Budget Committee December 09, 2024   12/9/2024

Discussion

• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:00:48
    Good morning, my name is Aisha Chugtai and I'm the chair of the Budget Committee.
  • 00:00:52
    I'm going to call to order our adjourned committee meeting for Monday, December 9th, 2024.
  • 00:00:58
    Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation.
  • 00:01:07
    These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community.
  • 00:01:15
    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.
  • 00:01:24
    We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments.
  • 00:01:28
    At this time, I'll ask the Clerk to call the roll so we can verify the presence of a quorum.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:01:34
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 00:01:35
    Present.
  • 00:01:36
    Wonsley?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:01:36
    Present.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:01:37
    Rainville?
  • 00:01:38
    Present.
  • 00:01:39
    Vita?
  • 00:01:40
    Present.
  • 00:01:41
    Ellison is absent.
  • 00:01:43
    Osman?
• • Jamal Osman
  • 00:01:44
    Present.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:01:45
    Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:02:01
    I'll also remind my colleagues that we are using speaker management today, so please make sure you sign in so you can be recognized.
  • 00:02:07
    Colleagues, welcome to the second day of budget markup.
  • 00:02:11
    The one and only piece of business before us today is to continue the process of considering revisions to Mayor Frey's 2025 recommended budget.
  • 00:02:21
    Friday the committee heard and took action on about 10 items and we will resume our work today starting with amendment number 8 which was held over to make revisions to the source.
  • 00:02:32
    As I anticipate, we will be working on amendments all day.
  • 00:02:36
    I will call a lunch recess around noon for about one hour.
  • 00:02:39
    We will plan to adjourn our meeting today around 4.30 p.m.
  • 00:02:44
    If we do not get through the remainder of the packet today, we will resume for our third budget markup session at 10 a.m. tomorrow, December 10.
  • 00:02:53
    If we do not complete our packet by the end of tomorrow's session, we will take up the remainder after we close the final public hearing on the 2025 budget at tomorrow's adjourned City Council meeting and continue the meeting as long as needed to complete our consideration of amendments and subsequent adoption of the 2025 city budget.
  • 00:03:13
    So if we all work together today, we can prevent all of us, all 13 of us, along with our aides, our clerk staff, our budget staff, cabinet members, and relevant department staff from being here in these chambers at midnight or beyond tomorrow evening.
  • 00:03:29
    I say this not to infringe on any member's right to debate, but as a friendly reminder on how much work we have to get through and how we can all work together to get there.
  • 00:03:39
    As a reminder, I will recognize the lead author of each amendment to introduce their motion and then we will open the floor for discussion on the amendment before taking a final vote.
  • 00:03:49
    Staff from the budget office along with members of the mayor's cabinet are on hand to address questions that may arise during our discussions as well as the departments whose budgets are being considered for changes.
  • 00:04:00
    I will also remind you all that we will be using the timer function today so each member receives seven minutes for their first speech and five minutes for each subsequent speech.
  • 00:04:11
    If the recognized member chooses to use their time to ask an author to yield for a question or to ask staff to address a question, the time used by the author or staff counts towards the recognized member's speech.
  • 00:04:23
    With that, we will return to the amendment packet with amendment number 8 and I will note for the record that we have been joined in this meeting by Councilmember Ellison and by Councilmember Cashman
  • 00:04:36
    So, starting with Amendment Number 8, which includes revisions, there is a packet that our clerks have placed on each of our desks with revisions to any motions or proposals and or proposals in front of us.
  • 00:04:54
    So, Amendment Number 8 is included in the packet that our clerks have put before us.
  • 00:05:00
    So with that,
  • 00:05:02
    I will recognize Amendment Number 8 is authored by Council Members Wansley, Payne, Ellison, Osman, and Chowdhury.
  • 00:05:10
    I will recognize Council Member Wansley to please introduce your revised amendment.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:05:16
    Thank you Council Vice President Chuktai.
  • 00:05:20
    So on Friday we began discussing this item and based on that conversation we have made some adjustments.
  • 00:05:26
    The updated proposal is to allocate funding from a combination of sources within MPD.
  • 00:05:32
    One source does draw from the chief's detail but it does not impact funding for the long-standing current city employee or the chaplain program.
  • 00:05:40
    The other source is a 41% reduction in MPD's budget for telephone services.
  • 00:05:46
    I do want to also reaffirm that MPD does have a documented history of using vacancy services savings at their discretion to supplement budgets and they do have the ability to use those same vacancy savings to increase funding for either the chief detail or telephone services if they do decide that's a priority for them but I do feel confident that these changes do respond to the concerns that we heard about the original proposal on Friday
  • 00:06:13
    while also making sure that we meet this critical need for civilian investigators.
  • 00:06:18
    So with that I will ask for a second, a motion for approval for this revised amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:06:25
    Councilmember Wonsley has moved approval of this amendment and it has been properly seconded.
  • 00:06:32
    Are there any questions or discussion from members of the committee?
  • 00:06:39
    I am not seeing any, so with that, we have the amendment offered by Councilmember Wansley before us.
  • 00:06:46
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll and Amendment No.
  • 00:06:48
    8 as revised.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:06:50
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 00:06:51
    Aye.
  • 00:06:52
    Wansley?
  • 00:06:53
    Aye.
  • 00:06:54
    Rainville?
  • 00:06:54
    Aye.
  • 00:06:55
    Lita?
  • 00:06:56
    No.
  • 00:06:57
    Ellison?
  • 00:06:58
    Aye.
  • 00:07:00
    Osman?
  • 00:07:00
    Aye.
  • 00:07:02
    Cashman?
  • 00:07:02
    Aye.
  • 00:07:04
    Chavez?
  • 00:07:05
    Aye.
  • 00:07:05
    Chaudhary?
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:07:06
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:07:07
    Palmisano?
• • 00:07:09
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:07:10
    Vice Chair Koski.
  • 00:07:11
    Aye.
  • 00:07:12
    Chair Chuktai.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:07:13
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:07:14
    There are eleven ayes and one nay.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:07:16
    That motion carries and with that we will now move to amendment number eleven as we did take final action on amendment number ten on Friday and that amendment number eleven is offered by
  • 00:07:35
    Council Members Wansley and Chavez.
  • 00:07:39
    It is the Safe and Thriving Gaps Analysis.
  • 00:07:42
    There is a revised version of that amendment before you.
  • 00:07:51
    Council Member Wansley, please begin by introducing your amendment.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:07:54
    Thank you, Council Vice President.
  • 00:07:56
    So this amendment will support the Performance Management and Innovation Department in implementing pilot programs that meet the gaps and opportunities outlined in the New York University's Policing Project Asset and Gap Analysis of the City's progress on the Safe and Thriving Communities report and plan.
  • 00:08:15
    The analysis that they shared stated that nearly 50% of 911 calls could potentially be diverted from a police response.
  • 00:08:24
    This reaffirms the information that council received in February of 2022 in the MPD staffing study which also outlined that a significant number of 911 calls also do not require a police response and should be diverted to alternative safety responses also to help reduce the strain on MPD while also meeting the needs of residents.
  • 00:08:45
    Council has done a great job to exert ongoing pressure and also to support the administration in advancing non-police initiatives and we are starting to see some success with these initiatives which were also praised by NYU and that is very encouraging and I'm proud of that persistence that my colleagues and myself especially those on the Public Health and Safety Committee
  • 00:09:10
    I'm proud of our commitment to this work and I'm glad that we embraced this and adopted this as our work plan and we're seeing a lot of progress come forward from that.
  • 00:09:23
    Originally this amendment was written to be funded by a one-time allocation out of the Neighborhood Safety Department.
  • 00:09:30
    but after further conversations with colleagues and the revised amendment before you today you will see that the funding now will be coming out of the four million dollars that council set aside for public safety pilots associated with the new community safety center model that was also grounded in the safe and thriving communities report.
  • 00:09:52
    So with that I will ask for a second and also a motion to approve this amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:09:57
    We have a proper motion and second to Councilmember Wonsley's amendment number 11.
  • 00:10:06
    I will note that this amendment uses the Community Safety Center pilots allocation which was four million dollars as Councilmember Wonsley noted last year.
  • 00:10:16
    There are a couple of other amendments that will use this source so that we will be considering later so this is amendment
  • 00:10:24
    number 11 and then we have amendment number 14 that will use this source and amendment number 33 that is using this source as well.
  • 00:10:38
    So we have a combined total of $1,035,000 that are attributed to this source.
  • 00:10:45
    Colleagues, is there any discussion on this item?
  • 00:10:48
    I will first recognize Councilmember Rainville followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:10:53
    Thank you.
  • 00:10:53
    I'm wondering if the author could just explain a little bit of the rationale for taking it out of that fund.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:10:59
    Council Member Walonsky, would you like to yield to Council Member Rainville?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:11:03
    Absolutely.
  • 00:11:04
    So Council Member Rainville, if you recall last budget cycle, we set aside four million dollars, which came from the Public Safety Aid, for the explicit goal of making sure we have resources to support initiatives like this.
  • 00:11:17
    Pilots that would support the implementation of the Safe and Thriving Communities report and plan, and we're literally getting recommendations
  • 00:11:24
    for how we can do that from our subject matter experts through New York University Policing Project.
  • 00:11:30
    So this funding absolutely supports its original attention through this amendment.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:11:39
    Thank you.
  • 00:11:39
    And I'm wondering why we have to give that department $500,000.
  • 00:11:45
    Can't they just assume this on their workload?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:11:50
    Councilmember Wonsley.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:11:51
    Yes, so from our conversations in the presentations from PMI, I think you're also aware that usually pilots have come from us making allocations to PMI.
  • 00:12:02
    That's not something that they just initiate on their own.
  • 00:12:06
    So this is following past presidents in terms of us supporting public safety pilots and making sure that PMI has the resources available and needed to make sure that they can actually carry out that work.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:12:19
    So again, if we have a fully staffed department, why do we have to add money to that department for them to do the work that we hired them to do?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:12:30
    So you actually pointed out the answer to your question.
  • 00:12:32
    So while they might be fully staffed...
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:12:34
    Excuse me, please don't... Let's just start this out by being polite to each other.
  • 00:12:37
    I don't like that conversation.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:12:38
    Council Member Rainville, I didn't say anything rude to you.
  • 00:12:40
    I literally pointed out that you did actually answer the point.
  • 00:12:43
    They're fully staffed, but fully staffed does not mean that they have programmatic dollars to carry out initiatives like PILOT.
  • 00:12:50
    So that is why we do give them allocations like this, and why we made allocations like we did last year to set aside that $4 million.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:13:04
    Councilmember Rainville, Councilmember Chavez is also in queue as an author to address your question.
  • 00:13:09
    Would you would you like him to yield to address your question as well?
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:13:13
    Please, thank you.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 00:13:14
    Wonderful.
  • 00:13:15
    Councilmember Chavez.
  • 00:13:15
    Thank you, Council President Chukta.
  • 00:13:17
    In regards to the stories of Councilmember Evo, I think this is even a bigger benefit now to the rest of our wards in the city of Minneapolis.
  • 00:13:23
    As you know, the four million was specifically for the third precinct, so now this is saying we're gonna fund pilots across the city in mind with the Safe and Thriving Community Blueprint Report.
  • 00:13:33
    I think this is also trying to help all of Minneapolis instead of just their precincts, so I want you to think about this vote as also supporting Ward 3 and the rest of the city.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:13:43
    Thank you for your polite answer.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:13:45
    Wonderful.
  • 00:13:46
    Councilmember Chavez, would you like to add anything additional?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 00:13:51
    I was on cue for Councilmember Osman.
  • 00:13:54
    I just want to add something.
  • 00:13:54
    I understand.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:13:55
    That makes sense now.
  • 00:13:57
    I'll recognize Councilmember Osman followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 00:14:01
    Thank you, Council Vice President.
  • 00:14:02
    I just want to remind folks that we had a huge debate on the Community Safety Center.
  • 00:14:09
    that will be open and I think that four million dollars was to make sure that we have we don't have it just a standard precinct we have a precinct that has services, victim services and that was the idea behind it and now I am a little concerned that we are using that source and kind of taking that away.
  • 00:14:29
    I do support this amendment but just I heard that there might be
  • 00:14:33
    other amendments that will use that source, that $4 million.
  • 00:14:37
    So just remind us that the third precinct is coming back in the district, not far away from where it used to be.
  • 00:14:47
    But just keep in mind that we definitely need money and resources for
  • 00:14:56
    to achieve the goal that we set ourselves to make sure that this is not just a standard precinct, but this is also a place for community to feel safe, to feel protected, and to be able to have services that can go.
  • 00:15:11
    I don't really want to see this place just to be a police station and not have
  • 00:15:17
    Thank you.
  • 00:15:25
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Rainville.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:15:38
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 00:15:40
    I'm concerned that PMI are not the subject matter experts to take on this work, but my questions are actually for Commissioner Barnett.
  • 00:15:47
    I'm curious what the Commissioner thinks about PMI's capacity to do this kind of work, but also, given that we allocated four million dollars in Community Safety Center pilots, what does taking in aggregate, as mentioned by the Chair, over a million dollars through a few different amendments here mean
  • 00:16:07
    from that community safety center pilot's fund in order to do this piece of it.
  • 00:16:16
    I'm curious what you would say about that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:16:19
    Welcome Commissioner Barnett if you'll begin by introducing yourself.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 00:16:23
    Good morning Council Members, good morning Chair Chuktai, Council Member Palmisano.
  • 00:16:29
    To answer your question, I'm concerned when you get, when you talk about the million and so funding, this concern about the cumulative effect, I just don't know yet because we haven't really gotten the details out of how the four million dollars would have been spent.
  • 00:16:46
    So just that the
  • 00:16:48
    I'm more concerned at this point about PMI's capacity and expertise.
  • 00:16:58
    I feel more that just where we're going, that this might really be
  • 00:17:12
    a situation where the expertise is in neighborhood safety.
  • 00:17:16
    So just that's my biggest concern.
  • 00:17:18
    I mean everyone has the memo about where we're going as an office as far as trying to identify and prioritize and design pilots and programs and be being comprehensive and so you know I won't belabor that point but it's just what is our ability to get this done.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:17:43
    And I see the director of PMI here.
  • 00:17:46
    Sure, I guess I'm sure she was running up here and so I should probably restate the question.
  • 00:17:53
    To the director of PMI, Ms. Hasbergen, I'm curious about PMI's capacity to do this work of doing the safe and thriving gaps analysis as is outlined in this budget directive or this budget amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:18:10
    Welcome, Director, if you'll begin by introducing yourself.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:18:12
    Yes, Kira Hasbarg, Director, Performance Management and Innovation.
  • 00:18:16
    Chair Chuktai, Council Member Palmisano.
  • 00:18:19
    I think PMI, you know, the first question that I heard before we got to our capacity is about subject matter expertise.
  • 00:18:25
    So some background, right?
  • 00:18:26
    We serve as internal consultants, supporting departments in an array of different activities, pilots being one.
  • 00:18:32
    I've talked at the AEO committee about the types of pilots that we're running and we definitely rely on the expertise of our partners in the departments.
  • 00:18:42
    We work to research, bring ideas, help with the design, and that is hand in glove with the departments.
  • 00:18:49
    So we are not designing something, you know, in
  • 00:18:52
    in a vacuum.
  • 00:18:53
    It's very collaborative.
  • 00:18:55
    I think as it relates to our capacity with our team of program managers helping and working with the Office of Community Safety and Director Harrington on implementing the Safe and Thriving Communities Report is one of our priorities.
  • 00:19:07
    I've spoken about that in my different committee presentations as well as the budget.
  • 00:19:11
    That is, though, and I appreciate the question,
  • 00:19:14
    to our capacity.
  • 00:19:16
    We presently have on staff three program managers, and they are the ones who lead that work with them.
  • 00:19:22
    So in initial conversations, and I think Director Harrington shared in one of her PHS committee presentations, we can probably take on three to five
  • 00:19:29
    I'll give you the number three to five with a big asterisk around it.
  • 00:19:48
    So as we look at our capacity, right, we have some active and then are working first in quarter one to look at the report that Councilmember Wansley mentioned that outlines some low-hanging fruit related to structure, process, sort of we want to make sure internally we're in a position to do things like data-driven contracting, like having in place a mechanism to collect performance data from contractors, from our city services more generally.
  • 00:20:14
    So that's where we in concert with OCS have decided to really focus Q1 of 2025.
  • 00:20:20
    I think then from that we'll take a look at what some of those recommendations specifically were in the report that I believe is going to be released to you in the public hopefully within the next two weeks to then identify pilots, come to
  • 00:20:34
    are all of our stakeholders to help us prioritize that subset and then implement them.
  • 00:20:39
    So I think that was a very long way around to yes, we again will have the capacity, we are reliant on our subject matter experts in the departments to help us understand what's feasible with the research that we bring to them and from a capacity perspective can probably oversee about three to five depending again on how large they are.
  • 00:20:57
    But it is done in collaboration, we are very much trying to figure out how we can
  • 00:21:02
    I think that's
  • 00:21:21
    I think
  • 00:21:39
    PMI is very much looking forward to finding sort of a more sustainable funding mechanism but so if we were for example with this half a million dollars and we would do a funds transfer to the department because our staff would not manage a contract would not manage invoicing right we are there so it can be a sustainable system in which if the program does consider excuse me continue with ongoing funding the department has the capacity and their program staff know about it right we don't just temporarily
  • 00:22:06
    do the program and then train someone, the staff is engaged.
  • 00:22:09
    So we would be doing transfers, fund transfers, if we do get so far into a pilot design that it has been approved and we are looking to implement.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:22:20
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 00:22:21
    I'm almost out of time, so I'll get back in queue to finish my conversation with Commissioner Barnett.
  • 00:22:26
    No, that's fine.
  • 00:22:26
    I mean, that was actually incredibly helpful, so thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:22:30
    Wonderful.
  • 00:22:31
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Rainville, followed by Councilmember Wonsley.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:22:35
    Thank you.
  • 00:22:36
    I'm in queue for Councilmember Cashman.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 00:22:38
    Thank you so much.
  • 00:22:39
    Thank you Councilmember Rainville and Chair Chugtai.
  • 00:22:42
    I actually wanted to get in queue to talk a little bit about the PMI's role with OCS because I think it's been really great this year seeing PMI lead on the pilots that are
  • 00:22:55
    you know from the same source so for example the Community Safety Ambassadors pilots PMI is leading and I see now that they're starting to be implemented with those call for proposals being out there for both Lake Street and Franklin and from my conversations with you all it's been really collaborative between PMI and with OCS on getting that work off the ground so for that reason I feel optimistic about this move because I've seen PMI be able to move with
  • 00:23:24
    an idea behind a pilot pretty quickly within one year.
  • 00:23:28
    But I just did want to ask the director if you could speak to the funding nature of those two pilots and if you see this as a similar type of collaboration.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:23:36
    I think the process that you mentioned would be very similar and I would be remiss in not mentioning that what you may not be seeing is there are project meetings so you know our program manager is meeting with the Neighborhood Safety Department staff on at least a weekly if not bi-weekly basis to help with some of that work so they are there weighing and we didn't just write an RFP and ask them to review it, it is collaborative so it is again a hand in glove effort
  • 00:24:03
    I think the difference in that pilot specifically
  • 00:24:13
    called out in the last budget that that pilot was funded.
  • 00:24:16
    And so funding, it was for that very specific purpose.
  • 00:24:19
    And so that's why we were also able to move a little bit more faster on that because it was specifically identified for an ambassador program, I think it was like $3 million, that might not be the right amount, so I apologize, was for that.
  • 00:24:32
    So we did not, because it was specifically
  • 00:24:36
    did not have the opportunity to go through and say, oh, of the eight projects or ideas that we have, how can we go and sort of assess what's going to meet city priorities, what's more related to community safety, what could be quicker to implement in a time frame.
  • 00:24:53
    It was very set.
  • 00:24:55
    We're looking forward to at a higher level looking at the report holistically and we've had these conversations again with Director Harrington about what fits, what's supplementing our work, what could be a new area that we haven't moved in that would be important.
  • 00:25:13
    I mean we feel it's very important to look at that holistically at the full list of potential pilots as opposed to sort of picking them in a more ad hoc basis and that's why it will take more time in 2025 than we initially had anticipated but I think that will help us around sustainability and making sure with limited resources we are making the right decisions.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 00:25:34
    okay yeah I just wanted to make the point that this is you know a public safety related pilot that was funded to PMI to do that work and it's being done successfully so I think this is a good amendment thanks wonderful next I'll recognize councilmember Wonsley followed by councilmember Palmisano
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 00:25:51
    Yes, thank you Council Vice President.
  • 00:25:54
    I did want to provide some clarification just to also something shared by the Commissioner of Arnett in terms of why the funding source did not go to the Neighborhood Safety Department.
  • 00:26:05
    I think most of us know and maybe this is pre-tenure also to
  • 00:26:08
    Commissioner Barnett himself, but many of us know that most pilots were funded through PMI or the Office of Performance and Innovation and Management prior to government structure.
  • 00:26:18
    So there's never been a situation where the Neighborhood Safety Department or the Office of Violence Prevention pre-Neighborhood Safety Department ever carried out a pilot on itself.
  • 00:26:26
    We've always relegated that money and those sources to
  • 00:26:30
    now what is PMI to be kind of the charging force to developing those pilots of course in conjunction with the departments that would essentially be the home for those pilots if they were chosen to be adopted.
  • 00:26:45
    I also want to also note that in addition to support for OCS, specifically Director Harrington, we do have a contract with New York University Policing Project, also Dr. Oftelli, who authored the Safe and Thriving Communities Report, who are also going to be providing ongoing and continuous subject matter expertise in the development of these pilots and help to craft
  • 00:27:09
    this analysis that showed us what we're missing in our overall safety ecosystem of services.
  • 00:27:15
    So it won't just be our own staff, we're actually bringing on external subject matter experts who helped to craft this report and analysis who's going to be helping develop this work along the way in conjunction with our own city staff.
  • 00:27:29
    So I did want to emphasize that too.
  • 00:27:32
    So I'm really excited about our ability to expand not only services for the city but for our residents
  • 00:27:38
    because we're seeing tremendous success with this work.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:27:42
    Thank you.
  • 00:27:43
    Next, I will recognize Councilmember Palmesano followed by Councilmember Chavez.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:27:48
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 00:27:49
    I do want to ask Commissioner Barnett back up here.
  • 00:27:54
    You know, these are different departments now.
  • 00:27:57
    It used to be the case that one would handle pilots, formerly OPI, now PMI, but while Director Hasbergen
  • 00:28:07
    has made this a tougher choice for me as she constantly shows up and she's extremely competent.
  • 00:28:13
    I wonder if NYU and their very helpful presentation in committee a couple weeks ago showed that we already have that
  • 00:28:22
    amount of work done.
  • 00:28:23
    So my curiosity is how we bring some of these things to fruition best and in a most stable way.
  • 00:28:31
    So to that end, I'm curious, Commissioner, what you think of this.
  • 00:28:40
    You know, I think my question was, how were you planning to use this $4 million in the Community Safety Center pilots?
  • 00:28:49
    Should this actually stay with
  • 00:28:52
    That department or How do we do this in the best way possible maybe not the fastest way possible but the best way possible commissioner Welcome back.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 00:29:03
    Thank you for the question chair Chuck tag councilmember pamisano
  • 00:29:09
    I guess I was trying to say this earlier.
  • 00:29:13
    We're early in the process.
  • 00:29:17
    We have not detailed out exactly how we would have used the four million dollars.
  • 00:29:23
    I said earlier about this
  • 00:29:25
    the cumulative effect that this might have, I don't know but what we are really trying to do and I think that you've seen it here through different committees is that collaboration that we want to have with departments so that we
  • 00:29:44
    standardized our process at how we're gonna collect data.
  • 00:29:50
    We are trying to be more intentional and thoughtful about how we do evaluations for these different pilot programs, and making sure that the scope of those pilots are met, and if they are not met, why, and whether or not we should be expanding
  • 00:30:11
    pilot programs, or even existing programs.
  • 00:30:14
    And so, getting to your question, we don't know what effect this will have at this point, but I am encouraged on the direction that we're going.
  • 00:30:27
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:30:28
    Thank you, thank you.
  • 00:30:30
    Next I'll recognize, finally I will recognize Councilmember Chavez.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 00:30:34
    Thank you Council Vice President Chagte.
  • 00:30:36
    I just want to finish with a few comments because I think there are a few other amendments that we are going to be taking from this fund but I think it's going to be okay because over the summer the mayor's administration tried to completely take these four million dollars out of the Community Safety Center pilots and reallocate it to the police contract and other services which means there would have been zero dollars left for the Community Safety Center so I think
  • 00:30:58
    At the end of the day, this is still more than the mayor was recommending this year.
  • 00:31:02
    There's going to be at least around $3 million left over for the Community Safety Center.
  • 00:31:08
    So I just want us to understand that over the summer, this body almost took a vote, what we did, but we rejected it from completely gutting that into other programming.
  • 00:31:16
    We saved those four million dollars.
  • 00:31:19
    Now there's money here that we can use for other stuff to make it a city-wide impact, which I think is something that we all want to do to make sure all our residents have access to these services.
  • 00:31:27
    So at the end of the day, while we are going to be taking some of this money with other amendments, it's still more than the mayor was allocating when he tried to take all this money for the police contract and other services in our city.
  • 00:31:37
    So I just want to make sure that we all knew that people took that vote in the summer.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:31:41
    With that, we have amendment number 11 before us offered by council members Wonsley and Chavez.
  • 00:31:49
    I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the revised amendment number 11.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:31:55
    Council member Payne.
  • 00:31:56
    Aye.
  • 00:31:57
    Wonsley.
  • 00:31:58
    Aye.
  • 00:31:59
    Rainville.
  • 00:32:00
    Aye.
  • 00:32:01
    Vitol.
  • 00:32:01
    Aye.
  • 00:32:02
    Ellison.
  • 00:32:03
    Aye.
  • 00:32:04
    Osman.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 00:32:05
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:32:06
    Cashman.
• • Emily Koski
  • 00:32:06
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:32:07
    Chavez.
  • 00:32:08
    Aye.
  • 00:32:09
    Chowdhury.
• • 00:32:10
    Aye.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:32:11
    That motion carries and with that we will now move to amendment number 12 which is in the original binder.
  • 00:32:29
    This motion is offered by myself and council member Ellison so I will begin by introducing the amendment and ask for a second.
  • 00:32:39
    So colleagues, this motion proposes to move the Behavioral Crisis Response Program contract with Canopy Roots, but that program entirely from the Neighborhood Safety Department and into the Fire Department.
  • 00:33:00
    I want to share a little bit about the context and purpose behind making this sort of move.
  • 00:33:06
    Behavioral Crisis Response Services are often needed alongside or in addition to other emergency response services including often the Minneapolis Fire Department.
  • 00:33:17
    Moving this contract to the Minneapolis Fire Department which also responds to 911 calls for service allows for a closer relationship between services
  • 00:33:27
    and for the Behavioral Crisis Response Program to have their contract with the department that has first-hand understanding of their unique type of operations.
  • 00:33:38
    This proposal also allows for the Neighborhood Safety Department, which has grown rapidly in recent years, to meet the comprehensive public safety needs of Minneapolis and have greater
  • 00:33:49
    to oversee other contracts for alternatives to police and unarmed public safety.
  • 00:33:55
    Before moving this amendment forward, authors have spoken extensively with Canopy Roots, who currently provides the Beaverville Crisis Response Program services with the city through this contract.
  • 00:34:10
    They also have a long-term need for a permanent home, one that does not confuse or conflate the Behavioral Crisis Response Program with efforts to other violence intervention or interruption strategies that exist within the Neighborhood Safety Department.
  • 00:34:28
    We've also spoken with the Fire Department and the Office of Community Safety and the Fire Department has been clear that they have the existing capacity to administer this contract.
  • 00:34:41
    The Minneapolis Fire Department has the infrastructure and the institutional knowledge to understand the unique needs of this service.
  • 00:34:47
    City Council.
  • 00:34:49
    I will ask for a second.
  • 00:35:00
    This item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 00:35:03
    Is there any discussion on this item?
  • 00:35:06
    I will first recognize Councilmember Ellison.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 00:35:08
    I'll be brief as a co-author.
  • 00:35:14
    I hope my colleagues will as well.
  • 00:35:16
    This conversation started about a year ago with the commissioner.
  • 00:35:24
    I had expressed that I thought it might be a good idea for us to start to consider this.
  • 00:35:28
    There's a kind of a mix across the country with these kinds of programs being either in the fire department or being in a program like NSD.
  • 00:35:38
    And so I think that there was room for healthy debate about which department was the right fit.
  • 00:35:44
    At the time I think Commissioner Barnett was a little bit hesitant and so I was happy to leave the conversation there but in the last couple of months or so we've heard
  • 00:35:54
    We've heard through presentations that these conversations were sort of still under consideration and so I felt like it was appropriate for us to go ahead and move.
  • 00:36:04
    I'm happy to continue to partner with the departments about how that transition goes.
  • 00:36:09
    What does the NSD need?
  • 00:36:10
    What does the fire department need?
  • 00:36:12
    But I feel like this action at least helps give us some stability of BCR
  • 00:36:17
    because I know that we all hope that BCR ends up being a long-standing program for many, many years.
  • 00:36:23
    And at the end of the day, you know, NSD, at least in, you know, at least in the iteration that I was around for, was always about violence interruption.
  • 00:36:34
    BCR is not about violence interruption, it's emergency response, it's 911 integrated.
  • 00:36:38
    and so I felt like putting it in a department that's also 9-1-1 integrated was a smart move and could help continue to deepen that relationship.
  • 00:36:47
    So that's all.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:36:49
    Thank you.
  • 00:36:49
    Next I'll recognize Council President Payne followed by Councilmember Chavez.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 00:36:53
    Thank you Vice President.
  • 00:36:55
    I wanted to connect this to our last discussion around our investments in pilots.
  • 00:37:00
    BCR started off as a pilot.
  • 00:37:02
    I worked on PMI at the time and it was a pilot on the same footing as embedding a social worker 911.
  • 00:37:10
    As we see today, BCR is a very established program now and we're still in the early phases of developing the embedded social worker 911.
  • 00:37:18
    So I think as we think about how we're investing in pilots on the front end, we also have to think about how we onboard those pilots into a established program within the city and I think this is a really smart step in that right direction.
  • 00:37:33
    I think
  • 00:37:34
    You know, big picture, 10 year vision, I would love to see BCR be a fully embedded city staff, you know, union represented workforce.
  • 00:37:45
    We are not quite there yet, but I think this is stepping in the right direction, aligning it much more closely with the Safe and Thriving Communities report, as we all know, it's broken down into three main pillars of
  • 00:37:57
    Council, and
  • 00:38:14
    I think this is much more in alignment with the Safe and Thriving Communities report, which didn't exist when we were in the early phases of designing BCR.
  • 00:38:24
    So this feels like the proper movement towards really establishing BCR as a primary first response in the city of Minneapolis, so I'm happy to support this amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:38:37
    Thank you.
  • 00:38:37
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Osman followed by Councilmember Chowdhury.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 00:38:42
    Thank you Council Vice President.
  • 00:38:44
    I wanted to mention that PCI was probably the best decision we made addressing the concern of police respond to individuals with mental health and mental challenges and so on.
  • 00:38:59
    I had an opportunity to ride along and I encourage if you haven't done it please do so.
  • 00:39:05
    and we visited a couple places and just how wonderful they are engaging and the folks that are, you know, getting these services, much appreciated.
  • 00:39:17
    There's no reason a police show up where it's not needed for those folks to go and
  • 00:39:28
    It has done a lot to our community.
  • 00:39:35
    Two wonderful gentlemen that I took right along with.
  • 00:39:40
    And we need to make sure that the program continues to improve and exist to address some of these challenges in the past that we had.
  • 00:39:50
    And if Office of Community Safety Department, it's busy.
  • 00:39:54
    It has a lot in their hands, you know.
  • 00:39:56
    Thank you, next I'll recognize Councilmember Chowdhury followed by Councilmember Palmisano
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 00:40:13
    Thank you so much Madam Chair.
  • 00:40:14
    I will share with the body.
  • 00:40:17
    I took a little bit of a step back when I looked at this item.
  • 00:40:20
    I needed some time to just sleep on it and then had to make some phone calls to the authors to really understand the work that they've done around this and ultimately I think that this is a move towards progress for behavioral crisis response.
  • 00:40:41
    As others have echoed up here, this is one of our most successful programs noted as a success by the Department of Justice.
  • 00:40:51
    And what really pushed me towards supporting this amendment today is I think Neighborhood Safety Department is currently a department that we have that is growing and changing really quickly.
  • 00:41:02
    and it's still taking form.
  • 00:41:04
    It's still kind of figuring out what the rhythm is for the work and how it's going to show up in the larger ecosystem of public safety.
  • 00:41:14
    And with behavioral crisis response, it's making strides.
  • 00:41:17
    Every budget cycle, we do more progress.
  • 00:41:21
    Last budget cycle, we expanded the program and now there's five vans and then we also
  • 00:41:27
    pushed for the Lake Street Safety Center where now BCR will be deploying out of or stopping into the south side and that's exciting and my ultimate goal is to see BCR one day become a standalone department.
  • 00:41:44
    and I believe very deeply that that is possible and I believe within MFD having that institutional knowledge and structure and also that 911 integration already within that department this is a place where it can better grow and kind of head in that direction so I'm excited to support this I appreciate the authors for doing their homework on this and then talking to the fire department and ensuring that they will be able to facilitate the contract
  • 00:42:14
    and take this step forward.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:42:17
    Thank you.
  • 00:42:17
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Rainville.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:42:24
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 00:42:28
    You know we we also had put this contract with Neighborhood Safety to help it grow, to help foster it and maybe now Canopy Roots is in a place for it to be more established.
  • 00:42:41
    I've been on a couple of ride-alongs with
  • 00:42:43
    Canopy roots I've seen I've been on ride-alongs with the fire department and seen how closely they work together.
  • 00:42:50
    I've also seen Heard how our police rely on them for different things quite a bit I do think this makes sense because they are a first responder and they are Responding though.
  • 00:43:03
    I've also seen canopy roots be pretty proactive in our community as they
  • 00:43:08
    our as we are driving around I was in there with them just responding to things that come up in our environment I worry a little bit that as we go through more DOJ conversations this is we're going to be shaking them up in a lot of different ways I don't want to just
  • 00:43:25
    Pull all the infrastructure out and stick it in MFD and then have to uproot it again But I do like this This move.
  • 00:43:36
    I'm not sure the impact it will ultimately have but They are a first responder and and we should be Organizing them as such.
  • 00:43:45
    So, thank you Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:43:47
    And then finally, I will recognize councilmember Rainville and
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:43:51
    Thank you.
  • 00:43:53
    Commissioner Barnett, I have a question for you, please.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:44:01
    Welcome back, Commissioner.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:44:05
    Good morning.
  • 00:44:05
    Good morning.
  • 00:44:07
    So with this shift, is the fire department in a position to provide the data and accountability of the success of this program?
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 00:44:18
    Chair Chuck Todd, Council Member Rayville, it's too early.
  • 00:44:24
    I don't think we're there yet.
  • 00:44:26
    We haven't, we've talked about it.
  • 00:44:31
    That's all we've done.
  • 00:44:33
    We haven't planned it.
  • 00:44:35
    So, and I know Council Member Ellison and I have had some conversations about it.
  • 00:44:43
    I'm not saying this is a bad idea.
  • 00:44:45
    We we just haven't planned it out.
  • 00:44:47
    I just think it's too early.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 00:44:48
    That's all Okay, let me put a little differently.
  • 00:44:52
    Yep.
  • 00:44:52
    Is there a commitment then to provide the data so we can assess this program?
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 00:44:59
    We are currently working, I'm sorry chair Chuck Todd, council member Rainville right now
  • 00:45:08
    If I can explain a little bit, Councilmember Rainville, we are trying to figure out those data points even further.
  • 00:45:19
    When the NYU Policing Project came along, we noticed that there were some data points that we could be better at, and so we're going to work on those things.
  • 00:45:31
    I don't think, I know people hear it, fire's been established, all those things.
  • 00:45:37
    I don't think they've managed a contract like this before.
  • 00:45:41
    I don't believe that they have written an RFP once this contract expires to do those things where NSD has.
  • 00:45:50
    All I'm saying is how do we get there because we've only had discussions in how it does work as a concept.
  • 00:46:00
    Thank you.
  • 00:46:00
    Yep.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:46:02
    And then finally I'll recognize Councilmember Ellison.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 00:46:06
    I was just going to, and maybe this is helpful to Councilmember Raineyville, I think, I believe Canopy provides us all of the data.
  • 00:46:12
    And so, you know, the Commissioner can correct me if I'm wrong, but NSD, but yeah, but Canopy provides the data and so I feel like we haven't relied on NSD for that, we haven't relied, we won't need to rely on fire for that.
  • 00:46:25
    Canopy is the one who provides the data.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 00:46:29
    Canopy, I'm sorry chair Chuck time council member Allison council member Rainville.
  • 00:46:35
    That is the sticky point It's how do we get that data canopy does collect data?
  • 00:46:41
    They have a lot of data.
  • 00:46:42
    And so what Paul Cameron has been doing in IT and other people is how do we
  • 00:46:50
    make sure we're all on the same page at where that data's come from.
  • 00:46:54
    A lot of the data for us as a city that we get is 911 data where we need some of that data that Canopy Roots has.
  • 00:47:05
    Just to be better at what we do and understand all those things.
  • 00:47:09
    So it's not that they don't have it, it's how do we coordinate and integrate all this into our system so we're all on the same page.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 00:47:19
    Thank you for that clarification and response.
  • 00:47:21
    I was going to make another point, just a little high level.
  • 00:47:25
    One is that I think in the past, and I've been reflecting on this a lot as the old guy up here, but this would have been, to me in the past, this would have been an internal work group.
  • 00:47:36
    that would have had like a council member and somebody from fire and somebody from NCR and the commissioner and we probably would have like worked this out and in this new government structure we don't have those kinds of internal work groups anymore that we don't have that level of communication with staff that we used to.
  • 00:47:50
    I feel like I used to be on like
  • 00:47:52
    five or six internal work groups every single year.
  • 00:47:57
    And so I think that that would have ensured us, that would have given us as a council a little bit more insight into how that transition would happen.
  • 00:48:05
    But the thing I will say is that both NSD and FIRE are under the same umbrella.
  • 00:48:11
    And so the transfer of information, the knowledge sharing, those kinds of things that we would know
  • 00:48:18
    If we still had that internal work group model, we might not know as a council as intimately, but I'm pretty sure that that's kind of how the work will happen and how the transition will occur.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:48:30
    Thank you, and then finally I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 00:48:34
    Thank you, Chair Chugtai.
  • 00:48:36
    I just wanted to comment on this.
  • 00:48:38
    I remember being in the AEO committee when our Neighborhood Safety Department director actually suggested this move and I remember Council Member Ellison saying, I've actually been thinking that for a long time.
  • 00:48:48
    I'm glad that we're starting to have that conversation.
  • 00:48:50
    And what's been really interesting to me to learn about the fire department this year is that they actually do respond to a lot of similar calls.
  • 00:49:00
    as BCR.
  • 00:49:01
    They respond to overdoses.
  • 00:49:03
    They respond to suicide attempts.
  • 00:49:07
    I personally live by a bunch of bridges and there's a fire station right there.
  • 00:49:10
    I know that they're responding to a lot of those types of calls and so I do think that it is a bit elevated in terms of first response beyond like what NSD does with group violence intervention and violence interruption.
  • 00:49:24
    It requires like additional
  • 00:49:27
    training and different types of training that the fire department also has at their disposal.
  • 00:49:32
    So I think that this is a good move.
  • 00:49:34
    I just wanted to ask the authors if they could speak to like the role of the fire department.
  • 00:49:39
    Is it just managing the contract or will they have additional responsibilities?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:49:43
    Thank you for that question Councilmember Cashman.
  • 00:49:47
    The current way in which we as a city administer the Behavioral Crisis Response Program is through a contract with Canopy Roots.
  • 00:50:00
    Whatever department that contract lives with is responsible for the administration of that contract and that's the move we're making.
  • 00:50:10
    The fire department at a day-to-day level isn't supervising the staff at Canopy Roots that actually carry out the program.
  • 00:50:18
    They are administering the contract by which we receive those services.
  • 00:50:24
    Councilmember, if I may just add, you brought up a really excellent point about the types of
  • 00:50:31
    911 calls that the fire department responds to and you know we received some really incredible data from the from the fire department I had a chance to go on a ride along as well about half of the phone the 911 calls that the fire department is responding to our medical calls under that umbrella so there's a deep connection to the type of work as you as you pointed out.
  • 00:50:56
    Councilmember Ellison are you hoping to also address this question?
  • 00:51:00
    Wonderful.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 00:51:02
    The short answer is your answer which is that we don't have control over that and so I suspect the contract will operate the same but since you're asking the question and since this is a platform for me to give my ideas I would love to say I would love to see a deeper level of integration so that the department that manages the contract maybe has better insights from Canopy about the kind of data analysis they're doing
  • 00:51:29
    I know that Canopy has a contract with an external organization to identify opportunities for data analysis and improve best practices and those kinds of things.
  • 00:51:39
    And I don't know how involved, you know, we have been able to either learn or give input but I'd love to see more integration there.
  • 00:51:47
    I'd also love to see the director of Canopy have more of an active relationship with
  • 00:51:53
    whether it's the fire chief or you know I know that there have been times where there's been a little bit of confusion about whether we manage it like a normal contract that we have or sort of treat them almost like they are a 9-1-1 department.
  • 00:52:07
    There's a tension there that I'd love to see us resolved and I think it could only be resolved through you know a longer relationship with
  • 00:52:16
    with the department managing the contract.
  • 00:52:18
    And so I'd love to see some of those things resolved, and I would love to see FIRE take on a more active role so that they feel like they understand the data collection, the data analysis, and the rationale behind why Canopy might be making certain decisions one way or another, because it is a whole new realm of expertise that we in the city just don't have.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 00:52:43
    Great, yeah I'll just finish by saying that BCR is extremely important for Ward 7.
  • 00:52:48
    It actually receives the most amount of BCR response of any ward in the city because of downtown.
  • 00:52:54
    Because downtown is the place where so many transit lines connect, where so many people go when they don't have anywhere else to be.
  • 00:53:04
    Oh thanks.
  • 00:53:06
    I think that it's really smart for us to make sure that BCR does have like stations and resources dispersed throughout the city and right you know we're talking about them being also connected at the the new Minnehaha Safety Center as well so look forward to continuing the conversation about how this program can grow.
  • 00:53:25
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:53:26
    I will note that we have been joined in this meeting by Councilmember Jenkins.
  • 00:53:30
    Welcome.
  • 00:53:31
    Councilmember Ellison, anything else?
  • 00:53:33
    Wonderful.
  • 00:53:34
    With that, colleagues, we have Amendment Number 12 offered by myself and Councilmember Ellison in front of us.
  • 00:53:42
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment Number 12.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:53:46
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 00:53:47
    Aye.
  • 00:53:48
    Wonsley?
  • 00:53:49
    Aye.
  • 00:53:50
    Rainville?
  • 00:53:51
    Aye.
  • 00:53:51
    Vito?
  • 00:53:52
    Aye.
  • 00:53:53
    Ellison?
  • 00:53:54
    Aye.
  • 00:53:55
    That motion carries.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:54:09
    Next we will move on to amendment number 13 which is in your binder.
  • 00:54:23
    Because we needed to consider amendment number 12 there are two drafts of amendment number 13 so that we wouldn't have to draft a brand new motion on the fly.
  • 00:54:36
    So what we will be considering as a result of approval of amendment number 12 is
  • 00:54:43
    The 13B version which is moving the supplemental funding into the fire department.
  • 00:54:49
    This amendment is offered by Council President Payne, Council Member Ellison, and myself.
  • 00:54:55
    I will recognize Council President Payne to introduce the motion.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 00:55:00
    Thank you, Vice President Chuck Ty.
  • 00:55:01
    This, if you recall, when we did our budget priorities back in the spring, I'd worked very closely with Canopy Roots late last year and into early this year to talk about how the program was going, what kind of needs they might have.
  • 00:55:18
    A big need was around
  • 00:55:23
    having an extra vehicle for supervisors, especially now that we have all five vans out there.
  • 00:55:30
    They said it would be really operationally helpful to have a vehicle independent from calls for service so that those supervisors could help give back up or resolve workforce issues.
  • 00:55:42
    Another thing that they shared was now that they've got some experience under their belts, they just have a better understanding of the costs.
  • 00:55:49
    So when I did my ride along, you know,
  • 00:55:53
    They were able to really de-escalate the situation through things like handing out bottled water or having some snacks available.
  • 00:56:01
    And they've incurred a number of costs that were maybe not planned for through some of those supplemental support that they provide through their service.
  • 00:56:12
    Finally, just cost of living adjustment, inflation, labor costs, they've been experiencing it as much as the city has.
  • 00:56:20
    Their contract is up for renewal in August, so mid-year, so this is an attempt at allocating some resources so that when we do go back into contract negotiations, we have the ability to negotiate in good faith so that they can have their workforce be made whole as well, given all of them.
  • 00:56:41
    increased cost of living.
  • 00:56:43
    And so with that I will move to withdraw 13A and move 13B for approval if there's a second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:56:55
    Council President Payne has moved to withdraw 13A and move 13B for approval.
  • 00:57:00
    Is there a second to that motion?
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 00:57:02
    Second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:57:03
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 00:57:05
    Is there any discussion from members of the committee?
  • 00:57:10
    I will first recognize Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 00:57:14
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 00:57:17
    I think you said that the Canopy Roots contract is due to be updated or renegotiated this year.
  • 00:57:23
    Yes.
  • 00:57:24
    Have we done our own analysis of wages instead of relying on the analysis of another organization who stands to benefit?
  • 00:57:32
    I did have a conversation with them when I was invited to a ride along, but I would really like an independent look at this and it feels a little bit strange to me because we are outsourcing these services to a contractor.
  • 00:57:45
    So these aren't this isn't monies that maybe we should be putting with our labor relations team per se But I'm a little bit
  • 00:57:58
    how much of this money is going towards snacks and I've seen their cabinet of snacks and how much of this is about increased wages and cost of living adjustments.
  • 00:58:11
    I don't know and I also don't know what this decrease or reappropriation will mean to the Neighborhood Safety Department.
  • 00:58:16
    It sounds like we're gutting it this morning.
  • 00:58:19
    I'm not sure what existing services or programs will be impacted and
  • 00:58:23
    All this feels a little bit premature, so I actually don't see Director Anderson Kelleher, but
  • 00:58:31
    Ah, there you are.
  • 00:58:32
    You were just bending down.
  • 00:58:37
    It feels strange to me to appropriate this money out of NSD for this service.
  • 00:58:43
    Nonetheless, I sort of agree with my colleagues that we should be moving this money over to help expand the program.
  • 00:58:53
    Does anybody, is there anybody here in the audience that would like to talk about moving yet another
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:59:01
    of the neighborhood safety department
• • Elliott Payne
  • 00:59:17
    Thank you Vice President.
  • 00:59:21
    My original motion for this was around appropriating within NSD and I looked at their past spending and as we've seen they have had a hard time getting the money out the door.
  • 00:59:30
    So this felt like a really responsible, as we're building out our comprehensive safety system,
  • 00:59:35
    Council,
  • 00:59:52
    That's the first thing.
  • 00:59:53
    And then the second thing is I'd welcome an independent analysis on costs as we go into contract negotiation.
  • 00:59:59
    I think that would be the right and proper thing to do.
  • 01:00:01
    This makes sure that we have the appropriations in place regardless of the outcome of that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:00:08
    I see Commissioner Barnett making his way up.
  • 01:00:11
    Welcome back.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 01:00:12
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 01:00:15
    Chuck Tai, I can't remember where the question came from.
  • 01:00:19
    It came from me, Commissioner.
  • 01:00:20
    Sorry, Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:00:22
    I guess I'm curious what services would be lost or impacted.
  • 01:00:26
    We're putting a lot of padding for BCR then over into the fire department, which might be the right place to do it.
  • 01:00:32
    I don't know.
  • 01:00:33
    but we're also in the midst of renegotiating a contract so this it's a little weird because we contract for these services these are not our employees they to my knowledge are not union employees maybe they would be in the future but that's not it's not our we're not the employer here we're just a contract so I'm curious
  • 01:00:57
    how this impacts the Neighborhood Safety Department in their existing services or programs.
  • 01:01:03
    Clearly we want to make the Neighborhood Safety Department a better place to manage contracts and not just remove our biggest contracts from them.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 01:01:11
    Thank you.
  • 01:01:12
    Whenever we earmark or reduce funding in any department, of course it has an effect.
  • 01:01:19
    I think what you'll see in the memo from us about this particular area, we asked
  • 01:01:26
    the staff in SD when there's a reduction of this magnitude what services would be affected and I could grab that but the ones that I remember that would be affected I believe is GVI, YGVI and I think some technical assistance.
  • 01:01:51
    As far as
  • 01:01:53
    the service of behavioral crisis response.
  • 01:01:57
    I mean no one can doubt that that's a vital service and that it's integrated into 911.
  • 01:02:05
    My concern is that we don't do this type of
  • 01:02:12
    funding allocation for any other contractual partners that we have.
  • 01:02:20
    And so, I don't know what precedence this sets.
  • 01:02:24
    Thank you.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:02:26
    Thank you.
  • 01:02:26
    I just have a little bit of time remaining.
  • 01:02:28
    I'll just say that I feel those last words most strongly.
  • 01:02:32
    We do not do this kind of a contract amendment prematurely for any of our other contracts.
  • 01:02:38
    It might make sense in the future to do that, but I'm not willing to do it at the expense of existing programs that address group violence intervention or especially youth
  • 01:02:47
    group violence intervention efforts.
  • 01:02:51
    So I like this move.
  • 01:02:53
    I think we need to be a little bit flexible as we move into next year, but I'm not ready to move away from defunding GVI or youth GVI because of it.
  • 01:03:05
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:03:07
    Thank you.
  • 01:03:08
    Next, okay, I see we have several colleagues getting in queue, so next I will recognize Councilmember Rainville followed by Councilmember Ellison.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 01:03:17
    Thank you.
  • 01:03:17
    I'm wondering if President Payne could give a little more insight into his negotiations on this and especially your thoughts on on why we should set a precedent by changing a contract with or adding to a contract like and to the point of Commissioner Barnett that we don't do this to any other group.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:03:40
    Council President Payne.
  • 01:03:41
    Thank you Madam Vice President.
  • 01:03:44
    BCR is very unique.
  • 01:03:45
    I think that much is clear.
  • 01:03:47
    I'm not particularly concerned about precedence because standing up a 911 embedded first response for the first time is not something that is
  • 01:04:02
    a frequent occurrence within the city I would say and we've seen just such tremendous success with BCR.
  • 01:04:11
    I think it was noted earlier you know there were a central figure in the DOJ findings report.
  • 01:04:18
    It's too soon to say what will be in the consent decree but I think it's safe to say that
  • 01:04:24
    We will want to expand VCR in the future probably beyond what the supplemental funding suggests, but this to me felt like rather than doubling the number of vans and doubling the entire service, this is getting us closer towards that permanent embedded 911 capability and that this felt like the right balance.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 01:04:51
    So you don't have any concerns that we're treating this organization differently than we are other organizations?
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:04:57
    I think we should always have precedence in mind, but I think that we can use our judgment and say this is a bit of a one-off.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:05:08
    Thank you.
  • 01:05:09
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Allison followed by Councilmember Wansley.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 01:05:13
    I was going to say something similar.
  • 01:05:14
    You know, we don't have any contract like this in the history of the city.
  • 01:05:19
    You know, this is a contract, these are contracted services, but they're 911 integrated.
  • 01:05:23
    And so we kind of have a fourth 911 emergency response department.
  • 01:05:29
    And yeah, we contract that out because we don't have those expertise internally.
  • 01:05:33
    We don't have everything we need to stand that department up internally.
  • 01:05:37
    I also, you know, I know that
  • 01:05:38
    Council, and
  • 01:05:55
    this isn't like you know this isn't just simply about like filling potholes or executing some other service like that this is a 911 delivery service and so I do think that it's unique in that situation and if we're ever in a situation where we have a contract partner that's like this I can't imagine what that would be then maybe it would be appropriate to treat them as if they're more integrated into the city as opposed to some of these other kind of contractor services that we have
  • 01:06:24
    The other thing is that I wanted to maybe harp on is that we know that at some point we would have to
  • 01:06:34
    entered into contract negotiations with Canopy.
  • 01:06:37
    This money doesn't automatically, correct me if I'm wrong, give the money to Canopy.
  • 01:06:41
    It just allocates money so that we have somewhere to start from when we're negotiating.
  • 01:06:47
    And so that would have had to happen whether it stayed in NSD or went to fire.
  • 01:06:53
    And so when I see the analysis saying, hey this is going to cut into why GVI or GVI, I sort of wonder why that's the case.
  • 01:06:59
    It feels like a bit of picking and choosing and I don't want to like
  • 01:07:03
    I'm not describing motive there.
  • 01:07:06
    I just genuinely don't know why we would have to pick and choose those services.
  • 01:07:10
    It feels a bit arbitrary to me.
  • 01:07:13
    I don't know the rationale.
  • 01:07:14
    And then the second thing I would say is
  • 01:07:17
    is that, you know, we've seen through NSD, you know, we had a nearly million dollar contract with a vendor that we were sort of unsure about and the department felt like it had the capacity to spend a million dollars there, but not here.
  • 01:07:34
    I'm a little bit, I don't know, I have some questions about
  • 01:07:37
    the rationale there and I guess I'll just say I have some doubts about whether why GVI or GVI would need to be impacted.
  • 01:07:45
    I don't understand why that would have to be the case with this move.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:07:49
    Thank you.
  • 01:07:49
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Wonsley followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 01:07:54
    Thank you, Council Vice President Chuktai.
  • 01:07:56
    Actually, Council Member Edelson, I'm glad that you raised the fact that, yes, in the AO Committee, NSC did actually ask us to approve a contract for almost a million dollars for external technical assistance for a contractor that ultimately that committee did not, I mean, our committee did not move forward with, but somehow we don't have those same resources available here.
  • 01:08:22
    I also wanted to have a follow up question for Commissioner Barnett because I also know, actually I'll ask a question on this piece.
  • 01:08:30
    How much of our neighborhood safety contractual service dollars were left unspent this year?
  • 01:08:38
    I know we allocated 20 million dollars for 2024.
  • 01:08:42
    but I also know we did not pay many of our vendors on time.
  • 01:08:47
    And there's also been discrepancies of vendors not being able to also receive their full allocations because of contracting and voicing issues.
  • 01:08:55
    So we did not get all of those 20 million dollars out by the end of this year as well.
  • 01:09:00
    So I do want to know actually how much of what was allocated was actually spent this year.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 01:09:09
    I'll have to get that information for you I don't have it available right now I'm not sure what
  • 01:09:22
    invoice issues that you're referring to.
  • 01:09:26
    Last time I checked, we are, for NSD, like I think I stated on Friday, RFP processes change, procurement processes change.
  • 01:09:38
    We're doing a very good job at getting reimbursement within 30 days as long as that information that we are provided is accurate.
  • 01:09:48
    and the information that we need.
  • 01:09:50
    We continue to work with any vendor in which we don't have the information to pay them.
  • 01:09:59
    We work very closely to make sure that they get paid.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 01:10:02
    Commissioner Barnett while those might be recent changes those changes were not in place during the first and second quarter of this year and I know this because actually of the four I believe GVI contractors that we had we actually in AO we approved I believe about maybe three of those contractors one of those contractors did not get approved for almost three months
  • 01:10:22
    um later than the rest of the other contractors meaning whatever allocations that were made to that contractor they weren't able to spend this year so there are unspent dollars for some contractors because not everyone was paid on time because of contract issues so that is why I'm asking about unspent dollars because the first half of this year dollars were not being allocated out of that department specifically for GVI contractors
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 01:10:49
    Chair Koski, Council Member Wonsley, I think I remember the contract that you're talking about.
  • 01:10:57
    We did work with that vendor.
  • 01:10:59
    There was some things that needed to be worked on before they were going to receive funding.
  • 01:11:06
    As far as what's left to spend in neighborhood safety, I will definitely get that answer for you.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 01:11:13
    So I ask these questions
  • 01:11:15
    mostly council members in the fact of once again we have one GVI contractor who was not paid on time in comparison to the rest of their GVI contractors meaning they did not have the ability to spend all what was supposed to be allocated to them this year
  • 01:11:34
    So once again, we do know NSD has had dollars in which they could expand to other services, hence what Councilmember Ellison brought up about the ability to allocate resources for BBE particularly.
  • 01:11:47
    That was not also put in the budget going into this year neither, but somehow there was resources found for that, and I believe it's because there were unspent dollars
  • 01:11:57
    and a variety of programs that did not spend down their allocations.
  • 01:12:01
    So all that said, I do absolutely believe we have the ability to make this one time allocation and actually I would love to see this applied to many of our other violence prevention contractors too who we know also are drastically underpaid and I actually would encourage a market study be done on their wages too
  • 01:12:19
    so that we can get a sense of where they're standing when it comes to competitive compensation.
  • 01:12:25
    But I do know in almost a year of inquiry into the management or lack of management and issues within contracting within NSD, there is the ability to make this allocation possible.
  • 01:12:38
    So I feel confident in supporting this.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 01:12:40
    Chair Chuck Tye, Councilmember Wisely, each department on all of these amendments, and you have it in your packet from us, each department was asked what the impact would be.
  • 01:12:53
    And this was the response to the impact from neighborhood safety.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:12:59
    Thank you, Commissioner.
  • 01:13:01
    Councilmember Wansley, I'm grateful Council President Payne pulled this up just now.
  • 01:13:06
    I will note that of the allocation made to the Neighborhood Safety Department about 25, just above $25 million this year, as of the end of October, there are about $13.9 million still available, a significant amount of underspent resources.
  • 01:13:24
    Oh, why don't you look at that then?
  • 01:13:25
    Thank you so much for pulling that up.
  • 01:13:27
    Thank you.
  • 01:13:28
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Vita.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:13:34
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 01:13:36
    As Councilmember Ellison brought up, we have four 9-1-1 responses.
  • 01:13:41
    operations.
  • 01:13:43
    I hope we're all reminded then that we also have a contract with Hennepin Healthcare.
  • 01:13:48
    That's a little different than how, say, St. Paul does their work and then gets reimbursed for their EMS work.
  • 01:13:54
    We don't do that.
  • 01:13:55
    We contract with Hennepin Healthcare as our partner.
  • 01:13:58
    It makes St. Paul a lot of money for their emergency services department.
  • 01:14:04
    We choose to stay with our partner Hennepin Healthcare on that.
  • 01:14:08
    And I don't think we
  • 01:14:10
    pay for a million dollars a year for some of their extra services, their snacks, the concerns of their department.
  • 01:14:19
    Regardless
  • 01:14:20
    I don't see this source as identified as money sitting around.
  • 01:14:26
    The commissioner says this will come at the expense of group violence intervention efforts and youth group violence intervention efforts and that's concerning.
  • 01:14:35
    But another thing that was mentioned are cost of living adjustments.
  • 01:14:42
    that surprises me because what we're saying then is that BCR vendors are absolutely entitled to a cost of living adjustment but not our own staff is what we said last week and that is deeply concerning to me.
  • 01:15:00
    It just feels wrong.
  • 01:15:02
    Regardless, to the authors, I was pleased to hear Councilmember Payne's response to the idea of doing some oversight on this.
  • 01:15:10
    So let's have a legislative directive prepared for tomorrow as part of the final budget adoption.
  • 01:15:17
    do it in a way that would address an outside audit of BCR, including efficiency, effectiveness kinds of metrics.
  • 01:15:25
    I think that would be awesome and I've already started speaking with my staff here online to see if they could help prepare it.
  • 01:15:31
    So I'd welcome people's contribution and authorship of that with me.
  • 01:15:37
    Thanks.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:15:38
    Thank you.
  • 01:15:39
    Next I will recognize Councilmember, finally I will recognize Councilmember Vito.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:15:43
    Maybe finally.
  • 01:15:46
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 01:15:47
    I share some of the same concerns about the cost of living raises.
  • 01:15:51
    I do believe that if BCR employees need a raise, they deserve a raise if their pay isn't up to par.
  • 01:15:59
    I believe everyone deserves a cost of living raise, also our employees.
  • 01:16:04
    I also just wanted to know, who does the vehicle belong to?
  • 01:16:10
    Councilmember Payne, you said that it's a vehicle for supervisors, but if they're buying it with city dollars, who's the actual owner of the vehicle?
  • 01:16:20
    Who's going to pay for continued maintenance on the vehicle?
  • 01:16:24
    What is the
  • 01:16:26
    Is gas factored into this amount that you all are putting in?
  • 01:16:32
    Like I said, regular maintenance.
  • 01:16:34
    What is the make-up of the dollar amount for this and who's responsible for it?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:16:41
    Council President Payne, would you like to address that question?
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:16:43
    Sure, and COO Anderson was giving me some nods, but these are city-owned vehicles managed by Fleet Services.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:16:52
    Okay.
• • 01:16:53
    Yeah.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:16:54
    and but so like the expenses that'll come out of their budget out of Canopy's budget so like if they have a flat tire is that something that they'll just pay up out of out of their own expenses will they be paying for gas themselves like is this a vehicle that the supervisor is gonna be using personally and privately?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:17:18
    That's an excellent question we're gonna welcome COO Anderson Kelleher to address that.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 01:17:23
    Thank you.
  • 01:17:24
    Good morning, Madam Chair, Councilmember Vita.
  • 01:17:30
    The way that this works, it's an internal service model, so the department where the home of the vehicle would be would pay those expenses.
  • 01:17:40
    That is as far as I can go right now on that, so...
  • 01:17:43
    So fire.
  • 01:17:45
    If it's going into fire, it'll be out of fire.
  • 01:17:48
    Madam Chair, yes, that would now go over to the Fire Department.
  • 01:17:53
    I also have to say that, and I just texted both CVP and Council President Payne, there's a little bit of a discrepancy in our finance team about that $13 million number.
  • 01:18:08
    We are showing right now only $3 million
  • 01:18:12
    that is in the general fund in terms of neighborhood safety.
  • 01:18:17
    So want to be clear that there, I don't know where the 13 came from, we are showing 3 million.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:18:25
    Getting that sent over to you.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:18:26
    And is there is there like a
  • 01:18:31
    I guess a recommended vehicle that is consistent with what city employees use that is being suggested for, you know what I mean, like is there, is this an electric vehicle?
  • 01:18:43
    Is this, like this isn't like someone going to pick their favorite SUV.
  • 01:18:49
    Cyber truck?
  • 01:18:49
    Yeah, right, like a cyber truck.
  • 01:18:52
    We don't want that.
  • 01:18:53
    I want to make sure that it's consistent with the vehicles we use here.
  • 01:18:58
    So are there some stipulations on what this what they can purchase?
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 01:19:03
    You know, we don't want it like tinted out with deck, you know, it all wrapped or something I don't know but just wondering if there's a standard Welcome back Thank you madam chair and councilor Vita my understanding is these are more like passenger vans that we have
  • 01:19:22
    either purchased or leased
  • 01:19:37
    the BCR team, and so there are, it's a basic passenger van, not like a minivan, more like a passenger van that we're utilizing for this.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:19:52
    Oh, is it?
  • 01:19:52
    I thought it was like a SUV.
  • 01:19:57
    No?
  • 01:19:57
    Okay, so it's like the vans they have already.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:20:01
    No, it wouldn't be the fully outfitted vans that they're doing responses to.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 01:20:06
    This is a supervisor van.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:20:07
    This is for the supervisor, yeah.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 01:20:09
    Okay, but it's a van.
  • 01:20:11
    Van or SUV then, Madam Chair.
  • 01:20:13
    So I think we would look at something standard that we use for our other folks who have a vehicle that they use out on the street.
  • 01:20:23
    So sometimes that's, it's larger than the Ford Escapes, but smaller than something like a full SUV.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:20:34
    Okay, so it's not intended to transport folks, though.
  • 01:20:38
    It's really for staff's use and not for transporting clients or whatever.
  • 01:20:46
    Okay, got it, understand.
  • 01:20:48
    And then the last thing is I agree with Councilmember Palmisano on this legislative directive.
  • 01:20:55
    I really hope that folks are willing to do the work around that so we can get a better analysis of what's actually going on.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 01:21:05
    I was just going to say some of the level of detail that we're getting up to here would be would be hashed out by the department through the negotiation with the department.
  • 01:21:19
    I welcome the outside analysis.
  • 01:21:21
    Mentioned by Councilmember Palmisano.
  • 01:21:23
    I'm sure we're happy to work with you on that language and bring that forward.
  • 01:21:27
    And then also I want to say that you know
  • 01:21:28
    I also don't want to be overly prescriptive about what they do spend the money on.
  • 01:21:32
    I know snacks has been mentioned a lot over here.
  • 01:21:34
    I don't know if that's something that people pay for out of pocket there.
  • 01:21:37
    I don't know if that's something that they have in their budget, but I'm pretty sure it's not a million dollars worth of snacks.
  • 01:21:41
    And so I just wanted to make sure that we named that and didn't leave people with the impression that somehow this money is going to Canopy and they're spending on something other than the service that we asked them to provide.
  • 01:21:53
    I think that they're spending their lion's share of that money on the service we asked them to provide.
  • 01:21:57
    Analysis will let us know that and all fair, but I didn't want to let the moment pass without saying that so Thank you seeing no further discussion on this item.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:22:06
    We have the amendment offered by Council President Payne, Councilmember Ellison and myself before us on the motion to approve item 13B.
  • 01:22:16
    Mr.
  • 01:22:17
    Clerk, will you please call the roll?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:22:19
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 01:22:20
    Aye.
  • 01:22:20
    Walmsley?
  • 01:22:21
    Aye.
  • 01:22:22
    Rainville?
  • 01:22:23
    Aye.
  • 01:22:23
    Vito?
  • 01:22:24
    Aye.
  • 01:22:25
    Ellison?
  • 01:22:26
    Aye.
  • 01:22:26
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:22:43
    That motion carries colleagues now we will move on to item number amendment number 14 let everyone advance with dignity which is offered by council members Chavez and Chowdhury this motion is in your binder as well I will recognize council member Chavez to introduce his
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:23:07
    Thank you Council Vice President.
  • 01:23:09
    I'm authoring this amendment with Councilmember Chaudry.
  • 01:23:12
    This funding will continue the Minneapolis contract with Let Everyone Advance With Dignity whose implementing partner is Pillsbury United Communities and it will move it to NSD where I think it will be better supported.
  • 01:23:23
    This program works to address crimes, suffering, and harms that can stem from unmet behavioral needs, homelessness, and extreme poverty, and it improves public safety and equity through its public safety response.
  • 01:23:35
    They also meet with folks who are on the street, which I believe adds to a bigger importance on the Lake Street Safety Corridor.
  • 01:23:41
    They are also a partner with the Lake Street Safety Center, so it is important that this program continues.
  • 01:23:47
    After my conversations with LEAD, I learned that they have 49 active participants, all who have met a goal identified in their contract.
  • 01:23:54
    They also have a total caseload of 96 individuals, 65 of whom have completed goals in housing, obtaining identification, resolving legal issues, applying for medical benefits, transportation, and help with mental health issues.
  • 01:24:05
    and without funding for this program, we have severe consequences when it comes to safety and homelessness on the Lake Street corridor nearly ending this program.
  • 01:24:13
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:24:15
    Councilmember Chavez has moved approval of item number 14.
  • 01:24:19
    Is there a second to that motion?
  • 01:24:20
    Second.
  • 01:24:22
    We have a proper, we have a proper, this item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 01:24:28
    Are there any questions or discussions from members of the committee?
  • 01:24:31
    I will first recognize Vice Chair Koski.
  • 01:24:34
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
• • Emily Koski
  • 01:24:35
    I just have a question to the author, or I believe would be to, I'm just to know if there's any funding for this program in the mayor's recommended budget, or if this would be the only funding.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:24:48
    Council President Chuktai, as you know, last year the mayor did not put funding for the program, so I, me and Council Member Chowdy did a budget amendment for that.
  • 01:24:57
    We're doing another budget amendment for this because it's also not included in the mayor's budget.
• • Emily Koski
  • 01:25:01
    okay thank you so much yeah I agree I've had meetings with individuals leading this work and believe that this is something we should be prioritizing so I appreciate you bringing this forward thank you so much
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:25:13
    Thank you.
  • 01:25:14
    I am not seeing any further discussion or questions from colleagues.
  • 01:25:20
    So, amendment number 14, let everyone advance with dignity, authored by council members Chavez and Chaudry is before us.
  • 01:25:30
    I will ask the clerk to call the roll on amendment number 14.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:25:34
    Council member Payne?
  • 01:25:35
    Aye.
  • 01:25:36
    Wonsley?
  • 01:25:37
    Aye.
  • 01:25:38
    Rainville?
  • 01:25:38
    Aye.
  • 01:25:39
    Vitor?
  • 01:25:40
    Aye.
  • 01:25:41
    Ellison?
• • 01:25:42
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:25:42
    All right.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:25:55
    Next we will move to amendment number 15.
  • 01:26:05
    Colleagues this item was revised so you will find it in the packet of revised amendments that our clerks put in front of us this morning.
  • 01:26:14
    This is for the Little Earth Area Community Outreach and Safety Program offered by Councilmember Chavez.
  • 01:26:23
    Councilmember Chavez, will you please introduce your amendment?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:26:26
    Thank you, Vice Chair Chogtai.
  • 01:26:31
    This amendment and funding will be allocated to a community-based organization in Little Earth and the immediate surrounding area to continue the Little Earth Community Outreach and Safety Program which started this year and currently partners with Little Earth Protectors to Community Safe
  • 01:26:44
    to keep communities safe and secure.
  • 01:26:46
    Little Earth is a 212 unit subsidized housing complex located in the East Phillips neighborhood.
  • 01:26:51
    It is home to nearly 1,000 residents, 50% of whom are under the age of 21.
  • 01:26:56
    Little Earth was founded in 1973 and remains the only indigenous preference project based Section 8 rental assistance community in the United States.
  • 01:27:04
    This project was formed in a response to housing discrimination that Native people experienced, so they created a community for Native people to remain culturally connected and seek resiliency and create systems of change.
  • 01:27:15
    This community has become a model for organizing on a variety of environmental and social justice issues as well as a model for self-determination for all Native people.
  • 01:27:23
    Unfortunately, we still see a lot of struggles here and this proposal is meant to address the disparities and community safety issues still face today in the neighborhood.
  • 01:27:33
    On November 19, 2024, an 18-year-old was shot and eventually killed, leaving many community members shaking and afraid at Little Earth.
  • 01:27:40
    This program is being responsive to those concerns in the community and meant to address the disparities by helping hire residents to work on safety strategies.
  • 01:27:49
    This program will continue to be under CPED and it helps make the area safer and is responsive to the safety challenges that the neighbors at Little Earth are experiencing.
  • 01:27:58
    We know that when you have familiar faces doing the work of safety and when you hire people in the neighborhood it can actually improve the outcomes for the people that live there.
  • 01:28:07
    I've heard about how we can, you know,
  • 01:28:10
    some of my colleagues made how we can you know as we go into a budget these are negotiations figuring out how we can reduce them out so I did reduce them out from $200,000 to $150,000 you'll see the change in front of you it just earmarks $50,000 out of the ongoing $500,000 that already exists for the program and then it does keep the $100,000 under CPEDS economic development department and administration so that's
  • 01:28:40
    I'd just like to move forward.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:28:42
    Councilmember Chavez has moved approval of amendment number 15.
  • 01:28:46
    Is there a second to his motion?
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:28:47
    Second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:28:49
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 01:28:51
    Colleagues, are there any questions or discussion from members of the committee?
  • 01:28:55
    I will first recognize Councilmember Vitov followed by Councilmember Rainville.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:29:00
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 01:29:02
    Councilmember Chavez, I appreciate you bringing this amendment forward, but I have a question about
  • 01:29:08
    How can this amendment be brought forward?
  • 01:29:11
    Every time I ask for specific allocations for places in my ward, I'm always told that you can't just give it to a place.
  • 01:29:21
    They have to go through the RFP process and they have to apply for available funding.
  • 01:29:28
    All summer, I struggled with looking for direct allocations for 35th and Penn.
  • 01:29:33
    and I just kept being told like you can't just give that area a direct allocation.
  • 01:29:40
    And there's a few in here that I have the same question about.
  • 01:29:43
    I really would like COO Anderson Kelleher to explain to me how we can do, or somebody.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:29:51
    I can answer that too.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 01:29:52
    Okay, because I'm just not having this same luck and I've seen you do this a few times and I don't know what the outcomes are, like I don't know if you actually get the programs up and running or if the money gets allocated or not, but I have not had this sort of response to these kind of direct allocations at all.
  • 01:30:15
    In particular, last year you did an amendment
  • 01:30:19
    and you included some north side neighborhoods that covered this area that I've been struggling with and I don't know where that money went and how that money is going to be used.
  • 01:30:32
    So I'm really trying to understand how you're able to do these direct allocations to specific neighborhoods without going through the regular process and where is this money actually landed?
  • 01:30:44
    Are these programs coming to life and people
  • 01:30:48
    Councilmember Chavez would you like to address Councilmember Vita's question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:31:04
    you know the right concerns here and what I'll say is that if you want if we want to work together on issues impacting North Minneapolis I will always support you and help whatever I need to do to make sure that there is an appropriate motion to address those concerns what I can tell you though is that I did work on this language with the City Attorney's Office with staff to make sure that it is legal or else it wouldn't be before us today so what we are voting on today is legally sound it is allowed and it is meant to continue approval
  • 01:31:32
    program in Little Earth by also even adding more dollars into the program itself from a different part of CPET.
  • 01:31:37
    So I hope it addresses your concerns that what we are voting on today is legally sound and I would always love to work with you to make sure that North Minneapolis gets the right safety services and vote in favor of those contracts too.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 01:31:51
    Welcome COO Anderson Kelleher.
  • 01:31:54
    Thank you Chair Chugtai and Council Member Vitau for your question.
  • 01:32:00
    I'm going to raise two general concerns here, and so not to the specific of the need at Little Earth, which there
  • 01:32:11
    clearly is a need for safety services at Little Earth, but a concern that has been outlined by the mayor.
  • 01:32:17
    And that is, there are a number of amendments, this one is one of those amendments that really starts to chip away at a comprehensive public safety strategy across the city.
  • 01:32:31
    All residents in the city should be safe.
  • 01:32:36
    and by earmarking, directing, that does take away from the entire safety.
  • 01:32:46
    There's probably a way to work through this issue together, but that is a concern.
  • 01:32:51
    There's also, and I appreciate what Council Member Chavez just said, I do think there's always a procurement issue in this in terms of how procurement will work to get these funds out.
  • 01:33:05
    in a competitive manner.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:33:11
    Thank you.
  • 01:33:13
    Councilmember Vitale, would you like to add any final comments?
  • 01:33:16
    We've got some time left.
  • 01:33:17
    Alright.
  • 01:33:18
    With that, I will recognize Councilmember Rainville followed by Councilmember Junkins.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 01:33:24
    Thank you.
  • 01:33:25
    Excuse me, I'm catching a little bit of a rough throat here.
  • 01:33:29
    I'm not used to talking this much.
  • 01:33:31
    Councilmember Chavez, I'm going to support this.
  • 01:33:34
    But I would just ask that perhaps in June or July if we could get a report back to the Public Safety Committee so we can understand the effectiveness.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:33:46
    Council Member Chavez, would you like to address that?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:33:49
    Yep, and that's my goal with these to make sure they can come present to the Public Health and Safety Committee.
  • 01:33:53
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:33:55
    In addition to that, council members, as you'll remember, every year in about August we receive a presentation and report from the administration on all change items, so that's one other place in the Budget Committee where there will be an update.
  • 01:34:09
    Certainly I think it makes sense to do that in the Public Health and Safety Committee in addition as well.
  • 01:34:15
    Next, I will recognize Councilmember Jenkins followed by Councilmember Chavez.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:34:22
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 01:34:23
    I'm just curious, is this an ongoing project, the outreach and safety program, and what would be the plan to sustain this level of funding in the future?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:34:41
    Councilmember Chavez.
  • 01:34:43
    Thank you Council Member Jenkins.
  • 01:34:45
    There is already $500,000 of ongoing funding for the program.
  • 01:34:49
    I am earmarking $50,000 within that program and then adding an additional $100,000 from somewhere else.
  • 01:34:56
    So the program will have $600,000 ongoing funding in the future.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:35:01
    and then what would that funding be intended, new staff, a new truck, I mean I don't know what are they going to do with the money.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:35:09
    No it's to continue, it would just help folks do engagement, they can do community safety work and other stuff so it pays contracts.
  • 01:35:18
    Right now we have contracts in North Minneapolis and Cedar Riverside and Little Earth.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:35:25
    So we're increasing the contract though to do what?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:35:32
    to make sure that there is more fun.
  • 01:35:34
    There's less money there this year.
  • 01:35:36
    There was 1.4 million dollars.
  • 01:35:37
    There's going to be less money next year.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:35:41
    For the whole, for all the programs that you named?
  • 01:35:46
    So will this allocation help all of those programs or just Little Earth?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:35:51
    Well, theoretically it would, so if this doesn't pass, that means it would be only $500,000 split between many different organizations.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:35:59
    I believe- Four different organizations, right?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:36:02
    Yeah, probably.
  • 01:36:02
    And that would mean less money for all those organizations.
  • 01:36:05
    I do believe that with this, it would help reduce that impact.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 01:36:12
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:36:15
    Thank you.
  • 01:36:16
    And next I will recognize Councilmember Osman, followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 01:36:21
    I'll be quick.
  • 01:36:22
    I want to speak on this in support of Councilmember Chavez's amendment.
  • 01:36:27
    This area has historically struggled with lack of resources and also I just want to mention that the government themselves cannot do the work.
  • 01:36:36
    We always need a community partnership.
  • 01:36:37
    Community knows their community, there's cultural
  • 01:36:42
    I encourage all of you to support this amendment.
  • 01:37:00
    It's a great way to support a community that has been struggling with a lot of safety concerns,
  • 01:37:07
    in this area.
  • 01:37:09
    So definitely we need more support and more resources in this area.
  • 01:37:14
    So thank you Councilmember Chavez for bringing forward this and I'll support this amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:37:20
    Thank you and then finally I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:37:26
    Colleagues, we can't build a community safety ecosystem with all of these ward and neighborhood specific projects that don't address systemic community safety needs overall.
  • 01:37:38
    However, the support of colleagues where these other programs are running and resourced
  • 01:37:44
    that gives me pause and so maybe I will go ahead and support this.
  • 01:37:49
    It may very well be that this specific project is what we need to do in the end.
  • 01:37:55
    But until we can build out that ecosystem we are really siloed in those efforts.
  • 01:38:00
    We need a safe city overall not compromised by a number of smaller projects that are competing for funding.
  • 01:38:07
    In this case, this revised case,
  • 01:38:10
    as well.
  • 01:38:11
    We're just reappropriating funds already within CPED.
  • 01:38:15
    But I want to note in the staff response memo that existing programs on the north side and in Cedar Riverside will be forced to stop programming before the busiest summer months in order to fund this amendment.
  • 01:38:27
    So it is taking from other parts of our city that have needs.
  • 01:38:31
    As a body, we have to choose.
  • 01:38:33
    Do we want a functioning, strategically thought out ecosystem, as we've all said dozens of times, or a city with a hodgepodge of programming that council forces onto the administration saying go figure this out.
  • 01:38:46
    funding this way just feels irresponsible over and over again.
  • 01:38:50
    It becomes like a jigsaw puzzle, I think was a metaphor mentioned where specific council members keep adding pieces that really might not fit into that puzzle without a whole lot of rework.
  • 01:39:03
    An open question I have that I'd like somebody to answer is who runs this program?
  • 01:39:07
    Does our staff run this program?
  • 01:39:09
    Do community members run this program?
  • 01:39:11
    Who is actually doing the work here?
  • 01:39:15
    Because we really have to build things out methodically and funding like this removes what sounds like three other organizations that might be really ready
  • 01:39:25
    to do good work and now we're going to wait for another one to see if they're ready or not.
  • 01:39:32
    So I guess I'm curious to the authors or to city staff, oh I see Director Hanson is here, who is actually doing the work of these programs?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:39:44
    So what Councilmember Chavez would you like to first address and then so we'll have Councilmember Chavez first address her question and then we'll welcome Director Hansen as well.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:39:54
    So I just want to acknowledge what the memo failed to acknowledge is that the Little Earth program is also
  • 01:40:01
    a pilot in this and it failed to acknowledge that Little Earth is also a recipient of these funds and it did not acknowledge that without funding for Little Earth there will also be deep impacts to a Little Earth area so I just find that very disappointing.
  • 01:40:15
    What I did here is only earmarked $50,000 out of $500,000 of that program.
  • 01:40:21
    $50,000 out of $500,000 initially I was doing $100,000 but I read the memo and I did not want to have an impact on North Minneapolis or Cedar Riverside so I lowered the amount $50,000 out of $500,000 and then I initially additionally took away $100,000 from CPEDS administration budget which is a different impact but it will not have impact on this program what this means is that ongoing moving forward there will be $600,000 in this program so I just want to be clear
  • 01:40:49
    I'm not here to put communities against each other but the memo did not acknowledge that Little Earth has this funding and it did not acknowledge that they would also be impacted without these services and I think that's unfair.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:41:00
    So if I may, since I'm the one in queue here, this suggestion is now a pilot but with forever ongoing funds.
  • 01:41:08
    And so my question to Director Hansen is could you tell us more about what this means to CPED and how services are being rendered and how services are being cut?
  • 01:41:19
    Welcome, Director, if you'll first begin by introducing yourself.
• • Erik HansenDirector of CPED
  • 01:41:22
    Absolutely.
  • 01:41:24
    Council Vice President, members of the Budget Committee, my name is Eric Hansen.
  • 01:41:28
    I am the CPED Director, and what you have in front of you is an amendment for the Community Outreach and Safety Program, which was a pilot that came under the American Rescue Plan Act funding a few years ago, and it is a pilot to see if we can use some funding to help with workforce development
  • 01:41:49
    In neighborhood livability and safety and the way the program is offered is is nested in the Promise Zone The Promise Zone originally was with the city coordinator's office when that was existing moved into CPED.
  • 01:42:02
    That's how it became a CPED program and it's a competitive contract the
  • 01:42:08
    It's been a diminishing balance of a budget over the last few years and the mayor put in his budget for an ongoing half a million dollar appropriation for the next year and subsequent years.
  • 01:42:23
    The current budget for 2024 is just over a million dollars.
  • 01:42:27
    Usually around the summertime we do a competitive process for applications is what Councilmember Chavez was referring to.
  • 01:42:34
    Right now we have contracts with the north side and we then issue those contracts to community groups.
  • 01:42:40
    Community groups tell us what they're going to do and administer it as Councilmember Osmond talked about.
  • 01:42:47
    Partnership with community-based organizations and currently we have two Organizations that represent work on the north side.
  • 01:42:54
    We have one that's in Cedar Riverside and then two at Little Earth Councilmember Chavez's point there is funding that goes to Little Earth and The idea would be that this would be another competitive offering if this passes in the budget you know early early in 2025 for some contracts those contracts kind of run summer to summer and
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:43:19
    Thank you.
  • 01:43:19
    So then does this budget amendment then say that in that competitive bidding process and that holistic process we're then saying that this amount of money though has to only go to Little Earth projects or are we still in kind of a Everybody in here's some money that we can all work with together Madam chair councilmember Palmis on I'd like to defer to the budget office in the
• • Erik HansenDirector of CPED
  • 01:43:46
    The City Attorney's about that specificity the way I read it that would be a carve-out for Little Earth related work we still do the competitive process, but it would be 150 would add a hundred thousand so it'd be up to 600 and out of that 150 would be
  • 01:44:05
    you're marked in our request for our notice of funding availability for work in the Little Earth area.
  • 01:44:11
    That's how we would typically take it.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:44:13
    Thank you and I only have 10 seconds left so I'll just say while I certainly understand Little Earth is a very worthwhile recipient of it, it really is a carve-out
  • 01:44:22
    for just one neighborhood over others and that concerns me.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:44:27
    Thank you.
  • 01:44:27
    Councilmember Chavez, will you address how in this pot of $500,000 that it's supposed to be split up between Cedar Riverside, parts of North Minneapolis and Little Earth and how what you are doing
  • 01:44:41
    is in line with how the department plans to spend the money and has in years past.
  • 01:44:46
    Thank you.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:44:47
    That is correct.
  • 01:44:47
    And also, I'd just like to note that I've been working on this since 2022.
  • 01:44:51
    I passed a legislative directive to bring this program to South Minneapolis.
  • 01:44:55
    I added an additional $150,000.
  • 01:44:56
    And when CPED released those dollars, they did not bring the program to South Minneapolis.
  • 01:45:01
    They gave it to a different geographic location in Minneapolis.
  • 01:45:05
    And I was okay with that.
  • 01:45:06
    but it was frustrating that there wasn't a process followed so what I'm saying here is I don't want that to happen again I don't want to have to go back to the community and say I'm sorry that the money I fought for is no longer there it got deployed to a different part of Minneapolis which is totally okay but it should come at the expense of both parts of the city having the same funding so what I'm doing here is making sure that that never happens again in the city of Minneapolis so that's what I'm doing here today
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:45:33
    Thank you.
  • 01:45:35
    I will recognize Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:45:38
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 01:45:39
    It looked like the Budget Director was coming up to share something.
  • 01:45:43
    Listen, I want everybody in.
  • 01:45:45
    Every Promise Zone designated to be eligible.
  • 01:45:50
    I'd like to hear what the budget director says about how this money is being secured just for one specific area or if it really is eligible to everybody in a competitive process.
  • 01:46:01
    Director DeCenza, welcome.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:46:02
    If you'll first begin by introducing yourself.
• • SPEAKER_00
  • 01:46:04
    Thank you, Council Vice President Chug Tai, Jane DeCenza, Budget Director in Finance and Property Services.
  • 01:46:09
    So I actually wrote the original RFP for this project.
  • 01:46:13
    So unfortunately, I'm very very familiar with it And I think it's an important Competitive process there is nothing in the original RFP that designates any portion of the dollars for a specific areas in the city I think staff who've managed this program over the years have made the determination that it's a good idea to split it around north-south in various areas of the city, but If it's a competitive process, it's dependent on the quality of the application that's submitted
  • 01:46:39
    and so this would essentially say that a portion of those dollars have to be spent on Little Earth which is certainly within the council's authority to make that determination but there is not a geographic boundary for the rest of the dollars.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:46:57
    Thank you, Director DeCenza.
  • 01:47:01
    I really also appreciate the additional context and kind of etymology of all of this from Director Hanson.
  • 01:47:06
    I was here when we did the last Promise Zone.
  • 01:47:09
    I think Council Member Ellison was too.
  • 01:47:14
    I know that Little Earth is a very worthy cause and I think we should be leaving this up to all the projects and be able to consider everything at the same time because we're a city.
  • 01:47:26
    This was something that was supported with a lot of ARPA funding in the past.
  • 01:47:31
    I'm glad that the mayor and his administration felt that it was an important piece to continue at a certain dollar amount.
  • 01:47:37
    I'm open to increasing that dollar amount, but I just don't think that carve-outs here are appropriate.
  • 01:47:43
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:47:44
    Thank you.
  • 01:47:44
    I will finally recognize Councilmember Osman and then I'll call the queue.
  • 01:47:49
    Let's see if we can get through one more amendment before lunch.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 01:47:51
    Thank you.
  • 01:47:51
    First of all, thank you for your staff for really identifying the Promise Zone.
  • 01:47:57
    City of Minneapolis is, I'm sorry, a segregated place.
  • 01:48:00
    There are places that don't have encampments.
  • 01:48:03
    There are places that don't
  • 01:48:05
    People don't see shooting and overdoses and opioid overdoses.
  • 01:48:10
    So we have to be actually in tension of where we put the resources.
  • 01:48:18
    I am okay changing the language and saying that Cedar Riverside, Little Earth deserve this money because they are the ones that are struggling.
  • 01:48:28
    It still could be a comparative but geographically I'm actually okay moving forward having language where it says the resource can go here only here because they struggle and they have those problems.
  • 01:48:41
    No other place in the area in the city has more encampments than the Earth area.
  • 01:48:46
    Go out there and visit it.
  • 01:48:48
    Or shootings or overdoses or data supports there.
  • 01:48:52
    It doesn't matter what whatever category you're speaking about, environmental, pollution, you name it.
  • 01:48:58
    So we cannot be fair on resources.
  • 01:49:00
    We have to be specific to the areas that are struggling and that I will be supporting anything like that.
  • 01:49:09
    Now hopefully council members can think about the areas that are struggling deserve resources to go there.
  • 01:49:16
    to take some of those issues.
  • 01:49:18
    So I just want to put it out there.
  • 01:49:20
    It's not a fair system that we can say the whole city of Minneapolis can bid on those RFPs.
  • 01:49:27
    There is a reason they are a brown zone.
  • 01:49:29
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:49:30
    Thank you.
  • 01:49:30
    I'm not seeing anyone else seeking to be recognized.
  • 01:49:32
    So, Mr.
  • 01:49:33
    Clerk, on Amendment Number 15, which is the Little Earth Area Community Outreach and Safety Program, revised amendment, will you please call the roll?
  • 01:49:44
    Council Member Payne?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:49:46
    Aye.
  • 01:49:46
    Wonsley?
  • 01:49:47
    Aye.
  • 01:49:48
    Rainville?
  • 01:49:49
    Aye.
  • 01:49:50
    Litov?
  • 01:49:51
    Aye.
  • 01:49:52
    Ellison?
  • 01:49:52
    Aye.
  • 01:49:54
    Osman?
• • 01:49:55
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:49:55
    There are 12 ayes and 1 nay
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:50:13
    That motion carries.
  • 01:50:15
    Colleagues, before we break for lunch, we're going to continue and try to get through one, maybe two amendments.
  • 01:50:20
    We'll see if we're getting lucky on a roll.
  • 01:50:23
    So the next motion is amendment number six.
  • 01:50:28
    Number 16 and the revised version of that is in your binder.
  • 01:50:33
    So Amendment Number 16 is Midtown Phillips Violence Prevention and Safety Services.
  • 01:50:39
    It is offered by Council Members Chavez and Osman.
  • 01:50:44
    So I will recognize Council Member Chavez.
  • 01:50:48
    Please introduce your amendment.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:50:49
    Thank you Council Vice President.
  • 01:50:51
    I am bringing this amendment with Councilmember Osment after speaking with mosques and our residents who have expressed concerns with hate crimes and community safety challenges.
  • 01:50:59
    This funding will help partner with an organization that will support violence prevention programming, youth mentorship programs, hate crime reduction, and the establishment of culturally relevant outreach in underserved communities in the Midtown Phillips community.
  • 01:51:10
    There is a growing need in the Midtown Phillips neighborhood to support youth and address ongoing challenges in the surrounding area by a block of mosque where violence
  • 01:51:18
    Councilmember Chavez, I'm going to interrupt you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:51:22
    I apologize.
  • 01:51:23
    Colleagues, if we can please keep side discussions to a minimum so that everyone can hear what's going on.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:51:28
    And I've made changes recommended by city staff so I'll just move that for approval.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:51:33
    Councilmember Chavez has moved item number 16 for approval.
  • 01:51:39
    Is there a second to that motion?
  • 01:51:40
    Second.
  • 01:51:41
    Amendment number 16 has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 01:51:44
    Colleagues, is there any discussion on this item?
  • 01:51:46
    I will first recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:51:49
    This isn't substantive.
  • 01:51:51
    I'm just wondering where it is.
  • 01:51:52
    I don't see it in this larger packet that we were given this morning.
  • 01:51:55
    It's in the regular book, so even though it says revised, it is in the bound copy from Friday.
  • 01:52:05
    That's exactly right.
  • 01:52:06
    Got it.
  • 01:52:06
    Okay, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:52:08
    Yeah, Chair Chigtai, maybe just it might be helpful for all members.
  • 01:52:13
    When you got this book on Friday morning when we began, there were already revised versions.
  • 01:52:19
    Those are all ones highlighted in yellow and those were the ones revised from the original posting.
  • 01:52:24
    The things that are highlighted in green today are brand new amendments that are not in your book and will either be in the packet given to you this morning or even continued to be walked onto the dais today.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:52:39
    I will note that as we're going through whether that amendment is found, the most accurate version of that amendment is found in the binder or in what the clerks gave us this morning.
  • 01:52:50
    Any other questions from you Councilmember Palmisano?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:52:56
    No, but I do want to mention everything that I said before.
  • 01:53:01
    I don't need to restate it.
  • 01:53:02
    It's the same problem.
  • 01:53:04
    That there are a lot of good ideas coming up today.
  • 01:53:08
    They specifically carve out things that are supposed to be
  • 01:53:13
    a competitive process for contractual services for just one piece of our city and to that end, and those are very worthy causes, but to that end it takes out the overall amount of money and the work that staff does to
  • 01:53:31
    figure out what is the best and most ready way to deploy our city dollars and there are concerns with that.
  • 01:53:41
    That is not a good approach to governance.
  • 01:53:44
    That is a very reactive approach and funding in these ways feels fairly irresponsible and less and until there is an incredible amount of work that has been built out between my colleagues and these departments
  • 01:53:59
    So I'd encourage my colleagues to talk about how much work they've done with the department for these kind of shovel-ready projects, so to speak, but it just doesn't seem like it's the right approach to funding all of these needed resources in our city.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:54:15
    Thank you, Council Member.
  • 01:54:16
    I will finally recognize Council President Payne for what he has promised our very short remarks.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:54:21
    Thank you Vice President.
  • 01:54:22
    Chuck Dye.
  • 01:54:23
    Very briefly because I think this theme is going to be touched on a number of these amendments.
  • 01:54:28
    Staff made it very clear that we have the authority to do this.
  • 01:54:31
    This is a proper legal motion.
  • 01:54:33
    This is simply a government structure thing.
  • 01:54:36
    What is the role of City Council and what is the role of the mayor?
  • 01:54:39
    There could be a desire to leave as much flexibility to the administration on all of these amendments and all of these decisions.
  • 01:54:45
    We shouldn't be abdicating our responsibility to our community as we look at how we're allocating resources.
  • 01:54:51
    So if we have the authority to do it It is our judgment on whether or not is the right thing to do and we'll decide that through a vote Thank you, and finally I will recognize Councilmember Rainville
• • Michael Rainville
  • 01:55:07
    Thank you.
  • 01:55:08
    Perhaps Council President Payne did address my concern, but I'll ask it again.
  • 01:55:15
    So just how is this staffed?
  • 01:55:20
    How is it monitored?
  • 01:55:22
    Could the author or perhaps Council President Payne could explain that?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:55:28
    Council Member Chavez, would you like to address Council Member Rainville's question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:55:33
    This would be administered by NSD and they would have to go through either their procurement process or use some existing resources to direct to the neighborhood.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 01:55:42
    Okay, thank you.
  • 01:55:42
    So what you're saying is you're just telling them it's going to work in this area.
  • 01:55:47
    You're defining the geographic area that this money is allocated to.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:55:52
    Correct, which the area already has some resources.
  • 01:55:54
    This is also taken from a budget amendment I did last year that was not used too.
  • 01:55:58
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:55:58
    So an earmark within the Neighborhood Safety Department's budget.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 01:56:01
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:56:02
    Wonderful.
  • 01:56:04
    Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 01:56:06
    Madam Chair, I just need to respond to something that one of my colleagues said You're not abdicating your responsibility to our city as was said just a minute ago, but you are foregoing your responsibility to the city at large by trying to Pork barrel things into your own part of the city
  • 01:56:29
    I'll say it that way because saying pet projects last week was deeply unpopular.
  • 01:56:33
    Trying to pork barrel things into your own neighborhoods here is at the aggregate.
  • 01:56:42
    It has a negative impact on the whole city and what we're trying to do here with a citywide budget.
  • 01:56:47
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:56:50
    Council.
  • 01:56:51
    Colleagues.
  • 01:56:52
    Alright, I will recognize Council President Payne followed by Council Member Osman.
• • Elliott Payne
  • 01:56:57
    Thank you Vice President.
  • 01:56:58
    I covered this last time.
  • 01:56:59
    This is democracy.
  • 01:57:00
    So the judgment on what's a pork barrel investment or the judgment of a pet project is based on the majority support.
  • 01:57:09
    So if we just vote and the majority prevails, that is what determines whether or not this is a valid use of resources.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:57:18
    Next I will recognize Council Member Osman followed by Council Member Chowdhury.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 01:57:23
    Yes, in my time, last few years, I have witnessed mosque attacks.
  • 01:57:28
    That's reality that our chief has shown up.
  • 01:57:32
    It's in the record.
  • 01:57:35
    We have, in my district, there's a couple of mosques that try to set fire.
  • 01:57:40
    There are bad people out there that don't like us because of our faith.
  • 01:57:44
    Or people, for whatever reason,
  • 01:57:50
    So allocating resources directly to areas that are suffering the most is a common sense, period.
  • 01:58:00
    It's just obviously common sense.
  • 01:58:03
    It doesn't mean that we don't care about the White City, the entire city.
  • 01:58:06
    We care about the entire city of Minneapolis.
  • 01:58:09
    But there are areas that this small amount of peanut
  • 01:58:15
    pennies that is heading to trying to at least prevent and educate the community that Islamophobia is real.
  • 01:58:24
    So, yeah, just want to update that it's not a system where we can just say, you know, let's just brush the whole entire city in one brush.
  • 01:58:37
    It's not the same areas that I came from areas that my district are struggling the most.
  • 01:58:45
    So thank you Councilmember Chavez Finally, I'll recognize Councilmember Chowdhury
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 01:58:52
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 01:58:54
    This is an effort to limit discussion later on because we do have other items similar to this.
  • 01:59:00
    I think this is just a reflection of the fact that our public safety ecosystem presently is not serving constituents in an equitable fashion and meeting the needs of public safety issues that I have heard council members mention year after year.
  • 01:59:16
    We cannot ask our residents to sit and wait for public safety services that are not coming for them.
  • 01:59:24
    We cannot just say here we're going to do historic wages for the police contract and that's it.
  • 01:59:29
    That's not going to work.
  • 01:59:31
    We need a comprehensive system and if changes aren't happening within the calendar year of course within our budget we're going to be responsive to those needs and then looking at Midtown Phillips and Little Earth we're looking at areas where there is the highest amount of public safety issues namely gun violence and gun violence anywhere in our city gun violence here impacts our entire city.
  • 01:59:54
    Right, so I'm very happy to be supporting this and I think we will see items from other council members, myself included, speaking to the public safety issues we have been trying to address
  • 02:00:07
    for a year or well over a year that have not been responded to and here's our opportunity to make that shift and maybe this can be a way where what other council members have mentioned where we can step into internal work groups where we can actually have discussions with city staff and make plans together because I want to be able to support
  • 02:00:27
    public safety efforts addressing specific areas in our neighborhoods, whether it's Midtown Phillips, whether it's neighborhoods on the north side, whether it's 46 and Hiawatha, if those are areas where we're seeing persistent issues that need more than just police services that are, we can all agree, very strapped in this moment.
  • 02:00:46
    And I'll just also close off by saying, offended by pet projects because none of this is fun to do, and also poor
  • 02:00:55
    If we cannot say pork barrel, especially for a mosque related item, that would be much appreciated.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:01:05
    Alright, thank you.
  • 02:01:06
    Noted.
  • 02:01:08
    Finally, I will recognize Councilmember Vito.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 02:01:11
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 02:01:12
    I do agree with Councilmembers Chavez and Osman that there are some areas that have different concerns that need to be addressed.
  • 02:01:22
    Northside is unique in that way too.
  • 02:01:24
    I guess what I struggle with, even though I support these amendments, I struggle with understanding
  • 02:01:32
    why we go about it this way especially when we've just had a conversation about neighborhood safety having 13 or 4 million.
  • 02:01:42
    I don't understand like why we are rerouting money from different departments and like why all this is happening.
  • 02:01:50
    Why aren't we creating RFPs with staff is the question I have.
  • 02:01:55
    Why aren't we talking
  • 02:01:56
    to leadership in these respective departments and just creating an RFP because they already have the money in their budgets.
  • 02:02:03
    To have to go through this particular process is what is troubling to me.
  • 02:02:11
    Because if neighborhood safety has $4 million already in it, and we're talking about $300,000 here that we've just discussed, there's money coming out of CPED, there's money coming out of these departments.
  • 02:02:24
    Why aren't we sitting down saying, how do we expand?
  • 02:02:27
    And a lot of what I'm reading that council members need in their ward, there are existing RFPs.
  • 02:02:33
    They just have a cap on the dollar amount.
  • 02:02:35
    Right?
  • 02:02:35
    Like, there's an RFP that just went out for trauma-informed care.
  • 02:02:39
    One of the amendments was, uh, read.
  • 02:02:42
    It fits under there.
  • 02:02:44
    Why wasn't that a part of that contract versus recreating this, having this go through the budget process and not just working with staff to define the needs of specific communities and then, you know, coming before the council for an amendment if needed, but it doesn't need one because the money is there already.
  • 02:03:02
    So, that's my struggle with it.
  • 02:03:03
    It's not that.
  • 02:03:04
    We don't need the services.
  • 02:03:06
    I would agree.
  • 02:03:06
    We need the services.
  • 02:03:07
    I guess I don't understand why we're not just working directly with leadership to get the tailored services to our wards.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:03:17
    Thank you.
  • 02:03:18
    I see Councilmember Palmisano in queue again.
  • 02:03:20
    So I will recognize you and then we will call the roll on this item.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 02:03:27
    Absolutely, this is about a majority making decisions on what are the projects that we will support through this budget process.
  • 02:03:37
    This is about a strong majority not coming together based on needs, but what feels like icing out everybody else's needs for their own.
  • 02:03:47
    Council member Council member
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:04:16
    taking all of the money for their wards.
  • 02:04:19
    That's not, no.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 02:04:21
    This set of motions puts money, carves out money that should be competitive processes for only a council majority's wards and needs.
  • 02:04:32
    I will leave it at that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:04:36
    Alright, I see Councilmember Ellison and Councilmember Cashman.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 02:04:42
    Not interested in a tip for tat, I think Councilmember Palmisano's opinion is I respect it, I might not agree with it, but I respect it.
  • 02:04:50
    I do want to make a point, and I'll try not to keep making this point.
  • 02:04:56
    This post-government structure
  • 02:05:00
    We have significantly less communication as a body with staff.
  • 02:05:04
    It's just true.
  • 02:05:05
    I'm not blaming anyone.
  • 02:05:07
    It's just true.
  • 02:05:08
    I keep mentioning these work groups.
  • 02:05:09
    It might sound like bureaucracy, whatever.
  • 02:05:13
    It used to mean that we understood not only what staff was doing, but staff's rationale.
  • 02:05:19
    when you understand somebody's rationale, what they're doing, trust gets built, you get to know people.
  • 02:05:24
    And the truth is that this body doesn't know staff as well as past bodies have known staff.
  • 02:05:30
    I agree that if there were more trust between the admin side and the legislative side, a lot of these amendments wouldn't be necessary because council members would understand why certain things didn't happen or did happen in a given year.
  • 02:05:43
    They'd be a part
  • 02:05:43
    And we would have better relationships with staff so we would be able to trust if staff said, hey, you don't need an amendment towards that end because here's how we're going to be doing X, Y, and Z.
  • 02:05:58
    I have great relationships in the administrative side.
  • 02:06:01
    I have great relationships with staff personally, but even for me, that dynamic has changed.
  • 02:06:07
    I used to have briefings on items that I didn't ask for.
  • 02:06:11
    Now, you only get what you ask for in this current iteration, which means that if there's something that I didn't necessarily know to ask for, or in the daily grind of putting out fires I forgot to follow up on, I'm not getting that follow up.
  • 02:06:25
    In the past, I would.
  • 02:06:27
    and so the reason that this is happening this way is because that trust isn't there, the relationships aren't there.
  • 02:06:33
    I appreciate and admire every deputy CEO, but I've also had to have meetings with lower level staff where their bosses are sitting in on the meetings.
  • 02:06:43
    Seems really inefficient, seems really like
  • 02:06:45
    what are we afraid is going to happen here that like some lower level staff is going to be in cahoots with a council member and whatever whatever I don't know and so but I don't think that it's any one person driving that change but it is an overall culture change that is that is that I think we don't even realize because we're so busy
  • 02:07:04
    and because staff is so busy we don't realize the just the sheer amount of communication gap there is between what used to exist and what exists now it's staggering as somebody who's been around it's staggering and so i just want to offer that as the reason why honestly this budget packet even looks the way it does and i don't fault any council member i don't fault any individual staff member but if we want to take a thirty thousand foot view and why
  • 02:07:33
    Council Member Cashman
• • Michael Cashman
  • 02:07:51
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 02:07:53
    I have to say, you know, I, when I first saw the budget amendment packet, I had some similar feelings that Council Member Palmisano had.
  • 02:07:59
    Like, why are we doing all these earmarks?
  • 02:08:01
    Like, this seems absurd.
  • 02:08:02
    Can't this all happen with staff through the regular departmental resource allocation?
  • 02:08:06
    And talking with council members, I realize that there are areas of the city that just don't get that kind of, um,
  • 02:08:13
    response that other areas do.
  • 02:08:15
    And I'll just name that in Ward 7, the most dangerous part of Ward 7 is the warehouse district, where we have a lot of shootings.
  • 02:08:21
    And we've had the privilege, because of the high value of that area, to have warehouse district live at a huge amount.
  • 02:08:29
    And so I think that other council members asking for small amounts for their wards for these types of services, it's an equity approach.
  • 02:08:38
    It's a way to try to address the inequities in our city and the segregation in our city.
  • 02:08:43
    I do agree with Councilmember Ellison that it would be really nice if we could have these conversations with staff about the distribution of safety resources in the neighborhoods that we know so well that our constituents are contacting us about that we're the first ones to hear about instances that happen there and I just
  • 02:09:02
    You know, Councilmember Vita said it as well, like it would just be really great to move in that direction with the Office of Community Safety and Neighborhood Safety Department so that we don't have to do all this earmarking.
  • 02:09:13
    Thanks.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:09:14
    Councilmember Rainville.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 02:09:17
    Thank you.
  • 02:09:17
    Councilmember Cashman, I'd like to talk to you off camera here about where else I am and just give you the background on that.
  • 02:09:23
    So it's not quite the way you presented it, but I'll fill you in.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:09:28
    Wonderful.
  • 02:09:30
    I'm not seeing any further discussion.
  • 02:09:31
    Mr.
  • 02:09:32
    Clerk, the body is considering amendment number 16, Midtown Phillips Violence Prevention and Safety Services.
  • 02:09:38
    Will you please call the roll?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 02:09:40
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 02:09:41
    Aye.
  • 02:09:42
    Wonsley?
  • 02:09:43
    Aye.
  • 02:09:43
    Rainville?
  • 02:09:44
    Aye.
  • 02:09:45
    Vitor?
  • 02:09:46
    Aye.
  • 02:09:46
    Ellison?
  • 02:09:47
    Aye.
  • 02:09:48
    Osman?
  • 02:09:49
    Aye.
  • 02:09:49
    Cashman?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 02:09:50
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 02:09:51
    Jenkins?
  • 02:09:54
    Aye.
  • 02:09:55
    Chavez?
• • 02:09:56
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 02:09:57
    Chowdhury Aye Palmisano No Vice Chair Koski Aye
  • 02:10:03
    Chair Chiktai.
  • 02:10:04
    Aye.
  • 02:10:04
    There are 12 ayes and one nay.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 02:10:06
    That item carries.
  • 02:10:07
    Colleagues we are at 12 12 p.m. so we are going to recess here for one hour for a lunch break and we will start back at around 1 12 but no later than 1 15 p.m. to consider the remaining packet before us.
  • 02:10:22
    I will note before we recess though that in our two-hour session this morning we have completed seven amendments
  • 02:10:28
    which is progress from where we were at this point on Friday, so kudos and let's keep up the momentum.
  • 02:10:36
    Thank you all, see you after lunch.
  • 03:15:25
    Communications, we're ready to begin.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 03:15:26
    Okay, thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:15:52
    colleagues, welcome back to day two of budget markup.
  • 03:15:56
    Before we begin, again, I would like to remind all of us that we are planning to adjourn here today by 4.30.
  • 03:16:05
    We have one final session of markup scheduled tomorrow and we have the bulk of our packets still left to go through.
  • 03:16:12
    So I would encourage everyone to work together
  • 03:16:18
    on making our way through these motions as quickly as we can to reduce the amount of time that we are going to have to spend after our public hearing tomorrow to consider the remaining motions.
  • 03:16:32
    With that, we will begin with item number 17, which is the Dinky After Dark motion that is offered by Councilmember Wansley.
  • 03:16:45
    There is a revised version of this.
  • 03:16:47
    in the packet that the clerks placed on our desk this morning.
  • 03:16:52
    As I said, this motion is offered by Councilmember Wansley, so I will recognize her to introduce her motion.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 03:17:01
    Thank you Council Vice President Chuktai.
  • 03:17:05
    So this proposal will fund increased pedestrian level street lighting in Dinkytown slash Marcy Homes area.
  • 03:17:13
    The police department has had to expend significant resources to address public safety concerns in the Dinkytown and Marcy Homes neighborhoods that has exasperated
  • 03:17:23
    has been exasperated by a lack of lighting and this year the University of Minnesota Police Department actually took over areas of Dinkytown due to MPD's challenges in maintaining adequate coverage of the area.
  • 03:17:36
    Insufficient lighting is continuously identified by stakeholders in that area as a contributing force to public safety problems.
  • 03:17:45
    The Dinkytown and Marcy Homes area is one of the
  • 03:17:48
    This is residential areas in the state and has a very large population of students and young residents.
  • 03:17:54
    It has a high volume of pedestrians and bike traffic at all hours of the day.
  • 03:17:59
    There have been multiple high-profile assaults and property crimes in the Dinkytown and Marcy Homes area in the last several years and even more so this recent year.
  • 03:18:09
    And there is consensus among stakeholders that dark streets contribute to both perception of safety and the occurrence of these crimes.
  • 03:18:17
    So this amendment is a result of close collaboration with both university leadership, students, and community members in this area now for several years.
  • 03:18:26
    The original version of this amendment was funded through a combination of earmarked funds and public works.
  • 03:18:32
    and a one-time allocation from MPD due to the public safety impacts of insufficient lighting.
  • 03:18:38
    However, the administration's response memo stated that Public Works has enough staffing and resources to cover an additional $500,000 in pedestrian lighting.
  • 03:18:49
    And the barrier is not due to resources but rather due to a policy barrier.
  • 03:18:54
    So from my conversations with staff and residents, this policy barrier does seem like something that can be very easily addressed.
  • 03:19:01
    and that is actually reflected in the updated and revised amendment language that is before you which states that the funding will be used pending the classification of larger areas of Dinkytown and Marcy Homes as a pedestrian street lighting corridor.
  • 03:19:17
    So I look forward to working with both our staff and our residents, my residents, to complete the necessary steps for this classification to occur.
  • 03:19:27
    So with that, I will ask for a second and a motion for this amendment to be approved.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:19:44
    Councilmember Wonsley has moved approval of this item.
  • 03:19:46
    It has been properly seconded.
  • 03:19:48
    Colleagues, are there any questions or discussion related to this item?
  • 03:19:53
    I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:19:56
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 03:19:58
    I admittedly am just looking at this one that we received this morning the revised version I have to say at first glance this revised version looks a lot better What I'm curious and I know we have director Sexton here is what are what street lighting projects in other parts of our city are going to be delayed so that resources people resources
  • 03:20:20
    copper wire resources could be directed to this specific area and I will say I don't think we have a policy barrier we have a council adopted street lighting policy so I'd like to know are we sure that Dinkytown is prioritized to receive extra lighting and how do we go about reprioritizing an area
  • 03:20:42
    within our policy.
  • 03:20:44
    I see Director Sexton here.
  • 03:20:45
    So I'm curious to ask him what street lighting projects in other parts of our city end up getting delayed to redirect resources to this area?
  • 03:20:54
    Or what are your thoughts on adding this into the program?
  • 03:20:58
    And I am in general very supportive of having street lights for safe cities.
  • 03:21:03
    So if I may, Madam Chair, these are my questions for Director Sexton.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:21:08
    Yes, so we'll welcome Director Sexton.
  • 03:21:10
    Please first begin by introducing yourself.
  • 03:21:12
    Councilmember Palmisano, I will note that the policy barrier was noted in the administration's response to the amendment packet.
  • 03:21:20
    Welcome, Director Sexton.
  • 03:21:21
    Please begin by introducing yourself.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 03:21:22
    Yes, thank you, Council Vice President.
  • 03:21:25
    My name is Tim Sexton, Director of Public Works.
  • 03:21:28
    So yes, first of all, I want to acknowledge Ward 2 has been very transparent and we appreciate all the work that your team has done coordinating with us.
  • 03:21:38
    on this and other amendments.
  • 03:21:40
    So, I've just seen the amendment now.
  • 03:21:43
    I will say, similar to your comments, Councilmember Palmisano, not taking money from other street lighting projects does make this
  • 03:21:55
    I think it reduces the impacts on what otherwise would have been repairs and maintenance for traffic signals, for traffic lights, for copper wire repair and replacement, and deterrents for vandalism.
  • 03:22:10
    The challenge we have with this particular neighborhood is that we have an existing pedestrian street lighting corridor map that was approved by Council in 2015.
  • 03:22:22
    We also recognize though through the Transportation Action Plan process that that map really focused on arterial roadways and interactions with people and cars.
  • 03:22:33
    It did not necessarily fully address areas that have high pedestrian activity where the challenge might not be related to vehicle interactions so much as issues directly related to pedestrians.
  • 03:22:48
    In some ways similar to Dinkytown and Marcy Holmes.
  • 03:22:51
    However, that area was not identified in the transportation action plan.
  • 03:22:55
    So the challenge we have is it's not part of our map.
  • 03:22:57
    that shows approved pedestrian level street lighting corridors.
  • 03:23:00
    It's also not part of the Transportation Action Plan pedestrian priority network areas that were identified to be sort of the next level to add to that map that would need to be approved by council prior to us funding any of those additional corridors.
  • 03:23:17
    And the third challenge is the funding appropriation, while substantial at $500,000,
  • 03:23:25
    The initial and older estimate for updating the work in this area was over 2 million dollars.
  • 03:23:31
    So it's a little unclear to us at this point how we could advance some part of that project because it would still be underfunded.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:23:41
    Thank you.
  • 03:23:43
    Madam Chair, I understand the need in Dinkytown.
  • 03:23:46
    I am very supportive, but I just also need to be a little bit transparent too about who the loser is here.
  • 03:23:53
    My own ward is the lowest priority for street lighting and copper theft repairs, and we have large swaths around our city lakes that everybody uses that are completely dark.
  • 03:24:05
    This would delay those repairs.
  • 03:24:08
    I'd like to know
  • 03:24:26
    Usually younger students walking and needing to get around and I can see that being an important priority so I'm curious from CEO Anderson Kelleher if you could please come up and tell us more about what this means and how we could accomplish this from a policy and prioritization standpoint because there are these needs that would have to happen before we could ever get
  • 03:24:49
    to this work in Dinkytown, even a small portion of it.
  • 03:24:53
    And although I see the need for this, we have some pretty big structural changes to make to even allow for this.
  • 03:25:00
    So COO Anderson Kelleher, could you tell us a little bit more about what this, how we can even accomplish this given our current policy and prioritization?
  • 03:25:10
    I think we need to change the policy and I have started conversations with city staff on how to not just prioritize our arterial corridors based on vehicle but to prioritize corridors in our city that are highly trafficked by pedestrians.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 03:25:32
    Madam Chair, I'm going to defer to the Public Works Director on this.
  • 03:25:35
    Sure.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 03:25:39
    Council Vice President Councilmember Palmesano, in terms of the prioritization we do We have about a million dollars a year that we use for pedestrian scale lighting corridors throughout the city we have Well over 10 million dollars of need that we've already identified that does not include this particular neighborhood and project if we were to well
  • 03:26:04
    We also, as I mentioned before, we have a list.
  • 03:26:09
    It is not prioritized from 2015 in a map.
  • 03:26:14
    We have a need to add the pedestrian priority network locations that is not just the arterials, but is more than residential streets similar to what we'd be looking at here in Dinkytown and Marcy Homes.
  • 03:26:28
    That work we're hoping to begin this year, but we don't have a prioritized list.
  • 03:26:33
    but we do know that neighborhoods that are not on the list right now would be less likely to be of the highest priority both because of where they're located because of the prioritization process and because of our racial equity framework for transportation which is really a guiding document for all of our prioritization.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:26:57
    Council Member Palmesano, your time has expired.
  • 03:27:02
    Okay, next I will recognize Councilmember Jenkins, followed by Councilmember Wonsley, then Councilmember Palmisano, then Councilmember Rainville, and then we will call the roll on this item.
  • 03:27:16
    Councilmember Jenkins, go ahead.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:27:18
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:27:20
    I'm curious, and maybe the director can answer this question, are street lighting projects still required to have
  • 03:27:33
    financing from property owners as well.
  • 03:27:38
    And then are property owners in this area prepared to be a part of that?
• • Tim Sexton
  • 03:27:46
    Council Vice President, Council Member Jenkins.
  • 03:27:48
    Yes, the assessment process is included for street lights.
  • 03:27:52
    There is a need for some assessment.
  • 03:27:54
    There's also an additional way that neighborhoods like this
  • 03:27:58
    could have a standalone street lighting project funded and there's a two-part petition process that we have outlined in our streetlight policy that's another way to get funded and those assessments would, it fully assesses, excuse me, the full cost of the lighting then is borne by the property owners that are benefiting from the lights.
  • 03:28:20
    So yes, there are assessments and also there is a way for this neighborhood, if they wanted to, to fully fund their own pedestrian-scale street lighting.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:28:32
    So in this instance, would there be assessments to go along with this?
  • 03:28:38
    If this passed $500,000, we would then assess for the $1.5 million to do the project?
• • Tim Sexton
  • 03:28:48
    Council Vice President, Council Member Jacobs, it's a little unclear how we would use this partial funding for the project, but there is a scenario where it would support the total project cost and the rest could be funded through adjacent property owners.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:29:10
    That concludes my questions.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:29:12
    Thank you.
  • 03:29:14
    Next I'll recognize Council Member Wonsley followed by Council Member Palmisano.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 03:29:19
    Thank you, Chair Checktie.
  • 03:29:21
    So once again, I'm reading off of the memo that the administration, so I'm assuming Director Sexton, you helped prepare, where it lists, literally here, it says impact of additional worker capacity to deliver amendment, and in response it says we can perform $500,000 of additional lighting work with existing staff and resources in 2025.
  • 03:29:42
    Using your response to that memo, we changed the language in this amendment here to basically say, fine.
  • 03:29:50
    Essentially, this is an earmark within the Public Works Department saying you already have these resources.
  • 03:29:56
    And if you all look at the end sentence, it says pending eligibility as pedestrian street lighting corridor in terms of Marcy Homes and D.E.
  • 03:30:04
    Town being added.
  • 03:30:05
    You also named that that process of adding corridors does have to go through a council process.
  • 03:30:11
    meaning we do have the ability to amend.
  • 03:30:13
    So that as I name that is something that we will be pursuing.
  • 03:30:17
    My office has been in communications with you and your department about that and honestly prior to your tenure we've had many meetings with your department about this very thing with a variety of stakeholders about enhancing and I've noticed we've kept talking about street lighting this is pedestrian lighting.
  • 03:30:34
    So there is a separate process here, too.
  • 03:30:37
    So I did want to note that.
  • 03:30:40
    So just emphasizing the pending piece, because if it does not get added, let's say I don't get the votes, then these resources don't get used.
  • 03:30:49
    But ideally, we're going to work with the department, going to work with my colleagues to get amendments to include this corridor, because I do think it absolutely should be reflected in our map, and make sure that these resources are also brought there.
  • 03:31:03
    that you mentioned in this memo is already reflected within the 2025 budget and then also as I mentioned for years now we have been in conversation with university leadership with stakeholders in the neighborhood around how we can contribute and work together to reach that 1.5 million dollar total that you talked about and this is the part
  • 03:31:23
    in which we're bringing to the table to show that we're serious about improving safety in that area through pedestrian street lighting.
  • 03:31:30
    So with that, I of course would encourage my colleagues to support it.
  • 03:31:34
    And if you don't support it, you of course have the opportunity to vote no.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:31:38
    Thank you.
  • 03:31:38
    I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano and then we will call the roll on this item.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:31:44
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:31:46
    I feel Director Sexton was cut off from the rest of what he was about to say, so I wanted to give him a chance to say it, but I also want to point out that this amendment is specific, it is the revised amendment, adds money to this need, which I agree is necessary.
  • 03:32:02
    It does so from the general fund, which, how far we want to go into the general fund dollars
  • 03:32:09
    is a choice that we're making here in this budget process.
  • 03:32:12
    But it is specific to pedestrian level lighting in the Dinkytown and Marcy Homes neighborhoods.
  • 03:32:19
    Yes, pending eligibility, but this would be locked up for Marcy Homes and Dinkytown.
  • 03:32:24
    But Director Sexton, I wanted to give you a chance to continue because you were talking about sort of how we're equitably working on our lighting program.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 03:32:34
    Council Vice President, Council Member Palmesano,
  • 03:32:37
    Yeah, so the one area I failed to mention initially is that we really have focused our investments as much as possible in traditionally underserved areas identified in our racial equity framework for transportation.
  • 03:32:53
    While this is kind of in a middle tier location in those criteria, it is not the highest.
  • 03:33:00
    And so we think that we haven't done the full evaluation.
  • 03:33:05
    but it is unlikely based on our professional technical staff that this would be considered a high priority.
  • 03:33:12
    So while eligible, it's unlikely that on its own we would consider it the highest priority for funding amongst all the other pedestrian scale lighting projects citywide.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:33:24
    Thank you.
  • 03:33:24
    So in in my the way that I rationalize all of this is that unfortunately this money will go from the general fund to this lighting program and end up just sitting there for the next year.
  • 03:33:35
    And that's my own interpretation of all the facts before us.
  • 03:33:38
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:33:42
    All right, I will finally recognize Councilmember Chaudry and then we are calling the roll on this item.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 03:33:48
    Thank you Madam Chair, I'm going to try to keep it 30 seconds.
  • 03:33:51
    I'll just say, as a student that graduated from the University of Minnesota, I started in 2015, this was an issue then, now it's a decade later and it's still an issue, students have toiled to address this issue in this neighborhood for
  • 03:34:08
    over a decade.
  • 03:34:09
    We tried to figure it out in Councilmember Fletcher's office when I worked for him and we're still here.
  • 03:34:16
    And I just see this as a way of making sure that this goes in the queue and why I feel like this is a priority is that there is many notable cases of sexual assault that students experienced in the Marcy Homes neighborhood because it is dark and women and non-binary and trans folks in our student community
  • 03:34:34
    are become vulnerable when they are outside in the dark and that's been a place where there has been predatory behavior.
  • 03:34:39
    So that felt important to add to the context because there is a long-standing history of an action in this area.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:34:46
    Colleagues we have the revised and key after dark amendment offered by council member Wansley before us.
  • 03:34:51
    I will ask the clerk to call the roll on the revised amendment number 17.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:34:56
    Council member Payne.
  • 03:34:57
    Aye.
  • 03:34:57
    Wansley.
  • 03:34:58
    Aye.
  • 03:34:59
    Rainville.
  • 03:35:00
    Aye.
  • 03:35:00
    Vita.
  • 03:35:01
    Aye.
  • 03:35:02
    of the
  • 03:35:20
    Chair Chuktay?
  • 03:35:21
    Aye.
  • 03:35:22
    There are 11 ayes and 2 nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:35:24
    That motion carries.
  • 03:35:25
    Next we will move to amendment number 18 which is offered by Councilmember Chavez.
  • 03:35:35
    Councilmember Chavez, please introduce and move approval of your amendment.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 03:35:39
    Thank you council vice president.
  • 03:35:40
    The purpose of this Longfellow neighborhood safety initiative proposal is to combat crime and violence in the Longfellow neighborhood.
  • 03:35:47
    My office recently established a lake in Mahaha area safety coalition group that meets monthly where staff from NSD, MPD, and public works have also attended to hear concerns from neighbors and businesses in the area.
  • 03:35:59
    I have begun meeting with residents in the Trinity High Rise Apartments in Longfellow where I have brought staff from 911, 311, and our Crime Prevention Specialists to help address community concerns.
  • 03:36:10
    Community members and small businesses in these meetings agree that more eyes on the ground would be helpful and this funding would help address community safety concerns in the area.
  • 03:36:18
    and according to the Minneapolis Police, three-year average crime metrics for the Longfellow neighborhood.
  • 03:36:22
    Crime is up in several categories including burglary, breaking and entering, destruction, damage, vandalism of property, larceny, theft and offenses, robbery and shots fired calls.
  • 03:36:32
    This funding would bring more eyes on the ground and help improve safety conditions of an area that is struggling currently.
  • 03:36:39
    And with your permission, Council Vice President Chuck Tye, I'd like to add Councilmember Chaudry as an author whose residents are also being impacted.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:36:48
    Council Member Chavez has moved approval of the Longfellow Neighborhood Safety Initiative's amendment and added Council Member Chaudry as a co-author.
  • 03:37:01
    Is there a second to this motion?
  • 03:37:03
    Second.
  • 03:37:04
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 03:37:06
    Colleagues, are there any questions or discussion related to this item?
  • 03:37:10
    I will recognize Council Member Jenkins.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:37:13
    Thank you Madam Chair I'm not clear what this funding will support and I'm curious is this I mean we just opened up a safety center right there in Longfellow or very close to Longfellow and so I'm curious what is the $150,000 going to support
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:37:43
    Councilmember Chavez, would you like to address Councilmember Jenkins's question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 03:37:47
    Thank you.
  • 03:37:48
    So the Lake Street Safety Center opened in the East Phillips neighborhood.
  • 03:37:51
    This funding is for the Longfellow neighborhood and it would be up to the Office of Community Safety, Neighborhood Safety Department to decide how to use these this funding.
  • 03:38:01
    But based on my conversations and the way I wrote the amendment was in partnership with the businesses and residents in the area including as I mentioned earlier the Trinity
  • 03:38:10
    a high-rise apartments who are struggling with safety concerns and would like to see more eyes on the ground and this would give the flexibility for the neighborhood safety department to decide the best use for the neighborhood.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:38:22
    Councilmember Jenkins would do you have any further comments?
  • 03:38:25
    Wonderful.
  • 03:38:25
    I'm not seeing Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:38:30
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 03:38:33
    Again, I'm hearing an allocation for hyperlocal projects within Neighborhood Safety Department and that's just not the way to continue to build out this system.
  • 03:38:44
    Councilmember Chavez pointed out that the Community Safety Center is in East Phillips, but it's not just for East Phillips.
  • 03:38:51
    We really need to start trusting that we're building out this community safety center in the third precinct for everybody that is serviced across the third precinct and probably beyond.
  • 03:39:02
    It is faster for people in the whole southern part of the city, perhaps, to get to the communities, to the CSC,
  • 03:39:11
    to do things that they might need to do in person or want to do in person, easier than trying to get in and out of even the 5th Precinct right now based on staffing.
  • 03:39:22
    Easier than coming downtown, perhaps by far, depending on how they are transiting.
  • 03:39:27
    And I do appreciate the need.
  • 03:39:32
    but I don't appreciate that we are getting so hyper local that now we are resourcing specific amounts of money to only very specific neighborhoods without any sort of look or look at capacity and community building opportunities right now.
  • 03:39:51
    We are really ham, our staff are really going to be hamstrung by how they deploy these resources in the most impactful way.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:40:01
    Thank you.
  • 03:40:02
    I'm not seeing any further discussion.
  • 03:40:04
    So, colleagues, we have the Longfellow Neighborhood Safety Initiatives Amendment offered by Councilmembers Chavez and Chaudry before us.
  • 03:40:14
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment Number 18.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:40:18
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 03:40:19
    Aye.
  • 03:40:20
    Wonsley?
  • 03:40:23
    Is absent.
  • 03:40:24
    Rainville?
  • 03:40:25
    Aye.
  • 03:40:26
    Vito?
• • 03:40:27
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:40:28
    Ellison Aye Osman Aye Cashman Aye Jenkins Maine Chavez Aye Chaudhry Aye Pompasano No Vice Chair Koski Aye Chair Chuktai Aye
  • 03:40:47
    There are ten ayes and two nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:40:49
    That motion carries.
  • 03:40:52
    Next we will take up amendment number 19, which is the Whittier Public Safety Response Amendment.
  • 03:41:04
    this is
  • 03:41:21
    to the Minneapolis Police Department as of September 20th of this year, the Whittier neighborhood was the neighborhood with the highest rate of gun violence in Minneapolis.
  • 03:41:32
    This community, my community, needs additional resources at the neighborhood level to increase public safety.
  • 03:41:38
    is an incredibly diverse neighborhood in south Minneapolis with approximately 14,000 people residing in that community.
  • 03:41:47
    41% of them are people of color, including 17% who are black or African American, and 16% who are Latinx.
  • 03:41:56
    So 21%
  • 03:41:58
    In addition to that, 21% of Whittier residents are born outside of the United States.
  • 03:42:04
    Over the last couple of years, I've had the opportunity to work alongside the Minneapolis Police Department and the 5th Precinct on finding ways to increase the amount of resources being deployed into this community.
  • 03:42:18
    Yet we still see this amount of gun violence prevail in the community.
  • 03:42:25
    in an effort to find more creative solutions to address these problems that I have brought forward this amendment.
  • 03:42:35
    I will move approval of it and ask for a second.
  • 03:42:38
    Second.
  • 03:42:38
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 03:42:40
    Colleagues, is there any discussion on this amendment?
  • 03:42:44
    I will first recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Jenkins.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:42:48
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:42:51
    This is a hyperlocal project, reappropriating funds.
  • 03:42:55
    This is the second time that we've taken more money out of the general fund to do so.
  • 03:43:00
    Just like the last narrative for this similar type of amendment stated that the Longfellow neighborhood has expressed its need for additional safety support to address violence in the area,
  • 03:43:11
    I could hazard a guess that nearly every single neighborhood in our city, if not all of them, have their own needs and that is why it is so important that we look at the public safety ecosystem for the entire city
  • 03:43:27
    and not neighborhood by neighborhood.
  • 03:43:29
    I'm going to ask Commissioner Barnett to come up and help tell us what this appropriation might mean to the department.
  • 03:43:36
    It is coming from the General Fund, so we've excavated a lot of money from the Neighborhood Safety Department today in our budget amendments and now we're adding money back into the Neighborhood Safety Department from the General Fund.
  • 03:43:49
    Commissioner Barnett, can you help us understand what this appropriation would mean to the department and what existing services or programs you could still quickly stand up to fit this need?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:44:00
    Sure, just to be clear.
  • 03:44:01
    This is this is an earmark within the Neighborhood Safety Department.
  • 03:44:05
    Welcome back Commissioner.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:44:06
    Excuse me, Madam Chair.
  • 03:44:08
    I see it is a amending the general fund Is there to appropriate?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:44:14
    $200,000 one time within
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:44:19
    I see, so you're earmarking money that is already within the Neighborhood Safety Department?
  • 03:44:23
    That is correct.
  • 03:44:24
    Alright, my question still stands.
  • 03:44:26
    Thank you, Commissioner.
  • 03:44:27
    Alright.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 03:44:29
    Chair, Chuck Tai, Councilmember of Hamasano.
  • 03:44:33
    Like I stated earlier, the more we earmark, the more we take funding from these different departments, especially Neighborhood Safety, it limits our flexibility.
  • 03:44:48
    We went through this exercise last year where neighborhood safety didn't have capacity.
  • 03:44:54
    We built that capacity up.
  • 03:44:56
    We want to make sure that we're intentional in keeping the programs that we have now.
  • 03:45:03
    Anytime we start new programs, that takes time, that takes RFP, that takes selecting the right vendor, the right provider for that, and standing it up.
  • 03:45:19
    I understand where we are today in respect to the comprehensive community safety ecosystem that we all agree needs to take place.
  • 03:45:33
    We're much farther along than we were last year and we're making progress.
  • 03:45:39
    I'm hopeful that as we move along and you can continue to see the work that is happening specifically in the police department, in neighborhood safety, the work of Amanda Harrington, that you can see that we're building this comprehensive ecosystem out
  • 03:46:03
    and that these type of amendments won't be necessary.
  • 03:46:07
    But it does limit us with our flexibility.
  • 03:46:10
    Thank you.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:46:12
    Thank you.
  • 03:46:12
    So Madam Chair, I would say and I would offer to the Commissioner that I'd point out that the Neighborhood Safety Department capacity is being greatly diminished today.
  • 03:46:22
    And these types of amendments are part of the reason why.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:46:27
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Jenkins followed by Councilmember Cashman and then we will call the roll on this item.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:46:33
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 03:46:34
    I just wanted to offer, earlier Council Member Osman said that the, the little earth had the highest gun violence in the city.
  • 03:46:49
    and now you just quoted that Whittier neighborhood.
  • 03:46:53
    So hopefully we get some data to confirm these claims.
  • 03:47:00
    But yeah, I can guarantee you that all eight of my neighborhoods, Kingfield, Bryant, Central, Field, Regina, Northrop, Woodall,
  • 03:47:16
    want to have allocations to have more safety.
  • 03:47:20
    There's break-ins, there's carjackings, garages being ramshacked, packages being stolen, all kinds of criminal behavior.
  • 03:47:34
    That's why we need a city-wide approach.
  • 03:47:40
    So I can't keep supporting these.
  • 03:47:44
    micro-targeted public safety initiatives.
  • 03:47:49
    We need a broader strategy.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:47:53
    Thank you Councilmember Jenkins.
  • 03:47:55
    I would just briefly say, certainly agree that we need a broader city-wide approach.
  • 03:48:02
    A part of how we get there is through the implementation of the Safe and Thriving Communities report and plan.
  • 03:48:07
    and in the interim until we have a city wide comprehensive approach when we see increases in violence at a neighborhood specific level, community specific level that something is needed to address that and I appreciate that this is the sort of rub right now and understand and respect the place that you are coming from.
  • 03:48:35
    So with that, finally I will recognize Councilmember Cashman and then Councilmember Osman Thank you Madam Chair, I just wanted to note that
• • Michael Cashman
  • 03:48:46
    this whole year I've been wondering how violence interrupters are assigned throughout the city and whether that follows data because I see shootings on 19th and Nicollet, I see shootings in the warehouse district downtown and I always wonder how Office of Community Safety and Neighborhood Safety Department are allocating those resources according to data and so I just want to point out for colleagues that I did author a legislative directive that the Neighborhood Safety Department will be presenting on January 6th
  • 03:49:13
    to the PHS Committee on what data they're using to assign violence interrupters and I think that we're all aligned with wanting that city-wide approach and I don't think that's in conflict with what council members are doing because they also know their words and where things are happening.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:49:31
    Thank you.
  • 03:49:32
    Finally, I will recognize Councilmember Osman and then we'll call the roll on this item.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 03:49:35
    Thank you.
  • 03:49:36
    I want to repeat one more time.
  • 03:49:38
    There are areas that struggle, safety issue more than anyone else, more than any other word, and that's just obvious.
  • 03:49:46
    The data supports it and I'm happy to support anything that Councilmember Jenkins that will
  • 03:49:54
    I don't know how many times I have to repeat it when bad things happen in that neighborhood
  • 03:50:16
    We all scream about, oh something has to be done.
  • 03:50:19
    Well we are doing the right thing.
  • 03:50:21
    This is the steps we are taking and you can continue to vote against it and I'm okay with that but
  • 03:50:30
    We are here as a council member, especially me, I'm here to find a solution to some of the challenges.
  • 03:50:36
    Work with the Department of Public Safety, work with other departments, great departments we have in our city, and we are bringing solutions.
  • 03:50:46
    And this area specifically has shown some challenges that many of my community members have reached out to me.
  • 03:50:58
    So, thank you council member.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:51:00
    Thank you.
  • 03:51:00
    With that, we have my Whittier Public Safety Response Amendment before us.
  • 03:51:05
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment Number 19.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:51:08
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 03:51:09
    Aye.
  • 03:51:10
    Wonsley?
  • 03:51:11
    Aye.
  • 03:51:12
    Rainville?
  • 03:51:13
    Aye.
  • 03:51:14
    Vita?
  • 03:51:14
    Aye.
  • 03:51:16
    Ellison?
  • 03:51:16
    Aye.
  • 03:51:18
    Osman?
  • 03:51:18
    Aye.
  • 03:51:20
    Cashman?
  • 03:51:20
    Aye.
  • 03:51:21
    Jenkins?
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:51:22
    Nay.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:51:24
    Chavez?
  • 03:51:24
    Aye.
  • 03:51:26
    Chaudry?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:51:27
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:51:28
    Palmisano?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:51:29
    No.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:51:30
    There are 11 ayes and 2 nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:51:36
    That motion carries.
  • 03:51:37
    Before we move to amendment number 20, I see Councilmember Wonsley in queue for a priority motion.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 03:51:44
    Chair, I did want to be noted as an aye if it's okay with the body on item number or amendment number 18 as well.
  • 03:51:55
    Clerks, if we can note that appropriately.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:51:58
    Thank you.
  • 03:51:58
    Next we have Amendment No.
  • 03:52:01
    20, which is the North Minneapolis Community Safety Center and 4th Precinct that is offered by Vice Chair Koski.
  • 03:52:11
    Vice Chair Koski, will you please introduce and move approval of your amendment?
• • Emily Koski
  • 03:52:16
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:52:18
    This budget proposal seeks to amend the city's six-year capital improvement plan, which currently includes the renovation or relocation of the 4th Precinct, but instead to include the renovation or relocation of a North Minneapolis Community Safety Center and 4th
  • 03:52:35
    This adjustment is crucial to ensure that the capital improvement plan and the proposed redevelopment is in alignment with the city's public safety mission, vision, and values, and our comprehensive public safety ecosystem, and the realignment occurs prior to work on the project begins.
  • 03:52:52
    The concept of the Community Safety Center was derived from this body's discussions and deliberations regarding the relocation redevelopment of the Third Police Precinct and the concept evolved and actualized as the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center which will include the Third Police Precinct.
  • 03:53:08
    The South Minneapolis Community Safety Center will be a first of its kind state-of-the-art public safety facility.
  • 03:53:13
    It will provide a spectrum of community safety services that meet the unique needs of our residents.
  • 03:53:18
    and as we move forward with the relocation redevelopment of the fourth police precinct, we should ensure that North Minneapolis also receives a state-of-the-art public safety facility.
  • 03:53:27
    You will also see in the feedback from our COO that both OCS and our finance department are happy to coordinate and work together on this project.
  • 03:53:37
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:53:38
    Thank you.
  • 03:53:40
    Council, Vice Chair Koski has moved approval of amendment number 20.
  • 03:53:44
    Is there a second to that motion?
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 03:53:46
    Second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:53:47
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 03:53:49
    Colleagues, is there any discussion or questions related to this item?
  • 03:53:52
    I will first recognize Councilmember Vitau followed by Councilmember Ellison.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 03:53:56
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 03:53:57
    Just a clarifying question.
  • 03:53:59
    This isn't, there's nothing changing except the name here.
  • 03:54:02
    There's no dollar amount or...
  • 03:54:05
    Correct.
  • 03:54:05
    It's just changing to a safety center versus a precinct.
• • Emily Koski
  • 03:54:10
    Correct.
  • 03:54:10
    Yes, my apologies.
  • 03:54:11
    I should have Made sure to clarify that it's the same amount the half million five hundred thousand dollars remains the same It just adds in the wording of Community Safety Center to make sure it's all-encompassing With the fourth precinct and that is the half million that was in the mayor's budget, correct?
  • 03:54:28
    It all stays it's in our capital improvement plan.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 03:54:31
    Okay.
  • 03:54:32
    All right, just clarifying that that's the original It's just the name change.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:54:37
    Correct.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 03:54:37
    Thank you
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:54:38
    Thank you.
  • 03:54:39
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Ellison followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 03:54:43
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 03:54:44
    I just want to speak in favor of this.
  • 03:54:46
    I think that there's been a lot of discussion about the community center on the south side and a lot of debate about what kind of services go into there and so I think that while it's not a budget amendment in the sense that we're moving pots of money from here to there,
  • 03:54:59
    I think it's helpful for us to make sure that we're giving the same amount of analysis on both sides of the city and providing the same kinds of services that are going to be in a Southside Community Center in a future, you know, fourth precinct.
  • 03:55:14
    Obviously as those conversations progress, you know, the leadership on what's going to go and how those conversations should go is obviously going to be led by Ward 4, myself, but for
  • 03:55:24
    Oh yeah, not me.
  • 03:55:26
    Whoever's here in the Ward 5 seat in the future.
  • 03:55:30
    But yes, but I think that, you know, making sure that we have equity in our analysis and how we're thinking about the kinds of services we're providing on the south side and on the north side is something that I appreciate and so thank you for your leadership here Council Member Koski and I hope my colleagues will support this.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:55:46
    Thank you and finally I'll recognize Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:55:51
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:55:52
    I'm curious why this is even being presented as a budget amendment.
  • 03:55:56
    Finance and Property Services could simply rename this within the CIP.
  • 03:56:00
    So I guess I'm curious why this is coming up through our budget process.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:56:04
    Vice Chair Koski, would you like to address Council Member Palmesano's question?
• • Emily Koski
  • 03:56:07
    Thank you.
  • 03:56:08
    Yes, happy to.
  • 03:56:09
    In our discussions with the city staff or city attorneys, they said that we should make this amendment in this appropriation to make sure it was encompassing to note that this work would happen this way.
  • 03:56:22
    So that's why.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 03:56:24
    Is there more analysis done, given that there's a name change being done here?
  • 03:56:29
    Because I agree with what Council Member Ellison said, that we should be moving forward on this and so many other substantive things.
  • 03:56:37
    But this just seems odd to bring up during the budget process.
  • 03:56:42
    And is there more analysis then to be done as this name changes?
  • 03:56:45
    Because as you just mentioned, it was recommended to you from staff to change it from this title to that title.
• • Emily Koski
  • 03:56:53
    Well I didn't say that the staff recommended that.
  • 03:56:55
    I wanted to make sure that the Community Safety Center and the ecosystem that we're trying to build out holistically across the city was also inclusive and in our capital improvement plan they noted that it was only for a fourth precinct and that to me felt like we weren't doing the full analysis so wanted to make sure that it was included.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:57:21
    I see.
  • 03:57:21
    Thank you.
  • 03:57:22
    Seeing no further discussion, colleagues, we have the North Minneapolis Community Safety Center and 4th Precinct Amendment offered by Vice Chair Koski before us.
  • 03:57:34
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment No.
  • 03:57:37
    20.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:57:37
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 03:57:39
    Aye.
  • 03:57:40
    Wonsley?
  • 03:57:40
    Aye.
  • 03:57:41
    Rainville?
  • 03:57:42
    Aye.
  • 03:57:44
    Vitor?
  • 03:57:44
    Aye.
  • 03:57:45
    Ellison?
  • 03:57:46
    Aye.
  • 03:57:47
    Osman?
  • 03:57:48
    Aye.
  • 03:57:49
    Cashman?
• • 03:57:50
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 03:57:51
    Jenkins Aye Chavez Aye Chaudry Aye Homosano Aye Vice Chair Koski Aye Chair Chigtai Aye There are 13 ayes
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 03:58:04
    That motion carries.
  • 03:58:07
    Colleagues, next on our packet is amendment number 21, which was withdrawn.
  • 03:58:12
    So we will now move to amendment number 22, which is a revised amendment in the packet that the clerks gave us this morning for Hiawatha neighborhood needle pickup and opioid prevention strategies.
  • 03:58:30
    This motion is offered by council member Chowdhury, so I will recognize
  • 03:58:34
    Council Member Chowdhury to please introduce and move approval of your amendment.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 03:58:40
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 03:58:42
    Colleagues, I'll note the revision is specifically on the code within the health department that this funding would be allocated to health department opioid response.
  • 03:58:54
    This amendment allocates
  • 03:58:56
    $10,000 ongoing funds for needle collection and opioid prevention strategies led by the Health Department.
  • 03:59:06
    I'll share that residents that frequently walk along this corridor have reported an increase of needle caps and other paraphernalia littering the public right away.
  • 03:59:17
    on Hiawatha Avenue and immediately adjacent areas.
  • 03:59:22
    The Hiawatha neighborhood is a walkable community, one of the most walkable in Minneapolis with families often walking along this corridor to accomplish their errands, get around through the neighborhood.
  • 03:59:32
    There's also multiple local businesses in the area and there's a nearby major transit hub.
  • 03:59:40
    We have heard from
  • 03:59:44
    residents that have made 311 complaints and complaints to our offices of young students that take school buses or community members going for walks that they have seen an increase of the presence of needles in the area.
  • 03:59:59
    this is in an effort to increase the services to address this livability issue.
  • 04:00:04
    I'll also share that this summer I brought our Commissioner of Public Health, Opioid Response Staff, Metro Transit, and other community partners out to the 46 and Hiawatha area to do a wellness walk to first-hand see the challenges faced by my constituents in this area.
  • 04:00:23
    Additionally, we've seen an increase just in this
  • 04:00:29
    last six months alone of the number of people using opioids open air in the area.
  • 04:00:36
    So it creates flexibility for strategies beyond just needle pickup opioid prevention strategies.
  • 04:00:43
    Also note that there is
  • 04:00:45
    a transitional housing apartment building which we are certainly proud to have in the 12th Ward where many individuals are in recovery and additional supports to the organization and partnership between our Health Department and supporting individuals to recovery is something that was discussed through this Wellness Walk and I will move this item for approval and ask for a proper second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:01:12
    Second.
  • 04:01:13
    The item number 22 has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 04:01:16
    Colleagues, is there any discussion or questions related to this item?
  • 04:01:20
    I will first recognize Councilmember Rainville.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 04:01:22
    Thank you.
  • 04:01:23
    I'm wondering if the author could elaborate on what does increased capacity for needle pickup look like?
  • 04:01:29
    Is it more what's done now?
  • 04:01:31
    What is being done now?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:01:34
    Councilmember Chaudry, would you like to address Councilmember Rainville's question?
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:01:41
    Yes, absolutely.
  • 04:01:44
    Well currently we have a 311 response request that's fulfilled by the health department staff to go out and do needle pickup.
  • 04:01:56
    I know that there is another budget amendment we'll be looking down the line that's specified to the green zone.
  • 04:02:01
    What's clear is that this area
  • 04:02:03
    needs additional support and attention so it's just building out the capacity for this area alongside any work that our department is considering doing or already doing around opioid prevention strategies and just making sure that this area that hasn't seen that type of support has that type of connection to the health department and allocating some funding to expand that capacity that already exists.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 04:02:29
    So thank you, because I don't have this problem in my ward.
  • 04:02:35
    People walk, they see the needles laying there, they call 311, and the health department sends out their staff.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:02:43
    We're a contracted organization.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:02:45
    I believe it's contracted service presently.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 04:02:49
    Okay, great.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:02:52
    But I'll note, in conversations with the health department, it's fulfilled by 311 request on the public
  • 04:02:59
    public right away.
  • 04:03:00
    So that's how the complaints made.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 04:03:01
    Great.
  • 04:03:02
    So I like this a lot, but I don't I'm struggling with taking it from a downtown public safety resource.
  • 04:03:08
    So no offense, but I won't be voting for this.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:03:12
    That's your prerogative.
  • 04:03:13
    Appreciate it.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:03:15
    Wonderful.
  • 04:03:16
    Next I will recognize Vice Chair Koski followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Emily Koski
  • 04:03:20
    Thank you Madam Chair and through the chair may I ask the author a quick question or maybe the authors I see the other amendment for the FTE.
  • 04:03:29
    I was just wondering if this funding was to be in conjunction number 25 I believe is it a or is it just for one service worker for FTE to increase the budget so I'm just wondering would this
  • 04:03:44
    and perhaps the Health Department is here, I see, could help answer would they be working in conjunction with this $10,000 be supporting that FTE and that work or is it completely separate?
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:03:59
    Thank you so much for the question and I will defer to the Deputy Director.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:04:04
    Deputy Commissioner, welcome.
  • 04:04:05
    If you'll first begin by introducing yourself.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:04:07
    Thank you, Council President Chug Tai, members of the committee, Heidi Ritchie, Deputy Commissioner of Health for the City of Minneapolis Health Department.
  • 04:04:15
    We have a contract for needle pickup with, currently with a Mother's Love, it's about $75,000.
  • 04:04:21
    There's three elements, there's needle collection, which we partner with businesses who have collection points and will go do a weekly cleanup.
  • 04:04:29
    We have needle pickup which is the 311 services and then we have education and outreach that includes coming out to the community, teaching them how to clean up, providing them with materials.
  • 04:04:44
    So that's the pickup program we have now.
  • 04:04:47
    What we would do with this $10,000 is add that on to the amount that we can contract and then whatever happens with future budget amendments we can work with that as well.
  • 04:04:57
    Thank you so much.
  • 04:04:59
    I appreciate that clarity.
  • 04:05:00
    Thanks.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:05:01
    Wonderful.
  • 04:05:02
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Vitale.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:05:07
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 04:05:08
    So it sounds like this just gets rolled into existing programming that's already been built out and vetted by the health department.
  • 04:05:18
    To me this particular amendment feels a little bit more pointed as to what needs to be done, not just give us more safety resources, but that's just my take.
  • 04:05:28
    To me this feels like less
  • 04:05:30
    of a hyper-local project, but actually a need.
  • 04:05:34
    But this is the second of three amendments, decreasing funding from the mounted patrol, which combined render it basically unfunded.
  • 04:05:43
    Even though this seems to be an easy source to target, the mounted patrol has real value, especially downtown.
  • 04:05:48
    And so I'd like to call up Commissioner Barnett to help us understand if there's anything else we're thinking about as to how removal of this mounted patrol is going to
  • 04:06:00
    Impact our city and the value of mounted patrol.
  • 04:06:04
    Welcome back Commissioner.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 04:06:05
    Good afternoon again chair Councilmember pomisano, I Believe the original I think in a you look at the packet the original amendment that started this talks about I think a hundred and twelve thousand dollars or so are for the lease I believe of the stable and
  • 04:06:29
    and I think there's three amendments that are connected taking funding from that source which I think basically takes all that funding away.
  • 04:06:41
    I have not been able to talk with Chief O'Hare about what the impact
  • 04:06:47
    is at this point with the amendments that have been passed, but I think when you look at your packet that we sent, all that information is in there.
  • 04:06:57
    This is just another part of taking that money away that would be used for the lease.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:07:03
    Thank you.
  • 04:07:03
    I'll point out that this is about MPD's downtown safety strategies.
  • 04:07:07
    Those safety strategies are data-driven and bar close, which is its own operation downtown as to how we safely get people
  • 04:07:17
    leaving bars and nightclubs out the door and off on their way home.
  • 04:07:22
    It also would impact large events and our ability to provide that mounted patrol presence for large events in our city.
  • 04:07:29
    I'd be happy to reconsider if another funding source is identified because I appreciate the need here.
  • 04:07:36
    But given this is just another removal of the mounted patrol, I won't be supporting it today.
  • 04:07:42
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:07:44
    Councilmember Palmisano brings up a really good point about mounted patrol.
  • 04:07:48
    The vast majority of the allocation to mounted patrol was taken away with a budget amendment that was considered on Friday for an additional 5th precinct specialist.
  • 04:08:02
    But with that I will recognize Councilmember Vitov followed by Councilmember Osman.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 04:08:07
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 04:08:08
    The same for me.
  • 04:08:09
    I don't like that it's being taken from the Mounted Patrol, especially $10,000.
  • 04:08:14
    I think you could find $10,000 in the health department or somewhere else to help with this program.
  • 04:08:22
    And I also think Councilmember Chaudry, I think this is definitely much needed services.
  • 04:08:27
    I've heard from a mother's love directly that even the money they have now is running out pretty fast and they could use more.
  • 04:08:34
    I think $10,000 is a small amount of money but I can't support where the money's being taken from in knowing that we do have public safety dollars and that's a public safety issue and also a public health issue that could be supported maybe even more than the $10,000.
  • 04:08:53
    Maybe even, you know, just
  • 04:08:58
    in a better way with the Health Department because I have been having conversations with them about how we get more groups involved and how we pay the groups more money who are doing this work.
  • 04:09:09
    So I can't support it because of the Mounted Patrol and I also would love to work, you know, this passes, that's fine, but I'll continue working on increasing this dollar amount to a lot more because the need is much greater than the $10,000.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:09:27
    Thank you.
  • 04:09:28
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Osman followed by Councilmember Chowdhury and then we'll call the roll on this item.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:09:34
    Yes, in the City of Minneapolis we do have an addiction issue and needles are everywhere.
  • 04:09:41
    And of course this is a public health issue, public safety issue.
  • 04:09:46
    So
  • 04:09:48
    I'm glad that we have Mother's Law doing this, but $75,000 is not really enough for the entire city of Minneapolis to address this issue.
  • 04:10:00
    Specifically in the area that I represent, we have kids that are catching the bus, but now they have to deal with
  • 04:10:10
    It's very unsafe conditions.
  • 04:10:14
    I would encourage anyone who has seen this might not be an issue to come along with me.
  • 04:10:21
    I will take you to Elliot Park and Ventura Village neighborhood and you will see how many needles are out there.
  • 04:10:28
    There's many residents in my district that contact me about the needle issue.
  • 04:10:33
    I don't think the City of Minneapolis is doing enough.
  • 04:10:36
    I think what we need is to have internal staff assigned to do those needle pickups.
  • 04:10:43
    Professionals that are trained to deal with this health, safety, and health, public health issue that we are seeing in our city.
  • 04:10:56
    So
  • 04:10:57
    I'm hoping we can folks look at this issue and maybe have the public works and health department work together and figure out a way for the city of Minneapolis to help our residents especially young people that might not know what this is when they see it on the ground to be able to pick to safely pick it up and safely store those things so let's not take it slightly this is very
  • 04:11:24
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:11:31
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Chowdhury followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:11:36
    Thank you Madam Chair, I just kind of wanted to take a second to respond to a couple of the things that I've heard up here.
  • 04:11:43
    I agree with Councilmember Vita, expanding this program in general, absolutely.
  • 04:11:56
    I was looking at what was allocated currently for needle collection or this past year and it was about $20,000 just a little bit north of that and so we were actually hoping to expand it a lot more but just looking at how there's currently only 20,000 we didn't want to like
  • 04:12:17
    to determine what's needed citywide for needle pickup and opioid response in relationship to this and in relationship to other contracts.
  • 04:12:33
    I'll also note that it was difficult to find funding within the health department.
  • 04:12:40
    We considered different places and this is where we ended up and I certainly respect council members' perspectives on the source itself.
  • 04:12:49
    and I respect the police department's ability to to manage their budget and if they find mounted patrol a priority that's certainly their prerogative to address within the funding that they have.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:13:07
    Thank you and then finally I'll recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:13:13
    Madam Chair, it was shared a little bit by Councilmember Osman.
  • 04:13:16
    This is a very dangerous problem in our city and it's widespread in a lot of places in our city.
  • 04:13:23
    Opioid response is a top priority in our city and we've sat through several
  • 04:13:29
    presentations, conversations by our health department and other partners that have come in this year to really share what I think is really leading edge and more preventive type work on overdosing and that sort of thing.
  • 04:13:45
    But it's been said twice, and I just had to get in queue to say, I don't think it's fair to say, well, we've dispensed with the mountain patrol, so this is just scraps.
  • 04:13:56
    No, as Council Member Ellison pointed out on Friday, this is about the third time we've killed off the horses in his time here in office.
  • 04:14:05
    But it's still a choice.
  • 04:14:08
    There are competing needs here and this is still a choice to continue to take from the mountain patrol for another need and it's one that I just think that should be more carefully considered as to the source.
  • 04:14:24
    At some point today we might end up saying the same thing about the Neighborhood Safety Department because we've been decimating that too.
  • 04:14:30
    So at what point are we just going to say that this or that department whether it's REIB or the Neighborhood Safety Department or otherwise we're just we've taken enough of those resources away that now the rest of it shouldn't need much weighing of competing values.
  • 04:14:47
    I'm going to weigh every single one of these budget amendments against the competing
  • 04:14:51
    issues that have been allocated in this proposed budget.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:14:57
    Just as a general note council members if we can if we can limit discussion about about the amendment that is before the body I will finally recognize Councilmember Chaudry and then we'll call the roll on this item.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:15:08
    Just really quick wanted to note that this proposal is also very flexible so if the need isn't in the Hiawatha area it can be allocated to wherever else the need is within the city.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:15:19
    Excellent, thank you.
  • 04:15:20
    With that, colleagues, we have the Hiawatha Neighborhood Needle Pickup and Opioid Prevention Strategies Amendment offered by Councilmember Chowdhury before us.
  • 04:15:33
    Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:15:35
    I want to champion that what Councilmember Choudry just said.
  • 04:15:38
    That's right.
  • 04:15:39
    This is different than the other budget amendments.
  • 04:15:41
    It does go more broadly to where the need is and the type, the actual issue at hand that she identified in this amendment and I very much do value that in this particular amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:15:51
    Thank you.
  • 04:15:52
    Mr.
  • 04:15:52
    Clerk, will you call the roll on the revised amendment number 22?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 04:15:58
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 04:15:59
    Aye.
  • 04:16:00
    Wonsley?
  • 04:16:00
    Aye.
  • 04:16:01
    Rainville?
  • 04:16:02
    No.
  • 04:16:03
    Vito?
  • 04:16:03
    No.
  • 04:16:04
    There are nine ayes and four nays
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:16:24
    That motion carries.
  • 04:16:27
    Next we will move to motion number 23, which is the Hiawatha Neighborhood Safety Initiatives Amendment offered by Council Member Chowdhury.
  • 04:16:42
    Number 23.
  • 04:16:49
    Council Member Chowdhury, please introduce and move approval of your amendment.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:16:54
    Thank you so much Madam Chair.
  • 04:16:58
    This is an amendment that would allocate $150,000 one time to fund coordinated and focused non-police community safety services to address safety and livability issues in the Hiawatha neighborhood.
  • 04:17:14
    really specifically looking at where we've seen an uptick of crime and livability issues of the 46th and Hiawatha area and adjacent neighborhoods.
  • 04:17:28
    I appreciate our discussion about allocating things neighborhood specific.
  • 04:17:35
    I am a supporter of that.
  • 04:17:36
    My community cannot wait for additional public safety services in this area.
  • 04:17:42
    basically since the time that I was early sworn in to office.
  • 04:17:48
    Safety issues within 46 and Hiawatha corridor have been one that neighbors have been elevating
  • 04:17:56
    very regularly.
  • 04:17:58
    This is the top issue within my ward when it comes to safety and I would just I would also say in general on October 27th this community experienced a tragic shooting at 44th and Snelling Avenue that resulted in the death of three unhoused individuals.
  • 04:18:12
    This incident is only one of the most recent incidents that result as a lack of resources that are needed for both
  • 04:18:22
    the safety of housed and unhoused neighbors in the area.
  • 04:18:25
    Additionally, throughout this year I've had robust engagements with neighbors, local businesses, other key stakeholders on multiple occasions to listen and hear their lived experiences.
  • 04:18:37
    To date, in this one calendar year, we've had four
  • 04:18:41
    different safety meetings.
  • 04:18:44
    One of those was attended by 100 plus individuals, the chief of police, the mayor, our council president, myself, and a few lieutenants.
  • 04:18:54
    And while neighbors shared their concerns about the uptick, which is supported by data of
  • 04:19:02
    burglaries, vandalism, livability concerns.
  • 04:19:07
    Our police department shared that they're they're currently very strapped for resources and they are unable to spend significant amount of time in this area and so it is my belief that in addition to the police services that they're trying to bring into the area we need non-emergency
  • 04:19:25
    solutions to support building on a public safety ecosystem.
  • 04:19:31
    I'll also note that in the last week alone there have been multiple incidences of fires, auto theft, and unfortunately an individual was found in their vehicle with a gunshot to their head.
  • 04:19:48
    and what's clear is that there's a lack of connectivity between multiple jurisdictions from Metro Transit, Met Council, the parks, the city and local businesses in this area to really drive forward a connective community that can take it from an area that is currently struggling to thriving and I'm also proud to share that.
  • 04:20:08
    I had a conversation with the Office of Community Safety and this is
  • 04:20:13
    I will ask for a second
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:20:36
    Item number 23 has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 04:20:41
    Is there any discussion on this item?
  • 04:20:44
    I will recognize Councilmember Vita.
  • 04:20:46
    Thank you, Chair.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 04:20:47
    Just a quick question.
  • 04:20:48
    Has the unarmed public safety team from Metro Transit been activated in this area?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:20:54
    Councilmember Chavtee, would you like to address that question?
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 04:20:58
    Yes, thank you Madam Chair.
  • 04:20:59
    Through you to answer your question Councilmember Vita.
  • 04:21:02
    Yes, they have.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:21:07
    And I'll just I'll note like they do visits in this area and then we also have Metro Transit police at the 46 station Excellent and then finally I'll recognize councilmember Palmisano Thank you madam chair this amendment goes back to the same old argument that you're wary of me making it becomes another hyper local solution to a problem in our city and
  • 04:21:36
    several minutes ago Councilmember Koski mentioned that the ecosystem that we're developing I believe and I think everybody here on this dais believes deeply in that safe and thriving communities report but right now we seem to be developing it on a ward by ward, neighborhood by neighborhood basis and that makes no sense.
  • 04:21:57
    It was also asserted a few minutes ago from Councilmember Cashman that she doesn't see these things to be in conflict with one another.
  • 04:22:05
    They are in conflict.
  • 04:22:07
    This should not be a free-for-all for people to go and grab things for their own neighborhoods.
  • 04:22:12
    I don't get Councilmember Osmond, you asserted that the 13th Ward gets the same public safety resources allocated to you.
  • 04:22:20
    That's not true.
  • 04:22:20
    It is and it should be data driven.
  • 04:22:24
    I spend an enormous time in my own community explaining why they are not going to get police resources at the same level as other communities for the good of the city and that this is what benefits all of us the most.
  • 04:22:38
    The problem is we will not be able to do the work of the Safe and Thriving Communities Report if we parse out all the funding to individual projects like we've been doing here.
  • 04:22:49
    The narrative states there is a severe need for a coordinated public safety plan to address ongoing safety, public health, and livability issues in this corridor.
  • 04:22:58
    Well, my objection remains the same as with these other similar amendments.
  • 04:23:04
    It comes at the expense of a coordinated community safety ecosystem for the city.
  • 04:23:10
    We can't ask for a coordinated response in a specific area exclusive of a city-wide coordinated response.
  • 04:23:19
    These two things are incongruent and one must come before the other.
  • 04:23:23
    So what is it that this body says is more important?
  • 04:23:27
    I would like to use the remainder of my time to ask our COO Anderson Kelleher to come up and tell us, or perhaps Commissioner Barnett, what this appropriation will mean to our city, what existing services or programs are going to be impacted here.
  • 04:23:44
    Commissioner Barnett.
  • 04:23:46
    Welcome back, Commissioner.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:23:49
    There's about four and a half minutes left on the clock.
• • Todd BarnetteCommissioner of Community Safety
  • 04:23:51
    I'll use it all later.
  • 04:23:54
    Good afternoon, Chair.
  • 04:24:00
    Councilmember Palmisano, maybe I'm being too diplomatic about this.
  • 04:24:04
    I respect all of you in the job that you have to do and what you're trying to do here.
  • 04:24:14
    My task is to bring the city, residents, visitors, you, the mayor, a comprehensive approach to community safety.
  • 04:24:37
    In order to do that,
  • 04:24:41
    We've been very intentional about that process.
  • 04:24:44
    And that process has been one that we started last year about this time.
  • 04:24:51
    Where I stood up here and talked about building capacity and neighborhood safety.
  • 04:24:56
    Also along that path we got a contract with NYU Policing Project.
  • 04:25:04
    You recently received the results of that report and we want to follow that report.
  • 04:25:11
    We want to implement those things.
  • 04:25:14
    All reports, the Safe and Thriving Community Report, NYU report will tell you we have services
  • 04:25:24
    We have to coordinate those services, not just within the city, not just amongst the departments, but with the county and with the state and some places the federal government.
  • 04:25:36
    In order to do that, you have to have flexibility.
  • 04:25:39
    I say all of that is that each one of these amendments starts to accumulate
  • 04:25:45
    which then means what can we do at the end of the day and so we're going to continue to move along intentionally we're going to continue to do the work that we need to do and if there's limits that the council put on that then those are the limits that we have to work within but I'll come back and again continue to ask to give us the flexibility to allow us to do the things that we need to do.
  • 04:26:11
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:26:13
    Thank you.
  • 04:26:15
    With that, we have the Hiawatha Neighborhood Safety Initiatives Amendment offered by Councilmember Chowdhury before us.
  • 04:26:22
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment Number 23.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 04:26:27
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 04:26:28
    Aye.
  • 04:26:29
    Wonsley?
  • 04:26:29
    Aye.
  • 04:26:30
    Rainville?
  • 04:26:31
    Aye.
  • 04:26:32
    Vitor?
  • 04:26:33
    Aye.
  • 04:26:35
    Ellison?
  • 04:26:35
    Aye.
  • 04:26:36
    Osman?
• • 04:26:38
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 04:26:38
    There are 11 ayes and 2 nays
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:26:56
    That motion carries.
  • 04:26:57
    Colleagues, next we will move to amendment number 24, which is the indigenous and East African communities opioid response offered by council member Osman.
  • 04:27:12
    Before I ask Councilmember Osman to introduce and move approval of his amendment, I will note that this amendment is a, it amends a previous earmark made within the health department to clarify the scope of that previous earmark.
  • 04:27:31
    This is not new money, this is not a new or additional earmark.
  • 04:27:35
    So with that, Councilmember Osman, please introduce and move approval of your amendment.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:27:39
    I think you sum it up, Council Vice President.
  • 04:27:41
    I approve this amendment.
  • 04:27:43
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:27:45
    I appreciate that.
  • 04:27:47
    Very well received.
  • 04:27:48
    Is there a second to?
  • 04:27:50
    Second.
  • 04:27:51
    All right.
  • 04:27:51
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 04:27:54
    Colleagues, are there any questions or discussion related to amendment number 24?
  • 04:27:58
    I will recognize Councilmember Pramasano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:28:01
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 04:28:03
    I'm going to ask, I saw Director Hanlon walk in, or actually, sorry, Mr. Hanlon or Director DeMone is your first name, I'm having trouble coming,
  • 04:28:17
    coming up with your appropriate last name.
  • 04:28:20
    Could you come forward and tell us about the remaining balances and existing contracts?
  • 04:28:24
    Is this enough to continue services for another year?
  • 04:28:28
    It appears that contract extensions are already in process for $116,000.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:28:36
    Commissioner Chaplin, welcome.
  • 04:28:38
    If you want to make your way up or if you want to have someone else on your staff.
  • 04:28:44
    Good afternoon, we have about $120,000 left
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 04:29:04
    of that 150.
  • 04:29:05
    We have plans for that for 2025.
  • 04:29:07
    We, and I'll let Deputy Commissioner Ritchie talk to the work that she's been doing to try and allocate those funds.
  • 04:29:15
    It really is going to help the Health Department kind of look at some innovative approaches to substance misuse and treatment for the Elliott Park area.
  • 04:29:26
    We kind of went a roundabout way over the last year to figure out how best to use these funds but I think we're circling around some pretty interesting initiatives that we'll be working on for 2025 but I'll let Deputy Commissioner Ritchie speak to that.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:29:40
    Madam Chair, can we just get Director Chapman to repeat the numbers?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 04:29:50
    We have 120,000 right now left in that 150 that we're looking to allocate for 2025 and we have some initiatives that we kind of went a roundabout way to get to where we're at right now but we have some pretty unique initiatives that we've been looking to explore for the Elliott Park that we think will be helpful for the rest of the city going forward.
  • 04:30:10
    And so I'll let Deputy Commissioner Ritchie speak to those initiatives for the Council.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:30:16
    Welcome back.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:30:18
    Thank you very much, through the chair, council members.
  • 04:30:21
    So back in 2023 we had $150,000 allocated.
  • 04:30:26
    In 2024 we had that allocated again.
  • 04:30:29
    It took us a little bit of time to get those contracts out because this was new money.
  • 04:30:34
    Also with the opioid settlement funding, we weren't exactly sure when we were going to get the funding.
  • 04:30:38
    So until we were able to get those disbursements, we couldn't start that contracting process.
  • 04:30:44
    So we have three contracts right now.
  • 04:30:46
    That's the core contracts, our community opioid response and engagement funding.
  • 04:30:51
    That's with Access Healing for $20,000, Generation Hope for $75,000, and Minnesota Somali Community Center for $75,000 We have about $120,000 left on those contracts and we're in the process of expanding those into 2025 So we will have those funding available for 2025 in the amount of $120,000
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:31:16
    So Madam Chair, in broad strokes, just for people that haven't been as tuned in to this specific amount of funding, this is the opioid settlement funding that we're dealing with.
  • 04:31:27
    The staff response to this memo states that the cut will come from Narcan Vending Supply, supplies and operations for the new mobile medical unit.
  • 04:31:36
    and for the pilot for medications for opioid use disorder for case management and long-term recovery.
  • 04:31:43
    So to me this is a tough call.
  • 04:31:46
    I completely support Councilmember Osmond as I know his community is hugely impacted by the opioid epidemic, but I am concerned about the loss to this new programming.
  • 04:31:57
    Given the remaining funding, would the author consider reducing the request to $34,000 in order to have $150,000 total?
  • 04:32:07
    That would mean less severe cuts to all of this other programming that I mentioned.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:32:13
    Can I respond?
  • 04:32:15
    This is not a new money.
  • 04:32:17
    Last year, as Commissioner mentioned, this was the money that was passed last couple years.
  • 04:32:25
    It's there, it's ongoing funding.
  • 04:32:27
    It's going to be there every year.
  • 04:32:29
    So I'm just modifying the language.
  • 04:32:31
    That's about it.
  • 04:32:31
    That's what's in front of us.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:32:35
    That's not how I read it to be inclusive.
  • 04:32:37
    I think that this cut would come from the Narcan vending supply, supplies for the new mobile medical unit, for M.O.U.D., the medications for opioid use disorder, case management, and other things.
  • 04:32:50
    I guess I'd ask the director, deputy director, to respond to that as she sees fit.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:32:56
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Palmisano, when we wrote the memo, our understanding was that we kind of reset the $150,000 because we were trying to look at that whole pot of opioid settlement funding for 2025, conferring with the budget director.
  • 04:33:11
    This is just what you explained.
  • 04:33:14
    It's just kind of a more specific allocation from that ongoing funding that we had for 2024.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:33:19
    That's why you see the language which is unique in the entire amendment pocket to say to modify the $150,000 ongoing appropriation.
  • 04:33:29
    So it's modifying an ongoing appropriation that was made last year.
  • 04:33:34
    It's not touching any other money.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:33:35
    and for it to roll over to next year Madam Chair.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:33:39
    Last year in 2023 for 2024 and every year onward we made a $150,000 appropriation ongoing for this purpose.
  • 04:33:51
    That money it's it's use is being modified.
  • 04:33:55
    Last time it said for low-income communities
  • 04:33:58
    Now it's saying for Indigenous and East African residents, in conferring with the Health Department, that's how that money has been used already.
  • 04:34:05
    It shouldn't have a disruption to existing programs because it's a modification of ongoing money that will be in the Health Department's budget in an ongoing manner.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:34:15
    So then Director Ritchie, does this change your approach to all the initiatives and programs that you're currently working to use this opioid settlement money for?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:34:24
    Through the Chair, Council Member Palmisano, so with the understanding that this is a modification and it's not just a new allocation for 2025, then the beginning part of the memo is kind of moot because the understanding when we wrote the memo was this was an additional 150 on top of or in place of the 2024 allocation.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:34:45
    Right, but then I'm just a little confused as to why it needs to be a budget amendment at all because it sounds like we're saying let's have the health department continue doing the things that they're doing right now in the health department.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:34:57
    And the author's intent is to specify that the appropriation is supporting the indigenous and east African community in south Minneapolis.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:35:09
    and I'm out of time but I'll get back in queue to ask a question about how that applies to targeting certain communities or not.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:35:20
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Jenkins followed by Councilmember Chavez.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:35:26
    Yeah, thank you.
  • 04:35:29
    Madam Chair, and I guess I may cede some of my time to Council Member Palmisano because I had literally the same question, like, why do this amendment, if the money has been allocated for three cycles now, I'm just not understanding the rationale for this targeted approach.
  • 04:35:58
    The Somali community, from what I heard from Deputy Commissioner, is receiving support for this topic.
  • 04:36:08
    $75,000 I think it was stated.
  • 04:36:13
    So I'm just not clear.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:36:15
    I can answer.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:36:18
    Council Member, we don't yield time to other members here.
  • 04:36:22
    That's not allowed according to our rules, but I'll see if Council Member Osman will address.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:36:26
    No, I said maybe.
  • 04:36:27
    I said maybe and then I answered the question so they can just answer the question.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:36:30
    We'll have Council Member Osman address that question.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:36:32
    Yes, Councilmember Jenkins, you asked a good question and also Councilmember Palmisano, I just want to make it clear that actually last year on item, the budget markup, number 30th, the obvious response team, I did an amendment that's ongoing funding for $150,000.
  • 04:36:52
    We made an ongoing funding and the language says underserved low-income communities in South Minneapolis.
  • 04:36:58
    I did not realize that I actually made that amendment ongoing, then my plan was to have the same thing.
  • 04:37:04
    Then I realized, okay, well, the money's already there, so I'm just modifying the language, I'm targeting a population that has been hit the hardest that already the health department is working with.
  • 04:37:16
    So you have voted this item already, this is not new money, it's not moving any money, it's not going to affect you.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:37:22
    I recall, that's why I'm questioning why are we still doing this.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:37:26
    But just the language, modifying the language.
  • 04:37:29
    If that is something you would support, that would be great.
  • 04:37:31
    If not, that's all right.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:37:37
    Any further questions or discussion, Council Member?
  • 04:37:39
    No, thank you.
  • 04:37:39
    Wonderful.
  • 04:37:41
    I will recognize Council Member Chavez followed by Council Member Osman.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:37:44
    Thank you, Council Vice President Chuktay.
  • 04:37:47
    I just want to thank Council Member Osman for bringing this forward.
  • 04:37:49
    I think
  • 04:37:51
    I hear the comments he's making.
  • 04:37:53
    I think it makes sense.
  • 04:37:54
    I've heard from a variety of my East African community members and indigenous community members in South Minneapolis about the disproportionate impact that the opioid epidemic has on them and I think making these refinements is practical.
  • 04:38:07
    It's the right thing to do and I'm proud to support it.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:38:10
    Thank you.
  • 04:38:11
    I hear Council Member Osman withdrawing his name from Q and so I will finally recognize Council Member Palmisano and then we'll call the
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:38:18
    call the roll on this item.
  • 04:38:20
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 04:38:21
    I'm curious if the city attorney could weigh in here.
  • 04:38:24
    Um, it feels a little bit unusual and almost improper that we're affording a benefit based on a specific class of people here.
  • 04:38:32
    So can we target specific communities in this?
  • 04:38:35
    I mean, we've been doing that all day as to different neighborhoods, but in this case, this is a- this is a settlement appropriation and we have to be extremely careful to this.
  • 04:38:44
    So my question is for the city attorney as to whether or not this is legal.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:38:48
    Mr. Nielsen.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 04:38:49
    Thank you, Budget Chair Chuktai, Council Member Palmisano.
  • 04:38:54
    That's a good question.
  • 04:38:55
    I recall actually reviewing a version of this amendment last year or two years ago.
  • 04:39:00
    It's the one that's been referenced by the author here.
  • 04:39:04
    In general, no, the city is legally prohibited or at least it's a concern from a courting benefit on the basis of protected class status.
  • 04:39:13
    which is what's being done here and that is why specifically in response to voice concerns from staff in previous years the amendment did read underserved communities
  • 04:39:23
    and in perhaps relation to a geographic area, considerations like geography, income and underserved generally do not raise those same legal concerns but specifying a protected class does and so I would advise not doing that.
  • 04:39:40
    We did not, this is one I'll just note that we reviewed most of these.
  • 04:39:43
    I do not recall seeing this one during our group review and so I would have commented as such if I had seen it.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:39:53
    So Madam Chair, I would assert that I think that explains to me why in the past we've done it the way that we've done it.
  • 04:40:02
    This is a good idea, but I would ask Councilmember Osmond if he wants to withdraw his amendment for revisions to bring back later.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:40:10
    We'll actually move to Councilmember Chavez next.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:40:15
    I think we should just vote on this.
  • 04:40:16
    We've talked about it enough.
  • 04:40:18
    We have other amendments coming down the pipeline about LGBTQIA mental health programs, Latino Business Week.
  • 04:40:24
    It's still mentioning community members.
  • 04:40:26
    We should just vote for it.
  • 04:40:27
    These communities are disproportionately being impacted by the opioid epidemic and we should just support them and send them a message that they matter and that we're going to do our best to address their concerns.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:40:40
    Council Member Palmisano, are you in queue again?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:40:43
    Yes, not at all Madam Chair.
  • 04:40:45
    I think that a significant legal concern was voiced about this particular amendment and I would suggest that we reconsider it and not just rush ahead and say well this feels good enough and legal enough and then vote on it accordingly.
  • 04:40:59
    I'm not willing to vote on this accordingly.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:41:03
    All right, colleagues, we have Councilmember Ellison.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 04:41:10
    Thank you.
  • 04:41:11
    I plan on supporting this today, but I did want to ask our attorneys, should this face legal challenge and not prevail, what are our options?
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 04:41:27
    Thank you, Budget Chair Chuck Tai, Council Member Ellison.
  • 04:41:30
    The use of protected class status raises a couple legal concerns, including equal protection.
  • 04:41:39
    And so a challenge would be subject to, the city would have to, it would be a strict scrutiny standard of review, the highest level of judicial scrutiny of such a benefit.
  • 04:41:51
    Those rarely survive legal challenge.
  • 04:41:55
    Should the group decide to go forward, you would want to be very specific with evidence-based data about the specific need here.
  • 04:42:05
    Again, I can't say that what is in here meets that, and I would advise changing it.
  • 04:42:12
    Although, again, if the will of the group is to move forward, then you would want to have very specific voluminous data about the need for the targeting based on protected class status.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 04:42:25
    I think it's always really important for us to heed the advice that we're getting from our attorneys.
  • 04:42:33
    I'll mention why I'm willing to wade into this territory with you all.
  • 04:42:41
    for a long time from folks in my community that the fact that the harms could be specific and the remedies are often not as specific for our communities is a point of contention.
  • 04:42:52
    People want to see us sort of fight that frontier.
  • 04:42:55
    I think that that's why it's worth it.
  • 04:42:57
    But I also think it's important, as Councilmember Palmesano is saying, and we're hearing from our attorney, that this is
  • 04:43:05
    We should also understand what we're getting ourselves into if we're going to wade into the fight this way.
  • 04:43:11
    It's not saying that we shouldn't take risk or push the boundaries of what we do to remedy injuries that have been caused specifically to our community.
  • 04:43:21
    It's just to say we should understand what we are getting ourselves into.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:43:26
    Yeah, thank you Councilmember Ellison.
  • 04:43:29
    I think something we have often heard from our attorneys when naming a specific community, whether that's by geography or by an identity, is to be really clear about why that specific community is being named and back that up with evidence.
  • 04:43:46
    I think there is plenty of evidence out there.
  • 04:43:49
    on the unique impact of the opioid epidemic on the indigenous and East African communities here in Minnesota and in Minneapolis.
  • 04:44:05
    So with that, I will actually call on Council Member Osman.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:44:16
    Okay, well thank you and we have I think in the past and now and the future will continue to name folks that are being harmed the most.
  • 04:44:29
    We have the data, the data is out there.
  • 04:44:31
    This community suffers more than any other communities and I have done it the last five years.
  • 04:44:37
    I've been here 150,000 for the communities for the last four years for the communities that have been affected and the health department has actually proven that they have contracted and they are out there doing pilot programs at Elliott Park and different areas that have been challenged.
  • 04:44:57
    I would say I decided to continue to move forward with this amendment.
  • 04:45:02
    I don't think there's any issue at all helping the community that have been suffered the most.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:45:09
    Alright colleagues, with that we have the Indigenous and East African Communities Opioid Response Amendment offered by Councilmember Osman before us.
  • 04:45:17
    I will ask the clerks to call the roll on Amendment Number 24.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 04:45:21
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 04:45:22
    Aye.
  • 04:45:23
    Wonsley?
  • 04:45:23
    Aye.
  • 04:45:24
    Rainville?
  • 04:45:25
    Aye.
  • 04:45:26
    Vitor?
  • 04:45:27
    No.
  • 04:45:28
    aye aye
  • 04:45:45
    Chair Chuktai.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:45:46
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 04:45:47
    There are nine ayes and four nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:45:49
    That motion carries.
  • 04:45:51
    With that we will move to amendment number 25 which is the Southside Green Zone Needle Cleanup Specialist Amendment offered by Council Members Chavez and Osman.
  • 04:46:03
    I will recognize Council Member Chavez to introduce and move approval of this amendment.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:46:09
    Thanks Chair Chuktay, Council Member Osman and I are bringing forward this proposal that will fund a public health specialist in the health department.
  • 04:46:16
    The funding for this proposal will be reallocated from a vacant position in the public works department.
  • 04:46:21
    In conversations with residents, business owners, school administrators, child care providers, and community organizations, one of the most common requests made to our offices is for cleanup and disposal of needles.
  • 04:46:32
    and more specifically being proactive in addressing those community concerns.
  • 04:46:37
    We have heard multiple examples where children are not allowed to play outside due to the number of needles that are littering the ground in Phillips.
  • 04:46:43
    This position will help proactively address those issues and include other duties consistent with the opioid response public health specialists including community and contract work.
  • 04:46:52
    Our residents in Phillips have experienced many public health concerns, hazards, risk of injury, and spread of disease through needles littered across our neighborhoods, and this proposal hopes to curb those disparities.
  • 04:47:03
    Council Member Osman and I would appreciate your support.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:47:08
    Council Member Chavez has moved approval of Amendment Number 25.
  • 04:47:10
    Is there a second?
  • 04:47:11
    Second.
  • 04:47:13
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 04:47:15
    Colleagues, are there any questions or discussion related to Amendment Number 25?
  • 04:47:18
    I will recognize Council Member Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:47:21
    colleagues, I understand and support the need for needle pickup in different places across our city.
  • 04:47:29
    I see Director Sexton here and I'd ask him to please come up and tell us what is the cost to Public Works Transportation Maintenance and Repair Division for this?
  • 04:47:38
    What will be lost with this FTE move?
  • 04:47:41
    This is not just a one-time funding cut.
  • 04:47:44
    It is an ongoing cut and an FTE transfer.
  • 04:47:49
    Mr. Sexton?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:47:50
    Welcome, Director.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:47:52
    Thank you, Council Vice President Tim Sexton, Director of Public Works.
  • 04:47:56
    Council Vice President, Council Member Palmisano, this would be, our understanding is this would be taking a public service worker, one, from our transportation maintenance and repair staff.
  • 04:48:08
    That group is responsible for what many consider sort of basic core city services from plowing snow to fixing potholes, in some cases to, you know, building streets and bridges.
  • 04:48:21
    and so it's difficult to say what the loss of one person would be but overall we are losing ground with the current staff that we have already through transportation maintenance and repair just because of the higher needs and the more they're being asked to do so I think if yeah so that they would be a challenge it's hard to put a specific number to that but that's what the group does and if we lose people we would do less of it
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:48:50
    Director Sexton, does this type of a position already do litter pickup?
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:48:58
    Council Vice President, Council Member Palmisano, they do some litter pickup, some graffiti removal, but they're not currently dedicated to the needle pickup like requested.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 04:49:12
    Thank you.
  • 04:49:13
    Colleagues, if we do this, it will mean a reduction in service time for things like snow clearing, for things like pothole filling,
  • 04:49:21
    for things like general litter pickup, which sounds like it is inclusive of needle pickup, not just in the Southside Green Zone, but all across our city.
  • 04:49:31
    And I'd urge us against these kinds of amendments.
  • 04:49:34
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:49:35
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Jenkins followed by Councilmember Osman.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:49:40
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 04:49:42
    I'm just curious from the authors if this is specific to the south side which would include some of my communities but is that only I mean will this person clean up the north side green zones or other parts of the city?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:50:06
    Councilmember Chavez would you like to address that question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:50:09
    Thank you Councilmember Jenkins and thank you Council Vice President Chuck Dice.
  • 04:50:12
    So this position is a vacant position in the Public Works Department.
  • 04:50:15
    So that is why we went after that position.
  • 04:50:18
    Right, I understand that.
  • 04:50:18
    The new position, would they clean up the south and north side?
  • 04:50:21
    I'm talking and I'm going to reclaim my time and I'm talking because other people have descended.
  • 04:50:25
    Okay, I feel condescended.
  • 04:50:25
    Because I know it's a- I don't know why I'm being disrespected.
  • 04:50:27
    I'm literally just answering your question.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:50:29
    Colleagues, colleagues, this is, let's just, can you just answer Councilmember Jenkins' question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:50:34
    I'm not going to be disrespected in this body.
  • 04:50:36
    Well, I'm not either.
  • 04:50:37
    I'm not going to be disrespected either, sir.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:50:40
    Can you repeat your question, please?
  • 04:50:41
    My question is, will this new position, the one that's taken away a vacant position from public works, so I understand that piece, will the new position be cleaning up north side, east side, west side communities as well?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 04:51:01
    That's the question.
  • 04:51:02
    vote this amendment for
  • 04:51:20
    and contract work and it wouldn't just be in the Southside Green Zone because they can't spend 40 hours a week just in the Southside Green Zone.
  • 04:51:26
    So while we wrote this amendment to target a specific area in Minneapolis that is disproportionately being impacted by those, by that work, my understanding is that this wouldn't just be in the Southside Green Zone, they would do other duties as assigned and it would be an asset to the Health Department and other areas in Minneapolis too.
  • 04:51:43
    Thank you.
  • 04:51:44
    So it would, it could
  • 04:51:45
    That would be really helpful.
  • 04:52:05
    Welcome Deputy Commissioner.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:52:13
    Thank you, Deputy Commissioner Ritchie from the Health Department.
  • 04:52:15
    Through the chair, council members, I can't speak to where the vacancy would come from, but if it's coming into the Health Department, as Council Member Chavez mentioned, we would be able to turn it into a public health specialist one that's pretty much in line with the salary schedule that you see in the public works position.
  • 04:52:32
    and then we would make it be so you know we would you know be true to the amendment but as Council Member Chavez mentioned it really wouldn't be a 40 hour a week job to be picking those up so we would expand that in order to be able to do other work other cleanup services around the city other opioid we have a team of three and so there is plenty of work to go around so if that's the will of this body we'll make it happen
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:53:03
    Councilmember Jenkins, any further questions?
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 04:53:05
    No, thank you very much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:53:06
    Thank you.
  • 04:53:08
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Osman followed by Councilmember Cashman.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 04:53:13
    Previously we talked about how much the need is for needle pickup.
  • 04:53:18
    The contract we have or the group that are picking up is not enough for the entire city.
  • 04:53:25
    So the city is actually failing the residents, especially the small children that catch the bus.
  • 04:53:31
    what we're witnessing in this area is health crisis and public health safety and public health issue.
  • 04:53:41
    So the needles are out there and now we're allocating this full-time person to go and help the community.
  • 04:53:49
    So it's vacant and I would say this vacant public works person blowing snow versus
  • 04:53:59
    Health safety issue on health, public health for needles.
  • 04:54:04
    Needles are dangerous to the kids.
  • 04:54:06
    Someone who has five kids, I don't want my kids to be around needles.
  • 04:54:12
    We're trying to help the community.
  • 04:54:14
    We're trying to address the issue that Phillips East and Phillips West and Ventura Village are sending us.
  • 04:54:24
    sending us, how many times have I contacted 311 and say, hey, we need a needle pick up here.
  • 04:54:29
    Read the paper.
  • 04:54:31
    Start tripping, Raul Elliot Park, uh, needle issue.
  • 04:54:36
    Resident, senior resident who continue to talk about neighborhoods that continue to talk about, so this issue are not just coming from in the sky, they're coming from reality that's on the ground.
  • 04:54:48
    So we have a solution here.
  • 04:54:49
    So this is something to support.
  • 04:54:51
    I know we're trying to find a way to not support it or block it or figure out a way, oh this is vacant, I don't want to support it.
  • 04:54:57
    Well it's vacant for a snow-blowing individual.
  • 04:55:02
    But here we're trying to help the community, we're trying to assign someone who could.
  • 04:55:07
    I know I'm getting frustrated but it's been like this the entire day.
  • 04:55:14
    You know, when I go back to my community, when I go back to the neighborhood organization and the residents I have contacted, to me, I want to give them some answers, some answers that we have allocated individual who's trained professionally to do the needle pickup.
  • 04:55:29
    Our public works staff can just go there, or 301 anybody can go there.
  • 04:55:32
    You have to have a position.
  • 04:55:33
    So the City of Minneapolis have failed this part.
  • 04:55:36
    this part.
  • 04:55:38
    We talked about the encampment, we talked about the effect of opioid addiction.
  • 04:55:45
    Well, noodles come along with that.
  • 04:55:47
    And there's so much noodles in the area, so assign an individual who's trained under the health department is the smartest thing you can do.
  • 04:55:56
    So I know, I know I'm taking time, but thank you, thank you.
  • 04:56:00
    Passionate about this.
  • 04:56:02
    I hear that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:56:03
    Thank you.
  • 04:56:04
    So, I'm going to next recognize Councilmember Cashman, followed by Vice Chair Koski, followed by Councilmember Vita, and then we'll call the roll on this item.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:56:14
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 04:56:15
    I just did want to ask Director Sexton if he knows how many positions are vacant in the transportation, maintenance, and repair, and if you had a plan specifically to fill this position, or if there are always a lot of vacancies here.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:56:29
    Welcome back, Director.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:56:31
    Thank you Council Vice President, Councilmember Cashman.
  • 04:56:34
    So in Transportation Maintenance and Repair we have, you know, it's a large group of people.
  • 04:56:40
    We also have a training program that brings people in, gives them a year of training, then if they're successful and they want to stay, then we continue to give them skills they need to be successful.
  • 04:56:52
    The reason that's important is that it's a hard job, it's not for everyone, so we do see experience some churn, but we do have regular then hiring windows.
  • 04:57:02
    So right now, we're in the process of trying to hire over 20 new public service worker positions, which would include the one that would be, is a subject of this conversation, that's one position that we're talking about right now.
  • 04:57:17
    And so that sort of churn is part of the cycle for these roles because they are challenging And so I hope that answers your question.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:57:26
    How many are vacant in this division?
  • 04:57:28
    Do you know?
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:57:31
    We have of the public service worker positions, we're trying to hire a little over 20.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:57:38
    Okay.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:57:38
    But in terms of throughout transportation maintenance and repair, we have a lot of different classifications.
  • 04:57:45
    So it's less than 20 within TM&R of the public service worker classification.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:57:53
    Got it.
  • 04:57:54
    And then Deputy Commissioner, have you considered adding a position like this in the Health Department before with the opioid settlement money?
  • 04:58:01
    It seems like something you would have thought about.
  • 04:58:03
    It's not just the first time you're considering this now as we're doing a budget negotiation.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:58:08
    Through the Chair, Council Member Cashman, we've done this work mostly through contracts and as CO Kelleher reminded me,
  • 04:58:16
    We do have a street outreach contract that would provide these services for South Minneapolis.
  • 04:58:20
    That RFP closed and we're in the process of awarding that.
  • 04:58:25
    So I don't want to talk about that contract because we haven't signed it yet, but we did go through that RFP process at the end of this year.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:58:31
    And then on the question about whether with the opioid settlement money if you considered the need for a position in the health department.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 04:58:39
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Cashman, because we've been doing this contract work, that is not something that we've considered in terms of a full-time position for needle cleanup.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:58:49
    And is this funding from the opioid settlement money?
  • 04:58:52
    I mean this is obviously from the the transfer here is from Public Works Vacancy, but is there opioid settlement money that could be put towards this?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:59:03
    All of the opioid settlement money for 2025 is obligated.
  • 04:59:08
    There's a plan to use all of it.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 04:59:10
    Okay, thanks.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 04:59:13
    Alright, next to all recognized Vice Chair Koski, followed by Council Member Vita.
• • Emily Koski
  • 04:59:18
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 04:59:19
    To Director Sexton, I understand it's vacant.
  • 04:59:21
    I understand there's 20 vacancies at this time for this role.
  • 04:59:25
    On average, is that about how many vacancies we have for this type of role, or when's the last time we were down to just one vacancy?
• • Tim Sexton
  • 04:59:36
    Council Vice President, Vice Chair Koski, I will have to get back to you if there's time to answer the specific on the specific numbers.
  • 04:59:46
    It's a little confusing because we have a posting right now for over 20 public service worker one and twos, but that is across divisions within public works.
  • 04:59:55
    So there should be less than 20 I believe within transportation maintenance and repair where the the position would be coming from.
  • 05:00:03
    We do often get down into the low single digits, but then those numbers go up.
  • 05:00:10
    Traditionally, they've been higher numbers of vacancies than we've seen in the past year, so we've been doing a really good job of keeping those positions filled.
  • 05:00:22
    But I don't have the exact numbers, I'd have to provide those later.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:00:25
    Okay, thank you so much.
  • 05:00:27
    Thank you.
  • 05:00:27
    Finally, I will recognize Councilmember Vita and then we will be calling the roll on item number 25.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:00:33
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 05:00:35
    I had a question similar to what Deputy Director Ritchie answered around because I thought there was just an RFP that went out for like $75,000 or maybe even more for needle cleanup or that something came before AO recently
  • 05:00:55
    like within the last few months or so, maybe longer, I can't remember, but that was specifically about needle cleanup for the entire city.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:01:07
    Council Member Vita, through the Chair, so one that we have with a mother's love is about $75,000 and that is for the entire city.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:01:15
    Okay, and they're the only ones that
  • 05:01:19
    get funded through that pot of money?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:01:21
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Vitat, yes, that was the contractor selected through the last RFP process.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:01:27
    Okay, and so then, did you have to pay for some, because these positions aren't just like, there's training, there's gear that you have to have, and you know, there's a way you pick up needles, you don't just go out, and there's a way you have to store them, and
  • 05:01:44
    how you dump them so I'm just wondering like through the contract did we pay for this or did a mother's love get their own training and we're just contracting with them for the service.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:01:54
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Vita, we do have the capability to train folks.
  • 05:01:59
    That's what we do.
  • 05:02:00
    We do go out into the community and do that.
  • 05:02:03
    I can't answer specifically whether or not a mother's love already had the training before they contracted with us.
  • 05:02:09
    A lot of these groups are already trained in that work as they're out in the community.
  • 05:02:13
    So I'm not exactly sure if we provided the training at the time of the contract, but they would have been trained nonetheless.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:02:18
    okay and then just the final things for my colleagues in my experience I don't know that people do this alone like go out and do needle cleanup so like just the one individual so I really think we should think
  • 05:02:33
    I personally like the contracted version where community members who look like the people in those communities go do the needle cleanup similar to the violence interruption work or whatever work is being done in that community.
  • 05:02:46
    I don't know that having an individual become a city employee, the one person going out to clean up needles throughout the city is
  • 05:02:58
    I don't know
  • 05:03:20
    I would like to see contracts with folks who speak Somali and who speak Spanish out doing needle cleanup.
  • 05:03:26
    That would be more helpful in my opinion than just having one person who is non, who is only English speaking cleaning up.
  • 05:03:35
    I know Lisa and A Mother's Love, they have a diverse group of people who go out with them, but I'm just kind of
  • 05:03:42
    Those things are what's going through my head.
  • 05:03:44
    We would probably get a better benefit of contracting for these services in my opinion than just having one person that's a city staff person that goes out and tries to do this throughout the city.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:03:58
    Thank you, Councilmember.
  • 05:04:01
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Jenkins.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 05:04:04
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:04:05
    I just briefly want to get clarity from Deputy Commissioner Ritchie.
  • 05:04:14
    You mentioned that there is a new RFP that's being considered right now.
  • 05:04:18
    Would whoever does select it
  • 05:04:22
    entity is, will they replace a mother's love or will this be in addition to a mother's love?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:04:29
    Welcome back.
  • 05:04:30
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Jenkins.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 05:04:33
    Or it may be a mother's love that responds and gets, we don't know, but yeah.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:04:38
    Thank you, Councilmember Jenkins, through the Chair.
  • 05:04:40
    This would be in addition to the mother's love contract.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 05:04:46
    So, if this
  • 05:04:49
    amendment fails, which I doubt it will, but if it failed, there would still be cleanup happening.
  • 05:05:00
    Additional cleanup other than a mother's love would still be taking place.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:05:06
    Councilmember Jenkins, through the Chair, that is the idea with that RFP as soon as we get that contract out the door, yes.
  • 05:05:11
    Got it.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 05:05:11
    Thank you very much.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:05:12
    Thank you.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:05:16
    I just want to remind the public and our colleagues that these positions are vacant and every single year we see many of these positions vacant year after year after year
  • 05:05:32
    So this happens every single year.
  • 05:05:34
    We always see these positions vacant.
  • 05:05:36
    It's not anything new with the department.
  • 05:05:38
    I also want to be clear.
  • 05:05:39
    I support contracts that help address needle cleanup in the area, but our residents in Phillips, where that me and Council Member Osman represent, are asking us to be more proactive.
  • 05:05:49
    We don't want to call 311 and wait two freaking weeks for someone to step on a needle.
  • 05:05:53
    We just don't want to do that.
  • 05:05:56
    That's why we're trying to create this position because they're tired of calling three-on-one and waiting two extra weeks to get support and then someone steps on the needle.
  • 05:06:02
    We don't want to do that.
  • 05:06:03
    So that's what this is trying to do.
  • 05:06:04
    It's trying to be proactive and the Health Department has been very clear that they'll be able to do even extra work across the city, contract work and other stuff.
  • 05:06:12
    We can just vote on this.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:06:14
    Alright, next I'll recognize Councilmember Chaudry followed by Councilmember Vito.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 05:06:20
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:06:23
    I'm wondering, I know you have been pulling up specific information regarding the specifics of vacancies.
  • 05:06:30
    Do you have a read on the number of vacancies for transportation management and repair?
  • 05:06:35
    I heard less than 20.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:06:42
    For sure.
  • 05:06:43
    So let's take a look as of the memo that was sent to us by HR.
  • 05:06:49
    There are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
  • 05:07:02
    19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
  • 05:07:08
    28 vacancies in transportation, maintenance, and repair.
  • 05:07:16
    Now as was noted by Director Sexton, not all of those are for Public Service Worker 1 or Public Service Worker 2 classifications, but the vast majority are for sure.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 05:07:29
    Thank you.
  • 05:07:29
    I ask this and I would welcome the director to clarify the specific amount within transportation maintenance and repair.
  • 05:07:38
    I take it very seriously when when an impact is saying that it's going to be reduced overall level of service for basic services like snow clearing, pothole patching, litter pickup, and other items.
  • 05:07:50
    But what I'm hearing based on the number of ongoing vacancies for a number for for
  • 05:07:57
    a number of months within this calendar year and maybe over other years is that these are vacancies that have not been fulfilled and so this is service that's currently not being provided so I don't understand how that would reduce our overall level of service and additionally it's been
  • 05:08:18
    It's been multiple years before I was even a council member where community members are showing up to our chambers with a jar of needles to show us the impacts of the opioid epidemics in their communities and how they're picking it up themselves.
  • 05:08:34
    I feel like this position creates a basic service that community members have been asking for a long time, which is proactive needle cleanup instead of waiting for a 311 request to happen, a contractor to then go out and do the cleanup.
  • 05:08:48
    in areas where there is a high concentration of this.
  • 05:08:53
    I see that Director Sexton is at the dais, so through the chair.
  • 05:08:58
    Welcome back.
• • Tim Sexton
  • 05:09:00
    Thank you Council Vice President, Councilmember Chaudry.
  • 05:09:03
    So I did just get clarification that we actually have
  • 05:09:07
    13 vacancies right now in TM&R, and I think I did a poor job of two things before.
  • 05:09:13
    One, I think it's important to acknowledge that this is a very real issue.
  • 05:09:17
    So I want to make sure that anything I'm saying is not minimizing that.
  • 05:09:22
    The other though is how hiring works with these positions, with these public service worker ones, twos, and trainees.
  • 05:09:31
    We may hire 15, 20 people for these roles,
  • 05:09:37
    It's highly unlikely, unlike our other positions, that those 20 people are going to all stay on.
  • 05:09:45
    So we need to hire more, recognizing that not everyone is going to stay on.
  • 05:09:51
    So we try and hire as many as we possibly can.
  • 05:09:54
    And so that's where, sorry, we have 13 service worker 1s and 7 service worker 2s.
  • 05:10:03
    But we need those vacancies because we need to cast a wider net knowing that these jobs are hard and that not everyone's going to stay on.
  • 05:10:11
    And so that's what we use those vacancies for.
  • 05:10:12
    So we might be carrying some, but our intent and our need is to fill all of those in more.
  • 05:10:18
    I hope that helps.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 05:10:19
    Thank you, I appreciate it.
  • 05:10:20
    I think from my perspective, just weighing everything out, I think taking one position out of the 13
  • 05:10:27
    I am not seeing how one position would reduce significantly a level of service as we're waiting for these to cycle through.
  • 05:10:36
    I see this amendment as creating a basic service that has been missing for a very long time within the City of Minneapolis that residents are asking for within the Southside Green Zone and other areas that are impacted.
  • 05:10:49
    So I'll be supporting this amendment for that reason.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:10:53
    Thank you.
  • 05:10:55
    Next I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:10:58
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:11:00
    I want to point out that Director Sexton said earlier that these are tough jobs and there is turnover in these jobs because they are hard jobs.
  • 05:11:09
    They are most definitely, as Council Member Vitale mentioned, perhaps things that people shouldn't be just out doing alone by themselves but could be part of, you know, a truck of people going to do a number of things in our community instead of one that is only
  • 05:11:27
    a siloed in resource to needle pickup.
  • 05:11:30
    Our park board gives premium pay when workers go out and do needle pickup and when they do they have to wear a Tyvek suit so that having one human being going out into these different communities doing needle pickup in a in a Tyvek suit feels very different than community support coming in from community partners
  • 05:11:53
    people like Lisa Clemons and others that have been mentioned who look like, are approachable within these different communities trying to sort of encourage others to safely come in and help with this effort.
  • 05:12:09
    and to beat back the issue of having needles being thrown on the ground anyway.
  • 05:12:16
    So, to me, one singular person who's resourced only to needle pickup roaming around our community versus having these community partners come and do it, that's a very different feel.
  • 05:12:29
    So, you know, that plus the premium pay that park board employees get, this just doesn't feel like a good fit and I needed to say that out loud.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:12:38
    Thank you.
  • 05:12:38
    Finally, I will recognize Councilmember Rainville.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 05:12:42
    Thank you.
  • 05:12:42
    I'd like to ask a question of Deputy Health Commissioner Ritchie, if you would please come forward.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:12:47
    Welcome back, Deputy Commissioner.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 05:12:50
    Do you know what the average response time is when someone calls 311 and reports needles on the ground?
  • 05:12:57
    Is it two weeks?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:12:59
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Rainville, I'm not sure exactly, but I can tell you that I did get a text message from my staff saying it's about 24 hours.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 05:13:08
    24 hours.
  • 05:13:09
    Great.
  • 05:13:09
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:13:10
    You're welcome.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:13:11
    Excellent.
  • 05:13:12
    Seeing no further discussion, I will now ask the clerks to call the roll on the Southside Green Zone Needle Cleanup Specialist Amendment offered by Councilmembers Chavez and Osman.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:13:26
    Councilmember Payne.
  • 05:13:27
    Aye.
  • 05:13:28
    Wonsley.
  • 05:13:29
    Aye.
  • 05:13:30
    Rainville.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 05:13:30
    Nay.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:13:31
    Vitor.
  • 05:13:32
    No.
  • 05:13:33
    Ellison.
• • 05:13:34
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:13:35
    I'm
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:13:54
    That item carries.
  • 05:13:56
    Colleagues, next we are going to move on to amendment number 26.
  • 05:14:01
    And that one has a revised version that's in the packet that the clerks gave us today.
  • 05:14:06
    Now before we begin discussion on this amendment, I will note that we spent about 30 minutes discussing the last amendment.
  • 05:14:16
    30 minutes.
  • 05:14:18
    We have an hour and 15 minutes left here today.
  • 05:14:21
    Let's see if we can please, please, please pick up the pace.
  • 05:14:24
    and get through our work here today.
  • 05:14:27
    So amendment number 26 is LGBTQIA plus mental health program.
  • 05:14:32
    It is offered by Councilmember Chavez.
  • 05:14:35
    Councilmember Chavez, please introduce your motion and move approval.
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:14:39
    This amendment will help establish an LGBTQIA mental health program via an RFP or contracting with an organization or it will just stay within the Department of Health.
  • 05:14:49
    This could help and look in many different ways, whether it's programs for self-care, funding to support mental health awareness and suicide prevention in our community or other work led by the health department.
  • 05:15:00
    According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, while belonging to the LGBTQIA community can be a source of strength, it also brings unique challenges.
  • 05:15:08
    And we know that data shows that in our community, in the LGBTQIA plus community, individuals are significantly more likely to experience mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts compared to non-LGBTQIA people.
  • 05:15:22
    After talking to the Health Department, as you noted, Council Vice President, you have a revision in this, an amendment, so this goes towards the Youth Development and Sexual Health Program.
  • 05:15:32
    The Health Department has a community health assessment coming out in 2025, which we will show support related to LGBTQ mental health within this program, so staff could potentially leverage their existing work and use these funds for that too.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:15:49
    Councilmember Chavez has moved approval of amendment number 26.
  • 05:15:53
    Is there a second to that motion?
• • Elliott Payne
  • 05:15:56
    Second.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:15:57
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 05:16:00
    Colleagues, is there any discussion or questions?
  • 05:16:02
    I will first recognize Councilmember Vitoff followed by Councilmember Cashman.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:16:05
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 05:16:07
    I'm just wondering if there's a model that we, a current model that we're going to be replicating for this for 20, 25k seems really low for this sort of program and so I'm just wondering is there a model that we're going to be replicating?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:16:24
    Council Member Chavez, would you like to address that question?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:16:26
    I would love to add more money if I would have support for that.
  • 05:16:29
    So if the concern is about the funding stream, I'd love to add more dollars to this.
  • 05:16:32
    However, given the constraints that we are talking about up here, I kept that $25,000.
  • 05:16:38
    However, after speaking with the health department, this is something that their department could observe under their department and work.
  • 05:16:43
    So I don't have any concerns.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:16:45
    I guess, well maybe I asked my question wrong or didn't say enough.
  • 05:16:49
    It's not just the 25k, it's what are we getting for 25k?
  • 05:16:54
    What is this going to do?
  • 05:16:57
    And the second piece to that is, I know an LGBTQIA group just got some of the trauma dollars out of the neighborhood safety department.
  • 05:17:08
    Are we replicating or duplicating services
  • 05:17:11
    that are under contract already, but more than anything, what is going to be done for $25K or what's the hope of what's getting done for $25K?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:17:21
    Thank you.
  • 05:17:22
    I don't think there would be duplicating of efforts.
  • 05:17:24
    I think there isn't enough resources for the community that I'm a part of right now.
  • 05:17:29
    So even if it was adding the same resource somewhere else in the city, that's great because that means more people would have access to the same service.
  • 05:17:36
    However, this would either be an RFP that the Health Department could release or the Health Department could absorb into their current programs for a service that would address these issues.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 05:17:47
    I agree with you, Councilmember Chavez, but as someone who's worked off of grants my entire career, $25,000 is not the amount of money that you go running for, especially with it being a one-time allocation, no future in, okay, what
  • 05:18:07
    What is this going to do next year?
  • 05:18:11
    People are busy trying to get the larger amounts of money to sustain their organization, so I'm really just trying to get to the bottom of the expectation of this.
  • 05:18:20
    Is this going to be a value for groups?
  • 05:18:22
    And I understand what you mean about another part of the city, but we don't know for certain that someone from another part of the city is going to apply.
  • 05:18:32
    It could be the very group
  • 05:18:33
    that apply for these trauma dollars.
  • 05:18:36
    Is it duplicating services?
  • 05:18:37
    Do we know that?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:18:39
    I don't think it's duplicating services.
  • 05:18:41
    It would be a new program.
  • 05:18:43
    The Health Department, as I mentioned earlier, could absorb this and create the program, or it could be an RFP, and I think it's an important thing.
  • 05:18:50
    I agree that that is not enough money.
  • 05:18:51
    $25,000 is not enough.
  • 05:18:53
    I would be happy to increase that if that's what folks in this body want, but other than that, this is the amendment that I brought forward, and I changed the code to be more effective of what the Health Department could do.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:19:06
    All right, next I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman, followed by Councilmember Jenkins.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:19:11
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:19:12
    I would like to ask the author if this is money from the ARPA spend down?
• • Emily Koski
  • 05:19:19
    That is correct.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:19:20
    And what would happen to it if this amendment didn't pass?
  • 05:19:23
    What would happen to that money?
• • Jason Chavez
  • 05:19:25
    Council Vice President, I might need your help answering that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:19:28
    It'll remain in the cash balance, so.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:19:32
    Okay, I
  • 05:19:33
    I am going to be voting no on this because I still think it's a better use of that extra money to reduce the property tax levy, which I understand would happen if that money wasn't spent.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:19:43
    It would not reduce the levy, it would just be in fund balance, so it's like something falling to the bottom line.
  • 05:19:49
    It would not reduce the levy.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:19:52
    We debated an amendment last week that would have put that money toward... And that amendment failed.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:19:59
    So there's, even if subsequent amendments that touch the ARPA leftover, or the $780,000 that are a part of the ARPA revenue replacement project, I apologize for using incorrect language there.
  • 05:20:14
    That does not automatically mean it suddenly is a part of reducing the levy.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:20:19
    unless there was an amendment brought forward or like a budget amendment walked on tomorrow for some reason.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:20:26
    For sure for $25,000 sure yes.
  • 05:20:35
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Jenkins followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Andrea Jenkins
  • 05:20:39
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:20:41
    This amendment is really attempting to address a very serious issue of concern within the LGBT community, LGBTQIA plus community, suicide rates,
  • 05:21:02
    suicide hotlines are being called uh... increased double-digit percents uh... particularly young people uh... council member uh... veto asked are there programs there it there are specific uh... mental health programs for lgbt q a plus people rate reclaim which is one uh... the aliveness project
  • 05:21:31
    in Ward 8 helps to support people in their mental health pursuits.
  • 05:21:37
    I do get concerned when we allocate these dollars and say, hey, figure out what you want to do with it.
  • 05:21:45
    That is a deep concern.
  • 05:21:48
    Do we do RFP?
  • 05:21:50
    That should be figured out prior to, in my opinion.
  • 05:21:57
    and there are supports around mental health and you know just in full transparency given the new administration and the attacks on trans and gender non-conforming people I am currently seeking out mental health support myself so I absolutely 100% appreciate the intent of this amendment I'm very concerned however that it really doesn't have a
  • 05:22:25
    We don't know.
  • 05:22:33
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:22:36
    Thank you.
  • 05:22:37
    Um, next, or finally I'll recognize Councilmember Balmesano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:22:45
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 05:22:47
    Thank you for pointing out that this was the first of four amendments that use the ARPA revenue replacement funding as its source.
  • 05:22:56
    We need to call this source, we need to refer to it as the use of fund balance, but this is something that could help us reduce our levy next year at this point because as you mentioned,
  • 05:23:05
    that motion failed.
  • 05:23:09
    That motion failed and this source could have reduced the property tax levy another 0.15%.
  • 05:23:17
    But even if it's not used this year, those funds could fall to the bottom line.
  • 05:23:23
    We're declining two chances to lower the levy for our residents, for business owners, and for property owners this year and next.
  • 05:23:30
    So I think we need to be clear about that.
  • 05:23:34
    I'm curious about the operational impact that this might have in the health department and Commissioner Chaplin or Director Ritchie, if you could opine on that, I would appreciate that.
  • 05:23:44
    I guess I see, I can't see around this big post so I didn't realize that.
  • 05:23:52
    Deputy Director Ritchie, what is the operational impact here to the health department of this one-time $25,000 appropriation?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:24:00
    Welcome back.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:24:02
    Thank you very much, Deputy Commissioner Ritchie from the Health Department, Council Member Palmisano through the Chair.
  • 05:24:08
    I've had only about a week or two to sit with this amendment, so I can't really be specific about the operational impact, but with $25,000 as mentioned, we would either absorb that into existing programming in our youth development and sexual health
  • 05:24:23
    program area which is what this amendment would go to or we would do an RFP which you know can be a couple month long process.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:24:34
    Thank you.
  • 05:24:35
    You know I'm not sure that residents in our city particularly younger residents of our city that are LGBTQ
  • 05:24:46
    necessarily want to know that city government is here to help them one time with their mental health needs.
  • 05:24:53
    I don't think that this ends up becoming a city program.
  • 05:24:56
    There are community partners that can do this in a more steadfast way.
  • 05:25:02
    Per Councilmember Jenkins talking about hotlines and such, I mean, God forbid we stand up a one-time, one-year long hotline that then goes defunct after that.
  • 05:25:13
    I would hope that then this would be on the health department and on their existing capacity to manage a small RFP like this and create this programming.
  • 05:25:23
    I support the goal of this amendment and the mental health needs of the LGBTQIA plus community.
  • 05:25:30
    But this will increase our spending and I'm concerned about our staff capacity to manage such a program.
  • 05:25:39
    Colleagues, mental health takes an enormous lift.
  • 05:25:42
    It's not a one-time program.
  • 05:25:45
    It takes a lot of infrastructure to put it in place and it takes a long time to set up these kinds of programs.
  • 05:25:51
    I would be happy to reconsider this if another funding source is identified.
  • 05:25:57
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:25:59
    With that colleagues,
  • 05:26:03
    With that, colleagues, we have the LGBTQIA plus mental health program amendment offered by Councilmember Chavez before us.
  • 05:26:10
    I will ask the clerk to call the roll on item number 26 as revised.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:17
    Councilmember Payne?
• • Elliott Payne
  • 05:26:18
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:19
    Wonsley?
  • 05:26:20
    Aye.
  • 05:26:21
    Rainville?
  • 05:26:21
    Aye.
  • 05:26:23
    Vita?
  • 05:26:23
    Aye.
  • 05:26:25
    Ellison?
  • 05:26:25
    Aye.
  • 05:26:27
    Osman?
  • 05:26:27
    Aye.
  • 05:26:28
    Cashman?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:26:29
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:31
    Jenkins?
  • 05:26:31
    Aye.
  • 05:26:33
    Chavez?
  • 05:26:34
    Aye.
  • 05:26:35
    Chaudry?
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 05:26:36
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:37
    Palmisano?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:26:38
    No.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:40
    Vice Chair Korski?
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:26:41
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:26:42
    Chair Chigteye?
  • 05:26:45
    Aye.
  • 05:26:45
    12 ayes and 1 nay.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:26:48
    That motion carries.
  • 05:26:49
    Next we are going to move to item number 27, which is an amendment on public health response to unsheltered homelessness.
  • 05:27:01
    This is offered by myself, Councilmember Chavez, and Councilmember Chaudry.
  • 05:27:05
    I will begin by introducing this amendment, moving its approval, and then we will open up discussion.
  • 05:27:11
    So this item is a, it appropriates specifically within the new unsheltered homelessness response contractual services change item or budget proposal.
  • 05:27:28
    This is new spending in the mayor's recommended budget.
  • 05:27:30
    It wasn't detailed out but from conversations with the administration we were able to better understand their intent on how to spend this money and then
  • 05:27:40
    and then further able to appropriate from there.
  • 05:27:45
    So there are $615,000 available total within this change item.
  • 05:27:53
    Of that you will see $515,000 appropriated specifically.
  • 05:27:57
    So the first $90,000 is for personal storage solutions for those who are living in encampments to store their personal belongings.
  • 05:28:07
    Next there's $15,000 for hand washing stations for those who are living in encampments and we know from conversations with regulatory
  • 05:28:15
    Services, and Director Velazquez, who's here in the audience today, that the cost of hand washing stations is significantly lower than the cost of several of these other items.
  • 05:28:29
    So it's a flat rate of $95 a month plus a $9.50 fuel charge.
  • 05:28:36
    and then $160,000 is for portable bathrooms for those residing within encampments.
  • 05:28:44
    The fee for that is about $5,000 per month and then some additional maintenance charges and then $250,000 ongoing is for the Hennepin County Continuum of Care shelter providers.
  • 05:29:02
    and Warming Shelters.
  • 05:29:04
    These are resources that the city has committed to providing to the county on an ongoing basis for the Continuum of Care work.
  • 05:29:13
    So with that I am asking colleagues for your support of this amendment.
  • 05:29:17
    I'll move approval and ask for a second.
  • 05:29:19
    Second.
  • 05:29:21
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 05:29:23
    Colleagues, is there any discussion on amendment number 27?
  • 05:29:26
    I'll recognize Council Member Ellison.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 05:29:29
    I'm gonna pass to Council Member Osman.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 05:29:31
    Council Member Osman.
  • 05:29:32
    Thank you.
  • 05:29:33
    These are very important
  • 05:29:37
    Solutions for some of the issues we have.
  • 05:29:40
    I really want to first of all thank the Regulatory Services Director, Enrique, for his leadership.
  • 05:29:46
    Me and him work closely with so many issues when it comes to unhoused residents and homeless response.
  • 05:29:53
    And these are some of the solutions that can help with the issue that we have, not just in Minneapolis, but the regional issue about
  • 05:30:07
    So many unhoused residents are sleeping outside in the cold.
  • 05:30:12
    And I want to ask a question.
  • 05:30:16
    I want to really give more money for this department, especially when it comes to response to unhoused residents and homeless and encampments and so on.
  • 05:30:26
    Director, could you please state or talk about the contractual service proposal.
  • 05:30:34
    What are some of those that might be affected and if you can give us some example because I'll just be out there.
  • 05:30:42
    I want to make sure that we're giving you all the tools you need to succeed
  • 05:30:48
    when responding encampments in my district.
  • 05:30:51
    I'm super happy that we have added couple full-time resident, I'm sorry, employees that will help responding encampments.
  • 05:31:00
    And I don't want those to be taken away, so just if you could talk about contractual service proposals within the department.
  • 05:31:08
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:31:09
    Welcome, Director, if you'll begin by introducing yourself.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 05:31:11
    certainly.
  • 05:31:12
    Thank you so much Vice President Chugtai and committee members.
  • 05:31:16
    I'm Enrique Velazquez, the Director of Regulatory Services.
  • 05:31:19
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Osman, in terms of the specific services that we were looking at, many of the different
  • 05:31:27
    items that are itemized here were in the mayor's proposal as well.
  • 05:31:33
    The ones where we deviated are likely the hand washing stations and portable toilets.
  • 05:31:38
    Those were two that were added that we had previously funded through the use of American Rescue Plan Act dollars that weren't carrying forward into the mayor's recommended budget proposal.
  • 05:31:53
    Part of the reason for that is
  • 05:31:55
    We've had a really challenging time finding vendors willing to do the work of providing these types of services.
  • 05:32:01
    Over the past 18 months we've gone through three different vendors and have had to repeatedly do quite a bit of extensive work to find them and to just nurture those relationships so that they stay engaged in the space and keep on providing those kinds of services for community.
  • 05:32:20
    not just for the individuals in the encampments but for the greater community in which those encampments are located so that the individuals at the encampments or activity on the encampments aren't necessarily spilling over into the surrounding neighborhoods.
  • 05:32:35
    One of the other elements that was I believe incorporated is a cross subsidy or cross charge for public work staff who are engaged in providing
  • 05:32:48
    We felt that it was not
  • 05:33:06
    are already contracted with the City of Minneapolis for trash, recycle, and organic waste pickup on a weekly basis.
  • 05:33:14
    So rather than have the rate payers foot the bill for this specific work that's specifically encampment focused, we were planning on doing a cross-charge where
  • 05:33:25
    regulatory services would receive the bill for these services for encampments and then provide the funding so that public works could be made whole and so that our rate payers would not have to feel the increase of these specific charges.
• • Jamal Osman
  • 05:33:41
    Very well stated, thank you and just want to summarize by saying that I'm glad this is our front of us and may it also have included some of the issues that I specifically talked to him about addressing the encampments that pop up.
  • 05:34:02
    When encampments pop up, they don't just
  • 05:34:04
    create health and safety issue for the residents that live there, but surrounding area.
  • 05:34:08
    Imagine having, you know, a large population of people there, where are they going to go to the bathroom?
  • 05:34:15
    You know, making sure that the trash is picked up, making sure that there's a human way of treating those folks and having portable bathrooms is necessary.
  • 05:34:29
    So this freezing, I
  • 05:34:32
    supported and I encourage all of you to support it, even if you don't have encampments in your district.
  • 05:34:37
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:34:39
    Thank you, Council Member Osman.
  • 05:34:40
    I will also note there were appropriations in the ARPA reappropriation action that the council took.
  • 05:34:49
    There were some investments that were made that were initially actually for like public health response to encampments.
  • 05:34:58
    that were in the reappropriation were going to be used for security services within encampments or fencing equipment.
  • 05:35:08
    And so knowing that that was already happening, then that's why the authors chose to appropriate some specific amount of money for the public health aspects as you've outlined in this amendment.
  • 05:35:24
    With that, I will recognize Council Member Palmisano
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:35:30
    Thank you Madam Chair, actually Director Velasquez, I think I need you to confirm some of these things for me here.
  • 05:35:36
    We already do these services to the degree that they are funded and the degree that we can, yes, both personal storage, hand washing stations, the portable bathrooms, we already do fund those kinds of services in our existing encampments today, right?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 05:35:54
    Yes, through the chair, council member Palmisano, we currently do fund those.
  • 05:35:58
    Each one of these, those specific initiatives, hand washing stations, portable toilets, storage, we're utilizing ARPA funding.
  • 05:36:08
    So this would shift the funding from ARPA dollars to general fund.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:36:13
    Was that something that was going to get cut off here at the end of this year for some of the encampments that currently use and need those kinds of things?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 05:36:26
    Through the Chair, Council Member Palmisano, the storage was going to be changing.
  • 05:36:32
    Some of the feedback we received from individuals that are experiencing homelessness within encampments was that the storage at Downtown Improvement District was not accessible.
  • 05:36:42
    So we were looking at maintaining a portion of the funding for Downtown Improvement District and then also identifying sources within communities so that individuals could
  • 05:36:52
    access their storage in those specific areas at a time and place where they need them without the added barrier of trying to get access to downtown in DID operating hours.
  • 05:37:06
    In terms of porta-potties and hand-washing stations, those were not included in the initial proposal.
  • 05:37:15
    As I mentioned before, we've had some challenges trying to identify service providers who are willing to do that work specifically for our individuals experiencing homelessness in encampments.
  • 05:37:27
    It was quite a significant challenge and as we look to
  • 05:37:32
    expedite the number of closures.
  • 05:37:35
    The feeling was that if we're able to close them more quickly then that would somewhat solve a portion of the problem where we wouldn't necessarily have people in encampments who would need hand washing and portable toilets.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:37:49
    So what you've shared is that we already
  • 05:37:53
    We are maintaining in the encampments that we have left And even improving some of these kinds of services that we have available for them And the director's comments here today brought my inquiry about the ratepayers for solid waste actually a legal requirement to rest But the problem is this is another increase for our residents repped up in just a different way And and that's a hard
  • 05:38:22
    think to swallow for me.
  • 05:38:24
    Can you comment on how this appropriation might impact other existing services or other concerns that you might have?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 05:38:33
    Certainly.
  • 05:38:34
    Thank you.
  • 05:38:35
    Through the Chair, Council Member Palmisano, I believe Council Member Osman specifically mentioned security services.
  • 05:38:44
    So with the appropriation of these funds, then that limits the ability to
  • 05:38:51
    provide funding for private security which supplements our city security as well as supplementing our law enforcement presence.
  • 05:39:00
    As we attempt to shift away from a law enforcement presence at encampments or encampment closures and do more of a soft touch with closures, it limits our ability to respond in that regard.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:39:13
    Mm-hmm, and I I like that softer touch I think that that softer touch has proven to us to be more collaborative and more effective with those that are Experiencing homelessness or living on house in our community the biggest amount of this appropriation goes right to Hennepin County For warming shelters and I guess I'm curious and this is more a question to any of the authors Is this something that Hennepin County said that they were ready to stand up and do if for our?
  • 05:39:43
    if for our money here and why are they not choosing to go ahead and do it themselves if there's a need for this in our community.
  • 05:39:52
    Director Velasquez, go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 05:39:54
    Certainly.
  • 05:39:54
    Thank you so much, uh, Chair Chuktai, Council Member Paul Musano.
  • 05:39:58
    This is something that Hennepin County currently offers and over the last, at least the last two to three years, the City of Minneapolis has supplemented the funding so that they could expand the number of
  • 05:40:09
    organizations are able to provide the safe warming centers.
  • 05:40:14
    So with the addition of $250,000, at least over the past two years, they were able to offer 24-hour service with a couple of different providers.
  • 05:40:25
    That way, if it is severely cold, severe inclement weather, even though it's different locations, there's a daytime location and an evening time location so that somebody could stay sheltered 24 hours.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:40:40
    I see.
  • 05:40:41
    So this is something that you support is to, I guess we have to pass it through Hennepin County but then they're contracting with others to provide these services.
  • 05:40:49
    It feels like this is work that's already going on then within the regulatory services department.
  • 05:40:55
    I'm happy to then support it because it sounds like you'd be making these choices yourself to support how we do encampment response.
  • 05:41:07
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:41:08
    Colleagues, we have amendment number 27, which is the public health response to unsheltered homelessness before us.
  • 05:41:16
    I will ask the clerk to call the roll.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:41:20
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 05:41:22
    Aye.
  • 05:41:23
    Wansley?
  • 05:41:24
    Aye.
  • 05:41:25
    Rainville?
  • 05:41:25
    Aye.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:41:27
    Vito?
  • 05:41:27
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:41:29
    Ellison?
• • 05:41:30
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 05:41:30
    There are 13 ayes
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:41:47
    That motion carries.
  • 05:41:49
    We will now move to amendment number 28, which is the revised Emergency Housing Vouchers amendment that is before you in the packet that the clerks gave us.
  • 05:42:00
    This motion is offered by Council members Wansley and Osman.
  • 05:42:05
    I will recognize Council member Wansley to introduce and move approval of this item.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:42:10
    Thank you Chair Choktay.
  • 05:42:14
    So I am excited to bring this budget proposal forward today.
  • 05:42:20
    This proposal will allocate funding to a program by Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority to provide permanent housing and wrap around social services for about 50 families and 50 individuals who are chronically unsheltered.
  • 05:42:35
    The program will replicate an initiative that was federally funded during the height of the COVID pandemic, which Hennepin County called among the most effective tools they have seen for addressing homelessness in our community.
  • 05:42:48
    In the budget proposal, you can read documents from Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority outlining what the implementation of this program will look like if it is approved.
  • 05:42:59
    and I want to emphasize that the county has boasted a 97% success rate in preventing individuals who have been housed from this initiative from returning to homelessness.
  • 05:43:11
    This is part of a growing National Housing First approach to homelessness and many residents have observed that the city's current approach to homelessness is not only inhumane but it also has not actually reduced the number of residents who are experiencing homelessness.
  • 05:43:27
    and taxpayers have spent millions of dollars on encampment evictions, but again, our city has essentially nothing to show for it.
  • 05:43:34
    So instead of spending our resources on those ineffective initiatives, we have the opportunity to actually redirect those resources to getting people off of the street and into dignified permanent housing with social services that they need to be both healthy, stable and successful.
  • 05:43:53
    In addition to being a much more humane approach to homelessness, there is also ample evidence to suggest that this will also significantly be more effective.
  • 05:44:03
    Data from the last several years indicate that there is about 450 to 650 unsheltered individuals in Hennepin County on any given day.
  • 05:44:13
    which is the best available data that we have been given, considering the city of Minneapolis does not track the number of unhoused individuals in the city at this current moment.
  • 05:44:24
    This funding could potentially move 150 residents from the streets into housing, meaning that we could be providing housing for 20 to 30 percent of the city's unhoused population with this budget amendment alone.
  • 05:44:38
    So this budget amendment could meaningfully reduce the amount of homelessness in our city and could serve as a starting place for increased multi-jurisdictional investment in a housing first strategy.
  • 05:44:50
    In regards to the revised amendment in front of you, we did decide to shift funding sources as a result of having some more clarifications about recent hirings and reclassifications of what we were going to use in regards to vacant positions.
  • 05:45:06
    We are now proposing shifting $680,323 from MPD's Overtime Fund to support these vouchers.
  • 05:45:14
    The rationale is for two reasons.
  • 05:45:17
    One, recently at the AO Committee we had a discussion about critical staffing overtime and in that conversation we did learn that MPD does use critical staffing overtime for encampment clearings.
  • 05:45:29
    The implementation of these vouchers, which again
  • 05:45:32
    could reduce the amount of unsheltered homelessness by up to 30% next year alongside many other program dollars being invested in unsheltered homelessness makes me hopeful that we will see less encampments overall in the city and therefore will require less of a police response so less of hopefully or more of that soft touch that director
  • 05:45:56
    but let's guys just mention and then which means we won't have to use overtime to staff evictions.
  • 05:46:03
    Additionally, MPD is able to absorb any needs that they have for overtime through their vacancy state savings.
  • 05:46:10
    In the fiscal note for the critical staffing overtime, L.O.A., MPD stated the year-to-date cost for the police department critical staffing overtime through November 5, 2024 was $12 million.
  • 05:46:24
    The incurred costs in 2025 from this extension will be covered by the department's base budget and no new funding is being requested through this action.
  • 05:46:34
    This fiscal note demonstrates that MPD is able to support any additional overtime they need next year the same way that they were able to do this this year through their vacancy savings.
  • 05:46:45
    This proposal is also funded through a combination of other vacant positions and small reductions and contractual services from four departments that expand the most resources responding to unsheltered homelessness.
  • 05:46:57
    In regards to the $400,000 one-time funds request, that will come from the general fund balance and this will not impact any department's operating budget or any service levels for residents.
  • 05:47:08
    Again, I want to emphasize that the data shows that this is one of the most cost-effective things that we could do at the municipal level in partnership with our governmental agencies at the county level and with our public housing agencies to really reduce unsheltered homelessness in our city.
  • 05:47:27
    And I would encourage my colleagues to also read, again, those documents and letters submitted by Hennepin County themselves and NPHA themselves that outlines
  • 05:47:37
    the program implementation needs and why they have found this to be a successful program that they're excited to support and collaboration with us.
  • 05:47:47
    So with that I will ask for a second and move this for approval.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:47:51
    Councilmember Wonsley has moved approval of this item.
  • 05:47:53
    Is there a second?
  • 05:47:54
    Second.
  • 05:47:55
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 05:47:57
    Colleagues are there any questions or discussion related to this item?
  • 05:48:00
    I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:48:03
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 05:48:04
    I'm just comparing the old version that was in our binders with the new one that we got today.
  • 05:48:12
    So I guess I'd like to ask the author, would you be willing to kind of net out for us the changes from the old proposal to the new one?
  • 05:48:20
    I know the old one took four existing FTEs from different departments.
  • 05:48:26
    It looks like this one perhaps takes two FTEs.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:48:31
    Councilmember Wonsley, if you'll turn your mic on.
  • 05:48:35
    Thank you.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:48:35
    Thank you, Chair.
  • 05:48:37
    I will admit I do not have the old proposal in front of me but what I do believe is that we changed, oh sorry my bad, we changed items number one if you will see where originally in the old proposal it said decrease the budget for the Office of Community Safety for the Public Safety Aid positions.
  • 05:48:57
    Those are the ones where we learned more clarification of and that's why
  • 05:49:01
    you see a new item in the revised proposal for CPED and why we're actually taking the gap provided by not having those vacancies along with also the vacancies that we cannot use for I believe item
  • 05:49:20
    uh six there were additional MPD vacancies that we also learned were no longer eligible so it ended up coming to about four vacancies that totaled that $680,000 which were being um we're proposing to use through the critical uh over time through MPD
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:49:40
    I see.
  • 05:49:41
    And then, could you share with us the decrease then in budget for finance and property services by $365,000 roughly?
  • 05:49:50
    What does this do?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:49:52
    Yes, so originally, if you look at number five, we proposed taking a vacant position, but in conversations with finance and property services, they we have come to agreement that we would not explicitly take that position.
  • 05:50:06
    And they have other vacancy savings that they could use in order to support this particular allocation.
  • 05:50:12
    So that's why we worded it the way that we did.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:50:17
    I see the use
  • 05:50:21
    Are there still general fund dollars here yet?
  • 05:50:23
    For the $400,000?
  • 05:50:25
    The use of general fund dollars means we are increasing the budget.
  • 05:50:29
    We are increasing the budget then in future years.
  • 05:50:32
    Those funds are no longer available to be used next year to reduce the property tax levy.
  • 05:50:41
    I imagine we are able, you're part seven here, we're able to create this.
  • 05:50:48
    You have it very specifically to fund emergency housing vouchers with MPHA and Hennepin County.
  • 05:50:55
    Are we able to do that through a motion here instead of through some kind of a bidding process?
  • 05:51:02
    I think another vendor actually did our like guaranteed basic income pilot.
  • 05:51:06
    Are we able to do that just because those are other government agencies and so they're trusted?
  • 05:51:12
    Could you share with me the wisdom from your perspective as to we're doing this work because it just helps them get further down their list of eligible people to receive this kind of funding?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:51:25
    So we chose this partnership because again County and NPHA really referenced this as being an effective model that they sought in reducing unsheltered homelessness and we've already been in existing partnerships with them through the Office of Homelessness that's located in CPED.
  • 05:51:44
    so also you'll see in the language in seven we also name just based off of conversations with the city attorneys and also based off of past presidents and having those collaborations around various housing projects especially around homelessness that we do name that we will be entering into our agreement with both Hennepin County and NPHA to ensure that these money I mean these dollars are spent in the way that the program you know outlines
  • 05:52:13
    Thank you.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:52:18
    I'm curious from COO Anderson Kelleher's perspective how this might impact the operations of all of these different sources of money.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:52:32
    Welcome back.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 05:52:34
    Thank you Vice President Chug Thai, Council Member Palmisano.
  • 05:52:39
    I want to start by saying this is the sort of program that the administration can support.
  • 05:52:46
    The sources are not supportable right now.
  • 05:52:50
    And if the author would consider laying it over, I think we could have a conversation about alternate sources for the program.
  • 05:52:58
    The program is an effective program.
  • 05:53:01
    we see value in it.
  • 05:53:03
    The way that it's funded in the amendment, the revised 28, is not acceptable, though.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:53:08
    Can I respond, Council Chair?
  • 05:53:12
    We're on Council Member Palmesano's time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:53:16
    Yes, go ahead.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:53:18
    I just wanted to respond directly to COO.
  • 05:53:21
    So I believe
  • 05:53:23
    You know, COO, you're aware we've been working on this amendment for several months.
  • 05:53:27
    I met with Mayor Frey himself about this amendment, so this is no shocker.
  • 05:53:31
    And this is now the second reiteration or iteration of this amendment, where we've had to end just the last 24 hours, have learned about last minute changes around our funding sources.
  • 05:53:45
    So I feel very confident in doing a lot more work to get to these funding sources.
  • 05:53:50
    I would like to proceed with the amendment as it stands.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:53:53
    So I'll just say, well first I'll ask COO Anderson Kelleher if she wanted to respond.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 05:53:59
    So then, Madam Chair, I will fully respond to Councilmember Palmisano's question.
  • 05:54:05
    This is not a great amendment because of the sources.
  • 05:54:08
    It really damages other departments.
  • 05:54:11
    And I guess coming with a olive branch to say we could work on a source together, I have not worked on this with you.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:54:19
    I am coming forward to say that there is a way forward, but if that's not needed it really is a damaging amendment So I'll also add some context to this conversation that There there I I do see a need for this I do see that this is a very impactful way to get people out of experiencing homelessness and
  • 05:54:47
    I wonder if the city should be doing this type of work or it would be better left to the county who is our social services partner.
  • 05:54:54
    And taxpayers pay money to the county to account for these kinds of social services.
  • 05:55:00
    So we need to be careful when we do that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:55:04
    Thank you.
  • 05:55:05
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman followed by Councilmember Rainville.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:55:09
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 05:55:11
    I just wanted to ask the author a little bit more about how you landed on these numbers.
  • 05:55:17
    For example, $1.4 million dollars ongoing and the amount of people that this would serve as 50 individuals and 50 families.
  • 05:55:28
    How did you get to those numbers in terms of how many people would be served by that and then how did you decide that this was the appropriate amount of money for the city to put towards that.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:55:39
    Councilmember Wonsley, would you like to address that question?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:55:42
    Absolutely, and I shared this in our meeting too, Councilmember Cashman, that I would definitely point you right back to the proposal that we got directly from Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, where they lay out very much on the back of their letterhead where they talk about why, and not with a name, it wasn't Councilmember Wonsley who came up with these numbers, it was the subject matter experts who ran this program who came up with these numbers.
  • 05:56:06
    and they literally say, I'll just quote here, to create a city funded emergency housing voucher program that operates similarly to the federal program.
  • 05:56:15
    MPHA estimates the first year of full leasing including upfront cost of program implementation would cost an estimated 1.8 million dollars.
  • 05:56:24
    After a year thereafter, it would cost an estimated 1.4 plus annual inflation increases of rental subsidies and administrative fees and then it lays out the rest of the context.
  • 05:56:34
    so and then the following page you'll see it breaks down again singles to families so again that's why we included those documentations directly from the agencies themselves who lay out the programmatic components of why 1.8 million is needed for this year and the 1.8 includes that 400,000 one-time costs and then why 1.4 would be the subsequent balance going forward
  • 05:57:00
    and again how that then supports us at getting to that 150 figure of 50 families and 50 sorry 100 families and 100 individuals.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:57:11
    I see 50 families and 50 individuals a year.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 05:57:16
    Yes, that's what I just said.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 05:57:17
    Okay, and then how the second question that I had was about I'm sorry, I'll get back in queue because I forgot my second question.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:57:28
    Wonderful, thank you.
  • 05:57:29
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Rainville followed by Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Michael Rainville
  • 05:57:36
    Thank you.
  • 05:57:37
    I also want to express a sentiment that this program is successful, it's been proven.
  • 05:57:42
    I do question the funding sources as well, and I just want to pass on a philosophy that I've been lucky enough to get from past council members when I asked them for advice that the more the city does for the county or the federal government or the state, the less they will do for us.
  • 05:58:02
    And so if we want to take
  • 05:58:05
    Thank you.
  • 05:58:09
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Palmisano followed by Councilmember Ellison.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 05:58:35
    Thank you Madam Chair.
  • 05:58:37
    In general I try to stay out of these squabbles about who did what when here on the dais but procedurally this was something that changed dramatically not in its intent but in its sources this morning when I showed up and it was here on the dais.
  • 05:58:52
    So I heard COO Anderson Kelleher suggest that we take a breath and come back with different sources to achieve the same intent.
  • 05:59:02
    and I do think that we have until tomorrow night's budget adoption to do that and I would suggest, though I'm not going to take a motion to table or anything like that, this is up to the authors, but I would suggest we try and come back with other sources that the administration agrees with.
  • 05:59:22
    This is a massive budget amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 05:59:25
    Thank you.
  • 05:59:26
    Thank you.
  • 05:59:27
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Ellison followed by Councilmember Cashman.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 05:59:30
    I'm prepared to support this here now, but I will say that in the past, if the administration is sincere about trying to work with the author on this budget amendment
  • 05:59:45
    I think that sincerity should stand whether it passes now or later because as Council Member Palmisano said, we have until probably until tomorrow.
  • 05:59:55
    I think the conversation with the author should continue and even if it passes now, which I hope it does, I think it's something that we should do.
  • 06:00:03
    we could pass an amended version again tomorrow and I appreciate that Olive Branch as you referred to it because it's the kind of thing that used to happen a little bit more and as we talked about earlier I see maybe why it's not happening as much now but it is also the type of thing that I think authors, amendment authors would jump at and say absolutely let's go into a conference room right now and hash this out and so if that can happen I think it still should happen even if we move forward on the amendment
  • 06:00:33
    as is.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:00:34
    Thank you.
  • 06:00:40
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Cashman followed by Councilmember Wonsley.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 06:00:45
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 06:00:47
    I remembered my second question.
  • 06:00:48
    So trying to understand the impact of this and what we're hoping to have this money achieve within 2025.
  • 06:00:55
    Just wanted to see how you're assessing the amount of people experiencing homelessness that we have right now in our city for encampments versus what the intended outcome of this program would help us achieve in the coming years.
  • 06:01:12
    How would you benchmark progress?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 06:01:17
    So Councilmember Cashman, Hennepin County and Minneapolis Public Housing Authority has a robust coordinated entry system that is backed by data that tracks metrics around homelessness.
  • 06:01:32
    Hence why I reference that data point around 450 to 650 unsheltered individuals being on the streets every single day in the county.
  • 06:01:42
    So they are tracking this information.
  • 06:01:44
    So they organized this program that was federally funded around those metrics.
  • 06:01:49
    And once again, more than happy to have them, as I've done with budget amendments in the past, and council members can attest to this, they will come and give data and presentations to BIZ or whatever appropriate committee about the progress that they have made in addressing those benchmarks of, again, housing 50 individuals and 50 families.
  • 06:02:12
    So they have a whole robust system because they have this infrastructure in place especially since they had this going during the peak of COVID and it was federally funded.
• • Michael Cashman
  • 06:02:26
    Thanks, yeah I just, this is a big budget amendment, a big investment and I would like to know that we're going to be tracking the impact and I would actually suggest maybe IGR committee because I don't think we've had like Hennepin County come and speak in that committee before which is a committee of the whole.
  • 06:02:41
    Although we also do a lot of this, you know, homelessness prevention work in the PHS committee so leave that up to the chairs but we'd love to have that after we get through all these proceedings.
• • 06:02:54
    Absolutely.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:02:56
    Thank you, and then next I will recognize Council Member Wonsley followed by Council Member Chowdhury.
  • 06:03:03
    Yes.
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 06:03:03
    I just wanted to thank Councilmember Ellison for flagging that point as we saw on Friday.
  • 06:03:10
    Of course, I would encourage Councilmembers to support this proposal.
  • 06:03:14
    Again, this has been weeks, sorry, actually years in the making, but in terms of coming up with this revised proposal and working with staff closely, after they raised a number of the concerns in the memo, we have been
  • 06:03:26
    a very, you know, flexible in trying to address that we're not laying off anyone and also making sure that, you know, we were being cognizant of the concerns raised and finding alternative funding sources to be able to support this critical need.
  • 06:03:41
    That said, again, if COO, and again hopefully this passing,
  • 06:03:46
    If they have a proposal, I would love to see it, you know, bring it forward and that way we could judge them side to side.
  • 06:03:52
    But I don't feel confident about not passing something and then hoping on a pinky promise that tomorrow there would be something and then we could, you know, judge from there.
  • 06:04:02
    But I would encourage colleagues to bring this forward.
  • 06:04:04
    And then yes, we can absolutely look at what the administration's proposal is and judge them both together.
  • 06:04:10
    So I just want to say thank you Councilmember Ellison for flagging that piece.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:04:13
    Councilmember Wonsley, I will note for you and for Councilmember Ellison who brought this up earlier, others.
  • 06:04:19
    You know, the first time that I heard from the administration that there was an interest in this amendment, like supporting the core idea, but not the specific sources was two versions ago, right?
  • 06:04:33
    Last Tuesday.
  • 06:04:34
    And since then, I will just note we haven't seen a specific idea about what alternate sources would work.
  • 06:04:41
    Certainly the body would welcome that though.
  • 06:04:44
    Next I'll recognize Councilmember Chaudry followed by Councilmember Chavez.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 06:04:49
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 06:04:51
    I want to see this pass through.
  • 06:04:53
    I am very supportive of this.
  • 06:04:55
    I think this is something that's very timely for us to take on as the City of Minneapolis in addition to the work that other agencies are doing.
  • 06:05:04
    And it seems that there's an appetite of the body to move forward with this, but I did want to ask direct CEO Anderson Kelleher if
  • 06:05:15
    she would submit the alternative proposal for sourcing and so we may compare it and if we need to make an amendment if it's amenable we can take it up that way.
  • 06:05:28
    I want to respect the author's decision of not with tabling the item at this moment and their openness to amending it later should they should they feel the source is something they want to bring forward.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:05:41
    Welcome back.
• • Margaret Anderson KelliherCity Operations Officer
  • 06:05:43
    Council Vice President, Council Member Choudry, I think it's best for a conversation between Council Member Wansley, a couple of staff folks, one or two from the mayor's office, myself, that would be the best way to address this.
  • 06:06:01
    I don't think, I think after, well, I'll just stop there.
  • 06:06:05
    I think it's best in a conversation, to have a conversation about the alternate source.
  • 06:06:12
    Okay.
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 06:06:15
    Well, I hope that there could be more of a clearer option, sounds like, that there is alternatives that you're willing to do.
  • 06:06:25
    I'll note that everyone in this body has to take it up and then also note that there's a willingness, again, from the authors and others that are not authors to amend if the source is better.
  • 06:06:37
    So if that exists, I recommend it.
  • 06:06:40
    We're not at final markup.
  • 06:06:42
    The budget isn't closed.
  • 06:06:44
    The budget book isn't closed So I'll be supporting this at this time and I'll look forward and hopefully see if there's an alternative source that will be presented to the authors Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:06:55
    Next I'll recognize councilmember Chavez followed by councilmember Palmisano
• • Jason Chavez
  • 06:06:59
    Thank you Council Vice President Chuktay.
  • 06:07:01
    I just want to thank Councilmember Wansi and Councilmember Osment for bringing this forward.
  • 06:07:04
    I think it makes sense to move forward and pass this today because I think it ensures that the votes are there and then it puts it so Councilmember Wansi and Councilmember Osment's intent isn't changed with the ongoing source and it's just about finding a different source and it guarantees and adds more security to this amendment moving forward.
  • 06:07:21
    So I would just recommend that we move forward
  • 06:07:23
    I'm happy to be a part of any conversation that's needed when it comes to finding a different source but I think it's important that we pass this and that way the mission and the vision of Councilman Walmsley and Councilman Osment isn't changed in those conversations.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:07:40
    Thank you and then finally I will recognize Councilmember Palmisano and hopefully we will call the question after that.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:07:49
    Madam Chair, what was just said, that is not the spirit of collaboration and I think we're all converging upon a solution with common intent here.
  • 06:08:00
    I'm curious, what's the point of passing it now and then trying to negotiate so we can pass an amendment tomorrow?
  • 06:08:08
    I guess that's a question for the authors.
  • 06:08:09
    What is the point of passing this now, just to go back and then renegotiate it later?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:08:15
    Council Member Wonsley, would you like to address that question?
• • Robin Wonsley
  • 06:08:18
    Yeah, I think I actually was clear earlier of I'm more than happy to pass this now to guarantee that we're moving forward with this amendment.
  • 06:08:26
    And if the administration actually has a credible proposal, they can do this.
  • 06:08:29
    And I believe my colleagues have mentioned final markup is on Thursday.
  • 06:08:33
    We have the ability to, sorry, thank you tomorrow.
  • 06:08:36
    We have the ability to make edits tomorrow.
  • 06:08:37
    I know people are planning to bring on walk ons too.
  • 06:08:40
    So we have the ability to do that.
  • 06:08:42
    So I would rather proceed with this proposal.
  • 06:08:44
    And if people don't feel comfortable doing so, of course, you have the option to vote no.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:08:49
    So, more broadly, is the Council required to vote on the budget tomorrow night?
  • 06:08:54
    Is tomorrow really going to be our last budget markup?
  • 06:09:00
    That's a question.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:09:01
    Tomorrow night is our last budget markup.
  • 06:09:03
    The Council is not required.
  • 06:09:05
    I will actually have the Clerk speak to this.
  • 06:09:07
    Is the Council required to pass the budget tomorrow night?
• • Casey CarlCity Clerk
  • 06:09:12
    Madam Chair, Council Vice President, Chug Thai,
  • 06:09:16
    The Council is not required to act in its final capacity on the city's 2025 budget tomorrow night.
  • 06:09:24
    Tomorrow night is an adjourned meeting of the City Council from its regular meeting last Thursday.
  • 06:09:28
    As you'll recall, notice has been given that tomorrow night will be the Truth in Taxation public hearing required by state law.
  • 06:09:36
    It is the third and, I assume, final hearing that this body will conduct on the proposed 2025 budget.
  • 06:09:43
    In past years, of course, the council then, as soon as that hearing was over, proceeded to take up and take final action on the city budget.
  • 06:09:52
    And in keeping with that long-established practice, it is our expectation that that would also be planned for tomorrow night, and the council's calendar is predicated upon that assumption.
  • 06:10:02
    However, that is not required under the city charter or state law, and if the council is not ready,
  • 06:10:08
    to take up final action on the budget tomorrow.
  • 06:10:10
    Of course, it's at the Council's discretion as to when and how that final action would be taken.
  • 06:10:16
    And of course, we would work with the Council, especially Budget Committee Chair and Council President, to make sure that the body is able to give the public notice about when that action would be taken, if it's not tomorrow night.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:10:31
    So then, Madam Chair, I would suggest we shouldn't constrain ourselves, especially if we can't find compromise.
  • 06:10:40
    Well, especially if we can find compromise and we can improve these budget details.
  • 06:10:45
    I think what would be the worst is getting into some protracted
  • 06:10:49
    need to do this to get it to the mayor's desk to give him something he would have to veto and that would take quite a bit longer of time.
  • 06:10:59
    So overall some of the comments that I've heard feel like a self-imposed timeline with a record-setting number of amendments.
  • 06:11:07
    Councilmember Ellison said earlier in this conversation that let's just have the grace and the space to make some compromises that we all can live with here and I think that applies to this
  • 06:11:16
    very significant budget amendment.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:11:23
    Colleagues before anyone else starts to get in queue I am going to note that we will not
  • 06:11:30
    We will not be using the remainder of Amendment 28 discussion to devolve into whether or not we're passing the budget tomorrow.
  • 06:11:39
    That is not what we will be doing with the remainder of the discussion on this item.
  • 06:11:43
    Councilmember Ellison and then Mr.
  • 06:11:45
    Clerk, you are ready to call the roll.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 06:11:48
    I just wanted to say there was the question of why pass it now and negotiate it further and I just wanted to say I think Council Member Osman and Council Member Wonsley's intent is that they feel they've done their homework, they're ready to pass this now and that the offer to negotiate was not extended by them.
  • 06:12:04
    The offer to negotiate was extended by our COO Anderson Kelleher.
  • 06:12:07
    It is my intent to accept that offer as much as possible and continue the conversation and so I just want to say that I think as
  • 06:12:15
    I don't want to speak on behalf of the authors.
  • 06:12:16
    I think that the authors were very clear that they are happy and ready to pass this now as is and potentially not change it.
  • 06:12:23
    But I hope we can get to some unity here.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:12:27
    Mr.
  • 06:12:27
    Clerk, call the roll on the revised number 28 Emergency Housing Vouchers offered by Councilmember Wonsley and Councilmember Osman.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 06:12:34
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 06:12:35
    Aye.
  • 06:12:36
    Wonsley?
  • 06:12:36
    Aye.
  • 06:12:37
    Rainville?
  • 06:12:38
    Nay.
  • 06:12:39
    Vito?
  • 06:12:39
    No.
  • 06:12:40
    Ellison?
  • 06:12:41
    Aye.
  • 06:12:42
    Osman?
  • 06:12:43
    Aye.
  • 06:12:44
    Cashman?
  • 06:12:44
    Aye Jenkins Nay Chavez Aye Chowdhury Aye Palmisano No Vice Chair Koski Aye Chair Chuktai Aye There are nine ayes and four nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:12:59
    That motion carries.
  • 06:13:00
    Next we are moving to amendment number 29 which is affordable home ownership preservation offered by Vice Chair Koski.
  • 06:13:08
    Vice Chair Koski, will you please introduce your amendment and move approval.
• • Emily Koski
  • 06:13:13
    Thank you, Madam Chair.
  • 06:13:14
    This budget proposal seeks to modify and increase the affordable homeownership preservation budget proposal included in the budget.
  • 06:13:21
    This budget proposal funds regulatory services resident navigator program in partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
  • 06:13:27
    The program helps low-income homeowners address outstanding housing orders and provides wraparound services that increase housing stabilization.
  • 06:13:35
    This budget proposal funds to increase funding for the program so that we can maintain our current service levels.
  • 06:13:42
    I'll move this for approval.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:13:43
    Thank you.
  • 06:13:44
    Vice Chair Koski has moved approval of item number 29.
  • 06:13:47
    Is there a second to that motion?
  • 06:13:48
    Second.
  • 06:13:49
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 06:13:51
    Colleagues, is there any discussion related to this item?
  • 06:13:54
    Council Member Ellison.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 06:13:56
    Thank you.
  • 06:13:57
    I am struggling just a bit to support this.
  • 06:14:03
    We're running into a context in our housing market where home ownership, new builds, all these things are becoming more constrained.
  • 06:14:11
    I don't want to be an obstacle here, you know, and I've often advocated for both of these departments to get more funding.
  • 06:14:19
    You know, I always think it's better when CPED and RAG are our friends, they work, you know, well together and so from taking from one to give to the other is I'm struggling with a bit here and
  • 06:14:32
    and from the source, the Minneapolis Homes Program.
  • 06:14:35
    I guess I'll ask if the author knows, and I know we can always call up staff, which I actually hate doing, but do we know how many potential homes could be funded, how many homeownership opportunities we could potentially miss out on here by allocating this amount in the budget to this end?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:14:54
    Vice Chair Koski, would you like to address that question?
• • Emily Koski
  • 06:14:57
    Yes, I'm happy to have staff come up.
  • 06:14:59
    I also just want to note that we are also making sure that we keep the individuals in the homes that we help them get into with this program.
  • 06:15:10
    So I think if you can also address how many individuals we are able to help keep in homes as well will help us make that determination.
  • 06:15:18
    That's great context.
  • 06:15:19
    Okay, thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:15:21
    Directors Hanson and Velazquez, if you want to come up and briefly address that question.
• • Erik HansenDirector of CPED
  • 06:15:26
    Council Vice President, members of the committee, so it's about 195, it's a homeowner or so, I have to give you a precise, it's not that big of an impact, about 15 people, Director Velasquez, we get along very well between the two departments, still have about 15 households they could help.
  • 06:15:50
    We leverage some money at the state, that would be impacted a little bit, but it's not, it's minimal.
  • 06:15:56
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:15:59
    Thank you, and then next I will recognize Council Member Palmisano, hopefully the last one in queue today on this item.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:16:13
    I think that maybe Councilmember Ellison had the same thought in the back of his head and might ask the same question a different way.
  • 06:16:18
    Do staff know if it's been determined if the local affordable housing aid fund is even an eligible use for this proposal?
  • 06:16:28
    I thought we used CDBG money.
  • 06:16:35
    LHAA money allows rehabilitation, but do we know if this would be an eligible use?
• • Erik HansenDirector of CPED
  • 06:16:42
    Director, go ahead.
  • 06:16:43
    Happy to answer that question to Council Vice President and Councilmember Palmisano.
  • 06:16:47
    We've talked to the city attorneys.
  • 06:16:49
    There's a gray area in the law that says that it's eligible for improvements.
  • 06:16:54
    We think that enhancements and co-debatement is improving the housing stock and would be eligible under the LAHA statute.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:17:03
    That's good.
  • 06:17:04
    And that's promising actually.
  • 06:17:06
    We heard testimony in front of the Biz Committee, which I'm not part of, about the importance of programs like Minneapolis Homes to organizations like Twin Cities Land Bank, Aon, Common Bond, etc.
  • 06:17:19
    They said they need programs like Minneapolis Homes because it helps them do their work of maintaining and preserving affordable housing So to me this feels like we have this is a competing sense of is this a good trade-off or not I do think this is a valuable program It feels like we're just shifting money from one use to another or is it possible we can make it more inclusive and make it eligible to both
• • Erik HansenDirector of CPED
  • 06:17:49
    Through the Chair, Councilmember Palmisano, I think they're complementary programs that help people become homeowners and stay in their programs.
  • 06:17:59
    We don't compete against Reg Services, we collaborate with them.
  • 06:18:03
    I think it's just a policy decision by the body to appropriate the funds to where you want to see them.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:18:10
    Yeah, thank you.
  • 06:18:11
    It's a rough go because it seems like we're doing good work here in both of these programs, so why we're taking the one to use for the other feels maybe not necessary.
  • 06:18:25
    I'm just trying to find my way to yes here, Madam Chair.
  • 06:18:28
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:18:29
    Thank you.
  • 06:18:29
    Would you like to have anyone address any further questions?
  • 06:18:35
    Alright, seeing none, I am on the motion.
  • 06:18:39
    We have the amendment, colleagues.
  • 06:18:42
    We have the Affordable Home Ownership Preservation Amendment offered by Vice Chair Koski before us.
  • 06:18:47
    I will ask the clerks to call the roll on amendment number 29.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 06:18:52
    Councilmember Payne?
  • 06:18:53
    Aye.
  • 06:18:53
    Wonsley?
  • 06:18:54
    Aye.
  • 06:18:55
    There are nine ayes and four nays
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:19:22
    That motion carries and we will now move to amendment number 30.
  • 06:19:27
    Now before we do that, colleagues, we are coming up on 430 right now.
  • 06:19:31
    We have our captioners available until about 5pm this evening.
  • 06:19:37
    So I'm going to look around to both sides and see, head nod for yes I can extend a little bit longer, head shake for no I cannot do that.
  • 06:19:48
    And up if we can go up until 5 p.m.
  • 06:19:51
    Instead of 4 30.
  • 06:19:52
    All right
  • 06:19:58
    All right, the consensus I'm seeing is yes on that.
  • 06:20:01
    I see Councilmember Palmisano in queue for a priority motion.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:20:04
    Go ahead.
  • 06:20:04
    Madam Chair, you earlier said we'd be going till 4.30.
  • 06:20:06
    I am solely responsible for picking up my child and getting him to a tutoring session, so you may continue, but I will need to leave because my spouse is with our other child at a game and it feels a little bit unfair to just keep on going and extend this till 5.
  • 06:20:22
    I recognize the desire to say that we've accomplished 30 amendments.
  • 06:20:26
    but I really did plan my day in a very logistically heavy way to be able to accommodate 430.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:20:32
    Heard.
  • 06:20:33
    Understood.
  • 06:20:34
    I think you can, I would just ask you to work with us on trying to limit debate then.
  • 06:20:39
    So amendment number 29 is offered by, or sorry, amendment number 30 is offered by council members Ellison, Chavez and Chaudry.
  • 06:20:47
    I will first, I will recognize council member Ellison to introduce the amendment and move its approval.
• • Jeremiah Ellison
  • 06:20:53
    I don't want to go much past 4.30 either and so hopefully we'll limit debate and folks probably know where they're landing and I'll talk about this amendment I'll try to be brief but I may not successfully be brief because it's a unique circumstance so this amendment is to
  • 06:21:10
    We have been hearing for the better part of a year from the county that they are facing a massive cliff.
  • 06:21:34
    I'm not sure if we can talk about the numbers on that cliff, but a massive annual cliff.
  • 06:21:37
    for their ability to do homeless services.
  • 06:21:41
    These are programs all across the city.
  • 06:21:44
    And for those of us who are on the Heading Home Hennepin Board, we actually heard about cuts to some of these programs there.
  • 06:21:51
    That's when we first heard about them.
  • 06:21:53
    And in reaching out to Avivo,
  • 06:21:56
    to get an understanding of their cliff.
  • 06:21:59
    The county initially, at least had told me, that they thought the operations there would have to cease at the end of this year, at the beginning of 2025.
  • 06:22:07
    That would put 100 people in that shelter right on the street.
  • 06:22:12
    over night.
  • 06:22:14
    Any hope of being able to get operations back up and started would probably take more resources than to just keep them open to kind of weather this storm.
  • 06:22:24
    And I want to talk a little bit about why we're here, or why I think we're here.
  • 06:22:28
    We're here because as the county was going to advocate to fill their gap at the state level, the state
  • 06:22:36
    They ran into an impasse at the state to approve this funding.
  • 06:22:40
    There's a new effort at the county to advocate for this funding.
  • 06:22:44
    I don't think the city should be in the business of paying for operations, but if we don't,
  • 06:22:52
    I think that we are dooming Avivo Villages and the indoor villages project to shutting down towards the early part of this year.
  • 06:23:02
    And so those are the stakes.
  • 06:23:04
    Do we want to stabilize folks where they are?
  • 06:23:06
    Do we want to do something a little bit unconventional so that we can help them weather this storm and hopefully get this thing back on track?
  • 06:23:12
    with traditional funding
  • 06:23:31
    you know I'll be working with them to work with philanthropy the county and the state to help them get through the rest of their gap but this gets them a significant portion of the way there and this cash balance in addition to whatever some of the other items that we're using that also use cash balance doesn't put us over that threshold I'm not going to sit here and say the staff's
  • 06:23:51
    recommends this, but I will say that it doesn't put us over that total threshold for where we are having disparate, you know, massive disparate impacts to our bond rating and so on.
  • 06:24:02
    So that's the context.
  • 06:24:03
    Happy to try to answer any quick questions, but I think we also can just probably call the roll when we're ready.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:24:11
    Councilmember Ellison has moved approval of Amendment Number 30.
  • 06:24:14
    Is there a second?
  • 06:24:15
    Second.
  • 06:24:15
    That item has been properly moved and seconded.
  • 06:24:18
    Is there any discussion?
  • 06:24:19
    I'll recognize Councilmember Palmisano.
• • Linea Palmisano
  • 06:24:21
    Thank you Madam Chair, I'll be here until 4.30.
  • 06:24:23
    I love Avivo Villages' work.
  • 06:24:26
    I speak about this in community often, and I think we need to continue their work somehow, maybe in part with the help of our local faith community, which has been very supportive in both organized ways, and also just an outpouring of support.
  • 06:24:42
    There are people in my community who work very hard to organize things like the curtains that are used in the Avivo Villages,
  • 06:24:50
    have the tables, the bedside tables that all come from just individual members of our city just trying to do something to support these things.
  • 06:25:02
    But I cannot support the use of general fund dollars as it means we are increasing the budget.
  • 06:25:08
    That's something that would have to be a very careful conversation and be supported by our administration.
  • 06:25:15
    Those funds are no longer available to be used next year to reduce the property tax levy.
  • 06:25:20
    So here we go again, providing funding to a specific organization with no process.
  • 06:25:26
    So who's going to be next in line?
  • 06:25:29
    We've got to stop this without thinking through the long-term plan for addressing the fiscal cliff that our partners are facing right now.
  • 06:25:38
    We have a legislative directive in process exploring what a standard process required of any homeless service provider requesting capital and or operating funds from the city of Minneapolis.
  • 06:25:49
    That's what that legislative directive in process says.
  • 06:25:52
    So why are we preempting this legislative directive for yet another specific provider?
  • 06:25:58
    The city and the county have collaborated on a funding request to the state for response to this fiscal cliff.
  • 06:26:06
    I think we are undercutting our own efforts by funding this.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:26:11
    Thank you.
  • 06:26:12
    Seeing no further discussion, we have the Aviva Village Stabilization and Shelter Operations Grant Amendment offered by Council Members Ellison, Chavez, and Chowdhury before us.
  • 06:26:21
    I will ask the Clerk to call the roll on Amendment Number 30.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 06:26:24
    Council Member Payne?
  • 06:26:26
    Aye.
  • 06:26:26
    Wonsley?
  • 06:26:27
    Aye.
  • 06:26:28
    Rainville?
  • 06:26:29
    Nay.
  • 06:26:30
    Vito?
  • 06:26:31
    Aye.
  • 06:26:33
    Ellison?
• • 06:26:34
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 06:26:35
    Ayes Ayes
  • 06:26:50
    There are 11 ayes and 2 nays.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:26:54
    That item carries.
  • 06:26:56
    Next we will move to amendment number 31, which is the revised senior housing code abatement amendment offered by council members Wonsley, Koski, and Chowdhury.
  • 06:27:08
    The revised version is reflected in the binder that is before you.
  • 06:27:12
    I will recognize...
• • Aurin Chowdhury
  • 06:27:17
    I don't know, Chair, I just want to check.
  • 06:27:19
    Did we conclude our discussion on whether we're ending at 4.30 or 5?
  • 06:27:24
    It seemed like there was significant division within the body.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:27:30
    Most of what I saw was that folks would be willing to stay a few minutes longer, and I want to try to get through a couple more here.
• • Katie Cashman
  • 06:27:39
    Can we do a hand?
  • 06:27:40
    I don't think that's okay.
  • 06:27:42
    You said 4.30.
  • 06:27:44
    I have a community meeting in my ward that I need to get to.
  • 06:27:48
    It's 4.30.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:27:49
    Understood.
  • 06:27:52
    Do folks want to do by hand?
  • 06:27:57
    Can you stay?
  • 06:27:59
    Can you stay for another 15 minutes?
• • Emily Koski
  • 06:28:04
    Can you stay for another 15 minutes?
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 06:28:06
    All right, I'm not seeing that there's enough people who can do that.
  • 06:28:10
    So with that, I will, we have completed through item number 30.
  • 06:28:18
    At this point, I will move to, I will adjourn seeing, I'm sorry, I'm gonna start again.
  • 06:28:31
    If there is no objection, I will adjourn this meeting to 10 a.m. tomorrow morning December 10th in these chambers for us to continue with markup day three.
  • 06:28:43
    Thank you all.