City of Minneapolis, MN 2023 Minneapolis City Council and Committee Meetings, 23 Jan 2023

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From YouTube: January 23, 2023 Policy & Government Oversight Committee

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Additional information at:
https://lims.minneapolismn.gov

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And welcome everyone. My name is Jeremiah Ellison and I'm. The chair of the Palestine government oversight committee I'm, going to call to order our regular meeting for Monday January, 23rd, 2023 and I'll. Have the clerk call the roll.

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Councilmember veto.

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Johnson president Vice chair wansley, president.

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Chair Olson here we have six president. Let.

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The record reflect that we have a forum, we have nine items on a consent agenda which I'll Now read for the record: one uh approving a legislative directive related to off-duty police contracts; two authorizing Cooperative agreement with the municipal building commission for City Hall, slash, Courthouse construction projects; three accepting a bid for Street lighting materials; four, accepting contracts for Hiawatha, Public, Works, Phase, 2 demolition project; five authorizing contract Amendment with by two minutes; roadways Inc for hot mix; asphalt; six authorizing contract Amendment with Hennepin Technical College for police, cadet training, seven authorizing contract amendments for the public, towing services; eight authorizing contract Amendment with uh messenger Construction, Company Inc for the Minneapolis Convention Center ceiling and lighting upgrade project and nine uh approving legal settlement workers compensation claim of John uh engstrom.

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Is there any discussion on any of these items?.

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Councilmember Chavez uh chair Elson I, just like to pull out number four.

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Councilmember Chavez has removed item four, and so we will uh we'll we'll take that out of consideration for um moving the consent agenda and move that into discussion. um Vice Cheryl wansley thank.

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You chair, Ellison I, just want to uh speak to item number one, the off-duty police contracts, um so speaking to this legislative directive um that I'm bringing forward today. This is a request for information from the mayor to provide uh to council and the public on how off-duty police contracts work. uh Council member uh palmisano actually started looking into the off-duty system in 2018 and I'm excited to keep that work going with this directive.

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The timing of this directive is also in direct response to concerns from my constituents in my War, specifically affordable housing providers, who are very frustrated that they can no longer hire off-duty police officers. The current rates are no longer something they can absorb and they are feeling that the city has allowed what appears to be a two-tier system for Public Safety.

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um So this directive includes questions on like you know how off-duty contracts are currently being obtained and tracked a fiscal analysis of off-duty contracts since 2020 a comparison with how other similar size, cities manage off-duty contract act and basically having this information and data will help counseling. Those who are tasked with overseeing our City's public safety system assess how the off-duty programs fit into our shared goal of a public safety system. That's both transparent and Equitable.

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I'm hopeful that this legislative directive can help us determine you know what things needs to be changed to the off-duty program and to make sure that it's consistent with racial equity in a city-wide. You know Public Safety, uh resource allocation plan for us, so I'm, really looking forward to having conversations with my colleagues MPD leadership. That I know have the interest in this too, and the public when we get the results of this directive, which is currently scheduled for March. So just want to provide some information on that.

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Thank you, Vice chair, and um certainly a really important issue that a lot of folks have had a lot of questions about, um and uh and it's a you know, it's a service and a transparency issue as well. So thank you so much for um putting this forward, um but we're not gonna move it we're just going to keep it in consent. Great um councilmember, Vita.

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Thank you, chair, Ellison I had some questions about one also so I'd like to pull one. We.

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Can pull item one? Thank you. So we've now pulled item one and four from the consent agenda. Is there any other discussion?

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All right, uh I will move approval of the remaining items in the consent agenda, all those in favor say aye aye, all those opposed, say, nay, and those items carry uh we'll take up the items in the order that they were uh pulled uh and so uh item four was pulled first and so I will uh pass it to councilmember Chavez to just to start our discussion on item four.

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uh Charles- and this is in regards to item number four- this contract is for the Hiawatha Public Works phase two demolition project that would demolish the roof Depot.

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Many of you know that this project has not been welcomed by my neighbors in East Phillips, and the many of them are here to join us today, and part of that is because this community has been overburdened with pollution over the past few decades, where our children in East Phillips have a likelihood of receiving cancer heart disease and Asthma, especially on little Earth, and over the past year, I've been working with my colleagues on pausing this project and eventually to the part where we are now in figuring out how we're going to reduce the pollution in these Phillips while having a community benefit to the people.

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I represent last night, I attended a community meeting about this specific issue, and while there were people from all over Minneapolis in this meeting, I heard from others who live in little Earth and the fear that they have about increased pollution and above everything else, I know that for me, that is who I'm looking to. When I talk about this Expansion Project, that's going to be in our backyard, the mother and little Earth, who was scared about her children?

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Is the people I support.

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While all this is happening, I know that there is a new compromise plan that is on the table, that I do support and have been working on with councilor Johnson with Gene and Joe, and that was presented to community members last night and while my community may be interested in this pathway, there is currently an injunction and a lawsuit that is currently happening, that they would like to have an answer to First I hope that if we're not able to stop the demolition today, that we're still being that, my community still has let's say on these resources that we deserve and need so with that I cannot support the demolition today and those are my comments.

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Thank you, councilmember Chavez, uh Vice, chair uh wansley. Thank.

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You chair Ellison, um thank you also, council member Chavez, for pulling this discussion, um because this is a significant issue that thousands and thousands of our neighbors are watching and have been watching um for a couple years now, um and you know, I was also at that meeting that the community held yesterday with council member Chavez um in the Eastfield Community, but I also want to know you know on Friday, all council members received an email from uh East Phillips neighborhood association.

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um That I would like to read a couple quotes from because I think the residents themselves can say better than any of us could of of why um we shouldn't be moving forward with this today.

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um Communities of color have long been dumping grounds for industrial and Municipal pollution, including by racist redlining laws in Minneapolis. This Legacy must be stopped. The other quote said before you vote. We urge you to consider the global and historical implications of this decision. Do you want to be part of supporting the mayor's Hollow posturing after George Floyd's murder, while continuing business as usual? If not, you are on the wrong track and so is Rachel Contracting, with their Hollow promises to create places and opportunities for people to thrive.

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Another one is Minneapolis is a resourceful city with the capacity to honor its racial Justice promises to honor our vision for Community investment consistent with those promises and to take care of its Water Works functions.

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In fact, we believe that is your job to ensure it does let your legacy be, that of stopping not continuing systemic racism, I think on the mdhr report, which showed every single mayor and council member over a period of 10 years that were complicit in allowing the eventual murder of George Floyd to happen and I do fear if we approve this demolition 10 years from now, people are going to be saying that the entire Council was complicit in allowing the city to poison one of its most diverse communities.

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There is for me with that, in light a clear moral imperative to stop this demolition. Now, so I will be joining council member Chavez in the community in their demand and their persistent request for us to not pursue demolition. So I won't be supporting this item today.

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Thank you all right, councilmember Johnson.

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Thank you, Mr chair I, just really want to express my gratitude to councilmember Chavez for all of his partnership on this issue and in particular to Dean and Joe for just their willingness to try to continually figure out how we get the most possible for the community, given the circumstances that we're in and where this project is at I, I'm glad that we have seen some progress, especially uh with the meeting yesterday and more of an openness and willingness to that.

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I also see councilman murkowski, who I know, has been very interested in all this and working as well with community and in partnership with councilmember Chavez and myself to try to get a deal here that the community can agree to, and uh in light of this, and in just the comments that we've heard too I would actually uh suggest we move this forward without recommendation to the full Council. So that'll be my motion. Thank you.

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You've got a motion by councilmember Johnson to move forward without recommendation. um Is there any other discussion on this item really want to thank my colleagues on the South Side, who are really deeply involved in this issue. So um any other discussion on this item. We have the motion to forward without recommendation uh before us uh and um well for the sake of no confusion. I'll just have the clerk call the roll on on this one on item four.

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Councilmember Vita aye councilman Chavez, no councilmankowski.

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Councilmember Johnson aye Vice, chair Walmsley.

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Chair Olson aye, we have four eyes and.

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Two Nays, and that is forwarded without recommendation.

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um Thank you for the discussion on that item. We now move to item number one, which is the off-duty police contracts, approving the legislative directive uh for comprehensive analysis. um We heard it all before so. I will uh now pass it to councilmember Vita um to start a discussion on item one day.

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Chair Ellison I just had a few questions: supportive of Direction but I um I'm wondering why this didn't come through. Phs we've been having discussions all year about this work, and so um I I would like to see this back in PHS, because we've been talking about this. The other thing is the timeline. I, really don't like these bi-weekly updates, and then this March 27 deadline. You know we had a discussion previously in this committee about giving deadlines to staff uh that are I feel like that can't be met.

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This is a lot to ask so I'm supportive of the legislative Direction, but I'm, not supportive, supportive of it being in Pogo and I'm, not supportive of the timelines that are coming through. So anything we could do to. Maybe you know fix that would be greatly appreciated.

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uh I know we have Vice chair, wansley, real real, quick, I'll I'll, just say: I'm happy to work with you on uh on having the reports come to PHS. uh If there's supposed to be a regular reporting schedule um and uh and I, don't know, if there's any staff in the room.

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Who would be a part of this analysis, but if there is I would I would welcome them up to answer any questions about preferred timeline and and all that, if there's no one uh I think that that's okay as well um and then also I, know that we have we. We have until Thursday this week to maybe sort some of these details out as well, um and so uh so I'm happy to be a part of those discussions um between now and Thursday.

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If we can't get any answers today and I'll pass it to my vice chair.

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Thank you, chair Allison, so uh just uh clarification piece on why it's coming through Pogo. As you know, and the title policy and government oversight. This has been an extension of oversight work, especially when uh council member palmisano brought this again forward in 2018. This was an extension of oversight work so following on in that president of oversight, so that's why we're moving it here um in terms of bi-weekly and timelines, it is fully within our legislative authority to put timelines and deadlines on our legislative directives.

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There's nothing in the policy handbook that discourages that um so I'm working in accordance with our own. uh You know bylaws around how we can draft and bring forward legislative processes. um Also I think it's for encouraging transparency. I will name as someone who has brought forward a couple of legislative directives that have not.

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um You know come forward um that you know this is a way to make sure like with staff the public that we are getting, those uh frequent updates and it's okay. If staff come forward, we had that we're. Actually, the legislative directive, around uh surveillance and- and uh you know, public data practices, we have staff that wasn't wasn't able to meet that deadline, and you know, came before us and said: look we are having some staffing challenges.

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We can't make it we're working with the authors to figure out another time that is totally preventable and and actually welcome among staff to have an honest, you know conversation if they can't make a deadline or not, and speaking of staff I want to name we worked and had this review by staff and MPD we've been in conversations with the city attorneys about this again. We recognize this has been ongoing work.

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um So we've done our due diligence to connect with staff about this timeline, especially in light that a lot of the information that we're requesting technically they already have because again, they've been working on this for quite some time.

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So we felt the timeline was more than reasonable, based off of their feedback, based on their also ongoing work around this issue for a number of years, it felt very confident that our staff is is willing or ready to bring something forward for us to consider, as we are looking at how to really assess the off-duty uh program, so I did want to offer some of that, um and also I just want to highlight contracts too in terms of why it's moving through Pogo as opposed to PHS again, this is where we approve contracts off duty.

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uh You know our off-duty contracts, so this is also another parameter. Why why we're moving this through? This is what I see the most appropriate procedural committee to handle that, um but absolutely I want to command. You know PHS as we're trying to figure out. You know ways to to approach MPD and some of the initiatives that's happening there. How are we getting those regular assessments?

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You know uh uh council member Vita I've, reached out to you and uh council member Payne asked leaders over that a committee to actually have more updates from MPD uh to PHS to give an overview about what's happening, Precinct by Precinct. So everyone is all you know up to the same speed about what's going on in their respective words and how MPD is doing their jobs and supporting our residents. So you know, I have been in those conversations with you about how we can make sure we're getting those regular reports in PHS too.

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So I just wanted to highlight that uh context for this director and I hope that answered some of the questions that you raised today.

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Thank you, Vice chair and wansley and yeah I want I want to highlight that the oversight Funk there can be a fine line between oversight and policy, making. Obviously, policy making has to happen in PHS. That's not what this direction is yet and so, but I do so. I understand sort of that fine line that we're walking here um and so uh so just want to acknowledge that uh and thank you, Vice chair for sort of explaining the rationale between how you've built the the staff Direction uh council, member of Utah at.

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For that clarification too, there is a fine line, um but I also want to clarify that uh you did not contact me to work with me. You contacted me to tell me that you contacted to Chief to tell me what you were going to do in my committee. That is a very different thing than contacting me and suggesting that we have uh presentations from MPD in the committee that I chair so I'm gonna say that's two different things to me: um that's not working with me.

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The the email tells me what you discussed without me and how I should do it in my committee. Thank you.

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Fair enough, I will say I do think some of these conversations can be offline. I think I think that they we can sort some of this out. You know I'll I'll say that I don't want to be I. Also don't want to be tone, policing people so I'm I'm I am going to pass to uh Vice, chair wansley, because I know you want to respond, but I just want to offer that some of this stuff can be hashed outside outside of uh committee as well.

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Yeah, thank you, chair, Alison I was going to highlight like today before us. The item is the legislative directive. I was just simply noting that, like any of you in this committee, you can request information. You can request from us, uh chair, Ellison and I for staff to come and present. That is exactly what I did with your uh committee as well: council, member Vita um and again look forward to seeing how we can get regular updates, but I did want to.

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You know highlight more than welcome to chop it up with you after uh this meeting about that, but before us. If there's any additional questions on the legislative directives totally here to answer those and I again hope I answered the ones that you raised.

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So, just because there are a lot of stuff, a lot of things were brought up, I, I'm, gonna, say: I will move approval of this item today, understanding that there are some conversations that need to be had between now and Thursday to make it so that everybody feels comfortable voting for it. I think there's good questions about timeline. I, think that that you know is worthy of discussion um uh outside outside of this meeting uh and I.

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Think that getting a conversation with the city clerk to make sure that we're appropriately delineating between when we're requesting oversight, uh information and when we're sort of steering into policy creation, uh because, yes, policy creation, very much needs to be in the uh PHS box. But the oversight function um is appropriately I. Think uh in the Pogo committee, so fine line. We need to make sure that we're getting it correct.

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uh So I think that those conversations did happen between now and uh and Thursday and so I'm going to move approval of this item um with all of that in mind and I will uh ask the clerks to call the roll on item one. If, if there's no further discussion, great.

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Councilmember Vita aye Chavez.

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Johnson all right, Vice, chair, Walmsley, aye and chair Allison. We have six eyes.

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Approved um and uh if there is nothing else before us, I think that is all of the business in our committee um with that we've concluded all business before the committee today and with no objections we are adjourned.

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Thank you. All.