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Summary: The City Council voted to approve a contract with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis covering 2023-2025. I voted against the contract because it includes temporary improvements in exchange for permanent 22% raises. While I did not support the contract, I am proud to have led the Council through significant public engagement prior to the vote, ending the city’s history of rubber-stamping contracts without due diligence.
Background: After the murder of George Floyd, city leaders including Mayor Frey pointed to the police contract as one of the main reasons for the lack of police accountability. They specifically named the contract as the reason the city was unable to keep bad officers off the force and why cops like Derek Chauvin were systemically protected and allowed to brutalize so many people for so long and without any accountability.
Before the negotiations for this contract began, the administration asked Council Members to be specific on what changes they would like to see in this contract. I was clear on my expectations and specific issues. The negotiated contract included some improvements on these areas– but only in the form of Letters of Agreement, all of which expire in 2025 and 2026. Some of the biggest “wins” in this contract will expire in 18 months, returning the city to the current status quo. This will put the city in the position of renegotiating them all over again next time, and likely for much more money.
It was particularly disturbing to hear the Mayor urge Council to pass a contract with very few permanent improvements on the grounds that most police reform happens outside the contract. My office received hundreds of emails specifically asking why the city did a bait-and -switch on how the police contract can be a tool of reform.
The contract also missed crucial opportunities to address issues like coaching and accountability mechanisms in the hiring and promotion processes. These are both areas that the Frey administration has so far failed to implement desperately needed reforms through internal policies or other methods. Prior to this contract coming to council for a full vote, I have spent over two years trying to get movement on some of these critically needed policy changes. These changes would support a healthier workforce and demonstrate to the public as well potential new hires that the city is serious about having new high standards for police officers. The contract would have been a place to codify basic standards that would help reset MPD in link with the settlement agreements with the MDHR and the DOJ.
Council was told that the main reason to approve the contract is to bring in recruits and improve staffing. But the examples provided by cities that pay less than Minneapolis and are not facing the staffing issues we are, like St. Paul and several suburbs, expose that our staffing issue is not about money. MPD’s staffing challenges are due to a failure to demonstrate to potential hires that this is a high quality place of employment where problematic behavior will not be tolerated. I don’t believe this contract will dramatically improve MPD’s staffing numbers. In fact, I think we should expect a significant number of officers to retire once this contract passes. Pay raises without real and permanent reform will not lead to an increased healthy workforce.
That said, I am pleased that the vote took place after robust community engagement rather than being rubber-stamped as in prior years. Since my time at City Hall, it's been clear that our residents have had a deep desire to engage with the city on the police federation contract. With the last police contract, I and a few of my colleagues were able to make significant progress towards increasing transparency by working hand in hand with residents and community groups in spite of the administration's efforts to rush it through the legislative process.
This year, as the Chair of the Administration and Enterprise Oversight Committee, I made a public commitment to create a process to ensure there was public engagement, transparency, and accountability to our residents. There is rightfully a lack of trust from many residents when it comes to public safety and the city, especially with policing and the police contract.
This time, Council ended the pattern of rubber stamping contracts without significant resident engagement. That is a significant victory for police accountability and one that I intend to build on. I look forward to working with the community and my colleagues to make real and permanent reforms possible in the next contract, and through the other avenues for police accountability.
Key votes: Council approves a contract with the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis in a 8-4 vote. I voted in opposition along with Council Vice President Chughtai and Council Members Ellison and Chavez.
President Payne speaking at the police contract press conference
Summary: Council voted down Mayor Frey’s proposal to defund public safety programs to pay for the police contract, and instead approved Council Vice President Chughtai’s proposal to protect public safety funds while fully funding the police contract and reducing the city’s budget deficit by $3 million.
Background: The police contract includes raises for officers that will cost the city about $9 million. Mayor Frey proposed funding the contract by defunding other parts of our public safety system, including hate crime prevention, public transit safety, and unarmed intervention programs.
I have shared from the beginning that I think it is unacceptable to defund some parts of our public safety system to fund the police, especially when the Mayor has said he supports a “both/and” approach– both police and other services. The Mayor’s proposal does not reflect a both/and approach, it reflects a police-only approach.
I was also disappointed that despite the administration's promises to reach out to Council Members who had made public safety allocations and who would be impacted by his proposed cuts, I never heard from the Office of Community Safety or any other staff from the Frey administration regarding their concerns. The administration never engaged in a collaborative conversation with the Council or explained why gutting critical public safety programs was prioritized over other things like cosmetic renovations, unfilled positions, or surplus from programs or departments.
Council voted 7-5 against the Mayor’s proposal to defund comprehensive public safety.
Council Member Chughtai, who chairs the Budget Committee, put together a counter-proposal that protects our original allocations while identifying funding sources that will fully cover the cost of the police contract.
The Chughtai proposal draws from the Downtown Assets Fund to fully pay for the police contract. As a result of this proposal, the city’s overall deficit will be reduced by $6 million over two years, while protecting funds for unarmed public safety programs and renovations to the Convention Center.
I want to thank Council Vice President Chughtai for thoroughly engaging with my office about ways to protect the public safety allocations that my office and colleagues advocated for. This intentional and thoughtful leadership resulted in a proposal that is a win/win for everyone.
As we enter a budget deficit in 2025, we will continue to be faced with hard decisions about what to prioritize. Budget Chair Chughtai set a standard that we will not allow the Mayor to force Council to accept a false choice between cutting comprehensive public safety programs, or property tax increases for working people.
Key votes: Council voted 8-3 against Mayor Frey’s proposal to defund public safety to fund the police contract. Council Members Rainville, Vetaw, and Palmisano voted in support of cutting safety ambassadors, hate crime prevention, and transit public safety.
Council voted 7-5 for the Chughtai proposal, which preserved funding for unarmed public safety, fully funded the police contract, reduced the budget deficit by $3 million, and retained over $6 million for the Convention Center. Council Members Rainville, Vetaw, Jenkins, Koski, and Palmisano voted against this fiscally responsible proposal.
Summary: Council unanimously passed my ordinance which will help reduce the number of properties that are condemned or hazardous in our communities.
Background: I and Council Member Ellison authored a successful ordinance amending the Vacancy Building Registration, which is the city’s program for buildings that are hazardous or condemned.
During my first term, my office fielded dozens of calls about properties in the Ward that they described as a nuisance to the neighborhood. Some of these buildings have been empty for years and were dilapidated with no signal to the community of when they would be active again. Some of these properties were vacant homes and apartment buildings that residents were frustrated to see empty during a housing crisis, while they were watching unhoused residents sleeping on the streets. Other properties were commercial spaces that residents were eager to see activated into storefronts for small businesses. Instead, these chronically vacant hazardous properties were creating public health and safety issues, bringing down local property values, and basically not contributing to the community in any way.
These calls and emails to my office led to many conversations with city staff on how to address these concerns. One of those solutions is this ordinance, which adds a time limit to the city’s Vacant Building Registry (VBR).
The VBR is a registry of properties that are condemned, boarded, or hazardous. When a property becomes hazardous or condemned, it is added to the VBR program. The owner is charged a flat fee of about $7,100 per year, and in exchange for this fee the city helps the property owner keep the property boarded up and supports the owner in either selling, rehabilitating, or demolishing the property. The VBR program has helped provide many property owners with resources and support to convert hazardous vacant properties into active assets in the community. But there are still too many condemned and boarded properties that are hurting our neighborhoods, especially Black, brown and working class neighborhoods.
There is no limit to the amount of time a property can stay in the VBR program, and some have been in the program for decades. This ordinance gives a property owner two years to get the property back up to code, with an optional third year if they apply and can prove they are making progress. After two or three years, the property will be removed from the program and the city will start to enforce citations for code violations, which cost up to $24,000 per year.
Creating a time limit for VBR eligibility will help address these chronic vacancies and support city efforts to increase more housing, more commercial space, and have fewer hazardous properties in our neighborhoods.
I want to thank all the Ward 2 residents who pushed me to make this a priority for my office, my own staff, and all the residents throughout the city who have contacted my office in support of this work. It’s very clear that people are tired of the vacant properties in their neighborhoods and the harm they cause.
This is just the first of several steps my office is going to take to reduce vacancy across the city, and I am looking forward to continuing this work with staff, my colleagues, and the residents in our community who are most impacted by this issue.
Key votes: Council unanimously approves my ordinance limiting eligibility in the VBR program to two years.
Summary: Council passed a resolution I authored along with Council Members Chavez and Chowdhury standing with parks workers who are on an indefinite strike.
Background: The Minneapolis Park Board and parks workers represented by LiUNA Minnesota have been in negotiations for a labor contract. Workers are currently on an indefinite strike after reaching an impasse in bargaining on wages and other labor protections.
Minneapolis parks are consistently recognized as among the best or the best in the entire country. Residents have reached out asking me to stand with the workers who maintain and staff our world-class parks. Just this summer, I know parks staff have been incredibly helpful to Ward 2 residents. They’ve accommodated requests that include last minute lawn services so residents could host community picnics and events. They go above and beyond for Ward 2 and the whole city, and residents want the park to reach a fair contract that compensates workers fairly so they can end the strike and return to work.
I authored a resolution with Council Members Chavez and Chowdhury expressing support for park workers and urging workers and park board leadership to continue negotiating in good faith for a fair contract. It was great to speak alongside these workers prior to Council taking a vote on the resolution.
Key votes: Council votes 11-1 in support of my resolution standing with park workers. Council Member Palmisano was the only vote opposing the resolution.
Standing in solidarity with LiUNA park workers
Background: Council Member Wonsley is authoring an ordinance that requires landlords disclose their recent and current code violations to a prospective tenant before they sign a lease, and give every new tenant a list of their renters rights and enforcement tools. Submit public comment to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov or testify in support of the ordinance on July 23rd at 1:30pm.
I am authoring an ordinance requiring that landlords disclose basic information to help tenants make informed decisions and advocate for their rights.
Landlords will be required to show a prospective tenant the name and contact of the property owner, the current rental license status and any violations that contributed to the status, and any current violations or tags on the property before the renter signs the lease. This will help tenants because:
- Gives prospective tenants the opportunity to have basic information about the property to make an informed decision about signing the lease.
- Encourages landlords to commit fewer violations and resolve violations more quickly in order to be more attractive to prospective tenants
- Many landlords run credit checks on prospective tenants or call their previous landlords. This policy levels the playing field by allowing tenants to also get basic information about their prospective landlord.
- Give tenants the right to terminate a lease after 30 days’ notice if they were not given the basic information needed to make an informed choice
Landlords will also be required to give any tenant who signs a lease a standardized flier that lists the key rights that they have as renters under local, state, and federal law and who to contact if those rights are not being fulfilled. This will help tenants because:
- It increases renters rights education, helping tenants and their communities.
- The only rights you have are the ones you’re aware of. Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota have several strong renters’ rights policies, yet too many renters don’t know that they have these rights or how to enforce them.
- The new ordinance will require every landlord to In Seattle, a similar policy helped contribute to nearly doubling the numbers of calls that renters made to the city for help with problematic landlords. You can read the ordinance language here.
There will be a public hearing on July 23rd at 1:30pm where anyone can come speak for two minutes about why this issue matters to you. You can also submit written public comment any time to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov. Add your voice to help support this policy!
Key votes: The Business, Housing and Zoning Committee will hold a public hearing and vote on the ordinance on July 23rd at 1:30pm where anyone can testify for two minutes. You can also submit written public comment any time to CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov.
The Budget committee received a presentation on the city’s spending of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. ARPA dollars were allocated by the federal government during the pandemic for cities to invest in certain forms of economic recovery and development, racial justice and public health initiatives, and other social needs. ARPA dollars must be obligated by the end of 2024. While the presentation shows many funds have large remaining balances, I was pleased to hear that staff have out active RFPs for the vast majority of these remaining funds and are on track to spend down our ARPA dollars by the end of the year.
Key votes: No votes taken.
I attended a forum on gun violence prevention strategies hosted by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and featuring Tennessee Representative Justin Jones, State Representative Cedric Fraizer, Touch Outreach Founder and Executive Director Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, and Mad Dads Director Jordan Borer Nelson. The panel spoke about the various opportunities and challenges that come with advancing community violence intervention work with the goal of expanding the ways in which local government can make our city safer.
Gun violence prevention forum
I attended a Meet and Greet hosted by Representative Ilhan Omar for Tennessee Representative Justin Jones. In April 2023, Representative Jones was unjustly expelled from his elected position by his colleagues after he and two other colleagues participated in a gun control protest after the mass shooting that took place at The Covenant School. He and his fellow African American colleagues' unfair expulsion prompted a vibrant movement that ultimately got Representative Jones re-elected. Meeting Representatives Jones' was truly a deeply inspirational experience for me, being a fellow Black elected official who has had to navigate daily attempts to censor, silence, and/or repress my various advocacy issues. His journey of resilience helped to reground my own commitment to justice and equity.
CM Wonsley with Representative Justin Jones
Join BF50 Indigenous Health for the annual 4th St Festival! Enjoy games, activities, music, and community resources for kids and adults. Bring a sustainable dish to share.
4th St Festival
August 6th 5:30-7:30pm
Bridal Veil Gardens- 2905 4th St SE
2024 4th St Festival flyer
The Seward neighborhood is gaining a new community faith center at the currently empty lot on 30th Ave and 26th St. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is currently located at 4401 Minnehaha Ave, and has outgrown their current home.
The EOTC is finalizing their required city approvals, financing, and contracts and plans to begin development this fall. They are excited to create a church facility that serves as a haven and constructive environment where youth can engage in meaningful activities, find mentorship, and develop positive relationships. They also hope the church will also serve as a beacon of moral guidance and community support encouraging active participation in community initiatives and promoting values of compassion, tolerance, and civic engagement.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has been active in Minneapolis since the early 1990's when immigrants from Ethiopia started to settle in Minnesota.
Beginning Monday, July 15, Fourth Street will be reduced to one lane between Oak Street and I-35W. Traffic will be shifted to the south side of Fourth Street while crews work along the north side of the street throughout the project area.
On-street parking won't be available in the single lane area. Plan ahead to park in nearby ramps or on cross streets.
Expect delays when traveling in the construction area. Plan an alternative route or allow extra time.
People walking and biking will be provided with a detour around the work area.
Beginning Monday, July 15, crews will be working at the intersection of Fourth Street and 13th Avenue SE.
- The southbound lane of 13th Avenue SE will close between Fifth Street and Fourth Street. Follow the detour using 12th Avenue SE.
- There will be no access to/from 13th Avenue SE on the south side of the intersection.
- Vehicles will still be able to turn right from Fourth Street to 13th Avenue SE.
Beginning Monday, July 15, crews will be working on the north side of the intersection of Fourth Street and 10th Avenue SE.
- No access to/from Fourth Street and 10th Avenue SE on the north side of the intersection. Follow the detour using 11th Avenue SE.
- The south side of the intersection is not affected.
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 format please contact 311. 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. |
