city where workers and residents come before corporate profits.

And that's why myself, Vice President Osman, Councilmember Shavis and Chowdhury are bringing forward this notice and staff directive, but specifically to the notice.

It's related to business licensing for automated vehicles for commercial purposes.

And we all know that this is just the first step of the legislative process, and that is why there's not specific policy language included.

That is why we're also bringing forward a staff directive, which you all have copies of and also receive via email last night.

That staff directive will uh have our staff initiate the legislative research process in support of us developing um the policy parameters and overall regulatory framework of the ordinance itself.

So over the coming months, um I look forward to working closely with stakeholders that include drivers, labor unions, city staff, and experts from all across the country to disvelop uh responsible regulations at the local level that support the creation of a strong uh citywide framework in 2020 seven and to support the work that's happening uh statewide as well, and we'll keep you updated on that.

So, with that, I will move approval of the staff directive and as for a second.

Second.

Councilmember Wandsley has moved approval of the staff direction that's been seconded.

Seeing no one in Q, I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano, Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye, Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shug Tai.

Hi.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the direction is adopted.

The next order of business is the introduction and referral calendar.

We have three items today.

First, Councilmember Schaefer, Rainville, Vita, Warren, Osman, Whiting, Chowdhury, and Palmasano, in addition to myself, move to introduce the subject matter of an ordinance amending the zoning code for first reading and referral to the business housing and zoning committee, amending regulations for certain uses associated with distribution and use of electric power, including data centers, electric or gas substations, backup generators, utility boxes, and battery energy storage systems.

Second, pursuant to notice.

Councilmember Schaefer Chavez moves to introduce the subject matter of ordinance amending the health and sanitation code for first reading and referral to the public health safety and equity committee decriminalizing the possession of cannabis paraphernalia and drug paraphernalia.

Looks like I only have two here.

Ah the those drug paraphernalia, those are two combined.

Okay.

May I have a motion to approve these items as listed on the agenda.

So moved to second.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I had an opportunity to chat with the Council Member Schaefer, who's the lead author on introduction and referral calendar item number one, the data center center use regulations, ordinance, prior to the last council meeting, and um would respectfully ask to be uh added as a co-author on this um on this work.

Thank you, without objection.

That sounds good.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Thank you.

Um President Payne.

Um, I'm really looking forward to diving into this work collaboratively.

Uh Councilmember Schaefer and I both had the idea to bring forward these ordinances around the same time.

And she and I had a really good conversation of just co-authoring the clerks let me know.

I can't put myself a second author because we have to do it in ward order.

Um, but in that spirit, she and I are um working together collaboratively with our CPED staff, with uh our legislative research team, each other's offices, and are going to continue to have like working meetings with those staff and each other.

Um, we would love to just continue to hear like feedback, questions from you all, and just engage in a really important conversation as we move through this six-month process.

There's a really good laid-out timeline within the LIMS file that has different stops in which the city of Minneapolis will touch on this.

The first will be, I believe, in July, um, at the committee of the whole at the planning commission, and then it will open up a 60-day comment period for the public, and then there will be a public hearing at the planning commission, and in between all of that work and it coming to council, we'll have opportunities for our CPED team and our um legislative research team to really educate us as council members.

We floated the idea of learning labs.

We obviously have the staff directive that's gonna come and they've agreed CPED and our legislative research team to work together collaboratively on this as we work to educate ourselves on this issue because data centers, I don't think any of us can say we're experts.

There's a lot of a learning curve, but it's also an important opportunity to educate the public and build out a really strong regulatory framework that is the right fit for a city and that puts the public interest in the center.

So I'm looking forward to that.

Um I believe also just so people can put this as their like North Star on when we take our final vote, it's listed in that timeline.

We're aiming for November 12th, I believe, sometime in no November.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's all in the limbs file, Councilmember Rainfell.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Schaefer, thank you so much for taking the lead on this.

Uh, this is a growing industry, and clearly we need to regulate it and take a look at that.

So I look forward to all this research from our staff so we can make decisions based on facts, not fears.

Seeing no one else after in queue, I'll ask the clerk.

Oh, Councilmember Schaefer.

Yeah, I'll thank you, Councilmember Chowdhury, for that overview.

I appreciate it.

And I would say one of the first steps we're even doing is many of us got a chance to tour sleep number, which was great.

Um CPED and LRO staff had not had that opportunity, so I just wanted to report back to the group.

I know Councilmember Pombasano was in engaged in that process of getting them connected.

That is happening um June 23rd, I believe.

A CPED and the LRO staff will be getting their own private tour of sleep number.

So I really am excited about this work moving forward.

It is a great opportunity for our city to reset some of the commercial valuations in our downtown core.

Um, when we saw the change in valuation on sleep number, it is sobering um to think of what impact that could have on some of our rented residential uh market uh relieving some of that property burden or tax stress.

So thank you.

Um we're looking forward to this work and um and learning a lot as we all agree.

Thanks.

Councilmember Chavez.

Uh thank you, Council President Payne.

I also want to give a big shout out to Councilmember Chowdery for leading us on a moving forward on the data center moratorium.

And my hope is that this does get finalized by this body in order to give us time to go through this ordinance and go through the regulatory framework that is needed to regulate this.

Thank you.

Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

Councilmember Viton.

Aye, Councilmember Palmasano.

Hi.

Council member.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Hi.

Council Member Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Alright.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Hi.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

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

The next order of business is resolutions.

We have four resolutions on our agenda today, all of which receive presentations at the beginning of our meeting.

Do council members have any additional comments to add?

May have a motion to adopt these resolutions.

Oh, Councilmember Vita.

Was there five?

I thought there were five.

Uh, the other one was adopted in the committee report.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yeah, yeah.

Uh is there a motion to adopt these resolutions?

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Shothouse.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and those resolutions are adopted.

Next we have the order of new business.

We have seven items today.

Three of which were on our published agenda and four were added at the beginning of our meeting.

Item one is an amendment to our appointments to various boards, commissions, committees, and committees.

Uh today I'm bringing forward an amendment by adding myself as an appointed appointment to the task force to establish a statewide network funding for public safety radio communications infrastructure.

Uh this was discussed in our IGR meeting, and I want to give a special shout out to Icar Mohammed in my office because she was already on top of getting this onto our agenda as I was asking our staff about when I could expect that.

So uh getting ahead of the curve here.

Uh may I have a second to this motion?

Second.

Any questions?

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Council Member Pamasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries.

And the item is adopted.

Item two is the receipt of Mayor Fry's nomination of Caleb McKinnon Diara to the appointed position of civil rights director.

I move to refer this nomination to the public health, safety, and equity committee for the setting of public for setting the public hearing and ask for a second.

Second.

Uh the clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Council Member Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wansley.

Aye.

Council Member Shutttai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries.

Item number three is the receipt of the mayor of Mayor Fry's nomination of Rebecca Baumquist to the appointed position of city assessor.

I move to refer this nomination to the Enterprise and Labor Relations Committee for the setting of a public hearing and ask for a second.

Second.

Second.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Council Member Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugti.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Council Member Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainville.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That item carries and is referred to the Enterprise and Labor Relations Committee.

Item number four is a legislative directive related to the 38th Street Thrive strategic development plan.

I will ask Councilmember Chavez to introduce the item.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

This legislative directive is being authored by myself and Councilmember Stevenson.

It's asking for an update on the 38th Seat Thrive Economic Development Plan, strategic development plan along with the budget amendments at this body unanimously approved back in December.

We figured we want to bring this forward today because many of our committee members continue to bring up this plan, and we want to make sure that we are able to track and implement many of the things that our community members are asking us for.

So we ask for your support.

Councilmember Chavez has moved this item.

Is there a second?

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember Vitock.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Council Member Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugti.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Aye.

Council Member Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Council Member Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are thirteen ayes.

That carries, and the item is adopted.

Item number five is a request from the fire department to authorize the submittal of a grant application.

I will ask Councilmember Chavez to introduce this item.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

The Minneapolis Fire Department is asking for approval to apply to a safer grant from FEMA.

This is a three-year grant, which would pay salary and benefits for up to six newly hired firefighters up to 2.2 million.

I would move this for approval.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Council Member Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wonsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

Councilmember Childry.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Aye.

President Payne.

All right.

There are 13 ayes.

That carries, and the item is adopted.

Number six is uh a legislative directive related to Congress's approval this week of funding related to immigration.

I will ask Councilmember Chavez to introduce this item.

Well, thank you, Council President Payne.

This is a resolution authored by myself, Councilmember Chugti, and Councilmember Chadry condemning the Trump administration and the United States Congress where Republicans hold majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for passing nearly 70 billion in funding for ICE and customs and border protections.

It is horrific.

Also wanted to highlight that this week the city released a second report that estimated that the operation, the occupation of our city by the federal government cost the city 700 million dollars.

So then to have a federal government pass $70 billion nearly in funding to only demonize our immigrant neighbors is just a bad taste in my mouth.

Has it been seconded?

Second.

Anybody on our data?

The clerk will call the roll.

For that Robin.

Councilmember Vito.

Aye.

Council Member Palmasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Aye.

Council Member Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Aye.

Council Member Shugtai.

Aye.

Council Member Whiting.

Aye.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Aye.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That item carries.

And finally, on new business, we have item number seven, amending the 2026 general appropriation resolution.

And I will recognize Councilmember Chucktai.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I am really excited to be bringing this item forward with my uptown colleague, Councilmember Schaefer.

This is if uh members will recall a couple of cycles ago, the body took an action related to some additional resources that were uh remaining with the Meet Minneapolis contract, and what we heard from members of this body was a desire to ensure that these resources are making their way into the broader Minneapolis community that these resources are being used to support uh the the economic development work um of um and and stimulating the the tourism economy beyond um the downtown core and so um i i would uh humbly ask colleagues to um join me and council member schaefer in in approving um this this item um it's been a real pleasure to work with the office of public service um with the finance team and um coo Anderson Kelleher, and she's here and available to answer any questions that anyone may have, but it's been a real pleasure to work with her and uh her team in um identifying this as a resource and uh working to make sure that uh we're bringing the Uptown Art Fair and making sure it is set up to succeed um in this year, the the first one since the completion of the Hennepin Avenue um redesign uh reconstruction project and um so we're really excited to welcome the Uptown Art Fair back to Uptown from its temporary relocation and uh really looking forward to hosting all of you in Uptown this summer.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Yes, it's been a pleasure to work with Councilmember Chugtai on this and the you know Margaret Anderson Kelleher, thank you for your efforts.

And you know, we're thrilled to be able to see something that we lost come back.

And so we are really looking forward to this summer.

I want to make sure that my colleagues also understand that we have been very clear to the organizers that this is seed money, that this is one-time seed money, and that this will be something that we can see as an investment in bringing uptown uh art fair back to uptown, and will be something that will then hopefully make them self-generating in the funding to be able to do this year after year from this investment this year.

So thank you for your consideration of your vote in support of this, and you will make a lot of neighborhoods in Ward 7 and Ward 10 very happy.

Councilmember Wandsley.

Thank you.

Uh President Payne.

Just want to say thank you to my colleagues for bringing this forward and also thank you to uh council for taking action um uh last month that allowed us to be able to have this uh money be available for exactly this purpose, and I believe Councilmember Chavez brought a resolution uh that stated that we wanted to use uh unused sensitives tied to the meet Minneapolis dollars uh to be able to support community activation initiatives like we're considering today.

But I just want to make sure uh for clarification I see we have our COO Margaret Anderson Kellerher here.

Um this I believe there was 200,000 dollars that will be left over.

So this is asking for 100,000.

Is it safe to say a hundred thousand is left?

Madam COO.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Councilmember Wansley.

This is the item I'm here for.

Yes, there's still a hundred thousand dollars left in remaining funds for the year.

And um, it's been a pleasure to work with both Councilmember Schaefer, Councilmember Chugtai, as well as the mayor's office on making sure that this is uh a use of the money.

So there is a little bit remaining yet, and I look forward to working with all of you on that.

Okay, awesome, thank you.

Uh seeing no one else left in queue, I just want to make sure that that motion was seconded.

Second.

Alright, please.

The clerk will call the roll.

Councilmember.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shogtai.

Aye.

Councilmember Whiting.

All right.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Vice President Osmond.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 13 ayes.

That item carries.

Uh and then that completes our new business.

And at this time, I'm gonna hand the gavel over to Vice President Osman to the president.

Mr.

President, we should um move the closed session of this body and then convene the MCDA.

We're doing MCDA after closed session.

No.

We are we care?

Oh, you restate what you just said.

We have an MCDA meeting, as you know, to deal with some items that were also dealt with council today.

And we had originally scripted it that we would finish the council meeting, make the motion for the closed session, which is still pending finish MCDA.

So, do you want to do in CDA after closed session?

Yes, okay.

We have announcements and we have MCDA.

Do we want to get those done and then take a recess?

Yes.

All right.

I will recognize Vice President Osman to chair the MCDA.

All right.

What they're saying is they want you to close for closed session first.

We need to finish announcements and the motion for closing.

I got you because we are in the council meeting before we go into the MCDA.

Gotcha.

All right.

So I will recognize the city attorney.

There you go.

Oh goodness.

It's very confusing.

Council President, Council members.

The next items on the agenda are two cases.

The first is Bernie Saucer versus City of Minneapolis et al.

And the second is Catherine Doe versus City of Minneapolis.

Your lawyers wish to provide a briefing to the council on these litigation matters.

Accordingly, under the Minnesota Open Meeting Law, Minnesota Statute Section 13D.05 subdivision 3B.

The council may, upon a proper motion, close the meeting for the purposes of attorney client communication as permitted by the attorney client privilege.

In considering the motion, the council should weigh the right of the public to know what its government is doing against the need of the city to preserve the confidentiality of its discussions with its attorneys.

Okay.

With that, we've well, nope.

Thank you, madam city attorney.

I move to close our public meeting as authorized under the open meeting law, specifically Minnesota statute section 13d.05 for the purpose of receiving a briefing on the litigation matter of Bernie Salzer versus City of Minneapolis et al.

and the litigation matter of Catherine Doe versus City of Minneapolis.

May I have a second to that motion.

Second.

Councilmember Vita.

Aye.

Councilmember Pomasano.

Aye.

Councilmember Chavez.

Alright.

Councilmember Warren.

Aye.

Councilmember Schaefer.

Aye.

Councilmember Wansley.

Aye.

Councilmember Shugtai.

Is absent.

Councilmember Whiting.

All right.

Councilmember Chowdhury.

Aye.

Councilmember Stevenson.

Aye.

Councilmember Rainville.

Vice President Osman.

Aye.

President Payne.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That carries.

And now before we head to the closed session, we're going to have a meeting of the MCDA.

But I also want to make sure we have an opportunity to do announcements.

Do any council members have announcements?

Councilmember Vita.

Thank you, President Payne.

I um first just wanted to say there's going to be a lot of Juneteenth celebrations in North Minneapolis and throughout the city.

Colleagues, please join us if you can at one or all of them.

And secondly, I just want to give a huge shout out to all the city staff and everyone who participated in making the week-long Prince celebration a huge success.

A lot of uh work went into that.

I want to uh thank Tim Drew, who's a uh parking service manager that was just rocking it downtown, just really making sure it was a good event.

So many city staff took part in that, and I want to thank them all.

And then lastly, I want to thank Sharon Smith, Akin Sanya, and um Joan Vordenberg Brugen who created that mural that that iconic uh prince mural that is downtown.

They spearheaded the creation of that, and while I was out all weekend, there were people from all over the world that came to Minneapolis just to take a photo in front of that mural and to celebrate Prince's life and legacy.

And so I want to thank Sharon and Joan for the creation of that, for the creation of bringing community together in Minneapolis.

When I say there were people from all over the world, I was in line at the Armory, and I met people from Australia, I met people from Kentucky, I met people from Canada.

People were here to celebrate and they loved Minneapolis and they felt safe, and they said they'll come back.

If we have a sing along again, they're coming back for the sing along.

Thank you to all the city staff and the choir and the folks who practice.

I asked if I could sing along, and they said you didn't come to practice.

So next time I'm gonna practice so I can sing along.

It was it really was a beautiful event.

It was a way to not only to celebrate Prince, but to celebrate us, to celebrate Minnesota.

We all came together around our love for music and Prince's music in particular, but there were some phenomenal artists who came to Minneapolis to sing and to uh build on what our city have always already built around togetherness.

So thank you again to all the city staff.

Thank you to Joan and Sharon for uh kind of spearheading and creating this event along with that mural and um thank you to everyone who participated in celebrating the life and legacy of Prince.

Councilmember Whiting.

Thank you, President Payne.

Just wanted to note that uh this was our first meeting since uh our leadership um consulting, and I think we did a pretty dang good job here on the body.

There's some controversial issues that came up, but I think we did in a way that was was uh deeply positive and represents uh what this body should and can do uh in the weeks, months, and years to come.

And so I think we give ourselves a little bit of some flowers here.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Chowdry.

Yeah.

Uh on June 19th, Juneteenth.

I invite everyone to come to Minne Haha and Lake for Soul of the South Side.

Soul of the Southside is a free annual Juneteenth celebration that creates joyful visible black space in South Minneapolis.

It brings together artists, families, neighbors, and small businesses to celebrate black creativity, culture, and community outside in the open, rooted in place.

Super excited to see this come back to downtown Longfellow.

I hope that the city of Minneapolis can find ways to support this into the future so it can continue.

It's a wonderful activation here in this part of the South Side, and I gotta give flowers to the legacy building, um, owned by a husband and wife duo, Emmanuel and Fancy.

They own and operate a black-owned multi-use creative space in the 12th ward in the Longfellow neighborhood, and they have just given so much to this community.

And yeah, I encourage you to come.

There's usually two stages for music and shows going on at the same time, and an amazing um market for us to support our local small black businesses.

Councilmember Rainbow.

Thank you.

So this will be the 98th year.

Yes, 98 years for the Northeast Parade.

And I want to thank the Lions Club for stepping up and taking control of that.

And uh I'm so proud to walk down Central Avenue with Councilmember Payne and our state officials and just celebrate that unique community that Northeast is.

Councilmember Vita.

Thank you, President Payne.

I just want to thank Ben Johnson and the Arts and Culture Department also for the amazing work around the Prince celebration.

They also did a fantastic job of uh spotlighting how beautiful of a city Minneapolis is, and we have so much arts and culture to give and to highlight.

So thank you so much to Ben Johnson and his team in the arts department.

Councilmember Warren.

Thank you, Council President Payne.

Um I want to give a shout out to to North Minneapolis to Ward Five.

We had our River North Festival this past weekend, um, which was the first one.

Um all of the musicians, the artists, the vendors, the collaboration between the businesses and our Broadway corridor to make that event a success.

There was poetry, there was music, there was just feel good.

It just felt so good to be outside this past weekend.

Um we also had purple days at Bethune Park, hosted by Nikki Love, who does a great event every year.

Um, myself and council member Vita get the privilege of of helping to sponsor and collaborate with her and the wonderful work that she does in community over there and bringing folks together.

So they gave out some wonderful gift baskets and things like that for raffles.

There was free ice cream and things like that.

So we just really look forward to again all of the great Juneteenth events that are getting ready to happen.

I say we've just been partying all weekend and it feels so good, you know, because you get so cooped up in the house, especially during the winter months or what have you, and so the opportunity to really get outside and absorb some good sunshine, that good vitamin D.

Smile with your neighbors, hug them because you can recognize them now because everybody's not all bundled up.

It's exciting, and it feels really good.

So come out, support your neighbors, support the community.

Um again, so many things happening over the next week for um for Juneteenth.

Um we're gonna be outside tomorrow doing a lot on Broadway around Shiloh.

There's gun violence prevention, there's different stuff that's happening over there.

Again, we'll be a bethune.

Um Phyllis Sweetley Saturday, and just come and come.

Well, we're gonna have a great time, Northside.

I'm excited for it and excited to see the families out enjoying the laughter, love and community legacy building work.

It's good, we're worth it.

Have a good weekend, the inn.

Before we proceed to our closed session, we will adjourn this meeting and convene our meeting of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency.

After that meeting is adjourned, we will then convene our closed session.

For the viewing public, I'll note that once we've convened our closed session, the broadcast of this meeting will continue, and the city council will reconvene in public after we've concluded the closed session.

With that, I'll recognize Council Vice President Osman to convene the MCDA meeting.

All right, good afternoon, colleagues.

Welcome to the regular meeting of Minneapolis Community Development Agency.

Uh Board of Commissioners for June 11th, 2026.

I am uh Jamal Osman, and I'll call this meeting in order to order at this time.

I'll ask clerk to call the roll so we can verify our quorum for this meeting.

Commissioner Chavez.

Present.

Commissioner Chowdhury.

Present.

Commissioner Shagti.

Is absent.

Commissioner Osman.

Present.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Present.

Commissioner Payne.

Present.

Commissioner Rainville.

Present.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Present.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Present.

Commissioner Vita.

Present.

Commissioner Warren.

Present.

Commissioner Whiting.

Present.

And Commissioner Wandsley.

Present.

There are 12 members present.

The agenda for today's meeting is before us.

I'll move to adopt the agenda and ask the clerk to call the roll.

Commissioner Chavez.

This is adopting the agenda.

Commissioner Chowdhury.

Aye.

Commissioner Shabtai is absent.

Commissioner Osman.

Aye.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Aye.

Commissioner Payne.

Aye.

Commissioner Rainbow.

Aye.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Aye.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Aye.

Commissioner Vita.

Aye.

Commissioner Warren.

Aye.

Commissioner Whiting.

Commissioner Wandsley.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That motion carries and the agenda is adopted.

Next, I will move to accept the minutes of the September 19th 2024 meeting and ask the clerk to call the roll.

Commissioner Chavez.

Commissioner Chowdhury.

Commissioner Osman.

Aye.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Aye.

Commissioner Payne.

Aye.

Commissioner Rainbow.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Aye.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Aye.

Commissioner Vita.

Aye.

Commissioner Warren.

Aye.

Commissioner Whiting.

Aye.

Commissioner Wandsley.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That motion carries.

All right.

Next item is the election of officers.

The annual meeting to elect the following officers.

A chair, vice chair, and secretary.

I'll move to nominate the following commissioners to serve the MCDA officers.

Myself, the chair.

Our Commissioner Arin Chowry as a vice chair and Pearl Warren as a secretary.

Is there any discussion of this nomination?

See none.

Um I will.

With that, I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

Commissioner Chavez.

Aye.

Commissioner Chowdhury.

Aye.

Commissioner Osman.

Aye.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Aye.

Commissioner Payne.

Aye.

Commissioner Rainbow.

Aye.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Aye.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Aye.

Commissioner Vita.

Aye.

Commissioner Warren.

Aye.

Commissioner Whiting.

Alright.

Commissioner Wandsley.

Aye.

There are 12 ayes.

That item carries.

Our next item is a motion to amend the MCDA bylaws to incorporate several technical changes, especially those changes that address the location of our meetings and staff, as well as the membership of our operating committee.

Is there any discussion or questions by the law on the bylaws?

See none.

Uh approval of the bylaws and ask the clerk to call the role.

Commissioner Shabbat.

Aye.

Commissioner Shugtai.

Aye.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Hi.

Commissioner Payne.

Aye.

Commissioner Rainville.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Aye.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Aye.

Commissioner Vita.

Aye.

Commissioner Warren.

Aye.

Commissioner Whiting.

Commissioner Wansley.

Aye.

Vice Chair Chowdhury.

Aye.

Chair Osman.

Aye.

There are thirteen eyes.

That carries and the motion is approved.

The last item of our agenda is a consent item referred to us from MCDA operating committee from the meeting of June second of twenty twenty six.

This item is a resolution approving amendment to the City Conduit Bond policy.

I will note that the Council approved apparel resolution on its agenda today as item sixteen in the business housing zoning committee report.

Colleagues, is there any discussion on this?

See none.

Commissioner Shabbos.

Aye.

Commissioner Shaptai.

Aye.

Commissioner Palmasano.

Aye.

Commissioner Payne.

Aye.

Commissioner Rainville.

Commissioner Schaefer.

Aye.

Commissioner Stevenson.

Aye.

Commissioner Vitock.

Aye.

Commissioner Warren.

Aye.

Commissioner Whiting.

Commissioner Wandsley.

Aye.

Vice Chair Chowdhury.

Aye.

Chair Osman.

Aye.

There are thirteen eyes.

That item is approved.

Thank you, Commissioners.

See no further before I no further business before us with no objection.

I'll declare this meeting adjourned.

And then we will reconvene for closed session at two o'clock.

The time is now 3.59, and the city council has reconvened in open session following our closed session.

I'll ask the clerk to call the roll to prove the presentation of quorum.