This summer, two citizen petitions were submitted to the
City Clerk’s office, proposing amendments to the Minneapolis City Charter. These
proposed amendments—relating to a municipal minimum
wage and police
liability insurance—could have appeared on Minneapolis voters’ ballots this
November.
After verification of the required number of
signatures from registered voters in Minneapolis, State Law requires the
City Council to approve language and place each question on the November 8
general election ballot unless the proposed amendment conflicts with the
public policy of the state, is preempted by state or federal law, is in
conflict with any statutory or constitutional provision, or contains subjects
that are not proper subjects for a charter. Whether or not the Council supports each question is not considered in this decision. Click here for more details.
At City Council’s meeting on July 22, we directed the City
Attorney to prepare legal opinions on whether the proposed amendments qualify as proper subjects for the Charter. Based on the City
Attorney’s opinions, I—and the majority of my colleagues—opposed the submittal
of these two questions to the ballot. (You can read the City Attorney’s
opinions here: municipal
minimum wage and police
liability insurance.) I support many of the goals of those who submitted
and signed on to these petitions. We must make strides to improve policing and address income inequality. Each petition received thousands of
signatures from registered voters in Minneapolis and I do not take this vote lightly. Unfortunately, there are many legal
reasons why these amendments can’t and shouldn’t be addressed in the City Charter.
My vote against submitting a $15 minimum wage was based
purely on the belief that a municipal wage does not belong in the City’s
Charter. The Charter is like the City’s Constitution, and is meant to be very
difficult to change (for good reason). A minimum wage (or issues like it) does
not have a precedence in other Minnesota city charters, and I don’t believe it
belongs there. If we decide to enact a minimum wage, it belongs in ordinance
where future City Councils have the flexibility to amend it as needed.
While my opinion on whether or not a municipal minimum wage did not factor into to my decision to oppose the referendum, I do want to take the opportunity to explain my views on this issue. I have been on record as opposing it, and I remain skeptical. While I do
support an increase at the state and federal levels, and I would be open to
considering a regional or county-wide path, I do have concerns about its
effectiveness at the city level. Data I’ve seen suggests that most of
Minneapolis’ low-income residents do not work within the city boundaries, so a
minimum-wage increase would not directly increase their paychecks. I also remain concerned
about whether or not small businesses will continue to start up in the city if our
minimum wage is significantly higher than our neighboring jurisdictions.
I am open to this conversation, however. In September, City Council will hear
the results of a research study (more details here) we commissioned, and I will study those results closely. Today, Council did
approve a direction asking City staff to draft a municipal wage ordinance
for consideration next year. I have some concerns about this, as I
believe we should wait for the research data to come back. I also would have been
more comfortable if the staff direction had included language
proposed by Council Member Alondra Cano, which limited the ordinance to
businesses that employ more than 500 employees. I will remain involved in these
conversations, and I encourage 13th Ward residents to share their
opinions on this issue over the next few months.
Regarding police liability insurance, State law requires the
City to defend its employees. Placing a requirement for officers to carry
insurance is against the law, and I’m certainly not interested in putting un-enforceable requirements in the City’s Charter. I continue to
do all I can to support police reform efforts in ways that are both impactful and legal as there is a lot more work to be done.
Finally, I want to extend a sincere thank you to the citizens that
organized these petitions, and all the Minneapolis residents who signed them.
You have brought both of these issues to the forefront, and I promise to continue working to find solutions to these real problems.
On August 16, my office is hosting a community forum to discuss how the city builds our infrastructure with walkers and bikers in mind. Join us!
Details:
When: Tues. Aug. 16, 6-7 pm
Where: Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, 2914 W 44th St
Who: Matthew Dyrdahl, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis and Kelley Yemen, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator for Hennepin County
Two weeks ago, I was honored to give voice to survivors of sexual violence and to declare August 17 Break the Silence Day in the City of Minneapolis. Break the Silence Day urges victims of sexual assault to share their stories, giving voice and courage to the millions who've been affected, and helping to create a space in which victims are believed and respected. My colleagues and I were moved by the stories we heard.
I presented the resolution alongside Sarah Super, an advocate and survivor who contacted my office about this resolution (see more about her story in this article from earlier this year). We were joined by two members of the MPD, who have displayed passion in the crucial work of pursuing offenders of sexual violence. Please join me in standing with these survivors and for applauding their brave actions to make this community safer for everyone. I urge you to listen to their stories on August 17 when the 35W bridge will be lit teal in their honor.
You can watch the City Council presentation here (it begins at roughly the 1-minute mark). Click here for more details about Break the Silence Day event in Minneapolis on August 17.
Minneapolis
added seven new precincts for 2016, three of which are in the 13th Ward. Additionally, some existing polling locations have been changed. For many voters, the additional precinct locations mean that there will be fewer people voting at each location, resulting in shorter lines.
Be sure to confirm your polling location before voting in the August 9 primary and November 8 general election (your polling place will remain the same for both). Find your polling location here or by calling 311. It also means that many voters will have a shorter distance to travel from home to their polling location. For more resources (including a sample ballot), click here.
Last month, Inspector Kathy Waite took over leadership of MPD's 5th Precinct, which covers the 13th Ward. I've spent hours with her on various issues over the last couple years and I can assure you the 5th Precinct is in good hands. Join me in welcoming her! (You may have already seen the recent Southwest Journal profile of her.)
And thank you to Inspector Todd Loining for his leadership of the precinct over the last 2 years! He became the inspector shortly after I was sworn in and I've always appreciated his honesty, his approachability and his responsiveness. He will now lead MPD's 2nd Precinct.
Body cameras are now in use by the
Minneapolis Police Department. Officers in the 1st and 4th precincts began wearing body cameras earlier last month. All officers across the
city will be wearing body cameras by the end of the year. The use of these cameras follows the finalization of the body-worn camera policy, which was
developed with extensive feedback and involvement from the community.
The introduction of body cameras comes after
years of studying, testing and evaluating, and it puts Minneapolis in the
forefront of cities across the country that are using them to help improve interactions
between police officers and residents. Officer-worn
body cameras are merely a tool for improving police-community relations; they
are not a solution in themselves. But body cameras are an important tool, one
that will help the City continue to transform the relationship between police
and community for the better. They are not the final step in improving transparency, but
they are a big step forward.
I have personally expressed concerns about over the last couple years about our capabilities for storing and accessing the data collected from body cameras, as well as the abilty of members of the public to access it. This year, the Legislature passed (and the governor signed) a bill that severely limited the public's access to the data. I went to the Capitol and lobbied against this legislation, and I am disappointed by its passage. Through my work on the Audit, Ways & Means and Public Safety Committees, I will continue to push for the proper storage and retention of the data, as well as to hold City departments accountable to our established guidelines.
For more information, see the body-worn
camera policy
(section 4-223 of the “equipment and supplies” section of the MPD Policy &
Procedure Manual) and a letter from Mayor
Betsy Hodges and Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau.
In June, I got a tour of the new trolley barn extension and library at the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. Thank you to Jim Vaitkunas and Aaron Isaacs (pictured) for inviting me to the barn dedication event, and for giving everyone a fantastic tour!
Click here for more info on the Minnesota Streetcar Museum.
Keeping in Touch with My Office
Are you facing an issue with the City? My office is glad to assist! Whether this means a phone call, an email conversation, or an in-person meeting (I'm happy to meet constituents in the ward!), please reach out.
Additionally, if you want to be updated about airplane noise issues, please subscribe to my airport-specific newsletter by sending an email to my aide Ken Dahler (ken.dahler@minneapolismn.gov) with the subject line "Airplane Noise Newsletter."
Yours in service,
For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact the 13th Ward office at 612-673-2213, or Ken Dahler via ken.dahler@minneapolismn.gov . People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.
Para asistencia 612-673-2700 • Rau kev pab 612-673-2800 • Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.