Budget Committee November 01, 2023   11/1/2023

Public Hearing

• • Emily Koski
  • 00:00:32
    Good morning.
  • 00:00:33
    My name is Emily Koski.
  • 00:00:34
    I'm the chair of the Budget Committee.
  • 00:00:36
    I'm going to call to order our regular committee meeting for Wednesday, November 1st.
  • 00:00:40
    At this time, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll to verify the presence of a quorum.
  • 00:00:44
    Councilmember Payne.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 00:00:45
    Present.
  • 00:00:46
    Wonsley.
  • 00:00:46
    Present.
  • 00:00:47
    Rainville.
  • 00:00:48
    Present.
  • 00:00:49
    Vita.
  • 00:00:49
    Present.
  • 00:00:51
    Ellison is absent.
  • 00:00:53
    Osman is absent.
  • 00:00:55
    Goodman is absent.
  • 00:00:56
    Jenkins is absent.
  • 00:00:58
    Chavez.
  • 00:00:59
    Present.
  • 00:01:00
    Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:01:11
    Colleagues, today's meeting is the second of three public hearings to invite ideas, concerns, and suggestions about the mayor's recommended 2024 budget.
  • 00:01:21
    At this point, I will open up the public hearing.
  • 00:01:23
    We will be taking speakers in the order that they are registered.
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    Each speaker will be given two minutes to address the committee.
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    We have a timer over by the clerk to help speakers monitor the use of their time.
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    I also ask that everyone is respectful of all speakers and of all opinions offered.
  • 00:01:41
    This hearing is a neutral forum so that all residents have an opportunity to address the committee on the proposed budget.
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    I understand that we have 20 people that are already registered to speak.
  • 00:01:52
    Before I open the floor, I'll invite anyone who hasn't already registered.
  • 00:01:57
    but who wishes to speak to register over by the clerk.
  • 00:02:01
    Oh, out front.
  • 00:02:02
    Each speaker should state your name for the public record before you begin your comments.
  • 00:02:08
    With that, we're ready to open the public hearing.
  • 00:02:10
    And we will begin with, and I'm going to list off the first five people so that those who might be in the overflow room can also hear.
  • 00:02:19
    So the first five people are Eileen Johnson, Joseph Ring, Ignacia Ambras, Barbara Bridges, and Joe Hessler.
  • 00:02:29
    So Eileen Johnson, welcome.
• • SPEAKER_06
  • 00:02:38
    Good morning, Council members.
  • 00:02:43
    Thank you for the opportunity to speak today about the budget and increasing pay for the Minneapolis Police Department.
  • 00:02:51
    My beloved late husband, Charlie Herzog, was a Minneapolis police officer in the 5th Precinct and prior to that in NYPD.
  • 00:02:59
    In 2005, Charlie was stabbed while attempting to make an arrest at Franklin and Lindale and came within one minute of losing his life.
  • 00:03:07
    I'm grateful to the officers and the doctors who saved his life on that day, which was both our wedding anniversary and the anniversary of the fatal shooting of Officer Melissa Schmidt.
  • 00:03:18
    Fast forward to this August when Officer Jacob Spiess was shot and injured and to last week when Park Officer Carl Zabinski was shot at while making an arrest.
  • 00:03:29
    I mention the names of these officers to illustrate that policing is a dangerous and difficult profession.
  • 00:03:35
    Perhaps nowhere in the state of Minnesota do police officers face more challenges and dangers than here in our own city.
  • 00:03:43
    and yet Minneapolis police officers are not the most highly paid in the state.
  • 00:03:47
    The University of Minnesota, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Airport Police and more than one dozen suburban agencies including Adina and Inver Grove Heights have a higher average top pay than do our Minneapolis police officers.
  • 00:04:01
    I propose that we change the situation and that for every role at every level within the Minneapolis Police Department we pay at minimum a 10% higher salary than is paid for the most highly compensated comparable role or level in the state.
  • 00:04:17
    By increasing pay in this manner we will have greater success in recruiting and retaining officers and rebuilding our police department.
  • 00:04:25
    Thank you for your consideration.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:04:28
    Thank you, Ms. Johnson.
  • 00:04:29
    Next, we have Joseph Ring.
  • 00:04:33
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 00:04:35
    Good morning.
  • 00:04:36
    My name is Joseph Ring.
  • 00:04:37
    I live at 101 Melbourne Avenue, Southeast.
  • 00:04:41
    I want to speak to you in regards to the funding for the restoration of the Witch's Hat water tower.
  • 00:04:48
    I have spent over 28 years working within the community and dealing with the Witch's Hat and the Tower Hill Park.
  • 00:04:57
    And I would greatly suggest that you support that effort to restore the tower.
  • 00:05:03
    Many of my neighbors and community members are sending you emails and letters.
  • 00:05:09
    I wanted to speak to you in person.
  • 00:05:11
    to bring a perspective that I think that I have a unique insight into, and that is that when the tower is open, I'm always there as chair.
  • 00:05:23
    And when we had the 100th anniversary for the tower in 2014, we had well over 4,000 people come to that weekend to be able to go up to the tower.
  • 00:05:35
    The unique thing that most people aren't aware of is the
  • 00:05:42
    The perspective that outside people from Minneapolis and even the metro area have, they very much appreciate the tower and like to get up there.
  • 00:05:52
    We did do a guest book when we had that event, so people signed in.
  • 00:05:57
    We had over, like I say, close to 4,500 that we know of who signed the guest book.
  • 00:06:03
    Over one-third of them came from outside of the metro area and many of those even were outside of the state.
  • 00:06:11
    So what people see of the tower is not just for the city.
  • 00:06:17
    It is for the metro area, it is for the state, and it's for our perspective outside of it.
  • 00:06:22
    So it's a tremendous asset.
  • 00:06:24
    It's just tremendous.
  • 00:06:26
    I normally take a walk up to the tower every week
  • 00:06:30
    and when I meet people I always engage them and talk to them and you'd be surprised over half of them are from outside of Minneapolis.
  • 00:06:40
    So thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:06:41
    Thank you.
  • 00:06:43
    Next we have Ignacia Hombres.
  • 00:06:48
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:06:52
    Good morning everyone.
  • 00:06:54
    My name is Ignacia Hombres.
  • 00:06:57
    and I'm coming from CTUL.
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    I've been in the tool for the past 15 years.
  • 00:07:03
    Many years ago, I was unjustified.
  • 00:07:07
    but a close friend sent me to Setul.
  • 00:07:09
    I explained to Setul what was going on and we fought together to get my job back.
  • 00:07:15
    With Setul's support and help, I didn't back down and I didn't accept them firing.
  • 00:07:20
    We found out the reason for my firing wasn't true.
  • 00:07:25
    So after pushing and pushing for the truth, I was able to get my job back.
  • 00:07:30
    Since then, I've been a strong leader at Setul and at my workplace too.
  • 00:07:36
    I was briefly on the board and now I'm on different committees because I like Setul a lot.
  • 00:07:44
    I continue to inform my coworkers about their rights and what to do if we think there is a violation of those rights.
  • 00:07:51
    I advocate for my coworkers to speak up when they can because they can.
  • 00:07:56
    Now I know that.
  • 00:07:57
    Through my time at the tool, I was able to address my own fears about talking or standing up for myself.
  • 00:08:06
    I was empowered to take action and I spent my time hoping to guide and help other workers to do the same at the tools.
  • 00:08:16
    With the tool support, my leadership, a worker this past 15 years, that is why I'm here asking you to continue
  • 00:08:24
    to support the tool with a co-enforcement and please increase for 2024.
  • 00:08:31
    The workers need your help, our help, and the tools needs help to be able to do the job that they're doing.
  • 00:08:40
    I've been there for 15 years because I love what they're doing.
  • 00:08:43
    But we asking you guys to support and increase for 2024.
  • 00:08:48
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:08:51
    Thank you.
  • 00:08:52
    Next, we have Barbara Bridges.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:08:56
    Welcome.
  • 00:08:56
    Thank you.
  • 00:08:57
    Good morning and thanks for the opportunity to speak to you.
  • 00:09:00
    I live in Northeast Minneapolis.
  • 00:09:02
    In the current atmosphere of cultural division, it is important to notice and celebrate how art has the potential to transcend these artificial boundaries.
  • 00:09:11
    Humans made them and humans can reject them.
  • 00:09:14
    I am the director of a nonprofit social justice arts organization called Art to Change the World.
  • 00:09:20
    I was also a teacher for forty years.
  • 00:09:22
    So why have I made the effort to come to this City Council budget meeting?
  • 00:09:27
    ACW has over 400 members and our free educational programming reaches across culture, age, gender, experience, differently abled, neurodivergent, the marginalized, and yes, the ruling elite.
  • 00:09:39
    We are ages 18 to 103, no think-alike silos for us.
  • 00:09:44
    So why is this important to Minneapolis?
  • 00:09:46
    The diversity of ACW membership causes us to experience cognitive dissonance, which occurs when what you believe to be true is in direct conflict with what you see to be true.
  • 00:09:57
    It happens when you realize that your truth is a truth, not the truth.
  • 00:10:02
    Real social change can be made when the participants collect data from each other, participate in authentic dialogue, come to consensus, and commit to collaborative action plans.
  • 00:10:14
    The arts communities would like to encourage you to fund the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department currently being led by Ben Johnson.
  • 00:10:22
    Why?
  • 00:10:22
    There's two reasons.
  • 00:10:24
    Social justice art events encourage intercultural community and harmony.
  • 00:10:30
    Two, I own a duplex in Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and last time my apartment came open over 60 people applied.
  • 00:10:39
    Our citizens value the arts.
  • 00:10:41
    Considering how powerful the arts can be in healing divisions and driving the economic engine which runs our beloved Minneapolis.
  • 00:10:50
    Thanks for listening.
  • 00:10:52
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:10:54
    Next we have Joe Hessler Welcome
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 00:11:01
    Thank you.
  • 00:11:01
    Good morning, Chair Koski and Council members.
  • 00:11:05
    I live in Ward 9 and I'm here to speak on about the rollout of the Minneapolis Climate and Equity Plan.
  • 00:11:14
    I'm a person that has lived with a lot of privilege my entire life, but we live in a city that has had one of the worst racial equities in the entire country.
  • 00:11:24
    and so we feel like it's imperative that this is not a program that depends on initiative or applications that favors people that have slack, emotional slack in time in their life.
  • 00:11:39
    This has to happen block by block, literally, and we can't just fund departments that aren't set up for that.
  • 00:11:50
    So I really want to speak strongly to that.
  • 00:11:54
    All of our neighbors have to have their houses insulated and have to have all the privileges, decarbonization, the electric stoves for their health that everybody gets.
  • 00:12:08
    So please, we're expecting that kind of a program and nothing less.
  • 00:12:16
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:12:18
    Thank you.
  • 00:12:19
    I will list off the next five individuals.
  • 00:12:22
    We have Bonnie Beckel, Patty O'Keefe, Bethany Fisher, Andrea Corbin, and Ingrid Soderberg.
  • 00:12:30
    And just a reminder to please state your name for the public record when you come up to speak.
  • 00:12:35
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 00:12:37
    My name is Bonnie Beckel.
  • 00:12:39
    I live in Corcoran neighborhood in Ward 9.
  • 00:12:43
    We find ourselves at a pivotal point in the equity part of the Minneapolis Climate Equity Plan.
  • 00:12:51
    At this point the plan includes little about how the plan will roll out and if the city simply expands existing programs we will get the biased results that we've always gotten.
  • 00:13:04
    and we don't get the climate stabilizing results that we all need.
  • 00:13:09
    What we know is of course that the biggest source of carbon pollution in Minneapolis is being released from leaky and gas powered homes and buildings.
  • 00:13:21
    The only way to change that is for virtually every home and building to become energy efficient and electrified.
  • 00:13:30
    Current city programs provide access through individual initiative.
  • 00:13:34
    Current programs that require people to apply for funding and then hire their own contractor to do the work.
  • 00:13:41
    Well, that's not good enough for the big changes that we need.
  • 00:13:46
    Our city must take the initiative to do energy upgrades for every home and building in Minneapolis block by block.
  • 00:13:55
    City staff will need to connect with every home and building owner block by block.
  • 00:14:01
    Renters and people who have no idea how to access funding or hire a contractor need to be at the center of this.
  • 00:14:10
    This is a new equitable way for the city to operate.
  • 00:14:16
    There are some real concerns about this approach.
  • 00:14:19
    The rollout for the climate plan must protect renters from rent increases and even from being evicted after their building gets improved.
  • 00:14:29
    Property owners must be protected from tax assessment valuations that could lead to higher property taxes.
  • 00:14:37
    So the only way Minneapolis will reduce its carbon footprint is by leaving nobody behind.
  • 00:14:44
    Thank you.
  • 00:14:45
    Next we have Patty O'Keefe.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 00:14:51
    Welcome.
  • 00:14:52
    Hey.
  • 00:14:53
    So I'm here representing Sierra Club but also a Ward 8 resident and just wanted to give some recommendations for the pilot to make it successful, the Climate Legacy Initiative pilots that will be funded.
  • 00:15:10
    In order to be
  • 00:15:11
    both accessible and successful both reducing emissions and addressing racial justice issues.
  • 00:15:19
    The pilot needs to do a few things.
  • 00:15:21
    First, it needs to fund both electrification and weatherization.
  • 00:15:26
    We need to insulate and make our homes more weatherized and energy efficient.
  • 00:15:31
    That is really important.
  • 00:15:32
    There's a lot of funding for that already proposed.
  • 00:15:35
    But we also need to be switching out our appliances from gas appliances to electric appliances.
  • 00:15:41
    That's what's really going to drive down emissions and improve indoor air quality.
  • 00:15:46
    And then the weatherization that needs to be done at the same time is going to mean that bills don't go up and that it is affordable.
  • 00:15:53
    I just really need to be prioritizing both of those things and would like to see more funding for the electrification piece of it.
  • 00:16:00
    Need to be located in the green zones and prioritizing BIPOC and immigrant communities and renters and low income.
  • 00:16:09
    I feel like mostly folks are on the same page about that, but I want to emphasize that again.
  • 00:16:14
    Really want this to be more of an opt out rather than an opt in.
  • 00:16:19
    and emphasize that a lot of people don't have the time and ability to put a bunch of thinking into signing up for programs and going through all the paperwork and all of the process that allows it to go forward.
  • 00:16:36
    So just making it as streamlined and easy to do as possible is going to be really important.
  • 00:16:40
    And then just seeing this as a real workforce development opportunity.
  • 00:16:44
    We have some of the worst racial disparities in the country.
  • 00:16:48
    put all of this money that is going to be going towards this is going to be able to create a lot of jobs.
  • 00:16:54
    So let's make sure that it's creating pathways for low income people, people of color and reduces racial disparities in the in the process and also provides union jobs.
  • 00:17:04
    Alright, thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:17:05
    Thank you, Bethany Fisher.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:17:14
    Welcome.
  • 00:17:17
    Good morning.
  • 00:17:18
    Good morning, City Council members.
  • 00:17:19
    Thank you for allowing me to speak today.
  • 00:17:22
    My name is Bethany Fisher.
  • 00:17:23
    I would like to ask the city to do the right thing and not fund our streets.
  • 00:17:29
    They are a lobby firm that does not support local businesses.
  • 00:17:33
    I was a resident of Whittier at 222 West 25th Street, a few blocks from Lindale.
  • 00:17:38
    I am well aware of the staggering lack of parking for my neighbors and surrounding blocks and businesses, not to mention the safety issues that have recently led to me moving out of the city.
  • 00:17:49
    During COVID, I saw our community dismantling, so when my girlfriend Andrea came to me with the idea of a flower shop, we decided to create a beautiful space for the community to come together.
  • 00:18:00
    Flowers allow our residents to utilize their creativity and experience the healing power in a personal way, along with the guidance of a florist.
  • 00:18:09
    I'd like to read a letter written by one of our employees.
  • 00:18:11
    We employ local personnel only.
  • 00:18:14
    My name is Annalise.
  • 00:18:15
    I'm a 22 year old florist at Flower Bar and I love absolutely everything about my job.
  • 00:18:21
    From creating floral arrangements to chatting and working with customers, this job brings me a lot of joy.
  • 00:18:26
    Every day I get to meet wonderful people and be a part of helping them create something that brings light into their lives.
  • 00:18:33
    I have lived in Minneapolis for two years, I don't own a car, and like many others, rely on being able to work a job within walking distance to my apartment.
  • 00:18:42
    Most of our clientele is from outside of Minneapolis proper and I'm concerned that with the ample parking for our customers, without ample parking for our customers, they will be unable to get to us.
  • 00:18:55
    These businesses will also become inaccessible
  • 00:18:58
    without available parking for our disabled senior citizens and families with young children.
  • 00:19:03
    Without parking on Lindale it will make it significantly harder for businesses to continue operating in the same way that they have been.
  • 00:19:10
    If businesses on Lindale struggle with a depletion of clientele, we will not have jobs to work at.
  • 00:19:16
    This will make it very hard to live in Minneapolis, especially for those who rely on walking to work.
  • 00:19:22
    Please keep Lindale, please keep parking on Lindale and keep our city alive.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:19:27
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:19:27
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:19:29
    Next we have Andrea Corbin.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:19:37
    Welcome.
  • 00:19:38
    Thank you, Councilmember.
  • 00:19:40
    My name is Andrea Corbin.
  • 00:19:41
    I own Flower Bar.
  • 00:19:46
    I am here to ask the city to continue to do the right thing and discontinue the contract with our streets for open streets.
  • 00:19:54
    They are a 501c3 organization with almost all their activities for purposes of lobbying.
  • 00:20:01
    This is unethical.
  • 00:20:02
    If we are to uphold a standard for honesty and transparency in the city, it has to apply to all.
  • 00:20:10
    Additionally, they do not support small business community and are lobbying against small businesses.
  • 00:20:21
    By removing access to the businesses, we are cutting off the very oxygen of our city.
  • 00:20:25
    A vibrant city is a balanced city.
  • 00:20:30
    The pulse of the city is small businesses.
  • 00:20:32
    Without them, we are eliminating thousands of jobs for our citizens who walk to work, creating the very carbon-free city that we are trying to achieve.
  • 00:20:43
    Access to businesses means access to jobs for our Minneapolis residents.
  • 00:20:48
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:20:51
    Thank you.
  • 00:20:52
    Next, we have Ingrid Soderberg.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 00:20:58
    Hi, thank you for hearing us today.
  • 00:21:00
    I am the last of our three talking about Our Streets and Open Streets, a lobbyist group that I'm hoping you will not continue to fund.
  • 00:21:09
    I just wanted to point out the irony of a group that puts on an event.
  • 00:21:13
    Open Streets just happened on Lindale, October 8th, I believe.
  • 00:21:17
    It's completely dependent on the thriving street of businesses, restaurants, providing all the food and drinks and entertainment
  • 00:21:24
    and then they lobby to take away all our parking which we feel very strongly is essential to the continued survival of our businesses.
  • 00:21:33
    Any loss, we've had permanent parking loss that's been devastating when Aldi went up and the bike lane on 26 went in and we've had temporary parking loss for the restriping which for the record was amazing but it's very devastating and these businesses are day-to-day and so a day where you would make a third because the parking is gone
  • 00:21:53
    is deeply felt.
  • 00:21:55
    The only reason we've been here, we just turned 11 is because the owners have gone deeply into debt for certain parts of our history.
  • 00:22:04
    The reconstruction of Lindale that is coming is terrifying to all of us.
  • 00:22:10
    The utopia described by our streets
  • 00:22:14
    talks about bustling businesses and expanded patios and green spaces and I don't think there's any consideration to what it takes to run those businesses and the patios and the things that they love so much.
  • 00:22:25
    We love our bikers and our walkers but the neighborhood business is not enough to keep us alive.
  • 00:22:31
    We have people coming from all over the metro area, they need parking right up front, they are older, they have disabilities, they have children and even those of us who live and work in the city
  • 00:22:42
    are terrified to walk even a block now.
  • 00:22:44
    We've had multiple shootings in the middle of the day.
  • 00:22:47
    We've had assaults and robberies and carjackings in the day, not to mention tons of them at night.
  • 00:22:52
    So this very convenient on street parking where they can park in front of the door and walk in and out is just essential.
  • 00:22:58
    I also feel like the people who run the nightlife are largely forgotten in planning.
  • 00:23:04
    We don't open till five.
  • 00:23:05
    We close at one.
  • 00:23:06
    And I just want that to be considered when people talk about changing our street.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:23:10
    Thank you.
  • 00:23:13
    I will now name off the next five individuals.
  • 00:23:16
    We have Kent Fritz Smead, Phil Anderson, Lee Samuelson, Jeremy Winter, and Rickert Johnson.
  • 00:23:24
    So next we have Kent Fritz Smead.
  • 00:23:27
    And please, as a reminder, state your name for the public record when you come up to speak.
  • 00:23:31
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:23:33
    Kent Fritz Smead, Award II, Sewer Neighborhood.
  • 00:23:39
    Council members.
  • 00:23:41
    I'm here to speak on behalf of the Climate Equity Plan and the opportunity that presents you and the city to roll out a transition plan that is both comprehensive and inclusive.
  • 00:23:57
    Those two aspects are important and require a lot of attention to the details and the manner in which the program is rolled out.
  • 00:24:10
    This, as I mentioned, needs to be comprehensive, so it needs to focus on people have used the term block by block attention and planning so that everybody has the opportunity to participate in the program.
  • 00:24:32
    Secondly, we need to make sure that we're
  • 00:24:37
    doing this in an efficient way, maximizing the resources by providing access to not only the city funds that are available through this plan but federal and state funds that are on board and ready to be used for this type of work.
  • 00:24:55
    Lastly, as we know, the country, the state, the city is in the process of decarbonizing.
  • 00:25:05
    We're transitioning to electrification of all kinds of transportation, heating, and so forth.
  • 00:25:17
    Our electricity is going to be produced through alternative means other than carbon production.
  • 00:25:25
    We need to make sure that we are helping those who are least able to decarbonize their own homes as well, including heating, cooking, refrigeration.
  • 00:25:35
    Most people are using electricity now.
  • 00:25:37
    Okay, thank you and I appreciate your efforts on this.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:25:41
    Thank you so much.
  • 00:25:43
    Next we have Phil Anderson.
• • SPEAKER_02
  • 00:25:51
    Good morning, my name is Philip Anderson.
  • 00:25:53
    I'm a resident of Prospect Park Ward 2 and I am here really to speak to try to get the water tower open again.
  • 00:26:04
    It has been closed due to vandalism and I thank the city for making it impossible now to be vandalized but
  • 00:26:14
    The only way it's going to get reopened and reopened really at the request of the mayor so it can be part of Doors Open Minneapolis is to get a lot of work done in the tower
  • 00:26:35
    I guess personally I've been up in the top of the tower for 25 years and I'm now the organizer for the volunteers.
  • 00:26:48
    The last time it was opened was Doors Open Minneapolis at the request of the city.
  • 00:26:53
    and there were 4,000 people, 4,028 people.
  • 00:26:57
    We clicked every time somebody went up.
  • 00:27:01
    During that time, there were three hours of rain and it was the record low temperatures during that time and people came.
  • 00:27:14
    There were over 300 people an hour that got up there.
  • 00:27:18
    and the only way it's going to get open is to get the repairs done.
  • 00:27:24
    We will have volunteers.
  • 00:27:29
    We will be able to get it open and get at least another 4,000 people up there, but only if the repairs are done and the money is spent.
  • 00:27:42
    I hope to do it for another 25 years, but I don't think I'll last that long.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:27:49
    Thank you, Lee Samuelson
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 00:27:59
    Yeah, Chair Koski, Lee Samuelson, Ward 12, and speaking for Community Power, the Minneapolis Energy Democracy organization.
  • 00:28:07
    Now that the council has passed the $10 million climate legacy initiative dedicated funding, we heard a dozen speakers last Wednesday and today give us a warning for it not to be used to simply increase the status quo energy programs that have left us far behind on our 2013 climate action plan goals and
  • 00:28:26
    In addition to co-creating a coordinated collective program that does not require as much paperwork for each individual, I have a list of additional priorities to add to that theme so we can ensure exponential progress, which I'll submit our recommendations over to the Clerk.
  • 00:28:46
    The first is to build a community governance body to oversee the funds, which
  • 00:28:50
    anchors my comments from October 12th on the needs for transparency, effective design, community buy-in, and accountability.
  • 00:28:59
    And second, we would like to see a feasibility study for network geothermal so that we can move forward with it whether or not the sustainability office wins the grants that it has applied for.
  • 00:29:12
    And so similar to the messaging
  • 00:29:15
    We have heard on energy efficiency last week, network geothermal means taking a coordinated collective approach.
  • 00:29:22
    and deploying the new technology block by block rather than house by house so that the economies of scale can decrease cost and allow for a great opportunity for union job creation.
  • 00:29:35
    And this was discussed at the most recent Clean Energy Partnership Board meeting.
  • 00:29:39
    We also have some ideas for incubating workforce capacity equitably, which I see 1.4 million is allocated for.
  • 00:29:50
    and then on October 12th, I also mentioned the inclusive financing in the context of how it could have got us much further to meeting our climate goals but at the Q4, Clean Energy Partnership Board meeting on page 5 and 6, it shows depicted puzzle diagrams with the various options that we could piece together and this is what we were promised.
  • 00:30:21
    for the weatherization project.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:30:24
    Thank you so much.
  • 00:30:27
    Next we have Jeremy Winter.
• • SPEAKER_26
  • 00:30:35
    Hello, my name is Jeremy Winter.
  • 00:30:38
    On a few select days each year, I get to see the people of Minneapolis out on the streets.
  • 00:30:43
    I get to see the community come together on an equal playing field.
  • 00:30:46
    I get to see local businesses thrive and children play.
  • 00:30:49
    I get to see art, music, and advocates showing up for causes they care for.
  • 00:30:54
    All of this is possible.
  • 00:30:55
    only because of our streets Minneapolis and the decade plus of experience they have helping people envision a future where one doesn't need a car to experience our vibrant city.
  • 00:31:03
    For too long, the auto industry has dictated the way we think about cities.
  • 00:31:07
    Car companies have incentivized us to build high traffic streets with wide roads and large parking lots.
  • 00:31:12
    The results?
  • 00:31:13
    Catastrophic.
  • 00:31:14
    Quiet streets where children used to play safely have become death traps filled with massive heavy SUVs.
  • 00:31:19
    Potential green space has been paved over to support giant exhaust spewing metal machines.
  • 00:31:24
    On-road transportation makes up 24% of Minneapolis greenhouse gas emissions according to 2021 city data.
  • 00:31:30
    We all felt the effects of climate change this summer.
  • 00:31:33
    Let's move past decades of fossil fuel lobbying, stop designing streets for gas guzzlers, and embrace a greener future.
  • 00:31:40
    Minneapolis is a city perfectly scaled for walkability and bikeability, yet many of our commercial corridors struggle because they're designed for cars, not people.
  • 00:31:49
    Cars don't frequent businesses, people do.
  • 00:31:51
    I visited Montreal Avenue in Montreal this summer, a street fully pedestrianized all summer long and was astounded by how popular and thriving it was.
  • 00:32:00
    Open Streets gives us a faint glimmer of that success.
  • 00:32:03
    Imagine a Minneapolis filled with low car traffic, high foot tra...
  • 00:32:06
    High foot traffic commercial corridors.
  • 00:32:08
    That kind of future would allow us to bring wealth back into the city, empower local businesses, and give residents a shared sense of space and community.
  • 00:32:16
    Study after study has shown that more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly cities bring in increased business.
  • 00:32:21
    Shoppers want to shop in places filled with people, not car traffic.
  • 00:32:24
    That's why malls are designed as a simulacra of pedestrianized commercial corridors.
  • 00:32:30
    Speaking on the community front, I volunteered at Open Streets West Broadway this summer and I felt really connected.
  • 00:32:37
    Please empower our streets in Minneapolis to continue working towards a greener future, strengthening local commerce and uniting the community.
  • 00:32:44
    Thank you very much.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:32:46
    Thank you.
  • 00:32:46
    Next we have Rocker Johnson.
  • 00:32:54
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_00
  • 00:32:55
    Thank you.
  • 00:32:56
    Yes, my name is Raycurt Johnson.
  • 00:32:59
    I'm from Ward 9 in Powderhorn and from the 38th in Chicago community is uprising from the uprising and the community is coming very well together and I'm very honored to be a part of it.
  • 00:33:15
    and I want to speak on, like my colleague, speaking for the open streets that supports the local businesses and thriving artists, upcoming artists and the community that's very interactive and I'm a witness to that and enjoying this growth and also I see the emphasis on
  • 00:33:44
    Environmental growth and how the new budget surely will address the inequities with contracting with businesses of marginalized people and people of color and hopefully that will be addressed and
  • 00:34:07
    You know, vilified for the people directly.
  • 00:34:11
    And what else?
  • 00:34:12
    There's so many great things that are happening and I'm just thrilled to be here and just to speak and see all these people.
  • 00:34:21
    These streets are our streets, how about that?
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:34:25
    Thank you.
  • 00:34:27
    All right, I'm going to name off the next five individuals.
  • 00:34:30
    We have Jesse Peterson Brandt, then we'll have Allison Sharkey, James Bradford III, Mike Rollin, and then Mark Schultz.
  • 00:34:39
    So first, we will start with Jesse Peterson Brandt.
  • 00:34:42
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 00:34:42
    Hi, thank you, Chair Koski, Council members.
  • 00:34:45
    My name is Jesse Peterson-Brant.
  • 00:34:46
    I'm a Ward 12 resident and a volunteer with the People's Climate and Equity Plan Campaign.
  • 00:34:52
    I want to quick thank all of you for passing the People's or the Climate Equity Plan as well as funding the Climate Legacy Initiative.
  • 00:35:01
    Those are really great steps that move our city towards a carbon-free future.
  • 00:35:06
    Some of the other volunteers here have spoken about the block by block approach.
  • 00:35:10
    I also want to rise and speak to that.
  • 00:35:12
    Other people have mentioned the equity piece of the block by block approach that's extremely important in order to bring along everyone who may not have the means to hire a contractor themselves.
  • 00:35:26
    I also want to emphasize the importance of the block by block approach in reducing emissions quickly.
  • 00:35:33
    We are
  • 00:35:33
    on the Block by Block
  • 00:35:48
    So I just really want to encourage us to think about this holistically and recognize that if we are going to get to net zero, that means that every house, every apartment building, every commercial building has to be weatherized, has to be insulated, has to be electrified.
  • 00:36:05
    And the faster we can do that, the better it is going to be for our city and for our planet.
  • 00:36:10
    So thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:36:12
    Thank you.
  • 00:36:13
    Next, Allison Sharkey.
  • 00:36:16
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:36:18
    Hi Chair Koski, Council members, thank you so much for your leadership and hard work every day on behalf of the community.
  • 00:36:24
    I'm Allison Sharkey, Executive Director of the Lake Street Council and I have a few budget amendment proposals around public safety and economic development.
  • 00:36:33
    First, on behalf of the Lake Street Midtown Greenway Public Private Partnership, I'd like to request $150,000 to support the position of a Public Safety Coordinator on Lake Street.
  • 00:36:47
    This would allow us to better engage the business community in public safety prevention and response and improve coordination between security partners like violence interrupters, private security, and social service agencies that all work in the area but can be siloed.
  • 00:37:03
    I'd also like to support $300,000 to explore and begin to implement downtown improvement district type services in cultural districts.
  • 00:37:16
    Amenities like ambassadors, activation, other things that bring visual appeal will require some subsidy in areas of the city without a robust corporate presence, and we're thinking $300,000 to start on East Lake Street.
  • 00:37:31
    I'd like to support the request for full funding for the LEAD program, which brings case managers to the street.
  • 00:37:39
    I'd like to extend the DTAP, Developer Technical Assistance Program.
  • 00:37:44
    That's currently set to expire in May, and I think it would take about $350,000 to extend that contract another year.
  • 00:37:51
    600 emerging developers have gone through that program, 97% BIPOC, and this really helps
  • 00:38:00
    people be ready to buy and develop property.
  • 00:38:05
    The Ownership and Opportunity Fund, formerly Commercial Property Development Fund.
  • 00:38:10
    So that was supported with I think 12 million last year and is a super important gap financing program.
  • 00:38:16
    This year it's got 3 million in the budget.
  • 00:38:20
    I'd like to suggest doubling that and finally also consider extra investment in business district support and facade improvement projects.
  • 00:38:31
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:38:31
    Thank you.
  • 00:38:32
    Next we have James Bradford the 3rd.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:38:41
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_23
  • 00:38:42
    Good morning.
  • 00:38:43
    I'm here to talk about the city's climate and equity plan.
  • 00:38:47
    Just first of all you've heard today but also last week just how many passionate people are speaking about it.
  • 00:38:53
    So I look at the plan and the funding that's went towards it as an amazing opportunity for the city to create something and not do status quo but create something that's actually going to be able to reach every household.
  • 00:39:05
    Using those funds to create the programs for that is something that should be looked at where it's going to reach the houses, the families where they either by communication and language barriers or maybe just not even knowledge of which type of contractors where to go with that particular funding hasn't been done before.
  • 00:39:22
    So just speaking in place of the plan to say that when you've heard these individuals speak today, when you heard them speak last week,
  • 00:39:29
    These are people that are looking out not for just their own family but their neighbors in the city overall.
  • 00:39:34
    I just want to say that it would be great if you continue that process of you taking the first step but now to take the second step and make sure the programs you create make sure they reach every family block by block.
  • 00:39:45
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:39:47
    Thank you.
  • 00:39:47
    Next we have Mike Rollin.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:39:56
    Hi, my name is Mike Rollin.
  • 00:39:57
    I live in the Kingfield neighborhood in Ward 8.
  • 00:40:00
    Good morning, Council members.
  • 00:40:02
    I, like most of my neighbors, want a Minneapolis where every person, regardless of our zip code, our race, or our income, lives in an equitable, healthy neighborhood and a safe climate.
  • 00:40:13
    And I want to applaud you for passing the funding, the $10 million for the Climate Legacy Fund.
  • 00:40:19
    That is a big step forward.
  • 00:40:20
    Now we need to make sure that our transition is just.
  • 00:40:24
    I'm a homeowner in Kingfield.
  • 00:40:27
    I've been able to do a lot of the kind of electrification and weatherization things on my house.
  • 00:40:32
    It's expensive.
  • 00:40:34
    It takes a long time.
  • 00:40:36
    You have to go through a lot of contractors.
  • 00:40:38
    I know that that's not accessible to a lot of people in the city and I want it to be accessible to every homeowner and every renter in the city.
  • 00:40:46
    and while those changes are making my house more comfortable, they're not helping really meet the city's climate goals.
  • 00:40:54
    So to do that, we need to really use our city pool, our city funds and our city power to move forward at the scale that we need.
  • 00:41:03
    And to do that, when we do that, we can make sure that every home has the benefits of clean energy with clean energy upgrades block by block rather than house by house.
  • 00:41:14
    helping to coordinate contractors and support residents to access federal, state, and city funding.
  • 00:41:19
    There's money out there.
  • 00:41:20
    Let's use it.
  • 00:41:22
    And to make sure that these benefits are not just about insulation but electrification, the full suite of decarbonization for our homes.
  • 00:41:30
    If we do this, this is a huge opportunity to both address, to make our city more climate resilient and to address racial inequity in our city and putting Minneapolis residents to work to rebuild our city and make it climate resilient and more just and so I mean just imagine like employing people from Phillips to go weatherize and electrify houses in Phillips
  • 00:41:54
    The pride that people will have in really building the city in a more just and equitable way.
  • 00:41:59
    Thank you for your time.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:42:00
    Thank you.
  • 00:42:02
    Next we have Mark Schultz.
• • SPEAKER_04
  • 00:42:11
    Good morning.
  • 00:42:13
    My name is Mark Schultz and my wife and I have been homeowners in South Minneapolis in Powderhorn Park neighborhood since 1987.
  • 00:42:22
    Our grandkids and our daughter and her husband live two blocks away.
  • 00:42:30
    I'm here to speak for the climate and equity plan that's in the budget.
  • 00:42:34
    I recommend the council, I really commend the council and the mayor for putting that money in the budget.
  • 00:42:40
    But here's the thing, as you know,
  • 00:42:43
    How it's done makes a big difference.
  • 00:42:48
    So for me that means start in the green zones.
  • 00:42:50
    Do block by block.
  • 00:42:53
    It's opt out rather than opt in.
  • 00:42:55
    People are really given, like, we can do this for you, but if you don't want it, okay.
  • 00:43:00
    Rather than people needing to apply and go through a whole set of things to try to get in.
  • 00:43:06
    So it's a big job, let's do it right.
  • 00:43:08
    Full decarbonization is critical in this.
  • 00:43:11
    So not just insulation, though that's key.
  • 00:43:16
    And really, as somebody who's worked in public policy, it's like this is the way to go about getting the federal funds that are going to mean that we can reach the scale that we need to to really get to where we need to get to.
  • 00:43:31
    Our city faces two huge issues in my mind.
  • 00:43:35
    deeply embedded structural racism and a climate change that is approaching that could be disastrous or catastrophic unless we act swiftly and well.
  • 00:43:46
    The climate and equity plan is a strong step forward on both those if it's done right.
  • 00:43:54
    So let's do it right, block by block.
  • 00:43:57
    For the record, I'm also going to just say I support increased funding
  • 00:44:02
    for the co-enforcement of the labor standards, also critical to address justice and prosperity in our city.
  • 00:44:10
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:44:13
    Thank you.
  • 00:44:15
    I'm going to name the next five speakers.
  • 00:44:18
    Indira Garmendia, Douglas Guerra, Eustavio Oisco, Shelly Steen, and Izzy Verles.
  • 00:44:27
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:44:28
    Indira.
  • 00:44:29
    Buenos dias.
  • 00:44:30
    My name is Indira Garmendia.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:44:32
    Good morning, my name is Indira Garmendia.
  • 00:44:35
    I am an organizer at CITUL and I'm here today to share a story of Sandra Sanchez, a member of CITUL who was not able to be here today.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:44:51
    Sandra came to Setul about ten years ago because she was experiencing wage theft and has since had multiple cases of wage theft.
  • 00:45:10
    During this time, Sandra learned about her rights, about how wage theft is not going to pass,
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:45:19
    And through that time, Sandra learned about her rights and learned about how wage theft works and that it shouldn't happen.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:45:25
    This year, Sandra was employed to work at McDonald's, where she was promised $15 an hour.
  • 00:45:37
    In the first year, Sandra said to me that she wasn't paying $15 an hour, if not $1 a month.
  • 00:45:44
    And yes, you know what?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:45:48
    So Sandra realized that in her first check that she wasn't getting paid $15 an hour, she was getting paid a dollar less.
  • 00:45:54
    And so what did she do?
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:45:56
    Sandra, the first thing she did was to work with the manager.
  • 00:46:00
    She decided that she needed to pay for the dinner because she didn't want to go to the office.
  • 00:46:06
    And because she knew that she had to pay for the dinner and the food for that, and the chicken interior.
  • 00:46:11
    After that, she decided to go to the dinner with Sandra.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:46:16
    Because Sandra has been through many trainings at CITUL about her rights, the first thing that she did was went and talked to her manager and said, hey, this check isn't right.
  • 00:46:24
    I know what I'm supposed to be paid.
  • 00:46:25
    And guess what?
  • 00:46:26
    In the next check, they paid her what she was owed.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:46:29
    El ejemplo de Sandra es un ejemplo de una persona que trabajado unsulidarasgo, que conoces su derecho laborales y que además es proactiva y defiendes su derechos.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:46:40
    Sansa's story is the story of somebody who not only has come to learn about her rights and develop her leadership to be able to implement her rights, but she also has learned from this experience so that she can stand up for herself.
  • 00:46:52
    In the case of Sandra, not only was she able to recover her money, but she talks to her co-workers, she talks to them about what their rights are and says, hey, let's do something about this if something isn't right.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:47:16
    That's an example of an empowered worker.
  • 00:47:22
    The work that Setul does through co-enforcement is critical for workers like Sander and other workers, but also for the entire community.
  • 00:47:39
    So I'm here today asking for long-term sufficient funds to do this work, but also this year to ask for a one-time increase of $225,000 to be able to reinforce our work in 2024.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:48:06
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:48:10
    Thank you.
  • 00:48:11
    Next we have Douglas Guerra.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:48:19
    Welcome.
  • 00:48:25
    Good morning, my name is Douglas Guerra and I want to talk to you a little bit about the time before I knew about CETUL.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:48:37
    I had faced wage theft and I tried to reclaim my money based on my own different avenues, but I was not able to win back my money.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:48:56
    I wasn't able to because I didn't have the right information.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:49:14
    I went from one place to another place looking for help and everybody said they couldn't help me.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:49:21
    until somebody talked to me about Setul which was a place that I could come and that people said would fight for my rights and so I went there to try to recover my salary
  • 00:49:46
    And so because of the tools that I got at Sedum, what I learned there, we were able to recover my wages.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:50:03
    And not just that one time, but the several other times that I had my wages stolen in this industry as well, we were able to recover my money.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:50:10
    When workers experience wage theft, it impacts our entire families, it impacts our daily life.
  • 00:50:27
    And what I've learned at CETUL, we have been able to continue to share with other workers.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:50:45
    I've been able to talk to other workers about what their rights are.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:50:48
    The program of co-enforcement guarantees that workers have access to essential information.
  • 00:51:07
    Information about our rights that we need in order to be able to speak out against the violations that are happening to us on a daily basis.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:51:31
    And without the support of CITUL, that would be impossible.
  • 00:51:34
    In the support of CITUL and the co-enforcement program, we wouldn't be here.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:51:38
    We need more inversion in the police area so that we can get more workers so that more workers can have access to this information and that they can use their rights.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:51:53
    and that's why we need an increased investment in this area because we need, in Minneapolis, because we need to make sure that we have the funding to be able to do the outreach to so many workers to know about their rights.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:52:04
    So that we can make sure people have all the information and be educated for the year 2024.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:52:15
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:52:18
    Thank you.
  • 00:52:19
    Next we have Ustavio Diosko.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:52:28
    Good morning, my name is Eustaquio Orozco.
  • 00:52:38
    I'm a construction organizer at CETUL.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:52:46
    And before that, I was a construction worker with the Carpenters Union.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:52:53
    I came to Setul to support workers and I became a member of Setul.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:53:11
    When I was invited to become a part of the staff of Setul, I was excited and here I am.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:53:15
    Throughout my time here I've supported many workers in the Twin Cities.
  • 00:53:28
    And I've seen the need for workers to be able to feel connected to and identified with an organization when they're looking for support.
  • 00:53:43
    Many of them have gone to other agencies before like the Department of Labor.
  • 00:53:52
    And I feel their frustration because they're not feeling heard.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:54:13
    and then they come to us and we're able to work together to win to win and then word of mouth spreads and they bring more people to Osseto.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:54:22
    Ultimately, we've seen an increase in this type of situation in terms of salary, misclassification and maltreat.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:54:31
    Lately, we've seen an increase in cases of wage theft and misclassification and poor treatment.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:54:37
    And for those who are here at the city,
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:54:41
    And that's why we're here today asking the city to invest more money in co-enforcement program.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:54:51
    It is a need.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:55:02
    It's a need for workers to feel understood, to be able to feel connected and have that kind of support.
  • 00:55:07
    And that's why we're asking for this today.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:55:10
    And this work is possible because of the investment that the city makes and this investment is necessary so that workers can begin to feel empowered.
  • 00:55:37
    Gracias.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:55:38
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:55:40
    Thank you.
  • 00:55:41
    Next, we have Shelly Stein.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:55:47
    Welcome.
  • 00:55:48
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:55:51
    Hi, Council.
  • 00:55:51
    Thanks for having us.
  • 00:55:53
    I'm Shelly Stein.
  • 00:55:54
    I am a Ward 9 resident.
  • 00:55:57
    I've been a restaurant worker for about 15 years and now lead the Restaurant Opportunity Center of Minnesota as the lead organizer.
  • 00:56:06
    Today I'm asking you all, council members, for funding for co-enforcement added to the budget.
  • 00:56:14
    In my daily work, I meet and talk with and train workers from the food service industry.
  • 00:56:19
    It's one of the highest violation industries when it comes to wage theft, denial of sick and safe time, overtime, wages, thefts.
  • 00:56:31
    Our workers are immigrants.
  • 00:56:35
    They're young people.
  • 00:56:36
    They're middle-aged folks with families.
  • 00:56:39
    They span pretty much every demographic of the city.
  • 00:56:43
    And while there are stereotypes of these jobs being sort of stepping stones, these are career jobs and people are supporting families.
  • 00:56:59
    When workers don't get paid the minimum wage, they have to make choices about feeding their family or paying the bills.
  • 00:57:07
    That hurts people, that hurts families, and it hurts the capacity for the people that work in this city to live here.
  • 00:57:14
    It is quickly becoming impossible, and every time we see a worker who's denied their benefits, a worker who's working 60 hours a week but not being paid their overtime wages,
  • 00:57:28
    that hurts families and their capacity to live here.
  • 00:57:32
    I was a worker when we passed the minimum wage, the $15 minimum wage, sick time, anti-wage theft policies and something we know that is a policy is no good if it's unenforced.
  • 00:57:43
    And I believe it is the responsibility of the council, folks who have made the commitment to the people of Minneapolis to enforce that and co-enforcement is an effective tool that's been proven since it started here.
  • 00:57:55
    So please add additional funding to the budget.
  • 00:57:57
    Thanks.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:57:58
    Thank you.
  • 00:58:00
    Next we have Izzy Burley.
• • 00:58:11
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_03
  • 00:58:14
    Hello, Council.
  • 00:58:16
    My name is Izzy Burley.
  • 00:58:17
    I also live in the Ninth Ward.
  • 00:58:20
    I'm here today with ROC, ROC Minnesota.
  • 00:58:23
    I've been a restaurant worker
  • 00:58:25
    All my life, I first came to ROC.
  • 00:58:29
    I was working in a restaurant, a fine dining restaurant downtown.
  • 00:58:33
    It was getting lots of press and attention on paper.
  • 00:58:37
    The restaurant was doing very well.
  • 00:58:39
    However, we were dealing with wage disparity, lack of an HR department, retaliation from our bosses, unpaid overtime.
  • 00:58:48
    These are things that very personally affected me.
  • 00:58:52
    and as workers we were very frustrated, we felt very lost.
  • 00:58:57
    I lost lots of sleep over these issues.
  • 00:59:00
    ROC was able to give my co-workers and I skills and training to confront our management and demand solutions to these issues we were facing at work which were affecting our personal lives.
  • 00:59:13
    This felt very powerful.
  • 00:59:17
    We knew that we never experienced this type of hope in our industry before.
  • 00:59:22
    There was a dangerous employee we were having issues with, and as soon as we used some of the skills that we learned through ROC, this employee was removed.
  • 00:59:35
    There was lots of hope in our restaurant after that for months and months.
  • 00:59:41
    We were also having a lot of trouble with overtime, wages left.
  • 00:59:47
    We didn't have an HR department, as I mentioned before.
  • 00:59:50
    After we met with our bosses, an HR consultant was hired from outside.
  • 00:59:58
    It was a huge win for us, and overtime policies were drawn up as well.
  • 01:00:02
    ROC was instrumental in making our workplace safer.
  • 01:00:06
    I still value the skills and the teachings that I learned to this day.
  • 01:00:10
    We need places like ROC, so I'm here to ask to increase the funding.
  • 01:00:15
    Thank you.
• • Emily Koski
  • 01:00:17
    Thank you.
  • 01:00:18
    That completes the list of registered speakers, but I want to make sure, is there anyone who has not signed up yet that would like to address the committee?
  • 01:00:31
    Okay, I am not seeing any further speakers so I will go ahead and close this public hearing.
  • 01:00:37
    I want to thank everyone who took time to testify today and be here with us this morning and to invite you to stay engaged throughout this entire budget process.
  • 01:00:48
    I also want to thank our professional staff for their incredible work on bringing forward this budget.
  • 01:00:53
    to finance the city's operations and delivery of municipal services.
  • 01:00:58
    I will also mention that the City Council will be conducting one additional public hearing scheduled for December 5th.
  • 01:01:04
    It will begin at 605 p.m.
  • 01:01:07
    This is the statutory required truth and taxation hearing.
  • 01:01:11
    Prior to that, the Budget Committee has scheduled a markup session to consider amendments to the budget.
  • 01:01:17
    We have November 30th, which is reserved for the bulk of that work.
  • 01:01:21
    That meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Additionally, we have a meeting scheduled on December 1st to do any final cleanup.
  • 01:01:28
    Those markup sessions, as with all of our meetings, will be broadcast on the City's TV channel and live streamed on the City's website.
  • 01:01:36
    Finally, I'll also note that anyone may send written comments by minneapolismn.gov backslash public comment and they will be incorporated into the record for this hearing.
  • 01:01:49
    Are there any final comments or questions from committee members before we adjourn?
  • 01:01:57
    I am not seeing that.
  • 01:01:58
    So with that, we've concluded all business to come before the committee today and without objection, we stand adjourned.
  • 01:02:03
    Thank you.