Meeting Information

• Date: October 31, 2024
• Title: Regular Meeting of the Minneapolis City Council
• Present: Elliot Payne, Robin Wonsley, Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw, Jeremiah Ellison, Jamal Osman, Katie Cashman, Jason Chavez, Aisha Chughtai, Emily Koski, Aurin Chowdhury, Linea Palmisano. (Andrea Jenkins arrived later)
• Absent: None at start
• Guests: Tony (Director of Animal Care and Control), Katie Smith (Elections Director), John (Elections staff), Barbara (Beyond Yellow Ribbon representative)
• Votes: 17 roll call votes

Highlights

• Passage of Affordable Housing Preservation Ordinance allowing qualified organizations first right of refusal on affordable housing sales
• Cannabis zoning text amendment removing 300-foot distance requirement between dispensaries
• Resolution supporting closure of HERC incinerator by 2027
• Request for City Auditor review of Davis/Moturi case involving MPD response
• Approval of rules for new Community Commission on Police Oversight
• Establishment of new regulatory framework for safe outdoor spaces

Discussion

Affordable Housing Preservation Ordinance

Extensive debate over ordinance giving qualified organizations first right of refusal on affordable housing sales. Concerns raised about impact on first-time buyers and property owners needing quick sales. Supporters argued it would help preserve affordable housing stock and prevent corporate buyers from dominating market.

Councilmember Rainville opposed: “This is going to throw our housing market out of balance. It does nothing to protect prevent out of state investors from buying these properties.”

Councilmember Ellison defended: “The thing you’re describing with organizations like Black Rock and the investment firms… that’s happening now. That’s happening in this market.”

Passed 9-4 (Vetaw, Jenkins, Osman, Rainville voting no)

Cannabis Zoning Amendment

Discussion centered on removing 300-foot distance requirement between dispensaries. Authors argued this would help local businesses compete with large corporations and align with St. Paul regulations. Some concern about rushed timeline but general support for helping small businesses.

Councilmember Palmisano raised concerns about buffer zones: “This would put Minneapolis in the lowest buffer zone of comparable jurisdictions… Seattle has 1000 feet, San Francisco has 600 feet, Denver has 1000 feet.”

Passed 12-1 (Palmisano voting no)

HERC Incinerator Closure

Strong support for resolution backing closure of HERC incinerator by 2027. Discussion focused on environmental justice, health impacts on nearby communities, and need for zero waste initiatives. Multiple council members emphasized this was just the beginning of needed changes.

Councilmember Jenkins noted: “We can’t – the government, we can’t change this. You have to change this. We are a society that produces so much trash every single day. And we are all culpable and engaged in the process.”

Passed unanimously 13-0

Davis/Moturi Case Review

Council requested independent audit of MPD response to harassment case that escalated to shooting. Discussion focused on systemic failures, racial elements of case, and need for better neighbor mediation services.

Council President Payne: “Systems are made of people. When systems fail, there’s inevitably people in that system that are failing… I was so disappointed when I saw the first reaction was defensiveness.”

Passed unanimously 13-0

Public Comments

Multiple attempts by public to comment during regular session were redirected to future Committee of the Whole meeting, as regular council meetings do not take public comment. Councilmember Chavez agreed to create dedicated public comment period at next cycle.