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Summary: Council is considering a new police contract. There will be presentations on the contract and opportunities to give public comment on June 18th at 10am and June 25th at 5pm, or by emailing CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov any time.
Background: The city and the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis (POFM) reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement for the Minneapolis police contract on June 4th. The contract was published last Friday afternoon.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Council spent almost eight hours in legal briefings with the City Attorneys and Labor Relations staff to read through the 166-page contract and discuss the provisions, as well as consider the newly proposed salary schedule and its implications. I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the staff who spent this time with us.
I know that the police contract is extremely important to many residents because of its impacts on the city’s overall public safety system, police recruitment and retention efforts, police accountability, and budgetary impacts.
Thanks to the hard work of many community members and organizations, advocacy by some members of Council, and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights settlement agreement, this contract has been negotiated with much more resident involvement than prior contracts. Prior contracts have included problematic provisions that created barriers to both accountability and public safety, but unfortunately, for years were rubber stamped by Council. I am dedicated to continuing to create a healthier and more democratic and transparent process around this important agreement.
All labor contracts including the police contract go through the Administration and Enterprise Oversight (AEO) Committee, which I chair. I have set up the Committee meetings to create ample time for Council Members to discuss the contract with city staff and experts in public, as well as accessible opportunities for community members to learn about the contract and share their thoughts.
AEO- June 18th at 10am
- Presentation on the contract by city staff, Committee discussion and questions
- Presentation by the Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract coalition, Committee discussion and questions
- Public comment period for any member of the public to share their thoughts. Written comments can be submitted any time via email to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov
Adjourned AEO- June 25th at 5pm
- Short summary presentation on the contract by city staff
- Short summary presentation on the contract by the Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract coalition
- Public comment period for any member of the public to share their thoughts. Written comments can be submitted any time via email to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov
Key votes: Council will take a final vote on the police contract at the Council Meeting on June 27th at 9:30am.
Summary: The Council is sending the Mayor recommendations for the 2025 budget for the Legislative Department, which includes the Council, Clerks, Records, and Elections.
Background: Council has voted to recommend a Legislative Department budget for inclusion in the Mayor’s proposed 2025 budget. I want to thank the Clerk and the legislative team for forming this budget recommendation. It includes many critical services and programs that the Council, Clerks, and Election Services need to be responsive to the public. This includes support to ensure we are responding to data requests in a timely manner, building capacity for our advisory bodies to guarantee they have support to do their work effectively, and ensuring we have a smooth general election this fall.
I also am appreciative of the intention to build capacity for Council, as we have not adjusted to the government restructure with the speed that the executive side has. Last term, Council almost exclusively focused on expanding the capacity of the Mayor’s office, while putting the Council needs on a five-year plan. The Mayor’s administration has gained 125 new staff positions since government restructure, while the legislative side has gained fewer than 10. It is critical that we correct this and invest in Council’s capacity. Even with the support of Council’s small Policy and Research team, the executive administration is unable to meet legislative directives in a timely manner. This results in delays in the legislative process around critical issues like housing, climate and infrastructure issues, and public safety. The administration is prioritizing day to day operations– which I understand– but barriers impacting Council’s ability to do our jobs effectively must be addressed in this budget cycle.
The last several months also demonstrated that oversight cannot be understated. We must ensure that Council has all the tools to be effective and proactive. More robust infrastructure for oversight helps the whole enterprise function efficiently, save money and resources, and deliver high quality services to all residents.
Key votes: Council votes unanimously to recommend a 2025 Legislative Department budget proposal to the Mayor.
I attended the memorial for Officer Jamal Mitchell, who was shot and killed while on duty. It was a beautiful service and the love that Mitchell’s family, friends, and coworkers had for him was very clear. My thoughts continue to be with Officer Mitchell’s family and community, as well as the communities of the other three victims of gun violence who were killed on May 30th.
I had the honor of speaking on a panel at the Nexus Community Partners Black Cooperators Conference. We discussed how policy advocacy relates to co-ops and community wealth building. I shared how the city’s rideshare regulation fight laid the groundwork for a worker-owned driver’s co-op. Thank you to Nexus and everyone involved in this amazing conference!
Learn about becoming a U.S. citizen and the immigration process Saturday, June 15. A citizenship and immigration fair will include:
- An overview on the citizenship application process.
- Answers to your questions about citizenship and immigration.
- English language learning resources.
- Information about securing an interest-free loan through the New American Loan Program.
- Information on state driver’s licenses or state ID in Minnesota.
- Orientation on worker rights.
Interpreters will be present at this event.
Learn how the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul and collaborative partners support residents in preparing for and obtaining U.S. citizenship.
U.S. citizenship and immigration resource fair 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 15 Open Door Learning Center, 627 W. Broadway Ave.
This event is co-sponsored by the City of Minneapolis Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs and the City of Saint Paul Immigrant and Refugee Program. It’s part of a citizenship campaign by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to help residents learn about and apply for United States citizenship, with bimonthly events alternating between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Learn more about applying for U.S. citizenship on the City website, contact the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs directly by email, or call 612-394-6018 for more information.
Contact Ward 2
Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward2
Email: ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2202
We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:
Room 100, Public Service Center
250 South 4th St.
Get directions
For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact ward2@minneapolismn.gov. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850.
Para ayuda, llame al 311. Rau kev pab, hu 311. Hadii aad caawimaad u baahantahay, wac 311. |
