Minneapolis City Council — Transcript
Monday, December 1, 2025
Payroll Update Ordinance Modernization
Civil Service Commission Appointment
South Minneapolis Community Safety Center Services (Human Trafficking)
311 Citizen Request Management System Upgrade
Special Event Non-Disclosure Agreements Policy
Health Department Master Contracts (2026-2028)
Closed Session for Labor Negotiations and Security Briefing
Votes (10)
Payroll Update Ordinance
Dissent: None
Moved by Council member Cashman [13:16:47] · Seconded by Unknown [13:16:53]
Director Tammy Hoff presented on the ordinance's goals to modernize payroll processes, align with state law and technology, and include Juneteenth as a city holiday. The ordinance makes administrative rather than fiscal changes. Council member Cashman praised the work, emphasizing the updates were long overdue.
Civil Service Commission Appointment of Anthony Kelly for Seat 1
Dissent: None
Moved by Vice Chair Palmisano [13:22:25] · Seconded by Unknown [13:22:29]
Director Nikki Odum provided background on the independent Civil Service Commission's role in city employment practices and the criteria for commissioners. She endorsed Anthony Kelly for reappointment, citing his consistent expertise, neutrality, and commitment to the city charter's principles. Vice Chair Palmisano acknowledged Kelly's long service.
Consent Agenda Items (3-42, 44-46, 53)
Dissent: None on the bulk approval.
Moved by Chair Wanssley [13:28:13] · Seconded by Unknown [13:28:55]
The committee reviewed a lengthy consent agenda, including numerous bids, contract awards and amendments, legal settlements, and administrative appointments. Notably, item 53, a bid for the Nicollet AB bridge over Minihaha Creek rehabilitation project, was added to the agenda earlier and included in this bulk approval. Item 43 was pulled for a separate roll call vote due to a council member's specific stance.
Legal settlement, Workers Compensation Claim of William Palmer (Item 43 from Consent Agenda)
Dissent: Chair Wanssley (Nay)
Moved by Implicit, as part of consent agenda process · Seconded by Implicit, as part of consent agenda process
This item, pulled from the consent agenda, pertained to a legal settlement for a worker's compensation claim. No specific discussion points were recorded in the transcript beyond the vote.
Contract with The Link for Human Trafficking Advocacy, Training, and Survivor Support Services
Dissent: None
Moved by Chair Wanssley [13:46:58] · Seconded by Unknown [13:47:11]
Directors Amanda Harit and Christina Dowling presented the $500,000 contract with The Link for services at the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center. The discussion clarified that this RFP process followed council concerns about a previous vendor ('Our Rescue'). Questions were raised about the physical space allocation within the center, the 2026 opening timeline, and the rationale for using pilot funding for 'hospitality lens' security. Council members emphasized the city's current lack of direct services and the importance of this new initiative.
Contract with Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. for 311 Citizens Request Management System
Dissent: None
Moved by Council member Cashman [13:55:58] · Seconded by Unknown [13:56:01]
Director Mendan Zimi presented the benefits of the new 311 CRM, focusing on improved resident experience through expanded self-service, a unified information view for staff, and advanced reporting. CIO Paul Cameron confirmed the system aims to be as turnkey as possible. Council members raised questions about the mobile app's capabilities, multi-language support, and potential integration with the council's existing CRM.
Special Event Related Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Matter
Dissent: Council member Payne (Nay), Chair Wanssley (Nay)
Moved by Vice Chair Palmisano [14:07:22] (motion to forward without recommendation, failed) · Seconded by Council member Payne [14:07:27] (motion to forward without recommendation)
Enterprise Events Manager Andrew Ballard requested blanket authority for executive officers to sign NDAs for large special events, citing timing and competitiveness. However, Chair Wanssley, Council President Payne, and Council member Cashman voiced strong opposition, arguing it would inappropriately cede council's oversight authority and that NDAs can be used to leverage jurisdictions. A motion to forward without recommendation failed (3-3), followed by a successful motion to refer the item back to staff for further development.
Referral of Special Event Related Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Matter back to Staff
Dissent: None
Moved by Chair Wanssley [14:12:47] · Seconded by Unknown [14:12:51]
Following the failure of the motion to forward without recommendation, Chair Wanssley moved to refer the NDA policy item back to staff. This decision was made to allow for further conversations and development of a mechanism that addresses the need for responsiveness without undermining council's authority.
Master Contract with various eligible agencies for Minneapolis Health Department (2026-2028)
Dissent: Vice Chair Palmisano (Abstain)
Moved by Council member Cashman [14:19:07] (motion to approve, withdrawn) · Seconded by Council member Vita [14:19:24] (second for approval, withdrawn)
Director Chris Thocus presented the master contract list for the Health Department, outlining the transition to 3-year contracts and expanded categories for eligible agencies. Vice Chair Palmisano and Council member Vita expressed significant concerns about the lack of granular detail in the RCA regarding specific services, individual vendor dollar amounts, and the overall transparency of the 'funding award notice' (FAN) process, which bypasses council review. Procurement Director Pam Fernandez clarified that only amendments exceeding contract caps come to council. A motion to approve was withdrawn, and the item was moved without recommendation for further staff work.
Closed Session: Labor Negotiations and Security Briefing
Dissent: None
Moved by Chair Wanssley [14:33:55] · Seconded by Unknown [14:34:10]
The City Attorney provided the legal basis for closing the public meeting to discuss two confidential matters: strategy for labor negotiations with the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation and a security briefing on emergency response procedures related to increased federal activity. The committee unanimously voted to enter the closed session.
Notable Quotes (22)
So this ordinance updates, modernizes, and clarifies the city's payroll, holiday, and related personnel code provisions to align with current administrative processes, um, state law requirements, and then just language standards.
The ordinance does not introduce uh any new fiscal impacts um but just codifies uh the current administration pra uh procedures.
The Minneapolis Civil Service Commission is an independent three-member commission that is authorized by the city's charter. It oversees the city's employment practices including hiring, promotion, discipline, and discharge for certain city employees.
I can with confidence state that Anthony Kelly has consistently demonstrated his expertise, qualifications, and unwavering neutrality in carrying out the responsibilities entrusted by him by our city's charter.
I think that's where I'm trying to get clarity because originally we learned that services were supposed to be provided at the community safety center within the human trafficking kind of scope of things, but originally it was being proposed to be extended to um our rescue and it did not come through a RFP process.
One of the things that we know in relation to the youth connection center, which has been in the public service building, is that there is utilization of the city's security staff, if um, youth come in and are disregulated. Sometimes the staff within that youth connection center need some assistance in helping keep the youth safe.
To my knowledge, there aren't direct services to victims for uh related to human trafficking currently in the city. A lot of the services are connected to the county to state um services and funding.
Our current 311 um CRM has served us for 20 years and it no longer supports the level of responsiveness and transparency residents expect.
First, they want a better way to track their service requests without calling back repeatedly. Second, they want an improved mobile app with more options. And third, they want a portal that's easy to use.
I'm wondering, it might be wise for us to get a user created within our CRM who actually sits in 311 and maybe we could pilot from a process perspective how we might hand off cases to 311 just so that we can at least get a sense of what that might look like
many um large event owners are now uh requesting uh non-disclosure agreements um in order to protect uh proprietary information on their part um to pro protect um schedules and uh information in the RFPs and such.
I'm strongly opposed to essentially city council seating our authority to approve NDAs to the mayor's executive officers which this resolution and what was affirmed by uh Mr. Ballard's presentation would happen should this be approved.
I think it's just always important to keep in mind the reason these organizations want NDAs is so that they can play jurisdictions off of each other to maximize what they get out of it.
The reason that I'm a little concerned about resources is even your staff time is a resource that's already been expended. And so I think that that could be a little bit, you know, stretched in terms of what city resources are spent like that can be staff time.
I will make the motion to refer this item back to staff for further conversations.
The eligible provider list for master contracts will remain in effect for three years as I stated. So the whole full years of 26, 27, and 28. Um the eligible provider list is not an exclusive list used to distribute funding.
Um, I see general categories in your presentation slide. Um, but do you have a sense of how many different programs you will be resourcing with these contracts that are in the health department?
Um, I mean, it honestly feels like you're asking us to approve the next couple of years worth of health department spending in one go without any information.
So that's that's the difference you know the work order which goes you know which happens under these contracts. It will be like many different ones for many different work and amounts those doesn't come to the council.
I mean I appreciate you not wasting what 20 sheets of paper to put to list every single um contractor on the agenda, but I do think having dollar amounts and if that's a staff memo, I think that's fine. But that's what I need for my comfort is just like who is the organization the ser someone's already requested the service area but what is the dollar amount and it doesn't have to be exactly the right dollar amount but that also helps me to understand where the health department's budget is
Consideration of negotiation strategies or discussion and review of labor negotiation proposals may be held in a closed session under Minnesota statute section 13D.03.
meetings may upon proper motion be closed to receive security briefings and reports, to discuss issues related to security systems, to discuss emergency response procedures, and to discuss security deficiencies in or recommendations regarding public services, infrastructure, and facilities.
Ordinances & Resolutions (15)
Ordinance to modernize and clarify the city's payroll, holiday, and related personnel code provisions.
Standard document for council decisions, copies were available for the Nicollet AB bridge project.
Authorizes the Minneapolis Civil Service Commission and outlines commissioner requirements.
Process used for selecting The Link for human trafficking services, 311 CRM, and Health Department master contracts.
Requested detailed information regarding the human trafficking RFP process after initial vendor concerns.
Result of 2018 community engagement, which requested investment in human trafficking services.
Requested for follow-up questions from council members regarding various items.
Agreements requested by large event owners to protect proprietary information during the bid process.
Three-year contracts for Health Department services with eligible agencies.
Mechanism for distributing funds to master contractors for specific deliverables, which does not come before the council.
Referenced in the context of an auditor's report and recommendations for improved contract management within the Health Department.
Cited as a past example where city resource expenditure was difficult to fully ascertain.
Legal basis for closing the meeting for labor negotiations and security briefings.
Item on the consent agenda for approval.
Item on the consent agenda for approval.