Minneapolis City Council Regular Meeting: August 27, 2026 - Resolutions, Pet Ownership, and CLIC Reform
Minneapolis City Council Regular Meeting – August 27, 2026
The Minneapolis City Council convened at 9:00 AM (approximate) on August 27, 2026, with 13 members present (Councilmember Wandsley initially absent, later joined). The meeting began with honorary resolutions for “The Dozens” community event on West Broadway and for Welcoming Week 2026, followed by the regular agenda. Key actions included approval of committee reports, a debate on noise ordinance changes for motion‑sensor devices, passage of pet ownership restrictions reform, and a procedural step toward revising the Capital Long Range Improvement Committee (CLIC). The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:30 AM.
Consent Calendar
- Adopted the agenda (12–0, later 13 after Wandsley arrived).
- Accepted minutes from August 13, 2026 (12–0, later 13).
- Referred petitions, communications, and reports to proper committees (12–0, later 13).
Honorary Resolutions (Presented Before the Regular Meeting)
- The Dozens (North Minneapolis Food‑Focused Future) – Councilmember Warren presented a resolution recognizing the August 29, 2026 community celebration on West Broadway. Multiple community speakers (Leslie Jackson, Chaz, and others) expressed full support for the event, emphasizing food access, green zones, and the need to restore Minneapolis Connects funding. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
- Welcoming Week 2026 – Councilmember Traves presented a resolution for September 10–19, 2026, affirming the city’s commitment to immigrant and refugee communities. Director Michelle Rivera (Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs) and staff from St. Paul spoke in favor. The resolution passed unanimously.
Committee Reports – Votes and Discussions
1. Business, Housing & Zoning (Vice President Osman) – Five items (dress code posting, liquor licenses, gambling licenses) passed 13–0.
2. Climate & Infrastructure (Councilmember Wandsley) – 14 items. Item 1 (Municipal Consent for Central Avenue/MnDOT) was initially tabled; later Councilmember Payne introduced an amendment to explicitly support the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District’s Art Walk concept. After discussion, the amended item passed 13–0. Remaining items (North Side Greenway Phase 2, Nicollet Avenue restrooms, Vision Zero Action Plan, etc.) passed 13–0.
3. Committee of the Whole (Councilmember Chowdhury) – Two items: resolution honoring Annunciation shooting victims (one‑year anniversary) and resolution rescinding delegated authority for non‑disclosure agreements. Passed 13–0. Councilmember Whiting noted that gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children.
4. Enterprise & Labor Relations (Councilmember Palmasano) – Four items (quarterly donations, gift acceptance, two Star Tribune legal settlements). Passed 13–0.
5. Public Health, Safety & Equity (Councilmember Chavez) – Six items. Item 1 (Noise Ordinance – motion‑sensor devices) was pulled for discussion. Councilmember Vita expressed concerns from North Minneapolis residents about disproportionate impact and public safety trade‑offs. Councilmember Warren and Stevenson noted the devices can deter crime and be adjusted. A motion to delay this item by one cycle passed 7–6 (Wandsley, Stevenson, Chavez, and others opposed delay). Item 2 (Pet Ownership Restrictions) was pulled by Councilmember Wandsley, who argued it removes a discriminatory barrier for justice‑impacted residents. Director Shendle confirmed the change only eliminates the fee and permit requirement for felony convictions (excluding domestic violence) and adds ability to restrict ownership for animal cruelty convictions. Councilmember Palmasano raised concerns about engagement with rescue organizations, but supported the change. The item passed 13–0. Remaining items (Axon contract, HUD grant, etc.) passed 13–0.
Noticeable Ordinance Introductions
- Councilmember Chowdhury and Vice President Osman gave notice to amend zoning and subdivision regulations for 1–3 unit dwellings.
- Councilmember Chavez and President Payne gave notice for an ordinance requiring certain commercial leases to be in writing.
Introduction and Referral Calendar
- CLIC Reform (Councilmember Palmasano) – This item corrected a prior notice to keep the Capital Long Range Improvement Committee as a tier‑2 body by ordinance (instead of making it tier‑3 by resolution). After lengthy debate about representation, quorum, and the need for broader board/commission reform, the introduction and referral passed 13–0. It will go to the Enterprise & Labor Relations Committee for a public hearing.
- Energy Disclosure Repeal (Councilmember Stevenson) – Ordinance to repeal commercial/multifamily energy disclosure requirements was referred to the Climate & Infrastructure Committee (13–0).
Resolutions (from meeting opening)
- The two honorary resolutions (The Dozens and Welcoming Week) were formally adopted (12–0, Vice President Osman absent, later recorded).
Key Outcomes
- Adopted: All consent items; all committee reports except the delayed noise ordinance item; two honorary resolutions; two ordinance introductions and referrals.
- Delayed: Noise ordinance amendment for motion‑sensor devices (returned to next council cycle).
- Passed (13–0): Pet ownership restrictions reform (removing barriers for justice‑impacted residents).
- Referred: CLIC reform ordinance to Enterprise & Labor Relations Committee; energy disclosure repeal to Climate & Infrastructure Committee.
- Next Steps: Community discussions on CLIC restructuring; further briefings on board/commission reform; a legislative academy for council members is being developed.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. My name is Elliot Payne. I'm the president of Minneapolis City Council. And before we convene our meeting, we have the presentations of honorary resolutions. Before I invite council members up, I want to note that we recognized the shooting on Annunciation on Tuesday at our committee of the whole. We honored the victims, survivors, families, and community of Annunciation and commemorated the one year of hope and healing. We did that on Tuesday because today is the exact one year anniversary, and we just want to take a moment of silence to recognize Fletcher Merkel, Harper Moisky, and the entire Annunciation community. Thank you. I will now invite up Councilmember Warren to give the first presentation related to the dozens, North Minneapolis's food focused future. Thank you, Council President Payne. I'm wondering where my people are. Come right on up. Good morning, good morning. Good morning, good morning. This no resolution is honoring the dozens and North Minneapolis food focused future, whereas the dozens is a community-centered celebration taking place on Saturday, August 29th, along West Broadway Avenue between Logan Avenue and Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis, bringing residents, organizations, small business, families, artists, food advocates, and community leaders together for a day of food, music, culture, wellness, and family activities. And whereas the dozens represents more than a community celebration, reflecting a collective commitment to revitalizing the local economy, restoring faith in community, rebuilding a shared vision of resiliency, and designing a future grounded in equity, inclusion, cultural competency, and community participation. And whereas the event seeks to highlight West Broadway as a vibrant cultural and economic corridor while celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, resilience, and community pride that define North Minneapolis. And whereas organizers and community partners are advancing a food-focused future that supports local food systems, community gardens, environmental stewardship, tree planting, neighborhood business, healthy families, and pathways to an equitable and inclusive green economy. And whereas the dozens recognizes the important relationship between food access, agriculture, neighborhood investment, public health, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and long-term strength of North Minneapolis communities. And whereas the event reimagines West Broadway as a place where local business, entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, residents, and organizers can gather, collaborate, showcase talent, innovation, history, and possibilities of North Minneapolis. Whereas the dozens is being advanced through a collaboration among civil, civic-minded residents, neighborhood organizations, nonprofits, food and agricultural advocates, excuse me, foundations, environmental organizations, and other community partners committed to co-designing the future of North Minneapolis. And whereas participating and collaborating organizations include Neon, Project Sweetie Pie, CPC 2.0, North Side Green Zone, the Anika Foundation, Minneapolis Edible Boulevards, Seeds of Justice LLC, Appetite for Change, Strong Roots Foundation, the Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation, Heritage Park Neighborhood Association, Common Endeavors, and other community partners working to strengthen North Minneapolis. Whereas these collaborative efforts reflect the broader vision for a connected culturally vibrant, environmentally sustainable, and economically inclusive North Minneapolis, where residents and community organization play a meaningful role in shaping neighborhood development, and whereas the dozens demonstrates the power of community-led collaboration and recognizes the lasting neighborhood transformation is strengthened when residents, organizations, business, and civic institutions work together. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and the Minneapolis City Council recognize and honor the dozens and its organizers, community partners, participating businesses, volunteers, and residents for their commitment to strengthening North Minneapolis through food access, environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, cultural celebration, and community collaboration. Further, the City of Minneapolis recognizes Saturday, August 29th, 2026, as a day to celebrate the dozens and continued work of residents, businesses, and community leaders advancing a food-focused, sustainable, equitable, and vibrant future for North Minneapolis. North Side, we ride. Yes, you can play your anthem. North Minneapolis is going green. Give us a call and learn what we need. We're once life, urban blight. We're all north. Give us a call and learn what we need. Access to food, justice for all. And now like sweet potato vines. Our missions and goals all intertwine. From the educated elite to the soldiers in the street, out of these caves, to the middle of the stage where we can get people engaged, us bringing those who've been historically stranded on the sidelines. We're growing good in the neighborhood. Good food, good schools, good youth and family education. Never tasted so good. Put some respect on the north side. Anybody else like to say anything? Um, I just want to thank the city for supporting the north side. We have this incredible infrastructure that is on uh with the neon's opening of the collective kitchen, and so we wanted to respond to that call in response, right? They've built this collective kitchen, so it's better it's now time for us as a community to support that agency to support those chefs because they are the architects of our future. Thank you for your support. I'm really grateful for this initiative because I am a business owner who has my license within this collective kitchen. Um I have a catering business, I have been a restaurant owner, and I really do see the necessity of a collective groups coming together to support some of our small businesses like my own. And so I'm just really grateful that this has taken place, and I'm really grateful to be a part of this very powerful movement. Thank you. Community partnership collaborative 2.0, CPC 2.0.
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