City Briefs - Jan 18, 2024

On Jan. 8 the council elected new leadership and approved new committee’s and committee membership for the upcoming two-year term.  Eliot Payne was elected on a vote of 10 to 3 to be the new president with opposition from southwest council members, Andrea Jenkins and Linea Palmisano.  Southwest council member Aisha Chughtai was elected vice president on a vote of 8 to 5, with opposition from southwest council members Jenkins, Palmisano and Emily Koski.  

 

The City Council approved seven committees: Administration & Enterprise Oversight, chaired by Robin Wonsley; Budget, chaired by Aisha Chughtai; Business, Housing & Zoning, chaired by Jamal Osman; Climate & Infrastructure, chaired by the new Ward 7 Council Member, Katie Cashman; Committee of the Whole and Public Health and Safety, both chaired by Jason Chavez. The one special committee that will meet when the chair calls a meeting will be Intergovernmental Relations, chaired by Aurin Chowdhury. There will also be a new Settlement Agreement and Consent Decree Subcommittee of Committee of the Whole that will be chaired by Eliot Payne. Southwest council members will also serve as vice chair several committees as follows: Ward 7 Council Member Koski will vice chair the Budget and Climate & Infrastructure committees. Ward 13 Council member Palmisano will vice chair Administration & Enterprise Oversight and Ward 8 Council Member Jenkins will vice chair the Settlement Agreement and Consent Decree Subcommittee.

 

 The City Council offices and Council Chamber have moved out of City Hall this year for renovations. Until construction is completed, their offices and regular council meetings will be in the Minneapolis Public Service Center, 250 Fourth St. S. 

 

In January, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) and city named three potential organizations to be the independent evaluator to monitor compliance with their settlement agreement. The three, Effective Law Enforcement For All (ELEFA), a nonprofit that works on police reform; Jensen Hughes, a law enforcement consulting firm committed to improving the performance of policing and Relman Colfax, a Washington, D.C.-based national civil rights firm, shared more information about their backgrounds and how they would evaluate compliance with the agreement at two public meetings in January.  The council is expected to approve a monitor within the next two months.

 

In December the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) denied the application to demolition the house at 400 Prospect Ave in Tangletown and directed staff to study of the potential of creating a news Washburn Park historic district. The HPC decision has been appealed and will be heard by the City Council’s Business, Housing and Zoning (BHZ) Committee on Jan. 30, 2024.  If the demolition is allowed by the city council, a study is very unlikely. 

 

The Metropolitan Governance Task Force is hosting listening sessions regarding the governance structure of the Metropolitan Council, including whether the Met Council’s board should remain solely governor appointed or be elected.. Learn more at www.lcc.mn.gov/mgtf/.