Meeting Information

• Date: August 12, 2024
• Title: Regular Meeting of the Budget Committee
• Present: Chughtai (Chair), Koski (Vice Chair), Payne, Vetaw, Cashman, Chavez, Chowdhury, Palmisano, Osman, Jenkins, Rainville
• Absent: Wonsley, Ellison
• Guests: Margaret Anderson-Kelliher (COO), Casey Carl (City Clerk), Eric Hanson (CPED Director), Vickie Troswick (MPD Director), Bryan Tyner (Fire Chief), Saray Garnett-Hochuli (Neighborhood Safety Director)
• Votes: 2

Highlights

• Discussion of $2 million allocation for AFSCME raise equity
• Update on Climate Legacy Initiative projects across departments
• Presentation on 2024 Presidential Election preparations
• Review of Public Safety recruitment and retention initiatives
• Update on George Floyd Square maintenance and development
• Discussion of Cultural District Safety Ambassadors program

Discussion

AFSCME Raise Equity Allocation

The committee discussed the status of a $2 million allocation intended for AFSCME raise equity. COO Anderson-Kelliher explained that the city cannot provide retroactive pay increases for time worked under a settled contract, which has delayed implementation. Several council members expressed frustration with the lack of progress on this item.

Council Member Cashman said: “It really feels kind of like a slap in the face to workers to be at the bottom, and to not be prioritized in these change items.”

Council Vice President Chughtai added: “This proposal was never supposed to be retroactive pay. It was supposed to be the beginning of the year because we had money in the budget in the form of a letter agreement for 2024.”

The administration stated they have made an opening offer to AFSCME for negotiations, but some council members felt this was insufficient given the budget allocation was made in December 2023. No vote was taken on this item.

Climate Legacy Initiative Update

Council President Payne requested a comprehensive update on the Climate Legacy Initiative, noting that projects were spread across multiple departments. COO Anderson-Kelliher explained that a new Climate Legacy Initiative Director and Project Coordinator had recently been hired and would be providing a full report in the coming weeks.

Council Member Cashman noted that the Climate and Infrastructure Committee had received an update in March and another was scheduled for November. She suggested directing constituents to these committee meetings for the most up-to-date information.

No vote was taken on this item.

2024 Presidential Election Preparations

City Clerk Casey Carl provided an update on preparations for the 2024 Presidential Election. He noted that $5.4 million has been allocated for election expenses, representing about one-third of the Legislative Department’s budget. The city has been reimbursed $1.4 million by the state for qualifying expenditures.

Carl highlighted plans for 11 pop-up early voting centers and mentioned that early voting for the primary election was set to begin that evening. He also noted ongoing work to improve the Legislative Information Management System (LIMS) and develop a new speaker management system.

No vote was taken on this item.

Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Initiatives

There was some confusion regarding two separate $1.35 million allocations for public safety recruitment and retention. One allocation was specifically for 911 recruitment and retention, while the other was for broader public safety recruitment efforts.

MPD Director Vickie Troswick reported that all $5 million allocated for overtime would be spent in 2024, with overtime running slightly higher than in 2023. She also noted that most of the 12 new civilian positions had been filled, with six being used as case investigators.

No vote was taken on this item.

George Floyd Square Maintenance and Development

The committee discussed ongoing maintenance and development efforts at George Floyd Square. CPED Director Eric Hanson reported that $130,000 had been allocated for property maintenance, including vegetation removal, snow removal, and potential funding for porta-potties.

Council Member Jenkins asked if planned lighting improvements would be permanent, given upcoming reconstruction plans. COO Anderson-Kelliher confirmed that the lighting installations were intended to remain in place after reconstruction.

Hanson also mentioned that a request for qualifications for a community-minded partner to assist with future planning for the site would be issued later in the fall. No vote was taken on this item.

Cultural District Safety Ambassadors Program

Neighborhood Safety Director Saray Garnett-Hochuli provided an update on the Cultural District Safety Ambassadors program. She reported that work was underway in collaboration with PMI and OCS, with a full work plan developed in four phases: information gathering, planning, implementation, and continuous improvement.

Council Member Cashman requested to see the draft work plan and noted that the program would cover the southern cultural districts plus three Great Streets eligible areas: Uptown, Dinkytown, and the Mall District.

No vote was taken on this item.

Public Comments

There were no public comments recorded in the transcript for this meeting.