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Record of Proceedings

Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Meeting – July 8, 2026: Civil Rights Director Nomination and Drone Pilot Program Discussed

City Council — Wednesday, July 8, 2026
BodyMinneapolis, Minnesota
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, July 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:59:44

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:16

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Public Health Safety and Equity Committee for July 8th, 2026.

0:23

I am Jason Chavez, and I'm the chair of this committee.

0:26

Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation.

0:36

These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase accessibility of our proceedings to the community.

0:43

Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.

0:53

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

0:58

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

1:05

Councilmember Payne.

1:06

Present.

1:13

Vice Chair Stevenson is absent.

1:16

And Chair Chavez.

1:18

That is five members present.

1:19

Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.

1:22

I'll remind my colleagues that today we're going to be using the tags here for speaker management.

1:28

So please use that if you want to get on queue to speak.

1:32

Our agenda is in front of us, and we will begin with our consent agenda.

1:36

After the consent agenda, we will move to the public hearings.

1:40

And if you would like to speak during the public hearing and have not signed up to speak, please see the clerks in the hall to register to speak.

1:48

On our consent agenda, item number three sets a public hearing for July 22nd to consider the mayor's nomination of Dr.

1:57

Reginald Freeman to the appointment of fire chief.

2:01

Item four, postpones consideration and next steps for law enforcement concealment of identity ordinance until August 5th PHSE meeting.

2:10

And without objection, I'd like to move to approve item number five with the content agenda as I have no questions on this item.

2:18

Item number five is a gift acceptance from the University of Chicago for police inspector Molly Fisher to attend the University of Chicago Policing Leadership Academy.

2:27

Any objections to that?

2:29

Great.

2:30

Colleagues, are there any discussion on these items?

2:34

Or would anybody like to pull any item out?

2:38

All right.

2:39

With that, I move to set the public hearing for number three and move the motions for number four and five for approval.

2:46

Any discussion?

2:49

Seeing no further discussion on the motion, all those in favor say aye.

2:54

Aye.

2:54

Those opposed say nay.

2:56

Any abstention, and those motions carry.

2:59

Next, we'll take up our public hearings reflected in items number one and then after that, item number two on the agenda.

3:06

Anybody who signed up for these items will be given two minutes each to testify.

3:10

If you have questions, please see our clerks at the registration table outside the hall.

3:15

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

3:22

These hearings are being recorded and broadcast.

3:25

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

3:32

By attending and participating in these proceedings, your image and any testimony or information that you provided will also be subject to disclosure under that law.

3:41

That includes but is not limited to to your attendance, your name and other personal details you provide, as well as any testimony or comments you provide, which includes any written submissions you make which are included in the record of this meeting.

3:55

On the first public hearing is to consider Mayor Fry's nomination of Kayla McConnell to the appointed position of civil rights department director.

4:04

To introduce this item, we have been joined by Mayor Fry, who is with us today, who I'll now invite to speak on behalf of his nomination.

4:12

Thank you, Chair Chavez, members of the city council.

4:15

I'm grateful uh to be here with you today, and I'm very proud to formally introduce Kayla McConnell as my choice to continue leading the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.

4:25

For over ten years, she's brought immense passion, some sharp expertise, and a strong commitment to civil rights work here in our city.

4:32

Having served as the interim director, deputy director, and director of the complaint investigations division, and even as an investigator herself, she knows this department inside and out.

4:42

She doesn't need time to get up to speed.

4:44

She's already driving these results, and as a result, staff have been able to focus on the work and improve the lives of those who live, work in, and visit the city.

4:54

Under her leadership and in line with our settlement agreement, the department completed its portion of the historic 234 case OPCR backlog.

5:03

I want to note the place that our civil rights department was previously in, and the place that it is in now.

5:12

And the juxtaposition is stark.

5:23

And because of a combination of Kayla's great work as well as the work of former director Michelle Phillips and their whole teams.

5:49

The backlog is gone.

5:52

And that's why our civil rights department is recognized for excellence.

5:55

They investigate thoroughly and transparently, and they protect residents.

5:59

Under Miss McConandieras, our leadership, our labor uh standards enforcement division will remain a powerhouse for economic justice.

6:07

True compliance means partnering with and educating our businesses, aside from just penalizing them.

6:14

It means working with them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████████████████████38%
Technology and Innovation█████████████████████████████████████37%
Personnel Matters█████████████████17%
Procedural████4%
Racial Equity██2%
Community Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Meeting – July 8, 2026: Civil Rights Director Nomination and Drone Pilot Program Discussed

The Public Health Safety and Equity Committee met on July 8, 2026, under the chairmanship of Jason Chavez. The committee approved several consent agenda items, held a public hearing and voted to confirm Kayla McConnell as the permanent Director of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department, and heard extensive public testimony on a proposed 75-day no-cost drones-as-first-responder pilot program with SkyDio. The pilot program was forwarded to the full City Council without a recommendation from the committee.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 3: Set a public hearing for July 22, 2026 to consider the Mayor's nomination of Dr. Reginald Freeman as fire chief. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 4: Postponed consideration and next steps for the law enforcement concealment of identity ordinance until the August 5, 2026 PHSE meeting. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 5: Approved a gift acceptance from the University of Chicago for Police Inspector Molly Fisher to attend the University of Chicago Policing Leadership Academy. Approved unanimously.
  • Councilmember Onesley (via roll call after start) joined the consent agenda votes in the affirmative.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Hearing 1 – Nomination of Kayla McConnell as Civil Rights Director

  • Mayor Jacob Frey introduced the nominee, highlighting her tenure as interim director, elimination of the historic OPCR case backlog, expansion of protected classes (height/weight, housing status, justice-impacted status), and leadership of the labor standards enforcement division (over 4,000 free technical support sessions).
  • Former director Michelle Phillips traveled from Oakland to testify in support, stating that McConnell “allowed me to lead the department” and that she was instrumental in stabilizing the department.
  • Franklin Reed (former assistant city attorney and interim civil rights director) and Viviana Salazar (former chair of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission) both spoke in strong support of McConnell.
  • Bethany Lorraine Piety began to speak on the drone topic but was redirected; she had nothing to say about the director.
  • No opposing testimony was offered.

Public Hearing 2 – Drones as First Responder (DFR) Pilot Program with SkyDio

  • 39 members of the public signed up to testify; approximately 38 spoke (one was absent). The overwhelming majority opposed the pilot program. Key themes and positions:
    • Surveillance and civil liberties concerns: Many speakers argued that drones would be used for mass surveillance, violate Fourth Amendment protections, and further traumatize communities already over-policed (especially North Minneapolis). Several cited MPD’s history of abuse (George Floyd, Amir Locke, Operation Metro Surge) as grounds for distrust.
    • Connection to SkyDio’s military contracts: Numerous speakers opposed contracting with SkyDio because the company supplies drones to the Israeli Defense Forces, which are used in the Gaza conflict. Speakers argued this constitutes complicity in genocide and violates the city’s 2024 ceasefire resolution. Speaker Sanat Waswaz stated, “When you choose to contract with SkyDio, you are deciding to be complicit in Muhammad Ibad’s death.”
    • Lack of community input: Several Ward 4 residents reported that no one asked them about the program and that they only learned about it two weeks prior. A petition with over 500 signatures opposing the program was submitted.
    • Questioning effectiveness: Speakers challenged the metrics, arguing response time improvements do not equate to crime reduction. Privacy attorney Brandy Bennett noted the enabling statute (2025) is untested in courts and that the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act is outdated.
    • Concerns about data sharing with ICE: Heather Michelson and others warned that Minnesota law allows drone footage to be provided to any government entity upon written request, including ICE.
    • Aviation safety and noise: Patrick McDougall, a student pilot, raised concerns about conflicts with aircraft from Crystal Airport and Medevac helicopters, and noted drones produce 70–95 decibels of noise.
  • A small number of speakers (e.g., Rich Neumeister) offered cautious conditional support, urging stronger transparency and accountability measures.
  • Councilmember Vita acknowledged the concerns but argued the pilot is intended to explore solutions for persistent livability issues (illegal dumping, auto theft, open-air drug markets) and officer shortages in the Fourth Precinct.

Discussion Items

Nomination of Kayla McConnell as Civil Rights Director

  • Mayor Frey presented the nomination, emphasizing McConnell’s decade of service, leadership during the backlog elimination, and expansion of civil rights protections.
  • McConnell delivered a statement outlining her vision: making the Civil Rights Department “the civil rights agency of first resort.” She highlighted accomplishments including department restructuring, staffing up, improving case timelines, and collaborating on ordinance expansions.
  • Councilmembers (Vita, Rainbow, Whiting, Payne, Chavez) praised McConnell’s leadership, especially the elimination of the OPCR case backlog and her collaborative approach. Several asked about her biggest accomplishments and challenges; she cited building a strong team and navigating departmental instability.
  • The committee voted unanimously to approve the nomination.

Drones as First Responder Pilot Program

  • Andy Schugman (OCS Chief of Staff) and Deputy Chief Tom Campbell presented the proposal: a 75-day free trial with SkyDio, operating two drone-docks at Fire Station 14 in the Fourth Precinct. Drones would launch automatically to certain priority 0/1 calls, providing live video to dispatchers and officers. The pilot would operate Tuesday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Key data presented: In 2025, the Fourth Precinct received 33,402 priority 0/1 calls. Two drone docks could have responded to 4,643 of those within 120 seconds (17% of calls). Current median response time for such calls is 7:48 minutes. SkyDio drones have 45-minute flight time, equipped with parachute, police markings, and red/blue lights. Flights are recorded and uploaded to Axon evidence.com; non-evidentiary footage deleted after 7 days (state mandate), evidentiary footage retained indefinitely. Facial recognition is prohibited and not technically possible on the drones. A public transparency dashboard will be available.
  • Councilmember Whiting raised questions about surveillance capacity, the statutory basis for launching at public events, data management, and success metrics. Deputy Chief Campbell and Sergeant Mua clarified that all flights must comply with state law and MPD policy, which is more restrictive; the pilot will collect baseline data to compare drone vs. officer response times and potential call clearances.
  • Councilmember Vita spoke in favor of the pilot, framing it as an experiment to address chronic livability and safety issues in Ward 4 (illegal dumping, auto theft, open-air drug markets) where police response is slow due to staffing shortages. She emphasized that the pilot is free and no long-term commitment, and that she seeks solutions for constituents.
  • Chair Chavez and Councilmember Payne noted constraints on time and quorum; the committee moved the item forward without recommendation to allow full council to make the final decision.

Key Outcomes

  • Nomination confirmed: Kayla McConnell was unanimously approved as Director of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department. The nomination will be forwarded to the full City Council for final confirmation.
  • Drone pilot forward without recommendation: The committee voted (3-2, with Chair Chavez, Vice Chair Stevenson (noted absent but later recorded), Councilmember Vita, and others? The motion was stated as “all those in favor say aye” and carried; no recorded vote tally given, but Chair Chavez directed that the item be sent without recommendation to the full City Council meeting on July 16, 2026.
  • Remaining agenda items (6,7,8) continued: Items 6, 7, and 8 were postponed to the July 22, 2026 committee meeting without objection.
  • Full council debate on drones scheduled: The final contract decision will be made by all 13 council members at the July 16, 2026 City Council meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Public Health Safety and Equity Committee for July 8th, 2026. I am Jason Chavez, and I'm the chair of this committee. Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase accessibility of our proceedings to the community. Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast. We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments. At this time, I'll ask the clerk to call the role so we can verify a quorum for this meeting. Councilmember Payne. Present. Vice Chair Stevenson is absent. And Chair Chavez. That is five members present. Let the record reflect that we have a quorum. I'll remind my colleagues that today we're going to be using the tags here for speaker management. So please use that if you want to get on queue to speak. Our agenda is in front of us, and we will begin with our consent agenda. After the consent agenda, we will move to the public hearings. And if you would like to speak during the public hearing and have not signed up to speak, please see the clerks in the hall to register to speak. On our consent agenda, item number three sets a public hearing for July 22nd to consider the mayor's nomination of Dr. Reginald Freeman to the appointment of fire chief. Item four, postpones consideration and next steps for law enforcement concealment of identity ordinance until August 5th PHSE meeting. And without objection, I'd like to move to approve item number five with the content agenda as I have no questions on this item. Item number five is a gift acceptance from the University of Chicago for police inspector Molly Fisher to attend the University of Chicago Policing Leadership Academy. Any objections to that? Great. Colleagues, are there any discussion on these items? Or would anybody like to pull any item out? All right. With that, I move to set the public hearing for number three and move the motions for number four and five for approval. Any discussion? Seeing no further discussion on the motion, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed say nay. Any abstention, and those motions carry. Next, we'll take up our public hearings reflected in items number one and then after that, item number two on the agenda. Anybody who signed up for these items will be given two minutes each to testify. If you have questions, please see our clerks at the registration table outside the hall. For everyone in attendance, and especially those who may participate in our hearings or comment period, let me offer this notice. These hearings are being recorded and broadcast. Both the recording and the broadcast are classified as public data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. By attending and participating in these proceedings, your image and any testimony or information that you provided will also be subject to disclosure under that law. That includes but is not limited to to your attendance, your name and other personal details you provide, as well as any testimony or comments you provide, which includes any written submissions you make which are included in the record of this meeting. On the first public hearing is to consider Mayor Fry's nomination of Kayla McConnell to the appointed position of civil rights department director. To introduce this item, we have been joined by Mayor Fry, who is with us today, who I'll now invite to speak on behalf of his nomination. Thank you, Chair Chavez, members of the city council. I'm grateful uh to be here with you today, and I'm very proud to formally introduce Kayla McConnell as my choice to continue leading the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department. For over ten years, she's brought immense passion, some sharp expertise, and a strong commitment to civil rights work here in our city. Having served as the interim director, deputy director, and director of the complaint investigations division, and even as an investigator herself, she knows this department inside and out. She doesn't need time to get up to speed. She's already driving these results, and as a result, staff have been able to focus on the work and improve the lives of those who live, work in, and visit the city.

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