Minneapolis Administration & Enterprise Committee Meeting Summary
Meeting Information
- Date: February 18, 2025
- Title: Administration & Enterprise Committee Meeting
- Present: Robin Wonsley (Chair), Linea Palmisano (Vice-Chair), LaTrisha Vetaw, Aurin Chowdhury
- Absent: None noted
- Guests:
- Leah Lakes (Deputy Director, Neighborhood Safety)
- Pam Fernandez (Director of Procurement)
- Tom Barnett (Commissioner of Community Safety)
- Votes: 4 (2 voice votes, 2 roll call votes)
Highlights
- Extensive presentation on Outcomes Minneapolis performance management framework and data visualization initiatives
- Significant discussion of Neighborhood Safety Department’s violence prevention contracts and procurement processes
- Review of contract processing timelines and vendor payment procedures
- Updates on implementation of new procurement oversight measures following legal settlement
- Discussion of changes to client reimbursement policies for violence prevention programs
Discussion
Outcomes Minneapolis Performance Management Framework
Staff presented the new citywide performance management system, including implementation progress and visualization tools. Council members expressed particular interest in how departments would use the data to adjust programs and allocate resources. Vice-Chair Palmisano questioned how this compared to the previous Results Minneapolis system and whether basic metrics would still be easily accessible.
“Back several years ago, staff and then the coordinator’s office took down what was then Results Minneapolis… and in an effort to retool it and reinvent it. And some days I’m worried we never really got it back up and running,” said Vice-Chair Palmisano.
The new system will be publicly launched in Spring 2025. Vote: Received and filed by voice vote.
Violence Prevention Contracts and Procurement
Deputy Director Lakes presented comprehensive reforms to the department’s procurement processes following historical issues with documentation and transparency. New measures include enhanced evaluation processes, standardized training for reviewers, and stricter financial controls. Discussion focused heavily on payment timelines for smaller vendors and challenges they face with the 35-day payment window.
Council Member Vetaw raised concerns about impacts on smaller organizations: “They don’t have money in the bank to sustain payroll over – I mean, 35 days could go over to, like, 3 to 4 pay periods for some of these groups.”
Chair Wonsley requested clarification on whether changes were driven by legal settlement requirements and sought details about the elimination of client reimbursement provisions. Commissioner Barnett explained this was partially due to changes in funding sources and public purpose doctrine restrictions.
Vote: Received and filed by voice vote.
Contract Processing and Payment Procedures
The committee discussed changes to payment processing times, noting an increase from 21 days in 2023 to 34 days in 2024. Staff attributed this to enhanced scrutiny of invoices and improved compliance measures. New support measures for vendors include mandatory invoice training and regular office hours for technical assistance.
The discussion included particular focus on whether advance payments could be made to support smaller organizations, though staff needed to follow up on historical practices and current possibilities. Vote: No formal vote taken - discussion only.
Public Comments
No public comments were recorded during this meeting.