City Council Meeting Summary

Meeting Information

• Date: January 16, 2025
• Title: Regular Meeting of the Minneapolis City Council
• Present: Payne (President), Chughtai (Vice President), Wonsley, Rainville, Vetaw, Ellison (left early), Koski, Chavez, Jenkins, Palmisano, Cashman, Chowdhury
• Absent: Osman
• Guests: Mike Welch (former Bassett Creek Watershed Commissioner), representatives from multiple anti-trafficking organizations
• Votes: 14 roll call votes

Highlights

• Veto override attempt on appointed employee salary increases failed
• Consent Decree vote record amended to include Council Member Rainville’s vote
• Biochar Production Facility grant application discussion
• Clean Energy Partnership goals and progress discussion
• Franchise agreements with Xcel and CenterPoint Energy update
• Basset Creek Watershed Management Commission recognition
• Human Trafficking and Exploitation Awareness Month presentation
• Stalking Awareness Month presentation

Discussion

Appointed Employee Salary Increases

The council attempted to override Mayor Frey’s veto of their previous action denying a 4% cost of living adjustment for appointed employees. The situation was complicated by the fact that the funding had already been reappropriated in the 2025 budget. After the veto override failed, the council deleted the item from the agenda to allow for a fresh approach through the budget committee.

Council Member Palmisano argued: “These dedicated employees deserve this increase and the chance to progress in the steps in their career at the City. I am disappointed that it took a veto to get this done.”

Council Member Chowdhury expressed concern about fiscal responsibility: “We are in economic difficult times, and our staff that was the highest paid – they do great work, but this was a moment where we were saying, okay, we have to give a little bit for the good of the city.”

Vote: 6-6 (failed to achieve 2/3 majority needed for override)

Clean Energy Partnership Goals

During the Climate and Infrastructure Committee report, Council Member Chowdhury raised serious concerns about the city falling behind on its climate goals. He noted that Minneapolis is not on track to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and highlighted that CenterPoint Energy has not yet committed to specific emissions reduction targets.

“In 2024 we hit that 1.5 degrees Celsius point. That is a key benchmark for if we are going to globally address climate change and its adverse effects,” Chowdhury stated.

The discussion included calls for greater transparency in reporting progress and making climate data publicly accessible.

Vote: 12-0 (approval of committee report)

Franchise Agreements Update

Council Members Cashman and Chughtai announced that tentative agreements had been reached with Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy after more than a year of negotiations. The agreements have been published on the city website with a public hearing scheduled for February 6. Council members emphasized the importance of public review of these technical documents before the hearing.

No vote taken - informational item only

Consent Decree Vote Amendment

The council voted to allow Council Member Rainville to add his affirmative vote to the previous week’s Consent Decree approval. Rainville explained he had been dealing with constituent issues when the vote occurred and apologized for missing it. Some council members expressed concern about the precedent but ultimately approved the amendment after receiving assurance from the City Attorney that it would not affect the legal status of the Consent Decree.

Vote: 12-0 (to allow amendment), followed by Rainville voting “Aye” on the Consent Decree

Public Comments

No members of the general public offered comments during this session. However, multiple representatives from anti-trafficking organizations spoke during the Human Trafficking Awareness Month presentation, including:

• Artika Roller (Cornerstone Advocacy Services) spoke about racial disparities in trafficking victims and the importance of addressing systemic failures
• Beth Holger (The Link) discussed front-line services and the severity of violence faced by trafficking victims
• Ian Smart (PRIDE Program) emphasized the importance of supporting young victims and giving them hope
• Joy Friedman (subject matter expert with lived experience) spoke about the importance of continued support and funding for anti-trafficking programs
• Madeleine Lohman (Advocates for Human Rights) commended Minneapolis for including labor trafficking in its anti-trafficking work