Our community has been demanding that we fully repeal these regulations. Today is a reflection of this iterative approach to that final destination.

What we are doing today is clearing the path for a proper public health and zoning framework to follow in the future. It is technical in nature and it does not mean that bath houses are able to open just yet, but today is a first step and it will not be the last, but it is an important one.

My concern today is not just with LGBTQ spaces, not with consenting adult adults, and not with whether or not Minneapolis is a reg welcoming city. My concern is the deletion suggested today in title 11 chapter 219 which would allow in Minneapolis commercial operations for the purposes of permitting sex and allowing enclosures for a fee where people can go and have sex.

The idea that this policy has been repeatedly framed as facilitation of brothel or sexual activity as if folks just want to go out and have sex, which you know what, have fun. Maybe that might might help actually bring more joy into our city. But to say that this policy is essentially the facilitation of of legalizing brothels is not what's happening.

At this time, I cannot vote for your reappoint, but I am making a commitment to work with you should you be reappointed into this role.

I have some real reservations about uh the ability of your business license staff to adapt to the new changes we're seeing in the city with the gun violence around our our license holders.

I think what what's happening now is it feels like the north side has been lost. There were several things that I asked for specifically um from the entire department that I hoped that when we got to this place it it would be different and that's vacant lots in North Minneapolis. That is um a lot of the livability issues we see in my ward in particular.

Seabed is one of the best departments in our city and um you know ever since I arrived Eric your commitment and your leadership has been excellent and let me just also give your staff and wonderful professionalism and experience they bring and the commitment do they do a lot they do a lot of work and and also I I made this comment on Tuesday that you know uh your personal commitment to the city for 20 plus years it's amazing.

By allowing this ban in the meantime, even with a carveout for moderatesized facilities in downtown, we send the message to the business community that business operations in Minneapolis aren't important or supported by this council.

This is not a ban on data centers, y'all. It's a fivemonth moratorum ahead of us. It's not anti-technology. It's future proofing our city. It's a temporary pause that gives Minneapolis the opportunity to do what good government should do. Gather information, engage the public, and establish clear rules before major decisions are made.

Union workers who've actually worked on these projects came and told us they are benefiting from these opportunities. The pipe fitters, electrical workers, lyuna, sheet metal workers, building trade councils, they asked for us to vote against the moratorum.

I am concerned that without this moratorum, we are sending a signal that the green zones in both southside and north side Minneapolis are open to pollution, open to data centers, and open to uh the devastating impact that data centers have on our communities.

My constituents and people from across the city are so so clear that they don't want data centers at all. And so, we're here sitting talking about, well, we need to this, that, and the other thing when it comes to data center regulation. But my constituents are telling me no data centers at all. Period.

We're just buying time for six months for the staff to do their job to put the policies steady and and and bring that forward. It's just a smart move. That is just a smart move.

I think that it is critically important that we have somebody in this role that has a really strong understanding of our legislative process at the state capital, who would be a strong advocate for HCMC as a uh the the safety net hospital for the entire upper Midwest.

You know, President Payne, you've said today that representation matters, and that's what this means to me with this committee. So, I talked to President Payne because I have been contacted by the Minneapolis NAACP about the only black person, person of color on this ballpark authority commission being removed.

This is not taking anything away from the candidate that my council president uplifted and thank you for bringing attention to this individual. This is not taking anything away from their skills or qualifications. Um, but I am just really wanting to ensure that we maintain representation on boards like this that are going to bring light and diversity across our city and that we uh we have that equal representation. It's one seat.

And for me, I think we should be putting representatives on the ballpark authority that see it as a public asset and that being HCMC and that it should be leveraged for the public good and should be tirelessly fighting for uh increased funding for that institution as well.

He served on a special committee to select public art that honors black baseball players. I mean, that's really important considering this body is largely old white men. I I know I'll get in trouble for saying that, but um you know, he has great attendance. He has the business experience and acumen that he lends to an audit committee here. He currently serves as the secretary of this board. What else can we ask for in an appointment?