October 23, 2025

A message from Council President Elliott Payne

Hello neighbors,

At today's City Council meeting we took action on 39 items forwarded to us from our standing committees, received notice of 4 ordinance introductions, referred 4 ordinances to committees for consideration, and approved 4 honorary resolutions. 

I want to highlight number of actions we took at today's meeting to increase oversight in response to concerns of mismanagement in the mayor's administration. Today we unanimously passed the Professional Services Contracts Ordinance, which will require the mayor’s administration to regularly disclose all contracts that are entered into without a vote by the Council. Under current financial policies, the mayor’s administration may enter into contracts below $175,000 without approval from the City Council, limiting transparency and accountability for the administration. This ordinance now will require regular disclosure which will increase transparency and give the opportunity for improved oversight.

The passage of this ordinance follows reports of mismanagement from the Frey administration. Earlier this year, a concerning contract to a vendor for under $175,000 was approved by the former Director of the Neighborhood Safety Department, and later by the Commissioner of the Office of Community Safety.  At the September 17^th meeting of the Public Health & Safety Committee, the City Auditor presented his office’s report on oversight of an urgent single-source contract of Helix Health & Housing Services. The Office of City Auditor identified $177,462.92 in what they classify as overpayments to Helix Health & Housing Services. The report found “duplicate and erroneous payments” that were made. Such payments show a lack of oversight, which creates an environment ripe for fraud. 

I also introduced an ordinance with Council Members Wonsley & Chavez to create an Office of Enterprise Risk Management, which the City Council voted unanimously today to advance and refer to our Administration & Enterprise Oversight committee. The current risk management function is inadequate, with a narrow focus only within the finance department. This has been identified as leaving significant gaps that fail to protect the city and its taxpayers from mismanagement, poor decision-making, and other unnecessary risk by the mayoral administration. This ordinance would create an Office of Enterprise Risk Management with the authority to act on identified risks across the City enterprise.

These actions follow a disturbing pattern of the Frey administration not complying with the Office of the City Auditor, which operates independently of both the mayor and city council. At Budget Committee meeting on 10/16, the City Auditor shared that his office is not fully equipped to manage the workload of auditing the Frey administration and noted the mayor has “resisted investment in oversight and accountability.” The Auditor also spoke about how his office has encountered delays and a resistance from the Minneapolis Police Department regarding the ongoing audits into the shooting of Davis Moturi and death of Allison Lussier.

There’s a culture within Minneapolis City Government of not being transparent and being averse to oversight. We need stronger processes and tools to help mitigate risk and prevent mismanagement all throughout the city enterprise. These steps we’ve taken today can hopefully be the beginning of creating a culture of accountability within city government, rather than a culture of defensiveness.

Best,

Elliott

Connect with Council President Elliott Payne

November Community 1-1s

When: Thursday November 13 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Where: Location TBD

November Office Hours

When: Monday, November 17 from 5:00-7:00 PM

Where: Location TBD

Vote early: More hours, pop-up locations

Voters, make your plan for the voting option that works best for you. You can vote early in person or by mail, or you can vote at your polling place on Election Day, Nov. 4. Thousands of voters in Minneapolis have already cast their ballot in person or by mail.

Vote early in person

• The Early Vote Center, 980 E. Hennepin Ave., is open for early voting in person 8 a.m.-6 p.m. through Oct. 24, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Oct. 25-26.
• Remaining one-day pop-ups:
• 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 24 Midtown Global Market
• 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 27 Webber Community Center

Vote early by mail

• There’s still time to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Request a ballot on the Secretary of State website.
• If you plan to mail your ballot through the U.S. Postal Service, mail it by Oct. 28.
• You drop off your mail ballot at Elections and Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin.
• On Election Day Nov. 4, ballots can only be dropped off to Minneapolis Elections at 980 E. Hennepin, and they must be received by 5 p.m. They may not be returned to individual polling places on Election Day.

Find more details about voting on the City website.

Help “Bows of Love” Annunciation memorial live on

Following the Aug. 27 tragedy at the Parish of the Annunciation, Minneapolis residents and community members displayed support and solidarity via thousands of green and blue bows. As winter approaches, the bows fall to the ground or become exposed to the elements. The community group Bows of Love is working to collect and preserve the bows to turn them into a creative memorial.

The City is supporting this intention by sharing the following information. Before Oct. 30, we encourage residents to remove any bows hanging on public property near their homes and in their neighborhood. They could be on trees, light poles and street signs in or on public spaces. You can sign up for a specific area, but it’s not required.

Feel free to save them on your own private property, or hold onto them for the Bows of Love project. The City will help share information about any effort to collect the bows as it becomes available. You can also follow Bows of Love on social media for its updated information as it becomes available.

Beginning Oct. 31, Public Works crews may collect remaining bows found on the ground or on public property such as boulevard trees or light poles. Crews will not be going out to collect the bows but may take them down if they come across them during their regular work.

Seasonal pet safety

This time of year, pet owners should make sure their pets are vaccinated against rabies. Now is prime season for bats, and if a pet is exposed to a bat infected with rabies, that could be fatal. Whether or not a pet has a vaccination, they should be taken to a regular veterinary office or community clinic for a rabies booster within 72 hours of an exposure or bite. There could be a time of confinement and/or quarantine. City policy will have the pet impounded if it’s unvaccinated and exposed to a bat until the bat in question is tested and has a negative result.

For questions about bats or help from Minneapolis Animal Control, call 612-673-6222. People can also call the Minnesota Animal Bites and Rabies Hotline at 651-201-5414 or toll free at 1-877-676-5414.

Fall street sweeping began October 21

City crews are getting ready to sweep streets across Minneapolis. Street sweeping helps keep leaves and debris out of the storm drains. That helps keep them out of our lakes and creeks and the Mississippi River. Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of curb-to-curb street sweeping throughout the city Tuesday, October 21.

During the four weeks in October and November, crews clean about 1,000 miles of city streets.

Stay informed

Temporary hot pink “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours before they start so the street will be clear of cars when they’re swept. The first signs will be posted Monday, October 20, and sweeping will begin the next day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules, or their cars may be ticketed and towed.

Stay informed about the parking rules through a web map showing when your street is scheduled for sweeping, “no parking” signs on the street, and email and text alerts.

Learn more about street sweeping on the City website; Facebook, Bluesky, Threads and X; and videos in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Keep your family safe from lead. Lead Poisoning Prevention Week helps raise awareness about the dangers of lead exposure, especially for children and pregnant women.

The City of Minneapolis is committed to eliminating childhood lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is 100% preventable and is detected with a blood test. Contact your health care provider and test your child for lead poisoning if they:

• Are under 6 years old.
• Live in a home built before 1978.
• Live in a home with recent repairs to painted wood trim, walls or floors.

Or if you’re concerned for your child’s health.

Read more on the City website about managing lead paint and how the City can help.

Collection of leaves and bundled brush ends week of November 24

Yard waste collection goes through November. City customers’ collection day the week of Nov. 24-29 will be their last 2025 pickup of leaves, brush and other yard trimmings.

Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers can set properly prepared yard waste at their alley or curb line next to their garbage carts by 6 a.m. on their pickup day. Set yard waste out in a reusable container, in compostable bags (paper or BPI-certified compostable plastic bags – look for the BPI logo) or bundled with string or twine (no wire or tape).

Other requirements

• Max weight of 40 lbs. for bags, reusable containers or bundled brush.
• Brush must be shorter than 3 feet long and each branch less than 3 inches in diameter.
• Brush must be in a container or bundled with string or twine (no wire or tape).
• Bags marked “biodegradable” or “degradable” do not meet the State law and are not accepted.
• Reusable container must be between 26-32 inches high, between 32 and 38 gallons in size, with sturdy handles and no wheels.
• Yard waste is not allowed in City-provided containers.

City customers are encouraged to set out properly prepared yard waste as soon as possible. There will be no additional 2025 yard waste service after the last scheduled pickup.

Raking leaves into the street is against the law and bad for our lakes, creeks and river.

For questions about leaf and brush pickup, customers can check the City website or call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 Monday-Friday.

Protection from heat being shut off

The Cold Weather Rule is now in effect. The Cold Weather Rule means that if you can’t pay your home heat bill, your heat can’t be shut off Oct. 1-April 30. If you get a notice about disconnecting your primary heat source, make sure to immediately contact the utility and set up a payment plan.

Find resources on the State of Minnesota website. This information is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali.

Events: Art made with reused materials

You’re invited to the Artistic Reuse-A-Thon featuring art to turn the tide on throwaway habits and build a cleaner future by reusing plastic. Learn how to make art with reused materials with free workshops. Vote on your favorite piece of art made from trash in the Mystery Trash Remix. Bring your old art supplies to participate in the Art Supply Swap.

Exhibit: Mystery Trash Remix Twenty artists have created art from single-use items. Vote for your favorite piece every Monday-Saturday from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, October 24-November 8 at The Flux Arts Building, 2505 Howard St NE.

Make and take projects, Art Supply Swap Teacher-led workshops, eight different projects with all kinds of materials. Drop off your art supplies or pick some out from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM on Saturday, November 1 at The Flux Arts Building.

All activities are free thanks to a City of Minneapolis Innovative Waste Reduction Grant.

Learn more about the Artistic Reuse-A-Thon on the Art to Change the World website.

Connect with Elliott and Ward 1 Staff

Elliott Payne was re-elected in 2023 to represent Ward 1

Elliott serves on the President of the Minneapolis City Council, Chair of the Audit Committee, member of the Public Health & Safety Committee, Budget Committee, Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and Committee of the Whole. 

Contact the Ward 1 Council Office

Elliott Payne, Council Member - elliott.payne@minneapolismn.gov 

Brandon Garcia, Policy Aide - brandon.garcia@minneapolismn.gov

Ikram Mohamud, Policy Associate - Ikram.Mohamud@minneapolismn.gov

Liam Davis Temple, Policy Aide - liam.davistemple@minneapolismn.gov 

Office Phone - (612) 673-2201

Visit: minneapolismn.gov/ward1

Our offices have officially moved back to City Hall! You can visit us at 

City Hall
350 S. Fifth St., Room 370
Minneapolis, MN 55415

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats 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.