There has been increasing concern about kratom, a stimulant which is not regulated by the state or federal governments. I would like the Advisory Board of Health to work with Bloomington Public Health to make recommendations as to whether municipal regulations are merited.

The Advisory Board of Health is looking at this issue and will be working with The Public Health Law Center to discuss a possible ordinance regulating the use of Kratom in early 2027. There is discussion this session in the Senate regarding the discussion of Kratom.

Because there is no statewide regulatory scheme for kratom—beyond the prohibition and criminalization of sales to, and possession by, people under 18—local units of government could consider more stringently regulating or prohibiting the sale of kratom products in their jurisdictions.

It is proposed that the City of Richfield create a new ordinance that would prohibit landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants who receive Section 8 support.

The legality of this proposed ordinance has already been upheld by the Minnesota Supreme Court. In July 2025, the Court decided in Fletcher Properties v. City of Minneapolis that Minneapolis’ ordinance prohibiting landlords from discriminating against applicants on the basis of receiving Section 8 support is constitutionally supported.

Staff believes this issue is most appropriately addressed at the state level, and it is currently part of our legislative platform. ... If the goal is to expand housing opportunities for voucher holders, there may be other, more effective tools to consider, e.g., offering incentives instead of penalties, building relationships with owners, constructing new affordable units, and offering support to small owners to relieve the administrative burden.

Our current sidewalk standards policy (2016) does not reflect actual practice, and it is inconsistent with the more recent 2018 Pedestrian Master Plan. It also does not address land use, which creates conflict... I propose we update this with a policy that provides a framework for including sidewalks on any street.

Every time we add a new sidewalk, we create an annual operational cost. We should focus on a limited network of plow routes we can commit to, and clear them well.

Staff feel that demonstrated public support is crucial and necessary to inform the initiative prior to putting a lot of staff time into this effort. Feedback on these ideas could be collected as survey questions and or posed as potential policy changes as part of the process.

Residents have expressed concerns about the need for common sense gun safety rules. The need for these changes came into focus even more sharply after the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church/School. Ideally the state legislature should enact these changes. I believe that we should have ordinances in place if they do not and the local pre-emption is lifted.

I also do not believe that the preemption is going to be lifted by the legislature at this time. I have included an analysis from a legal and technical prospective from our prosecutors, Holly and Joseph, where attorney Greg Holly and Katrina Joseph have reviewed the St. Paul ordinance and the memo is attached.

The most immediate legal issue is state preemption. Under Minnesota Statutes §471.633 and §624.717, the legislature has declared that it 'occupies the whole field of regulation of the inventory, ownership, possession, and use of firearms.' As a result, local governments are generally prohibited from enacting firearm regulations that are more restrictive than state law.