Minneapolis City Council — Transcript
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Disability Pride Month Recognition
Lindale Avenue Reconstruction Project
Heritage Park Affordable Housing Trust Fund Allocation
Lakeshore Arms Apartments Historic Designation
Drone as First Responder Pilot Program
Votes (13)
Honorary Resolution Recognizing Disability Pride Month
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Whiting [0:00:26] · Seconded by Implied through presentation and subsequent celebration.
Council Member Whiting presented the resolution, highlighting the 1990 ADA and the significant contributions of Minneapolis residents with disabilities. Ken, Chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, emphasized the resolution's importance in codifying the city's values and recognizing the disability community's 50 years of advocacy and increased visibility.
Budget Committee Report - Item 1 (Burn Discretionary Community Project Funding Grants)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Schaefer [0:13:58] · Seconded by Unknown [0:14:04]
Council Member Schaefer presented the report, which included one item: acceptance of Burn discretionary community project funding grants for evaluating problem nature codes and appropriating funds to the Office of Community Safety.
Business Housing and Zoning Committee Report (Multiple Items)
Dissent: None
Moved by Vice President Osman [0:15:37] · Seconded by Unknown [0:16:11]
Vice President Osman moved for approval of most items, excluding three for separate votes. Council Member Chowry specifically highlighted and praised Item 1, the liquor license for Bill's Bait Shop, as a significant positive development for the 12th ward, noting its potential to activate the area and the overwhelming community support for the woman-owned business.
Business Housing and Zoning Committee Report - Item 5 (Variance Appeal for 4710 Humboldt Ave North)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Vita [0:18:59] · Seconded by Unknown [0:19:10]
Council Member Vita moved to grant the appeal regarding screening requirements for refuse and recycling containers at the property. The motion was seconded and approved without further discussion.
Business Housing and Zoning Committee Report - Item 15 (Loan contract with Metro Consortium of Community Developers)
Dissent: Council Member Whiting (abstained due to personal conflict).
Moved by Vice President Osman [0:15:37] (part of original report motion) · Seconded by Unknown
Council Member Whiting announced a recusal from the vote due to a personal conflict, highlighting ethical considerations in council decision-making.
Business Housing and Zoning Committee Report - Item 17 (Lakeshore Arms Apartments Historic Designation)
Dissent: Council Member Chavez, Council Member Chowry
Moved by Council Member Schaefer [0:23:36] · Seconded by Council Member Stevenson [0:26:40]
Council Member Schaefer moved to deny the historic designation, arguing the property was not unique, was an average example of its style, and its designation would hinder development in a crucial transit corridor consistent with the 2040 Plan. City staff and the Heritage Preservation Commission had recommended approval. Council Members Chavez and Chowry expressed discomfort with the decision given staff's position and the lack of time for deeper discernment, but a motion for delay was not supported.
Climate and Infrastructure Committee Report (Items 2-9)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Stevenson [0:37:37] · Seconded by Unknown [0:38:43]
Council Member Schaefer acknowledged the land sale of Wedge Point Park (Item 6) as a long-sought 'win for the neighborhood' and thanked city staff for its completion.
Climate and Infrastructure Committee Report - Item 1 (Lindale Avenue Reconstruction Project)
Dissent: Council Member Warren, Council Member Schaefer, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Vita
Moved by Council Member Stevenson [0:38:59] (to amend and approve) · Seconded by Council Member Chavez [0:41:00]
The council debated municipal consent for the county-led Lindale Avenue reconstruction. Amendments were introduced to prioritize tree preservation, modify medians for business access, minimize construction disruption, and promote 'whimsical' community activations during construction. Opponents cited negative business impacts from previous projects (Hennepin Avenue), tree removal concerns, and perceived hindrance to emergency vehicles. Proponents stressed the street's age, safety record (Lyn Lake as highest injury intersection), federal funding dependency, and the need for climate action and multimodal transportation.
Committee of the Whole Report - Items 1 & 2 (Target Field Workers Resolution & Aquatennial Permits)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Chowry [1:08:44] · Seconded by Unknown [1:09:02]
Council Member Rainville spoke in strong support of the resolution expressing solidarity with workers at Target Field, citing his past union involvement and emphasizing the importance of supporting workers, especially regarding healthcare.
Committee of the Whole Report - Item 3 (Heritage Park Affordable Housing Trust Fund Allocation)
Dissent: Council Member Warren, Council Member Schaefer, Council Member Rainville, Council Member Vita, Council Member Pomisano (on legal memo request)
Moved by Council Member Wanssley [1:14:38] (for amendments); Council Member Warren [1:27:16] (for final package) · Seconded by Unknown [1:14:40] (for amendments); Unknown [1:27:26] (for final package)
Council Member Warren presented the $2.5 million allocation, prioritizing resident relocation and emergency repairs. Council Member Wansley moved amendments for regular reporting on the relocation process and a legal memo on recouping funds from responsible entities, citing the city's budget deficit and need for property owner accountability. Vice President Osman criticized the city's regulatory services for failing to enforce housing standards, leading to the crisis.
Enterprise and Labor Relations Committee Report (Multiple Items)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Pomosano [1:38:23] · Seconded by Unknown [1:38:59]
Council Member Pomosano presented the report, which included the appointment of Rebecca Malmquist as City Assessor and a collective bargaining agreement for firefighters. Council Member Chowry praised both Malmquist and Kayla McConnata (Civil Rights Director nominee) as exceptional women leaders in the city, highlighting their staff's dedication and their national recognition in their fields.
Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Report - Items 1 & 3 (Civil Rights Director & Police Inspector Donation)
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Chavez [1:39:56] · Seconded by Unknown [1:40:02]
Council Member Chavez moved for approval, specifically thanking Kayla McConnata for stepping up as the permanent Civil Rights Department Director. Council Member Chowry reiterated praise for both McConnata and City Assessor Rebecca Malmquist, highlighting their leadership and the positive impact on their departments.
Public Health Safety and Equity Committee Report - Item 2 (Sky Deio Drone as First Responder Pilot Program)
Council Member Vita passionately advocated for the free 75-day pilot program, citing current slow police response times (7+ minutes in the 4th precinct) and the potential for drones to reduce this to under two minutes for eligible calls. He highlighted a case where a drone found a missing person quickly and dismissed concerns about the vendor's federal contracts, arguing for a pragmatic approach to improve public safety. Discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended.
Notable Quotes (19)
Whereas Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July to acknowledge that the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990... Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby recognize and celebrate July 26 or 2026 as disability pride month in the city of Minneapolis.
Resolution sounds really simple, right? Words get made, put on the paper, and they're really nice words, and but the importance is what those words mean. And it it codifies what we believe as a city and as uh an entity, a municipality that represents citizens of all stripes and and sizes and conditions.
Item number one. Um, it's a really big deal for this restaurant to come into the 12th ward... to have Bill's Bait Shop, which is a woman-owned local business, to come into the neighborhood um and to provide a bar and karaoke and all of these activations is something that's really spread across um the 12th ward.
While historic preservation is very important to me, and it should be to everyone. This is a marginal nomination of a property that's not remotely unique. It happens to be located also in a transit corridor surrounded by more dense multi-unit housing.
Staff were recommending approval based on a study that was conducted over the past year following this um building's nomination back in in August of last year. Um so state city staff was recommending approval. The heritage preservation commission voted to recommend approval.
The thing that gives me pause is not being able to take time with the current findings, not being able to have enough time to dig in with staff and the fact that staff did put this up for an approval under one criterion, which is what's required.
I just wanted to stop a moment and pause for the little victories that we are helping for the park board. And this selling of the Wedge Point Park parcels in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood is something that I had been tracking for the last four years.
This compromise does not get everything that I want by any means. Uh and this compromise does not give uh uh others who may disagree with me everything they want by any means at all. But what this does do is this is approving of a design and the way we have written our resolution is approving a resolution that has really taken everybody's voice into account.
I simply cannot support the proposed design concept due to the impact on our small businesses... The frequency with which public infrastructure projects do the continual removal and replanting cycle is really part of the problem that we are facing in aging our urban canopy and creating a greater carbon footprint.
Our current interpretation based on the city attorneys... is that if we do not approve this, the county cannot proceed with the work. They do need our permission to do this work within the city.
This is a hundred-year-old street... Lyn Lake is the highest injury intersection in the city of Minneapolis. We have a responsibility as local government to our constituents and our communities to make updates to ensure that one, we're addressing aging infrastructure. Two, we're making sure that our streets are welcoming for all and that people can get around. We have a responsibility to ensure that we are reducing crashes and saving lives.
We already have a single lane of freaking traffic and there are ambulance flying trying to get past and there's nowhere for cars or anyone to go... I just want the plan that's no thank you to any more changes to Lindale. Henipin is already stressful enough.
I would just like to speak briefly to item number one. uh in support of this as a a past member of local 17. I served on the executive committee for a number of years as a shop steward and as a picket captain. I I would be out on the strike line if I was still uh doing that for a living instead of being up here on the dis.
There is a a third piece to this uh motion that is um basically directing that the uh city attorney's legal analysis of pathways for availability for the city to recoup the funds. I'm really not interested in that right now... My concern is the residents and I thank you for your due diligence in that.
If we're going to give those partners $2.5 million, um we need to make sure that this is not just a freebie. uh we have mechanisms to hold a property owner that has received not only uh market rate uh income... but they have received massive subsidies from government agencies as well.
The city department who oversightes uh city license rental license has to do better... this is a failure on the city department in my opinion. They got to do better. We have to be aggressive on on landlords who are abusing our residents.
I hope that I could just speak highly of both director um Kayla McConnA and director um Rebecca Malmquest. uh really excited to be supporting two phenomenal women in leadership whose staff really just love working for the departments that they're in and I think they're forging ahead on really wonderful work.
What I'm proposing is not a permanent solution. It's a free 75day pilot program. It's a chance to test the technology, evaluate the results, and determine whether it works for our city or not... Today, the average police response time in the fourth precinct is more than seven minutes. With this pilot, response times for eligible calls could be reduced to under two minutes.
I have also heard concerns about SkyO's business relationships with federal agencies. But if our standard is that we cannot work with any company that has contracts with a federal federal agency who has policies we oppose, we will quickly find that standard impossible to apply consistently.
Ordinances & Resolutions (16)
Honorary resolution passed by the City Council.
Federal law commemorated by Disability Pride Month.
Grants accepted for evaluation of problem nature codes and appropriation of funds to the Office of Community Safety.
Appeal regarding screening requirements for refuse and recycling containers.
Application for historic landmark status for the property at 3026 Lake Street West, which was denied by the council.
City plan referenced in discussions about development density and land use.
Resolution granting municipal consent for the Hennepin County-led Lindale Avenue reconstruction.
Resolution passed in support of workers at Target Field.
Permits approved for the Aquatennial Festival.
City fund from which $2.5 million was allocated to Heritage Park.
Directive for regular scheduled reporting on the progress of resident relocation and distributed funds for Heritage Park.
Request for a client-privileged memo from the City Attorney's office on options to recoup funds expended for Heritage Park.
Nomination for the city assessor position.
Collective bargaining agreement approved for the firefighters union.
Mayoral nomination for the permanent Civil Rights Department Director position.
Proposed 75-day pilot program to utilize drones for emergency response.