Good morning everyone. My name is Elliot Payne. I'm the president of Minneapolis City Council. Before we convene our meeting, we have presentations of honorary resolutions. We are pleased to welcome guests to the space to share in these presentations before taking up our agenda. First up, we are recognizing Human Rights Day and International Migrants Day with Council Member Chavez along with Council Member Chowry and Council Member Osman and our incredible city staff. >> All right, everyone. We are recognizing human rights day and international migrants day. Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on December 10th, 1948 and is the first international document of the 20th century that clearly identifies the rights and freedoms that belong to us all humans and is celebrated on human rights day. And whereas work on universal declaration of human rights was led by Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife and widow of President FDR. As such, there is an important connection between this essential document, a document that embodies a shared goal of understanding of the rights we all hold as humans and highlights the essential truth that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights and in the United States of America. And whereas on December 18th, 1990, the United Nations adopted the international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families, which emphasizes the link of migration to fundamental human rights that we all hold. And >> whereas International Migrants Day recognizes that migration is a fundamental reality for humanity and underscores the importance of protecting the rights and dignity of all people who move across borders regardless of whether their citizenship is rec recognized in their place of birth or the country where they settle. And whereas reading the universal decor declaration of human rights and the international convention on the protection of rights of all migrant workers and members of their families are ways to understand and appreciate these rights. And whereas the city of Minneapolis works to advance human rights and the rights of migrants in tangible ways. And whereas in 2025, actions and initiatives undertaken by the city of Minneapolis that advance and uphold the human rights of all residents include the UNICEF child-friendly cities initiative, expanding civil rights protections, advancement of immigrant and refugee inclusion goals and strategies, including connecting community members to immigration legal service providers so as to obtain secure or more secure or immigration status. And whereas these efforts are only a few few of the tangible ways in which the city of Minneapolis work to advance the human rights, civil rights, the rights of immigrants, and the rights of all residents. Ensuring that our city is truly welcoming, not just the name, but indeed. And whereas it's by upholding our commitment to the right of all that we ensure that the right of each of us are and will be upheld as taking rights away from someone does not promote safety but ultimately ensures that no one is safe. And whereas advancing the human rights for all residents, including individuals who migrate from abroad to make a new lives in Minneapolis is one way to honor the value embedded in the United Nation's document and reference. And whereas >> whereas the city of Minneapolis is and always will be committed to being a welcoming environment for all regardless of race, ethnicity, place of origin, gender identity, abilities, and religious affiliation. And whereas we stand in solidarity with and as a part of Minneapolis community that is suffering the impacts of the failure to uphold these rights in our society today. Sufferings resulting from forcible displacement, indefinite detention, restriction of movement, separation from family members, restriction from access to essential resources, legal limbo, and restrictions on legal identity leading to harms including mental health impacts, terror, torture, and death. These are the results of policies and actions which are intended to and which have the effect of stripping humanity from our fellow humans and neighbors. And whereas the city of Minneapolis is committed to upholding the ideals embodied by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on the Protection of Rights of all migrant workers and members of their families. Because these commitments are our national obligations. because they reflect our own city values and because success in any human endeavor is a shared success. We need and are dependent upon one another and our commitment to each other is the key to prosperity for all. Now, therefore, be it resolved the mayor and the city council do hereby recognize December 10th, 2025 as human rights day and December 18, 2025 as International Migrants Day. We invite Minneapolis residents to recognize these two occasions by reading the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on the Protection of All Migrant Workers and members of their families, sharing this information with others, and identifying additional tangible ways to honor and uphold rights identified in these documents. Thank you. Hi everyone, my name is Viviana Salazar, chair of the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights. I stand before you today with a heartfelt apology to the Somali community who lives in fear, to my Latina community who continues to be targeted, and to every family being targeted because of their race or their identity. The Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights is here for you and we will do our best to protect the interest in our community. Please know this, we stand with you. I carry deep sorrow for the fear and uncertainty our communities are facing and I remain committed to making sure no one walks alone in moments like these. Thank you. And next I'll pass it to Director Dero. >> Thank you. My name is Michelle Rivera. I'm the director of the office of immigrant and refugee affairs for the city of Minneapolis. What we are seeing in Minneapolis today is a reflection of what happens when we do not uphold the human rights that we all have. We all have rights. Everyone, no matter where a person was born, no matter where a person moves to, the city of Minneapolis is committed to ensuring that everyone is aware of their rights and is equipped to defend them. We invite people to go to the ORA Minneapolis web page, OI Minneapolis, to learn more about your rights and understand how you can connect with someone if your rights have been violated in the city of Minneapolis. We are here for you because we are and will remain a welcoming city. One that upholds the human rights of all, including the rights of migrants, including the rights of people who are in Minneapolis and have chosen to come to Minneapolis. Thank you. >> Anybody else? Just want to thank uh our city staff uh for helping draft this resolution, for all the work that went into it. I think it's very timely and some very difficult times that our communities are experiencing. So, we'll just come here, take a photo Next up, we will recognize Samantha Pristinson. Today we are honoring BET Vice President Samantha Priest Stinson for her years of service to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas before running for elected office, Samantha was a well-known organizer and activist fighting for equality and transparency. And whereas Samantha was first elected to the board of estimate and taxation 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 whereas Samantha tirelessly served our city, ensuring that all voices of the community were heard, 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, 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 to not only the highest turnout to a BET meeting ever, but also the the record number of public comments. And whereas Samantha demonstrated her commitment to youth by supporting the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, $2.6 million investment in youth programming. And whereas Samantha partnered with MPB to support the 2025 MPB levy request to fund our collective bargaining agree agreement for MPB workers. And whereas Samantha honored the commitment made to the Upper Harbor Terminal and Graco parks by supporting the 2026 MPB levy request to activate these spaces representing a historic investment in the north side community. And whereas Samantha led to the led on the commission of the city's first ever capital audit disagregated by ward providing clear data for accountability. And whereas after her years of service, Samantha's service to the city of Minneapolis and the positive impact she had on our city will continue well into the future. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby present this honorary resolution in recognition of their their sincere gratitude and appreciation for the many contributions made by the board of estimate and taxation vice president priestin to the city of Minneapolis together with their best wishes for her future endeavors. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you so much. I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm actually going to. Um, we have such a beautiful, diverse council that represents what this city really is, what it really means to be Minneapolis. 27 years ago, I came here and I fell in love with my husband. We have our sons up here with us. Several years ago, I met Walter Mando, who gave me advice about how to get here. And I'm get to stand up here with his son and his daughter who dates my son. Um, and so, [laughter] and so this this is this is the Minneapolis I fell in love with. I'm not from here. I'm from Los Angeles, but I came here many years ago and I've fallen in love with it and I fought for it. I've been in the streets for it. I will continue to be in the streets for it. This is what Minneapolis is. And anybody can stand up here and get to be a woman of the people. >> That's right. >> I didn't do it with the political party. They said it couldn't be done. I did it by being Samantha Priestinson. 10 toes down, back straight, head held high. And I will continue to do that whether I'm in an elected position, not in an elected position. And so if there's something that you feel passionate about, continue to fight for it. Continue to fight for it. Continue to stand for it. Don't back down from it. And we're living in the times where we can't. So I'm very proud to be standing up here in this moment. And think of all the intersections I stand on. I'm a woman. I'm a black woman. I'm a Mexican woman. I'm a vet. I'm a combat vet. I'm a vice president, the board of estimate taxation. There's so many different intersections I stand on being this woman in this body. And nothing's been able to hold me back yet. So, I also look forward to what I'll do in the future. But I'm so very proud. The most one of the most proud things I know I'll ever have done is to have served this city. Thank you. >> Thank you. [cheering and applause] >> [applause] >> else. >> I heard my husband. >> Not give me that mic. Do you want us to >> All right, >> that's yours. [laughter] >> with all the >> Oh, if we could do that. >> Okay. I guess we should do the last sentence. >> Your staff does all the >> We will now recognize Council Member Cashman. You want to kick us out? >> Oh, I can't whatever. Whatever. Whatever she wants. This is for her. [snorts] >> All right. We ready? >> We're very lopsided. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> If you're not in the middle, that's weird. Yeah. There we are. Hello. Okay. This is an honorary resolution recognizing council member Kashman for her years of service to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas council member Kashman was elected to represent the seventh ward in 2023, the first new council member to represent W 7 in 26 years, bringing a new voice and style of leadership and advocacy to the neighborhoods of Binmar, Cedar Alsine, Downtown West, East Isles, Kenwood, Luring Park, Lowry Hill, Steven Square, Luring Heights, and West Maska. W 7 is one of the most economically diverse districts in the entire state of Minnesota, representing residents in affordable and section 8 housing alongside lakeside homeowners and downtown business owners. Council member Kashman worked to equitably represent this diverse constituency with various types of engagement throughout the ward, ranging from community cleanups in Luring Park to quality water quality roundts in West Makaska, always working to address the varied needs of her constituency. Whereas council member Kman's office had the most adure cases of any office in 2024 and ended November 2025 with 3,749 constituent cases with council member Kashman personally responding to 1,747 cases. is showing her immense dedication to constituent services and communication. Whereas the W 7 office ended the term with a 3-day average response time to constituents, affirming constituent services as a top priority in her representation of W 7 and Whereas, Council Member Kashman brought her professional experience in urban planning and climate advocacy together by forming the climate and infrastructure committee, further advocating for city solutions to our climate crisis. And whereas council member Kashman brought a tremendous level of consensus building and teamwork to city council by co-authoring legislation with every member of city council and authoring over two 200 pieces of legislation in her two-year term. this one. Okay, >> this one. Whereas council member Kashman chaired the climate and infrastructure committee while also serving on the transportation advisory board for the metropolitan council, serving on the Minneapolis tree advisory commission for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, serving on the clean energy partnership and led on renewing the city's franchise agreements with utility companies, demonstrating a resounding dedication to intercity coordination for the sake of our planet and environ. environment. And whereas council member Kashman has been a strong advocate for the safety, usability, and enjoyability of our public spaces from co-authoring the Boulevard Gardens ordinance to uh fighting to triple traffic calming resources to finding cost-effective replacement playground for the Lauren Greenway. Council member Kashman has been a relentless advocate for public spaces. That's right. And >> whereas council member Kashman has been a relentless advocate for the vibrant storefronts initiative that both creates cost-effective options for artists to have their own studio space and shops while also fueling vacant storefronts, bringing artistic endeavors to street level and connect the emerging artistes directly with the community. and [laughter] >> whereas when addressing public safety, council member Kashman always took a holistic approach. She fought for a new crimerevention specialist in the fifth precinct to reduce crime occurrences. fought for Shot Spotter technology in Luring Park to improve response times when crime does occur and was a co-author on our strengthened hate crimerevention technical assistance resolution to better advocate for victims of crime. And whereas council member Cashman was never afraid to stand up for renters and fought for stronger code enforcement and eviction protections to ensure everyone had a safe place to call home while also meeting with renters directly to discuss livability concerns in multi-unit buildings. And whereas never shying away from innovation, council member Cashman ezoning for downtown office to building convergence, which is bringing an influx of new residents to downtown. Whereas council member Kashman has always been a champion for downtown and uptown. She authored the tourism improvement district ordinance and fought to expand skyway access to better invest in downtown, its residents, and its visitors. and she funded a technical assistance panel with real estate professionals in Uptown and the Uptown Farmers Market, Open Streets and Holidays on Henipin to bring energy and excitement to the new era of Uptown and >> whereas day and night in person over text in email or in social media comment Council Cashin has always been available to her constituents, has been a consistent communicator, and has set a new standard for public service in Minneapolis. >> That's right. >> Period. [laughter] >> [snorts] >> Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby present this honorary resolution in recognition of their sincere gratitude and appreciation for the many contributions made by council member Kashman to the seventh ward and to the city of Minneapolis together with their best wishes for her future endeavors. [cheering] [applause] >> [applause] >> All right, here we are. I just want to say a big profound thanks to everybody who's up here, especially the W 7 staff. Claire, John, Molly, Daisy, MJ, Chaz, and Kaylee all worked in the W 7 office in these last couple of years from policy aid to intern and are truly behind all of the work that we got done. All of the 200 uh pieces of legislation that we got passed, all of the over 3,000 constituent cases that we helped W seven residents with is because of them. So, I'm so so grateful that they're all here today to help us celebrate this moment. And being a city council member is an honor and a privilege, but it's also a very hard job. [laughter] It's, as our council vice president says, we're the first line of service and the last line of defense. So, folks come to us with everything that you could possibly imagine that's happening to them. and we do our darnest to help, but at the same time, we're city council and we can't fix every economic and structural problem in the world. And so, it is hard because sometimes we feel like we're not uh doing enough for our residents. But that's where the passion really comes in to uh believe in a better world, to believe that our efforts have value. even if we can't fix everything, we can always do more and we can always do something to help improve the lives of others. So, I'm leaving here with the same uh relentless optimism that I had when I started and I know that um by working together, we can make uh our hopeful vision for the future come true in Minneapolis. Thank you so much. >> Oh, yeah. [applause] >> All right, let's work together for a picture. you want to say anything? >> I'm gonna say a few words here. Um, [laughter] I'm council Emily Ksky in W 11, but have had the honor to be your vice chair in the what we now call the climate infrastructure committee and it has been I've learned so much from you and it's been a tremendous honor to be your capacity builder and supporter in the work that you've been able to accomplish and bringing topics that were always siloed in the city um and really letting us think more broadly and more deeply about the work that we do at the city. So, thank you so much We were elected at the same time. You're my one other person coming into this council, brand new. And I'm just really proud of you because we got thrown right into the deep end. No orientation, no training, nothing. It was sink or swim in, I would say, one of the most consequential times in local government. And you have always been someone that I could lean on. coming in as a new council member. Um, you have led with so much grace, with so much passion, with so much patience because you need to have a lot of patience for this job and you have continuously exhibited it. You have amazing fashion sense. [laughter] It's like the best outfits one can have. And on top of that, just brilliant. And one of the things that I want to highlight is that you've also been a huge voice for working people in your community. You have not shied away in shining a light on the class divisions that exist in Minneapolis, but especially in your ward. You [applause] you you stood up for renters when it wasn't convenient for you to do so. when people told you not to. You stood up for service workers. You fought for a labor standards board when everyone told you not to. But you stood on your values and you stood for what people who don't get a voice in this place need. And I'm so proud of you. I've learned so much from you. You're always so prepared in committee. [laughter] You're so prepared in committee. And I know that this is not the last time we're going to see Katie Cashman in office. I'm manifesting that. [laughter] >> I got >> Okay, I do have to say something. I I just remembered the first time I sat down with you as you were considering running for office. I might have been one of your earlier first like council member conversations and I just remembered walking away from that conversation going, "Wow, she's walking into this so nonchalant like it's not a big deal." and and I now at this moment recognize you are walking into it with just such a relentless fearlessness about the work that you do and I see that every day and I know that you're like that can't be taken away from you so that you're going to continue moving through this world with that relentless fearlessness and I can't wait to see it. Council member Cashman, Katie, um you I I know you to be a person who is severely underestimated. Um and and you know that it's and it's exactly she whispered, "It's my secret weapon." Uh [laughter] she's correct. Um exactly. Exactly. That's the point. Um, and you know, you're hearing from your other colleagues, and it's it's true for me, too. In my experience with you over the last two years, in the toughest moments, you understand the consequence. You understand the cost incurred to you. And and you do the brave thing anyway. And that's something to be proud of. Um, and it is it's something to to walk out of this place with your head held high. Um, and I am personally going to miss sitting next to you on the dis. I'm going to miss um having a person um having you be a part of this this story, this chapter. Um, thank you for your service and thank you for for all the ways that you have led. I'll keep it quick, but Council Cashman, there's going to be big shoes to fill right here that is really going to be missing at city hall and here on the Minneapolis City Council. And I think that's really important because I think one of the things that I was really proud of and was really proud to see you do is always stand by working people despite the opposition that we often saw about no, we shouldn't support working people. We should support people that are wealthier. And you always said, "Nope. I'm going to be bold. I'm going to take positions that are probably going to get me in trouble, but I'm going to do so because it is the right thing to do for the people of Minneapolis." And that is something that I'm always going to be so freaking proud of that you said. I am standing 10 toes down for working people in Minneapolis and I don't care what consequence that is going to take us to. So I just want to say that I'm [ __ ] proud of you. [laughter] I'm going to say it and and I am so happy that you have like uplifted the values of what working people is here in Minneapolis. It's fine to say it [laughter] gate. >> All right. All right. Now we got >> Thank you everybody. >> Hi everybody. My name is Bill Manddale. uh and my dad Walter Montdale uh would have been standing right here or otherwise. People think of Minnesota as a state that's largely rural. And this state is a story of how people go from places like Salon, Minnesota and Elmore, Minnesota like my dad did. He had one pair of pants and one sweater through law school. He took the bus. He hits the ride. There is a direct line from the story of Walter Montdale and the way that he made public service his life directly to Minnesota and Katie Kman. Katie Kman has picked up the reigns of the DFL party to make sure that we give everyone a chance to move into a place of maximum usefulness for our fellow persons. I met Katie at a human rights fundraiser. I was just couldn't believe it. Uh and I came to see that Katie Cashman embodies the best of this state. She did everything she possibly could for her ward, for her ward's future, and for her ward's environment. I have never been prouder to call you a friend. I'm inspired by your leadership and by your vision, and I can't wait to see what's next. Thank you, Council Person Cashman, for your service. We cannot wait for what's next. Thank you. >> Let's get together for a photo. [laughter] >> We have a lot of business to get done on our agenda today. So, we want to go behind Recognizing Emily Emily Koski >> [clears throat] >> All right. Next up, we are honoring Emily Ksky for her years of service to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas Emily Ksky was first elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2021 municipal election, reelected in 2023, and served the people of the 11th ward with dedication and integrity for two terms. And whereas Emily Ksky was the first woman in 20 years and the second woman in the city's 158-year history to represent the 11th ward on the Minneapolis City Council. And whereas Emily Kausski comes from a family legacy of public service to the city as the daughter of Al Hoffstead who served as council member for the third ward and as a two-term mayor of Minneapolis and >> whereas Emily Ksky is a lifelong resident of the city of Minneapolis and has always been an active member of her community raising her two children in Minneapolis public schools coaching youth sports at neighborhood parks serving on local boards and volunteering for a variety of community organizations. And whereas Emily Ksky ran for Minneapolis City Council out of a deep love for her community and a commitment to public service, seeking to strengthen the connection between residents in the city, ensure that residents voices were heard, and make certain that city hall worked for the people it represents. And whereas Emily Ksky set the highest standard for constituent service, making connection with residents her top priority, responding to every call, email, and meeting request. and hosting weekly office hours, monthly ward meetings, and frequent town hall meetings on local issues. >> Whereas Emily Kofsky sought out and engaged directly with residents with limited access to city hall, hosting gatherings, connecting people with resources, and creating consistent opportunities for youth, seniors, BIPO residents, and residents to shape the work of city hall. hand. Whereas, Emily Ksky built meaningful relationships with youth across the 11th ward, spending time in classrooms, supporting residents, supporting student leadership through meetings with student councils, and opening city hall to youth through shadow days and civic learning experiences. And that's heavy. Um, thank you. Where am I at now? Thank you. Whereas Emily Ksky assumed office during one of the most consequential moments in Minneapolis history during the CO 19 pandemic and in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. A pivotal moment for the city as she embraced the work of office engaging fully and fearlessly and demonstrating steadfast determination, resilience, and unwavering commitment. And whereas Emily Ksky established the city's first ever dedicated public safety auditor within the city auditor's office to provide independent evaluation, strengthen oversight, enhance transparency and accountability, and ensure the public's confidence and trust in the city's public safety s system. And whereas Emily Ksky led research to strengthen public safety staffing across Minneapolis, focusing on recruiting, hiring, and retention in both the police and fire departments using datadriven analysis to inform policy decisions, modernize practices and procedures, advance equitable representation, and support a sustainable and effective public safety workforce for the city. And whereas They should just whereas Emily Ksky led research. Oh, it's a big one. We love to see it. [laughter] Whereas Emily Ksky was an early advocate for expanding the city's behavioral crisis response program, securing the resources and infrastructure necessary to extend its service hours and strengthen its citywide co coverage. And whereas Emily Ksky addressed the city's critical gap in support for victims of domestic violence, establishing sign and significantly expanding the domestic violence navigators program, setting it on a path to provide services citywide and ensuring that all survivors could access the support they need. And whereas Emily Ksky secured multiple affordable housing developments in the 11th ward, collaborating with local developers to transform underutilized and problem properties into multi-use buildings with a mix of affordable units, ensuring greater access to safe and affordable homes for residents. And whereas Emily Kausski advocated for the city's shelters and transitional housing at a critical moment, securing emergency funding for Avivo Village and AGOT, supporting the expansion of the city's successful homelessness prevention strategies, and ensuring that residents experiencing housing instability received services and the support they needed. And whereas Emily Ksky fought to preserve the city's affordable housing preservation partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, protecting essential home repair programs that help residents remain safely and stably in their homes. Whereas Emily Kofsky established the labor standards intervention pilot project, the first of its kind in the nation, providing small businesses with subsidized management tools and support to achieve compliance with local labor laws linking small business assistance to the promotion of fair labor practices. [snorts] >> [snorts] >> you should do that. >> Whereas Emily Kossky advocated for the continued funding and expansion of the city's labor standards co- enforcement program, ensuring the program could maintain its critical work in protecting workers rights. And whereas Emily Ksky led the development of a multi-jurisdictional partnership between the city, the parks and recreation board, and the Minihaha Creek wershed district, fostering collaboration to align planning efforts and invest in capital improvements that enhance both the natural and built environments within the Minihaha Creek wershed. And whereas Emily Ksky addressed long-standing traffic and safety concerns at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Edgewater Boulevard and East Lake Ncomomas Parkway by spearheading a multi-jurisdictional effort between the city, the parks and recreation board and Henipin County successfully implementing street and sidewalk improvements to enhance safety for all users. Wow. And whereas Emily Kofsky created the first ever council committee work plans, leading the council's first strategic planning efforts in the budget committee, [snorts] developing the first council and legislative department budget priorities, establishing new practices to enhance coordination and effectiveness and strengthening the city council's fiscal authority following the government restructure. [snorts] And whereas Emily Ksky led countless efforts across public safety, affordable housing and homelessness, economic development, transportation and infrastructure, and good governance, too many to list in a single honorary resolution and further contributed to efforts led by colleagues, the administration always placing the betterment of the city above personal recognition. And whereas Emily Ksky at a moment of unprecedented division in local, state, and federal government consistently rose above partisan and ideological lines, building trust, collaborating across differences, bringing an independent community- centered voice that reminded colleagues that progress comes from working together toward a greater good. And whereas Emily Kofkovski often heard saying to colleagues, "Don't tell me no, tell me how." And dreams are free. [laughter] Dreams are free. [gasps] Exemplified a belief that ambitious goals are always worth pursuing and that through curiosity, collaboration, and creativity, even the boldest ambitions can be realized. [snorts] Do it. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council do hereby present this honorary resolution in recognition of their sincere gratitude and appreciation for the many, many contributions made by council member Emily Kofsky to the 11th ward and to the city of Minneapolis together with their best wishes for her future endeavors. [applause] order. >> Uh I believe the league is also here today. >> You sure? >> Well, [clears throat] good morning everybody. My name is Daniel Lightoot and I serve as one of the intergovernmental relations representatives at the League of Minnesota Cities. The league is a statewide membership organization representing the collective interests of all 856 cities in the state of Minnesota. Our largest member of course is the city of Minneapolis. Um but all the way down to the mighty city of Barry, Minnesota with a population of 14. Uh uh council member Ksky has served on our board uh uh for the for the past year uh and uh has done so uh amazingly. Um and so it's my honor uh on behalf of our board of directors to to recognize her and her board service. Um, and with me is our past president and uh, uh, City of Lakeville uh, city administrator Justin Miller. >> Thank you all. Um, being on the League of Minnesota Cities board, I boil down to two terms, advocacy and cheerleading. And you could not have had a better advocate and cheerleader for Minneapolis than you have in Council Member Okowski. whether it was at our board meetings cheering on talking about what Minneapolis has done, how it impacts not only Minneapolis but can impact and improve the entire state or being an advocate at the state legislature or at um in Washington DC at our national league of cities conference. So, Council Mossky, thank you for your service to the League of Minnesota Cities. [applause] We have this lovely plaque in the in the in a in a familiar shape uh to to to go on your uh the a large desk uh at whatever future endeavor uh wherever your path takes you. Thank you so much for your service. >> Thank you. [laughter] >> Thank you. >> Okay. Well, I'm I'm just going to jump in and just say um we got elected at the same time and the majority of us up here got elected in 2021 and it was one of the hardest, most divisive eras and moments in our city's history. Um and that division was really severely pumped up by just unchecked amounts of money and our in our politics. And this is not a problem that's unique to Minneapolis. This is a problem that is infecting our entire country right now. We are more divided than ever and it is scary right now. Um and I just remembered, you know, we can get into our little factions here in Minneapolis and I thought I was in a different faction than um council member Kaskky as we were coming in because we were only learning about each other through this mediated space that's pumped up by corporate cash. And I remember one of the very first actions I ever did with council member Kosski and that was expanding our BCR, which was the reason I personally ran. And I just remembered never thinking, how could council member Kosski possibly support this? We're going to take money from the police department and fund the mental health responders. How is that possible? And it's possible because you center humanity in every single thing that you do. and you are the antidote antidote to this moment that we're in in our country. And I'm really hoping that um not just in the city of Minneapolis, but more broadly, people can start seeing the type of humanity that you bring to this work every single day. So, thank you. Yeah, I wanted to say a few words because when I came into office with Council Member Chowry, uh, as two young women, Emily Kofsky was the first one to just open her arms and present me with a little descent pin that [laughter] had Ruth Bader Ginsburg's um outfit on it and say, you know, welcome to the city council. I am here for you. You know, whatever you need. and she's been an incredible mentor to me. Someone that I really look up to, someone who is always a phone call away and ready to just talk through every single question you could possibly have. I mean, her her patience and just level of uh sacrifice to help people succeed at city hall is amazing. It's truly amazing and has been such a champion for young women uh in politics and I've experienced that and benefited from that firsthand. So, thank you so much for championing young women and for always bringing your full self to the job. >> Um, I just want to talk a little bit about like the relationship me and counselor Koski had. I think it's really important to know that like there were many times where my community was crying for help and counsel. uh when it came to the roof depot issue that you all know has been really big and hard for my community and when it felt like there was no hope for the people that I represent Kasi said how can I help and gave the community I represent more time and I know if you wouldn't have been bold and taken an action like that we would be in a different situation than we are today and I want to be thankful for all that work that you did and when it came to homelessness I think folks need to know that councils is always like, "How can we fund our shelter system? How can we address unsheltered homelessness? What can we do?" And I remember one of the biggest actions we took on the council that actually united the entire council, which is who you are as a council member, councils. You unite people, you bring people together, was when we worked on the VO village funding in 2023, and you were working really hard for that. And I think you were able to bring the entire council together to make sure that we did that unanimously, which I really want to highlight the unanimous part because that is who you are. You bring people together and even as you're heading out. I know that we're going to be here and figuring out how can we continue to work with you to make sure that we are addressing homelessness in our city, which I know really matters to you. So, I just wanted to bring that attention to this because um when there were hard votes on the city council, uh you would often times counselor Cowski say, "I'm choosing justice and that's who I'm going to remember you as on the city council." So, I appreciate you, >> Councilman Rokoski. Girl, [laughter] you are a powerful force in a tiny package. >> [laughter] >> And I know during council member Cashman's presentation around you, people see you and and and don't [snorts] approach you with the seriousness that you carry. And I'm most admire the fact that you constantly um prove people wrong. You refuse to let other people's projections dim your light and step into the shadows of what is very clear. Your your brilliance, your understanding. Also, your BS meter is like topnotch and flawless. And I'm going to miss connecting you with you on that because I think we are two people who regardless of beliefs and ideologies, we simply want to see government work because we care about people and government is meant to serve the people and we constantly on this day often get fed a lot of BS around why things can't work in order to meet the needs of the people. and you were one of the few people who in those divisive errors who would call BS and then pair it with don't tell me no, tell me how. I literally wore two walks around to the city attorney's office all the time being like don't tell me no, tell me how because of you. Um, so I I appreciate your dedication to just saying I want government to work. I I what is nonsense? you will call out nonsense and you will always pair it with well well let's figure out how to problem solve and that is so desperately needed here that's going to be a gap here and I think I shared in our onetoone most recently I really hope you go take over another city um if it's not here in Minneapolis until we can figure out things here um like you your brilliance your intelligence your understand it's so deserved in our city and in our state and we're literally in a better place because of you. Thank you, >> Council Member Kski. Emily Kski. Um, I just I've spent the last few months just looking over to Council Member Ksky and just being like, "Do you have to go? [laughter] You just stay?" [gasps] And that's because for me as a council member that's going to continue into the next few years, I I I just really recognize the shoulders that I stand on. And that's you. You opened up your door so wide for me. Not just when I came in, but every time that it got hard here. Every time it just felt like it was so overwhelming. the issues in our city and our world were just so entangled and hard to solve. You always had your door open to me and you always encouraged me and you even went a step further and you like committed to me that you would mentor me and that you would believe in me and that you see things in me that I can't even see. And that's how you approach governing too. You see things in this city. You see things in how city hall can be, how our council can work together that no that no one else is seeing, but you have it. That's visionary. Like you are visionoriented and you are solutionoriented and you just create the map and you're relentless in getting to that end goal. You put that north northstar up high. And the big thing about that is you don't just hold it for yourself. You're like everybody hold on to it. Everybody grab on to it. We're all going to do this together. This is our shared thing. That part about you saying in the resolution saying oftentimes without recognition, you you didn't want it. You didn't need it. It was always about the bigger picture. And today you do get that recognition because you were so consistent and you were so compassionate. And I think I will just continue to reflect on the things that I've learned from you and I will continue to reach out to you. Um because we need you and we care about you and I love you and thank you for everything that you've done for our city and our council. [applause] Anyone else? I'll keep this short, but I just want to say thank you so much. It has been an honor of my life to serve uh the residents of Minneapolis for W 11 and to be up here with all of you amazing leaders. It's been an incredible journey. I've learned so much. Um and the passion that I have and the love I have for this city is not going away. Um but all of this work could not have been done without my family who's here with me and also my my team Melissa, Emily, and Karen. None of this happens without everybody on this uh dis and everybody behind the scenes. Um, another huge shout out to the clerks because nothing works without the clerks. Um, and they make all of this work come true, too. So, thank you so much and I appreciate all this support. [applause] up. >> We will recognize council member Ellison. Love you. All right. Well, thank you everyone for joining us to celebrate Jeremiah. I'm going to kick off reading the honorary resolution. So, uh, recognizing council member Ellison for his years of service to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas Jeremiah Bay Ellison, a true northsider born and raised, has dedicated his life to uplifting, advocating for, and celebrating the vibrancy, resilience, and brilliance of North Minneapolis. Whereas he ran for office in 2017 after seeing a gap in representation for the community he loved and stepped forward to ensure the genius, lived experiences, and leadership of Northside was reflected in city hall. Whereas he entered elected office as a mural painter, comic book artist and writer and evolved into a respected housing policy expert demonstrating that creativity can transform governance, policym and community building. Whereas at only 28 years old when he took office, he h he helped pave the way for new generations of young leaders to run for elected office. and now at the elder age of 36 [laughter] uh leaves a legacy of expanding housing access, economic development, environmental justice, and community safety in W 5 and throughout Minneapolis. Where are we at? Okay. Whereas, he began his tenure with a commitment to shifting the power imbalance between renters and the housing system, championing championing landmark policies such as the renters's first housing policy, fair notice ordinance, right to return, tenant relocation assistance and right to council, ensuring Minneapolis renters had greater dignity, transparency, and stability. Whereas, he strengthened the city's ability to safeguard livable housing conditions through the creation of the emergency repair board and improved habitability enforcement, ensuring that families were no longer forced to endure unsafe or deteriorating housing without recourse. And whereas he recognized that environmental hazards like lead poisoning and mold infestation were not isolated maintenance issues but symptoms of environmental racism. and he championed some of the strongest lead and mold remediation policies in the city's history, requiring landlords to address hazardous conditions quickly, preventing displacement caused by safety failures and ensuring Minneapolis homes support long-term health. And whereas he consistently advanced pathways toward tenant ownership and long-term affordability by establishing the ownership and opportunity fund and laying the groundwork for the tenant opportunity to purchase ordinance to be picked up and completed by future council members, creating future opportunities for community controlled housing and neighborhood stability. and >> okay um [clears throat] whereas he showed steadfast commitment to environmental justice by fighting for long overdue accountability on issues such as northern metals and herk strengthening protections against high impact industrial uses advancing ash treatment resolution for more equitable removals and elevating the environmental health of north Minneapolis residents who have borne a disproportionate harm and whereas says he championed mobility, transportation, and land use policies that improved safety and access, including safe routes to school, mobility hubs, traffic calming initiatives, major resoning reforms, and community center transportation priorities such as the Olsson Memorial Highway redesign and blue light blue line light rail extension development. And whereas he hold on, he centered economic justice. Okay. Okay. [laughter] Whereas he centered economic justice and community wealth building by supporting collective bargaining agreements, labor rights, and redevelopment efforts, always working to ensure that economic development reflected the dreams and ingenuity of W 5 residents. And whereas across every area of work, housing, public safety, economic development, labor, environment, land use, and community well-being, he approached policy with the lens of dignity, equity, and community empowerment, leaving behind a legacy that will shape shape the north side for generations. And [clears throat] and whereas he cultivated deep collaboration with city staff, community leaders, and advocates, grounding the decision-making in lived experience and building relationships rooted in trust, accountability, and shared purpose. And whereas in his own words, he has always believed North Minneapolis is a community of storytellers, workers, educators, and visionaries. and he dedicated his public service to propping up the genius of the community and building a future authored by North Side themselves. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the city of Min the city the Minneapolis City Council hereby presents this honorary resolution in recognition of its of its sincere gratitude and appreciation for the many contributions made by council member Ellison to W five and the city of Minneapolis and extends his very best wishes for his continued success in future endeavors. >> [applause] [applause] >> your mom first. >> So, we have a few remarks. [laughter] We'll pass it to Kim. >> I didn't know I was gonna go first. So, sorry. >> Oh, you're good. >> Hello. Jeremiah loves North Minneapolis. It's where he was born. It's where he was raised. And it's where he lives today. His work on the council as council member has come from the place that he's always called home and his love for his north side neighbors. We've watched Jeremiah grow up. The north side has watched Jeremiah grow up. We watched him grow as a team player in sports on Hobsfield. saw him develop his artistic talent at juxtaposition arts and he has carried the spirit of an artist into politics and now we've seen him grow in the office becoming more diplomatic and more of a team builder. [laughter] Jeremiah has always told the uncompromising truth with from his perspective, the truth about what his neighborhood needs, what they deserve. and his family will not forget his New York Times op-ed where he talked about the toll the pandemic was having on his north side neighbors and mentioned the passing of his nana. Jeremiah operates on principle and it's been a joy to see him grow more every day. We are very proud of you Jeremiah and proud of the work that you've done for the north side. Thank you. [applause] stand there. >> Okay. Is this working? Okay, it is. Council member, council members, colleagues, community members. Um I'm so grateful to be here in recognition of my colleague. Um I was asked to speak and was really honored because I entered public service um in what feels like a lifetime ago um with council member Ellison. Um he feels truly like my council member sibling. And as we've exited and are exiting um our time of service at our respective communities, I am grateful to be here from the city across the river to get to share um why your leadership has mattered to me, why it has mattered to our communities. And when I really close my eyes and think about why why is Jeremiah's leadership so important, I just really remember the first time hearing him talk about running to represent his community. And before he even decided to run, we saw him in a picture we'll never forget with his hands in the air. And we saw something that captured our hurt, our anger, our rage, and our courage. And we sent him to city hall to do something about that. Um, and when we learned from him about how he ran, he talked about, uh, he would say, "People in my community are often not reached by people running to represent them." He talked about doing things like getting out into the streets, literally taking a car, putting music on a loudspeaker, and slow rolling through the neighborhood, and anyone who came out, he said, "Hey, my name's Jeremiah. Tell me about your experience in the neighborhood." And he was like he because because we're always asking people to come to us and we have to go to them. And he went to them because that's your community, Jeremiah. And there's so much about traditional campaigning that doesn't work for so many people. If your phone is cut off, if your cell phone number doesn't work anymore, how's the campaign supposed to call you and reach you? You need to go where they are. If you don't live where you previously lived at your voter address because you were evicted or you lost access to your housing, we have to find out how to get through to people. If you are living in a camp in this community, you're a constituent. You get to vote. You have rights. He went and talked to every resident. And this is all things that I saw in Jeremiah before I had even run for office. And I specifically remember listening to him talk about these things and feeling profoundly inspired and transformed. And it mattered for how I eventually ran for city council. And so in that work together, I'm so grateful for you for all we worked on. We've had some crazy phone calls. Um, [laughter] you know, you you you don't want to be like no one in our community wants to be awake at two in the morning with just just the most painful historic in the bad way things unfolding. But that's what happened in our wards, me in the Midway St. Paul in the in the depths of 2020, Jeremiah on the north side. And I was wide awake at 2 in the morning and looked at my phone because it was ringing and I was up and I was online. I was working and it just said Jeremiah Ellison. And I had this moment. I had this moment of, "Oh my god, we're the ones now. We are the ones in this moment. We are the ones in this historic terrifying national media community pain just washing machine of things. And I'm so happy that was you on that phone call. I'm so happy that at 2 in the morning that was you." And so we went through that together. And I want to honor that because um that heart when you first ran, the way you see people, the way that you strove to represent them, the fruits of that that everyone, staff, members, community, allies that helped root those investments and policies that are now in that resolution, that are laws in this community that are the reason you can't get kicked out of your apartment, that are the reason that if you do get kicked out, you get relocation assistance. that if you want to buy your building because your landlord sucks, you can do that now. These are the roots that turned into fruits. So, as you go to your next chapter, I want to say thank you for bringing that heart and that mind and that ferocity. And personally, and I'm saying this in the best ways, that pettiness sometimes because sometimes you also have to be that way in this work, deploy it strategically for the movement, for the cause. But I want to celebrate you as a person, right? And um so honored to have served with you and on the other side in this chapter. I'm here because I'm also retired at the right age of 39. So here's to the late 30s exiting office, but our communities are still here with you. Just like how it began, so be it how we go forward. Thank you every single person here. Uh staff, council members, uh community members, people who took time for making this community what it is and for your service in these times. and thank you for the chance to honor you today. [applause] >> Good morning. Uh my name is Deanna Dods Cummings. I am a lifelong motan and I'm one of the founders of Japosition Arts which folks have referenced. um JUX's a visual art and design um nonprofit arts and culture center located in North Minneapolis for 30 years in Jeremiah's ward. Um I've known Jeremiah since he was 7 years old. Uh he was the youngest person ever accepted into Ja. Mind you, it's a highly competitive program. He's competing against people who are 16, 17, 18, all the way up to 21 years old. and he got it. And that is who Jeremiah has always been, right? If you give him 20% odds, he's like, "I'll take it." And and 95% of the time, he's going to win. He has been always the youngest, the first, the trailblazer, and that isn't something that he shied away from. That's something that he's embraced. So, I want to say congratulations, Jeremiah. I want to say to all the council members whose terms are ending today, thank you for taking a turn in the seat. Um, thank you for not feeling like you needed to hold the seat forever and ever, right? Cuz I think taking a turn in the seat is is what the real difference is. Take a turn, leave it better, and then hand the baton. Um, thank you for leaving this council better. Thank you for leaving your ward better. Um, thank you for leaving our city better. um for all the organizations and the people that you've touched um and that you've imp impacted. Uh you've left me better. You've left my partner Roger better. And you did it all um from the lens of an artist bringing your superpowers of aesthetics and storytelling. Some of y'all have heard Jeremiah tell a story or two. He is a beautiful storyteller. Um, and um, from the lens of your creative problem solving, um, to the to the folks in Minneapolis, I hope y'all won't forget what it was like to have an artist or two or three um, running the city. Uh, artists do good work and they bring something special that nobody else brings. I hope y'all will elect another artist. I hope y'all won't forget what it was like to have a a 28-year-old leading the city. Young people can do everything that young people can do more than what we think they can do. Elect young people to run the city. Um, congratulations, Jeremiah, and thank you. I'm excited to see how your gifts and talents and superpowers are going to continue to manifest in the world. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] All right. Um, I'll say a thing or two. I've got some notes. Um, [clears throat] thank you all. Well, to my staff, can we can we give a round of applause to my staff? [applause] Like, I I can't even stand upright without the support of my staff from over the years. So, thank you guys. Um, so I got a few brief notes and I'll try to deploy them briefly. Um, couple of quick things. To the degree that I have uh convinced anyone that I'm an expert on anything, I have to thank the staff that I've worked with throughout the city department. >> Uh, I would love to think of myself as an expert. I would love to become an expert, but I'm not. There are people in this building who I have broke bread with, who I've grabbed coffee with, who I've talked with, who I've taken serious, and who have taken me serious in return. And they taught me so much. And I felt like I was able to bring that knowledge to the council um in a way that I had a few a few models for uh in um you know, my good friend Lisa Bender, my good friend uh Lisa Goodman, uh the two Lisas who taught me how to do this job. Um, and uh, and so I just wanted to wanted to say that because this work, there's a lot of me on that page and I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful for the recognition, but none of this stuff gets done without a tremendous amount of support and a tremendous amount of people holding me upright. So, I just wanted to say that [applause] um, if you [clears throat] know me long enough, uh, you know, and I think I I think I fight it off pretty well, but if you know me long enough, you know that I can be vulnerable to cynicism. It's uh it can be hard to look at the problems of the world and feel like you're meeting so much resistance in trying to solve them. I know some people in this room who have experienced that and uh and I feel like I experienced that being in a being in a building that I felt like was antagonistic to the kind of change that I wanted to see. Um, and you walk into office with all of your good intentions and all of your, you know, all of your your your sort of your hopes and your dreams and you meet this system and then you've got to decide how you're going to become. Are you going to return cynicism in kind um or are you going to aspire to a better impulse than that? And so my my, you know, not that I was always successful, but my task and my challenge to myself was to aspire to a to a greater impulse than cynicism. Um, uh, I think that my, you know, uh, my disposition can lean towards antagonism sometimes, and I think that that's okay. Uh, I think sometimes people need to be stirred. Um, their their imaginations need to be sort of jostled out of them. Sometimes it can be it can be invited out of them, but sometimes it really has to be jostled out of them. And uh, and and and my creativity in this job as this job has threatened to make me less creative. I've had community members jostle my creativity back out of me. some of the people up here have done that. Uh and so I'm grateful for that. um when you're coming to a close uh in in in you know eight years in office uh I feel old in the job like I know rationally that I'm not that old but you know after eight years two years of of I we didn't know it then but two years of prosperity in this city and then 2020 um and not only the pandemic that really rocked the whole country but the murder of George Floyd uh that that that that devastated our city and I don't know that we've recovered from it uh I know for a fact that we haven't uh and so Uh, and so, you know, it was six years of that within those eight years. Uh, and so the job can threaten to wear you down. And I'm not an incredibly uh, religious person. Uh, but I did find, uh, the Quran, you know, I was raised Muslim. You guys know my dad's Muslim. I, you know, uh, he raised us that way. I found myself revisiting, uh, a passage that I want to, uh, read to you guys. It's, uh, it's the surah Rakman 55. I won't read the whole thing, but I wanted to read a portion of it. The most beneficent has taught you mankind the Quran by his mercy. He created man. He taught him eloquent speech. The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses exactly exactly calculated with measured outstages for each. And the herbs and the or the stars and the trees both prostrate. And the heaven he has raised high, and he has set up the balance in order that you may not transgress due balance. And observe the weight with equity. And do not make the balance deficient. And the earth he has put for the creatures. Therein are fruits, date palms, producing sheath fruit stocks, and also corn with leaves and stock for fodder, and sweet scented plants. Then which of your then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny? He created man from sounding clay like the clay of pottery and the jin did he create from a smokeless flame of fire? Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you deny? He is the Lord of the two of the two easts and the two wests. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you deny? He has let loose the two seas meeting together. Meeting them is a barrier which none of them can transgress. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny? Out of them both come one pearl come out pearl and coral. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you deny? Uh and his are the ships going and coming in the seas like mountains. Then which of the blessings of Then which of your Lord's blessings will you deny? Whatsoever it is on earth will perish and the face of your Lord full of majesty and honor will abide forever. And so I forced myself when it comes to service and you're facing down uh the things that are difficult and you're and you're and you're wanting to give into cynicism and I ask myself uh uh I have to remind myself about the blessings of service about the people who have uh taught me so much about the staff who have held me upright uh and inspired me and I got to ask myself which of those blessings am I willing to deny? Uh and so uh my challenge is to deni deny none of them. [applause] >> I did not think I'd get emotional up here at all. [laughter] >> And I'll try to wrap up because I know we got stuff to do. Um, and so, uh, and so I give my gratitude to the north side. Uh, I love the north side. My mom, as my mom said, I was born there. I was raised there. I did every everything valuable that I did so far in my life, I've done in North Minneapolis. Um, and uh, and even if I go somewhere for a while, I know that I'm always coming back home to North Minneapolis. And so I just want to thank my residents and I want to thank anybody who would be willing to step up and serve them because whether I agree with them or not because I think this north side is central. The north side requires an independent voice. The north side requires uh north side requires uh somebody relentless, somebody willing to be a warrior in uh the work that we do, the work for justice, the work in maintaining the balance of justice. Okay, last couple things. Um, last thing I I'll just want to have a small message to future councils. Um, uh, and, uh, you know, I've been doing a lot of reading and, uh, [clears throat] both related to public planning and and and and beyond. And, uh, Fred Motton is somebody who's always been very in inspiring to me. I recommend that everybody go and and read him. Um, and so he [clears throat] has this quote and I'll I'll interpret the quote afterwards, but he says, "The theory and practice of revolution is bound to have the way is bound to the way the individual emerges as a theoretical possibility and a phenomenological actuality in and out of the revolution revolutionary ensemble. It means so much in such a few amount of words, but essentially you cannot save the world alone. And as much as people think that being an individual and representing only themselves uh is some kind of liberty, uh it's actually a contradiction. >> Representing only yourself denies you liberty. >> It'll deny your neighbor liberty. >> And so I hope people can see themselves even if you're an elected position and especially if you're out in the community as I'm going to be out in the community in just a m, you know, just a couple of days here. I hope that you view yourself as a part of a collective. I hope you view yourself as a part of a revolutionary ensemble and I hope that you understand that our destinies are bound up in this work and I take this work very seriously. If I didn't, I don't think I'd be up here so emotional. And so it's municipal government at the end of the day, right? We're not running the world. But I do think that uh in a medium-sized city in the Midwest, we've set one hell of an example. I think we've set an example for the better and I think there are moments where we have set an example for the worse. >> And so I leave you with that. Um and uh and I just again cannot thank enough the people who have held me up in this work. That's everybody up here. That's my colleagues. Um and most importantly, you know, I I got to say it one more time. It is it is the people who have served behind the scenes uh making sure that W 5 uh is well represented. So thank you all. [applause] [applause] That was a first. I never thought I'd see. >> Dria Jenkins is our next resolution. >> [laughter] >> Okay, we are recognizing Council Member Jenkins for her years of service to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas Andrea Jenkins is a pioneer in many respects as the first openly black transgender city council member and the first black transgender city council president in the United States and as the first oral historian to record and archive the stories of transgender people across the Midwest and other pockets of the US as the curator of the trans transgender oral history project at the University of Minnesota's Gene Nicholas Tredder collection. And whereas council member Jenkins is currently the longest serving city employee on the Minneapolis city council, having served 12 years as policy aid for the sixth and eighth wards, led by then council members Robert Lilligrren and Elizabeth Glidden, respectively, and another eight years as council member of the eighth ward for combined total of 20 years of service at the city of Minneapolis [applause] Whereas her legacy includes leading the council through the adoption of the city's first ever strategic and racial equity action plan, SREP, the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan, the Minneapolis 2020 census count and redistricting federal mandate, building out the city's inaugural office of race and equity, declaring racism a public health crisis at the city of Minneapolis, creating the city's truth and reconciliation process, which was first in the nation to simultaneously address historic harms. committed against both American Indian and African-American communities in Minneapolis through a collaborative approach and furthermore includes comprehensive planning to transform the Lake Street transition transit station, a project many years in the making and the Delline bus rapid transit system, commemorative street renamings for George Perry Floyd Square at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, Clarissa Rogers Walker Way at 38th Street and 3rd Avenue, and Luna uh Q Newman way at 38th Street and 4th Avenue South. And >> whereas in her earlier years, Andrea Jenkins along with Senator Jeff Hayden, Dave Rubidor, David Rubidor, Elfport, Tiffany Green, Deborah Watts, and Leah Harget created the Minnesota Renaissance Initiative to begin work on revitalizing 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, dubbed Soul of the City. And at the city of Minneapolis, she continued to lead community efforts to sustain and invest in the area through initiatives like Arts on Chicago, establishing cultural districts, authoring and shephering city and congressional funding investments, and creating the 38th Street Thrive Strategic Development Plan, which was adopted by the city council in partnership with city staff, community members, organizations, and other critical stakeholders. A end. Whereas, Council Member Jenkins has been honored with the flag raising at Fire Island Pines commemorating her contributions to transgender visibility and civil rights. has been named one of Out Magazine's Out 100 and has has received recognition from the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Anti-Defamation League, and countless other organizations for her dedication to equality, justice, and human dignity. And whereas her artistic contributions include published collections and chapter books that document transgender experiences and black queer life in America with her poetry serving as both historical record and healing art. performed at venues ranging from community centers to national stages, earning her recognition as not only a political leader, but also as a vital voice in contemporary American literature and performance art. And whereas Andrea Jenkins founded and championed signature community events that have become pillars of the eighth ward in the broader Minneapolis community, including the city's first ever community dinner on the bridge of the newly constructed 38th Street, which brought together hundreds of neighbors, the South Minneapolis Seniors Fair, providing vital resources in the connection for older adults, and the Trans Equity Summit, which reached its milestone 10th anniversary this year, where a transgender icon, Miss Major, Griffin Gracie delivered a keynote address in what would be her pi final public appearance. And on that same day, the mayor declared Andrea Jenkins Day in the city of Minneapolis in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the community. And >> whereas council member Jenkins is known for making it her personal commitment to help others in search of career and training opportunities often serving as an important connector and resource for them for being a person of many talents and past lives including oral historian, poet, author, performance artist, entrepreneur, caterer, neighborhood tennis star for her laughter, love of sports, glamour and overall an extrovert and social light and I'm going to add bringing back the word love. And whereas Council Member Andrea Jenkins remains a dedicated daughter, parent, grandparent, and neighbor of nearly 30 years in the Bryant neighborhood who joins the ranks of trailblazers from this historic black neighborhood which has nurtured and produced many South Minneapolis civic leaders like Mayor Sharon Cels Belton, Judge Pamela Alexander, Judge Lejun Lang, Judge Tanya Bransford, Senator Jeff Hayden, Dr. Richard Green and Henipin County Commissioner Angela Connley. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council recognize and honor council member Andrea Jenkins for the her dedication and tireless work on behalf of our city, the eighth ward of Minneapolis and our communities with deep gratitude. >> [applause] [applause] [clears throat] >> I was invited up here by uh the council member, but uh I'm reflecting now, so bear with me. I've known this tremendous person for so many years. The first time I remember meeting her was when she was playing basketball. And I'm talking about now coming from East St. Louis, you we all think we can play ball. Okay. I thought I could hoop. When I saw her her play, I realized she could have been on the varsity of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Gopher basketball team. She was that good. I'm talking about ducking and everything else. But more important, mo most important, her commitment both as a staff person for previous city council people, Belton, Glidden, I knew them all. She learned well and more importantly she did her job with a sense of commitment to her community and her people and that's all of them. It didn't matter that you weren't African-American if you lived in eighth ward. She served you just as well and welcomed everybody. and more importantly for my baby the b baby that I helped bring in the world so a bath community center she has been such a strong partner since she became council person but before that she was a participant at she knows the work so I just come here to say after 90 some years on the planet and seeing many many city council people I've seen none better than you. >> Thank you for your service. God bless you. We keep you and we love you. [applause] >> Oh, I don't even know how to follow that. But also, one of the first times I came in to a space with Andrea was on a basketball court and I didn't know Andrea at all, but I I went there with another buddy and I was like, who is this person? Uh, and then the next time I saw Andrea, I think uh really in that same kind of arena was um at the Martin Luther King Park tennis courts. uh where I saw her creammate, the person she was playing against. Um and uh I just feel really honored to uh be in this work with Andrea, uh to call you friend, uh to be your neighbor, uh and to be able to follow in some of the footsteps that you've created for us. There's countless doors that you've not only opened for me, but held and waved me through and cheered me on. I [snorts] don't I don't know a better person to be in the roles that you've been in, first at this and first at that and always with the love of your community in your heart. Um, you're an amazing woman and you're a very wonderful friend and I'm so proud to call you my friend. I love you. Who's next? Thank you. Um, everyone's been emotional. I'm trying really hard because I wore underneath eyeliner today and I I don't want I forgot all about this this morning. [laughter] I I love you so much, Andrea. I mean, I I don't even know that I call you Andrea. I refer to you as my boo. When I see you, I say, "Hey, boo. That's my boo." Like, I I love you. I adore you. I've admired you for I don't even know how long. It's been well over 20 years. And I'm so grateful that I got to serve with you on the council. It's something you never think of in your life and then when it happens, you realize how magical it is and how um how life just makes these really interesting turns because you and I work together on tobacco issues. We work together on stuff just in Minneapolis on the on the advocacy side of things. And so to be led by you as the city council president um has been a dream come true for me. One of the things that um I always feel grateful for is the wonderful speeches you give the night before election. I say to people all the time if you're ever in fear or scared and you're nervous about the next day which is election day hopefully you get a call from Andrea Jenkins because [snorts] she makes you feel better. She makes you feel like you're gonna win for sure. And anything other than that is not possible. And so I' I've adored the pep talks. I've adored the fun. We have so much fun together. Rather talking about hair or clothes or shoes. We've left on lunch break to go shopping. We go to basketball games together. We hang out in our hoods together. We're we're both Chicago girls here in a different city and and really just bonding over loving this city. It really has been that for us about the communities we serve. And so I'm so sad to see you go. I really am. Uh it was never a time for me when I thought you shouldn't run, but I understand it's the time for you and your family and I respect that and I appreciate that and I and I do. I'm forever grateful for the time I got to spend here under your leadership and the times that um I got to share here with you on the dis whether it's you getting my text message a week late or [laughter] or or you just being super duper duper cheerful to me and my staff. I want to make sure I say this for my staff too because they've adored working with you and your team also. You're you're one of the kindest people I've ever met in my entire life. You have a level of kindness that I don't think most people could even begin to experience. And so I want you to know from the bottom of my heart, your kindness has definitely rubbed on me. I'm not as good as you, but I'm working towards your level of kindness. So thank you. Thank you for sharing her with us also, Marie. I really appreciate that. >> [applause] >> I wanted to say a few words. Uh, Council Member Jenkins, Andrea, I remember the first time I met you. I was furiously typing away at my laptop at the Elmer Anderson Library. I was a student. I was like barely 19. and you walked by and like I think you said hi to me and I was like I looked up and I was like Andrea Jenkins [laughter] and you asked me what I was up to and I was telling you that I was kind of working through some campaign spreadsheets and trying to figure out a few things for a few different local elections and then you were like well I'm planning on running for city council and I was like I >> [laughter] >> and we exchange contact because that's what you do. You you mentor people. You empower people. You see things in others. You see leadership in others. And exactly what Rock said, you you love to hold the door open. You love to break down the door and hold it open for others. And I think it was like a few weeks later where you were like, do you want a job? and you gave me my first big break in in politics. You gave me a chance to manage your first campaign and that was one of the most amazing experiences I could have asked for. I met so many wonderful community members on the southside in our queer community and you never doubted me. Even though I was 19 years old, you trusted me and that has shown up in every step I've taken thus far. And that's a big reason why I stand here today as your colleague and I can't believe that I got a chance to serve with you. And thank you for all of your leadership, your grace, your vision. I see the way that you work day in day out on things from all the way back to when you were a policy aid up until now. and I'm just tremendously proud of you and I know you're just going to keep on doing that for others. I think one of the words that embodies who you are as a person, as a woman, as a leader is empowerment. Thank you. [applause] Gosh, what hasn't been said? Well, a lot when it's about our dear friend Andrea. Um, I'll [snorts] try and be brief. I I will say this and something that should be said. Andrea Jenkins will not be rushed. And she has taught me in my life and in my time here that it is okay to take your time whether it's to make the right decision, to come to the right conclusion, to have the conversation. Andrea Jenkins won't be rushed. And I have so many amazing memories with you, of serving with you, of before um you were my colleague, we we weren't early morning people in the office, but we were always there late together and talking about, you know, whether it was tennis or basketball. Um she always showed such an interest in my children, which I greatly appreciate. Um and and just became a big part of my life. Andrea, you won't stop being a part of my life. Um and I really value that. I have so many memories of us sitting in your front yard on the first day of a police trial. I have so many memories of you um taking the time you needed to say what you needed to say during all of those COVID meetings when we were remote. Um and I and I just remember always feeling so close um to you just personally. And that's something that you make everybody feel. It's not just me. Um, and we all love you, Andrea. I'll end there. Does anybody else have something to say? >> Now it's your turn. >> Um, I you know, I I think I can just say thank you and and that would be enough. But, you know, I want to just really um take a moment to say thank you to all of the many many constituents that I've had in the ETH ward and those who have um taught me about public service and constituent services and then subsequently those who have continued to elect me to repres represent the ward uh here on the Minneapolis City Council. Serving on this council and and serving just in this space period has been an honor of my life. Um, I've always tried to show up in spaces that were not meant for a black trans woman to be in. And um, I think it's important to be visible in those spaces to create opportunities for other people. Um, one of the things that that I am most proud of in my time working here in city hall is the opportunity to bring young women of color into these spaces, have an opportunity to earn an income, to buy a home, to start a family. Um, you know, it's been a a very small team of of people that have worked in the Ward 8 city council office. Um, even throughout my time serving with Robert Lilligran and then subsequently Elizabeth Glidden, the the staff has pretty much remained the same from Jennifer White to Diva Sedar, um, Sarah Lopez, Zoe Bereie, and our latest addition to the team. Christina Mitchell, where you at, Christina? Um, and just holding it down for the constituents of Ward 8 um throughout decades actually. Um, I am humbled by this this honor um today and um look forward to continuing to serve my community in other ways um as an artist, as a as a community member um and as an advocate and an activist. Thank you all very very much. I appreciate you and I love you. [applause] Nice. >> Up next, we are recognizing Chief Tiner. Oh. Oh. Am I sorry? >> Oh, the chief gave it to me. Here you go. >> Okay. We are honoring Fire Chief Brian Tiner for his service and dedication to the city of Minneapolis. Whereas Brian Tiner, executive fire officer, began his distinguished career with the city of Minneapolis in 1995 when he joined the Minneapolis Fire Department. And whereas as a firefighter, he dedicated the next three decades of his professional life to protecting and serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of Minneapolis with courage, integrity, and leadership. And whereas a native of the Minneapolis north side during his three decades of service, Chief Tiner advanced through the department's ranks, holding numerous leadership roles, including fire captain, battilian chief, deputy chief, and assistant chief public information officer before being appointed fire chief on December 5th, 2020, becoming the 18th fire chief in the city's history and the second African-American to hold this esteemed position. And >> and whereas Chief Tiner assumed leadership of the city of Minneapolis fire department during an extraordinary challenging time marketed by the global COVID 19, civil unrest, increasing public safety and demands. And whereas he provided steady and compassionate leadership ensuring firefighter safety, operational continuing continuity and unwavering service to the community during the times of crisis. And whereas >> under Chief Tiner's leadership, the Minneapolis Fire Department grew in size while it strengthen the commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion through enhanced recruitment, training, and mentorship programs, including the expansion of the Minneapolis Fire Department emergency medical services pathways program, ensuring that the department better reflected the diverse communities of Minneapolis served. And whereas Chief Tiner championed firefighter health and wellness initiatives prioritizing mental health awareness, cancer prevention efforts, and improved safety standards for all members of the department, thereby enhancing both the well-being of personal and overall effectiveness of the department. Andrea, right there. And whereas Chief Tiner's leadership went beyond emergency response, building strong relationships with community organizations, neighborhood groups, and partner public safety agencies, emphasizing collaboration, transparency, and trust as essential elements of public service. And whereas fire chief Tiner instituted a now nationally recognized commercial building inspection and registration program to ensure building use compliance and occupant safety. And whereas Chief Tiner oversaw the continued modernization of the department's facilities, fleet, and equipment, ensuring that the Minneapolis Fire Department remains one of the most cuttingedge and capable emergency response organizations in the region. And >> and whereas fire chief Tiner led the implementation of a safe station at fire station 14 and seven where individuals facing substance abuse substance use challenges can seek help without judgment or any questions asked. And whereas fire chief Tiner also led the implementation of the expansion of the free Narcan vending machines at fire stations 5,4 and 21 as an innovative initiative designed to confront the fentanyl epidemic and reduce deadly overdoses. And >> whereas upon his retirement on December 31st, 2025, Chief Tiner leaves a proud legacy of integrity, progress, and a commitment to community safety that will continue to shape and inspire the Minneapolis Fire Department and our broader community for years to come. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and city council, in recognition of significant contributions to the city, do hereby commend and express our most sincere thanks and appreciation to Minneapolis Fire Chief Brian Tiner for his outstanding service, steady leadership, and remarkable dedication to the city of Minneapolis. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for happiness and success in all of your future endeavors to you and to your family. Congratulations, Chief. [applause] [applause] So, who would like to start the accolades? Congratulations, Chief. We will You will be missed. >> So, congratulations to my chief as well as my mentor as well as my big brother. Um he has always been there for us um and and pushed us and and and pushed us even forward even when we didn't want to go. Um we will definitely miss his personality, his his uh booming voice. You're not going to be able to hear him coming down the hall anymore. Um we love you. We appreciate you. and you have done the city of Minneapolis and the fire department great service and we really appreciate you and you will not be forgotten and you will be surely missed. >> Thank you, Chief. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your gigantic smile. We, you know, when I was chair of public health and safety, I loved whenever you were coming in to um to uh give a presentation because everyone just got happy as soon as you walk in the room with that big smile. Thank you for being a legendary North Side uncle, too. We love you on the North Side. You belong to us and all of the children of the North Side. I know so many kids you've mentored into the fire department, into EMS, into policing. so many of the jobs that save our lives every day. We have you to thank for that. Um you show up to everything in North Minneapolis all the time and you're always so positive and just so empathetic to what we need. It's not forcing anything on us. It really is about listening. I want to tell a um a funny story about the chief. So I called the chief. I said, "Chief, I have some people that are outside. They're by a gas station and they have a fire and I need you to go over there and I need you to be mean. I need you to get over there and tell them they have to leave. And so he said, "Well, you stay here. I'll go. I'm going to handle it." And I was like, "I don't know. He's not going to do it." I I ride by. He's out eating barbecue with the people. And then I go find him. I say, "Chief, you were supposed to go be mean. You didn't do the job." He said, "They have really good burgers over there. I couldn't do that. We just were talk. And so they stayed outside with the fire by the gas station with the fire chief. No, but that's who he is, right? He went there. He talked to the people. He understood why they were there. And he said to me, "We're safe. We're going to be fine, but you know, they they need this and we have to understand that they need this." And he really did make me look at things in a in a very different way. And so I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that you always made me look at things in a different way, Chief. Um, you've taught me so much. You've taught so many people so much. I appreciate you. I know you're not gone anywhere, so I'll come visit you at the new place and I'll see you around, I'm sure, but I really am forever grateful for your mentorship and your leadership and for you just being a phenomenal uncle to all of us. Thank you, >> Chief. I just want to say um thank you for leading the Minneapolis Black Employee Network. Um, it's a really important role that you played in ensuring that um, black employees at the city of Minneapolis felt seen, felt heard, and felt connected to each other and and just bringing people together to um, support each other. It was really critical during those um moments of COVID and and the murder of of George Floyd. um that that we had those spaces to be um in community with each other. um when some of our other colleagues from the broader community didn't understand that not only were we um impacted as employees of the city of Minneapolis, but impacted because those issues deeply impacted our communities. And so bringing that space, creating that space um will be something that I will always cherish and remember you for and thank you very much. >> Yeah, I'll say a few words. >> First of all, I want to I want to thank you for this great honor. Um you know, 30 years here, over 30 years, almost 31 now. Uh some of the days were long, but the years really went by fast. And uh it has been the honor of a lifetime to be able to serve this community uh as a firefighter and uh for the last 5 years as its fire chief. Uh but I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be around. I'll be still be on the north side. I'll still be at every event. So uh I'll still be out here. But uh I just I just really thank the city for this opportunity. Um, I didn't grow up wanting to be a firefighter. You know, it's not something I thought about when I was young, but the uh opportunity came and I pursued it. It took me two years, but I finally got here and and uh I'm really thankful for that opportunity. It really has uh changed the life of me and my family. Uh and hopefully I just was able to uh move the department forward uh a little bit and uh leave it in a better place than when I found it. So, thank you. >> [applause] >> Oh, okay. Congratulations. You made it. You made it. >> I love what you said about >> our final resolution is recognizing our Somali community. Somebody left the glasses. >> Oh, those are >> Jeremia. Yeah. >> It'll slow it'll slow the process. Okay, [clears throat] Hello everyone. Um, thank you so much for being here and being patient. All my colleagues are here in support of the Somali community and I would like to read this resolution together recognizing and supporting the Somali American community and their contribution to the city. Whereas the city of Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali-American community in the United State with tens of thousand of residents who have enriched the social e economic and cultural fabric to our city since early 1990s when many refugees arrived as refugee arrived fleeing civil war and seeking safety and opportunity and whereas Somalia American in Minneapolis have demonstrated remarkable resilience and inter partnership establishing numerous [clears throat] businesses including restaurants, shops, service providers in the neighborhood like see the riverside contributing a significant to the local economy growth and job creation and whereas >> and whereas the Somali American community has integrated into the workforce filling essential roles in industries such as health care, education, transportation, and manufacturing with many initially drawn to Minnesota for employment opportunities and now comprising a vital part of the city's labor force. Whereas Somali Americans have enhanced Minneapolis cultural diversity through traditions, arts, festivals, and community events that promote cross-cultural understanding and unity, fostering a more inclusive and vibrant city for all residents. And >> whereas members of the Somali-American community have actively participated in civic life, electing representatives to local, state, and federal offices, volunteering in community organizations, and advocating for equity and justice, thereby strengthening democracy and public service in Minneapolis. And whereas the contributions of Somali Americans extend to education and philanthropy with community leaders establishing schools, mosques, and nonprofit organizations that support youth development, health services, and mutual aid benefiting not only their community but the broader population. And whereas the city of Minneapolis values diversity, equity, and inclusion as core principles and recognizes that the Somali-American community's presence has made our city a model of multicultural success, promoting innovation, tolerance, and shared prosperity. And whereas in light of recent national challenges and rhetoric targeting our immigrant and refugee communities, it is essential for the city council to reaffirm its commitment to protecting and celebrating all residents, ensuring Minneapolis remains a welcoming place where everyone can thrive without fear of discrimination based on national origin, faith, or background. Now therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and the city council hereby affirms its unwavering support for the Somali-American community and all immigrants, all refugees population in Minneapolis, recognizing them as an integral and value members of our city. The city is committed to fostering an environment of safety, respect, and dignity for all for Somali Americans, including throughout the access to the city services, protecting civil rights, and encouraging community engagement without regard to the immigration status. Be res be it further resolved that the city of Minneapolis will continue to celebrate the contribution of the Somali-American community through our public recognition, cultural programming and partnership that highlights their positive impact on the local economy, culture and society. [applause] >> [applause] >> I want to take the time to thank my colleagues uh here standing beside me. I want to thank the mayor. I want to thank the chief. I want to thank all city staffs that stood up. Um I want to [clears throat] thank the neighbors that came with their whistles. It's been very difficult for me and for my community. We are under attack. The beginning of the council, I had to rush to see the riverside because ICE was spotted on this site. They continue to come back and terrorize fellow Americans. Let's just say that I I really want to you to think about this might not be happening to you if you are non-Somali. you could be next. We're going to stay resilient. We're going to stay strong. And whatever it's happening right now to American citizens, Somali American citizens in the community, it's unfair, it's unjust, and it's illegal. That's about it. Thank you so much. >> [applause] >> I think we can take a picture as a council. Thank you all for uh bearing with us in our last meeting of the year. Obviously, we want to make sure that we're recognizing all of our colleagues that are leaving. Uh, and that's kind of taken up the entire morning so far. And we have a pretty big agenda in front of us. So, I'm going to recommend that we take about a 20 minute recess so that we can get some food and be ready for the long haul. Uh, so let's meet back in the chamber at 12:15. Tech team are Yeah. Thank you for bearing with us through that recess. At this time, I'm going to uh call this regular meeting of the city council for December 11th to order. The clerk will call the role. >> Council member Pomisano, >> present. >> Council member Chowri, >> present. >> Council member Kashman, >> present. >> Council member Osman, [clears throat] >> is absent. Council member Rainville, >> present. >> Council member Chavez, >> present. >> Council member, [snorts] >> present. >> Council member Ellison, >> here. >> Council member Kofsky, >> present. >> Council member Wsley, >> present. >> Council member Jenkins, >> present. Vice President Shai >> present. >> President Payne >> present. >> There are 12 members present. >> Let the record reflect we have a quorum. Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members and staff that this meeting is broadcast live to enable greater public participation. The broadcast includes 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. With that, the agenda for today's meeting is before us. Are there any any amendments? Uh, Council Member Chavez. >> Uh, thank you, Council President Payne. I have three different motions to bring forward. One is a resolution recognizing and supporting the Somali American community and their contributions. The other one is recognizing Human Rights Day and International Migrants Day. And the last one I'm we're bringing forward uh with a variety of colleagues is expressing statements of position pertaining to the Minneapolis Police Department oversight and accountability. I'd want to add these to the agenda. Uh Council Member Chavez has moved to amend the agenda. Uh, is there any discussion on those amendments? >> Just did it already. >> Uh, council member Chavez added the resolution for you, I believe. >> No, I was just saying that I'm present. >> Yes. Also, we'll recognize that council member Osman has joined us. Um, [clears throat] is there any >> discussion on the Okay. Council member Wanley. >> Thank you. Uh, President Ken, I [laughter] also, just for clarity, wanted to make sure that, um, the resolution that I'm bringing forward under unfinished business would also be included. I couldn't decipher if that was also part of Council Member Chavez motion. >> Um, is that correct, Council Member Chavez? >> It was everything that was being brought forward. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Okay. Um, [snorts] >> all four all these items. >> Got it. Um, I see one I see something from Council Member Shri. Was that also represented in the motion? >> Whatever is easiest. Just making sure that every item that are these walk guns that they get reflected in our agenda. All right, >> Mr. President, there's a packet of six in front of you and perhaps it's easier to say it's the under order of resolutions, the two, one on human rights day, one on international migrants day. There's a motion from Osman to add the small American community uh resolution. There's a motion by the president to add under new business a large block event permit for the great Northern Winter Festival. It's a motion by the president to include under new business the contract amendment with Q3 contracting for lead service line replacements. The motion by council member Chowry and others expressing positions uh statements of position relating to MPD oversight and accountability and a similar one by Council Member Wanley under new business urging the mayor to direct MPD on protecting residents and immigrant communities. That's all six. I am going to make that motion to move those uh to amend the agenda. >> Council member Kashman. >> Thank you, President P. I also have a walk- on resolution to be added under unfinished business which we don't need to add to the agenda. >> Thank you. >> Okay. All right. Is there a second to my motion? >> Second. >> Uh the clerk will call the role. >> Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. >> Council member Cashman. >> I. >> Council member Osman. >> I. >> Council member Rainbow. Hi, >> Council Member Chavez. >> Hi, >> Council Member Vita. >> Hi, >> Council Member Ellison. >> Hi, >> Council Member Kosski. >> I council member Wanley. >> Hi, >> Council Member Jenkins. >> I, >> Vice President Shaktai, >> I. >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> Uh, those amendments are adopted. May I have a motion to adopt the agenda as amended? >> So move. >> Second. The clerk will call the role. >> Council member Pomosano, I. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Cashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. Council member Rainville. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vita. >> I. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> I. >> Council member Wanssley. >> I. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Shagai. >> I. >> President Payne. >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> That carries and the agenda is adopted. The next item is acceptance of minutes from our regular meeting of November 20th. I would entertain a motion to accept those minutes. >> So move. >> Second. >> The clerk will call the role. >> Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. Council member Cashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainville. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. Hi. >> Council member Vto. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> Hi. >> Council member W. >> I. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Chug Tai. >> I. >> President Payne. >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> That carries. And the minutes have been accepted. The next order of business is presentations from our standing committees. Those are taken in alphabetical order beginning with our report from our administration and enterprise oversight committee which will be presented by its chair council member Wanley. >> Thank you President Payne. Uh the administration and enterprise oversight committee is bringing forward 49 items. The first is payroll updates ordinance. Second is civil service commission appointment. Three is gift acceptance from communities first infrastructure alliance for travel and lodging. Four is gift acceptance from the national association of county and city health officials of registration transportation lodging and appropriate meals and incidentals. Five is a bid for Hearth Avenue sanitary sewer reconstruction project. Six is a bid for 16th Avenue South Sewer Improvement Project. Seven is a bid for Jerry Hoff parking ramp roof replacement project. Eight is bid for the Fidley and Columbia Heights water plant landscape restoration projects. Nine is contract with air national community services LLC for loan portfolio management and loan development services. 10 is contract with FVB Energy Inc. for Minneapolis thermal potential study. 11 is a contract amendment with Varant America's Inc. for the 311 leg system. 12 is a contract with Amy Moser Consulting LLC for training and technical assistance for the blueprint approved institute. 13 is a contract with Primacy Strategy Group LLC for legislative representation services. 14 is a contract amendment with Frederickson Government Relations LLC and Momentum Advocacy for Legislative Representation Services. 15 is contract with Harrison neighbor neighborhood association for anti-displacement services to Harrison neighborhood residents. 16 is contract with impact mailing of Minnesota inc for utility billing mailing services. Excuse me. 17 contract 17 is a contract with solution guidance corporation for project management software. [snorts] 18 is contract with clay clay consulting LLC for occupational health services. 19 is contract with TAS unlimited Inc. to administer the city's low barrier Employment Program. 20 is contract amendment with IP LLC to complete parking permit platform migration. 21 is contract amendment with Tyizac Concrete LLC for upgrades of Shingle Creek West Americans with Disabilities Act pedestrian ramps. 22 is contract amendment with Restoration and Construction Services LLC for the Hilton Ramp Waterproofing Project. 23 23 is contract amendment with MNB Services LLC for lead service line replacement project. 24 is a contract amendment with Morcon Construction Inc. for Hawthorne Office buildout project. 25 is contract amendment with JL Theus Inc. for biochar production facility phase one project. 26 is contract amendment with safety signs LLC for rental of traffic control devices. 27 is contract amendment with the standard for life insurance long-term disability insurance and FMLA administration services. 28 is contract amendment with Premier Electrical Corporation for electrical services. 29 is contract amendment with Minnesota Native Landscapes Inc. for the green storm water infrastructure restoration project. 30 is contract amendment with Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota offering free immigration legal services to city residents. 31 is contract amendment with Collins Brothers Towing of St. Cloud, Inc. for heavyduty towing services. 22 is contract amendment with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for cloud-based patrol car evidence capture and digital evidence management system. 20 33 is contract amendment with Sean Lanquiz Associates, Inc. for the city hall restack phase 3 project. Uh per staff's request, you have a revised copy of the request for a committee's action, also known as RCA, in front of you that reflects the dollar amount being changed from $23,000 and $32 to 30 uh 2 uh,00032, no, sorry, $382. I [snorts] will move to approve the amended amounts. Uh 34 is contract amendment with various entities to provide computer aided dispatch and related mobile uh equipment support services. 25 is a contract amendment with short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc. for engineering and design services on the Logan Park Industrial Reconstruction Project. 36 is a contract amendment with various organizations for partnership engagement fund projects. 37 is a contract amendment with Keystone Compensation Group LLC for classification and compensation consulting services. 38 is contract amendment with Metropolitan Emergency Services Board. 39 is a collective bargaining agreement international union of operating engineers local 70 AFL CIO. 40 is a memorandum of understanding with Greater Twin Cities United Way 211. 41 is legal settlement Natalyia Padet V. City of Minneapolis and Mitchell Erikson. 42 is a legal settlement State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. City of Minneapolis. 43 is a legal settlement workers compensation claim of William Palmer. 44 is Minneapolis Advisory Committee on aging appointments. 35 is designation of polling locations for 2026. 46 is a contract with the link for human trafficking advocacy training and survivor support services. 47 is a contract with Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. for a 311 citizens request management system. 48 is master contracts with various eligible agencies for the Minneapolis Health Department for 2026 through 2028. This item was sent forward without recommendation so that we could receive more information on the contract. And you also have a revised copy of the request for committee action, also known as RCA, in front of you that reflects a change from 69 master contracts to now 53 with the amount not to exceed 5.7 million. And I will move to approve this uh revised staff report. And 49 is a bid for Nichollet A Bridge over Minihaha Creek Rehabilitation Project. And with that, I will move forward approval of all items, including the amended dollar amounts for item number 33 and the amended contracts and not a CC amount for item 48. Council member Wley has moved approval of the committee's report. I'm going to actually proactively uh set aside item number 43 for a separate vote. So, if anybody's in Q to make that um uh request, I'll do that up front. and let's uh take discussion on any other items. I'll recognize council member Pomisano. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Chair Wanley. That was a bohemoth of a committee. Um and she just read the entire report. I want to bring to your attention that we are disposing with this committee report, these two pieces of paper on your desk, the one that says AEO48 and AEO 33. 33 [snorts] is exactly how Chair Wanley explained. I wanted just to give a little bit more context about item number 48. Um, Chair Wanley and I have worked with the health department to better clarify exactly what is happening under the umbrella of one huge master contract. The health department is trying something new with one master contract that covers several other master contracts. I don't want to minimize the amount of work and good intent that went into this. We had some discussion that got a little confusing during committee um and we all had questions. I I want to thank the health department um and the effort that this is particularly Chris Focus who presented this at committee. This [snorts] is a new concept proposed by health and chair Winsley and I have met with the health department staff twice to better understand what they're proposing. Um, we believe this concept still needs some work and we were uncomfortable proceeding with the original proposal which said $90 million in it. We have reached agreement to propose a not to exceed amount in this number 48 white piece of paper packet of paper in front of you. Um that new amount is $5,786,000 for 53 contracts in a master contract to keep services going for first quarter of next year. During first quarter of next year, the new council will work with health staff to draft an RCA that can garner council support. This is a temporary measure allowing the services to not be disrupted. I will also point out that all health department contracts are reimburseable, meaning the city only pays after the fact and it's all dependent on funding. Some of which fair amount of which is grant money that we receive or we don't. So, um, thank you for allowing me to provide clarity to this item number 48. I don't think it needs to be pulled out for a separate vote at this time. >> Thank you for that additional context. Uh, Council Member Chavez. Thank you, President Payne. I'll keep it short. I just wanted to talk about item number 19th, the contract with Task Unlimited, Inc. to administer the city's low barrier employment program. This pilot initiative is designed to improve public safety and community livability by providing immediate low barrier employment opportunities to adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability. And this program will be focused on the Southside Green Zone, which includes the greater Phillips and Cedar Riverside neighborhoods. Participants will be engaged in day employment tasks that improve neighborhood cleanliness and safety, such as trash collection, graffiti removal, snow clearing, and ice control. Uh, and uh, this is an exciting program. This is a budget remedy and myself authored previously and very excited to make sure that this program is up and running. So, thank you. Council member Koski. >> Thank you, President Payne. I just wanted to speak to item number 49 uh regarding the Nicollet Avenue Bridge, which is in Ward 11. And mostly just a a huge thank you to Director Don Elwood and his team who has been masterfully uh guiding us through this process both internally and then also with the communication to the community. This is going to be a two-year project likely. Um, and so a huge impact on the community, but I'm so grateful to see this come through the council today and see us move forward and have a new bridge uh in the city of Minneapolis for our residents. Thank you so much. >> Seeing Oh, council member Wley. >> Sorry. Um, I wanted to make sure uh Oh, you already said you pulled for Thank you. Awesome. Uh, seeing no one else left in quue, I will ask the clerk to call the role in the committee on the committee report minus item 43. >> Council member Palisano. >> I, >> Council Member Chowry, >> hi. >> Council member Cashman, >> hi. >> Council member Osman, hi. >> Council member Rainville, >> hi. >> Council member Chavez, hi. >> Council member Vto, >> hi. >> Council member Ellison, >> hi. >> Council member Ksky, >> hi. >> Council member Wanssley, hi. >> Council member Jenkins, >> I. >> Vice President Shaw, >> hi. >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. Those items carry. Next, we'll take up item number 43. And I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomanum. >> I. >> Council member Chow. >> I. >> Council member Kashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainbow. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> No. >> Council member Vita. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> I. >> Council member Wsley. >> Nay. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Chugtai. Nay, >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 10 eyes and three names. >> That item carries and that completes the committee report. Next, we'll have the report from our business, housing, and zoning committee given by that committee's chair, council member Osman. >> Thank you, chair. Thank you, president. Um, the business, housing, and zoning committee is bringing forward 25 items. Item one is approving a liquor license for Corusio Cafe Bar. Item two is considering an amended business plan for Lumi Restaurant. This item was forwarded without recommendation and we did receive an email from the business license. Item three is approving an interm permit for property at 2194th Street South. Item four is approving modification to 59 tiff districts. Item five is approving three appointments to the city planning commission. Item six is approving the property assessment for clean energy for 2229 street south. Item seven is authorizing amendment to the land sale program resolution. Item eight is approving ordinance related to the building code and its requirement and returning to author title 2 chapter 5 999 of the ordinance. Item nine is denying appeal with condition submitted by Thomas Daini for the property at 4109 and 4113 Sheridan Avenue South. Item 10 is approving six liquor license. Item 11 is approving eight liquor license renewals. Item 12 is approving one gambling license. Item 13 is approving a building permit extension for Silva on the road sorry on the riverhouse project. Item 14 is approving a grade street facade program funding. Item 15 is approving a grant acceptance for federal transit administration for the blue line extension. Item 16 is approving 2025 emergency solution grant funding recommendations. Item [snorts] 17 is approving an ownership opportunity loan and great street uh gap loan to Martisur Hospitality Group. Item 18 is approving re reappropriation of the stable homeschool program. Item 19 is approving a streetific vacation for the property at 4301 Lake Street East. Item 20 is approving a settlement for the city loan from TLC Precision Technology. Item 21 is approving a grant agreement with Certus Financial for Heritage Park Rehabilitation. Item 22 is approving a Bruce Bruner to the appointment on Minneapolis advisory committee on housing. Item 23 is approving a temporary construction easement at Upper Harbor Terminal. Item 24 is approving a ordinance related to the flexibility in minimum height in the zoning code. And lastly, item 25 is approving a grid street gap loan for nearby 314 property holding. With that, I'll move all items for approval except item 8.2 and 11. I'll move 8.2 to to return to its author and move to deny the condition at 81 item 11. Thank you so much. Council member Osman has moved approval of the committee's report with the return of item 8.2 and the denial of item 8.11. Uh I will recognize council member Wansley. >> Thank you, President Payne. I also want to pull um item number four for a separate discussion and vote. >> Okay. Council member Wii has requested to pull item four. So we will take up the remainder of the items. Council member Vita. >> Thank you, President Payne. I just wanted to speak to item 25. >> Go ahead. >> Go ahead. Okay. So, um, item 25 is, uh, a great streets gap financing loan for a business that is going to be in Ward 4. I want to first thank Anthony Newbie, who's here with us today, and Billing English. They've been here since 9:30, probably 9:00 this morning, and uh, waiting on this item. So, I am really rooting for a unanimous vote. This is a opportunity for Ward 4. There's g when on upon completion of this uh project there there's going to be a hundred jobs in Ward 4 and I couldn't be more excited about that. This is exactly how this project is exactly how we want uh the the cannabis business to um show up in this community and the benefits to people who were failed by terrible laws and just so many things that hopefully will be fixed. I know a hundred jobs is a really good thing for this community. This is one of the ways in which I'm glad folks are giving back to North Minneapolis. So, thank you, Anthony Newbie. Thank you, Mr. Bill English. Anytime I hear of more than two jobs in North Minneapolis, I know Bill English has something to do with it. He's been a pioneer for jobs in our community for decades, and I hope that work continues. Thank you so much to all the city of Minneapolis staff who partnered with um them to make sure this happens and especially to Tabitha Fischer who really gets it done for the north side. I'm sure she helps lots of people out. But when I think of who I can do a friendly handoff to for business and economic development on the north side, it's almost always Tabitha Fischer. And so I appreciate your commitment to making sure not only the north side is seen, but Ward 4 is seen. And I'm so proud to have this um business in Ward 4 and so proud to work with you all on this opportunity and looking for the vibrancy and th this is visionary work for our community. So thank you all so much and I'm I'm proud to vote for this today. >> Council member Jenkins. Thank you, President Payne. I will echo Council Member Beal's comments um and um just say congratulations. And you know, it it really is uh good to see um that the African-American community is able to take part in this emerging cannabis business in uh Minneapolis. And so, um congratulations, Mr. newbie. Uh I hope um as m uh as council member Vital uh suggested that this is a unanimous vote and I will certainly be supporting it. I wanted to speak though to items number um 141, the Kand do uh or Central Area Neighborhood Association Organization um Great Streets Facade Improvement Grant, which will help um support businesses along the 38th Street uh corridor and specifically in George Floyd Square. and also speak to item number 17 uh where we're providing the ownership and opportunity fund to create um uh entrepreneur services in the new 3030 NICLID um housing development that is 100 units of deeply affordable housing and also has four spaces for small business entrepreneurs reneurs to own their own uh business and um there two Somali womenowned businesses that will be included in that uh development and so just really um grateful for um the opportunity to support this um opportunity fund funding. Thank you, >> Council Member Pulisano. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a question about item number 18, the stable homes stable schools program. [snorts] I thought this was about taking the pilot money from last year, $850,000, and putting it back into the base program for elementary schools rather than starting the pilot for middle schools. Is that true? Director Hansen, >> uh, President Payne, uh, members of the council, Eric Hansen, CPED director, uh, through the president, uh, Council Member Pomosano, it is into the base program. It's moving, um, the pilot program into the base U program for elementary students. >> Okay. Thank you very much for that clarification and thank you for all the work of the people on this council to get there, >> Council Member Chavez. Thank you, President Payne. I just want to talk about item number eight. 8.1 we're booming for approval. 8.2 is just being sent back to author. Just want to make sure folks know that. So, in 2025, there was a wrecking permit that was issued for Smith Foundry. Their nearby residents were not aware of prior to demolition of the work commencing. Uh some of these particular sites had a history of some type of contamination and demolition process became a great concern for a lot of the neighbors around the surrounding community. As a result, uh, our city staff, uh, committed to working closely with my office and the community I represent to make sure that we can make changes in the future should this occur again. Uh, this created an internal work group with my office, the city administration, city staff, and the community that I represent, which I think is a good way to move policy forward. We met uh, very often, and we came up with an ordinance that hopefully rectifies this in the future. So specifically, there was concerns from the community that I represent that the property surrounding the demolition sites were not giving enough prior notice before the work commenced and that no information regarding environmental mitigation was available to share. And in response to those concerns, we formed this workg group to uh revise the ordinance that already exists to make sure we can put extra protections in place for the community at large. So, uh, this ordinance that is being brought forward has proposed amendments that are aimed at broadening broadening the notice of wrecking permit applications being submitted from only noticing the immediate adjacent property owners to the property owners within 350 ft uh, uh, subjected by the property. Uh, and we also have amendments that enable staff to require an environmental mitigation plan when a structure or the site the building is located on meet certain criteria for hazardous materials or hazardous waste associated with the subject property. There also be more notification uh to the council members and policy makers to make sure that we can also communicate with our constituents with these concerns. I wanted to highlight this ordinance because of the amount of work that it like that happened to get to this point, which I will say again was work in closely working with the community at large, those who were impacted by um the lack of notification this year and also the neighborhood associations and working closely with staff to get to the point where we we came to an agreement. So just very happy about how this ordinance came to be and ask for approval. Council member Kashman. >> Thank you, President Payne. I just wanted to speak on behalf of item number three, an interim use permit for a shelter just across the street from city hall. Um, I've been re really happy with the Henipin County staff answering lots of questions and um explaining the the services that will be on site for the downtown neighborhood association and uh seeing, you know, the public school buses coming and coming and going from that building across from city hall and seeing the families that are able to have shelter in that space is really great and I'm happy that we're going to be able to provide additional uh winter emergency shelter beds. Thank you. Seeing no one else left in quue, uh, I'm going to ask the clerk to call the role on the biz report minus item number four, returning item 8.2 to author, and then just making sure I'm correcting that, we are going to be denying item number nine. >> Council member Pomisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. Council member Cashman. >> I. >> Council member Osman. >> I. >> Council member Rainbow. >> I. And all except number two. No. On two. >> Council member Chavez. >> I. >> Council member Vita. >> I. >> Council member Ellison. >> I. >> Council member Ksky. >> I. >> Council member Wley. >> I. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Shai is absent. President Payne. >> I. >> There are 12 eyes in the court except for item number two which has 11 eyes and one nay. Those items carry. Next, we will take up item number four. Uh, Council Member Wanzie, did you want to speak to that item? >> Yes. Thank you, President Payne. Um, colleagues, we received a email from the chair of the Henipin County Commissioners urging us to oppose this action to modify all 59 tiff districts. And I do want to thank Chair Fernando for raising um a number of concerns because uh this could have easily slipped uh through and under our radar as just being something um related to technical changes without fully understanding the financial impacts that uh this action will have on our partners both at Henipin County and the Minneapolis public schools. um directing these funds to the city rather than dispersing them across the three districts may um help the city's bottom line in the short term, but it does have casc uh cascading impacts on the property tax levies of other jurisdictions that ultimately do come back to taxpayers. Um the action before us covers about 95% of the city's total tiff districts with a total potential impact of almost $500 million. This is a massive amount of money with huge impacts again on the city, on the county, Minneapolis public schools as well as taxpayers and I still have some outstanding questions and I know we haven't been able to dive into them because we have budget and all sorts of things, but I do believe it requires uh some more time to talk through uh this particular action with city staff. Um, and that said, I would like to take that time um and make the motion to uh can't really return this back to the committee because we don't know what the committee iterations will be next term, but to at least return it back to staff so that we can have the time we need um be it with both staff and in the committee that this will be taken up in to have discussions about those impacts and um act accordingly. So um with that, I would like to make that motion. Can I have a second? >> Is there a second? That's been seconded by Vice President Chug Thai. Uh, Council Member Chowry, >> thank you so much. Um, President Payne, um, I won't be able to support that motion. I I support this item going forward and I can speak to a little bit of why. And we also do have city staff available here today to answer any questions that council members may have. Um, they're the experts in this. they've been working on this and they have been really helpful um in just kind of answering a lot of my questions about it too. So, as we all know um TIFF is an important funding tool for the city. We primarily use it for the construction of affordable housing, especially deeply affordable housing. And this action that's before us today is in response to the guidance from the office of the state auditor to clarify a technical question related to annual reporting for 2021 special legislation that authorize the transfer of tax increment to support construction projects under defined circumstances. Council members and community may recall that the council transferred 17 million into the affordable housing trust fund as allowed by the statute and this money will be expended by the end of the year to support 11 projects. With this 17 million transferred under the 2021 special legislation, the city has helped fund um and finance 11 projects with 927 affordable units um with 35% of those being deeply affordable units. Um with the 17 million transferred under the 2021 special legislation, approximately half of the mod modifications considered today are related to that special legislation. And those modifications do not decrease the amount transferred under the original spending plan. Nor do they enable any future new spending under that plan. Nor do they extend the time frame of the plan. They simply clarify the investments already made as allowed by state statute to increase the total budget of each districts. The other half of modifications do allow for pition potential additional pooling of excess increment for affordable housing within the limits of existing state statutes and the city needs the the city needs to leverage every tool we can to meet this critical need. Um, personally, I think the city has a good track record of balancing the two priorities of affordable housing investments and taxbased preservation. And this council has always been really thoughtful in authorizing the creation of new districts. And um, on one hand, we have supported hundreds of new apartments for residents who might otherwise have no place to see sleep. On the other hand, the city has had the lowest percentage of our tax base in tiff districts. Now that now that we have in decades um 20 years ago approximately 50 15% of our tax base was in tiff districts. 10 years ago 7% of our tax base was in tiff districts. Today less than 3% of our tax base is in tiff districts. The city of Minneapolis is descertifying the tiff districts faster than we are creating new ones and the number of active districts have been declining for the last 15 years. Um the nature of this action as a bulk action addresses 59 of them all at once and is for administrative efficiency and doesn't reduce transparency of the action. Our staff has followed all statue statutory requirements by notifying stakeholders 45 days pri prior to the biz committee and the full modification documents were available for public review that entire period of time. Um the financial analysis and I'll just close on this for every district was conducted on an individual basis going forward. Each district will be individually reviewed for whether the cap the the capacity to pull funds for affordable housing should be prioritized or whether they whe or whether returning excess or surplus increment to Henipin County for redistribution to the individual taxing jurisdiction should be prioritized. Today's action doesn't commit a specific future dollar amount to affordable housing as in the past. The city council will continue to balance our affordable housing investments and taxbased considerations. Um I think it's just really important for us to move forward on this um to be in line with uh the guidance of the state auditor. And I also think this is a great starting point for us to have a conversation more directly with the county to get our department head, city staff, with board chair Fernando or any of the staff in the county to just figure out what the future of tiff districts look ahead. So um with that I mean if it's helpful to colleagues I can invite up staff for any questions folks may have. I know we have um Angie Skildum and Matthew Hendris here today from CPAD. >> Council member Ellison. >> Yeah, I'd um [clears throat] thank you uh for laying out sort of the the the groundwork for us. Tiff policy can get really dense really fast. Um and so I really appreciate uh Council Member Shar you laying that out for us. I think that's important context for us to have. I would love staff to uh come answer a few questions uh for us. Um uh because I just want to be able to understand sort of impact here. Um you know the questions I always ask is okay if we delay this what are the consequences and uh and um you know kind of like the why you know why now uh question um which I think I think there's probably an incredible case for why now. But I was I was wondering if staff could kind of lay us out lay it out for us in in more lay terms. >> As best as possible. >> Absolutely. U thanks for the invitation. Uh Council President Payne, Angie Skildum. I'm the director of the development finance department. This is my colleague Matthew Henriks. Uh to your question uh through the chair, Council Member Ellison. Uh there are sort of two buckets of uh modifications being made out of these 59 plans. The first bucket is modifying the um tiff plan budgets. And I'm going to try to not get into the technical weeds here, but this is sort of a technical weeds topic. uh to modify the budgets of all of the districts that were involved in that 2021 special legislation when the uh state authorized us during the pandemic to transfer access excess funds in certain districts for construction projects um that which that we did through all of the required process including this council passing a spending plan for those documents. there's an outstanding um question as to uh forward-looking reporting related to all of those districts. So, every tiff district that the city creates, we have to uh report on annually to the office of the state auditor. And um what what that first bucket of modifications does is clarify that the intent of implementing that spending plan was to modify the budgets of each of those plans to authorize to increase the budget to include that transfer. So, um, if we don't take this action now, that's going to affect our annual reporting on those districts and create, um, ongoing uncertainty as to the interpretation of how that special legislation relates technically to this annual reporting. So, it's really important to us to uh, keep um, keep that moving on a smooth path. The second bucket does does Okay. [laughter] The second bucket of modifications uh is related to um um the rest of the city's uh existing tiff plans that are active. that um gives us the opportunity to potentially pull for affordable housing um out of those districts when that particular line item may not have been in the original TIF plans budget. So, uh as you know from past deals that you've looked at, uh sometimes we include pooling, sometimes we don't. Sometimes districts can generate extra for pooling and sometimes they can't. uh sometimes our estimates don't play out the way that we expected. So uh while we were doing uh all of the heavy lifting of creating modifications for pool uh kind of bucket one, we thought while we're at it, let's do bucket two and um potentially create the ability to get extra pooling for affordable housing uh in the city. Uh as you know uh we are looking for every possible tool uh to support the city's goals on affordable housing creation and this is one uh that we think uh could potentially play out. Uh the um the county is reacting I think a little bit to the budget increase amount that they're seeing. Um which really the council should think of as uh more of a placeholder than a real number. And uh as we do now on an annual basis, we'll be analyzing each of those districts. We will be making a decision at the end of each of those districts life, which is typically about 26 years, whether there's additional excess tiff or not available to pool. Uh if there is, um this action today would authorize us to keep that money uh rather than return it to the county and spend it uh for affordable housing development in the future. uh not in a way that's directed today, but that the council at that time will have the opportunity to look at. So, it will be an individual decision um uh in the future [laughter] as to whether we descertify that district early or continue to pull for affordable housing on those districts as within the confines of the state statute around TIFF. >> Thank you. That is helpful. I know it's dense. I know it's hard to like kind of strip down in in the plain terms, but I do think it it's helpful for us to kind of understand. Um, I'm going to ask you a question. You don't have to answer it if it's if it's not a question that should be answered in public, but like do do we feel like we're like on a at a staff level, are we impeding on on the county's ability to to perform here? You know, uh, I think that that's, you know, in the simplest possible terms, I think that's the that's the that's the concern of the letter. Do do we agree with that assessment? Do you know how do we how do we feel about that? >> Uh through the chair. Um uh I think I would say a couple things about that. One, um there is always has been and probably always will be attention between uh municipalities and counties as it relates to the utilization of tiff. Um because it does affect uh everybody's collections. Um that is why I think this council has historically been really deliberative about the creation of new districts. Um uh the second thing I would say uh as uh council member Chowry pointed out is that the city right now is at the lowest level of utilization relative to our tax base um that it has been in decades before. So, uh, while I do think there's a natural tension around that issue, I think that, um, the notion that we are, uh, overutilizing it or expanding its use is, um, not supported by, um, the detail on how much of our tax base is really locked up in in tiff districts, which right now is less than 3%. So, >> we are at time. Thank you, >> did you want to just jump back in queue? I I'll jump back in, but I just had one more question. Okay. Uh, Council Member Jenkins. >> Uh, thank you, um, Chair Payne. And actually, I was I was going to ask staff to come up and and help us kind of understand this as well. So, uh, Miss Gildam, if you would like to continue with your response, uh, you can take a couple of minutes, uh, and do that or or not. Um, but I did want to just point out to my colleagues, you know, um, you know, I I read u Commissioner Fernando's um, letter um, and and had some of the same concerns that were identified by Council Member Chowry. And I will point out that um you know we had a a deadline for um comments which was December 1st and we received her letter on December 8th um which I'm not sure if we if it was a non-elected official that uh sent us a letter in opposition that we would be um having the same consideration. So, I just wanted to point that out. Thank you, Council Member Wanzi. >> Thank you, uh, President Payne. Um, I will name for me as someone who does not sit on the biz committee, regardless of elected official sending a letter or not, it is a significant and several of my wards are also tied into this proposal. And I think actually, Council Member Chowry, the one of my biggest flags why I think it's okay to warrant, no one's dismissing. There's not an effort to say let's not do this but you name there's not commitments also placed within this. I think everyone has a goal to see affordable housing, but we've spent also several years also saying when we're talking about developing a affordable housing, there's been a debate around how much of the resources that we actually direct towards the development of housing are actually going to where it's of greatest need like 30% AMI. And I would love to be able to have those conversations on if other people feel okay with forsaking that and not having commitments like for the projects that's in my ward where there is a need for 30% AMI. Like I would love to be able to have those conversations and work with staff to say, "Okay, can we tie in those conditions into this resolution early next year?" We have not been able to do those type of things in this past cycle. So for me, it is it's around being able to have more of those commitments be articulated in this resolution. It's not a dispute or a dismissal of the work or the need for pulling our resources together, but I at least wanted to have those commitments solidified as we're talking about how we're doing the bucket of number two. So, that is where my intention is coming from with this. This is not to try to stall this out. It literally is having greater clarity that in the RCA and and your comments, council member Chowry, and in the staff's comments mentioned there, those things are not there. It's something being left to a future council to decide when we have the ability to do that now because we're approving these things. So, I don't see what is the issue with taking a pause to have those further conversations to look at what those options are. That is literally my rationale. So, I wanted to name that. Council member Ellison. >> Thank you. I I uh I think at a high level I I I don't oppose council members being able to have better conversations about TIFF. Folks, we're we're going to have to have a we're going to have to have a better working understanding of of TIFF in the future as a as a body. And um and so I I wholeheartedly invite that. I do have concerns about once an item like gets all the way before us and t and staff has uh a timeline in which they've worked on an item, uh the message it sends to return the item. So, you know, that's why I asked about the timeline. Look, if this if this passes, you know, first meeting of January, is it all the same or is it an issue? You know, I'm concerned about it, especially since I won't be here. So, I I'm I'm inclined to make sure that we pass this now cuz uh you know, cuz I I'm I'm concerned about how we dispose of TIFF. But I do have one last question for staff. Um uh before I ask that question, I guess I'll just I've harped on this before, and this is this is not directed at at at staff or at council on this item. This is just a microcosm for the fact that I do think we do need better just like ongoing communication on items so that we're not sort of reaching ahead when when things are coming up on the dis because I think that council member Wanley is asking good questions. I think that staff is has good responses. Uh but I also think this is a conversation that could have happened maybe a week ago in a conference room and so that's you know so that's you know that's where we kind of clash sometimes. The last question I have is what um what future checks and balances do councils have uh to you know uh if if if future councils feel that uh become concerned that we're leaning a little too heavily on this tool. >> Do you want to take that? >> Sure. >> Uh President Payne, Council Member Ellison, uh thank you for the question. So, what this action does is set up essentially a placeholder in the budget of the TIFF plan, but that's not the same as setting up a budget to spend the money through the city's budgeting process. That second piece also has to happen. And so, the safeguard from the council's perspective is that when that time comes and staff comes and says, "We believe in this tiff district we might be able to pull x amount of money towards the affordable housing trust fund." At that moment, the council could say, "That's only um something we want to do if the units are affordable at a certain level." Um that would be up to the council at that point to direct where those funds go. Um or the council could also say, you know what, today the the tax base is the higher priority. Today we don't want to for affordable housing. Both of those are at the discretion of the council at that time. So today we're you know we're essentially passing if this were algebra it would be like we're passing x amount in the future we will have to say x equals amount certain >> that's exactly right >> I you know for for that reason I think we should pass this today I think we should move forward um I also think that staff and and council uh you know um council member Osman council member Chowry as as you know as as emerging leaders in housing on this d you know on on this bench here um I think should should lean in quickly to make sure that we understand you know tiff a little bit better before we're deciding what X is in the future and so uh and so for that reason uh and I think that council member Wanley's questions are even though I'm not supporting this motion right now I think are 100% valid and I and I think need to be sort of addressed uh and so um and so you know just wanted to lay that out for the for the body to the extent that that's useful to my colleagues thank you Council member Jenkins. >> Thank you, President Payne. I'll be very brief. I just want to offer up if we need more tip districts, 38th in Chicago, um George Floyd Square certainly meets the criteria. Thank you. >> Uh with that, we have a motion to refer this item back to staff. Uh the clerk will call the role. >> [clears throat] >> Council member Pomisano, >> no. >> Council member Chowry, >> nay. >> Council member Cashman, >> nay. >> Council member Osman, >> no. >> Council member Rainbow, >> no. >> Council member Chavez, >> I. >> Council member Vto, >> no. >> Council member Ellison, >> no. >> Council member Kofsky, >> no. >> Council member Wanssley, >> I. >> Council member Jenkins, >> nay. >> Vice President Chuck Tai is absent. President Payne, >> I. >> There are two eyes and 10 I'm sorry, there are three eyes and nine names. Uh, that motion fails. We have the underlying motion before us to approve item number four. I'll ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. >> Council member Cashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainbow. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Veton. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> Hi. >> Council member Wanley. >> No. >> Council member Jenkins. I >> vice president Shaggy absent. President Payne >> I. >> There are 11 eyes and one nay. >> That carries and that completes all items on the biz report. The next report is from our climate and infrastructure committee which will be presented by that committee chair, council member Kashman. >> Thank you, President Payne. So the climate and infrastructure committee has 14 items today. Number one is a passage of a resolution related to the West River Parkway phase 2 construction project. Two is 7th Street North reconstruction project. Three is amending a resolution related to the variance request from municipal state aid standards for the Cedar Lake Road Bridge project. Item four, amending a resolution related to the variance request from municipal state aid standards for the uh Cedar Lake Road Bridge project. Five is a contract with Henipin County for waste disposal ser services. Um, this item came from committee without recommendation, and staff have since prepared a revised RCA for a one-year contract instead of a 2-year contract, and that also reduces the cost in half from around 15 million down to 7 million. So, I will be moving the revised staff version, which is also available online. [snorts] Six is a cooperative agreement with the Met Council for the construction of the Metro Blue Line Extension light rail transit project. Seven is a grant application to the pollution control agency for storm water resilience planning. Eight is water distribution improvements appropriations and bonds. Um item nine is south Lindel corridor master plan legislative directive. 10 is winter curling plaza block event permit from February 13th to 22nd along Nicollet Mall. Item 11 is 35th and 36th Street reconstruction project concept layout approval and variance request and 12 is the legislative directive related to the proposed closure of the Henipin Energy Recovery Center. I'll note [snorts] that we have moved this without recommendation as well and we have a revised version by the author Council Rainville. So I'll I'll see if he wants to move that revised version. And then lastly, 13 and 14. 13 is the gas franchise fees ordinance and 14 is the electric franchise fees ordinance. So I'll move um all items including the revised staff version of the HERK contract and pull out item 12, the legislative directive on HERK, as well as 13 and 14, gas and electric for a separate vote. Council member Cashman has moved the report including a revision to item five and pulling out 12,1 13 and 14 for separate votes. Okay. And then I know that we had a couple public works walk-ons. Were those represented in your committee report? >> Oh, that's going to be new business. That's right. Um okay. So on the remainder of the items including re the revision to number five, is there any discussion? Council member Ksky. >> Thank you, President Payne. I just wanted to speak to item number nine, the South Lindale Quarter master plan and this legislative directive. Um, mostly just want to thank the city staff that have been working on this with me, many of them for even close to four years, but Meg McMahon, uh, Kathleen Male, and then to Eric Hansen and Tim Ston, I appreciate the partnership. Um, many of you on this DAS have gone on ride alongs in this area to see the potential of what we could do in this corridor to really uh, reconnect wards 11 and 13 together. and um excited to see uh the work that will continue to come from this. So, thank you so much for the partnership. I really appreciate it. >> Council member Rainville. >> Thank you. So, uh this this revised legislative directive I I we talked about this in committee and I believe council member Cash you had offered about seven maybe eight. 12 separately. >> You talking about 12? >> I'm talking about 12. What are >> we'll take we'll take 12 up after we uh vote on the remainder of the items. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Um on items 1 through 11, including the revision to number five. I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisan. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. >> Council member Kashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> I. >> Council member Rainbow. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. Council member Vita >> I. >> Council member Ellison >> I. >> Council member Ksky >> I. >> Council member Wanssley [snorts] >> is absent. Council member Jenkins >> I. >> Vice President Sheptai is absent. President Payne. >> I. >> There are 11 eyes. >> Those items carry. Next we will take up item number 12. I'll recognize council member Raenville. >> Thank you. Thank you, President P. U. this new legislative directive. We've modified it since committee. Council member Cash and I believe you had seven maybe eight suggestions and all these are included with exception one. Um and uh what everyone should know is the staff has requested uh to come back in about the June time frame. That'll take that long to get all these answers. I I believe at that point we could have a public hearing and then uh answer any further questions and comments from the community. Uh so I think if we are really serious about closing down the herk, [clears throat] we have to have answers and we have to gently push this forward because it is very very complex and and the only way we can solve that complexity is through legislative directives such as this. So thank you. >> So council member Rainville, you've moved that for approval. Is there is there a second? >> Second. >> Any further discussion? Council member Chavez. >> Uh thank you council president. I'll be supporting this item just because it's asking us for more information on these with more questions, but I do want to be clear that this council did vote to say we want to close down the her. So, I don't want that to be misconstrued by supporting this legislative directive that's just asking for more questions. It's been amended. I want to let my constituents know that I still support closing down the herk. So, I don't want that to be misconstrued with supporting this directive. That's just asking for info. >> Council member Chowry. >> Uh, thank you. Thank you so much, uh, President Payne. Um, I echo the comments that council member Chavez made. Uh, we we passed a resolution in shutting down the herk and that is something that we need to make significant strides towards, including getting more information, but also in our budget, also in zero ways, also in lobbying the state legislature, also in having a plan with Henipin County. Um, and then working with our community, this is a very, very heavy lift. Um, and so I want to acknowledge that. I would like this to have a public hearing. Um, in whatever configuration we will organize again, I think that's really important that our community gets to weigh in and I hope members that are on this body, especially the author of this resolution, will help make sure that happens. Um, I also will plan on whenever we figure out what our organization is, um, reaching out to staff uh, to ask maybe a few questions ahead of this legislative directive coming back to see if it could be incorporated in what they present to us. Um, so if all of that works and if we can really lean in on zero waste um, in this next term, I'm happy to support this and get this information because I do think these are just reasonable questions for us to get answers to. >> Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on item number 12. >> Council member Palisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Cashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. Council member Rainbow. Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vita. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> Hi. >> Council member Wansley is absent. Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Shai is absent. President Payne. >> I. >> There are 11 eyes. >> That item carries. Next we have item 13 and 14. Should we take those up at the same time? Council member Kman. Uh these are related to the gas and electric franchise fees. And I will recognize council member Kman. Thank you so much, President Payne. We've we've worked a lot on this actually with uh with city staff who did some incredible modeling on uh on our climate funding and the cost to the rate payers throughout the city to fund the clean energy work and weatherization and retrofitting that our city is doing a really great job um delivering to our residents. However, the funding that we brought in last year was $2 million short and we were not able to get as many homes weatherized and retrofitted throughout the city as we intended to. It's clear that in order to address climate change, the climate crisis, we need more funding dedicated to this. And I think that it is expensive to address climate change, but the cost of not doing anything is much much greater. And at the same time, um, I really I really appreciate that the programs that the city is administering have an incredible return on investment for those who participate. So those who do weatherize and retrofit their homes are able to lower their energy bills uh, and really get their money back many times over. So I appreciate the work that city staff has done. I appreciate the energy vision advisory committee and their letter of support in favor of these ordinances. Also, the community uh environmental advisory committee, the SEAK also passed a resolution in support of this ordinance. I appreciate the 60 plus people who came to our public hearing in committee in support. Every single resident who spoke uh spoke in support of this increase. And I'll ask my colleagues to vote for climate today and vote in support of these two ordinances which I'll move for approval. >> Council member Kman has moved these ordinance for approval. Is there a second? >> Second. >> It's been seconded. I'll recognize council member Jenkins. >> Thank you, Chair Payne. And um you know I I will be um I think I got to say reluctantly supporting this um uh ordinance today. Um [clears throat] you know we we just set our tax levy at 8%. um which is going to create significant challenges for many of the residents in the city of Minneapolis. Um electric and [clears throat] heating bills are skyrocketing throughout the entire country and Minneapolis is no exception. I think last winter was um a relatively mild winter um as it relates to to Minneapolis and Minnesota. And so consequently, we saw less revenue from the franchise fee. Um given the onset of winter this year, I don't think that's going to be the same kind of challenge. But what I am really concerned about and and and certainly this is going to be a cost burden for for low-income people, another tax if you will. Um but I'm mainly concerned about how the program is being distributed and who is actually benefiting. You know, we talked about really uh directing these funds initially to to green zones, south and north side green zones and ensuring that low-income people were going to be receiving this help. and and I think I've heard figures of like 11 to 13% of [clears throat] of those um areas have been able to to access these funds and I'm happy to stand be stood corrected if that is not the case but um going forward I just hope that we can prioritize um those who are most costburdened by these um these additional fees. Um I I think it has the misconception has been addressed that somehow the utility companies actually pay these fees, but the reality is they pass them along to us as consumers. And so um we we really have to to balance how much uh burden that we are continuously placing on our very lowincome working class um residents that that we talk so much about on this on this council. and yet we continuously create more uh burdens for the community. Thank you, >> Council Member Vita. >> Thank you, President Payne. Um, so I supported this in committee and after doing that I just got an overwhelming amount of um folks from the north side reaching out about this and it is it is all about the financial hardship that this is um causing on residents and could cause on residents. I know there's been a lot of conversations around, yeah, once we weatherize their house, they'll be the benefit to them, but I think the fear that they have is when is that going to happen and how that happens. We've I've had conversations with the health department about really um refining what the green zones are. I know a lot of the parts of Ward 4 that people might think is a green zone is not a green zone. And so that's the work that I would like to see us do before increasing the franchise fee. And you know there's always these conversations around uh you know a few dollars here or there. And I mean it's just a lot to folks especially with these tax burdens that people are feeling on the north side. In particular in war four I had a lot of people reach out that talked about a 22% increase or 18% increase. Um, I think we had someone that was I mean the number was over 50 and I I just couldn't believe how much increases folks are having. So, uh, I do appreciate what you're doing here, Council Member Cashman, but I'm not going to be able to support it because two year, well, yeah, a year ago when we did this, I made a commitment to folks that they would see a a huge difference. Before we um we adopted another franchise fee and it's been a little bit over a year. I haven't had residents reach out to me that have really seen the impact of the original franchise fee. And so, I mean, I know we've gotten a presentation that talks about how this has worked in North Minneapolis, and I appreciate that, but I think something is happening here where we're missing the folks who need it the most, where it's really impacting these folks who a $10 utility bill from two different utility companies really make a difference. And so I can't support this today, but do appreciate the work that's went into uh the franchise fee uh increases over the last couple years. >> Council member Pomosano. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've had a lot of discussion about this and I've thoroughly taken into account what I've heard from the author as well as the advocacy groups that have reached out and contacted me. As electeds, we all spend a lot of time listening. I've [snorts] also spoken with our utility partners and CLI staff and I've tried to get to a point of support, but I just can't. And Council Member Kman is the main author. You've tried to tailor this as best possible. Thank you for that. Um, but there are just too many drawbacks in this proposal to earn my support. Although this franchise fee would increase uh the increase for the franchise fee for small and residential customers um would be fairly small, we can't take that in isolation. Early next year, residents of Minneapolis will be incurring this on top of a payroll tax of44% for the new statemandated paid family leave. Increased health care premiums, sometimes doubled or tripled. Increased property taxes or raised rents. Increased costs of living due to inflationary costs in food, prescriptions, clothing, and everyday necessities. Let's be mindful that this is a significant burden to residents, especially those with lower or fixed incomes. Pass through fees impact them disproportionately. Because this fee is passed through, the utility companies don't lose any funding. The cost is paid entirely by the residents of Minneapolis. All we are doing is increasing the economic burden on our residents. I don't [snorts] want to raise those fees until more homes are weatherized. And we know from state staff data that about 13% of the projects in the CLI were in the green zones. and that leaves the vast majority of those homes unweatherized. So, making sure that the benefits intentionally reach the neighborhoods that need it the most, that bear the highest energy burdens and potential harm from historic inequities is important. Businesses [snorts] in commercial and industrial properties will see a much larger increase in their franchise fees, some as high as nearly 8% for electric and over 9% for gas. This is unsustainable. We need policies that support businesses, not drive them out. There were some budget amendments for city money to try and support businesses, and this flies in the face of that. Our city franchise fees are already the largest in the state, and they are way out of proportion in comparison to any other city. For example, they are $41 million for gas and electric combined today. Compare that to St. Paul at about half of that at 22 million and everybody else drops off significantly from there. Franchise fees are set at a percentage of revenue rather than a flat fee. That means as we do good things like EV charging and heat pumps that have that go to places that have increased density, our total fees will rise naturally and over time. Franchise fees are certainly not the only route to getting weatherization work done. Our [snorts] clean energy partnership have our utilities and the city making this a priority in our work plan for the next two years. Through those coordinated resources, through that planning, we can weatherize without putting more and more energy burden on residents. >> Council member Chowry, >> thank you so much. Uh, Chair Payne, I just wanted to speak in favor of this and thank um, Council Member Cashman and Council Member Ksky for all their work on this. I know you spent a significant amount of time trying to get something before us uh, that considered all of all the different voices that have participated in this. I want to thank our community throughout the city of Minneapolis for advocating to address climate change at the local level. It is just so clear that at the federal level, there's not going to be any action taken. So, it really is up to cities like the city of Minneapolis to take meaningful climate action. And the thing that I really appreciate that we worked on in our budget is dedicating this funding specifically to weatherization and energy efficiency. that's getting at the heart of what we need to do here in Minneapolis and in Minnesota to address um to address our issues with emissions and fossil fuels and to really really tibly address climate change. And I'll I'll just say like that not addressing climate change and the impacts of climate change, they're here right now in our cities and they are an existential threat. They are a threat to the livelihoods of our residents and and also our economy, right? The these weather events that occur that are related or directly tied to climate change impact our infrastructure, impact our roads, our bridges, um water management, and we have to pay thousands and millions of dollars to address that year after year. wildfire smoke, heat stroke, a number of different things that occur from different climate events uh that are extreme impact our residents health and impact them in in their pocketbook too as it comes to healthcare. And you can name it over and over again. And you can even look plainly at like the costs that residents are incurring right now without energy efficiency and weatherization occurring um in the lowest income neighborhoods for residents for communities of color and immigrants who aren't as readily able to access local government. And so I think this is a really meaningful dedication. And we also know the financial strain in our city and our country is only going to continue. And I feel like in this moment, this is when we have the moment to make a decision like this to dedicate this funding. And I worry that in the future we will not have the political will to. So I'm proud that we're taking this up and I look forward to us only further extending the work that we're doing to address climate change. And I hope we can see results that will be nationleading so other cities can take it up and we can collectively address it together. >> Council member Chavez. Thank you, Council President Payne. I want to thank the authors for bringing this forward as someone that represents part of the Phillips neighborhoods and the Southside Green Zone, which is a community that struggles to pay its bills. And it's a community that is cost burdened by the amount of u amount of work they have to do to just pay their bills and their utilities while the utility companies just continue to increase their bills. I think this is an important action that we need to take today. I want to speak on why uh because I want to speak on what happens if we don't pass this. It means that we have more residents in the southside green zone, in the green zones, and in Minneapolis and areas in Minneapolis that are struggling to get by. It only means that more of those homes are not going to be weatherized, which means those residents are only going to pay more in their utility bills. And I think that needs to be a part of this conversation. By not taking this actions, that means we have less funding to weatherize homes in Minneapolis, which will result in increased bills for many of our residents that are struggling to barely make it by. At a time when uh landlords continue to jack up rent on residents, at a time when uh the minimum wage is still not enough to barely make it by. We need to have programs in our city that are going to help weatherize our homes to reduce that cost burden to make sure that residents are not going by uh without action that they can have in their homes to make sure that their uh utility bills uh decrease. And that is why I am supportive of this action. I think it's very pro- Southside Green Zone, pro green zone in general. And I think that is something that we need to take action on because it I'm just like what what I hear from my constituents all the time is I can't pay rent. Utility bills are skyrocketing. These utility companies are making it very hard for me to even be and stay in my home. And this is one of the actions we can actually take to reduce that cost burden. Um and it is going to be focusing a lot on the green zones. I want to be very clear. We're we're tackling neighborhoods that are struggling and that we should be supporting with our full throtted effort. So, I just wanted to speak in favor of this and thank the author. >> Uh, council member Kashman. >> Thank you, President Payne. I just wanted to respond to a couple of things. So, just noting that in 2025, 62% of the projects completed through the green cost share program were in green zones or environmental justice areas. And I think it's important that we're doing both because some of the most energy burden neighborhoods in the city, like the Jordan neighborhood, are not in the green zone. So, if we were only doing the green zones, we would be missing large portions of the population who really need these programs, which is why they use multiple income uh and environmental justice metrics to delineate where that money goes. But just to be clear, in 2025, 62% of the projects were brought to the green zones or environmental justice areas of the city. I also just want to point out that in our public hearing with more than 60 people residents speaking in support, a large majority did come from the south side and the north side and those who spoke against were the downtown council and Bulma and big business groups. And this is a very people first proposal. It's incredibly shortsighted not to vote in favor of this today. I added myself to Q because I wanted to just echo the sentiment that we we don't have a choice to do nothing. Um the calvary is not coming to save us. The federal government is not going to make the type of investments at the scale necessary to actually meet this moment. Um and the reality is that what we're doing is not enough and frankly local government isn't in the right position to be at the scale necessary to make the types of investments that we need to meet this moment. But we can be a bridge to a world of sanity where people actually believe in science. And I I also want to speak to the rising costs uh of all of our particularly energy bills. Um this isn't just like the mythical inflation. This is runaway buildout of data centers built on the hype of AI. Um and that just completely sucking up every ounce of energy that our grid can generate. Um and these utility companies are crumbling under that demand. A demand that still has not met a business model that is actually profitable. So this is still quite soundly in the bubble territory uh as it's bringing our utility a grid to its knees. And so, um, if we just sit by and watch that happen, uh, there collapse is already on the table right now, even with us voting yes on this, uh, there there we're just running out of time to actually take action and we can't wait for the federal government to catch up. So, uh, I really encourage everyone to support this. Uh, council member Osman, >> Council President, thank you so much. I just want to talk about um really how important this is. I was able had the opportunity to attend uh of the organizations that we work with with the health department uh commissioner um deputy commissioner Patrick Halen and and came to that meeting that was really eye opening for me to host it in my ward to have people come and and uh talk to and we're talking about you know air condition that's like 50 years old replacing that that is just uh programs that can help uh low-income families and and that might not be able to you know um have the money to to change this uh machineries that are uh creating health and hazardous uh issue in our city and our environment. So programs like this uh city being behind it, it can go a long way. Um so council member Kashman, thank you so much for bringing this forward and I'll ask if I can be a co-author on this. >> Yes, please. >> Thank you. Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on items 13 and 14, the franchise fees. >> Council member Pomisano, >> no. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Cashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> no. >> Council member Chavez, >> hi. >> Council member Vto, >> no. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Hossky, >> I. >> Council member Wsley, >> I. >> Council member Jenkins, >> hi. >> Vice President Chuck Tai, >> I. President Payne >> I. >> There are 10 eyes's and three Naz. >> That item carries and that completes the climate and infrastructure report. Next we'll have the report from our committee of the whole given by that committee's chair, council member Chavez. >> Thank you, President Payne. The committee of the whole is bringing forward eight items. Item number one is a separation ordinance and we were not able to start discussion on Tuesday, so this is sent forward to council today. Item number two is an ordinance establishing a humane encampment response policy. Same situation as number one. Item number three is approving two agreements with CUNI and NYU for their services, both contingent on federal approval. Item number four is authorizing a contract extension with Danny Murphy for consulting services. Item number five is accepting a bid for the reconstruction project on 10th Avenue South Bridge over Midtown Greenway. Item number six is considering an enterprise policy framework. Item number seven is a travel gift acceptance for the health commissioner to attend an event from January 14th to the 17th, 2026. And lastly, item number eight is another travel gift acceptance for public works director Ston to attend an event from January 8th to 9th, 2026. With that, I will move approval of all items and pull item number one and two for a separate vote and discussion. >> Council member Chavez has moved approval of the report, pulling items one and two for a separate discussion. I'll also pull item six for discussion as well. Is there any discussion on the remainder of the report? >> Seeing none, I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisano >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. >> Council member Kashman. >> I. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainbow. >> I. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vita. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Ksky. >> Hi. >> Council member Wanley. >> Hi. Council member Jenkins >> I. >> Vice President Chug Tai >> I. >> President Payne >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> Those items carry. Next we will take up item number one. And I will call on one of the authors to speak to this. Council member Chavez. >> Uh thanks Council President Payne. I'm excited to bring forward the separation ordinance for with Council Member Chowry and Council Vice President Chuck. I'd also like to move the revised version of the separation ordinance that we discussed on Tuesday at the committee of the whole in additional and additionally small changes we have made since then regarding training and data. I also know later on council member Wanzi is going to be bringing forward an amendment as well. Overall, this ordinance uplifts the city's values while strengthening the separation between city activities and immigration enforcement activities. I also want to talk about our responsibility to do everything that we can in our power to protect our community. not only through a policy like this, but through our budget, direction from the top, resources, and commitment to protecting our immigrant community. What we are seeing across Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota is disheartening. We're seeing Somali citizens being detained and discriminated, Latino citizens being stopped and questioned. And what's most disheartening from all of this is our undocumented immigrants as a whole are being arrested, detained, deported, and not being able to come home. Since December 1st, immigrations and customs enforcement agents have arrested more than 400 people in the Twin Cities, a majority of them with no criminal convictions. I also want to talk take some time today to speak to the community that I'm proud to be a part of. The Latino community is also hurting right now. I want to let you know that I see you. I see the way our families are being separated, that our communities are being torn apart and how our community once again has to hide in the shadows. not being able to go to the store anymore, staying home scared, not being able to move your car, which even makes it more difficult during snow emergencies. So, if you have immigrant neighbors, please offer them your ability to move their cars because they can't do that anymore because they're scared of being snatched, which we are seeing. having to stay in your home trapped, not being able to leave at all, praying for safety while you're going to work, and praying that you'll make it back home to your family, to be able to see your children, your parents, your loved ones, your cousins, your uncles, your aunties. I'll say that this world is cruel. It disregards the humanity of our community. And I'll say that working is not a crime. Providing for your family is not a crime. Being in this country is not a crime. The color of your skin is not a crime. And most importantly, being an immigrant is not a crime. It's actually an asset. It's beautiful. It's incredible. It is a great thing. And while our authority is very limited here in the city of Minneapolis, I want our community to know that we are going to do everything that we can under our authority to protect our community and letting them know that we are going to continue to resist this Trump administration. And while [snorts] I know this is just one little thing that we can do today, I know that we have a lot more work that we can do because when we have a federal government that we cannot trust, it is the responsibility of the city of Minneapolis to be the first and last line of defense. [snorts] We have to work to keep families together, voting to change a new direction in the coming elections. And we need the full force of this city enter enterprise to support our community with legal services, which is one of the last remaining things that we can do to keep families together. I know this ordinance is a piece of supporting our communities, but I will reiterate what I have been talking with my communities for the longest time, even before what we are seeing this year. It is a responsibility of the city of Minneapolis to do more. It always has been. It always will be. And I just want to give a big shout out to the communities members who have been organizing for us to update the separation ordinance and the community responders that are patrolling our neighborhoods and keeping families together because they are making it really hard for our communities and families uh they're making other people's jobs harder to separate our families. So, I just wanted to leave it at that. Um I know there's other discussions from our colleagues here but I wanted to [snorts] uh make sure that we are very thankful for all the work of the organizations the work of council chowder council vice president Chuckai our city staff in ward 9 and ward 12 and ward 10 who have worked day and night to get this ordinance to this place. Without our own city staff's work and our policy aids and policy associates work, we would not be able to be moving forward with this policy and we also need to understand that this is just one piece. There is a lot more to do. >> Council member Wanzi. >> Thank you, President Payne. Um, of course, thank you to the co-authors for bringing this forward. Um, as council member Chavez just highlighted, uh, Minneapolis residents treasure the fact that our city is home to just so many diverse communities and people of diverse backgrounds, races, religions, and cultures. and the past couple weeks, but also for many years, Minneapolis residents continue to demonstrate that they care about their neighbors. And they have a commitment to take the real risks that are oftent times very necessary to make sure that they're standing up for one another and keeping our neighbors safe and protected and also making sure that they know their lives have value and meaning. Um, and I'm so inspired to see the courageous actions that many of our neighbors and even many of my colleagues. Um, I think of Council Member Osman who's um been fielding a lot of uh requests from uh constituents across the city to show up and be of support to them when ICE has literally been at their doors. Um, so I'm so I'm just very thankful to be um in a city that is demonstrating uh proactive and active resistance to uh the Trump's administration's campaign and war of fear that they're waging on our city at this time. Um, I'm also again just thankful to council member Chavez, again, Chuck Thai, and Chowdery for uh bringing this legislative um ordinance forward to today to set a policy standard um for how the city should relate to ICE agents. Um we learned just this past summer that this ordinance was uh more than 20 years outdated. So, I'm I'm very grateful to you all for taking the time and um expending the labor to get us in alignment with best practices on how to be best responsive in this moment. And as you mentioned, Council Member Chavez, we know this isn't all-encompassing. Um but it is one piece and pair with some of the budgetary investments. We're we're making um our way towards doing what we need to do as city leaders to also use our fullest authority to show up for our immigrant communities and constituents. Um that said, Council Member Chavez, you did mention that I originally had planned to bring um several amendments. Um after seeing the rei the revisions u made to the ordinance from you all um as co-authors um I decided that many of the legislative intentions that I was looking to accomplish actually happens within um your draft. So I'm not bringing those amendments forward and again just thank you all for your leadership to get us here. >> Council member Chowry. >> Thanks Chair. I I first want to just start off by acknowledging the moment that we're in. Our city just in a matter of a week and some change slipped into a complete crisis and it is absolutely heartbreaking what's happening right now. Right now, while I'm sitting here on this deis, I'm getting messages from my neighbors talking about ICE kidnapping people in our neighborhoods, known areas. And that has been what the conversation has been day in day out. As soon as I wake up and as soon as I go to bed, people are being ripped away from their communities. >> [gasps] >> The federal government, the Trump administration, Immigration Customs Enforcement is routinely violating the Constitution, the law of the land. They are detaining citizens. They are not presenting proper warrants. They are targeting community members based off of the color of their skin and the language that they speak. They are spraying chemical irritants into the faces of our community members who are using their first amendment rights and they are trying to intimidate all of us and also divide us. And to say that one part of our community is garbage or dangerous when that is absolutely wrong. Our Somali community makes us strong. Our Latino community makes us strong. Our immigrant communities make us strong and better as a city. It's the very heartbeat of who we are in the city of Minneapolis. That's why we have cultural corridors. That's why we celebrate every year Latino Heritage Month, Somali Heritage Month, Junth, all of these all of these celebrations because we're interconnected. Because if some of us are not free, then none of us are free. And we are seeing that here in this moment completely absolutely completely. And while ICE and the federal administration is making fan cam videos of their agents cuffing and arresting our community members, making Tik Toks, and enjoying the cruelty that they're expelling, our community members are showing an extraordinary amount of love. Whether they're are on the streets doing legal observation, whether they're doing mutual aid and collecting funds for residents to make sure that their families can stay afloat, whether they're providing trainings or even or even just setting up community meals and checking in on one another or taking time to go on to social media for the first time and sharing why our immigrant communities are so amazing. and make us great. And so I'm really really honored and grateful to be a co-author on this ordinance. This is a really important step. It is a part of ensuring that we as a city in no way, shape or form are doing the work of enforcing fed federal immigration laws. It is saying to the federal government if if you want information from us, you need to make sure that it that is that it is through a judicial pro process or there's a compulsory process where we are required to do so. Is saying we're not going to use our city facilities, our resources, any of it, our technology, our data to enforce federal immigration laws. It is saying that we're going to train our employees and make sure that all of us here in the city of Minneapolis that provide frontline services know about this separation ordinance and are ready in this moment is making sure that there are public and clear reports back to this council so we can understand what's happening and we can have transparency and accountability as needed. And I just I want to take some time to thank every single community member that gave some of the most powerful testimony that I have ever seen in my time at city hall. Um that was a really important day for us as a city and it was it was showing the best of us and how we show up in these moments and we have been through a lot just in this last decade. Um I thank my co-authors. I thank this body for their support as we were working on this. I thank the city attorney's office for their tireless work that they did hand inand with us and I thank our city staff um in the W 9, Ward 12 and Ward 10 offices particularly Ivonne, Robert, Amy, David, Maggie guys really put in the long hours and I'm glad that we can in our jurisdiction [clears throat] take this step. Council member Rainville. >> Thank you. I'll be brief. City Attorney Anderson, I just want to thank you and your staff. This very complex. You really shepherd us through as we learned in the closed door session that u this is complex again. And thank you for your your leadership on this and and your entire staff. >> Council member Chavez. >> Uh thank you council president. I got back on key to make sure that we could also thank all the staff that worked on this as well. Uh and also if you could council president may without objection add council member Osman as an author as well. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Seeing no one else left in queue I will ask the clerk to call the role on item number one separation ordinance >> as amended. >> As amended. >> Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chadri. >> I. >> Council member Kashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainbow. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vita. >> I. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. Council member Ksky >> I. >> Council member Wanssley. >> I. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Chug Tai. >> I. >> President Payne. >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> That carries. >> Uh, next we'll take up item number two. And I'll call on uh Vice President Chai. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um this is the humane encampment response ordinance. Um I know we had uh discussion or we the authors presented this item and we conducted the public hearing at the committee of the whole on Tuesday but haven't had much discussion um as a as a body. So, I'm going to um just share some uh additional um or I'm going to just do a a a synthesized version of our presentation from Tuesday. Um just to walk through the the core components of this policy, move approval, and then um we can go from there. Um, this proposed ordinance, um, introduced by myself, Council Member Chowry, and Council Member Chavez, um, seeks to establish the foundation of a humane and public health um, centered response to encampments that that form within the city of Minneapolis. Um, this ordinance seeks to in part address um the public health issues that arise um in communities when individuals lack um when individuals living in encampments lack access to adequate sanitation, bathrooms um and other resources while living in an encampment. and that impact um on the health and well-being of both um unsheltered individuals within encampment and also the um the neighboring residents um businesses and community more more broadly. Um this ordinance provides a foundational framework for a a standard and humane um procedure for encampment removals and closures. Um this it we seek to address the public health and safety concerns for um unsheltered individuals by by establishing a standard procedure for pre-closure notice that um that includes um explicit communication on the date and time of a planned INC removal. contact information for community partners who can assist um individuals in finding their uh their next place to go, finding um temporary or more permanent shelter. Um and information on warming and cooling centers during um the severe uh weather that we see here in in Minnesota, both in the summers and in the winters. Um, this also ensures that uh unsheltered individuals are are given the basic dignity of time to make plans before a closure to gather belongings, to seek out resources, um, and to to have transparent communication as they are our residents and our constituents, too. Um the pre-closure notice will also be given to all the community partners um that that are involved in in responding to an encampment um to ensure transparency in city operations and to provide them with the time to create responsive plans whenever that's necessary to work with clients that they um are are already working with. Um and and key provisions uh just to summarize include detailed city public health response within 10 days of an encampment forming and coordination with jurisdictional partners. Lots of communication and coordination with jurisdictional partners. that the city um second that the city provides a pre-closure notice um notifying um uh an inca of with notification of um an encampment removal to both unsheltered individuals within the encampment and to um service providers in the broader um ecosystem. And then third, that the city provides um for storage for unsheltered individuals experiencing um an encampment removal as as a major tool of removing a barrier to people being able to go into shelter. With that, I'm going to move approval of this uh ordinance and ask for a second. >> Second. Vice President Jai has moved approval. That's been seconded. Is there any discussion? Council member Palmo. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, and I'll need to speak against this reporting ordinance. Um, the public made it very clear in their public hearing that they do not support this ordinance, and neither do I. There doesn't seem to be any provisions for emergency due to health and safety, crime, trafficking, other illegal activity. Um, these health and safety resources will be expensive to provide and maintain. Um, I assume that we would have to make those arrangements to cover that in our budget. That would be new. Um, it feels like the authors want to make it housing of some sort, at least allowable housing, but it is completely unsafe housing. Um, I agree with Nicole Mason on this one that there is not help in these changes to help change somebody's circumstances that is in an encampment. >> [snorts] >> I don't know how we could suggest that we keep people in a situation where addiction, violence, trafficking, drug and sex trafficking, and child trafficking, how that can be a humane response to encampments. That will never be something that this city should endorse and I can't support this today. Seeing no one else left in council member Brazman. >> Yes. Uh thank you so much. I put a lot of thought on this ordinance and someone who has many many years uh talked about encampments uh in in my war in war six which had you know large income in encampments and people gathering and just encampments getting out of control where the cities are not even able to handle anymore. Um I talked to the the authors. I have sat down with them. Um encampments are [clears throat] not a suitable place for anybody to live, right? Um I think they they uh we need to be able to uh prevent encampments starting. We need to be able to um you know not allow encampments to grow bigger and bigger and bigger and and help those folks that need the help the most. But when it comes to encampment in our city, especially when things get out out of control as Nanakasu, right? When when you have like 100 people there as a city, as a leaders, you are responsible to provide basic things. Where do you think people are going to go to bathroom? You know, I sat down with the with the authors. I went through line by line to make sure that we're responding in the best human way. Right now there's absolutely zero policy that we have when it comes to encampments. The mayor decides I have to call the mayor, beg him to respond and figure out a way. Then whatever he makes a decision, that's that's the decision we go by. If it's if that encampment is not creating uh a fuss about the news, it's not if it's not creating uh folks, you know, calling of their or if it's not creating uh public safety, shooting, death, that's when actions are taken. That is not a way to run [snorts] the city. The way to run the city is have a policy and follow that policy. Right? We talked about the number of uh of of how many number of people that encampment have until we say, "Hey, these people, they're here, right?" Well, let's help them out. Let's figure out I'm not we're not saying let's keep the encampment. We're saying that if you have 25 or 30 or 40 people or even 100 people as we did Nanakasi, you cannot hold back uh pa parties. You cannot roll back trash pickup. You're allowing war six resident to suffer that, right? And I don't have to go through the mayor every time and beg for services that we deserve in war six, right? I need to be able to tell him, hey, this is the policy that you need to follow as the leader of this city. when we have 30 people or 40 people whatever number it is we're obligated to address the concerns and the safety concern that can create there and this ordinance is not saying let's not evict encampments there are exceptional where um I think it's clear everyone every resident should read this policy I don't I don't see any controversial issue at all in this it's just stating that less Let's find a guidelines that we can all follow. We can all expect residents have expectation but not really just wait what see what the mayor does. I respect the mayor. I um you know he's the leader of our city and the one who calls the shots but I would really like him to you know I really like him to to follow and this policy that we will create and I hope this is not something we come back for over a veto. And I'm I'm really hoping that this is some something that will help him run the city better, help him um uh find a way to uh address encampments. Encampments has been over the news for for for many many years since that we've been here. We're just we're just going circles and I think it's this is the starting point that when we decide as leaders, let's take action. Let's let's figure out a way to deal with encampments. And I'm sorry the folks that that live in encampments, they deserve better. we got to help them and [snorts] uh and figure out a way to help them with resources and so on. So, thank you so much authoris and I appreciate your your work and I appreciate you meeting with me and listen my criticism of the some of the language and you revised it uh and you brought something that I can definitely work around it. So, thank you, >> Council Member Cashman. >> Thank you, President Payne. Um there are things that I like about this policy, but there other things that I have concerns about and ultimately uh won't be able to support it today. Um I did have a chance in the brief amount of time that we've seen this ordinance to connect with staff and sounds like they do have an internal policy on encampment closures, but that is not publicly codified or available. But there are big differences between it. U they said that they give a 3 days notice. This ordinance gives 7-day notice. And I guess I that's one of my biggest concerns is having a 7-day window before city staff can take action on an encampment and it grows larger within that time can lead to public safety issues. I've seen that in my ward um more on private properties than public properties, but that would be a big concern for me. But I will share what I like about the ordinance. So, I like that it requires the city provide personal property storage and figure that out. Um, it's important that the city gets better at that and finds more community providers and ways to do a good job with that. Uh, I like that it aims to reduce the amount of police hours and resources spent on encampments and getting to a place where more behavioral crisis response staff and mental health providers are there instead of police and the more public health approaches. um to the folks that are in encampments, including deploying the mobile medical unit for wound care and others. So, I ultimately won't be supporting this today, but did want to thank the authors for putting in a lot of effort here. >> Council member Osman. >> Yeah, sorry. I I I do want to maybe ask uh the authors can can respond what council member Kashman said. uh the city can always go and close encampments the way I understand but when it reaches a certain number of people occupying in one place then the city has to take this steps which is providing basic bathroom right um but if if the authors can answer that city are still able to close down two tents they can figure out a way to help those folks and you know close down encountment I don't think this is just a normalizing or setting up where city are not able to interfere. It's just that when encampments grow, what do we do? That's the way I understand this. Thank you. >> Uh thanks council member Osman. And if my co-authors want to jump in at all, you're correct with public health response. There's a certain threshold that has to be reached, I believe 20 people before that response can begin. In terms of pre-closure notice, we're saying if there is an encampment, the city should give a 7-day pre-closure notice. We know that while internally there might be a 3-day notice, there have been times where the city has waited over 100 days to take an action. That's also a fact of the matter and a reality of the situation. We decided that people deserved a 7-day notice before closure so they had time to make plans. So service providers were made aware so they could make plans about community members that would be entering into the shelter system would be going to 38,000 Chicago for detox because oftentimes we see service providers just running around trying to piece together through word of mouth if an encampment is going to close. But this does not stop city staff, any city staff from going and interacting with people that are encamp in encampments, asking them to make plans to move forward, offering them services, addressing safety concerns, and then of course if there is an imminent threat to life or a disaster, an encampment can be immediately closed and the pre-closure notice is forgoed. >> Vice President Chuckai. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. Um just to add to what uh council council member Chowry outlined about uh what is in this policy. Um you know uh we we understand the authors have a really clear understanding that there are internal policies that um that guide some best practices or or operating procedures around how the city approaches um encampments. Um the reality though is that because this is not because that's that operating procedure is not something that's codified anywhere. It is applied um differently depending on the type of situation depending on the encampment. Um there are encampments um that have never received a formal like posted notice of closure. Um there are others that have gotten a notice and then it hasn't happened on that day. There are others where you know all types of uh different uh there's a lack of uniformity to to this approach. A part of the problem with such a lack of uniformity is that people living in encampments and service providers then can't rely on our word that when we say we're going to close an encampment, we're going to actually do like the city is actually going to do it. or when the city um uh has been planning a closure for a little while that the service providers are not aware and so aren't able to then take appropriate actions with their clients to figure out how they're going to find their clients or or to um you know make last minute adjustments to um to plan for uh shelter capacity. Um these are all things that that also then harm um service providers, not just people who are impacted by an encampment um eviction as they're experiencing it, right? Um so the that's that's that's a part of um the the level of importance that comes with being transparent um communicating clearly and uh being consistent with with everyone and holding everyone to the same standard. Um hopefully that that provides some some helpful context. Um thank you Mr. President. >> Seeing no one else left in Council Member Jenkins. Thank you, President Payne. I guess I'm just curious, is there any um are there any provisions for the the neighbors, the residents who live in close proximity to encampments, whose houses have been burned down, whose properties have been um stolen, damaged, destroyed. Um, are we given any consideration to that at all? >> Vice President Jai. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. Um, Council Member Jenkins, that's that's an incredibly important question. A big part of how um you know, I know we've we've seen examples that are that are um uh that reach a level of severity that's very different like what you're describing, right? People's someone's house was burned down, things like that. Um, but regardless of uh but what is what I think is often an untold story about the impact to the surrounding community is regardless of where the encampment is um or its size, when an encampment exists in in like a a neighborhood, there is absolutely an impact to with with accumulated litter um and the lack of public health response and that leads to um you know people using someone's porch as a bathroom. Um that type of impact to the broader community or the immediately surrounding neighbors um is is a is a is addressed through the public health provisions. So that we're making sure um there's a a waste management pro uh plan established and that we're making sure um that that people's porches are not being used as restrooms because we have adequate restrooms available um that we have um uh other aspects of public health like needle disposal um addressed in this too. That's that's one of the major concerns we've heard um from from surrounding community. I believe I'm missing something. So maybe council member um Chowry can can help me with this. >> Council member Chowry >> there. There's also in the encampment one of the public safety or public health responses is like fire extinguishers, nlloxxone. We've heard from community members it's like really traumatizing to see someone overdose or like if they see a a fire that's going on in the encampment. They don't know how it's going to be resolved. And then also with the notice, there's really important contact information that's provided there that isn't a standard that we provide with an encampment. Um, one thing I'll add is I really I really appreciate you lifting up caring for people who have had to be right near an encampment. That's why we were really intentional when we started doing this ordinance that we engaged not only people who were advocates and service providers but the residents that lived near encampments and they came to community meetings of ours. They asked us some of the toughest questions we could have expected to get and like we also we changed this ordinance a lot. There were a lot of other provisions that were in here that we removed um to make sure that it was reflective of what they were asking for and also was a starting point to address a number of the concerns that they brought, which is also the chaos of not knowing when an encampment is going to be closed and then seeing caution tape in their in their neighborhoods and and a closure at 6:00 a.m. and a number of other things. And also seeing an encampment move just a block away like giving time for people to make a plan and service providers to support that plan is one step I think we can take to ensure that people can make a next step rather than forming another encampment every single time. >> Yeah. Thank you. Seeing no one else left in Q, I will ask the clerk to call the role on item number two. >> Council member Pomisano, >> no. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Catchman, >> nay. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> no. >> Council member Chavez, >> I. >> Council member Vita, >> no. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Koski, >> I. >> Council member Wsley, >> I. >> Council member Jenkins, >> nay. Vice President Chug Tikeke >> I. >> President Payne. >> I. >> There are eight eyes and five names. >> That item carries. And finally, we have item number six, the enterprise policy framework. I just pulled this for discussion because I just wanted to um address some of the conversation that was brought up when it first was brought forward. Um I got confirmation from the clerk that we will be including the work of this body in our regular quarterly reporting that we're already doing with council actions. That was one of the questions. Um and then uh making sure that uh there is going it's it's uh the COO, the uh CEO and the clerk or their design so that we are making sure that each of the major branches of our government have a seat at the table as it as it relates to the policy review group. And then one question that was brought up that I wanted to make sure we have on record the answer. We we we're not delegating our authority to make policy, right? So we we as an example in adopting our budget refined our financial policies because the city council has the ultimate authority over that type of policym. The PRG would never in this policy framework would never prevent the council from authoring, amending, rescending policy that we have the authority over. Is that correct, city attorney, >> council president, council members? And that's right. So the the PRG will be sort of [clears throat] tasked with the work of figuring out which of these policies are enterprise policies uh for adoption by the city council or not. I mean there are some under the the framework that just are not and are administration policies. Um but the the ones that are actually enterprise policies, the working group will help to review um revise, update, create, but always for an enterprise policy to be passed ultimately comes back to this council both for review, amendment, adoption. So that the this group is really just the work group, the worker bees to get the work done, but at the end of the day, an enterprise policy is something that's passed by the council group. >> And additionally, a council member who wants to author a new policy or revise a policy could completely skip the the PRG as a step just because this would be a topic that was of importance to them. Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. So, >> we always recommend legal review. However, >> correct. Yes. through our our standard legislative process independent of any establishment of a PRG. >> Correct. >> Okay. That that largely covered a lot of the conversations I've had with council members and I'm really hoping that those answers help address some of the concerns. Um, and I I'll also say that there isn't a real definitive need for this, but I would c I I really encourage colleagues to support this cuz in the absence of a formal adoption of a framework, right now there are any number of policies that exist that maybe aren't relevant to the new government structure. And right now, a policy that is currently on the books may deem to be not in alignment with the new government structure. and the administration could just ignore that policy without any further consideration or review. This is to make sure that we're inserting ourselves as policy makers at the table when those policies do come up for review. So that we're making sure that in fact we are capturing our authority where it lies within whatever the catalog of policies exist within this institution. Uh so um I [clears throat] don't know if there's any more discussion on this. Uh and I'm not seeing anybody else in queue. So I will just ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Palisano. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> Hi. >> Council member Cashman. >> Hi. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainville. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vto. >> Hi. >> Council member Ellison. >> Hi. >> Council member Kosski. >> Hi. >> Council member Wanssley. >> Hi. >> Council member Jenkins. is absent. Vice President Shaktai is absent. President P. >> I. >> There are 11 eyes. >> That carries. And that completes the committee of the whole report. Finally, we have the public health and safety committee which will be presented by that committee's chair, council member Chavez. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The public health and safety committee will be bringing forward six items. Item number one is the off to the use of city resources reporting ordinance. Item number two is a lead plate ordinance. Item number three is a small and underutilized business enterprise program updates ordinance. Item number four is the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights Appointments. Item number five is an agreement with the city of Lakes Community Land Trust for real estate purchase. Item number six is an amendment with Henipin County to provide social work services to the police department. Approval of these items. >> Council member Chavez has moved approval of the committee report. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowri, >> I. >> Council member Kashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> I. >> Council member Chavez, >> I. >> Council member Vita, >> I. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Kosski, >> I. >> Council member Wsley, >> I. >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 11 eyes. >> That carries. And the report is adopted. And that completes the report of all of our standing committees. Uh I'm going to actually suggest that we take a recess for the reception because there might be some family members that are hanging out in the rotunda right now. >> 2:30 it starts. >> Yeah. >> We're almost done. Almost done. >> Do you need a >> Let's just Let's just all agree to stop talking and vote. >> All right. >> All right. The next order of business is resolutions. Those resolutions uh receive presentations at the beginning of the meeting. Are there any questions or comments from council members? >> May I have a motion to adopt the resolutions? >> So move. >> Second. >> The clerk will call the role. >> Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chow. >> Hi. >> Council member Cashman. >> I. >> Council member Osman. >> Hi. >> Council member Rainville. Hi. >> Council member Chavez. Hi. Council member Vto. Hi. >> Council member Ellison. Hi. Council member Bowski >> I. >> Council member Wanssley >> I. >> Vice President Shaktai >> I. >> President Payne. >> I. >> There are 12 eyes. >> That carries. The next order of business is unfinished business. We have two items today which are both related to George Floyd Square. Um, item number one is the 38th Street in Chicago, George Floyd, George Floyd Square concept layout approval. And item number two is George Floyd Square pedestrian mall ordinance. Uh, I will recognize council member Kman. >> Uh, thank you, President Payne. I'm going to make a few motions here. The first motion is to approve the open flexible uh, street uh, concept layout. The second motion is to move a resolution authored by myself and Jenkins as as amended by council member Chowry uh which is before us. And the third motion is to return to author the pedmall ordinance notice that I gave which is below it. >> Council member Cashman has moved approval of the concept layout. uh move to approve the resolution associated with the layout and to return to a author the pedestrian mall ordinance. Is there a second to that motion? >> Uh I just want to make sure we're splitting up the votes because I cannot support item number one. I'll be supporting item number two. And I just want to make sure that I know where the votes are landing. I know the open content plan is going to be approved. So, I won't speak much to that except for that as we head into the next year, my my hope is that it isn't just like a letter or it isn't just a resolution that is being approved uh that says we're going to hopefully adopt part of the CBC plan because that isn't enough for me that I have trust issues with that especially after the city of Minneapolis how they treated the people's way process where they have yet to release the RFP and I feel like we are going to head towards that same direction. So, while I won't support the open flexible plan, I will be supporting the resolution and I hope the city takes that resolution very seriously as we move forward to addressing the issue when it comes to George Floyd Square. I know where the votes are landing. I'm not going to fight that, but I wanted to make that very clear. Um that resolution [clears throat] is non-binding, but I hope that when it comes before the city council in the following years that the city administration takes that resolution very seriously and and works to adopt what the CBC has found. So I just wanted to at least put my dissension in that and why I wanted to name that and I hope that as we move forward next year that we are taking the voices of the CBC who came together as a whole community and gave up different compromises to build a project that I was willing to support. So I at least wanted to make that very clear. I obviously know where the votes are landing but I just wanted to say that out loud. >> Uh thank you Chair Chavez. I put myself in Q because I just wanted to uh just I don't even know how to start. I don't know how to address just the journey that we've been on. Um I I will say that I am in full support of the CVC vision that's been laid out. I was very moved by the the meeting that brought the community together. I had been to a number of CVC uh meetings a year ago when we were really originally having these conversations and those are very different types of meetings. And um so you I I have I have never seen the community as united as I saw uh what was that two weeks ago or so. Um and so I I want to give my fullthroated support to the CVC and the vision that they're bringing forward. Um, my vote's going to be a little bit nuanced though because I feel like we if we're sincere, if we're profoundly sincere about implementing the vision of the community, I think procedurally there's some technical things that we have to do because that vision is not the same as the open flexible concept plan. It's a tech it's technically a different layout. Uh, and I think we as an institution are are very much aligned around the vision of the CVC and we're committed to seeing that vision through. Now, the res the the motion that's in front of us is to approve the open concept layout and approve the resolution. I think that we should take the resolution and refer this back to staff and I think staff should work extremely dig diligently to get that done right on time. But that's not the motion that's in front of us. I think that uh I'm hesitant also with council member Chavez about what the resolution means as far as the commitment of this institution. Um I I but so I will be supporting the resolution. I'm not going to support the open concept plan because I want us to just be abundantly honest with people that the open concept plan is not the same thing as the CVC resolution. It is a different plan and which requires a a new design. And I think that we are so close. we're so close that it I don't think it should delay to actually go back to the table, make those refinements. And so, um, I I'll be supporting the resolution. I won't be supporting the open concept plan. I think that's the only honest vote I can have for myself around my commitment to seeing that vision through. Um, and and those are my comments. Council member Chowry. >> Thank you, Chair Payne. Um, I would I I would like for the clerks to put in the record the letter that was sent by public works director Tim Saxton and attach it to the limbs file regarding this. there. Uh he shares public works commitments to take up and evaluate um the proposals from the CVC and I think that's something that this council needs to hold the public works department accountable to and that is a step that I want to continue to take. I also want to acknowledge all the [snorts] tremendous work that council member Chavez did on the pedestrian mall layout. That's the layout that I support and I think we could have had something really beautiful with that. I think it would have been a a beautiful, gorgeous memorial mall where the People's Way could have connected to the memorial and I think everything would have been okay. I genuinely think everything would have been okay and we would have been able to figure out transit. And I reject all those comments and remarks that were made about this council gerrymandering. And I felt that that was really really disrespectful to the amount of uh care that council members were bringing and thinking about this and trying to uplift voices within the community in in in a discussion about a consent plan where there wasn't a majority consensus on anything. Right. What there was consensus on is that this neighborhood has been highly disrespected by the city of Minneapolis. Highly disrespected by the city of Minneapolis. And then in 2025, we're finally funding the 38th Street Thrive Plan. And also really disrespectful in the way that the square was opened up all the way back in 2021. That was really really disrespectful. And I would be remiss to say that like this council has been put in a position where there's no will or ability for our mayor and this administration to move on any other plan. That's just a fact of the matter. There's no will to do pedestrian mall from them. And that's really disappointing because I felt like that was something that we can lean in on. And that's really painful. It's painful for a number of reasons. I think there's some movement today and like one of the things that I stated in my uh comments at the last council meeting was leaning in and taking some leadership. And for me, like I want to be able for this community to have something that they could shape and they can hold this administration accountable to and just go and not just give outside power only to local businesses. I think it needs to be everyone and I think there are things that we can leverage with the open concept plan should these recommendations be taken and they should and it's written in this letter and I know that a letter is not enough. going to require a lot of accountability. So that's why reluctantly today I'll be supporting moving this forward. But it isn't without a lot of heartbreak and also a lot of distrust created with the administration. I'll personally say I I sent emails asking questions in good faith and I've had those emails without a response be read out in a press press conference. That's not the type of relationship I want to go into going into 2025. And I have to say like that's a part of why it's been so hard to move forward on this. It's not just the city council. Doesn't work like that. Um in the resolution, I wanted to just read out the the additions that I'm bringing forward today because I think it's related to how we move forward on this concept plan. And I'd like my colleagues respect as I read it out. Be it further resolved that the city council will support and urge the administration will support and also urge the administration to support efforts to further the completion of the 24 demands created by community members at George Floyd Square after George Floyd's murder who have consistently demanded justice and systemic change before the reopening of the intersection. It's huge part of our history. Be it further resolved that the city council is requesting that there be an intentional engagement with the community on the process and procedure of how this intersection will be closed in the flexible open because that's unclear right how we are going to do the gating and the closing and who gets to say when and how and how much will it cost. [snorts] So we should make it that a community process. Be it further resolved that the city council is requesting that the administration make it as accessible as possible for the community members to close the intersection, decrease barriers, including not but not limited to permitting and other interactions with the city of Minneapolis. I frankly would like to see no permit fees ever required of community members to close down this intersection. And I think it should be just a standing practice every year when we remember the murder of George Floyd. When we do rise and remember that it is closed down and there should be other dates that are on the calendar routinely that are planned for where there will be closures and that and that city should work with the community on what what those dates are so there's not a question and we can plan for it every single year. Be it further resolved that the city council is requesting that the administration give support, funding and assistance to the maintenance of the memorial space at George Floyd Square. I don't want to hear about people struggling to get funding or support to make sure that that memorial stays beautiful and preserved. I don't want to hear about organizations having to pull outside money without any support of the city to maintain the memorial of George Floyd. I don't want to hear about um needing updates to the physical infrastructure around it, I think, and people needing to struggle to get the attention of public works. And I want that to be on site, on demand, and I want there to be a dedicated person that community members know who they should talk to so the memorial can be maintained. And I want that reflected in our budget. So that's the amendment that I have within the resolution um as it is related to my vote today. >> Council member Jenkins. >> Thank you, Chair Payne. Um, and you know, I want to I want to thank um council members uh Chowry and Cashman um for uh bringing bringing these um [clears throat] bringing this resolution forward um as well as the amendments that Council Member Chowry is um bringing forward. I really think, you know, we can continue to to live in the the challenges of the past or we can move forward. I think this community has demonstrated in the the community meeting that was referenced a couple of weeks ago has indicated that that they're ready to move forward. Um the challenge with the pedestrian plan is is not in my opinion the quote administration's desire, but it's the the community that is saying the business community there, the property owners there that are saying we can't support that, which is a requirement of the state um legislation that allows us to create pedestrian malls. And so this seems like the most prudent way to move forward. This has um it incorporates um some of the visions of the community vision council. Um, it incorporates some of the concerns that uh, Council Member Chowry has brought forward and I think we really owe it to this community to listen and say it's time to move forward. Thank you. With that, uh, Council Member Jenkins has the final word. Uh, I'm going to split these out into three separate votes. Uh, on unfinished item number one, the open concept plan, I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Palmisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Cashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> I. >> Council member Chavez, >> no. >> Council member Vita, >> I. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. Council member Kofsky. >> I. >> Council member Wanssley. >> I. >> Council member Jenkins. >> I. >> Vice President Chubtai. >> Nay. >> President Payne. >> Nay. >> There are 10 eyes's and three nays. >> That item carries. >> Council member Wley. >> Thought we were on a different one. I would like to reconsider and change it to an A. >> Uh, without objection, we'll we'll just note that as an A. Uh, now on item number two, the resolution supporting CVC, I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, could you clarify what that is? That that is not the return to author that council member Kashman. >> Correct. I'm picking up the resolution next as item number. She moved it in that order. >> What's the return? >> So, it's new business item number three that we're taking up second. unfinished business right now. >> Maybe to clarify, Mr. President, >> what we did is one motion divided into three parts. So unfinished business 1.1 was approving the open flexible concept plan which passed 94 just now. The second piece is the resolution that was under discussion which uh is a position statement from the council about the development of that intersection. The third vote or unfinished business 1.3 is the return to author of the ped mall ordinance proposal. >> Thank you. >> That was one >> that that I think eliminates some confusion. Um I >> tot council member Chowry >> I >> council member Kashman >> I >> council member Osman >> I >> council member Rainville >> I >> council member Chavez >> I >> council member Vita >> I >> council member Ellison >> I >> council member Ksky >> I >> council member Wsley >> I >> council member Jenkins >> I >> Vice President Chug Tai >> I >> President Payne I >> there are 13 eyes on the resolution. >> That carries. >> And item number three. >> This is the return of the PedmAll ordinance. Council member Pomisano. >> I. >> Council member Chowry. >> I. >> Council member Kashman. >> I. >> Council member Osman. >> I. >> Council member Rainville. >> Hi. >> Council member Chavez. >> Hi. >> Council member Vita. >> I. >> Council member Ellison. Hi. >> Council member Ksky. I. >> Council member Wanssley. Hi. >> Council member Jenkins. I >> President Vice President Chevai >> I >> President Payne >> I >> there are 13 I's >> that carries. Uh and then next we have new business. That completes our unfinished business. We have one two three four items of new business. Um do we want to take these up one at a time? >> Yes. >> [snorts] >> Uh on under new business, I'm going to number these. Uh item one is uh a large block event permit for the Great Northern Winter Festival. Item number two, new business is a contract amendment with Q3 uh Q3 contracting for lead service line replacement. Item number three of new business is a resolution expressing statements of position pertaining to the Minneapolis Police Department oversight and accountability. Item number four is uh a resolution urging the mayor to direct the police department to protect residents in immigrant communities. Uh let's take these up one at a time. Uh on item number one, large block event permit for the Great Northern Winter Festival. If there's no discussion, I will ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Palmisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Kashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> hi. >> Council member Chavez, >> hi. >> Council member Vto, >> I. >> Council member Ellison, >> I council member Ksky, >> I. >> Council member Wsley, >> I. >> Council member Jenkins, >> I. >> Vice President Chug Tai, >> I. >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> That carries. Next, we'll take up item number two, uh, contract amendment with Q3 contracting for lead service line replacements. I'll ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisano, >> I. >> Council member Chowry, >> hi. >> Council member Cashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville, >> hi. >> Council member Chavez, >> hi. >> Council member Vto, >> hi. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Ksky, >> I. >> Council member Wanssley, >> hi. >> Council member Jenkins, >> I. >> Vice President Chugai, >> I. >> President Payne, >> I. >> There are 13 eyes. >> That carries. Next, we'll take up item number three, resolution expression, statement of position pertaining to the Minne Minneapolis Police Department oversight and accountability. Uh, if there's Council Member Wanley. >> Thank you. Um, I just want to give brief context on what this is. Um, because I know there's been members of the public who've had questions as well as some of my colleagues. Um, essentially residents deserve to know that the police are doing everything in their power to differentiate whether a situation is federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement or road kidnappings, which have been um cited by members across the country that's being committed by individuals impersonating law enforcement personnel. Um, if there is an act of immigration enforcement, then MPD should have nothing to do with it as we just authorized in our separation ordinance. But if it is not a verified act of immigration enforcement, then MPD should assume that it is a kidnapping and intervene to protect um individuals who are being subjected to that. Um and that's not uh too much to expect both. Um the mayor, as we know, has the sole authority over MPD and the mayor could publish executive order today to establish that kidnapping or attempted kidnapping and impersonating law enforcement shall be the highest law enforcement priority for MPD. He could also use his sole authority to mandate that officers that respond to potential instances of kidnappings as such, unless they receive affirmative confirmation that that situation is legal enforcement, that they could also take action. So, this resolution essentially urges the mayor to make sure that the police is responding to residents requests, which I've seen through my colleagues receiving calls also here in my ward in W 2 where we've gotten calls asking if MPD could come and verify if uh for one neighbor or one residence, they had someone outside their door that originally said that they were cleaning um uh workers and then said, "No, you need to let us in. We're ICE agents." that stood outside their door for several hours. And that resident and many others just want to know that MPD can be a resource in helping differentiate so that they can at least leave their houses for some reprieve and not be intimidated. Um, so this essentially encourages the mayor to do a executive order to make sure that MPD can do those differentiations, do those verifications, um, to make sure that residents know if there are random people at their doors saying you need to come out and we need to execute enforcement um, actions that is actually happening by ICE agents and not those impersonating. So I just wanted to give some context on that and that's all. Seeing no one else in queue, I will ask the clerk to call the role or council member Palmtown. >> Excuse me. I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, Council Member Wansley, you were just speaking to new business item number four. >> Mhm. >> In front of us. >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> My script is a little bit trans transcribed. >> Should we vote on what council member Wanley just spoke on? >> Okay. Clerk, did you follow that? >> Moving number three to four and 43. >> Yeah. [clears throat] So confused. Do you want me to call the role then? >> Please. >> Council member Palmino, [cough] >> no. >> Council member [snorts] Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Kashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville is absent. Council member Chavez, >> I. >> Council member Vita, >> no. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Ksky, >> I. >> Council member Wsley, >> I. >> Council member Jenkins, >> no. Vice President Chug Thai is absent. President Payne >> I. >> There are eight eyes and three nays. >> That item carries. Uh, next we will take up our last resolution authored by Council Member Chowry. >> Thank you um, President Payne. So, this is a resolution that basically is expressing a statement um a position pertaining to oversight and accountability over the Minneapolis Police Department in relationship to our city's separation ordinance. Um, it shares that this resolution states that the city council supports including language in the upcoming police contract or in an updated corrective action matrix to establish consequences for police officers who violate any current or future separation ordinances. I know that we've had discussion about this. It's really important that we do get an updated discipline matrix. We get clarity on a timeline in writing in which that will be enacted. um to have discipline expressly written out for violating our separation ordinance which requires no city employee especially a police officers to engage in federal immigration enforcement. Um this also uh requests that this discipline if it is in the discipline matrix be placed in category D which includes 160 to 300 hours of suspension demotion and category E which would be termination as violating the separation ordinance is directly opposed to the values of the city of Minneapolis. And then um the last uh resolved clause on the back that I'll turn your attention to. Uh this shares that the city council opposes any use of so-called less lethal weapons for crowd control against people in Minneapolis and calls on the mayor, the police chief, and any other person in a position of authority over law enforcement personnel to end the use of these weapons for crowd control in Minneapolis. Seeing no one else in Q. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Seeing no one. Oh, Council Member Palms. Now, >> Mr. Chair, I I will be voting against this, though I agree with the things that have been said in public, but due to statements that and clarifications that have been explained to us in the closed session, um I just need to point out for the public record that there are other um reasons why the things that were just mentioned don't make a lot of sense to be in a in a labor contract. that violations to this are already considered to be in the discipline matrix and doesn't have to be specifically and explicitly called out. It was also mentioned that the last time there was any sort of violation of the separation agreement by MPD was over 20 years ago and it was confusion over where somebody's immigration card went. I will be voting no on these and I just wanted to explain why. Thank you, >> Council Member Chavez. Uh, thank you, Council President Payne. The ordinance does state that we're asking for it to be either on the police union contract or on the discipline matrix. So, we're not saying to do it on both. We're saying either or. So, I just wanted to correct the public record because of that comment that was just made. And I'll just go back to the the most important part here, which well, there's two of them, right? update the discipline matrix because we want to make sure that if the violation the separation orders is violated that there is strong discipline uh for such violations because that would be egregious for anybody to just violate the city separation ordinance. But I also want to point out to the back and why this is really important especially after we're seeing ICE agents use chemical irritants on protesters on observers on residents across this country. We're talking about be it further resolved that the city council opposes any use of so-called less lethal weapons for crowd control against people in Minneapolis and calls on the mayor and the police chief and any other person in position of authority over law enforcement personnel to end the use of these weapons for crowd control in Minneapolis. We are saying that because we are seeing the federal government do that same tactic in immigration enforcement across the country and we should not be adopting or continue doing because we do do it and we have done it in Minneapolis what the federal government does to its residents. I just want to make it very clear. >> Council member Chowry. >> Yeah, thank you. I just wanted to just say for the public record, yeah, we understand that this is something that is disciplined, but it is important to express it clearly and defined. There is currently a draft that shares that. We're asking to ensure that that draft says discipline is going to be a category D and E. Nothing lower than that because that's what makes sense for what that level means. If you're if you're doing something that diametrically goes against our city policy and practices, it's got to be D and E. I I think the the other thing that I've heard is like we haven't had a violation of the separation ordinance in 20 years. I pray to God we never have a violation of the separation ordinance. However, just by the sheer probability of of the fact that we're having so many incidents with ICE currently ravaging our communities and law enforcement from our city figuring out how they're responding to community, there's a higher likelihood that it could be. You know, this does not mean the entire police department is going to be violating the separation ordinance, but I think it would be foolish to think that there wouldn't be a scenario in which one officer did, right? As we have seen, there's been plenty of instances in the past where officers have gone against um gone against the policy manuals and practices. And right now we have a administration who is sending out ICE agents that are completely violating the rule of law and are here. As council member Chavez stated earlier when we were talking about the separation ordinance, over 400 arrests have been made since they've been here or deportations and abductions have been made since ICE has been here in our community just a week and some days ago. [snorts] Seeing no one else left in queue, I'll ask the clerk to call the role. >> Council member Pomisano, >> no. >> Council member Chowry, >> I. >> Council member Kashman, >> I. >> Council member Osman, >> I. >> Council member Rainville is absent. Council member Chavez, >> I. >> Council member VTO, >> no. >> Council member Ellison, >> I. >> Council member Ksky, >> I. >> Council member Wansley is absent. Council member Jenkins is ab council member Jenkins, I'm sorry. Name >> vice president Shug Tai is absent. President Payne >> I. >> There are seven eyes's and three nays. >> That item carries and the resolution is adopted. [clears throat] Uh that completes our new business. Uh our next order is announcements. Are there any announcements from council members? >> Not seeing Mr. President, there were a number of votes where we had some council members who were in and out of the room and if I can just take a minute or two just uh to go over those. A number of them are from Vice President Shagtai. I did connect with her personally. I know how she wishes to vote, but of course I can't uh change the vote unless she's here. There were a few involving Council Member Jenkins who is here. So, if I can pull that up on the committee of the whole item number six, Council Member Jenkins, which is the enterprise policy framework, did you want to be recorded as an I? >> Okay, that increases the vote total to 12. Um, on the public health and safety agenda items 1 through six, you are absent at the roll call. Would you like to be recorded as an I? >> Increases the vote total to 12. On the resolutions, all of them that were on the agenda today. I'm sorry I didn't uh get a vote from you. So, would you like to be recorded as a 13th I on those? Yes. >> And then, Mr. President, just let me get through all this last new business that we just did. That's everything. >> Okay. Uh, Council Member Wley. >> Yes. Quickly, I do believe uh President Payne and Clerk Carl, I was not registered as a I for the rest of the climate and infrastructure report. Um I was here just for franchise fees. So I would like to be recorded as I for that. And then also I on the last or most recent new uh business resolution. >> Without objection, Mr. Clerk. Mr. President, I think we've addressed uh Council Member Wansley, we've recorded yours as requested. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Um with that, we've completed our business today. >> Council President, I should council vice president have recorded for the rest of the votes. >> Yes. Shri, >> Council Vice President, I'm sorry. I know I had a chance to talk with you about each of them, but just so I'm clear, uh, the votes that you had been absent for throughout the meeting. You and I spoke about this and you wanted to be recorded as an eye on all of those. Is Is that still the case? >> That's correct. >> Okay. I'll update all of those to reflect that council vice president is an eye on all of the uh roll calls I announced where she wasn't present. >> Thank you. >> Um colleagues, uh we have taken a massive agenda today with a number of items that have the potential to be under mayoral review. And as we don't have any additional meetings scheduled for the remainder of the year, um I'm going to actually adjourn this meeting to December 16th at 5:00 p.m., we may not need it. We may be done, but if we do need to reconvene to consider any mayoral action as a result of our final meeting today, we want to make sure that we at least have a placeholder on the calendar. So, um we tried to work with and identify people's travel plans to ensure we have a quorum. I think we have confirmed a quorum at least for the 16th. So, I'm going to >> I got a comment. >> Council member Chavez. >> Thank you, Council President Spain. And I would respectfully ask the mayor to make sure that he if he's going to beat anything to do it as soon as possible and to communicate with this body so we can all plan our week if he's going to be sending us back here. So, I want to make that very clear. >> Absolutely. >> Absolutely. All right. Well, so with without objection, this meeting is hereby adjourned to December 16th at 5:00 p.m.