Meeting Information

• Date: September 12, 2024
• Title: Budget Committee Meeting
• Present: Wonsley, Rainville, Vetaw, Cashman, Chavez, Palmisano, Koski, Chughtai (Chair)
• Absent: Payne, Osman, Jenkins, Chowdhury
• Guests: Michelle Phillips (Civil Rights Director), Johnny Burns (Contract Compliance Director), Clark (Complaint Investigations Director), Interim Communications Director
• Votes: 0

Highlights

• Civil Rights Department 2025 budget presentation
• Updates on Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR) backlog
• Communications Department 2025 budget presentation
• Proposal for ongoing funding for expanded cultural media content

Discussion

Civil Rights Department Budget Presentation

Director Michelle Phillips presented the 2025 recommended budget for the Civil Rights Department. She outlined the department’s structure, priorities, and achievements across various divisions, including Contract Compliance, Complaint Investigations, Labor Standards Enforcement, and the Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR).

Key points:

• Department restructuring to align resources and strengthen internal controls
• Focus on compliance, credibility, and culture
• Progress on reducing the OPCR case backlog
• Expansion of source of income discrimination enforcement in housing

Councilmember Palmisano inquired about the progress on the OPCR case backlog. Director Phillips reported:

“In March of 2024, we started out with 206 cases classified as backlog cases. As of September 4th, there are 89 classified as backlog cases that are in the intake. Of those 89, 30 are assigned to either the OPCR intake supervisor or intake investigators. So that would leave us with 59 as of right now that have not been assigned or triaged during the preliminary process.”

Councilmember Wonsley asked about expanding the Urban Scholars program. Director Phillips acknowledged the need to evaluate the program’s placement and curriculum, stating:

“I went back and took a look and saw the curriculum hadn’t been updated since 2013 during the past director’s time. And are we investing in the program. I think it’s a great and fabulous program, but we are looking into that exact question as of right now and I have no problem with following up with you.”

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Communications Department Budget Presentation

The Interim Communications Director presented the 2025 budget proposal for the department, highlighting achievements in media relations, digital communications, and multimedia services.

Key points:

• Significant growth in paid digital advertising reach and engagement
• Expansion of multimedia support for city departments
• Launch of new photography services
• Continued support for public access TV through Speak Minneapolis

The director requested $25,000 in ongoing funding to continue supporting expanded cultural media content previously funded by ARPA. Councilmember Palmisano expressed support for this request:

“I’m excited to see cultural media switch to ongoing. We’re always trying to scrap in some extra dollars there. But as we become a more diverse community we have to be nimble and sensitive to a broader delivery of communications. So the ongoing nature of funding here helps us to be a lot more intentional than we’ve necessarily been able to do or to commit to in the past.”

Councilmember Chowdhury commended the department’s efforts in expanding the city’s reach and expressed interest in future partnerships for public service announcements.

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Public Comments

There were no public comments during this meeting.