Good evening and welcome to this regular meeting of the board of estimate and taxation for December 10th, 2025. My name is Steve Brandt. I'm the president of the BET. Before we begin the meeting, I'd like the clerk to ask uh to repeat a reminder to people participating in this meeting. >> [clears throat] >> Before we begin, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. These broadcasts include realtime captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our [snorts] 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. >> All right. I'll now ask the clerk to call the role so that we can verify the presence of a quorum. >> Member Fry here. Aenet >> present. >> Payne >> present. >> Chuck Tai is absent. Vice President Pristinson is absent. President Brandt >> present. >> There are four members present. >> All right. I want to uh make sure everybody knows that we will only have a quorum uh today for about 20 minutes uh when Commissioner Abeni needs to meet at a conflicting park board meeting. Understandably, she needs to be there as the president. Um I'll now offer an acknowledgement that we meet today on the land of the Dakota and Ojiway. And we'll now proceed to our agenda, a copy of which was pub post posted for public access on the city's legislative information management system available at l minneapolismn.gov. Uh board members, the agenda for today's meeting is before us. Could I have a motion to adopt the agenda? >> Some move. >> Second. >> We have a proper motion before this. Any discussion? >> Okay. All those in favor say I. I. >> Those opposed say nay. The eyes have it and the agenda is adopted. Next is the acceptance of minutes from November 12th, 2025. May I have a motion to accept the minutes? >> Second. >> All right, we have a proper motion before us. See, uh any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, nay. The eyes have it. The minutes are accepted. Item number four on our agenda is the acceptance of public comment. Uh the clerk informs me that we do not have anybody attending today to make public comment. So we will continue with the next item on our agenda. And I am going to depart from the published agenda and take up first uh a mustdo and that is the adoption of the 2025 budget and tax levy which is before you. May I have a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. point of information. You said 20 2025 levy in >> excuse me 2026. Thank you Commissioner Benny. Um I would like to have more time to discuss this but circumstances do not allow it. Uh any further discussion seeing none all those in favor indicate I opposed. >> Okay the motion is passed. Um we now move on to item number seven uh which commissioner which uh would be presented by as the uh bond proceeds reallocation resolution uh which will be presented briefly u by the finance staff Mr. Uh yeah, good afternoon, President Brandt and Commissioners. I'm Dave Wheeler, senior manager of banking, investments, and debt. Uh we just have one item for you today. It's a concurring resolution to council action taken in November. This relates to the annual project closeouts by public works. Um included in your meeting packets and displayed on the screen is a table of the uh project reallocations and projects to be closed out in their various amounts. Um this is an annual exercise public works does when projects are taken about as far as they can go. Um there's no other work to be done or or costs to be spent uh expenses to pay. Uh these projects are closed out uh for various reasons. Certain projects do have bond proceeds remaining in their accounts. uh those need to be reallocated out of those projects before it can be closed. Uh and they need to go into another project where those monies can be spent in a timely manner. Um the top of the table is the projects to be closed out and those amounts totaling 1.46 million. Uh those will be reallocated to uh the projects below. Uh and then a small portion going into the debt service fund. Um that's all we have for today. Um this was approved by council in November. Um, and I can stand for any questions you might have. Uh, if it's any project specific questions, I will likely defer to public works and have a confident answer for you, but I happy to speak to anything I can. Thanks. All right. Are there any questions? Okay. I would just like to note I'll be voting voting nay on this matter. Um, I have an outstanding question on it and I hate to vote on things till I understand all the ramifications, but I believe we have enough people here to approve it. Uh so um seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of approving our closeout bond proceeding adjust uh reallocation resolution, please indicate by saying I. >> I opposed. Nay. Okay. Uh we now move uh that matter is uh adopted. And we next move on to a very brief presentation on a routine u matter involving um the issuance of tax exempt general obligation bonds for assessment projects. Uh Mr. um I'm wondering if we need to have a presentation uh Allen or u whether the memo speaks for itself. Uh Alan Hoppy, director of banking, investments and debt. Mr. President, members of the board, the clerk's office has prepared background memo to support that. So it uh typically is a uh receive and file item. >> Correct. Thank you for that uh presentation. uh with no objection will receive and file this item. And we move on then to uh a resolution uh that will recognize the service of Commissioner Pri Stinson who could not be here today. Um I wonder if the clerk would mind reading that resolution. I need a physical >> resolved by the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, honoring Samantha Pristinson for her service and dedication to the Board of Estimate and Taxation. Whereas Samantha was first elected to the board of estimate and taxation BET in 2021, serving as the president for the first two years of her term and as vice president for the final two years. And whereas Samantha made history by being the first black Chana elected to the board of estimate and taxation. and s whereas Samantha compassionately drew from her own life experiences as a US Army sergeant, combat medic veteran, and community leader to speak up for the violless, including unhoused neighbors, youth, elders, and residents of historically redlinined areas. And whereas Samantha was instrumental in supporting the implementation of the city's first public housing levy, ensuring sustained funding for maintenance, [snorts] safety upgrades, and repairing unsafe conditions. And whereas Samantha worked to strengthen internal processes to ensure that the board was more accessible and inclusive to the public, implementing closed captioning and broadcasting and open public comment for each meeting. And whereas the work done by Samantha to expand accessibility and public participation led not to led to not only the highest turnout to a BET meeting ever, but also the record number of public comments. And whereas Samantha led on the commission of the city's first ever capital audit desegregated by Ward, providing clear data for accountability. and whereas her years of dedication to liberation and sustainability in many forms have led to permanent impact. Now therefore, be it resolved by the board of estimate and taxation of the city of Minneapolis that the board hereby acknowledges and commends her extraordinary work and service and expresses deep gratitude for the many ways she has bettered the city for generations to come. >> May I have a motion to adopt? >> So moved. >> Second. All right, we have a proper motion before us. Is there any discussion? >> Commissioner Benny. >> Yes. Uh, thank you. Um, President Brandt, I just want to say it's been a pleasure to get to know um, Vice President Pristinson and to serve with her. Um, she I think did some great things here that are listed in this resolution uh, that really did advance the transparency of this work and um, really did some great advocacy. uh I always appreciated her perspective and um she should be proud of her service. So, >> yep. Thank you. >> Okay. I would let's just like to add that u as somebody who was elected with commissioner priestinson we barely met be during the campaign because of the pandemic and we sat down about a month after our election uh over in commissioner Payne's ward and had a delightful conversation and we had I think differing impressions of where we were coming from and we found a lot of common ground and I uh particular particularly relied on her knowledge of city hall in particular to uh ease the uh hiring of our staffer and and her accommodation at city hall. Uh I would also like to um acknowledge the groundbreaking work that she did that is um noted in the resolution and I want to invite anybody who's in the room today uh to join us. I believe there's a cake u back behind the dis somewhere uh that will be enjoyed after we have to adjourn and um any further discussion mayor Fry. Uh thank you Mr. Chair. You generally say these words hoping that the person that is uh receiving them is able to hear them. And so uh to Samantha to our commissioner uh priestinson just thank you for your work. Um, public service ain't easy. You step up, you put your name on a ballot, uh, you do things that are hard for the betterment of a city and you represented and embodied that very important work. And so, thank you, >> uh, Commissioner Payne. >> Uh, thank you, President Brandt. Yeah, I I first got to know Commissioner Priestinson uh I think when she was working in former council member Cunningham's office and I just want to the thing that I reflect on in in knowing in knowing her is uh her commitment to service is never bound by any role or any institution. uh she is just so dogged in her commitment to um just the cause and I know that she's going to find ways of bringing that commitment into other venues as well. So we'll miss her. >> Okay, I see no further discussion. We'll clerk will call the role on the resolution. [clears throat] >> Member Fry. I >> Abetti >> I >> Payne >> I >> President Brent >> I >> there are four I's. >> Okay. Um we have skipped over the quarter three report from the controller. Um I warned him that that he might get short shrift today because of our quorum issues both today and next week. Um, I would um I would um do I need to make a formal motion on this clerk? Uh do I need to uh continue this to our next regularly scheduled meeting? Does that require a motion? >> Uh since it's currently on the agenda and we still have quorum, uh you would need a approval of the board to continue it to a forward meeting. >> Okay. Through a resolution or just a a motion? >> Just a motion. May I have such a motion, please, so that we're not discussing a quarter's worth of work in five minutes? >> So, I I will make a motion to lay this over until the next meeting. Is that the right language? >> Continue to the meeting of that work. >> Continue to the next meeting. >> All right. Is there a second? >> Second. Okay. All those in favor? >> I I opposed. Okay. Thank you. I uh that concludes our agenda except for the announcements. And uh I just want to say that I am disappointed in this board's ability to mount a quorum uh for its regularly scheduled meetings both this week and next week and previously. I think this year we had an issue with it. And I think um that I would like to see consideration of a charter amendment that would allow um at least the uh very elected members of the board to appoint a to designate a design at times when their other duties keep them away. Um for example, the council president or his or her design or the budget chair or his or her design. I don't know if it works well for the park from the park board standpoint. Uh, Commissioner Benny has a conflicting park board meeting and she has to be there as the president and I understand that. Um but uh this is happening too often and uh I don't think the people's business should be put off uh because of circumstances like this and uh anybody wants to add to that fine otherwise uh we can discuss it at a later date >> and and I'll just May I >> absolutely >> um I I would just say that uh you know I put a lot of effort into making sure that there was there were no conflicts on the calendars this year. Um and really we haven't had conflicts on the parkboard side this year except for this one night. Mhm. >> So, um, and it's it's a I need to acknowledge it's a regular BET night. It by charter it's not a parkboard night, but so I'm sorry about that. >> Okay, we understand. Um, see any other announcements? Okay, see no further announcements. I will go make my apologies to George Hardgrove and uh we will um stand adjourned. >> Okay. Sorry.