Minneapolis Committee of the Whole Meeting - October 27, 2026

The Minneapolis City Council Committee of the Whole convened on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 6:32 PM UTC. The meeting included receiving reports from multiple standing committees, approving walk-on legislative directives and a grant, and conducting a public hearing on a major government structure ordinance. The primary focus was the proposed elimination of the Office of Community Safety (OCS), the Performance Management and Innovation (PMI) department, and the Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) department, which led to extensive debate and testimony.

Committee Reports

• Several committees presented reports forwarding numerous items to the Thursday Council Meeting, including approvals for liquor and entertainment licenses, zoning changes, grants, contracts, and special assessments.
• The Public Health, Safety and Equity Committee forwarded 11 items, including an ordinance for the Community Commission on Police Oversight and a resolution recognizing Health Literacy Awareness Month.
• Councilmember Schaefer offered a friendly amendment regarding a legislative directive on Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) transition plans, which will be formally addressed at the Thursday meeting.

Walk-On Items

• Traffic Safety Grant: David Bernstein from the City Attorney's Office presented a grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to fund a prosecutor specializing in DWI and drug-impaired driving cases. The grant was unanimously approved.
• Legislative Directives: Councilmember Vita introduced and moved two legislative directives. The first directed an analysis of redesigning the city's community engagement department. The second directed an analysis of duplicative city services and service redesign alternatives. Both were approved, with an agreement to coordinate further with the Legislative Reference and Research Office (LRO).

Public Hearing & Discussion: Government Structure Implementation Ordinance

• Presentation: Council President Payne and Councilmember Wandsley presented the ordinance, arguing it aligns the city code with the 2021 charter amendment for a strong mayor system. They detailed significant failures of the Office of Community Safety (OCS), including a lack of effective oversight of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), a $20 million MPD budget overrun, contract mismanagement (e.g., the anti-human trafficking RFP, a contract awarded to a relative of a former employee), and a failure to advance a comprehensive public safety system. They asserted that eliminating OCS would remove a bureaucratic barrier and improve accountability by having safety departments report directly to the mayor or their designee.
• Public Testimony:
  • Peter Ginder, a Ward 11 resident and former city attorney employee, spoke against the elimination. He argued the OCS structure provided a necessary chain of command and accountability that was lacking prior to the strong mayor system.
  • Justin Tyrrell, Executive Director of the Minnesota Justice Research Center, urged the council to maintain a unified public safety leadership structure. While acknowledging the current system has issues, he warned that dismantling it without a clear alternative risked being a "hot mess" that could derail comprehensive safety reform.
• Council Debate:
  • Support for Elimination: Council President Payne argued that the charter makes the mayor the singular executive in charge, and that the commissioner role creates confusion. Councilmember Wandsley provided a detailed rebuttal, pointing to OCS's failure to coordinate partners, its championing of increased police spending over alternatives, and its lack of progress on the Safe and Thriving Communities plan. Vice President Osman called OCS a "complete failure" and an "unnecessary expensive layer." Councilmember Stevenson supported deep structural changes, noting the commissioner makes roughly $375,000 but lacks the charter authority to override the police chief. Chair Chowdry questioned the return on investment of the $2.1 million OCS budget and argued the elimination does not end the city's commitment to comprehensive public safety.
  • Opposition to Elimination: Councilmember Whiting led the opposition, citing formal letters from the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the NYU Policing Project, and Alifa (the independent monitor on the settlement agreement) urging the council not to dismantle OCS. He argued that removing the only office solely dedicated to non-police alternatives would inevitably increase the police department's influence over the city's safety strategy. Councilmember Palmasano highlighted the 2020 after-action review which pointed to coordination weaknesses that OCS was created to solve. Councilmember Rainville stated the ordinance lacked a clear plan.
  • Mixed Views: Councilmember Vita requested specific cost-saving figures and a clearer structure for how the work would continue before she could fully support the ordinance.
• Department Head Testimony:
  • Joni Hodney (911 Director): Emphasized that OCS provides a necessary structure for coordination between various public safety departments.
  • Amanda Harrington (Neighborhood Safety Director): Stated OCS was critical for advocating for her department and breaking down operational barriers with larger departments like MPD.
  • Rachel Sayre (Emergency Management Director): Pointed to documented weaknesses in coordination that existed before the creation of the Office of Community Safety.

Key Outcomes

• Government Structure Ordinance: The ordinance was forwarded to the Thursday Council Meeting for a final vote on a tally of 9 ayes, 3 nays, and 1 abstention.
• Amendment Added: An amendment authored by Councilmember Wandsley was incorporated to strengthen the role of the Neighborhood Safety Department in advancing a comprehensive, public-health-based safety system.
• Legislative Directives and Grants: The two legislative directives on community engagement and duplicative services were approved, as was the traffic safety grant.
• Next Steps: The council will take up the final vote on the government structure ordinance at its regular meeting on Thursday, October 29, 2026.