Minneapolis City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Summary

Meeting Information

• Date: February 25, 2025
• Title: Committee of the Whole Regular Meeting
• Present: All 13 council members were initially present (Payne, Wonsley, Rainville, Vetaw, Ellison, Osman, Cashman, Jenkins, Chughtai, Koski, Palmisano, Chowdhury, Chavez). Some members left at 4:00 PM including Osman and others.
• Absent: None (Ellison and Cashman joined after initial roll call)
• Guests: Don Elwood (Director of Transportation Engineering & Design), Ali Lakes (Deputy Director of Neighborhood Safety), Commissioner Barnett
• Votes: 4 roll call votes

Highlights

• Safe and Thriving Communities Work Group establishment
• Boulevard ordinance amendments regarding raised planter beds and gardening
• Audit request regarding vendor selection for South Minneapolis Community Safety Center
• Contracts for Group Violence Intervention (GVI) and Youth Group Violence Intervention (YGVI) services

Discussion

Safe and Thriving Communities Work Group

The council discussed establishing a work group to provide community oversight of public safety buildings and programs. The group would include council appointments, mayoral appointments, and seats for specific professional qualifications. Some debate centered around ensuring community engagement and accountability.

Quote from Councilmember Wonsley: “Persistent community engagement and oversight has helped to hold city leadership and the administration accountable to making good on their commitments around advancing equitable public safety system that serves all our residents.”

Passed unanimously (13-0).

Boulevard Ordinance Amendments

Extensive debate about requiring permits for raised planter beds in boulevards. Some council members argued permits would create barriers for renters and low-income residents, while others emphasized the need for safety oversight. Insurance requirements and fees were particular points of contention.

Quote from Councilmember Chowdhury: “The issue around equity with permitting is if you’re a renter and you want to do a raised bed and you want to get a permit, you need to have the property owner agree, and you need proof of insurance. That’s a barrier.”

Moved forward without recommendation to full council (13-0).

South Minneapolis Community Safety Center Audit

Councilmember Koski introduced two actions regarding the vendor selection process for the community safety center, particularly concerning the selection of “Our Rescue” organization. Concerns were raised about the organization’s background and selection process transparency.

Quote from Councilmember Palmisano: “The City was not going to pay Our Rescue for their services… The City had a zero cost contract being organized with Our Rescue who agreed to offer a million dollars in training and services.”

Passed 11-2 (Rainville and Palmisano voting no).

GVI and YGVI Contracts

Extensive discussion about contracts totaling approximately $800,000 for violence intervention services. Council members expressed concerns about lack of performance metrics and reporting requirements in the contracts. Some questioned the readiness of new vendors and transition plans.

Quote from Councilmember Vetaw: “These are not the groups that are standing on West Broadway… These are professionals that had years and years of training to work with a population of people on very specific things in private.”

Moved forward without recommendation with request for additional performance metrics information before full council meeting.

Public Comments

No public comments were recorded in the transcript.