It does not have me as live. It still has it as a color. What the [ __ ] is going on? Jesus. Oh, I [ __ ] hate this laptop. You piece of [ __ ] Test, test, test. One, two. Mic check. Mic check. One, two. Awesome. And we will I might as well I was looking for communications. We are ready to begin. Okay, one moment. >> I think it's for you. >> I have one. >> We don't even have a screen. Good afternoon and welcome to this regular meeting of the board of estimate and taxation for July 8th, 2026. I am Steve Brandt, president of the board bet. Uh before we begin the meeting, I would like to ask the clerk to read the reminder to those participating in the meeting about diction. Before we begin the meeting, 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 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. >> All right, we will now ask the clerk to call the role so we can ascertain the presence of a quorum. >> Member Chugtai is absent. Fry is absent. Olsen >> here. >> Payne >> present. >> Vice President Bernstein >> present. >> President Brandt >> here. >> There are four members present. >> Let the record reflect that we have a quorum. I will now offer an acknowledgement that we meet today on the land of the Dakota also claimed by the Inishab. Uh we acknowledge the historical trauma that was caused by the dispossession of that land. and we um acknowledge that uh their descendants live among us today as citizens of Minneapolis. All right, we will proceed to our agenda, a copy of which was posted for public access to the city's legislative information management system which is available at lims.minneapolis min.gov. Uh okay. Uh board members, may I have a motion to adopt the agenda that for today's meeting? >> So moved. Second. >> All right, we have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Okay, all those in favor say I. >> I oppose. >> Oppose. Nate. Okay, the eyes have it. The agenda is adopted. Next is the acceptance of minutes from the June 24th regular meeting. Uh may I please have a motion to accept the minutes? >> So moved. >> Second. >> And a second. Okay, we have a motion before us properly. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, uh, all those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed say nay. The eyes have it. The minutes are accepted as proposed. Um, and, uh, we now are at item four, which is public comment on any item that's on the board's agenda today. I will ask the clerk if we have anybody signed up to comment. We have no one signed up for comment. Uh just want to remind people that you have the opportunity to come to a board meeting and comment on any item that is on the board's agenda that meeting. Um up next is our discussion of the charter change resolution which is a result of a staff direction from our June 24th meeting. Uh executive secretary uh Christina Kaiderling will present this item. And we'll try to keep our discussion today as brief as possible because we have a a hard deadline on quorum. Uh maintaining a quorum. Christina. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Not much of a presentation per your staff direction at the last meeting. A um resolution has been drafted to propose a pursuing a charter change via the charter commission and the city council requesting their help in making sure that the vice presidents of the city council and the budget committee would be able to step into the president's role in order to help us achieve quorum whenever the presidents are not available or president or chair are not available. >> Very good. Is there any Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right, we have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion? >> I'll just note that this is a response to the continuing issues we've had in achieving and maintaining a quorum at the board of estimate meeting doing due to the multiple demands on some of the members of the board. Um, and this is a way we hope that the U council and U charter commission will see fit to assist us in making achieving a quorum and keeping a quorum more um more readily available. >> Uh, Commissioner Bernstein, >> can I ask a technical question? Is it just on the issue of voting? It says council vice president serve as a voting member of the board when the president is unable to attend or vice chair to serve. So the person serving in thestead of the appointee would be a voting member. They could vote on anything just like the vote would transfer completely. >> That's the intent. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Okay. Uh seeing no further disc uh Commissioner Olson, your light is No. Okay. See not Commissioner Payne >> uh just was uh Thank you, Chair. Uh was asking the print out. I had had a blank for the author. Are you have you signed up to be the off a author of that, Mr. President? >> I am perfectly willing to be the author. Thank you for uh noting that oversight. >> Uh Mr. President, I'll actually step in here. Uh you as a board would actually be the author for this resolution. You're offering it up as a as a board. So, there isn't technically an author on this. >> That sounds good. >> Thank you. All right. Uh uh clerk, please take the role. Member Olsen I >> Payne >> I >> Bernstein >> I President Brandt >> I >> there are four eyes. >> All right the matter passes and the resolution is adopted. Our next item is the discussion on the staff review and resolution 2026003. I'll lead the discussion on this subject. um uh the board I'll read u essentially from the resolution. This is a resolution that has to do is titled executive secretary Christina Kaideling annual step movement. Whereas the board of estimate and taxation met in a closed session to review the performance of Christina Kaideling on June 24th, 2026. And whereas based on that review, the board determined that Miss Kaiderling's performance was satisfactory or better. Therefore, be it resolved that the board of estimate and taxation authorized an annual step increase for executive secretary Christina Kaidelin to the next available step in the pay progression schedule based on a satisfactory or better performance review effective on the next payroll period following May 14th, 2026. And u I am going to offer this u resolution uh as the maker of the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion? >> Commissioner Ping. >> Uh thank you chair. Uh just really grateful for your service to the BET and I know it's been a rocky start but you are starting something quite new here I feel like and we're just glad you're here. Commissioner Bernstein. >> Yeah, I just want to say um yeah, we conducted a review and everybody agreed that we're lucky to have Miss Kylering and um she's obviously been a great resource to us and um we're excited to see what she does. So happy to uh vote to grant this step increase. And I would add to that that although the resolution is worded in a fairly tepid way, I I enthusiastically um back the conclusion that her s performance is better than satisfactory and um we look forward to spending the next year with her. So with that uh further discussion, okay, will the click take the role please? >> Member Olsen >> I. >> Payne >> I. Vice President Bernstein >> I. >> President Brent >> I. >> There are four eyes. >> All right. The matter is passed >> and we now are at discussion item number seven on our agenda. It's consideration of a board action uh supporting a voluntary pilot and that stands for payment in lie of taxes uh support resolution. Uh I am going to ask u uh Commissioner Bernstein if he would like to move the resolution and begin the discussion on the topic after a second. >> Um so yeah, I'd like to move the resolution. >> Second. >> Jump in a second. Uh and so should I say a couple Okay. So I I I drafted this resolution. Um it is in response to the alternative revenues proposal uh presentation and report that we received a couple of weeks ago that was heard uh in a joint meeting of the BET and the city council. Um essentially much of this resolution just rehashes what folks already know which is that the city council and the BET um you know collaborated to do a study of alternative revenue sources in light of the limited revenue options that we have and the rising property taxes. Um, so this sort of talks about, you know, that we all agreed on those things, agreed on the importance of a strong budget. Um, but that the city has limited powers to uh raise additional revenue sources. We can't levy new taxes. Um, we can't even change the geographic boundaries of like for example our sales taxes. And so um the two options that were on this report that were options that we could pursue without uh statute change at the state level were a pilot program because it's a voluntary program where uh taxexempt organizations pay uh of their own vition um into uh city budget um in lie of their property taxes. Um and also um that we could potentially raise revenue from different utilization of assets. So that's something that we do like when we charge for parking. um when we rent, you know, we collect rent from the Timberwolves for the Target Arena. Um and so the resolution that I drafted um states that there that you know, the the board would like the city council to pursue um a pilot program or to study a pilot program as they have as it notes they have already um taken steps to do. Um but it affirms our support uh for that pilot program. Uh and then the other important thing that it notes uh is the nature of that revenue and what it could do. So um because it's voluntary revenue um it would be coming um it would be not guaranteed in the same way that property tax revenues or sales taxes have the backing of our legal authority. Um and so therefore it would be inappropriate to use that money for year-to-year spending like um to budget that we are going to get a certain amount of it every year. Now hopefully collections would be predictable to some degree but they would be poorly suited for ongoing programs. And so to make good use of this money which we could eventually collect um this res resolution proposes um that the money uh that the city council consider using the money um for infrastructure improvement fund or something that you could call um a urban wealth fund. um which would be you know a fund that ex a a closed fund that exists to make investments in infrastructure improvement public assets like parks, parkletits, plazas um or even housing or commercial real estate that the city could own and operate as it already does to some degree like the convention center for example. So we could use this money because we can't count on the flow every year. We could use this money to invest in public assets to manage and improve public assets in a way that um we can make decisions about how much money we have in the fund um and how much we can afford to spend and also consider using it for income producing assets which could include commercial real estate um or other um sorts of public assets that could produce revenue that would flow back into the fund for further use. Um, so that's the resolution and um, yeah, I would love to hear folks thoughts or I can answer questions if that was unclear. Thanks. >> I I would like to just jump in here. Um, I have a I believe a friendly amendment that Commissioner Bernstein and I have talked about which would add a new paragraph 13 whereas clause that acknowledges essentially that the city council has taken action to move the pilot idea forward. And it would read, "Whereas the city council has passed a staff direction directing uh study of pilot." Uh, and that would be simply it. And Commissioner Bernstein, you accept that? All right. >> Yeah. This is just noting that the city council has already done something to move this forward. So, we're affirming that action, agreeing with it, and uh adding these other points. >> And Commissioner Olsson, do you have a comment? >> Yeah. Well, then a couple of questions. So, so the BET we would have no authority to say that these funds must be used for this priority. Okay. Um, so then I guess my uh question would be to uh Commissioner Payne, um, Council President Payne, um, what do you think are are the odds that funds generated from a pilot program would be to put towards this innovative idea from Commissioner Bernsteeen, which um, I think is a fantastic idea and kind of a a good idea to see something going further >> uh, through the chair. I I I really like the idea personally. Uh I think it's really practical considering the uh uncertainty of what type of revenue we could you like would generate through a program like this. And so I think being able to articulate a really direct way we would use this revenue given that um lack of certainty makes a lot of sense to me and I think obviously it would be a broader conversation with all the policy makers on city council. Um so I uh with the chair's um blessing I my comment was just going to be I just wanted to thank both the president and vice president president procedurally because this started off as a conversation on the deis in bet led to a formal action by the bet to study this with a joint presentation to the council. I think having this the the formality of the BET making this request is just a a really strong expression of what this body can do to really demonstrate the leadership around thinking about revenue in a much more innovative way. So just wanted to thank both of the president and vice president for how they approach this. >> Completely agree and yeah just thanks for again I think it's innovative. I think looking at land this way, you know, if done right, if done correctly, it it could be something that in the future, um, the city is really benefiting from. So, >> and Commissioner Bernstein, I want to also thank you for taking on the heavy lifting of writing this resolution. Um, all right, seeing no further discussion, uh, the >> Say one more thing. >> Oh, Commissioner Princy. Yeah, thanks everyone for the kind comments and and I echo like Steve uh sorry, Commissioner uh President Brandt um you know really has uh talked a lot about the need for alternative revenues, the importance and the value there and so this is the fruits of a lot of your labor. So thank you for that. Um and I'll just mention just to agree with what um uh council president said you know the concept of using uh public funds in this way is you know new and will require a lot of conversation and study. This is obviously just a recommendation, an idea, a suggestion, but I think it's a valuable one. I've talked about it in different forms with a lot of folks um both on the BET and on the city council and with the mayor. Um and I think there's broad interest in it. And so this is just to kind of cultivate that interest a little bit more and think about it. And it's not so different from the way we use money already in certain parts of our budget. And so this is just thinking about how can we leverage that strategy elsewhere. So yeah, thanks everyone. >> All right. Thank you. The clerk will call the role. >> Member Olsen >> I. >> Payne >> I. >> Vice President Bernstein >> I. >> President Brent >> I. >> There are four eyes. >> All right. The meas measure has passed and we have uh met Commissioner Payne's deadline. Um we have any announcements? >> Any announcements? >> We got 36 minutes. >> All right. Nobody wants to make a speech today. Okay. Very good. All right. Well, with that, seeing no further business to come before the board, without objection, we're adjourned.