All right, it is 1:35. Um, let's get started. Uh, we have four. Uh, so communications, are we ready to begin? Uh, Chair, uh, Vice Chair Stevenson, the meeting is ready is is broadcasting. >> Great. Um, good afternoon and welcome. My name is Saurin Stevenson. I'm the vice chair of climate and infrastructure committee. I'm going to be chairing today's meeting. I'm going to call to order our regular meeting for Thursday, August 6, 2026. Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all committee members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community. Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast. We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments. I'll now have uh the clerk clerk call the role. >> Council member Vita >> present. >> Warren >> present. Chuktai is absent. Chry >> present. >> Paul Mosano is absent. Vice Chair Stevenson >> present. Let the record reflect. We have a quorum. I'll remind my colleagues we'll be using speaker management today. So, please make sure you're signed up. For members of the public that are here for the public hearing, if you wish to address the committee, we ask you register with the clerks in the hallway. You can also provide any written comments or materials to include in the public record. If you have specific questions about your assessments, staff contact information and materials are on the public table to my left. We'll start with our consent items, which I'll read for the record. One, approving the Gopher Garden large block event permit. Two, approving the annual Target together core week block event permit. Three, approving the Target together core week community celebration block event permit. Four, approving the Luring Alley Live 2026 music festival. Five, approving the mode by flicker large block event permit. Six, authorizing the contract amendment with Henipin County for road maintenance. Seven, setting a public hearing for October 8th to consider 2027 proposed services and service charges for special service districts. Eight, adopting a report designating the 2027 street maintenance assessment for non-governmental taxexempt parcels uh and setting a public hearing for October 8th to consider those assessments. Nine, adopting a report designating the 2027 citywide light operation assessment for non-governmental taxexempt parcels and setting a public hearing for October 8th to consider those assessments. 10. authorizing the contract amendment with the with St. Paul for the EV spot network project agreement. 11. Authorizing contract with University of Washington Urban Freight Lab in support of the smart grant stage 2 project. 12. Authorizing the contract with the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies in support of the smart grant stage two project. 13. Accepting bid for large diameter cured inplace pipe uh lining 2026. 14. Authorizing contract amendment with Z Companies Incorporated for engineering and design services for the North Side Greenway phase 1 and two project. 15. Authorizing contract amendments with Bolton and Mink Incorporated and Alliant Engineering Incorporated for engineering and service designs for the 38th Street in Chicago. George White Square street reconstruction project. 16. Authorizing contract amendment for Alliant Engineering Incorporated for the Bloomington A and Minhaha Parkway highway safety improvement project. 17. Approving a legislative directive related to zero waste funding. Colleagues, is there any discussion or uh are there any items that anyone would like to pull for discussion? Seeing no further discussion, I'll move approval of the consent agenda. All those in favor say I. I. >> I. >> Those opposed say nay. >> That motion carries. Next, we'll take up our public hearing reflected on item one in the agenda. Anybody who has signed up for these items will be given two minutes each to testify. Once again, if you have specific questions about your assessments, I would invite you to review the materials on the public table to my left as you'll need to work with staff to resolve those. For everyone in attendance and especially those who may participate in our hearings or comment period, let me offer this notice. These hearings are being recorded and broadcast. Both the recording and broadcast are classified as public data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. By attending and participating in these proceedings, your image and any testimony or information that you will provide will also be subject to disclosure under that law. That includes but is not limited to your attendance, your name, and other personal details you provide, as well as any testimony or comments you provide, which includes any written submissions you make, which are included in the record of this meeting. Our public hearing today is for the sidewalk repair and construction assessment. I'll invite Aaron Johnson, senior project manager, transportation engineering and design to get us started. Thank you. Uh, go ahead. >> All right. Good afternoon, uh, Chair Stevenson, members of the committee. Uh, my name is Aaron Johnson, senior project manager in the, uh, transportation engineering and design division of public works. I'm responsible for the sidewalk inspections office. And each year public uh the public works division or sorry public works conducts a sidewalk replacement program uh to remove and replace sidewalk panels that have been determined to be hazardous or defective. The program areas are finalized ahead of the construction season. Selecting these areas are based on how long it has been since we have been to that area. And also we take into consideration trying to avoid large major construction that's currently happening in the uh in the city of Minneapolis. In [snorts] 2025, our work resulted in sidewalk replacement at 1,85 properties. Invoices were mailed on April 15, 2026. Notices of the annual public hearing were mailed on July 9th, 2026. to properties that had not yet paid their invoice at that time. If they paid their invoice after we mailed the public hearing notice, they would still have received the public hearing notice. This has been this has caused some confusion and this will be addressed in future years. City ordinance requires property owners to maintain uh the public sidewalk adjacent to their property. The ordinance also authorizes public works to replace damaged or deteriorated sidewalk panels and to recover associated costs with uh through special assess the special assessment process. Property owners may choose to hire their own contractor instead of using the city hired contractor. The city hired contractor has been awarded this sidewalk replacement contract through a competitive RFP process. Once the work has been completed, the property owner receives an invoice. uh they have several options. They can either pay the invoice in full, they can choose not to pay the invoice and it will be added to the next year's property taxes as a special assessment. And the third option is they can request an administrative hearing if they disagree with the assessment uh from the sidewalk replacement work that was performed. At these hearings, an independent hearing officer reviews the city's case, considers property owner objections, and issues a ruling. Property owners have the ability to pay their outstanding invoice for the sidewalk work done in 2020 2025 2025 until November 15th, 2026. At that time, the unpaid invoices will be processed and be added to the property taxes for 2020. sorry, 2027 as a special assessment. As of this morning, August 6th, the total proposed assessment amount is 1,561,60.70. This final or yeah, this final number will be lower as payments are made until November 15th, 2026. Public works recommends approval of res the resolution along with adoption and levy of these special assessments. I will remain here for any questions. >> Thank you. I'm going to proceed to open the public uh hearing. The first person signed up to speak is Samantha Tyler. Hi, Samantha Tyler. Not sure what else I'm supposed to say here. Um, I more so have questions than any specific like contesting of it. We just bought the house and so I it was not disclosed in any of the paperwork from the previous homeowner about this work being done and I'm not really sure cuz we just got the letter in the mail. Like I had no idea this was happening. Um, so I'm more here to like put a pause on that going on to our home taxes while we figure out was the previous homeowner supposed to pay for this and it didn't cuz it's not the first thing that they didn't pay for and we've had to have the title company take care of for us. So, I'm not really sure when this was done because it hasn't been done since we bought the property obviously or what what process is supposed to be. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do. >> Um, that would be something to address with staff directly. We can't really address that here. >> Okay. So, I need to talk to staff to get it like paused and to talk about the history of it and such. >> Okay, cool. >> Thank you. Next we have um Virginia Kelly, then Cynthia Henry, then Bana Corey, and that's two, three, and four. Virginia, >> first of all, I am nervous. I have never been in a hearing before. So, but I like to say that um I um purchased a duplex and because uh is being a duplex, I got a corner area and um my thing is the amount of money that they want me to pay is like overwhelming. I work a job every day. Um it's just overwhelming. They want me to pay 3,600 and something. And I if they need to fix the sidewalks, I'm cool with that. No problem. Um, the thing is right about now, I just need time to make payments or do payments for the amount that they asked me to pay for. I'm homestead, so I live in a h live in a duplex. And I had I did not have no idea that I would be paying that when they was fixing that until it came in the mail. And also, uh, I know I'm responsible. I thought I was just responsible for the snowing, the ice. That's what I assume I was supposed to be responsible for. I never heard of uh uh new sidewalks and you got to pay for that. And [snorts] so it it just popped up out the blue and uh I'm nervous and um it's just something that I don't rent the other side. Other side is for my children. So that's is that's what I mostly, you know, got it for. And I'm just I would just like to >> I don't want it putting put on my >> This seems like something that would be good to talk to staff with as well. So you can get the information on the side and they can um work with you on payments or something. >> Okay. Thank you for listening you guys. >> Thank you. Um number three, Cynthia >> roots without consulting with the forestry department which is part of your um own forest policy that they review this before the before this work takes place. They review with forestry before they do any work. This did not happen and I've subsequently learned that I'm not the only property for which this was the case. So therefore, this is also in violation of our own Minnesota statute. Um let me find the notes here. 429.0 051 which states that [cough and clears throat] an assessment can't exceed the value it adds. And to date, this project has cost me far more in out-of-pocket costs than it will provide to the property. In fact, the the destruction of my tree has devalued my property significantly. It provided shade. I am now heating. I now have an oven in the front of my house versus a usable enclosed porch that I'm being taxed on. So, um anyway, I've got it all documented. I will submit it to the appropriate staff members. But I just wanted since the program manager is here. [snorts] I talked to Lana and Ruth on her team because this was a very mismanaged project and multiple people agree it was poorly executed. The destruction crew as I call it did not do their job appropriately and many other people had issues. So I would ask you as city council members to not take the lowest bid all the time because they suck. So, um, anyway, there's been a great devaluing of many people's property versus the goal, which is to have lovely sidewalks and better valued properties and residents who want to stay in their neighborhoods because the city's taking care of them for the tax money that we pay. Um, I could go on and on, but I will stop and um, if there are any questions, let me know. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh, next, number four, Briana Corey. Then number five, Jenny Lassard. And then number six, uh, Musulang. Briana. >> Yep. Brianna Corey. Um, I'm the property owner. Um, and for Ward 4 recently bought my property back in December. Um, again, I was like the first lady. This was all pretty new to me and I was going to come here and ask you all to at least defer the payment so that I can have enough time to go through arbitration with the seller of the home. Since that's pointless, I do want to encourage you guys to maybe think a little bit more deeper into these projects. I'm hearing from my neighbors that there are trees put up that's uprooting the concrete here. Sounds like one poor decision and now it's leading to the citizens having to pay for that money uh for that project that was done. Um again, I'm a new homeowner here in the city. I would like to know what's happening at my property ahead of time. Didn't get to, which is fine, but we can't be responsible for the sidewalk sometimes and then other times we're not responsible. Um, so let's just kind of look deeper into what we're doing in the future. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, number five, Jenny Lassard. Number six, Musulang. And number seven, Selena Godding. Jenny, >> um, I'm going to have to talk to somebody to to Senates. Um, because I'm retired. Um, this is outrageous. And they had told me before that there was a communication problem that we could have had hired our own contractors to do the sidewalks. And I think a bunch of us here already know a bunch of people that could have gotten this done a lot cheaper. So that was my input for the day. More communication. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next is Musulang number six. And then number seven is Selena and number eight is Richard. Apologies if I got your name wrong. >> No, that's actually fine. Thank you. >> So, I'm just here today because I agree with everyone else. Uh the communication was very poor. Um I saw the date on the notice, but then it was like by the time it actually reached me in the in the mail, it only gave me a couple days for the first hearing. I called, I emailed, I got no response for months and months and months. The deadline was coming up to pay. Now all of a sudden there's this November 15th date, but I know on my notice it said July 17th. So I feel like for your residents, that's kind of put us in like a scare tactic. You did this last summer, you come back this summer and say, "Here, here's a four $5,000 bill that you have less than two months to pay." And then the payment options, you know, it's like no one took into accountability. There's disabled people, you know, there's veterans, there's people on fixed incomes, but you don't give people the time, it's like a panic to get this money paid. Yes, we want our community to be be good. We want our sidewalks to be nice, but for us to not own it and it be our responsibility. I think sometimes there should have been more communication with the residents on how this project went forward. And then that's just my take on it because and then to say that if I do if I'm not able to come up with this chunk of money right here at this time, oh, we're going to give you a couple options, but it's based on the on the cost. This cost to me may be okay. The same amount to this person may put them in tremendous financial hardship. So for there not to be anyone looking over that to say, "Let's look at your finances. Let's see what you have. Let's see what kind of payment plan we can get you on." And it was like, "No, it is here or it's nothing." Or then we tack it on to your property tax. So your mortgage goes up and now what? I can't pay. I'm foreclosed. But we're trying to build up the city. But at this point, it feels like everything is being thrown at us as homeowners to rip everything that we work so hard apart. So I just feel like there should be better communication. I feel like there should be more time. >> Thank you. Next we have Selena. Number seven, number eight, Richard, and number nine, um, by Selena. >> Good afternoon, chair and councel. So, I'm Selena. I'm with the 4134 Fremont property. Um, I did receive the notice, but I feel like the deadlines were just slapped on to me very quickly. Um, I am not objecting. and I will be taking care of the sidewalk repairs by your contractor. However, I do agree with everybody else that um we need time. You know, I I have seven other properties and these notices are just coming in so quick and it doesn't really give us options, especially when there's other projects going on that we have to take care of as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, next is Richard. Number eight, number nine by and number 10 is uh Moshi. >> Richard. >> Hi, my name is Richard. I live in the Kenny neighborhood. So, the process that I became familiar with when they were coming up with this whole sidewalk replacement was they came out and they marked up the sidewalks and determine which panels were going to get replaced. I contacted the public works department right away and tried to get somebody to come out and walk the property with me because I was in dispute of it for a long time. You guys don't return phone calls. you make it impossible for us to get a hold of the department directly. You have your 311 operators creating barriers and blocks to be able to contact people. I finally started working with a gal, I don't know if you're familiar with her or not, but she is the director of the public department, Miss Jennifer Hagar. Miss Hagar gave me in an email indicating that sometime everything is there's no set date sometime in late 2025 early 26 the property owners will receive a bill and an administrative notice in the mail. I'm being told now that that document which says understanding your bill was my notification to request a hearing. Well, I'd been in contact with her for a year. We've exchanged multiple photographs. I brought them all here so you can understand. Never did anybody from the public works department ever come out to the property, ever contact me about the property. Um, I took pictures going all around the neighborhood. It's very selective or subjective as to what they're notifying. So being here today, I think is just another example of the failure of communication that this city has with its residents. I agree with this woman here who said communication is horseshit. And so now I'm being told to come here today to present my case. And yet I'm now learning >> that this isn't the right venue. So you tell me what am I supposed to do? >> Thank you. >> So you're not going to answer any questions. You're just going to sit there and listen. go and get the info off the table and they'll be happy to work with you. >> Well, it's about time, but I doubt, >> sir. Thank you. Next is by number nine. >> Byron Perkins, sir. >> Sorry, what? >> Byron Perkins. >> Oh, I'm so sorry about that. Byron Perkins, number nine. Number 10, Moshi, and number 11, uh, Tanya Peters. >> Goody. >> Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the council. My name is Byron Perkins. I'm the homeowner at 4123 Kfax Avenue, Noah, Minneapolis. I'm looking at this bill for $719 and 75 cents. Um, me being a former employee of public works surface water sewer division working in the public works department, I have witnessed even labor putting trees in a boulevard with the park board. I don't think it's fair to any and only one of these citizens that live in the city of Minneapolis. Me as a man's crew leader as a labor for the public works service work surf water sewer division public works. Uh I have put trees in the boulevard as a labor working for the city. It is not fair for us homeowners to pay for concrete panels when we plant trees in the boulevard when the tree roots itself lift the panels up. But y'all want to us as citizens to pay for that. That's not right. That's not right at all. And I don't think it's fair for either one of the citizens for the city of Minneapolis have to pay for concrete removal of slabs of concrete when the park board itself plant the trees in the boulevard. Not us. We not asking for the trees. When I bought my house, there was no trees in front of my house. The park board put two trees in front of my house. The tree on the right is messed up. The roots on the on the right is messed up so bad it had to change the panel. Why should I pay for a sidewalk when it have nothing to do with my property? Okay, right away my property's behind the sidewalk. Why should us citizens, why should we be foot with a bill when we don't have nothing to do with that? We didn't put the trees in the in the boulevard. The city did. So now y'all want us taxpayers citizens to pay for damage that the city did. I did some myself as an employee. Now, how to make this make sense? Y'all want me to pay $720 for a panel that I don't have nothing to do with? >> Thank you. >> That's all I got to say. >> Thank you. >> Number 10, Moshi. Number 11, Tanya. And number uh 12, Jay. >> Hi, my name is Moshi, property owner at 3323 Newton. And I did already appeal this assessment and the assessment was dismissed. And I did receive another letter to show up today. So I don't know if there's a miscommunication between the departments, but my assessment has already been dismissed on June 9th. And as well as what everyone else is saying here as well as far as we shouldn't be responsible for these fees, every year our taxes go up. Part of that funding goes towards the parks, the parks and wreck and the park board. They should be responsible for paying for these trees. Where is that money going? and they should be more mindful if they're going to plant trees. What kind of trees are they planting? When they see the number of people that are getting assessments for these roots, they should look and say, "Okay, there's a problem here." They need to reassess that and we shouldn't be responsible for that. You're going to price these people right out of their homes. I know Minneapolis is big on public housing and I'm sorry, not public housing, affordable housing, but you're making it unaffordable when you're constantly increasing their their taxes and assessments. Think about that. Thank you. Thank you. >> And also, please, can you confirm that this is dismissed and that you guys aren't going to charge me for something I've already appealed? >> Contact the folks from the table? They should be able to confirm that for you. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, number 11, Tanya Peters. Number 12, Jay Mitchell. And number 13, apologize, uh, Kite or Nlye. Um, but Tanya, >> um, good afternoon. My name is Tanya Peters. Um, I agree with the one guy that said the roots are cracking the sidewalks and we shouldn't have to pay for that. And then my other thing is I hired these people, Destiny Dynasty Tree Experts and they cracked three of the blocks and I've been trying to get them to pay for it but they won't respond and I'm not really sure what to do. And I have videos to show that they dropped the tree parts and cracked up three of the blocks and they won't pay. I don't feel like I should have to pay and I'm not sure what to do. >> Reach out to the folks at the table. That sounds like an issue they could help you with. >> Okay. >> Council member Stevenson, could you clarify what you mean by folks at the table? Like there's contact cards? >> There's contact information um on at that table right there. those papers um contact information for public works staff. >> Okay. >> And that's how you can get a hold of them >> where the um trees are lifting up the concrete. >> They can work through all these issues, the trees, the contractor, all that. They you can talk to them about that. >> Thank you. That table. >> Thank you. Thanks for the clarification. Um number 12, Jay Mitchell. And number 13, uh name that I I can't read, Kite or N. Um, but let's go to Jay. >> Um, maybe Jay is in the overflow room. So, let's go to number 13. Kite or N Lee from Camden. >> What number did you say? >> Uh, number 13. Maybe yours might say 14. The numbering's a little off here. >> I'm 14. My name is Kaitlyn. >> Kate. Okay. Sorry. I I couldn't read the way it was written. I'm sorry about that. >> So, first of all, I just want to say ridiculous. Got me for $5,363. We're a single family. North gets nothing ever. Ever. We got nowhere to shop. We got nowhere to buy things to have dinner. If we do, it's very small. It's very loc. But it's not enough. You treat us terribly. You tax us as much as South or Southeast. It's ridiculous. And now you've thrown this at us. I have pictures of my crap new $5,000 sidewalk, which you expect me to pay. We are a single family. We're struggling just like anybody else. These sidewalks are maintenanced, yes, by us. But we are all walking on them. The reason why I think this is going up or that this is happening is because of the new um uh amphitheater that's going off in 94 because we've got to have nice places to walk. Now, before you didn't care about North Minneapolis, and now we have to have nice places to walk because all these suburban people are going to come into town. And that's really what's going on here. Nobody cares. And nobody has put any money into North Minneapolis for the longest time. I mean, we all know it. And and now the sidewalks are getting done. And you are throwing this on the people who why not blanket the amount across all of North and then raise ours a little bit. Instead, you singled out homes and are doing fi, excuse me, financial damage to all the people. All of us. There are people with disabilities. There's veterans. There are people on fixed incomes. This is ridiculous. And I I'm I'm a sing we're a single family. I don't know how I'm going to pay this. And then you're going to charge me interest on a on shoddy work. It's And we had no say. The the fastness of this was ridiculous. I cannot believe that you think that it's okay to do this to North Minneapolis after the way we've been treated time and time again and never getting any of the amenities that any of the other cities get and we get taxed just as much, especially now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Number 15, Rachel Jacobson. And then number 16, Ken Frasier. >> Hi, good morning. Um, I'm the property owner at 4046 DuPont and I'm just going to piggyback on what everyone said or at least the speakers thus so far about just the lack of communication. I unfortunately wasn't given the opportunity to find my own independent contractor. The first notice I received in the mail was actually the invoice, but it wasn't even addressed to me. It was addressed to somebody else. I'm assuming a previous owner of the property. I've owned my home for over three years, so I'm not sure why a different person's name would be on there. And then the only time that any of these were actually addressed to me was this notice for public hearing. So, I would have loved the opportunity to have been able to hire my own people to do the sidewalk uh repair. And then just to um to speak on what the last lady said, the repair work was very not it wasn't good at all. Um, I would have not preferred to have it done in that way. They also just left it um wet for I don't know how long. And there's footprints going all over it and people writing their initials in. So now every time I go outside I see what looks like, you know, graffiti on my sidewalk. And um I would have appreciated any of the documents if they would have been addressed to me. Then I could have at least had, you know, the opportunity to find other methods of the work being done. Thank you. Number uh 16, Ken. >> Yes. Good afternoon, council. Name's Ken Frasier. I'm the property owner at 4339 Logan. This is my third time going through this. I used to have a house on Benson at 3523. And in the early say 13 or 14, they did the same procedure at my house. And the guy was pouring the concrete and but he didn't have the hoop in it. So I said, "Man, that's that's going to mess up again." Because my neighbor Donna next door had it done twice. She's been there 80 years. And I said, "Can't you put the hoop in it?" He said, "No." So here come three, four years later, the trees, the concrete's raising up, and here it come again. I said, "Can you put the hoop this time?" The guy put the hoop. Now I'm back here again, my house on Ben on Logan. They came out. When the guy was out there measuring and looking and measuring and whatever, I said, "I can do this myself." He said, "You can't do this. It's got to be done by the city contractor." I have friends of mine that are in this business that could have done it for me like 400 bucks instead of 900 I'm getting charged and the city would not bend on that. I could have had this done and it would have been to their requirements. They should allow homeowners I guess they can get it done to have it done to save them the money because the cost comes to us. It doesn't go to you. It go it comes to us. And like right now I'm stressed because I'm on a li a fixed income and this is going to maybe go to my property tax and last time it happened to put my house into uh tax foreclosure. They they end up going to my property taxes and then they put my property taxes over and here they come telling me I got to pay this or lose my house. So I had to scr $4,000 to pay the taxes so they wouldn't take my house and I want to put my get in this position again. I think the city should be more negotiable instead of like this this this this. We live, we have to live, we have to pay. We're paying our taxes. And I like living in Minneapolis, but this is ridiculous. That's all I want to say. >> Thank you. Uh, is anybody else here to speak to this item? >> Come on up. >> Hello. Nicole Dallas, um, property owner on 42nd in Dupont as well as 46 in Oliver. And there are a couple things. So, one, I did not get notification. Um, they actually sent notification to the wrong address and that was only a bill afterwards saying that they did receive or they did send notification previously. Um, and both addresses never had any notification. They al work that they did also caused me to have to remove a 100 year old tree. um that not only devalued my house but also increased and I had to pay for the tree removal which exceeds the amount of the bill for the sidewalk. I didn't get the chance or opportunity to fix the sidewalk and my portion of the sidewalk actually did not have anything wrong until they came moved something out of the street dropped it on there and then said we will have to do this portion as well. So, it just seems that one, like everyone said, the communication with the community company has been horrible, but the fact that they are placing it on and there's been no project oversight is ridiculous. >> Thank you. >> And then I do need to know where and who would be responsible for it. Like I said, I have had to cover tree cost center expense. Um, as well as my home has now had to have be devalued and I'm also paying for an increase that was valued for the assessment of a tree that was in front of my house and now it's no longer there. So, my property taxes already went up including that value when it's been devalued afterwards. If you want to speak with staff, you can uh who would work on that sort of thing, you can go to the table and there's contact information for staff there. >> Is anybody else here to speak to this item? >> Come on up. >> Hello, my name is Maya. I'm here because I'm owner of the house of Minneapolis, North Minneapolis. And they the city order to do two two part of sidewalls and they charge to me too much and I want to I need to find a help for this for me it's too much the what they charging that's all I have to say >> get the contact information from the table over there and staff can help you work through it >> okay thank you >> anybody else here to speak to this item May I ask a follow question from earlier with the program manager? He said something about an independent hearing and I don't could he speak to what that processes this gentleman in the orange t. >> So council member Stevenson I think we can close the public hearing and then for everyone in the room we'll go into a discussion portion where we can ask staff some of these questions. I think that's a good question to ask. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Okay, before we close the public hearing, I do want to ask a couple more times. Uh, is anyone else here to speak to the item? Is anyone else here to speak to the item? Is anyone else here to speak to the item? No. Let's, uh, no questions at this time. Um, I'm going to close this public hearing. Is there anybody um any questions from colleagues? Uh, Council Member Vita. >> Thank you, Chair Stevenson. Um, I I just noticed that there's quite a few W four residents here. Um, and I just want to make sure that they have my contact information and my staff is here. So, Ward 4 is uh north of Li, the north side of Li and up. So, into the 30s. I've heard most of your addresses. So, I'm a majority of the folks who came here, council member. And um I I know that uh Chair Stevenson said that there was some information on the table, but I you can reach out to my office. My staff will be down here Ricard shortly to make sure you have our contact information so we can make sure you get the right staff and and get connected to people who can help you navigate through this. We're certainly happy to help you and your neighbors who I know couldn't show up today either. And if it's something it sounds like everybody kind of lives in the same area, too. So if if there's something that we need to come out to uh your blocks or whatever to talk through, happy to do that, too. Um my office number is 612-6732204. we pick up the phone here so you can call um and of course our the email address is on the city's website but uh if you need some assistance if you came here today and you have some questions and you need staff assistance or my assistance we are happy to help and I can see Wyatt from my office is uh walking in the door so he has business cards as well. >> Council member Chowy. >> Yeah, thank you. Um, uh, Vice Chair Stevenson, uh, just want to start off by saying to folks that came down to city hall, thank you for coming down here, um, today and just expressing your concerns. Uh, I'll just note we have a lot of different special assessments that come before us that that we do here and in our city code when we when we have an alley reconstruction or a sidewalk or lighting, everyone pays into it if it's on their property. But I will say this is a notable instance where there have been several communication issues that have been cited, whether it's like getting information by mail, having it sent to the right person, um, and some in some pieces around just citing issues with the responsiveness. Um, I want to flag that for staff as something to resolve. I have sent a note over to the director of public works to say, "Hey, you should go watch this hearing. It seems like there are more issues around communication um than normal that we hear about when we have these assessments um and we need to address that. I'll ask a couple questions of staff. The first question is could you just um share what the next step is for individuals that want to appeal this and go to the hearing and what that would mean? Uh, Chair Stevenson, Council Member Chowry. Um, the the next step for people that would like to appeal their assessment uh would have would would have been um attending uh signing up for a administrative hearing, which we had three of them. There were 21 people that signed up for that. And um so this is the next option as they come here and they're able to uh um object in writing or come to this public hearing. The next option would be to take their case to district court. Okay. So explain. So you object in writing and that is just something for the council to make a determination on or where does that objection go? I think that would be helpful. and then kind of clarifying that district court piece. >> Uh, chair, members of the committee, good afternoon. My name is Don Illwood. I'm the director of transportation, engineering, and design. Um, to get to this point, we did have an administrative hearing. Some people chose to go to that. I heard one or two people talk about that. I'll I'll follow up with staff on what to do there. The next step is this public hearing, which we're at today. By objecting in writing or coming here in person, it preserves your right to appeal at district court. If you choose to go to district court, you can take that path. Otherwise, that's the end of the process and it goes on your taxes. >> Okay. Thank you. And then a question uh some folks have asked is about payment plans like being able to pay this overtime. What what options are available for folks there? Uh, chair, council member, I need to double check with my assessment staff if there's a deferment oper opportunity or any payment plan. I'm not exactly sure, but uh, I can get back to you on that. >> Okay, that would be great. And then those are my questions for you both. Appreciate it. I'll just note to others, I think especially if you had a communication issue, it's really helpful if you do connect with that staff member and of course your council member. I am a little bit I'll note to staff I'm a little bit worried that some people did not get the information for the administrative hearing and if there is anything that we can do to address that portion, especially if that was one of their opportunities. Um, and then also if you want to figure out financing, it sounds like you're going to follow up um, Mr. Elwood with staff, but if that's something that you want want to make sure you can loop back with that team, >> Council Member Warren, >> thank you. Um, Vice Chair Stevenson. Um, so my question is, what role does the forestry department and that um, and this is for staff, um, what role does the forestry department or whomever is planting the trees on the boulevard play in this um, this assessment process? Uh chair, members of the committee, council member, very good question. Um it's a balance of tree canopy, pedestrian access, how we make sure we have a builtout environment for sidewalk as well as the tree canopy. This is this these are always difficult things we need to balance. All these areas in the city are different. You may have a wider sidewalk, a narrow boulevard, a very wide boulevard. So each individual property might have a different specific problem or issue to address with trees. >> Okay. Globally, we do work with the park board on uh tree tree placement or when we have a side sidewalk problem next to a tree, we do work with the Minneapolis Park Board. >> Okay. And do the homeowners, because I'm a homeowner, too. Do they have the option to opt in or opt out of having a tree placed on the boulevard around their carriage walk or in front of their home on that little strip of grass that's not yours but mine but yours and mine? >> Uh chair, council member, members of the committee, I would need to check with the Minneapolis Park Board. The parkboard forestry division is responsible for all Minneapolis trees, the species, where they're planted, how many each year. >> Okay. Now, I'm I'm an environmental justice uh champion. I I love trees and I love tree canopies, but I think what I'm hearing here, if I'm listening, you know, correctly, is that if you're going to take away my autonomy to be able to decide whether or not I have a tree on the land that's mine and yours and yours and mine, but I'm in trouble for if I don't maintain and take care of or if I go plant my own hostess or flowers or whatever the situation is, then it can't be a certain whatever and I got to get all of these special permissions, but you don't have to ask any of my permission, but then I'm supposed to water the tree and do all of these extra things. And then when the tree does damage to the sidewalk, then it's not an equal distribution of who's responsible for the damage that said tree has done. if it falls on my neighbor's house or if it falls on to wherever or if it tears up the sidewalk or whatever. And so I think that if you put it there then you as you know the park board or whomever I don't know forestry whomever should ultimately be responsible for whatever damage that it caused because no one asks permission and I think that's not fair. So th those are some of my thoughts. And then I wanted to also state that I know that there's a lot of work that has been being done around um the waterline replacements throughout the north side. Um, I'm the council representative for the fifth ward and I'm also seeing the work in four and in five. And I have had my concerns. Um, and I've shared them because I'm seeing again, um, there was a resident who made a statement about the lowest bid always not being the best opportunity of the work that's being done because the it's really I mean, it's really botchy. like the way that the sidewalks and um the the boulevard there is being torn up and the grass is being destroyed and the sidewalks are being destroyed that are not like we didn't sign up for that part. The waterline stuff is cool, but I'm worried about what that's going to mean for a bunch of other residents going forward. And I just needed to name that because it was something that I'm noticing as I'm driving through community and watching a lot of the things that are happening on the streets and stuff. And and we want our streets and our sidewalks to be beautiful. We want to have nice um good streets to for people to drive up and down so they're not tearing up the rims and the shocks and stuff on their cars and all of that stuff. We want people to have nice, you know, w sidewalks that are widened and clean. people can roll through, walk through whatever the situation is based on their ambulatory needs or what have you. But I'm I do have some concerns and I think that this should definitely be a shared responsibility or at least an ask. So, do you want this tree here? Do you not want this tree here? If you want this tree here, these are my responsibilities and oversight that I'm going to have over the tree. And this is your responsibility as the homeowner that the oversight you need to have over this tree and how we're going to like make those agreements on the front end. That way it minimizes the confusion on the back end and then people have the right to choose. Those are just my thoughts. The end. >> Thank you uh council member Vita. >> Thank you chair. I just wanted to quickly make sure that we got on the record that legally we have to take the lowest bid. We don't have the option um to you know pick and choose between the folks who are offering us offering the services. We have to take the lowest bid as a council and as um the city of Minneapolis. >> Thank you. Um I did Oh, council member Warren. >> May I chair? I wanted to ask my council colleague a question. So if if we take the lowest bid and they're not doing the best job, what is it? What do what role do we get to play in that? >> The role we get to play in that is holding whoever is doing the service accountable. So if you live at a property and you notice that there's shoddy work or something is done before those people leave, those things have to be reported and we have to make sure that they fix it. But legally, we can't say I like this. I mean that would be us giving preference. That would be me. That would give me the opportunity to say uh my cousin does it better or my friend I like this company better so I'm going to pick them instead of them. Legally we cannot do that. We have to accept the lowest bid and we have to hold the folks accountable who we've accepted and say this was not a good job. you left and there were someone said fingerprints or handprints or like whatever in like that needs to be reported to us and then as a city we need to you know get those contractors back out to do the job appropriate. So that is the role that we want residents to play. Pay attention to the service you're getting. It's okay to say it's not complaining. It is okay to say this does not look good. That was bad. I I heard a man up here who clearly knows what this kind of work looks like. He was talking about a ring or not a ring. Like those are the things that you have to report back whether that's to your council member, to 311, to the city staff you've been working with so we know that the project is not going well and we can get it fixed before they move on. >> Thank you for providing that clarification, council colleague. >> Yeah. Um, I feel like I have learned a lot from folks here. Unfortunately, there's no more questions. The public hearing is closed, but you can reach out to your council. You can reach out to any council member, but you should specifically reach out to your council member and they are happy to advocate for you. Um, and then I've learned a little something about the way we ran this meeting as well as um some ideas going forward about how these special assessments are. So, thank you everyone who came out here um to speak to us today during the workday. Really appreciate it. I know it's not uh easy to get out here. Um so, seeing no further discussion, I'll move approval of this item. Uh can the clerk call the role? Actually, >> Council Member Veto >> I. Warren >> I >> Chry >> I >> and then Chair Stevenson >> I >> we have four eyes. >> That motion carries. Um we have on discussion uh but we have a council member who needs to leave. So I did want to ask staff for um Encore Home Solutions. Is this something that we need the presentation on? Um, or can we postpone this to uh cow? I just want to hear and make sure that if we postpone it, that's not ruining anything for anybody. Is there staff here to speak to that? Council member Stevenson, this is Will Sheffer, inter agency coordinator for public works. We can postpone to cow next Tuesday at 1:30. Correct? >> Yes. Thank you. >> Um, so I will move um that we postpone, uh, >> I'm so sorry, uh, Chair Stevenson, because of because of the, uh, uh, primary on the 11th, it'll actually be on the Monday, um, at 1:30. So it'll be uh August 10th at 1:30. That is when committee of the whole is scheduled. >> Okay. So August 10th at 1:30. Looking at staff to make sure that still works. Um August 10th at 1:30. Let's postpone that item to there. And then for um the CNI work plan, can we just I I don't know if we can bundle these together or not or take separate votes. Just approve it. uh and move on. >> You can uh yeah, you can move both of them at once. >> Okay. >> And and council member, if it's all right, I mean, for the CNI work plan, like if that's something that we wanted an opportunity for the presentation and council members to weigh in on, we could also do that at the next CNI meeting. >> I have a small presentation, but it's not it's not the biggest thing in the world. So, we can just approve it and move on. We've we've postponed it, I think, before already, so let's just get it done. Um so let's take up both of these together. Um moving item what is this 19 to cow next the Monday that we specified and then approving the work plan. Um all those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. That motion carries. Uh and I believe clerks that concludes our business. All right. Thank you.