[GAV [GAVEL]. >> WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY AND EQUITY COMMITTEE FOR JUNE 17, 2026. I'M JASON CHAVEZ, THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE. BEFORE I BEGIN THE MEETING, I WA TO OFFER A FRIENDLY REMINDER TO ALL MEMBERS, STAFF,
AND THE PUBLIC THAT THESE MEETINGS ARE BROADCAST LIVE TO ENABLE GREATER PUBLIC PAICIPATION. THESE BROADCASTS INCLUDE REAL-TIME CAPTIONING TO INCREASE OUR ACCESSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY. ALL SPEAKERSEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE RATE OF
THEIR SPEECH SO OUR CAPTIONERS CAN TRANSCRIBE ALL COMMENTS FOR THE BROADCAST. AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK THE CLERK TO CA THE ROLL TO VERIFY A QUORUM.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER PAYNE. COUNCIL MEER WONSLEY, ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITING, PRESENT, VICE CHAIR STEVENSON, ABSENT, CHAIR CHAVEZ. >> PRESENT. >> THAT'S 5 MEMBERS PRESEN >> LET THE RECORD REFLECT WE
HAVE A QUORUM. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER STEVENSON HAS JOINED US. WE WILL BE USING SPEAKER MANAGEMENT TODAY SO MAKE SURE YOU ARE SIGNED IN. OUR AGENDA IS IN FRONT OFS AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA. THEN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SPEAK AND YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP YET, PLEASE SEE THE CLERKS IN THE HALL AND REGISTER. I'M GOING TO GET MY QUEUE UP. ALL RIGHT COLLEAGUES, ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA, ITEMUMBER 4, A REVENUE CONTRACT WITH THE MINNESOTA
TIMBERWOLVES TO PROVIDE BOMB SECURITY SERVICES AT TARGET CENTER, NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH ASSOCIATION GRANT FOR RETAIL FLEXIBLE FUNDING MODEL. BLOOMBERG FILL DROP PICK GRANT. ITEM NUMBER 7, ITEM YOU REMEMBER
8, ITEM NUMBER 9, MINNESOTA ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES APPOINTMENT, NUMBER 15 AUTHORIZ AN M.O.U. TO WORK WITH CAPSTONE STUDENTS. ITEM 16 IS A SECOND REQUEST FOR
AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTIVE REGARDING THE DATA PRACTICES RELATED TO UNLAWFUL ACTIONS OF FEDER AGENTS. ITEM 17 AND 18, LEGISLATIVE RECTIVE RELATED TO OFF-DUTY REGULATION AND DIRECTION TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE TO POLE OFF-DUTY MANAGEMENT, ITEM 19 NUMBER, A DIRECTIVE FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO USE FOR GUN RANGE ACTIVITY, AND ITEM 20, TO RESEARCH AND ANALYZE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCRES OF INSTITUTIONS THAT PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY
SERVICES, ITEM 21, NEXT STEPS FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTINUUM, AND TO OUR NEXT PHS MEETING JULY 8TH, ITEM 23 AND 22 REFER TO AN ORDINANCE RELATED TO
DRUG PARAPHERNALIA AND CANNABIS PARAPHERNALIA, ITEM 24, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JULY H TO CONSIDER THE MAYOR'S NOMINATION OF CALEB TO APPOINTED POSITION OF CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. COLLEAGUES ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS OR ANY ITEMS THAT
ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR FI WILL MOVE 4 THROUGH 15 AND 17-24 FOR APPROV. I WILL ASK THE ERK TO RECEIVE6, POSTPONE
NUMBER 21, AND REFER TOTAFF 22 AND 23, AND A PUBLIC HEARING FOR 24. ARE THER ANY QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [AYES EXPRESSED] >> THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS? THOSE MOTIONS CARRY. NEXT WE WILL TAKE UP OUR
PUBLIC HEARING REFLECTED IN ITEMS 1 THROUGH 3 ON THE AGENDA. ANYBODY WHO SIGNED UP FOR THESE ITEMS WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES EACH TO TESTIFY. I WILL ASK TO PLEASE KEEP IT TO TWO MINUTES. IF YOU GO OVER 2 MINUTES, I USUALLY LET YOU SLIDE WITH 10
MORE SECONDS AND THEN WE WILL HAVE TO CUT YOU OFF BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR RULES HERE. IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE OUR CLERKS OUTSIDE THE HALL. FOR ANYONE INTTENDANCE AND THOSE WHO MAY PARTICIPATE IN OUR HEARINGS OR COMMENT PERIOD, LET
ME OFFER THIS NOTICE. THESE HEARINGS ARE RECORDED AND BROADCAST. IT'S PUBLIC DATA ON THE MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT PRACTICES ACT. BY ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN THESE PROCEEDINGS, YOUR IMAGE AND TESTIMONY OR INFORMATION YOU
PROVIDEILL BE SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE UNDER THAT LAW. THAT INCLUDES, NOT LIMIT TO YOUR ATTENDANCE, NAME, AND PERSONAL DETAILS YOU PROVIDE, AND TESTIMONY OR COMMENTS YOU PROVIDE INCLUDING WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS YOU MAKE WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE RECORD OF THIS
MEETING. OUR FIRST PUBLIC NOMINATION OF RACHEL SAYRE, TO INTRODUCE THIS ITEM, WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY MAYOR FREY, WHO I WILL INVITE TO SPEAK ON THIS NOMINATION.
>> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ AND VICE CHAIR STEVENSON, AND MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR MY NOMINATION FOR RACHEL SAYRE. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE RACHEL SAYRE IN MINNEAPOLIS. WE'RE LUCKY THAT SHE HAS CHOSEN TO DO THIS JOB.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD HER LEADERSHIP DURING THE CRITICAL INCIDENTS THAT OUR CITY FACED, AND I CAN TELL YOU WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE THAT S HAS DONE THIS JOB WITH GREAT POISE AND CLARITY. SHE HAS BROUGHT OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN
MINNEAPOLIS TO A LEVEL WE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE AND THERE IS INCRIBLE DIFFERENCES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE JUXTAPOSITION BETWEEN THE WAY THAT WE WERE ORGANIZED AND SET UP AS A CITY BACK IN 2020, AND THE WAY THAT WE CONDUCTED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OVER LET'S SAY THE
LAST YEAR AND A HALF. WE DIDN'T SIT ON OUR HANDS FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE SUBSEQUENT UNREST. WE DID WORK, WE CONDUCTED SIMULATIONS, RAN
TRAININGS IN NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, AND CULMINATING IN A TRIP TO MARYLAND AND THE HIRING OF AN INCREDIBLE DIRECTOR WITH A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE, BOTH BUILDING A TEAM AND WORKING IN COMPLEX SITUATIONS. DIRECTOR
RACHEL SAYRE HAS WORKED IN SOME TUMULTUOUS CONDITIONS LOCALLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. WHEN I FIRST NOMINATED DIRECTOR RACHEL SAYRE IN 2024, I NOTED HER CREDENTIALS AS A SENIOR HUMANITARIAN ADVISER WITH U.S
AID AND AN INCIDENT COMMANDER DURING THE 2023 HAITI DISASTER, AND HER EXPERIENCE LEADING THE U.S. HUMANITARIAN STRATEGY FOR THOSE WHO WERE DISPLACED IN POLAND FOLLOWING RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE IN 2022. SO, OF COURSE I WAS IMMENSELY
IMPRESSED WITH HER CREDENTIALS. YOU CAN'T WRITE OR MAKE UP A BETTER RESUME THAN THAT. ALSO AT THE TIME, SHE SHOWED A DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. TODAY AFTER A YEAR OF NAVIGATING WHAT
HAS BEEN A GAUNTLET OF NEW SCENARIOS, SCENARIOS THAT NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID IHINK WE WOULD HAVE TO FACE AS A COMMUNIT SCENARIOS INVOLVING AN INVASION BY OUR OWN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. I MEAN CERTAINLY AS AND EMGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, YOU PREPARE FOR A MULTITUDE OF SCENARIOS. THAT HAS NOT BEEN ON THE DOCKET IN THE UNITED STATES FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT IS NOW. BECAUSE WE HAD
SUCH AN INCREDIBLE LEADER AT THE HELM, SOMEONE ABLE TO ORGANIZE US IN THE CABINET ROOM, SOMEONE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATH AND THE REPRESENT PERCUSSIONS OF THESE CRISES AS THEY OFTEN HAVE LONG TAILS, AND SOMEONE THAT HAS TH DEEP COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ARE
HERE. I THINK WE'RE ALL LUCKY TO HAVE YO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. >> THEY'RE MAYOR FREY AND I WILL RECOGNIZE THE INTENT OF COUNCI MEMBER WONSLEY. AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS APPOINTMEN THE FIRST
PERSON SIGNED UP IS ERIC. WELCOM >> MR. CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOROR HENNEPIN COUNTY. I SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF RACHEL SAYRE'S NOMINATION. GREAT CITIES REQUIRE GREAT EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT INCIDENTS, IN SUCH CITIES ARE MORE FREQUENT, THEY QUIRE MORE COMPLEX RESPONSE, THE NEEDS ARE GREATER. SO A BIG CITY RESPONSES ARE BY NATURE BIG AND OFTENTIMES YOU HEAR THE ELEPHANT ANALOGY, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A BIG PROBLEM, JUS LIKE DEALING WIT A BIG ELEP
ELEPHANT, TAKE IT ONE PIECE AT A TIME. AT'S HOW RESPONSE IS CON INSTRUCTED. ALL OF THE SPECIALTIES WORK ON THEIR SPECIALIZED PORTIONS OF THE RESPONSE AND THERE IS ONE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ELEPHANT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME. THAT'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. IT'S A UNIQUE
FUNCTION. IT TAKES ALL THOSE DIERENT PIECES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL ALIGNED, MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE GETS OVERLOOKED, EVERYONE THAT NEEDS SERVICES GETS THE SERVICESHEY NEED AND IT'S A BIG JOB. IT REQUIRES BIG THOUGHTS AND COMPLEX, YOU KNOW,
RELATIONIPS AND NEGOTIATIONS. SO, RACHEL SAYRE HAS WORKED WITH SUCH ELEPHANTS BEFORE AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED IN OVERSEAS CONTEXT AND ENVIRONMENTS, WHICH ARE REALLY CHALLENGING. SHE BROUGHT THAT EXPERIENCE HERE TO MINNEAPOLIS. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HER IN THE COUNTY. I'MORTUNATE
TO BE ABLEO WORK WITH HER IN MY CAPACITY. SHE HAS JUMPED RIGHT IN TO THE FRYING PAN AND HAD A RAPID SUCCESSION OF COMPLEX INCIDENTS WHICH TO DEAL WITH. SHE WORKS VERY WELL WITH THESE SPECIALTIES. SHE WORKS
VERY WELL WITH OTHER EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SHE KEEPS THE RESIDENTS IN THE FOREMOST OF HER THOUGHTS. THAT IS WHAT DRIVES HER MISSION AND HER DERMINATION. SO SHE HAS BEEN A TERRIFIC PARTNER AND I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY SPEAK IN SUPP
URGE IN EXTENSN FOR HER IN THIS POSITION. THANK YOU. >> NEXT WE HAVE MICHELLE SULLIVAN. >> THANK YOU, GOOD AFTERNOON
CHAIR CHAVEZ, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS MICHELLE SULLIVAN AND I'M THE RESILIENCY AND RECOVERY OFFICER. I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING BUTUST AS A REMINDER ON AUGUST 27, 2025, WE EXPERIENCED THE WORST THING
THAT A SCHOOL AND A CHURCH CAN EXPERIENCE, IN A SCHOOL SOTING IN WHICH TWO CHILDREN WERE KILLED, 27 OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE INJURED, MANY SEVERELY. I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF DIRECTOR RACHEL SAYRE AND HER REAPPOINTMENT AS
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVES FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. SUPPORT EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID BY MAYOR FREY EARLIER, SO I AM NOT GOING TO REPEAT MYSELF ON T WHAT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THINGS THATRE ACTUALLY
VERY RARELY SEEN IN PUBLIC OR ON THE RECORD, IN POLICE RECORDS, OR ON THE RECORDS IN OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HOW. THE WAY THAT RACHEL SHOWS UP AND I CALL HER RACHEL BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT SHE
HAS BECOME KNOWN TO. I MEAN IT AS NO DISRESPECT DIRECTOR SAYRE, BUT THAT IS HOW SHE IS KNOWN TO OUR ENONUATION COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WOULD SAY SOUTHWEST MINNEAPOLIS. SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. I DON'T NEED TO
REMINDOU THAT AT THE TIME OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCED, VERY SOON AFTER, THERE WERE COMPETING RESOURCES BEING ASKED FOR IN LIGHT OF WHAT WAS SPOKEN ABOUT EARLIER IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENED T OUR CITY AS I.C.E. CAME IN. NOT ONCE DID DIRECTOR
SAYER SAY I AM SORRY, WE HAVE A TO PUT YOU ON HOLD FOR A MOME. SHE SHOWED UP EVERY SINGLE MONDAY AT 11:00 A.M., EVEN WHEN I WAS LATE, EVEN WHEN I COULDN'T SHOW UP BECAUSE I WAS SO OVERWHELMED BY THE AMOUNT OF NEEDS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAD AND
SHE WAS THERE TO SUPPORT. SHE DID IT WITH COMPASSION. SHE DID IT WITHNEUTRALITY. AND THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS I GO THROUGH, SHE SERVES AS A LEADER FOR OTHERS. SHE HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO MY JOB --
>> THANK YOU. >> I'M SORRY, I AM GOING TO SAY ONE MORE THING. THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO SAID TO ME, REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE DO THEIR JOBS AND THEY DO THE WHAT BUT I WONDER IF THEY LOVE US. >> THANK YOU. >> I KNOW THAT RACHEL LOVES US. THANK YOU.
>> I JUSTANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE A VARTY OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY, A LOT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS, A LOT OF ITEMS AND WE WILL NOT GET THROUGH EVERYTHING IF EVERYBODY GOES OVER THEIR TIME LIMIT. NEXT UP
WE HAVE MICHELLE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR CHAVEZ, MY NAME IS MICHELLE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE MINNESOTA COUNCIL ON FOUNDATION, ALSO KNOWN AS MCF. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF RACHEL SAYRE CONTINUING IN HER ROLE HERE IN
THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. RACHEL HAS BEEN AN AMAZING ASSET. BECAUSE OF HER EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO COORDINATE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO MEET NEEDS DING AN EMERGENCY. BASED ON HER MANY YEARS OF WORK. AT THE BEGINNING OF OPERATION
METRO SURGE, SHE REACHED OUT TO KEY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO UPSIDE WHAT NEEDS WERE EMERGING, PHILANTHROPY CAN MEET IN THE CITY. SHE SHARED INFORMATION FROM NON-PROFITS AND OTHERS ON WHAT THE NEEDS WERE AND KT US
UPDATED ON THE CHANGING AND EMERGING NEEDS. FIRST, IT WAS AROUND FOOD,HEN THE 1st OF THE MONTH, IT BECAME AROUND RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND NOW IT'S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS FOR FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. SHE WORKED WITH US TO GATHER INFORMATION
FOR THE PRELIMINARY IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND THE UPDATED ASSESSMENT POSTED RECENTLY. SHE PARTIC PARTICIPATES TO HELP ALL SECTORS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EACH SECTO IS PLANNING ON DOING. SHE
CONTINUES TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE ON A MONTHLY BASIS. THANK YOU. >> THANKYOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS COMMITTEE? GOING ONCE,
ING TWICE, GOING THREE TIMES. SEEING NO ONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK, I WILL NOW CLOSE THIS HEARING AND INVITE OUR NOMINEE TO PROVIDE A STATEMENT. WELCOME DIRECTOR. >> THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANYOU CHAIR CHAVEZ, VICE CHAIR STEVENSON, AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RACHEL SAYRE AND I AM MAYOR FREY'S NOMINEE TO CONTINUE AS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEME DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. IN PREPARING FOR TODAY, I LOOKED BACK AT WHAT I TOLD YOU IN SEPTEMBER 2024 WHEN I CAME BEFORE YOU AS THE MAYOR'S NOMINEE FOR THIS ROLE. I SPOKE
ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN YEMEN, UKRAINE, AND HAITI, AND THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN 2014. I SPOKE ABOUT THE IMPORTAE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE MOST AFFECTED. I TOLD YOU HOW I LEAD
IN CRISIS, WITH CLEAR OBJECTIVE FOR THE TEAM, LEADERSHIP ON WHAT IS NEEDED,ND ENSURING AN ALIGNMENT OF MANAGING. I HAVE DONE THIS CONSISTENTLY FROM CONFLICT ZONES TO HURRICANES AND I WA EXCITED TO HAVE THE CHANCE
TO MAKE MINNEAPOLIS A LEADER NOT JUST IN THE STATE BUT IN THE COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO PREPAREDNESS. UNFORTUNATELY IN THE LAST 21 MONTHS SINCE I JOINED THE CITY, WE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL LARGE SCALE EMERGENCIES. I LED THE TEAM THROUGH CRISIS AND I KNOW THE SYSTE WE PUT IN
PLACE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN SAVING LIVES AND RESPONDING TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, MY DEPARTMENT WAS ACTIVATED ON LARGE SCALE EMERGENCIES, INCDING THE RESPONSE TO THE TRAGEDY ON AUGUST 27 AT ENONUATION CHURCH
AND THE RESPONSE TO OPERATION METRO SURGE MORE RECENTLY. I KEPT AN UNWAVERING FOCUS TO THE IMPACT OF OUR COMMUNY, LEADING OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION TEAM TO STAND UP AND OPERATE FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS, ALL TO CONNECT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
THE SERVICES NEEDED MOST IN THE HARDEST OF TIMES. I LED COORDINATION WITH FOUNDATIONS TO HELP ENCOURAGE THE FLOW OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND I LED OUR TEAM TO DEVELOP IMPACT ASSESSMENTS TO ARTICULATE THE SCOPE OF DISASTER AND ADVOCATE FOR FINANCIAL HELP. OVER THE
LAST FEW MONTHS, EMERGENCY MANAGERS FROM JURISDICTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE REACHED OUT TO LEARN WHAT WE DID AND HOW WE DID IT. WE HAVE ALREADY BECOME A LEADER IN RESNDING AND PREPARING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE. DESPITE THE HIGH-PROFILE NATUREF THESE RESPONSES, SOME OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT WORK THAT MY TEAM DOES IS WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY. WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COLLEAGUES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE. SINCE I JOINED THE CITY, HAVE WORKED ACROSS THE CITY GOVERNMENT TO CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
DISASTER RESPONSE, SUCH AS THE TRAINING WE DID FOR CITY COUNCIL. WE CONTINUED TO HOLD DEPARTMENT-WIDE TRAININGS IN EXERCISES, WE WORK WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS COLLEAGUE, TO BOLSTER MESSAGING TO OUR COMMUN READY MP, OUR FAMILY PREPAREDNESS COURSE TO MAKE IT
MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND TO REACH COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINAZED IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. WE CONTINUE TO LEARN AND ADJUST EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I HAVE DONE THIS ALL WHILE LEADING WITH INTENTION, BOTH DURING EMERGENCIES ADD NORMAL TIMES,
AND GROUNDING THE TEAM IN A PROFESSIONAL, RESPECTFUL, AND INCLIVE ENVIRONMENT FOCUSED ON WHY WE ARE HERE, WHICH IS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. OUR COMMITY DESERVES THE BEST. THAT INCLUDES A NATION LEADING PREPARNESS MODEL. THE NEXT
FOUR YEARS, I WANT TO MAKE MINNEAPOLIS THE MOST DISASTER READY CITYN OUR COUNTRY. IT MEANS THAT ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE LAYERS OF RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE CONNECTED SO WE CAN KNOW WHO WILL RESPOND FASTEST AND WHERE
THE GAPS ARE. WE HAVE A TRAUMA INFORMED RESPONSE BASED ON VERIFIED NEEDS AND FOCUS ON THE MOST VULNERABLE. IT MEANS WE ALL PRACTICE TOGETHER BECAUSE WHEN WE PRACTICE TOGETHER, WE TAKE THE TEETH OF A DISASTER OUT. WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WE'RE IN
IT TOGETHER. IT IS AMBITION,UT I BELIEVE IT'S ACHIEVABLE. THAT IS BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE, HOW WE CARE FOR EAC OTHER, AND THE INCREDIBLE ENERGY AROUND SERVICES THATXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY. I WISH I COULD TL YOU THAT THERE WILL BE NO NEXT BIG ONE BUT ONE OF THE THINGS
YOU HOPEFULLY KNOW ABOUT ME BY NOIS THAT I DON'T SHY AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT RISKS AND HAZARDS. IILL ALWAYS TELL YOU HONESTLY WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST. I CAN'T TELL YOU IF IT WILL BE A TORNADO OR A CYBER ATTACK OR SOMETHING WITH AN IMPOSSIBLY SMALL CHANCE OF HAPPENING HERE
IN OUR CITY, BUT THERE WILL BE A NEXT BIG ONE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO NOW IS ACCEPT THAT AS A REALITY AND DO EVERHING WE CAN IN OUR CONTROL TO BE READY FOR IT. I HAVE A DEEP LOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS, AS A RESIDENT MYSELF, I HAVE SN FIRSTHAND
HOW OUR WORK IMPROVES LIVES AND HELPS PREPARE COMMUTY MEMBERS FOR THEIR FIRST DAYS. I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO LEAD AN INCREDIBLE TEAM AND I WOULD BE HONORED TO CONTINUE IN THIS ROLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS NOMINATION AND I WILL STANDOR ANY
QUESTIONS. >> I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MAYOR FREY'S NOMINATION OF DIRECTOR SAYER. I PROUD TO MAKE THIS NOMINATION BECAUSE THE PASSION YOU HAVE FOR THIS CITY AND THE WORK YOU DO TO LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT AND OUR EMPLOYEES.
NOT ONLY HAVE I SEEN YOU TAKE ON THIS IMPORTANT ROLE TO NOT ONLY PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, BUT I HAVE SEEN YOU GO OVERBOARD IN PROTECTIN OUR EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN TIMES LIKE TODAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I LOOK FORWARD T
SEEING YOUR CONTINU WORK IN THIS CITY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL DO GREAT. SO, I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT. NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW. >> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ. LIKE CHAIR CHAVEZ SAID, IS VOTE IN FAVOR OF YOU IS PROBABLY THE
EASIEST VOTE I AM TAKING THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR BUT IT'S FULFILLING TO HAVE A VOTE LIKE THIS, A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE A VOTE OF PARTNERSHIP, ONE THAT YOU KNOW, YOU JUST CAN'T EVEN MAKE UP SOMETHING -- YOU KNOW,
YOU LIKE TO BALANCE THINGS OUT. AT ARE THE PROS AND CONS, THERE ARE NO CONS HERE WITH YOU. I MEAN I TRULY MEAN THIS IS THE EASIEST VOTE FOR ME TO TAKE THIS YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU. I AM SURE I TOLD YOU IN OUR
ONE-ON-ONE THAT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS SO SERIOUS BUT YOU MAKE IT SO FUN AND SO IMPORTANT AND YOU ARE VERY SERIOUS YET YOU ARE SO LIGHTHEARTED AND CARING AND WE SEE THAT. WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS WORK IS TO YOU.
YOU MAKE IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO US. SO, THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED WORK WITH YOU. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I DO. I REALLY WANT TO LEARN MORE AND I WANT OUR CITY TO LEARN MORE. WE
AGREED THAT IS UPCOMING. SO, JUST YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW YOUR DEPARTMENT ENSURES THAT EMERGENCY PLANNING AND RESPONSE EFFORTS ADEQUATELY REACH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY EMERGENCIES
INCLUDING NORTH MINNEAPOLIS. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE TORNADO MANY YEARS AGO AND WE'RE STILL IMPACTED BY THAT. I'M NDERING, THAT'S THE QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW, MY DEPARTMENT IS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO ENSURINGHAT WE REACH HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZE COMMUNITIES AND RECOGNIZING THE LONG TAIL OF A DISASTER THAT HAS
OCCURRED IN OUR CITY. ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS HAVE REALLY LED THE CHARGE IN ENSURING THAT OUR OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIESS GROUNDED IN OUR COMMUNITIES HERE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED. WE ARE MAKING SURE WE GO TO THE SUMMER EVENTS WHERE WE REACH O COMMUNITIES THAT
NEED US THE MOST THIS SUMMER AND TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. RECENTLY, HIS INCREDIB WORK REVAMPING OUR FAMILY PREPAREDNESS COURSE LED HIM TO DO A COURSE CALLED THE FATHER PROJECT IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. IT WAS A CLASSIC
GATHERING OF MOSTLY MEN OF COLOR. HE REPORTED THE SESSION WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND TALKING ABOUT PREPAREDNESS FOR GROUPS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN A PAR OF PREPAREDNESS. SO ABSOLUTELY WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO
THAT. ANOTHER IS THE RESILIENCE HUB IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, WE ARE CONVENING MONTHLY COORDINATION VISION OF A DISASTER PREPARED CITY. >> THANK YOU. COMMUNITY TRUST
AND COMMUNICATION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND RESIDENTS JUDGE OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE HOW QUICKLY THEY RECEIVE THEIR INFORMATION. WHAT STEPS HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT TAKEN TO IMPROVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION DURING EMERGENCIES AND WHAT ADDITIONAL
IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE? >> THANK YOU, THROUGH THE CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW, WE IMPLEMENTED QUITE A FEW PROC PROCESSES DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS.NE OF WHICH WE CONNECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALERTS
DIRECTLY INTO OUR CITY'S EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN U FOR OUR EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM THAT WILL PUSH TO YOUR PHONE WHENHERE ARE THINGS LIKE SEVERE WEATHER THAT IS INCOMING. THAT'S REALLY
KEY TO HELP YOU PREPARE IN THOSE MOMENTS. I WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT COLLEAGUES TO BOLSTER THE EXPECTATIONS AROUN COMMUNICATIONS DURING A EMERGENCY. THAT IS INCLUDED TRAININGS WITH COLLEAGUES LIKE YOU, WITH COLLEAGUES AROUND THE
CITY, AND THEN JUST PASSING CONSISTENT INFORMATION SO THAT OUR JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DURING AN EMERGENCY IS GING YOU DAILY MESSAGES AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PASS OUT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS. >> THANK YOU. IN QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU SEE IS THE
BIGGEST THREAT TO MINNEAPOLIS RIGHT NOW OR UPCOMING IN THIS TERM? >> THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW, I AM WATCHING THE ELECTION LIKE MANY EMERGENCY MANAGERS AROUND THE COUNTRY. ELECTIONS ARELWAYS A SPECIAL TIME OF SPECIAL CONRN
SO WE ARE CERTAINLY WATCHING THAT AND WORKING WITH THE STATE ON PREPAREDNESS, TYPICAL EPAREDNESS ACTIONS. OTHERWISE, OUR LARGEST HAZARDS FOR THE CITY IS ALWAYS SEVERE WEATHER. SO THIS SEASON, IT'S SEVERE WIND,
HAIL, TORNADOS ARE LESS SO, AND CYBER ATTACKS. THOSE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME OF OUR LARGEST, MOST LIKELY. >> THANK YOU, THAT'S IT. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE. >> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ AND
THANK YOU DIRECTOR. I AM VERY HAPPY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN A REAL PARTNER, I FEEL LIKE FOR US ON THE BODY AND THE WHOLE CITY. IT MAY SOUND ASPIRATIONAL TO BE THE MOST PREPARED CITY FOR DISASTER
IN THE NATION, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION THERE. MOST OF THAT WAS BUILT BY COMMUNITY, RIGHT? I CANNOT SEPARATE THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE TO METRO SURGE AND HOW GOVERNMENT FAILED THE COMMUNITY IN THE RESPONSE TO THE MURDER OF
GEORGE FLOYD. WE BUILT A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS A MMUNITY-FIRST INFRASTRUCTURE AND I FEEL LIKE YOU RECOGNIZED THAT AND PLUGGED INTO IT. I FEEL LIKE IT'S THEHOLE CITY RESPONSE THAT IS GOING TO MAKE US THE BEST PREPARED CITY IN THE NATION ANDHAT MEANS BOTH GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AND SO
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THAT LENS AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU ON DEVELOPING THAT. THANK U. >> COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE. >> THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. I JUST WANTED TO COMPLEMENT YOU ON TWO
THINGS THAT I FEEL YOUAVE DONE VERY, VERY WELL. ONE IS THE REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL DAMAGE FROM THE I.C.E. INVASION, THE FACT THAT WE SUSTAINED $700 MILLION IN DAMAGE, THAT'S A REAL AYE ENER. THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING THAT AND WORKING HARD
ON THAT. I HAVE TO SMILE ABOUT THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR DEPARTMENT. WHEN WE ANALYZE USING A CERTAIN SET OF METRICS, YOU ARE THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE BANG FOR THE BUCK OF ALL THE CITY STAFF. THANK YOU FOR LEADING THAT EFFORT.
>> ALL RIGH SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AYE. [AYES EXESSED] >> ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE AYES
HAVE IT, NOW THE BATHHOES. I WILL ASK COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE TO KICK US OFF ON THIS ITEM. >> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ. WE HAVETAFF COMING UP TO PULL UP THE PRESENTATION. WHILE HE DOES
THAT, I WILL JUST KIND OF GIVE LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. THIS IS WORK THAT PRE-DATES MY TIME IN OFFICE. THIS IS WORK THAT HAS BEEN LED BY COMMUNITY. IN MY FIRST TERM IN OFFICE, I
PARTNERED WITH MY PREDECESSOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANDREA JENKINS TO DO SOME TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS AROUND SOME REALLY STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE THAT EXISTED IN OUR ORDINANCE. AT THAT TIME, WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE ARE
AIMING TOCHIEVE TODAY BUT THE INSTITUTION WAS NOT READY TO MOVE AT THAT SPEE I AM REALLY PROUD TO BE A CTINUED PART OF THIS PROCESS THAT IS ONGOING. TODAY, IS AGAIN ANOTHER
TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO SET THE FOUNDATION SO THAT WE CAN NOW RECOGNIZE BATHHOUSES AS THE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT IT IS. THAT
PREVIOUS WORK WE DID WAS LIMITED. IT REMOVED STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE ASSOCIATED WITH AIDS, SEXUAL ACTIVITY, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN MEN AND STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE FOR SEX WORKERS. IT WAS
REALLY UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ADOPT SUCH LANGUAGE AND SUCH HOSTILE LANGUAGE. NOW WE HAVE A STRONGER KNOWLEDGE FOR PUBLIC HEALT AND
WE KNOW THAT A SAFER SPACE FOR THIS ACTIVITY IS GOOD PUBLI HEALTH. SO TODAY, WE'RE DOING AGAIN MORE TECHNICAL FOUNDATIONAL WORK SO WE CAN MAKE THIS A REALITY BY MOVING SOME THINGS AROUND IN THE CODE AND
GET US TOWARDS THAT PATH OF FULLY RECOGNIZING THE VISION OF THE COMMUNITY. WITH THAT, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. >> BEFORE WE GET INTO THE TECHNICAL AMENDMENT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND WHE IT COMES TO BATHHOUSES. THEY
WERE GHERING SPACES MOSTLY FOR LGBTQIA+ FOLKS AND SEVERAL RAIDS OCCURRED UNPROMPTED. IN JUNE 1979, THE MPD SQUAD DRUNKENLY ENTERED A BATHHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS, HARASSING
MEN, THREATENING TO SHUT DOWN WHAT THEY CALLED A "WHOREHOUSE FOR MEN". THE LARGEST RAID OCCURRED HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS
WHERE TWO UNDERCOVER MPD OFFICERS GRABBED MEN, ARRESTED MANY OF THEM, 125 WERE TICKETED, AND 9 WERE CHARGED WITH FELONY
CRIMES OF SODOMY. IN 1978, THERE WAS A BAN ON HIGH RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, AND CLOSING BATHHOUSES HAD NO EFFECT IN SLOWING HIV
TRANSMISSION. THEEALTH COMMISSIONER RESEARCHED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLOSING THE BATHHOUSES AND TOLD CITY COUNCIL IT RESULTED TO NO CHANGE TO HIV TRANSMSION. PEOPLE WOULD ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY ELWHERE. IN 1988, BATHHOUSES WERE FORMALLY BANNED IN
MINNEAPOLIS. WE KNOW THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE REVISITED THEIR BANS AND REVERSED THEM WITH STRONG PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTIONS, SUCH AS SAN FRANCISCO. WE KNOW THAT PEERED REVIEWED RESEARCH AND CLINIC TRIALS HAVE FOUND THAT THE BATHHOUSE CLOSURES WOULD
LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN HIV TRANSMISSION >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE. >> WE REMOVED SOME STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE BUT THE COMMUNITY WAS ASKING FOR A FULL REPEAL OF THIS
BAN. THIS INSTITUTI WAS NOT READY TO MOVE AT THAT SPEED. WE'RE READY TO MOVE AT THAT SPEED RIGHT NOW. SO, THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IS DELINEATING CITY CODES THAT ARE
NEEDED TO BE AMENDED TO CREATE A REGULATION AROUND ADULT BATHHOUSES AND SEX VENUES. WE HAVE OUTLINED THE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS OF OTHER U.S. CITIES TH HAVE A FRAMEWORK TO REGULATE ADULT BATHHOUSES AND SEX VEES, FOR EXAMPLE, CHICAGO, SAN FRANCISCO, DULUTH,
AND DALLAS ALL HAVE THESE TYPES OF VENUES. THEN THE MAJOR TAKE AWAY HERE IS THAT IT'S BEEN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS THE LAST THREE YEARS. IT'S THREE YEARS IN THE MAKINGWE'RE ALIGNING THIS WITH
RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE 2024 REPORT WHEN WE HAD OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF RESEARCH THIS. >> SO, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS DOES AND WHAT THIS DOES NOT DO. TO START OFF, WHAT THIS DOES DO IS THAT
IT REMOVES OUTDATED AND STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE THAT HAS BEEN USED TO TARGET AND CRIMINALIZED THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY IN THE MINNEAPOLIS CODE. IT MOVES THE BUILDING STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS DEVELOPED FOR ADULT TERTAINMENT VENUES FROM THE
HIGH RISK SEXUAL CONDUCT ORDINANCE TO THE PLACE OF ADULT ENTERTAINMENT CODE. IT MAINTAINS PROTECTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES OF ADULT ENTERTAINMENT VENUES. IT MAINTAINS THE FULL AUTHORITY OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ENFORCE
ALL EXISTING HEALTH CODES AND IT CREATE AS PATHWAY FOR REGULATION AND LEGALIZATION OF ADULT BATHHOUSES/SEX VENUESPON DEVELOPMENT OF A BUSINESS LICENSE CODE, ELIMINATING BARRIERS. WHAT THIS DOES NOT DO
IS IT WILL NOT OPEN UP BATHHOUSES SUDDENLY TOMORROW. THIS IS REALLY TECHNICAL IN NATURE. THIS IS MOVING THINGS AROUND IN OUR LAWS. THIS IS SETTING US UP FOR FUTURE WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WITH ALL
SORTS OF FOLKS IN THE FUTURE AS WE'RE ON A PATHWAY OR ROAD TO CREATING A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR BAHOUSES. WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS REALLY REMOVING OUTDATED LANGUAGE, STIGMATIZING LANGUAGE, AND SHIFTING THINGS
AROUND IN OUR CODE AND SO IT'S VERY, VERY TECHNICAL IN NATURE AND IT'S NOT GOING TO OPEN UP BATHHOUSES RIGHT AWAY. >> THIS AMENDMENT HELPS ADDRESS HISTORIC HARM AND
DISCRIMINATION. AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, WHILE THE PASSAGE OF THIS DOES NOT LEGALIZE BATHHOUSES, IT CREATE AS FUTURE PATHWAY TO A PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE, AS OPPOSED TO THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BATHHOUSES. IT REMOVES OUTDATED LANGUAGE USED TO
CRIMINALIZE 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES, A SHAME FOR COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITY, INCLUDING OUR 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, AND THE FUTURE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION ACCESS FOR THOSE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND ALIGNS WITH INITIATIVE GOALS
MAERNT MEANT TO END THE HIV AND AIDS EPIDEM. WITH THAT, I WIL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK ON THIS
ITEM IS STACY. WELCOME. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING THIS PUBLIC HEARING, I'M STACY. GRATEFUL TO BE REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JASON CHAVEZ. AS A GAY MAN, HE
IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE LEADING THIS EFFORT, ALONG WITH OUR 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE EXCELLENT TWO PAGE DOCUMENT FACT SHEET, ADULT BATHHOUSES AND SEX VENUE
AMENDMENTS FREQUENTLY ASK ESTIONS. IT CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY'S LIMBS PAG WEBSITE AND MORE THAN O CITY COUNCIL HAS LINKED IT IN THEIR E-NEWSLETTERS INCLUDI COUNCIL
MEER STEVENSON. IT STARTED IN MINNEAPOLIS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THE 1980s, ASOMEONE WHO IS NOW 69 YEARS OLD, I WAS LIVING IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIAT THIS TIME. I REMEMBER IT VERY WELL. I SLL REMEMBER WITH
GREAT SADNESS THE LOSS OF SO MA COLLEAGUES TO AIDS IN THAT EPIDEMIC. I STILL HAVE GREAT AN UNBELIEVABLY RAVAGED BY THE RAMPANT AIDS EPIDEMIC WAS SO
MALIGNED. AS THE FACT SHEET POI SLDERED FOR HIGH RISK SEXUAL BEHAVIOR DPITE EVIDENCES THAT TIME THAT THE CLOSING OF BATHHOUSES DID NOT HAVE AN EFFECT ON HIV TRANSMISSION. THE FACT SHEET ALSO NOTESHAT THE
MINNEAPOLIS REOPENING EFFORT IS BEING COMMUNITY-LED BY THE SAFER SEX BASES COALITION, WHICH IS DEBUNKING, ACCORDI TO THE FACT SHEET, STIGMA BASED BARRIERS WITH DATA DRIVEN FRAMEWORKS THAT
IORITIZE SAFETY, AUTONOMY, AND JOY, AND AMPLIFYING UNREPRESENTED VOICE AND WORKING TOGETHER TO WRITE POLICIES THAT REFLECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORS. AMEN. JUST ONE SENTENCE TO FINISH UP. THERE IS NOTHING THAT PROHIBITS PASSING
THE BATHHOUSE ORDINANCES SO THE CITY CAN WORK -- >> THANK YOU STACY. >> I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CLOSED CAPTIONING. IS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THE CHAMBERS WHERE THE VIDEO HAS IT. AS SOMEONE WITH A
DIBILITY, YOU'RE TELLING ME I'M WELCOMED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU STACY. NEXT UP. >> GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. I WANT TO
ESPECIAL THANK CHAIR CHAVEZ. YOU SAID YESTERDAY YOU WERE THE ONLY OPENLY GAY PERSON IN THIS COUNCIL BUT I HOPE THIS CROWD AND TESTIMONY SHOWS YOU ARE FAR FROM ALONE IN THIS WORK. YOUR COMMUNITY SEES YOU AND THANKS U. I USE SHE/HER PRONOUNS. I'M
A TEACHER AND A VOLUNTEER ADVOCATE. WHILE I FOUND A SAFE HAVEN IN A HOME I'M PROUD OF IN UPTOWN MINNEAPOLIS, WE HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO TO ENSURE OUR QUEER RESENTS HAVE SAFE ACCESS TO SUPPORT, HEALTH CARE, AND
HARM REDUCTION REURCES. EVEN AS WE RESTLESSLY BUILD OUR SUPPORT NETWORK AND RAISE OUR VOICES AT THE BALLOT BOX, WE FACE MISINFORMATION AND BIGOTRY DESPITE THE SCIENCE. I REFER TO THE LITERATURE THATHOWS THAT
BATHHOUSES AND QUEER HAVEN SPACES, AND HARM REDUCTION RESOURCES. STILL, THE 1988 BAN ELINATED COMMERCIAL SAFE SPACES, CREATED OBSTACLES TO PROVIDING CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES, AND
DISCOURAGED OUTREACH TO AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. COUNTERPRODUCTIVELY, IT WAS A SEXUAL RELATED GATHERING UNDERGROUND OFTEN TO UNSAFEND UNACCESSIBLE SPACES. MOST DAMNING OF THIS BAN, PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AND EVEN
THE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES THAT IT'S NO LONGER A TOOL NEEDED TO PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH. THIS BATHHOUSE ORDINANCE IS A SMALL STEP TOWARDS ADDRESSING INJUSTICE TIS AND BETTER SERVING OUR QUEER COMMUNITY. IN SUPPORT
OF THE REPEAL ON THIS BAN, YOU STAND WITH THE SCIENCE AND OUR QUEER COMMUNITY. THANK YOU AGAIN. >> NEXT UP, WE HAVE 3D. >> HELLO, MY NAME IS DEE AND I
LIVE IN WARD 9. THANK YOU FOR OPENING UP THIS PUBLIC HEARING. I WORK WIT A COLLECTIVE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN SEX TRADES. I DEVOTED MY LIFE TO SEX WORKER
AND SAFETY. PROSTITUTN IS ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND REPEALING THE BATHHOUSE BAN DOESN'THANGE THAT. IN MY SOLIDARITY WITH PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES IN THE SEX TRADES, BATHHOUSES HAS
NEVER BEEN PART OF THE COMMUNITY'S DEMAND. WE WOU NEVER ADVOCATE FOR BROTHELS AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT BATHHOUSES ARE NOT BROTHELS. THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT BECAE IT IS SEXUAL AUTONOMY,
SAFER SEX, AND SEXUAL HEALTH, WHICH WILL BE A PRIORITY FOR THE SEX WORKING COMMUNITY. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE IN SUPPOR THE ANTI-SEX RHETORIC AROUND BATHHOUSES HAS BEEN DISPLACED. I FIND IT INCREDIBLY INSULTING.
BANNING BATHHOUSES IS NO LONGER A SUCCESSFUL TOOL IN PROTECTING COMMUNITY HEALTH. THOSE DESERVE SAFE SPACES LIKE THIS AND I SUPPORT THE WORK OF CREATING PA PATHWAYS FOR BATHHOUSES THAT INCLUDE ACCESS TO CARE AND
INCLUSIVITY TO MARGINALIZED PEOPLE. I WANT TOHANK THE STAFF FOR TAKING TEAIME TO MEET WITH WORKERS IMPACTED AS THIS WORK UNFOLDS. IT MEANS A LOT TO TAKE OUR VOICES SERIOUSLY. I
HOPE LISNING TO MARGINALIZED WORKERS REMAINS A PRIORITY FOR THIS COUNCIL BODY. >> NEXT WE HAVE NUMBER 4, SARAH, THEN GRACE, REESE. >> HI, MY NAME IS SARAH. I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME IN SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS. UNLIKE MY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO. I AM NOT REALLY AN ADVOCATE, I AM JUST A COMMUNITY MEMBER. I'M A QUEER COMMUNITY MEMBER. I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS TRYING TO REMOVE
THIS NEGATIVE LANGUAGE AND I APPRECIATE THA MINORY GROUPS, INCLUDING ME THAT FACE INJUSTICE TIS ARE GETTING A CHANCE TO BE
ON AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD AND HAVE A SAFE SPACE FOR THE REST OF US. I THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE ADVOCATES BUT REGULAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WOULD APPRECIATE AND BENEFIT FROM THIS CHANGE IN LANGGE. THANK YOU.
>> NUMBER 5, GRACE. >> HEL AND THANK YOU ALL. MY NAME IS GRACE. VERY TRANS, VERY
QUEER, AND I'M AN ORGAZER OF MANY GRASSROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY, INTIMATE SAFE SPACES FOR TRANS PEOP VERY SPECIFICALLY. NOW DISCRIMINATORY LAWS WHEN LEFT ON BOOKS, THEY ONLY SERVE TO HARM AND STILL
MATIZE. R COMMUNITY IS PUSHED TO THE FRINGES, EVEN TO THIS DAY, STIGMATIZED THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE NEED FOR SAFE SPACES AND EDUCATION. TRANS PEOPLE ARE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING VULNERABLE DEMOGRAPHICS IN OUR STATE, WHETHER YOU KNOW
IT OR NOT, A LOT OF US KEEP COMING BECAUSE EVERYONE KEEPS PASSING LAWS AGAINST US. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE LESS LAWS AGAINST US HERE, THAT IS FOR CERTAIN. WHAT DOES SANCTUARY MEAN WHEN THERE ARE DISCRIMINATORY LAWS LEFT IN THE
BOOKS? WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN OUR COMMUNITY IS FORCED TO MEET IN SECRECY FOR OUR SAFETY. WHAT DOES SANCTUARY MEAN WHEN IT'S STILL DANGEROUS FOR US TO HOLD VIGILS IN PUBLIC BECAUSE OF THE DEATH THREATS WE GET MOURNING
OUR OWN DEAD. GAY PRIDE IS A PARTY BUT TRANS PRIDE IS A RESOURCE FAIR, IT'S YOU ARE -- SURVIVAL. THE EVENTS I
ORGANIZED, NEEDLE EXCHANGE, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, AND SO MUCH MORE. WE DESERVE PLACES TO CONNECT AND LOVE ON EACH OTHER IN THE WAYS WE WANT TO, THE WAY OUR LOVE SHOULD NOT BE TURNED BY OTHER
PEOPLE TELLING US WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG FOR OUR COMMUNITY. OUR COMMUNITY, HISTORICALLY, WE BURY OUR DEAD IN THE MORNING, WE PROTEST DURING THE DAY, AND WE DANCE ALL NIGHT. WE DANCE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT KEEPS US
ALIVE.E FIGHT FOR THAT DANCE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO DANCE INHE SUNLIGHT TOO. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
>> NEXT UP WE HAVE NUMBER, REESE. >> HI, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M A QUEER TRANS MAN
VING AND WORKING IN WARD 8. I AM VERY LUCKY TO LIVE MY LIFE IN COMMUNITIES THAT VALUE MY PERSON HOOD AND WELLBEING. THIS HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. WHEN I WAS YOUNG, MUCH MORE VULRABLE AND UNINFORMED, I SPENT TIME IN PRIVATE UNDERGROUND SEXUAL
SPACES ACROSS MINNEAPOLIS IN THE METRO AREA. LET ME BE CLEAR, I DO NOT BELIEVE THOSE SPACES ARE INHERENTLY BAD OR WRONG, SOMETIMES I WASET WITH RESPECT, COMPASSION, AND SUPPORT. HOWEVER, AT OTHER TIMES I WAS MET WITH DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION, HARM, AND
VIOLATION AND ABUSE. IT IS MY BELIEVE THAT HAD A PUBLIC COMMUNITY VENUEIKE A BATHHOUSE HAD BEEN AVAILABLE, THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT FOR ME AS EXPLORED MY IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY. I SPENT YEARS TAKING MISINFORMATION PROVIDED TO ME IN
THESE SPACES THAT PREP WAS NOT FOREOPLE WITH BODIES LIKE MINE, HAVING INTERACTIONS I WAS HAVING. A PUBLIC VENUE, I COULD HAVE BEEN EDUCATED ON AND CONNECTED TO PREP WHEN I NEEDED IT THE MOST. I GRINNED AND
BEARED IT THROUGH EGREGIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE WHOEVER HAS THEOUSE OR THE CONNECTION OR THE CLOUT HAS THE POWER. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEENIKE THAT. IN A PUBLIC VENUE, CLEAR STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND BOUNDARIES CAN BE ESTABLISHED AND UPHELD WITH A HIGHER LEVEL
OF EQUITY AND CONSISTENCY. COMMUNAL SEXUAL SPACES HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED AND ALWAYS WILL. REPEALING THE MINNEAPOLIS BATHHOUSE BAN IS AN OVERDUE STEP TOWARDS MAKING THEM AS SAFE AND EQUITAE AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> NEXT WE HAVE ELIZABETH, JAMES, LEE, AND JAY. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH AND I LIVED IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR 25 YEARS. I
RRENTLY LIVE IN WARD 11. I HOLD MASTERS DEGREES IN SOCIAL WORK AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE QUEER COMMUNITY. I CARE ABOUT REPEALING THE BATHHOUSE BAN FOR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL REASONS. BATHHOUSES
AND ADULT VENUES MAY SEEM LIKE A FRINGE ISSUE TO SOME FOLKS BUT THEY HAVE SERVED AS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY SPACES WITHIN THE QUEER COMMUNITY. LIKE BARS AND BREWERIES, THEY CAN OPERATE SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY WHEN LICENSED AND REGULATED AND ALSO
GENERATE INCOME FOR OUR CITY. I CAN SAY THIS WITH AUTHORITY BECAUSE I LOVE BATHHOUSES. I VISITED LEGAL ADULT VENUES IN OTHER MAJOR CIES, MOST RECENTLY IN TORONTO. THE SPACE WAS CLEAN, PROFESSIONALLY RUN, SAFE,ND WELCOMING. CONDOMS AND
SAFER SEX INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE, SURFACES WERE REGULARLY SANITIZE AND STAFF WERE CLEARLY TRAINED IN SAFETY AND CONSENT PRACTICES. AS A WOMAN BEING THERE SOLO, I FELT TOTALLY SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. THE REALITY IS THAT THESE
GATHERINGS ALREADY HAPPEN IN MINNEAPOLIS, THEY'RE IN UNREGULATING SETTINGS, WITH VARYING DEGREES OF CLEANLINESS. ADULTS WILL MEET OTHER ADULTS THAT MAY PLACE PEOPLE AT GREATER RISK. LEGAL REGULATED VENUES
PROVIDE A SAFER ALTERNATIVE FOR MANY OFUS. CITIES LIKE CHICAGO, SEATTLE, PORTLAND, MIAMI, AND SAN FRANCISCO ALREADY ALLOW THE BAN ULD SUPPORT HARM REDUCTION, PUBLIC HEALTH, PERSONAL FREEDOM, AND SAFE COMMUNITY SPACES FOR THE QUEER
COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY AND OTHER CONSENTING ADULTS. THANK YOU. >> WELCOME. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT -- I JUST
STARTED. [LAUGHTER]. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE, CHAIR CHAVEZ, AND VICE CHAIR STEVENSON, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITING, I'M JAMES HOUSTON, WARD 11. I HAVE BEEN A MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENT FOR 15 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, I HAVE BEEN A
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, SEX EDUCATOR, AND IN MY ROLE, IN THOSE ROLES I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SEXUALITY SPACES IN CHICAGO, NEW YORK, DENVER, BOSTON, D.C.,COLUMBUS, ST. LOUIS. NOT ALL OF THEM ARE
BATHHOUSES BUT THEY'RE SEXUALITY SPACES. I SAW THE SAME STORY, SOCIAL GROUPS AROUND A SHARED COMMUNITY HUB, VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS, BOYS TOWN. IN THESE SPACES, MEMBERSHIP COMES WITH A SENSE OF BELONGING, OWNERSHIP, AND PRIDE, FOSTERING
MUTUAL CARE, TRUST, AND COMMUNITY STANDARDS THAT PROTECT THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATE. C WE HAVE THE SAME OPPORNITIES IN MINNEAPOLIS? I SUPPORT THE MISSION OF FAMILY FREE CLINIC. I
REMEMBER THE TINY STOREFRONT IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, NEXT TO THE CHTER BOX. IN THEIR 20 YEARS OF BUSINESS, THEY HAVE DONE AMAZING THINGS TO SUPPORT SEXUALITY EDUCATION AND MADE NATIONAL NEWS FOR THEIR MUTUAL AID WORK THI WINTER. I WANT TO
EXTEND THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY OR RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE WE'RE CUSTOMERS AND PATIENTS. FOR ME, FIING MY PEOPLE IN THE TWIN CITIES LED TO FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY AND ROOTS. COUNCIL
MEMBERS PAYNE, COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CHOWDHURY, COUNCIL MEMBER STEVENSON, COUNCIL MBER CHUGHTAI, ALL THROUGH THIS BILL, I HOPE THAT THE RESTF YOU WILL JOIN THEM, ATTEND THE MEETING ON
JUNE 26TH, AND VO TO END THE BAN. WE SHOWED UP THIS WINTER FOR PAIN, SHOW UP FOR JOY TOO. >> NEXT WE HAVE LEE, JAY, NOAH,
AND DYLAN. >>EAH CHAIR CHAVEZ, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. THIS STEP IN REPEALG THE BATHHOUSE MORATORIUM IS ABOUT EQUITY AND UPDATING CITY POLICY TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE ADVANCES IN PUBLIC
THAT DID NOT EXIST BACK IN 1988 LIKE PREP. I VISITED ONLY TWO BATHHOUSES BUT FROM WHAT I OBSERVED, THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE PUBLIC HEALTH OUTREACH HERE. AS A BOARD MEMBER OF STONEWALL DFL, I ADMIT TO WANTING TO BRING THIS
QUESTION ON THIS TOPIC UP IN CANDIDATE SCREENINGS, BUT I WAS CONCERD HOW I MIGHT BE PERCEIVED AND A VOTE TO OVERTURN THE BAN WOULD HEEL -- HEAL TT SENSE OF STIGMA. I HEARD
BRINGING JOBS, NEW BUSINESSES, NEW INVESTMENTS, BUILDING UP THE DOWNTOWN TAX BASE, OVERRIDING PRIORITIES. I'M CURIOUS HOW THOSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PROMISES WOULD NOT CARRY OVER WHEN IT COMES TO NEW BATHHOUSES, WHEN IT WOULD BOOST TOURISM IN MINNEAPOLIS. AS FAR AS THE PERCEIVED RISK THE SAME ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE UNDER THE MORATORIUM IN UNDERGROUND
AREAS THAT ARE OFTEN UNFE AND INACCESSIBLE. MY FRIENDND I REFUSE TO TAKE PT IN FREE-FOR-ALLS WHERE THERE ARE NO WRITTEN GUIDELINES OF CONDUCT THAT PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO ACKNLEDGE. AS A QUEERERSON ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, IT IS OFTEN HARD FOR US TO NAVIGATE
SPACES TT ARE FULL OF RULES THAT EVERYONE IS EXPECTED TO ASP, INCLUDING ON THE APPS, AND MANY OF THE GAY BARS ARE NOT AUTISM FRIENDLY BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO TALK OVER PULSATING SI MUSIC EVERYWHERE GO AND HAVIN
A BATHHOUSE WOULD BE LESS SENSORY OVERLOAD. THIS IS ABOUT EQUITY RATHER THAN TOKEN EQUALITY. TO CONCLUDE, HAVING A BATHHOUSWOULD ANCHOR THE SOCIAL -- WE'RE ALL -- >> THANK YOU LEE. APPRECIATE
YO NEXT UP WE HAVE JAY, NOAH, DYLAN, SHAWN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM DR. JAY, I OWN A HOME IN WARD 9. I'A RESEARCH SCIENTIST, WITH A PhD SPECIALIZING IN SEXUAL HEALTH
AND SEXUAL SPACES. I LIVE THE HIV PREVENTION DEPARTMENT. FOR 40 YEARS, WEED THE WAY SERVING PEOPLE LING WITH AND AT RISK OF HIV. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. AS AN EXPERTN HIV PREVENTION, THIS
POLICY CHANGE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM. PUBLIC HETH HAS EVOLVED DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE ORIGINAL BATHHOUSE BANS THAT WERE ISSUED IN FEAR AND SHAME AROUND HIV. TOGETHER WITH NEW STRATEGIES LIKE PREP AND U EQUALS U, WE HAVE THE
TOOLS TO REDUCE HIV TRANSMISSION. OUR TASK IS NOT TO ELIMINATE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SEX BUT TO BRING PEOPLE OUT OF THE SHADOWS WHERE WE CAN GIVE THEM THE TOOLS WE HAVE IN PLACE. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THA PUSHING SEXUAL ACTIVITY INTO LESS VISIBLE SPACES DOES NOT
ELIMINATE THE RISK, IT MAKES OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MORE DIFFICULT. LICENSED VENUES CAN BECOME OUR PARTNERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, OTHER CITIES HAVE LED THE WAY IN THIS DIRECTION. WE ARE NOT BREAKING GROUND HERE. WE ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH WHAT
OTHER PLACES ARE ALREADY DOING NOTE, I WILL ALSO SAY I D'T THI GOVERNMENT TO SIT IN JUDGMENT AND DECIDE WHAT KIND OF SPACES N BE IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS. BATHHOUSES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF QUEER
HISTORY AND OUR CURRENT COMMUNITY AND AS A BODY LARGELY COMPOSED OF NON-LGBTQ PEOPLE, I HOPE YOU WILL DEFER TO THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE ARE IMPORTANT SPACES TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU COUNCIL
MEMBER CHAVEZ AND THE REST OF THE CO-AUTHORS. PLEASE PASS THIS ORDINANCE. >> NEXT UP, NOAH, DYLAN, SHAWN. >> GOOD AFTERNO COMMITTEE MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NOAH, I LIVE IN KING FIELD, AND I'M A QUEER
PUBLIC HISTORIAN. SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASKED WHY I CARE ABOUT OR SPEND TIME AND MONEY ON THIS NOW. AS A HISTORIAN WHO HAS WRITTEN ABOUT BATHHOUSES, HIV-AIDS, AND YES, BRIAN COIL, INCLUDING TH DEVELOPER OF THE 2023 EXHIBIT AT MILL CITY MUSEUM
ABOUT LGBTQ NIGHT LIFE, I PARTICULARLY FEEL EQUIP TO TELL YOU WHY. IN 1988, PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS AS BRIAN COIL WAS ALSO LIVING WITHOUT ANSWERS. COUNCIL MEMBER COIL'S DECISION TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE WAS ONE MADE OUT OF FEAR. WHILE I CAN
EMPHASIZE, WE KNEAD TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS WITH FACTS. THIS DID NOT PREVENT HIV INFECTIONS AND USING A DECAD OLD OPINION OF ONE GAY PERSON TO DISPUTE A BROAD COALITION OF QUEER PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS TOKENIZATION. BRIAN LOVED HIS COMMUNITY A HE
WANTED US TO HAVE SEXUAL FREEDOM BUT HE KNEW TAKING AWAY THESE SPACES WOULD MAKE US LESS SAFE AND THEY DID. HAD HE HAD BEEN ABLE AT THE TIME, HE WOU HAVE PRESERVED THEM. YOU ASK WHY NOW? A GRASSROOTS GROUP OF CONSTITUENTS GUIDED BY HISTORY HAS COME TOGETHER AND SAID WE
WILL BE HEALTHIER AND SAFER IF WE HAVE ACCESS TO THESE SPACES. WITH THE TOOLS AGAINST HIV WE HAVE NOW, BRIAN COIL WLD HAVE LISTENED TO US. NOW WE HAVE FACTS, NOT FEAR. WHY NOW YOU ASK? BECAUSE WE ARE 38 YEARS OVER DUE. THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD
HAVE NEVER PASSED AND IT IS TIME TO UNDO A HISTORICAL INJUSTICE TIS. THANK YOU. >> DYLAN, NUMBER 12. >> GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DYLAN, I AM
A PROUD WARD 8 RESIDENT, A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV, THE DIRECT OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE ALIVENESS PROJECT, AND LEADER OF THE SAFER SEX COALITION. I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT MAY SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE. MY FIRST
APPEARANCE AT A BATHHOUSE WAS TO GET TESTED FOR HIV. I WENT BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS PLACE WHERE QUEER PEOPLE FELT SAFE. FOR MANY PEOPLE, THESE VENUES ARE NOT JUST SOCIAL SPACES, THEY ARE PUBLIC HEALTH SPACES. THEY ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN
ACCESS HIV TESTING, EDUCATION, CONDOMS, AND PREVENTION. OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BRING PANELS TO MINNEAPOLIS. THIS QUILT REMINDS US OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FAIL TO
LISTEN TO THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IT REMINDS US OF THE COST OF FEAR BASED POLICIES THAT PUSH PEOPL INTO THE SHADOWS RATHER THAN SUPPORTING THEM. THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR AND CONSTENTLY SHOW THAT
BATHHOUSES CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT LE IN SAFER SEX AND SUPPORTING HIV PREVENTION. COUNCIL MEMBER SHAFFER SAID THESE PROPOSALS AR REALITY OFRY DAY RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE TRYING TO DO BUSINESS
IN OUR CITY". I RESPECTFULLY REJECT THAT ATEMENT. WE ARE EVERY DAY RESIDENTS. MY BUSINESS IS MAKING SURE THAT QUEER PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. MY BUSINESS IS HELPING PEOPLE GET TESTED FOR HIV. MY BUSINESS IS
CONNECTING PEOPLE TO TATMENT AND PREVENTION SERVICES. MY BUSINESS IS HELPING US END HIV IN MINNESOTA. I WOULD HOPE THAT IS THE BUSINESS OF THIS COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY REPRESENTATIVES OF SOME OF THE QUEEREST WARDS IN
MINNEAPOLIS, TO REDUCE HIV INFECTIONS, AND ENSURE THAT LGBTQ+ RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO COMMUNITY THEY DESERVE. I URGE YOU ALL TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ME TOY. >> TNK YOU, NEXT UP WE HAVE
SHAWN, NUMBER 13. NUMBER 14 IS -- I'M SHOWING IT SHOULD BE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, CHANDLER? THEN NEXT PERSON WOULD BE CAT. >> HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY
NAME IS SHAWN. I AM A PROUD RESIDENT OF WARD 12. I WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE TODAY ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF THE ORDINANCE AND WORKING TOHANGE THAT TODAY WITH PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP MANY TIMES TODAY, THE REASON WE HAD
THIS ORDINANCE WAS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF AN EPIDEMIC. I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE PERSON WHO LIVES IN OUR CITY, STATE, OUR COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT FEAR OF AN EPIDEMIC LOOKS LIKE AND THE DECISIONS WE MAKE DURING THOSE TIMES WHEN WE ARE MOST AFRAID. WE CAN FIGHT THOSE
THINGS WHEN WE HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING AS WE ALL UNDERAND D WE HAVE ALL VE SEEN. WE HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE NOW THA IN THE '80s, TO PROTECT OURSELVES, AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE BETTER CHANGES FOR OURSELVES AND THE COMMUNITY AT-LARGE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT O NEED
MOSTLY FOR THESE SORTS OF THINGS IS ABOUT COMMUNITY AND COMING TOGETHER AND ALTHOUGH THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE FEEL IS STRANGE, DIFFERENT, OR MAY NOT UNDERSTAND AS PART OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO US. THEY ARE DIFFERENT. THERE IS
MORE SO NEED FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IN THIS WORLD, IN THIS COUNTRY THAN COMMUNITY, AND THOSE THINGS COME TOGETHER. I HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, MUCH LIKE THETH PEOPLE SPEAKING TODAY OF BATHHOUSES AND I AM NOT EXACTLY A BEAUTY, SO I GET TO SEE THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T. THAT IS COMMUNITY AND
PEOPLE COMING GETHER. I HAVE SEEN YOUNG PEOPL MEETING AND TAING IN DALL, N -- IN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT SAFE. I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE SHARING TIME IN SPACES IN THE COUNTRY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED HERE
AND IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AT-LARGE TO BUILD THAT UP. I ASK YOU TO VOTE TO CHANGE OUR ORDINANCE AS IT IS. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> NUMBER 14, CHANDLER. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU FOR VING ME. MY NAMS CHANDLER, I'M A GAY TRANS MAN, AND I WORK FOR A SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLINIC, PROVIDING SEXUAL
HEALTH EDUCATION. IN MY PERSPECTIVE AS A GAY TRANS PERSON, BATHHOUS AND COMMERCIAL SEX SPACES ARE SO SPECIAL THEY ARE SPACES OF DEEP
CARE BETWEEN STRANGERS, THAT MAKE OUR PEOPLE LESS ALONE, HEALING RESOURCESPACES. IF YOU SEE THIS ISSUE AS FNGE OR IRRELEVANT, WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW US VERY
WELL AND MAYBE Y KNOW US ON THE SURFACE OR US ONV, BUT YOU HAVEN'T ENGAGED DEEPLY WITH OUR HISTORY AS LGBTQ PEOPLE AND THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF LGBTQ
CULTURES TO OUR WORLD. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BN CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE ALL OF US. IN THE WORDS OF GEORGE MICHAEL, THIS IS OUR CULTURE. WE'RE HERE TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES. HAVING A CITY THAT WOULD BE OPEN TO OPENING A
BATHHOUSE IS A PART OF BEING A LGBTQ WELCOMING CITY. IT'S NOT UNIQ BUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LGBT IENDLY. AS A SEX EDUCATOR, WHAT I KNOW, YOU ALSO
KNOW, AND WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAV END HIV, IT DIDN'T MAKE US LESS VULNERABLE TO OTHERSTIs, IT CAME FROM A REACTIONARY COUNCIL THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE THRIVING HIV PREVENTION INFRASTRUCTURE OR KNOWLEDGE OF 202 WE KNOW HOW
TO KEEP EACH OTHER HEALTHY AND SAFE AND IT'S BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHERPROVIDING ALL THE THINGS PVIDED IN BATHHOUSES, RAPID TESTING,PREP, AND HARM REDUCTION, LUBE, ANDONDOMS,
AND EDUCATION. THANK YOU. >> NO >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS CAT, I USE THEY/SHE PRONOUNS, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUT FRONT MINNESOTA, OUR STATE'S LARGEST LGBTQ ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATION. WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1987 AT REALLY THE HEIGHT OF THE PEAK OF THE HIV CRISIS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. IN LARGE PART BECAE OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDED VOICES AT TABLES OF POWER. WE NEEDED VOICES TO INFORM PUBLIC HEALTH DECISION MAKING, TO
ENSURE THAT OUROMMUNITIES WOULD BE MET WITH SUPPORT AND CARE AND RESOURCES AND C COMPETENCY WHEN WE STEPPEDNTO SPACES OF CARE. THE BATHHOUSE BAN HAS BEEN IN ESTENCEOR ALMOST AS LONG ASUR ORGANIZATION A WE ASK THE
QUESTION OF WHY NOW, THE ANSWER IS WHY NOT NOW? I WAS ATNDREA GENERAL KIN'S TIREMENT PARTY AND THIS IS A PROJECT CARRIED NOT JUST BY OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT BY SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO MANY LEADERS, SO MANY VOICES,
SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERE SEGMENTS OF COMMUNITY WHO ARE ASKING FOR A SIMPLE THING, TO GIVE MORE SPACE TO MORE OF US. WHEN THE MPOX POPPED UP IN THE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ALIVENESS PROCESS ANDTHERS GOT TOGETHER TO REACH OUT TO THE STATE TO SAY
WE WANT TO BE PART OF THIS PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE. WE LED THAT THROUGH ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, THROUGH INFORMING GOOD STRATEGIES ON HOW TO DOCUMENT AND TRACK AND TRACE AND SUPPORT CA FOR FOLKS, AND TO MAKE SE THAT FOLKS CLD GET VACCINATEDS QUICKLY AND AS
EFCTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. PUBLIC H HAPPENS THROUGH COMMUNITY. IT HAPPS WHEN PEOPLE SHOW UP TO SPACES THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE IN. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THOSE DOORS, TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND TO
RIGHT A HISTOC WRONG. THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP IS NUMBER 17, NO LONGER SPEAKING, SO NUMBER 18 IS
AMBER. THEN PATRICK, AND THEN RYAN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL, MY NAME IS PATRICK SKULLY. LAWS PASSED THAT ARE ANTI-GAY HAVE A
LONG TRADITION. 4,000 YEARS AGO, LEVITICUS PROCLAIM THEY SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH. 250 YEARS AGO, EACH OF THERIGINAL 13 COLONIES
HAD A DEATH PENALTY FOR SODOMY. FFERSON SUGGESTED VIRGINIA SOFT THE PENALTY TO CASTRATION. AS A 72-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN, I HAVE LIVED MOST OF MY LIFE CRIMINALIZED AND EXCLUDED
BY THE SYSTEM. DISCRIMINATION AGAINS ME WAS LEGAL UNTIL I W ALMOST 40 YEARS OLD IN MINNESOTA. SEX WAS A CRIME IN MINNESOTA UNTIL I WAS I MY 50s. MARRIAGE WAS NOT AN OPTION UNTIL
I WAS IN MY 60s. SO, DON'T EXPECT ME TO LIVE MY LIFE LIKE YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE IF YOU ARE A HETEROSEXUAL. YOU FORCED ME TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO LIVE MY LIFE.
AFTER BRIAN COIL'S MISGUARDED BATHHOUSE BAN, ORGANIZED THE FIRST SAFE SEX PARTIES THAT HAPPENED IN MINNESOTA. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I DID THAT. THE GAY COMMUNITY WILL SURVIVE
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT IF YOU FAIL TO PASS THIS NEW LAW. WE KNOW HOW TO CREATE OUR COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM, UNDER THE RADAR IF NEED BE. WORKING WITH US IS A BETTER CHOICE. YOU CAN
VOTE TO DO THAT OR YOU CAN VOT TO KP US IN THE SHADOWS. THANK YOU VERYMUCH. >> NEXT UP -- [APPLAUSE]. >> WE HAVE RYAN MURPHY. THEN
AMBER, ACTULY, I DON'T THINK AMBER SPOKE. THAT IS NUMBER 18. >> HI, MY NAME IS AMBER O'NEILL. I'M FROM WARD 3 COUNCIL MEMBER
RAINVILLE IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER. I HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS BUT AFTER HEARING EVERYTHING, I FEEL LIKE THIS REAL IS A BIT REMISS AND MYOPIC. I FEEL LIKE IF YOU RAISE A CHILD AND TREAT
THEM WELL, HAVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, TO EAT WELL, EXERCISE, THEN O THEIR 20th BIRTHDAY, ENCOURAGE THEM TO ADOPT THE MORGAN SPURLOCK DIET. THAT'S M PIECE. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE NUMBER 20, RYAN. THEN 21, AND THEN 22 DUSTIN. >> HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS RYAN, I'M A RESIDENT O WARD 7. I HAVE A PhD IN AMERICAN STUDIES FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND I'M A PROFESR OF HISTORY. WHEN I WAS -- AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HISTORY TOO BUT WHEN I WAS IN GRADUE SCHOOL, I WAS PART OF THE TWIN CITIES AND WE MADE AOLUME
ABOUT THE QUEER HISTORY OF THE REGION. WHAT I THINK MOST ABOUT REPEALING THE BAN, I THINK THIS IS A WAY FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS TO ATONE FOR PAST SINS. WE KNOW IN MINNESOTA, WE KNOW WHAT IT'SIKE TO BE ATTACKED FROM THE OUTSIDE
BECAUSE ALL OF US VE BEEN THROUGH THAT THIS WINTER. THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO QUEER PEOPLE IN THE 1970s. I READ ALL THE TESTIMONY AND THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE, YOKNOW, PART OF T PUBLIC DIALOG IN THE 1970s DURING THE BATHHOUSE RAIDS THAT
PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY REFERENCED HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, IT IS A DEEPLY COMPELLING TOPIC AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING THINGS I REA WAS THE TESTIMONY FROM THE BOUNCERS AT THE GAY 90s WHO WOULD WATCH THE FIRE DEPART
THE 90s. THESE GROUPS OF YOUNG MEN WOULD BEAT MEN COMING OUT OF THE 90s AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD LAUGH AND IT WAS THE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE NIGHT. NOW THAT'S NOT HOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BEHAVE TODAY I THINK, BUT IT'S TIME TO MAKE TH
IN THE COMMUNITY. I URGE US TO REPEAL THE BAN. THANK YOU. >> NUMBE 21, AB. NUMBER 22, DUSTIN. NUMBER 23, CAT.
>> ALL RIGHT, HI EVERYONE. I'M AB. JUST A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO SAY, THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL COMMUNITY VIA THE PROMO INCREASE OF TOURISMND OTHER ANCILLARY SPENDING ASSOCTED
WITH THOSE THINGS AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL IN NEED OF NEW TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO WHAT THEY WANT AND IF THAT GETS US MORE TAX REVENUE, THAT'S GREAT. ALSO, IN A WORLDHERE PERSONAL LIBERTY
IS JUST CONSTANTLY BEING CURTAILED, YOU HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNIT TO BUCK THIS TREND AND GIVE AUTONOMY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE REQUIRE LONG TRIPS TO OTHER CITIES. IT'S ALSOORTH MENTIONING THAT IN A WORLD GROWING INCREASINGLY HOSTILE TO
LGBTQ PEOPLE, WE HAVE REFUGEES FLOODING INTO NNEAPOLIS. WE NEED RESOURCES AND JOY. I UNDERSTAND THAT CERTAIN IMAGE ROLES STRUGGLE WIT THIS TOPIC AND PARTICIPION IN THESE
SPACESS ENTIRELY OPTION. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK TO CONSIDER THE TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS AND VENUES THAT WOULD HAVE THESE SORTS OF EVENTS D SPACES AND THAT YOU TRY AND MAKE REGULATIONS THAT ARE NOT
OVERLY ONEROUS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> WELCOME DUSTIN. >> HELLO, MY NAME IS DUSTIN, I LIVE IN WARD. I AM HERE TODAY
TO SUPPORT REPEALING THE BATHHOUSE BAN IN MINNEAPOLIS. FOR 15 YEARS, I WORKED IN TOURISM. 10 YEARS ON CRUISE SHIPS, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, TO PRINCESS, TO DIEY. I MANAGED THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AT A
CULINARY ARTS COLLEGE. TO PUT IT LITLY, TOURISM IS IN MY BLOOD. ALL MY TRAVELS, GUESS WHAT -- GUESTS HAVE ASKED MEHERE IS E NEAREST BATHHOUSE. I KNOW THAT PEOPLE SEEK OUT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS. IT WAS A SHOCK
TO ME THAT THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES WERE NOT AVAILABLE HERE AND THE NEAREST PLACE TO ENJOY A BATHHOUSE WAS IN DULUTH OR CHICAGO. TODAY, MANY PEOPLE TRAVEL OUT OF OUR CITY AND SPEND THEIR MONEY IN THOSE PLACES AS THEY VISIT THE BATHHOUSES. IT'S MONEY WE CAN
KEEP IN OUR CITY. BATHHOUSES HOLD A LONG HISTORY IN THE QUEER COMMUNITY BUT THEY'RE OPEN TO ALL. WE KNOW THAT STRAIGHT PEOPLE LOVE TO ENJOY THE QUEER COMMUNITY, OUR ART, FASHION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND OUR VOCAB
VOCABULARY. OUR COMMUNITY IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF TRENDS AND STYLE AND OUR COMNITY NEEDS SAFE SPACES TO CONNECT AND BE CREATIVE. DID YOU KNOW THAT BET MID ALERT STARTED HER CAREER IN
A BATHHOUSE. BARRY MANILOW WAS HER PIANO PLAYER. REPEALING THEC TO THE CITYBOOST OUT-OF-STATE TOURISM, INCREASE TAX REVENUE, AND OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. LIKE THEY SAID
IN THE MOVIE FIELD OF DREAMS, IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME. TRUST ME, THEY WILL COME. [APPLAUSE]. >> IN CLOSING, AS A GAY BLACK MAN, I HEARD WHITE PEOPLE TELL ME THROUGHOUT MANY YEARS OF MY LIFE, THEY KNEW WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. YESTERDAY I WITNESSED STRAIGHT
COUNCIL MEMBERS TELL THE QUEER COMMUNITY THEY KNEW WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM. YOU DO NOT LIVE IN MY SHOES. PLEASE REMOVE THE BATHHOUSE BAN. >> THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP WEAVE NUMBER 23,
24, AND NUMBER 25 IS NO LONGER SPEAKING. >> HELLO, MY NAME IS CAT. I'M A RESIDENT OF WARD 1 AND A SEX EDUCATOR IN MINNEAPOLIS AND COMMUNITY MEMBER. I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO AUTHORED THIS REPEAL AND WHO ARE
SUPPORTING THE REPEAL OR NSIDERING SUPPORTING IT. I WANT TO SAY WE HAVE YOU BACK SHOULD YOU FACE ANY PHBACK OR SHOULD YOU BE WONDERING WHAT WERE ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL DIVERSE VIBRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TALKING ABOUT IN THAT MEETING ABOUT ALL THE ECONOMIC AND PUBL HEALTH BENEFITS, CALL US
UP, YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND US, ANWE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS. FOR ANYBY WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH BATHHOUSES OR HASN'T SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT WHY THIS WOULD MATTER, I WOULD SAY I HOPE YOU CAN THINK OF AN AREA IN YOUR
LIFE THAT IS A SPACE OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHERE YOU FEEL AT EASE AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GATHER TOGEER WITH PEOPLE WHOHARE A CORE EXPERIENCE WITH YOU AND WH YOURSELF AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE
AND EXPERIENCE THE JOY THAT, THAT BRINGS. IF YOU HAVE A SPACE LIKE THAT IN YOUR LIFE, PERHAPS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS TO THOSEF US WHO GATHER IN ADULT SPACES RANGING FROM BARS TO PARTIES TO BATHHOUSES, AND FOR WHOM THAT IS AN
IMPORTANT SITE OF COMMUNITY AND THE APPLAUSE AND ALL THE LOVE THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM RIGHT NOW SPEAKS TO THAT COMMUNITY FOR ME. I WASN'T EXPECTING TO SEE ON MY WAY IN A BEAUTIFUL STATUTE OF
COUNCIL MEMBER COIL AND TOOK A MOMENT TOAY HELLO TO BRIAN COIL. I KNOW THAT HE SUPPORTED THIS BAN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TIME THAT HE LIVED AND DIED. I
WISH THAT HE WERE AROUND TODAY AN I WISH THAT I COULD TALK TO HIM. HE WOULD BE 80. I LOOKED IT UP. I WISH I COU TELL HIM ABOUT E EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR HIV THAT WE HAVE NOW. I WISH I COULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHERE HE FOUND COMMUNITY A WHAT THAT
COMMUNITY MEANT TO HIM AND I WON'T GET T MEET BRIAN COIL, BUT PERHAPS I CAN MEET SOMEBODY LIKE HIM IN A GATHERING SPACE LIKE A BATHHOUSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> NEXT UP WE HAVE GREG. >> HELLO, I AM GREG, A RESIDENT OF WARD 8 AND GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SCHOOL OF PUBC HEALTH. I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE ORDINANCE TO
AMEND. I WANT TO TALK TO THOSE FEARFUL OF THESE CHANGESEING AGAINST THEIR VALUES. I HOPE ALL OF US ON THIS COUNCIL SHAS VALUES AROUND PERSONAL FREEDOMS, PERSONAL EXPRESSION, AND BUILDING A VIBRANT AND FINANCIAE
AMENDMT TO TITLE XI ENABLES ALL OF THOSE VALUES. RESTRICTIONS TO FREEDOM SHOULD ONLY EXIST WHEN THEY SUPPORT THE COMMON GOOD OR NECESSARY. THE RESTRICTIONS ON BATHHOUSES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE. THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS ARE BROAD ENOUGH
THAT THEY PROHIBIT CULTURAL BATHHOUSES, SAUNAS, AND OTHER BUSINESSES AROUND THIS, AND CREATE UNDUE RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE BUSINESSES TO START. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE SUFFICIENT TO SAFEGUARD PUBLIC HEALTH. THEY ARE CONSISTEN WITH INFECTIOUS DISEASE SCIENCE AND
PRACTICE. THEY RESERVE SUFFICIENT POWER TO THE COISSIONER OF HEALTH IF ANYTHING CHANGES AROUND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU KNOW, AROUND HEALTH. SO I HOPE THE WHO COUNCIL WILL REACH A CONSENSUS DECISION TO AMEND TITLE XI. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE NUMBER 25, WHICH IS NO LONGER SPEANG, SO NUMBER6, HUMMINGBIRD. >> HELLO UNCIL. MANY OF YOU
KNOW ME AS HUMMINGBIRD. I'M A PROUD QUEER WARD 12 RESIDENT. THROUGHOUT THE AIDS CRISIS, OUR GOVERNMENT TURNED ITS BACK ON MUCH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND REFUSED TO TREAT OUR LIVES AS WORTH PROTECTING. IT WAS OUR COMMUNITY THAT BUILT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEPACH OTHER ALIVE. BATHHOUSES WERE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE WERE SPACES WHERE OUTREACH WORKERS COULD REACH PEOPLE DIRECTLY, WHERE SAFER SEX EDUCATION ACTUALLY CIRCULATED PEER TO PEER, AND PUBLI HEALTH INFORMATION THROUGH A COMMUNITY THAT THE BROADER MEDICAL
ESTABLISHMENT HAD ABANDONED. THIS WAS REAL EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HETH WORK DONE BY AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY AT A MOMENT WHEN ALMOST NO ONE ELSE WAS DOING IT. THE RESPONSE FROM CITY LEADERSHIP AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
WAS TO SHUT THOSE SPACESDOWN. BATHHOUSES WERE RAIDED AND CLO CLOSED, AND VIEWED AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH BECAUSE THEY MADE OUR EXISTENCE VISIBLE. HOMOPHOBIA LOOKED TO OUR COMMUNAL AREAS AS AN EASY TARGET
AND LAWS, CRIMINALIZATION, POLICE EXPLOITED THAT. THOSE CLOSURES DIDN'T MAKE ANYONE SAFER. THEY WERE USED AS JUSTIFICATION FOR ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE. IN M LIFETIME, I SEEN THE PEAK OF THE AID CRISIS AND
WITNESSED MYRIAD AID ADVANCEMENTS, GIVING US TOOLS OF SAFETY. NOW AS WE LIVE THROUGH NEW PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS AND CRISISES, WITH A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAS CHOSEN A PATH OF IGNORING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS ALMOST ALL TOGETHER,
DISMANTLING THE INFRASTRUCTURE ALMOST ALL TOGETHER, WE AS A CITY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP MIGHT -- MY COMMUNITY SUPPORT OURSELVES AGAIN. I URGE THE COMMITTEE TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS ORDINANCE.
>> WELCOME. >> GOODFTERNOON COUNCIL. I AM A QUEER PERSON, A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV, AND A PERSON IN RECOVERY. MY FAMILY HASALLED THE MINNEAPOLIS AREA HOME FOR 50 YEARS, SPECIFICALLY IN WARD. I UNDERSTAND WHY THESE RESTRICTIONS WERE PUT IN PLACE. 40 YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY WAS
FANG A DEVASTATING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. COUNTLESS QUEER PEOPLE LT FRIENDS, THEY LOST PARTNERS, LOVED ONES DURING THE HIAND AIDS EPIDEMIC. THE FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY WAS VERY REAL BUT THIS IS NOT 1985. THANKS TO
DECADES OF MEDICAL ADVANCEAND THE WORK O ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE LIVING IN A VERY DIFFERENT REALITY TODAY. MANY PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, INCLUDI MYSELF, ARE UNDETECTABLE AND WE KNOW FROM OVERWHELMING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT
UNDETECTABLE MEANS UNTRANSMITTABLE. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND NEW YORK CITY WHERE BATOUSES OPERATE LEGE WAS NOT A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE. I FOUND COMMUNITY. I FOUND CONNECTION, I FOUND SPACES WHERE QUEER PEOPLE
COULD GATHER SAFELY AND WITHOUT SHAME. MANY MODERN BATHHOUSE TODAY OPERATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS. THEY PROVIDE STI EDUCATION, OFFER TESTING RESOURCES LIKE OTHERS HAVE SHARED THEY UTILIZE AND HELP PEOPLE CONNECT TO COMMUNITY.
THESE SPACES SERVE AS IMPORTANT POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT. MINNEAPOLIS HAS PRIDED ITSELF OF BEING A CITY THAT VALUES PUBLI HEALTH AND SUPPORTS OUR LGBTQ BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I BELIEVE THIS POLICY REFLECTS FEA FROM A DIFRENT ERA, RATHER THAN THE
REALITIES OF TOY. I URGE YOU TO REPEAL THE BATHHOUSE BAN AND ALLOW OUR CITY TO MOVE FORWARD IN SCIENCE GROUNDED IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND DIGNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> NEXT WE HAVE DEX AND THEN TY.
>> HI, I'M DEX ANDERSON, A RESIDENT OF WARD 10. I AM MISSING THE KICK OFF BETEN ENGLAND AND CROATIA TO BE HERE, SO THAT TELLS YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. [LAUGHTER]. >> I WAS MOTIVATED TO BE HERE BY SOME COMMENTSHAT PEARL WARRE
MADE YESTERDAY ABOUT CONCERNS OF DISEASEN THE BATHHOUSES. WE HAD A NUMBER OF MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS THAT ARE STUNNING. I AM 40 YEARS OLD, WHEN I WAS BORN, THAT WASHE YEAR TT HIVWAS OF AIDS. SO, SINCE THEN WE HAVE MADE IT SO THAT SOMEBODY WHO
GETS DIAGNOSED WITH HIV CAN LIVE A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE AND THERE ARE A BUNCH OF PREEXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS THAT PREVENTS THE TRANSMISSION, AS WELL AS WHEN YOU'RE POSITIVE, MAKING YOU
DETECT UNDETECTIBLE, MEANING UNTRANSMITTAE.S WE HEARD IN TESTIMONY, THEY WEREN'T THAT MUCH OF A VECTOR BACK I THE 1R0I8. 80s. WHAT I AM CONCERNED IS THE WILLINGNESS OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BODY TO ENGAGE
IN THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION, IN THAT FEARMONGERING ABOUT THESE SPACES. THAT IS A PORTION OF QUEER CULTURE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU TOO IS THAT BANNING THESE SPACES DOESN'T STOP THE ACTIVITY. IT JUST SHOVES IT
UNRGROUND. WHEN THOSE SPACES GO UNDERGROUND, IT'S LESS SAFE, MORE PRONE TO BAD ACTORS, SUBJEC TO MORE SCRUTINY FROM POCE. THERE ARE NO OTHER ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM THAT EXISTS THERE. YOU CAN'T SUE ANYBODY IF SOMETHING HAPPENS. THERE IS NWAY TO CHECK THAT
EVERYBODY IS WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE AND THEY LACK THE PROTECTION OF THE LAW. AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN IN THOSE SPACES AND RUN INTO THOSE INCIDENTS, IT'S REALLY A PROBLEM THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SAFE REGULATED SPACE FOR USO GO. YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT LGBTQ RESIDENTS HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS ARE SAFE AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO HAVE TSE BUSINESSES REGULATED AND OPEN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, NEXT UP IS TY, AND
THEN EPIPHANY, AND THEN CAM. WELCOME. >> THANK YOU. GD AFTERNOON COUNCIL CHAIR CHAVEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS TYLER GRANT.
I'M A TRANSPLANT OF 12 YEARS, BROUGHT HERE FOR MY M. I AM A RESINT OF WARD 1 AND A BUSINESS OWNER IN WARD 7. FELLOW QUEER COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE MADE THE CASE FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND POSITIV FINANCIAL PLICATIONS OF THE
REPEAL SO WILL TAKE A DIFFERENT TACT FORHOSE STILL CONSIDERING A VOTE AGAINST. I RUN A BUSINESS WHICH LEADS A COALITION OF WELLNESS PRACTITIONERS AROUND MASSAGE. HISTORICALLY MASSAGE THERAPY HAS BEEN THE COVER FOR SEX WORK WITH
LEGISLATION AND BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS TO MATCH. LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR, SEX WORK IS WO AND SHOULD BE LEGALIZED. TODAY, SEX WORK IS THE COVER FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ONE OF THE MOST ABHORRENT ISSUES FOR GOVERNNT TO TACKLE. THE MORE
WE ARE TO DELINEATE SEX WOR AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THE MORE YOU ARE ABLE TO ROUTE HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE ALL AGAINST, CORRECT? THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP WE HAVE EPIPHANY,
KEN? >> HI, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. I'M EPIPHANY AND I'M SEX WORKER, MEANING I AM JUST LIKE YOU BUT MY CLOTHES LOOK BETTER AND I'M LEGALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINSTVEN WHEN
I'M DOING COMPLETELY LEGAL ADULT ACTIVITIES AND ADULT ENTERTAINMENT. ME BEING A SEX WORKER IS NOT WHY I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE BATHHOUSE BAN. ME FILLINOUT THE GAPS IN YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY IS BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE NTH, I TELL GROWN
MEN THAT THOSE MALE ENHANCEMENT PILLS AT THEAS STATION ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOU. EVERY MONTH, I TELL PEOPLE HOW TO GET SCREENED FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS. ERY MONTH, I PREVENT COUNTLESS TRIPS TO THE
E.R. BY TALKING ABOUT FLARED ACES AND LUBE. SO, I AM HE FILLING IN YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH GAPS BY PEOPLE WHO ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD MY TIME BUT THE REASON THAT THEY R SEEKING ME OUT IS BECAUSE WE ARE
ALL PUSHED TO THE SHADOW WE DO NOT HAVE VENUES FOR ADULT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR. DO NOT HAVE PLACES WHERE ADULTS CAN GO AND HANG O AND BE ADULTS AND DO WHAT ADULTS DO IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN
PROVIDE THEM THIS INFORMATION. WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF REAL EDUCATION OR OUTREACH, ALIVENESS EXCLUDED, FOR A LOT OF THESE ISSUES. SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN REPEAL THIS N. THEN WE
CAN HAVE VENUES. WE CAN HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE. WE CAN HAVE REVENUE GENERATING BUSINESSES THAT WILL ALSO PROVIDE PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR THESE SEXUAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT CURRENTLY I AM TAKING CARE OF AND I AM NOT GETTING PAID FOR THAT PART BY
THE WAY. SO, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU ALL REPEALING THIS BAN. THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP, I THINK IT'S KEN. THEN NUMBER 34 JACOB, JACK, AND THEN THAT WILL BE IT.
>> HI, MY NAME IS KEN, I'M A 40 YEAR RESIDENT OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HAVE BEEN IN THE 10th WARD FOR THE PAST 30-PLUS YEARS. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ AND FIOW COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR TAKING UP THIS ISSUE. FOR THOSE
CRITICS THAT QUESTION WHY MINNEAPOLIS WOULD WANT T EMULATE SAN FRANCISCO, I'LL RESPOND BY SAYING DALLAS, HOUSTON, PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH, COLORADO SPRINGS, PHOENIX, VEGAS,SEATTLE, PORTLAND, ORLANDO, MIAMI,
COLUMBUS, CLEVELAND, INDIANAPOLIS, ST. LOUIS, ALL HAVE GAY BATHHOUSES, EVEN THE BIBLE BELT IS REPRESENTED, SO THIS IS NOT JUST A BLUE STATE OR BERAL ISSUE. FOR THOSE CRITICS WHO SAY WHY WOULD MINNEAPIS
BRING UP THIS ISSUE NOW? DON'T WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES TO ADDRES SAYING IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN? BY WAY OF COMPARISON, WHEN COVID WA IDENTIFIED SIX YEARS AGO,
HOSPITALS WERE INUNDATED, PEOE DIED, RES WERE IMPLEMENTED, AND WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO, WE LEARNED ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS, THOSE RULES WERE RELAXED. SIMILARLY, WHEN HIV WAS ORIGINAS WERE INUNDATED, PEOPLE DIED,
RULES WERE IMPLEMENTED, AND BATHHOUSES WERE CLOSED. SIMILARLY, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV. THERE ARE ANTI-VIRALS WCH CAN BRING THOSE INFECTED TO
UNDETECTABLE LEVELS, THERE ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PRE AND POST EXPOSURE MEASURES, AND YET 38 YEARS LATER, A QUEER SPACE SUCH AND ILLEGAL IN MINNEAPOLIS.
FINALLY FOR THOSE CRITICS WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE ADVANCEMENTS I JUST MENTION IN HIV PREVENTION, I WILL RESPOND BY SAYING WHAT BETTER PLACE TO LEARN THAN IN THOSE PLACES WHERE QUEER PEOPLE CONGREGATE AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY IN A SAFE REGULATED SPACE. >> APPRECIATE IT. NEXT UP WE HAVE KEN OR JACOB?
>> HEY Y'ALL. HI NAME IS JACOB THOMAS, I AM A RESIDENT OF WARD 3. I AM ALSO ON THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN REPRESENTING MINNESOTA AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. I'M AN AIR FORCE VETERAN AND I CAN SEE
HOW DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES CAN HARM PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES. I HAD TO SERVE UNDER THE DISCRIMINATORY POLICY KNOWN AS DON'T ASK, DON'TTELL. ONCE IT WAS RIGHTLY REPEALED, I SERVED FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS AS AN OPEN AND OUT PROUD GAY MAN IN
THE MILITARY. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING THAT I LOVE THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO. HALF OF THAT TIME WAS NOT SO FUN, RIGH WE HAD DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES THERE IN PLACE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPEALED LONG
BEFORE I MADE IT ON TO THE SURFACE. WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE IS THE EXACT SAMETHING. AS YOU HEARD TODAY, THE BATHHOUSE BAN IN MINNEAPOLIS IS OUTDATED, IT DOES NOT SERVE PUBLIC HEALTH, IT DOES NOT SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD,
AND IT'S DISCRIMINATORY. IT'S FAR PAST TIME FOR THIS TO BE PUT INTO THE DUST BIN OF HISTORY LIKE DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL WAS. I HOPE THAT THIS BODY WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW THIS STATE AND THIS COUNTRY WHY MINNESOTA IS A
TRUE NORTH STAR IN ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION BY REPEALING THIS BATHHOUSE BAN. >> NEXT UP, JACK AND THEN CLAIRE AND THE I WILL MAKE THE FINAL WARNING AS WE HAVE TO GET GOING ON BUSINESS TODAY.
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS JACK. I LIVE IN WARD 10. I MOVED TO MINNEAPOLIS A LITTLE UNDER TWO YEARS AGO FOR SCHOOL FROM MISSOU. I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE
TALK ABOUT THE ADVANTAGE OF THE BATHHOUSES -- >> YOU MAY PROCEED. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. BEING THAT THIS WOULD BE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE FROM OUT-OF-STATE TO GO. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
GROWING UP IN MISSOURI, I WAS SURROUNDED BY A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. I LOVE WHERE I GREW UP. IN MANY WAYS, I HAD A LOT OF RESOURCES.HE THING THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AND THE THING THAT IS A BIG PART O WHY I AM STILL
HERE TAY AND PLAN ON LIVING IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE IS THAT WHAT I DIDN'T HAVE IS CONSISTENCY. WHEN I WAS IN MY ELY 20s IN COLLEGE, I
DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE WHERE I KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE RESOURCES AND PEOPLE EDUCATED TO EXPLAIN HOW TO BE SAFE TO ME. I HAD TO FIGURE THAT OUT FOR MYSELF AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GET BAD
RESEARCH, SOMETIS NOT HAVE A GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT WAS A SAFE OR DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAVING INSTITUTIONS LIKE BATHHOUSES IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHERE
ELSE TO GO. THANK YOU. >> THE LAST PERSON SNED UP IS CLAIRE. >> I'LL KEEP THIS IEF. MY NAME IS CLAIRE, I AM RESIDENT OF
WARD 1, I HAVE BEENIVING IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR 20 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE SAFER SEX COALITION FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE HERE AND THE BODY AND STAFF AND EVERYONE HERE W HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THIS IS A BRAVE THING TO DO TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DEEPLY STIGMATIZED AND IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION TO HAVE IN PUBLIC. THANK YOU ALL FOR TREATING THIS ISSUE WITH THE DIGNITY THAT IT DESERVES, GIVING IT THE AENTION AND THE SPACE
TO DISGUST AND LISTEN TO THE FACTS FROM THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT EASY. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS POLITICAL CAPITAL AT RISK HERE. SO THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT YOU WHO DIDN'T SPEAK OUT TODAY WHO WROTE IN WITH PUBLIC COMMENT
BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY TOOME HERE IN PERSON. I TOOK A RISK HERE TODAY. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS EASY FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT BUT IT'S DEEPLY IMPORTANT TO ME PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER. I'M A
LIST BYIAN. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE CENTERED AROUND GAY MEN, BUT IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIMEND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE STAFF AND EVERYONE HAS DONE ON
THIS. [APPLAUSE]. >> THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE? I WILL GIVE THREE WARNINGS, WARNING ONE, WARNING TWO, WARNING THREE. SEEING NO ONE ELSE WISNG TO SPEAK, I WILL CLOSE THIS HEARING AND MOVE THIS ITEM FOR APPROVAL AND ASK
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS. >> I WILL SECOND THAT. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE. >> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ, I JUST WTED TO MAKE SURE I GAVE THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP IN CO-AUTHORING THIS,
COUNL MEMBER CHOWDHURY WHO HAS JOINED US, COUNCIL MEMBER WONSLEY, COUNCIL MEMBER CHUGHTAI, AND VICE CHAIR STEVENT TO THANK BRANDON GARCIA FROM MY OFFICE. HEAS BEEN WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE SAFEREX COALITION THAT I WANT TO GIVE A
SHOUT OUT TO. THIS IS NOT COMING FROM ME, THI IS NOT COMING FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, THIS IS COMING FROM YOUR DEEP LOVE AND COMMITME FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AN AND ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELVES IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE MY NAME ATTACHED TO IT BUT WE KNOW THIS IS YOURORK AND WE DO THIS WORK
TOGETHER. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. >> COUNCIL MEMBER WHITING. >> YES, THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ AND I WANT TO NOTE HERE ON THE FRONT END, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS,ND ADVOCATES THAT CAME
TODAY. TO ME, THIS IS NOT A SPACE THAT I NORMALLY EXIST IN SO HEARING FROM SO MANY OF YOU ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IS ABSOLUTELY HELPFUL AS WE THINK THROUGH HOW TO NAVIGATE IN THIS PROCESS AND THIS HISTORY. IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR THE
HISTORY OF OUR 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORY AND THE CONTEXT RELATED TO THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. SO, I WANTED TO WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT HERE, HOW I HAVE BEEN ENGAGING WITH THIS ISS IN COMMUNITY, RIGHT?
WARD 11 IS THE WARD I GET THE HONOR TO REPRESENT. WARD 11 IS E OF THE LEAST DIVERSE WARDS IN OUR CITY, ONE OF THE MORE FLUTE WARDS IN OUR CITY. I HAD THE PLEASURE OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF WEEKENDS, AS I AM SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW, IT'S THE END OF SCHOOL SEASON, WHICH MEANS A LOT OF GRAD PARTIES. SO, IF NOT A NOTE FOR PERSPECTIVE, ELECTEDS GET TO GO TO GRA PARTIES AND SPEAK TO A LOT OF COMMUNITY
MEMBERS. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT ENDS UP INTO POLITICS. ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WAS BATHHOUSES, SO, I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF CONVERSATIONS WITH MY RESIDENTS AND CONSTITUENTS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKENDS AND
THE FIRST THING THAT KIND OF COMES UP TO ME IS CONFUSION AND I THINK THIS ORDINANCE. IT'S LIKE WHAT IS THIS BATHHOUSE THING THAT IS COMING UP? YOU HEAR IT IN THE NEWS, YOU SEE IT IN THE NEWSPAPERS, AND I THINK
CONFUSION IS NOT INHAERERENTLY BAD THING. IT ALLOW FOR CONVERSATION TO HAPPEN. THE WAY THAT I HAVE BEEN NAVIGATING THIS ISSUE, BEING PARTICULAR AROUND TRYING TO IMPART MY BEST ON THAT CONFUSION. AS WE HEARD TODAY AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR ME TO
UNDERSTAND IT IN A LOGICAL MANN EXIST. THESE SPACES EXIST UNDERGROUND, UNDER THE RADAR. SO, THE WAY THAT I SPEAK TO MY RESIDENTS THAT HEY, IF THESE PLACES EXIST, IF THESE ISSUES
AND COMMUNITIES ARE IN A PLACE THAT ARE UNDERGROUND, THAT ARE UNDER THE RADAR, WE, AS A BODY, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE BEST TO MAKE THESE PLACES THAT WE HEARD FROM ALL OF YOU SAFE, LICENS,
REGULATED, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT I THINK EVE SINGLE ONE OF YOU SPOKE ABOUT TODAY AND THAT IS WHERE I THINK WHERE THIS CONFUSION, INSTEAD OF REMAINING IN CONFUSION AND STARTING TO TURN INTO BIGOTRY AND
DISCRIMINATION, WE GET OUTSIDE THE CONFUSION AND GET TO EDUCATION. SO, THAT IS WHERE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT AGAIN I JUST WANTED TO WALK THROUGH WHERE I AM KIND OF COMING FROM IN SUPPORT OF AN ORDINANCE LIKE
THIS.E HAD, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL TODAY, THERE IS POLITICAL CAPITAL AT EXPENSE HERE AND WE'LL HAVE YOUR BACK WHEN THESE THINGS COME UP. I THINK OUR JOB IS TO TAKE THEOLITICAL HEAT, WHICH IS WHY WE'REERE AND WE
GET ELECTED. WHERE YOU CAN HAVE OUR BACKS IS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WHERE YOU CONTINUE TOEDUCATE, CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, AND MAKE THIS. WHERE
YOU HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, ENGAGE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE START TO WIN HEARTS AND MINDS, NOT NECESSARILY ANTAGONISTIC FASHION, BUT IN VERSIONS OF EDUCATION. TO THAT POINT, I DO
HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE. IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO THE AUTHORS, PARTICULARLY. IT SOUNDS LE I HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER STEVENSON NOTE THAT THIS ORDINANCE ITSELF ALONG WITH IT SEEMS LIKE THE OTHER ORDINANCE COMING OUT OF
OU OU OUR BIZ COMMUNITY DOESN'T OPEN THE GATES FOR DEVELOPMENT. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THAT. WH THIS DOESN'T OPEN UP THE DEVELOPMENT FOR SUCH. >> I CAN TAKE A FIRST CRACK AT IT. THESE ARE TECHNICAL
AMENDMENTS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO IN THEUTURE BE ABLE TO WORK ON THE ZONING AND SAFETY REGULATIO WILL BE IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS OR REGULATIONS WE HAVE IN PLACE, WHAT SETY MEASURES WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE. SO THAT IS A PART THAT WRE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH FOLKS
IN THIS BODY AND COMMITTED TO THE MAYOR WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH HIS ADMINISTRATION ON THE DEVELOENT OF IT. >> GREAT, THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ. I THINKHAT IS REALLY HELPFUL AS WE THINK OF THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND THE SAFEGUARDS WHEN THESE PLACES
EXISTS, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THESE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE. WITH ALL THE HEALTH CODES, ET CETERA, WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT AND FIGURING THAT OUT AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THAT PROCS.
ANOTHER QUESTION, THIS IS A CURIOSITY QUESTION, I DID SO AS OTHER PEOPLE WERE NOTIN EING OT CITIES HAVE THESE, THE CITIES THAT HAVE THESE THAT ARE LEGAL IN THEIR BOOKS IS ST. PAUL, ST.
OUD, AND DULUTH. DULUTH IS THE ONLY ONE WHERE ONE EXISTS AT THE MOMENT. I WAS LOOKING AT CHICAGO AND OTHERS AND IT LOOKS LIKE CHICAGO, FROM MY QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH, HAS ONE. I GUESS MY QUESTION, THE HOPE IS THAT FOR
THESE SPACESO EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE UNDERGROUND AND UNDER THE RADAR SPACES FOR HEALTH REASONS, FOR REASONS THAT WE CAN HEAR THE ARGUMENTS FOR. IN CITS THAT DO KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE
LEGALIZATION OF THESEDULT SPACES, DO WE SEE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO EMBRACE THESE SPACES OR DO THEY MORE SO STILL STAY KIND OF UNDERGRND AND UNDER THE RADAR? >> THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER WHITG FOR THAT QUESTION. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR
EVERY MUNICIPALITY ACROSS THE C PLACE, BUT WE KNOW SAN FRANCISCO HAS SOME ROBUST PROTECTIONS IN PLACE AND WE DO SEE THIS NOT ONLY AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE, BUT IT HAS HELPED ADDRESS SOME OF THE ECONOMIC BURDENS THAT CITIES FACE WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES, IF THAT IS YOUR QUESTION.
>> YEAH, I THINK MY HOPE IS IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LEGALIZATION OF THESE SPACES, THAT ACTUALLY WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LEGALIZATION OF THESE SPACES AND THESE SPACES WILL THEN EXIST, INSTEAD OF BEING A
PERFORM TOIR, NOT SING THIS IS A PERFORM TOIR ACTION, BUT ALLOWING FOR THESE SPACES TO EXI EXIST. CHICAGO ONLY HAS ONE AND DULUTH ONLY HAS ONE. AND ST. CLOUD AND ST. PAUL HAVE THESE IN THE BOOKS, ENSURING THESE ARE
COMING TO FRUITION. >> THAT IS O GOAL AND I THINK COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE WILL WANT TO ANSWER THAT TOO. >> YEAH, I THINK TS CAME UP IN ONE OF THE COMMENTS AROUND WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SUCH A HEAVILY REGULATED FRAMEWORK THAT IT'S TOO BIG OF A BARRIER TO OPEN UP A VENUE. THAT WOULD GO
AGAINST THE GOAL OF CREATING THE SAFER SPACE, WHICH IS CLEAN AND SAFE. SO, THIS WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WHEN WE MET WITH THE MAYOR AROUND HIS SUPPORT FOR THIS THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS BECOME SOMETHING THAT WAS SUCH A BURDENO THE BUSINESSES THAT DO
WANT TO OPEN THIS TYPE OF VENUE, SUCH HIGH EXPENSE TO THE BUSINESSES THAT OPEN THE VENUE, SO IT IS A REPEAL ON PAPER AND NOT IN PRACTICE. TO YOUR PREVIO ORDINANCE IS ABOUT SETTING THE FOUNDATION SO THAT WE N DO THE
DEEPER WORK AROUND FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE OF KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S A VIABLE PATHWAY FOR THOSE BUSINESSES SO THAT IT CAN COME FROM UNDER GROUND AND BE IN THE LIGHT. IF THE LICENSE IS TOO
HEAVY, IF THEOSTS ARE TOO HIGH, IT WILL STAY UNDERGROUND. TRYING TO SET THE FOUNDATION TO CREATE THE BALANCE FOR. >> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT PAYNE, THAT WAS MY CONCERN, IS IT A REPEAL ON PAPER BUT THEN IN
ACTUAL IMPLEMTATION, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AGAIN, I AM EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS ON THIS FRONT AND IT WILL BE A BUMMER I WILL HAVE TO MISS THE FINAL VOTE OF THIS ON THE 26th, BUT EXCITED AND THANKFUL TO THE AUTHORS FOR BRINGING IT FORWAR THANK YOU.
>> NEXT UP, VICE CHAIR STEVENSON. >> THANK YOU CHAIR. I MOSTLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO THE TESTIFIERS, TNK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING TO THIS. THIS WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. WE DON'T USUALLY GET POSITIVITY AND
BEAUTY AND LOVE IN THE CHAMBER, COMING TO US, COMING FROM US, THANK YOU FOR THIS. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE TO ME. I WANT TO THANK THE CO-AUTHORS, INCLUDING CHAIR CHAVEZ FOR LEADING ON THIS. THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF
WORK AND A LOT WORK COMING. I WANT TO THANK MY FORMER PREDECESSOR ANDREA JENKINS FOR STARTING THIS WORK AND BEING A PIONEER IN THIS FIELD AND BEING A PIONEER IN HERSELF. THEN, I
WANT TO THANK WARD 8 WHO WHEN I WAS RUNNING, WARD 8 WAS VERY CLEAR WITH ME ON THE DOORS. I WOULD KNOCK ON SOMEBODY'S DOOR AND THEY WOULD SAY I LIKE EVERYTHING YOU ARE SAYING BUT WOULD YOU KEEP ANDREA JENKINS'S
WORK GOING? THAT WILL DECIDE IF I WILL VOTE FOR YOU OR NOT. SO WARD 8 WAS EXTREMELY CLEAR WITH ME IF I DIDN'T KEEP THIS WORK GOING, IF I WASN'T A PART OF THIS, THEY WOULDN'T BE A PART OF WHATEVER I HAD GOING ON. I WANT TO THANK MY PEOPLE FOR BEING
CLEAR, FOR BEING BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, AND FOR FIGHTING FOR THE EQUITY OF TRANS OPLE, OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, AND THANK U FOR BEING FIRM ON GOOD VALUES. >> VETAW. >> THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ.
FIRST, WANT TO THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ. YOU HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY KIND WITH YOUR TIME WITH MY OFFICE AND WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS. I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO YOU AND CERTAINLY IT'S AICS MANY -- A MIXEDAG IN WARD 4. WE HAD
PEOPLE REACH OUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. WE HAVE A LARGE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IN WARD 4, ESPECIALLY THE VICTORY NEIGHBORHOOD. MY PLAN WAS TO HOST A COMMUNITY MEENG THIS SUMMER TO TALK TO WARD 4 RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS BEFORE US TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ AND I HAD A LITTLE ARGUMENT THIS MORNING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THESE SORT OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TODAY MEANS MORE WORK, WHAT'S HAPPENING TAY IS LANGUAGE. THESE ARE TECHNICAL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, B THE MESSAGE THAT IS GETTING OUT TO COMMUNITY IS THAT TODAY IS
THE DAY WE'RE VOTING ON BATHHOUSES AND THAT IS NOT IT. I AM REALLY APPRECIATING THIS BEING DONE IN STEPS BUT AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE STEPS WE'RE TAKING. PEOPLE GET
UPSET QUICKLY ABOUT THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE. SO I AM CERTAINLY LEARNING LOT. I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, I RECENT ANYTHING THAT MAKES IT SEEMS LIKE IF
PEOPLE WANT TO VOTE AGAINST IT, THEY ARE SOMEHOW ANTI-LGBTQ. I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS MADE UP THEIR MIND ON THIS, BUT ME PERSONALLY ITHE LATE 90s, EARLY 2000s, I WAS CERTIFIED THROUGH THE RED CROSS TO BE AN
HIV-AIDS INSTRUCTOR AND GET PEOPLE TESTED AND GIVING OUT CONDOMS AND GIVE PEOPLE HOUSING RESOURCES. I DID THAT WORK THROUGH THE BLACK CHURCH. THAT WAS HARD WORK IN THE LATE '90s TO BE IN BLACK CHURCHES TALKING ABOUT HIV ANDIDS AND GETTING PEOPLE TO DISCLOSE THEMSELVES
AND WANT TO TAKE THE TEST, WANT TO GO WITH YOU TO THE RED CROSS, AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE I EVENTS. SO, I DON'T WANT IT TO FEEL LIKE IF I DID, WHICH WE'RE NOT EVEN AT A PLACE OR VOTING OR NOT, THAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT
THIS COMMUNITY. I CERTAINLY DO. I ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL. SO, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON. I AM HEARING MY COLLEAGUES SAYING THEYE HAVING CONVERSATIONS, AND THE LAST THING WE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IN
MINNEAPOLIS, WE HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD OUR STRENGTH, THE LAST THING WE NEED IS SOMETHING THAT DIVIDES US. I BELIEVE WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER. I LOVE HOW COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ IS LEADING THIS WORK, TALKING TO STAFF, WORKING WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, GETTING DIFFERENT
POINTS OF VIEW. YOU CAN'T SEE THINGS ON THAT SIDE BUT ON THIS SIDE, IT'S A LOT. THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED AROUND HERE TRADIONALLY. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT IS GOING TO IT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING COMMUNITY ON THIS RIDE WITH US AROUND THE STEPS
WE'RE TAKIN TO GET THERE AND THIS IS NOT A FINAL STEP. THIS IS GOING TO OPEN. THE LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THE POINT ABOUT YOU KNOW, THEREEING MAYBE ONE BATHHOUSE IN CHICAGO. CHICAGO IS
MUCH BIGGER THAN MIEAPOLIS. I MEAN, AS A STRAIGHT WOMAN, I HAVE BEEN TO BATHHOUSES, NOT DURING OPERATION HOURS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GO IN DURING THE TIME IT'S OPERATING AS A STRAIGHT WOMAN. I WENT IN TO VISIT THEM AND I WENT IN TO VISIT THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AUSTRALIA,
SPAIN, AMSTERDAM. I HAVE BEEN TO THEM, I KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, I HAVE SEEN THEM. I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON, THERE IS N EVERY BLOCK. I THINK THAT IS THE NARRATIVE THAT IS BEING CREATED HERE, THAT YOU GET A BATHHOUSE,
YOU GET A BATHHOE, YOU GET A BATHHOUSE, EVERYWHERE. THAT IS THE FEAR THAT IS HAPPENING IN MY COMMUNITY. PEOPLE ARE LIKE I WANT A BATHHOUSE, BUT NOT ON THE CORNER WHERE THE SCHOOLIS. SO THERE ARE ALL THESE THINGS WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH. THERE MAY VERY WELL BE ONE BATHHOUSE AND
IT MAY BE IN THE NORTH LOOP AND WE DON KNOW THAT, OR IT MAY BE IN UPTOWN. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE. IT MIGHTE NEXT TO THE RED DOOR FOR ALL WE KNOW. WE DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK THE FEAR IS REALLY THAT THERES GOING TO BE
BATHHOUSES GOING UP EVERYWHERE. WE HAVE NOT DONE T WORK OF A COMMUNITY TO SAY HEY, THERE MAY BE, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF ANYONE IS SPRINTERESTED. I DON'T KNOW THERE IS A SCENE FOR BATHHOUSES IN MIEAPOLIS. THAT IS GOING TO
BE THAT BIG OF A DEAL WHERE SOMEONE WILL COME IN AND INVEST IN THIS BIG BATHHOUSE. WE DON'T KNOW THAT. WHAT IS HAPPENING HE IS SOMEONE IS TRYING TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE HAVING OPEN CONVERSATIONS, NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE ON THE ISSUE, BUT
ALSO LIKE WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AT MAKING SURE THATEAR DOESN'T KEEP ON BREWING BECAUSE THE LONGER IT BREWS, THE HARDER IT BECOMES FOR US TO DO THIS WORK AND ITEALLY IS PEOPLE THINKING BATHHOUSES. WHEN WE
TALK ABOUTCONOMIC ENGINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT PUTS FEAR INTO PEOPLE TO ONE BATHHOUSE IS NOT GOING TO BE AN ECONOMIC ENGI. WHEN YOU'RE SAY ECONOMIC ENGINE, ENGINE MEANS A LOT, A LOT, A LOT. THE TAX BURDEN IS
SOMEHOW GOING TO BE RELIEVED FROM ALL OF THESE BATHHOUSES COMING IN. I'M JUST REFLECTING ON WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING TO ME.SO, I REALLY DO WANT US TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND THAT IT'S NOT SCARING PEOPLE AND THAT IS THE GOAL, WE CAN
WORK AS A COMMUNITY TO ENSURE WHAT THE END GOAL HERE REALLY DOES WITH THE MAYOR'SUPPORT OF COURSE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WONSY. >> YEAH, THANK YOU CHAIR CHAVEZ. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UPND
TESTIFIED TODAY. I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE AND I'M SUPPORTING IT TODAY. I WILL BE SUPPORTING IT NEXT WEEK WHEN WE VOTE FOR IT FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION. THE REASON WHY THERE IS NO HESITANCE ON MY E IS BECAUSE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A NATIONAL CLIMATE WRE EVERY
SINGLE DAY THAT WE HAVE A HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENT RACIST PRESIDENT IN OFFICE THAT IS RALLYING UP AND EMBOLDENING HIS FELLOW G.O.P., FILL IN THE BLANK,ND THEIR GOALS HAVE BEEN
TO RIGHT THE EXISTENCE, LEGALLY EXCLUDE THE EXISTCE OF LGBTQ+ AND OUR TRANS RESIDENTS NEIGHBORS, LOVED ONES, AND RELATIVES. IT MAKES NO SENSE IN A CLIMATE WHERE IN RESPONSE TO THAT, MINNESOTA AND MINNEAPOLIS
SAID WE WILL BE A REFUGE FOR OUR QUEER RELATIVES ANDEIGHBORS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE HAVING POLICIES ON THE BOOKS THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH THAT SAME VISION. IF WE DO, THEN IT'S SYMBOLIC IN NATURE AND WE ARE LEADING FOLKS TO COME HERE AND EXPERIENCE A
DIFFERENT REALITY THAN WHAT THEY IMAGINE AND HAVE IT BE IN LINE WITH WHAT THEY FLED FROM. I DON'T THINK IN THIS CURRENT TIME WE SHOULD BE ALLOWING FEAR TO DICTATE OUR POLICY DIVISION. IF
IT'S A DIVIDED VOTE, I THINK THAT IS A REFLECTION OF WHERE WE ARE AT IN OUR CITY. IF WE EMBRACE OUR QUEER COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY AS WE SAW AT THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ AND A NUMBER OF MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL
CITY HALL WHERE WE HAD BALLROOM DANCING. WE HAD DRAG, WE HAD BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATIONS THAT ACKNOWLEDGE THE HISTORIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY. IT WILL MAKE NOENSE FOR US TO HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION AND THEN ALLOW A POLICY TO STAY IN PLACE THAT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THAT EMBRACE
OF OUR COMMUNITY, WITH THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITIES. FOR ME, IT IS A NON-BRAINER TO SUPPORT THI POLICY. THIS SHOULD BE A NOTHING BURGER IN THE LANDSCAPE OF OTHER THIN THAT WE NEED TO BE TACKLING, SU AS MAKING SURE WE ARE DEVOTING MORE RESOURCE TO ADESS HATE CRIMES THAT ARE
STILL BEING DIRECTED TO OUR QUEER COMMUNITIES, MANY OF OUR QUEER RESIDENTS HERE ARE FACING HEIGHTENED LEVELS OF HOUSING INSECURITY AND HOMELESSNESS, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT, WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES SO NO ONE HAS TO BE FORCED INTO THE SHADOWS TO
EARN A LIVELIHOOD TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVESND THEIR FAMILIES. THOSERE THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TOO AS OPPOSED TO SPENDING A LOT OF POLITICAL ENERGY DEBATING BAHOUSES. FOR ME, THIS IS SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY
HAVE AN EASY LAY UPURING PRIDE MONTH OF ALL THINGS TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO STAND WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE'RE GNG TO PULL OUR POLICY WHERE OUR MOUTHS AND OUR COMMITMENTS ARE IF WE CAN HAVE A CELEBRATION HERE INSIDE OF CITY HALL, WE CAN PASS POLICIES TO MAKE SURE OUR QUEER
FOLKS KNOW WE DON'T JUSTICE APPRECIATE YOU WHEN YOU A DANCING ANDINGING IN FRONT OF US. WE APPRECIATE YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS ACE, WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE JOY AND EXPERIENCE LOVE WITH EACH OTHER, WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR PLACES OF WORSHIP, WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR
PLACES O EMPLOYMENT, AND YOUR HOUSING, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THOSE PLACES ARE STABLE AND SAFE FOR YOU. SO, I SEE THIS AS A HOLISTIC APPROACH. I LOOK FORWARD TO HOFULLY SENDING THIS OUT OF THE COMMITTEE WITH THE FULL
SUPPORT OF IT AND IDEALLY HAVING FULL PASSAGE THIS NEXT THURSDAY. THANK YOU ALL. [APPLAUSE]. >> COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE. >> THANK YOU, I WANT TO ECHO THE
THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY TO COME DOWN TODAY. IT'S NOT EASY, IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME OF DAY TO SET YOURSELF FREE AND IT'S GAT TO SEE FAMILIAR FAC ON THIS. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS, D I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE I MAKE MY MIND UP. I RECEIVED AN
INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK AND NONE OF THE AUTHORS HAVE APPROACHED ME YET AND I HOPE TH THAN LATER. >> COUNCIL MEMBER RAINVILLE, WE MET WITH YOUR STAFF AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE. I WANTED TO CLEAR T RECORD
BECAUS THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO ME AS AN AUTHOR OF THIS ORDINANCE TO NOT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE MET ABOUT THIS ALREADY. >> I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING WITH YOU DIRECTLY. >> I WANTED TO CLARIFY, WE MET ABOUT IS ORDINANCE, OUR STAFF HAS. I DON'T WANT THE STAFF TO
THINK THAT WE HAV'T REACHED OUT TO EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE WE HAVE. COLLEAGUES, I HOPE WE CAN EARN THE SUPPORT FROM ALL OF YOU REGARDING THIS ORDINANCE. THESE ARE TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS, AND I
WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORKO MAKE SURE WHEN WE BRING FORWARD THE REGULAONS IN PLACE, IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN BE SATISFIED ABOUT. THIS OBVIOUSLY WON'T LEGALIZE BATHHOUSES WHEN IT HOPEFULLY PASSES NEXT WEEK, BUT IT DOES ALLOW US THE TIME TO BUILD OUT A FRAMEWORK TO GET
THIS RIGHT AND TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. SO, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN APPROVE THIS TODAY AND GO TO FULL COUNCIL NEXT WEEK. ERK, YOU MAY CALL THE ROLL. >> COUNCIL MEMBER PAYNE.
>> AYE. >> WONSLEY. >> AYE. >> RAINVILLE. >> NO. >> VETAW. >> AYE. >> WHITING. >> AYE. >> VICE CHAIR STEVENSON. >> AYE. >> CHAIR CHAVEZ. >> AYE. >> THAT IS SIX AYES AND ONE NAY. >> THAT HAS MOVED WITH APPROVAL
TO FULL COUNCIL NEXT WE. COLLEAGU -- [APPLAUSE]. >> OUR NEXT ITEM IS 3.1,
AFFIRMG MINNEAPOLIS ORDINANCE AND I KIND OF WANT TO GET A PULSE CHECK COLLEAGUES, I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONGER DAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHEN THE CAPTIONS A HERE UNTIL. >> WE HAVE THEM SCHEDULED UNTIL 5:30.
>> OKAY. OUR NEXT -- THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM IS 3.1, WHICH IS A WELCOMING AND AFFIRMING MINNEAPOLIS ORDINANCE. WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE BE REFLECTED AS AN AUTHOR WE'LL PULL UP THE
PRESENTATION AND BEGIN. COLLEAGUES, WE'RE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE THEELCOMING AND AFFIRMING MINNEAPOLIS ORDINANCE WITH COUNSEL MEMBER CHUGHTAI, COUNCIL MEMBER CHOWDHURY, AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAYNE. IT'S
PORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK BECAUSE SINCE TAKING OFFICE IN JANUARY 2025, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS PURSUED AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN AGAINST 2SLGBTQ+ RIGHTS, ISSUING EXECUTIVE ORDERS, THREATENING
FEDERAL FUNDING, AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT RESTRICT GENDER EXPRESSION, AND ROLL BACK DECADES OF CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTION. THE ORDINANCE WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY ISSUES LOCAL PROTECTIONS TO O NEIGHBORS AT A TIME WHEN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING TO STRIPHOSE PROTECTIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY WE ARE DOING THIS TODAY. MINNEAPOLIS HAS ALWAYS LED THE RIGHTS OF OUR NEIGHBORS. IN 1974, MINNEAPOLIS WAS THE FIRST
U.S. CITY BANNING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER. WE KNOW THAT IT'S STILL UNDER ATTACK WITH OVERREACH TARGETING OUR 2SLGBTQ+ PEOPLE. WE KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT RESOURCES ARE BEING USEDO ATTEMPT TO ERASE TRANS AND
NON-BINARY PEOPLE FROM NON-PUBLIC LIFE AND GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, CIV RIGHTS PROTECTIONS ARE UNDER ATTACK BY THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION. WE ALSO KNOWHAT THE MINNEAPOLIS IS WELCOMING. WE ARE HOPING TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO BEING A WELCOMING CITY IS NOT JUST TALK BUT WE'RE
DOING SOY ENACTING LOCAL PROTECTIONS. NOW WE WILL GET INTO THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THIS ORDINANC WE ADDED STRONG PURPOSE AND POLICY STATEMENT INTO THE CODE THAT WE WILLEAD INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD. THE CITY
OF MINNEAPOLIS DECLARES THAT THE RIGHTS TO SELF-DETERMINATION, BODY AUTONOMY, AND ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE IS FUNDAME FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF LGBTQ AND OTHER IDENTITIES AND
EXPERIENCES THAT FIT WITH THESE 2SLGBTQ+ IS NECESSARY FOR THE CITY'S PUBLIC HEALTH, PEACE, AND SAFETY. THE CITY'S CIVIL RIGHTS ORDINANCE IN 1974 AND IN 1975, THE CITY AMENDED ITS CIVIL
RIGHTS OINANCE AND BECAME THE FIRST CITY IN THE U.S. TO BAN DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER IDENTITY. IN 2022 AND 2023, EXECUTIVE ORDERS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF MINNETANS 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY TO SAFELY SEEK AND
RECEIVE GENDER AIRMING HEALTH CARE SERVICES. OUR 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MEMBERS BOTHOCALLY AND NATIONALLY CONTINUE TO BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE PROLIFERATIO OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE ATTACKS THAT PERPETRATE A CULTURE OF DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, AND
BARRIERS T EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES. 2SLGBTQ+ PEOPLE ARE OVER-REPRESENTED IN MINNESOTA'S UNHOUSED POPULATION AND S2 LGBTQIA ER-PREPATION INCREASES TO ALMOST ONE QUARTER OF THE
YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. OUR NEIGHBORS HERE ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED HERE BEING HOMELESS. WE TALKED ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS BEING HOME TO DIVE DIVE DIVERSE ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS AND
COME FROM PLACES WITHOUT THE SAME PICIES AND PROTECTIONS. ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR GENDER IDENTITY, EXPRESSION, OR MEDICAL HISTORY ARE VALUED IN INTEGRAL TO OUR SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. TO FURTHER THIS COMMITMENT, THE CITY VALUES EQUAL PROTECTION AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL RESIDENTS A VISITORS. THE CITY PRIORITIZES USING ITS LIMITED RESOURCES TO
IMPROVE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE TAKES MANY FORMS, IS EVIDENCE-BASED, AND
SUPPORTEBY PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE PEOPLE. THE CITY FIRMLY REJECTS A ATTEMPTS TO WEAPONIZE GOVERNMENT RESOCES TO DISENFRANCHISE OR CRIMINALIZE INDIVIDUALS FOR SEEKING OR PROVIDING LIFESAVING
CARE THAT IS LEGAL IN MINNESOTA. NOW WE WILL GO INTO THE GENDER AFFIRMING AND INTERSEX CARE COMPONENT. THE ORDINANCE DEFINES GENDER AFFIRMING CARE AS ALL MEDICAL, SURGICAL, COUNSELING, OR REFERRAL SERVICES THAT AN
INDIVIDUAL MAY RECEIVE TO AFFIRM THE INDIVIDUAL'S GENDER IDENTITY OR GENDER EXPRESSION AND THAT ARE LEGAL LAWS UNDER THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. THE ORDINANCE DEFINES INTERSEX CARE AS ALL MEDICAL, SURGICAL, COUNSELING,
OR REFERRAL SERVICES, INCLUDING TELL HEALTH SERVICES THATN INDIVIDUAL MAY RECEIVE RELATED TO NATURAL DIFFERENCES OR VARIATIONS IN SEX CHARACTERISTICS OR REPRODUCTIVE ANATOMY THAT ARE LEGAL UNDER THE
LAWS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. NOW WE WILL GO TO THE GENDER AFFIRMING AND INTERSEX CARE COMPONENTS MORE DEEPLY. FOR THE PROTECTIONS, THIS ORDINANCE WILL PUT INTO CITY CODEHAT THE CITY IS A SAFE HAVEN FOR GENDER AFFIRMING AND INTERSEX CARE. THE
CITY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MINORS LIVING INDEPENDENTLY MACON SENT TO THEIR OWN GENDER AFFIRMING OR INTERSEX CARE. NO CITY PERSONNEL MAY USE A PERSON'S AGE OR PARENTAL STATUS AS A BASIS TO COOPERATE WITH ANYONE SEEKING TO
EVENT OR PUNISH LEGAL HEALTH CARE. UNLESS REQUIRED BY LAW, CITY EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES, AND CONTRACTORS MAY NOT USE CITY FACILITIES, PROPERTY, MONEY, EQUIPMENT, DATA TECHNOLOGY, OR CITY PERSONNEL TO INTERFERE WITH THE ABILITY FOR ANY PERSON TO
RECEIVE GENDER AFFIRMING OR INTERSEX CARE, TO INTERFERE WITH THE ABILITY OF ANY PERSON TO ADVOCATE FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO RECEIVE GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, OR ENFORCING FEDERAL LAWS THAT PREVENT LIMIT GENDER AFFIRMING OR INTERSEX CARE. UNLESS
REQUIRED BY LAW, CITY PERSONNEL MAY NOT DISLOWE'S ANY PRIVATE DA, MEDICAL INFORMATION, OR SURE
HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN MUST OFFER COVERAGE TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS THAT INCLUDE GENDER AFFIRMING CARE BENEFITS, ALONG WITH PROTECTIONS FOR INTERSEX HEALTH CARE. ADMINISTRATION MUST ENSURE THE CITY'S EMPLOYEES HEALTH PLAN
OFFERS COVERAGE THAT ADDRESS THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF THE INTERSEX COMMUNITY, WHICH I JUST MENTIONED. NOW, WE WILL GO INTO SO OF THE USE OF CITY FUNDS, FACILITY, AND DATA. THE CITY WILL NOT ACCEPT OR DISTRIBUTE GRANT FUND WITH ANY CONDITIONS
THAT REQUIRE THE CITY TO LIMIT THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON GENDER, GENDER IDENTITY, EXPRESSION OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. WHEN CONSTRUCTING A CITY-OWNED BUILDING, IT MUST PROVIDE ONE ALL GENDER RESTROOM
ON EVERY FLOORITH RESTROOMS AND WHEN LEASING A CITY BUILDING, DUE TO THE REASON FEASIBLE, 1 ADA ACCESSIBLE ALL GENDER RESTROOM ON EVERY FLOOR WITH RESTROOMS. FOR EXISTING CITY-OWNED OR LEASED BUILDINGS
WITHOUT ALL GENDER RESTROOMS, ANY GENDER SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ON A SINGLE USE RESTROOM BE REPLACED WITH GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE AND SIGNAGE, AND NO PERSON MAY BE DENIED ACCESS TO A RESTROOM OR CHANGING FACILITY IN ANY
FACILITY OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE CITY. LASTLY, THE ADMINISTRATION MUST CREATE POLICIES OAR PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE CITY'SOLLECTION OF DATA FROM THE PUBLIC RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. NOW WE WILL GO INTO
THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COMPONENTS WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION MUST REPORT ANALLY TO THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS OUTREACH ANDNGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO THE 2SLGBTQ+ IA COMMUNITY AND IT MUST INCLUDE A
DESCRIPTION OF THE OUTREACH AND METRICS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RESULTS OF THOSE EFFORTS. AFTER THAT REPORT IS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE COMMISSIONN CIVIL RIGHTS MUST REVIEW THAT ANNUAL REPORT. IF THE CITY COUNCIL CREATES AN ADVISORY
BOARD OR BODY THAT FOCUSES ON THE 2SLGBTQIA COMMUNITY, IT'S PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND OVIDES THE ADMINISTRATION, CITY COUNCIL, AND THE PUBLIC WITH FEEDBACK ON THE REPORT AND THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. NOW WE WILL GET TO T
LAST PART, WHICH IS THE COMPLIANCE DISCIPLINE AND REPORTING THAT VIOLATIONS OF THE SECTION 145.20 AND 145.30 OF THIS CHAPTER, EMPLOYEES ARE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AS A REQUIREMENT OF SUMMARY DATA
ABOUT THE NUMBER AND DISPOSITION OF COMPLAINTS THAT MUST BE REPORTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY JUNE 30TH AND DECEMBER 31ST EACH YEAR. IF A COMPLAINT IS FILED ALLEGING A VIOLATION OF 145.20
AND 145.30D, IN THE COUE OF INVESTIGATING THE ALLEGED VIOLATION, NOOMPLAINT IN AND ABOUT OR WITNESS MUST BE COMPELLED BY THE CITY INVESTIGATING AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE THEIR GENDER IDENTITY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. THE CITY
MUST PRESERVE ALL DATA RELATED TO COMPLAINTS UNDER THIS SECTION FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS AFTER THE COMPLAINT IS CLOSED. WITH THAT COLLEAGUES, I WILL NOW OPEN THE
PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FIRST PE >> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE WORKED ON. IT'S THE DIFFERCE BETWEEN EASILY SEEING IN A ROOM WITH THE LIGHT ON AND
NOTEING ABLE TO SEE WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OFF. THANK YOU FOR THE EFFTS TO GET THAT GOING. I AM STACY, AN 8 YEAR WARD 9 RESIDENT. >> HEY STACY.
>> SORRY. >> THAT FORMALLY ENSHRINE MINNEAPOLIS AS A WELCOMING CITY FOR 2SLGBTQ+ IA PEOPLE. I'M THE MOTHER OF A WONDERFUL QUEER AND
TRANSGENDER OFFSPRING. THEY ARE AN EDUCATOR IN A SCHOOL THAT IS ONE-THIRD NEWCOMER IMMIGRANTS. DOMESTIC REFUGEES JOINED THEM WHEN THEIR FAMILIES MOVED FROM OUT-OF-STATE TO PROTECT THEIR
TRANSGENDER CHILDREN. I AM SUPPORTING THESE ORDINANCES THINKING OF THE POEMS FIRST TY CAME ABOUT THE POLITICAL APATHY FROM THE FAILURE TO SPEAKP AGAINST THE NAZIS. YOU REMEMBER IT. THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALTS. THEY CAME FOR THE
JEWS UNTIL THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO SPEAK OUT. TENS OFHOUSANDS OF QUEER PEOPLE WE LEFT OUT OF THIS PO. THEY WERE VIOLENTLY ROUNDED UP AND MANY PERISHED. TO THIS DAY, TOO OFTEN THEY ARE FORGOTN. TRUMP SURE HAS NOT
FORGOTTEN. WEAVE SEEN THE IMPACT OF THE EVISCERATION OF DN ACROSS THE SPECTRUM AND THE FEDERAL REGIME'S COUNTER-TERROR TARGETS "THOSE WITH RADICAL
PRO-TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGIES". THEIR RAIN OF TERROR STAED WITH SNEERING THOSE IN THE BLACK, BROWN, AND IIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS PROTESTERS. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT
REMAIN SILENT. WE CONTINUED TO GATHER, SPEAK UP, ORGANIZED, AND RESPOND UNDER THE BANNER WE HAVE YOUR BACKS. THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IS OICIALLY AND PROUDLY SPEAKING UP WITH THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT HAVE REAL
TEETH. WE'RE DEFYING THE HISTORY OF STAYING SILENT. EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD; SUPPORT THIS AND HAVE THE BACKS OF OUR QUEER COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL HAVE
NUMBER 2, THEN SUSAN, AND THEN IL. >> HI, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. I USE SHE/HER PRONOUNS AND I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF WARD 10. I MOVED TO MINNEAPOLIS LAST YEAR BECAUSE I NEEDED THE PROTECTIONS THAT THE
STATPROVIDES. AS A TRANS TEACHER IN TEXAS, I FACED ALMOST DAILY RASSMENT AND THREATS TO MY JOB AND LIFE. IT WAS PAINFUL AND DIFFICULT AND I KNEW THAT THE RISING ANTI-TRANS RHETORIC WITH THE SECOND TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WOULD MEAN TO ME. I JOED SEVERAL OTHERS IN LEAVING FOR OUR SAFETY MINNEAPOLIS, I FOUND MORE THAN SAFE HAVEN. I FOUND A QUEER COMMUNITY THAT LOVES TS CITY. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IN EVERY MUTUAL AID EFFORT, EVERY COMMUNITY PATROL, AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, OUR
LTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AND AS THE CORNERSTONES OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, I HAVE FOUND MY QUEER SIBLINGS FIGHTING TO PROTECT THIS CITY AND MAKE LE BETTER FOR EVERYONE. FAMOUSLY, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS GAVE HER LIFE THIS WINTER DOING EXACTLY THAT, DEFENDING OTHERS.
STILL, QUEER PEOPLE FACE CHALLENGES AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, HEALTH CA, AND IN THE CASE OF TRANS PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, THEIR VERY ESTENCE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO THE MOVEMENT, ADVANCEMENT PROJECT AN ESTIMATED 400,000 TRANSGENDER PEOPLE LIKE ME HAVE
ALREADY FLED THE STATES FOR SAFER ONES LIKE MINNESOTA IN 2025. THOSE ARE OUR TEACHERS, OUR SOFTWARE ENGINEERS. OUR NURSES, OUR BASTAS, OUR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANTS, TATTOO ARTISTS, AND OUR ACTIVE CITIZENS
FIGHTING FOR A BETTER MINNEAPOLIS. TAKING THE SMALL STEPS IN UPDATING NONDISCRIMINATION POLICIES, YOU DO MORE THAN SHOW YOU ARE LISTENING TO YOUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS OR HOW YOU COMMITTED TO JUSTICE YOU ARE. YOU SHOWED THAT THE CITY WILL
FIGHT FOR US TOO. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE SUSAN AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER
CHOWDHURY. >> I'M COMMISSIONER HEARDER. I WANT TO TNKHE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR WORK AND ALSO THANK MEMBERS CHUGHTAI AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ FOR REACHING O OUTLAST MONTH. WE WERE PLEASED TO HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION,
INCLUDING PARTS OF WHAT YOU WANT THROUGH TODAY. OUR COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE THOUGHTFUL RESPOE YOUR PROPOSAL DESERVES. MY REQUEST IS MODEST, THAT YOU CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MCCR AND GIVE US TIME TO RESPOND BY POSTPONING YOUR VOTE. SOMEF
OUR MEMBERS HAVE STUDIED CIVIL RIGHTS FOR MANY YEARS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU SO YOU CAN CRAFT THE BEST POSSIBLE OPOSAL. THE MCCR ONLY MEETS ONCE A MONTH. I REQUEST THAT YOU GIVE US A FEW MORE MEETINGS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH OUR
FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP WE HA NEIL OR NELL? >> HI, MY NAME IS NELL, I AM
HERE ON BEHALF OF TIGERS AND ALL INTERSEX CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO NON-CONSENSUAL MEDICAL TREATMENTS FROM HORMONES TO SURGERIES, TO ALIGN THEM MORE CLOSELY WITH WHAT MANY PEOPLE THK IS NORMAL. INTERSEX PEOPLE
GO UNNOTICED ALTHOUGH THEY ARE IMPACTED BY ANTI-TRANS LAWS AND ORDINANCES. MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE INTERSEX PEOPLE ARE A SMALL PART OF THE POPULATION. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T FIT EASILY INTO THE NARRATIVE AROUND GENDER AFFIRMING CARE. INTERSEX PEOPLE
ARE BORN WITH DIFFERENT CHROM CHROMOSOMES, FIRST OR SECOND SEX CHARACTERISTICS HORMONES THAN IS TYPICAL. SOME INTERSEX VARIATIONS REQUIRE MEDICATION AND HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY. WITHOUT ANY RIGHTS, ACCESS TO T
HARD TO GET AND LACK OF ACCESS THAT ENFORCE MEDICAL NEGLECT CAN EVEN KILL. YOU WOULDN'T ASK A DIABETIC TO LIVE WITHOUT INSULIN, YOU SHOULDN'T ASK AN INTERSEX PERSON TO LIVE WITHOUT HRT. A HALT TO NON-CONSENSUAL
SURGERIES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL INTERSEX PEOPLE NEED FOR OUR PROTECTION. HOWEVER,HIS ORDINAE IS A GREAT FIRST STEP. IM ASKING YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OFIT. THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP, NUMBER 5. BEN POWERS, NUMBER 6 CAT, AND NUMBER
7 CHRIS, THEN NUMBER 9 WILLING HUMMINGBIRD. >> HELLO, MY NAME IS BEN POWERS I AM A THERAPIST SPECIALIZING IN WORKING WITH GENDER AND SEXUAL MINORITIES. I AM HERE TO SPE ON BEHALF OF MY MANYATNTS LIVING IN MINNEAPOLIS AND TO
ENCOURAGE THE MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAR OF THE WELCOMING CITY FOR ALL GENDERS AND SEXUALITY ORDINANCES AND THE RULES FOR CONSTRUCTION ORDINANCES. AS A GENDER CARE PROVIDER, THE ORDINANCE IS NECESSARY FOR KEEPING
MINNEAPOLIS AND MINNESOTA AS CENTERS OF CARE FOR THE TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX COMMUNITIES. WHEN MINNEAPOLIS AND MINNESOTA PASSED PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX PE IMPACT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH OF MY PATIENTS. I AM IN SUPPORT OF
THE PROVISIONS TO LIMB SHARING OF SENSITIVE GENDER DATA AND EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCES TO COVER GENDER CARE. IN ORDER FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO BE EFFECTIVE, PATIENT INFORMATION MUST BE KEPT PRIVATE AND GENDER CARE MUST BE COVERED BY
INSURANCE. GENDER CARE IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY AND LIFESAVING FOR MY PATIENTS. THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS MY PATIENTS WHO LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS TO CONTINUE LIVINGAPPY AND HEALTHY LIVES. I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE INCLUSION OF INTERSEX CARE IN THIS ORDINANCE. INTERSEX PEOPLE
ARE PREVALENT BUT FREQUENTLY ARE INVISIBLE IN PROTECTIO FOR POLICY PROTECTIONS. IT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THEIR HEALTH CARE OUTCOM. THANK YOU FOR INCLU INCLUDING INTERSEX PEOPLE IN
THIS ORDINANCE. I HE YOU WILL SEE THEM IN SIMILAR POLICIES MOVING FORWARD. IN MY MENTAL HEALTH PRACTI, MOST OF MY CLIENTS ARE TRANSGENDER, INTERSEX, OR NON-CONFORMING. THEY FREQUENTLY STRUGGLE TO NAVIGATE BUREAUCRACIES, INCLUDING INTERACTIONS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WHILE IT MIGHT
SEEM SMALL TO SOME OUTSIDE COMMUNITIES, ADOPTING INCLUSIVE GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE LIKE THE IN CONSTRUCTION,ILL MAKE NAVIGATING GOVERNMENT INTERACTIONS EASIER AND LESS STRESSFUL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ME AND HAPPY PRIDE.
>> THANK YOU. WELCOME CA >> THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUT FRONT MINNESOTA, OUR STATE'S LGBTQ ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE IMPORTANT WORK THA IS BEING DONE TO
CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR 2SHGS S LGBTQIA+ RESIDENTS HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND TOEND A MESSAGE TO MINNESOTANS AND FOLKS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE VALUED, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DESERVING OR PROTECTION, THAT PEOPLE IN
POSITIONS OF POWER HAVE OUR BACK. IN 2022, THE MAYOR OF THIS CITY PASSED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROTECTING GENDER AFFIRMING CARE. IN 2023, OUR STATE DID THE ME. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
CODIFY MUCH OF THAT WORK INTO PERMANENCE HERE. THAT MATTERS, NOT JUST BECAUSEDMINISTRATIONS CHANGE, MORS CHANGE, THINGS CHANGE, BUT BECAUSE IT SENDS A LASTING HISTORICAL SIGNAL ABOUT WHERE THIS CITY AND ITS LEADERSHIP WERE AT A MOMENT OF
IMRTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITIES. MINNEAPOLIS WAS THE FIRST CITY IN THIS COUNTRY TO PROTECT LGBTQ PEOPLEALL LGBTQ PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION IN 1974 AND 1975 AS THE PRESENTATION NOTED TO
YOU. THAT'S 50 YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES THAT HAS MADE MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES IN PEOPLE'S LIVES,HEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS HOUSING, THEIR ABILITY TO WORK, THEIR ABILITY TO BE SEEN AS DIGNIFIED MEMBERS OF THIS SOCIETY. RIGHT NOW THIS -- THE
THREATS ARE REAL. WE'RE GETTING SUBPOENAS FROM OTHER STATES, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM FOLKS WHO ARE ATTEMPTING TO ATTACK ANDERMINE CRITICAL AND NECESSARY CARE AND FOLKS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPP TO ME, WHAT WILL THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO NEXT? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND A DIFFERENT MESSAGE. I HOPE YOU VOTE TO SUPPORTIT. THANK YOU. >> NEXT UP, WE HAVE CHRIS AND
THEN HUMMINGBIRD AND THEN BECCA. >> PERFECT. HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRIS FROM WARD 1. I LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS FOR FOUR YEARS AFTER SEEKING SATUARY AS A TRANS PERSON FLEEING THE STATE OF IOWA. I AM RE FROM TIGERS, A LOCAL
ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS TO TRANSGENDER, INTERSEX, AND NDER EXPANVE MINNESOTANS. INTERSEX PEOPLE MAKE UP 1% OF THE POPULATION, ABOUT THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS THOSE 85% OR OLDER, MORE COMMON THAN TRANS
PEOPLE, MORE COMMON THAN REDHEADS OREOPLE WITH GREEN AY. THERE ARE TERSEX INDIVIDUALS IN THIS BUILDING RIGHNOW. INTERSEX PEOPLE, BESIDES A SINGLE ORDINANCE IN NEW YORK CITY, HAVE ZERO PROTECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. MANY LAWS MENTION TRANSGENDER PEOPLE BUT NOT INTERSEX PEOPLE. THESE PROPOSED
CHANGES WILL EXPLICITLY CHANGE THAT GAP. MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE CHANCE TO MEANINGFULLY CARE FOR INTERSEX PEOPLE AND PUT MINNOTA ON THE MAP FOR INTERSEX RIGHTS. THESE ORDINANCES RECOGNIZE THAT INTERSEX PEOPLE DESERVE PRIVACY, DIGNITY, AND ACCESS TO MEDICALLY PROP YATZ CARE. CITY RESOURCES
SHOULD NOT BE USED TO INTERFERE WITH SOMEONE'S HEALTH CARE. IT PROTECTS SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION, IT PROMOTES PRACTICAL ACCMODATIONS SUCH AS ALL GENDER RESTRMS ALIGNING WITH A PERSON'S IDENTITIES. THESE PROTECTIONS ARE NOT RADICAL, THEY ARE IMPORTANT
SAFEGUARDS. THESE CHANGES WOULD BENEFIT FAR MORE PEOPLE THA JUST TRANSGENDER AND INTERSECON PEOPLE. ALL GENDER RESTROOMS ARE USEFUL FOR PARENTS ASSISTING THEIR CHILDREN, CAREG DISABILITIES THAT NEED ASSISTANCE, AND ANYONE THAT
VALUES THEIR PRIVACY. GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE AND POLICIES MAKE GOVERNMENT POLICIES EASIER TO NAVIGATE AND ACCESS FOR EVERYONE. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE HERE. MINNEAPOLIS IS A CITY WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL KINDS ARE WELCOME. WE CAN TELL RESIDENTS,
VISITORS, AND THOSE SEEKING REFU FROM DISCRIMINATION ELSEWHERE SUCH AS ME THAT THEY BELONG HERE AND THEIR RIGHTS MATTER. EVERY ADVANCEMENT IN CIVIL RIGHTS CREATES AN ADVANCEMENT FOR FUTUR PROGRESS. MINNEAPOLIS HAS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BECOME A FUTURE NEXT WE HAVE HUMMINGBIRD AN THEN BECCA. >> HELLO AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBERS. AGAIN, I AM PROUD WARD 12 RESIDENT HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS. I AM INDIGIQUEER, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAKN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER A DECADE NOW, BUT BEFORE THAT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD BIG AUNTIE ENERGY, AND I HAVE BROUGHT MANY PEOPLE TO A MUCH MORE WELCOMING SPACE HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS FROM THE SMALL TOWN IN AN ADJACENT STATE WHERE I GREW UP.
MY QUEER IN QUESTIONING FRIENDS HAVE LONG LOOKED TO THE PROTECTIONS THAT MINNEAPOLIS OFFERS, AND THE WELCOMING THE WELCOMING SPIRIOF OUR CITY. I HAVE SEEN T IMPACT OF HOW THE QUEER COMMUNITY OF THIS CITY KEEPS CH OTHER SAFE, AND I APPLAUD THE CITY FOR TAKING ON
THE ONUS OF DOING SOME OF THAT WORK TOO. I WANT TO DRAW THATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL TO SOMETHING THAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, WHICH IS, AS WE'VE HEARD, PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF INTERSEX PEOPLE, AND SPECIFICALLY ENSINES PROTECTIONS FOR INTERSEX HEALTH CARE. THIS IS A POPULATION THAT IS TOO OFTEN LEFT OUT OF POLICY
CONVERSATIONS, EVEN ONES THAT CLAIM TO BE INCLUSIVE OF THE 2S LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY. INTERSEX PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES MENTIONED IN PASSING BUT RARELY NAMED WITH THIS LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY AND RARELY GIVEN PROTECTIONS THAT SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE HEALTH CARNEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
WE HAVE HOSPITALS IN THIS CITY WHO CONTINUE HARMFUL, LIFE-ALTERING SURGERIES ON INTERSEX YOUTH. THIS FOCUS ON PA OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN GETS OVERLOOKED IS A REFLECTION OF THE COUNCIL'S WORK PRIORITIZING THE SAFETY FOR THE QUEER COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY DURING PRIDE MONT THANK YOU FOR TAKING UP THIS
RESPONSIBILITY AND I URGE YOU ALL TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS ORDINANCE THANKS >> NEXT UP, BEC AND THEN AVI. >> HI, CHAIR CHAVEZ, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS BECCA. I USE SHE HER PRONOUNS. AND I AM A RESIDENT OF WARD 11.
I'M WITH TRANSFORMING FAMILIES. WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES WITH GENDER DIVERSE AND TRANS YOUTH, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE WEOMING CITY ORDINANCE. WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING THAT TRANS PEOPLE, AND YOUTH ESPECIALLY, ARE BEING
APEGOATED NATIONALLY. IN OUR MEETINGS AND WHAT WE HEAR FROM FAMILIES AT TRANSFORMING FAMILIES IS A GREAT AMOUNT OF FEAR AND CONCERN FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN MINNEAPOLIS WHO ARE TRANS OR GENDER NON-CONFORMING.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A NEW PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE MOVING HE FROM OTHER STATES FOR FEAR OF THEIRHILDREN'S SAFETY, AND PART OF WHAT IBRINGING PEOPLE TO MINNEAPOLIS IS THE AWARENESS THAT WE ARE A WELCOMING CITY,
THAT PEOPLE'S CHILDREN CAN LIVE FULLY AND BE KIDS AND BE SAFE HERE. AND PUTTING THIS INTO POLICY AND THE POWER AND IN LANGUAGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS MOMENT ESPECIALLY.
THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN FROM FAMIES THAT ARE MOVING HERE FROM PLACES WHERE EVEN JUST SEEKING OUT ANY SORT OF CARE FOR THEIR CHILD, OR THEIR CARE BEING... THEIR CHILDREN BEING DOCUMENTED IN Y SORT OF WAY AS TRANS OR GENDER NON-CONFORMING
IS A TERRIFYING ORDEAL, BECAUSE THAT DATA IS NOT SAFE, AND PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED FOR JUST THEIR PRIVACY AND SAFETY AND HAVING THEIR CHILDN TAKEN FROM THEM, AND HAVING THAT IN LANGUAGE THE SAFETY AND PRIVACY AROUND DATA IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITY HALL TO LEAD THE WAY FOR OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN MINNEAPOLIS TO SHOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO LEAD. AND WE HAVE DONE THAT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WITH THE OPERATION METRO SURGE, AND THAT IS THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF
THAT WORK OF WELCOMING AND PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORS. THANKS. >> THANK YOU. AND LASTLY WE HAVE AB. >> HELLO ALL.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING THIS ONE, SO BEAR WITH ME.BUT AY ONE OF PROBABLY MAYBE GENERATION 1.5 OF LIKE TRANS CHILDREN WHO
WERE ALLED TO RECEIVE MEDICAL INTERVENTION AS YOUTH, I STARTED RECEIVING THAT SORT OF CARE AT ABOUT 13 YEARS O AGE, AND WHEN I D IT... GOSH IT WAS... I
REMEMBER IT WAS THIS LITTLE TINY DOCTOR OFFE. THIS WAS NOT A THING AT MAJOR HOSPITALS YET. AND I AM SO SAD SEEING HOSPITALS LIKE CHILDREN STOPPING FROM COVERING THIS STUFF. AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE WEIRD LITTLE DOCTOR AND THE IRD LITTLE ROOM AND THEN GO THROUGH WEIRD HIDDEN PHARMACY SO PEOPLE DON'T DO THIS, WHICH WAS MY EXPERIENCE.
AND IF WE COULD MAKE IT SO THERE'S LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY, LIKE GETTING AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THEY WILL TRY AND REFRAME THIS AS PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE AND WHATEVER.WE NEED TO BE SPECIFIC. ALSO, AGAIN, THE INTERSEX
CONSENT TO SURGERY AND CARE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT, AGAIN, AS SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER, A LOT OF THIS IS DONE TO CHILDREN WHO ARE FAR TOO YOUNG TO SAY ANYTHING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. AND AGAIN, IT HAS PERMANENT,
SOMETIMES INCREDIBLY NEGATIVEEFN SOME FASHION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
NOW I'LL GIVE A THREE-MINUTE WARNING BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANYBODY ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK? GOING ONCE... TWICE... THREE TIMES. NO ONE? SEEING NO ONE WISHING TO SPEAK, I WILL NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING. AND I'LL SEE IF ANY OF MY LLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT I WILL JUST MOVE THIS ITEM FOR APPROVAL, AND PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE HA BEEN ABLE TO DO, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CHOWDHURY, COUNC MEMBER CHUGHTAI ON THIS ORDINANCE, AND REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BE ABLE TO
DO FROM THE YEARS AND DECADES OF ADVOCACY TO DEMAND THAT WE SHOU CONTINUE TO BECOME A CITY THAT IS WELCOMING TO OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE CONNUE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RIGHTS OF OUR TRANS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS
IN THE CITY, AND ALSO JUST HOPING THAT WE CAN PASS THIS TODAY AND MOVE IT TO FULL COUNCIL >> SECOND. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. I'M VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE TODAY. AND I JUS.. THERE'S SOMETHING
REALLY JOYOUS ABOUT DOING REAL POLICY WORK THAT'S RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY DURING PRIDE. IT FEELS REALLY GOOD. AND IT'S REMARKABLY SAD THAT THIS IS THE CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS POLICY WORK UNDER. I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING SO MANY NEW PEOPLE
WHO'VE CHOSEN MINNESOTA AS THEIR HOME, AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT I GET TO WELCOME AS NEW NEIGHBORS, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST LEADERS IN MY WARD DURING METRO SUR WAS A TRANS WOMAN AND A COMBAT VETERAN, WHO DID A LOT OF TRAINING FOR MY
COMMUNITY AND WAS JUST OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND AT THE SAME TIME DURING METRO SUE, ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS WAS CAUGHT UP IN ONE OF THE HOTELS AS E WAS FLEEING WITH HER FAMILY TO CANADA, BECAUSE HER TRANSCHILD.E
COULDN'T BEAR STAYING, RIGHT? SO... IT'S JUST REALLY URGT. THERE'S NO TIME TO WAIT ON THIS. LIKE, E ATTACKS TT ARE HAPPENING ON THIS COMMUNITY ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN CODIFY THIS
IN OUR OFFICIAL RECORD ON WHERE WE STAND AS A GOVERNMENT, BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T PREVENT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM BLOCKING MEDICAID DOLLARS AND PREVENTING HOSPITALS THAT WANT TO DELIVER GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, FROM WITHDRAWING THAT OUT OF FEAR FOR THE LIKE FINANCIAL SOLVENCY OF THEIR INSTITUTION.
RIGHT? THOSE ATTACKS ARE HAPPENING WHETHER OR NOT WE PASS THESE PROTECTIONS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. BUT IT IS SO, SO, SO IMPORTANT THAT WE SAY SO FIRMLY THAT THIS IS A WELCOMING CITY, AND WE'RE NOT HAVINGNY OF THAT. AND WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT IT IN
EVERY WAY. SO, I'M PPY TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY. >> COMMISSIONER VETAW. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE WORK YOU'RE DOING BUT SOMEONE CAME TODAY TO SPEAK AND SAY THEY WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MAYBE EXTENDING THE TIME TO WORK
WITH THE COMMITTEE. AND SO JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT AT LEAST BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT WEEK OR... >> FOR SURE. >> WHAT CAN WE DO?>> MY OFFICE G WITH ANYBODY BEFORE THURSDAY
NEXT WEEK TO HEAR SOME OF THECOD TODAY. I WILL SAY THAT WE INITIALLY WENT TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, BECAUSE THIS ORDINCE WAS GOING TO HAVE A SPECIFIC COMPONENT REQUIRING THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION REVIEW AND GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
ON THE REPORT, AND INSTEAD WE... JUST THE ONLY THING WE WENT TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION WAS TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THE PART THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, WHICH IS TO GIVE A REPORT ON THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. SO THAT IS THE ONLYART THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS
COMMISSION, WHICH IS TO GIVE A REPORT ON THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION'S ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO THE 2S LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY. BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH INDIVIDUALS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION. I KNOW THAT IT DOESN SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION. I KNOW THOSE FOLKS CALLING
YESTERDAY NERVOUS THAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION WAS GOING TO OPPOSE THIS ORDINANCE, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE CASE. >> I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S BEING POSED. WHAT I WHAT I HEARD WAS DIALOG IS NEEDED, AND THERE WERE SOME ISSUES THAT MAYBE WERE BROUGHT UP... AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A AN TONE OR ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF WORKING TOGETHER ONOMETHING. SO I WOULD LOVE... I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE. I REALLY WOULD JUST LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY... AND I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT , TOO, AND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT LAUAGE
OR WHAT IDEAS FOLKS HAVE. AND WE DO HAVE TIME FOR AMENDMENTS OR WHATEVER. I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND THE FINAL VOTE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. >>OR SURE. YEP, HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIS AS WELL. I THINK ONE OF MY CONCERNS IN
THE CONVERSATION WAS IT FELT LIKE SOME OF THE COMMENTS WERE THAT IT WAS TOO FOCUSED ON THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, ON THIS ORDINANCE, WHICH THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR. SO I WAS... WAS I JUST WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT LIKE I WILL I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANYBODY, HAPPY TO MEET WITH THE CONCERNS BUT I'M NOT GOING TO REMOVE E
COMPONENTS THAT PROTECTS BTQIA+ PEOPLE, AND THAT'S FOR FOLKS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION SO IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT THAT. THANK YOU. >> ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT. WITH THAT THE CLERK MICHAEL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER PAYNE.
>> AYE. >> COMMISSNER WONSLEY IS ABSENT. COMMISSIONER RAINVILLE IS ABSE. COMMISSIONER VETAW. >> AYE. >> COMMISSIONER WHITING. >> AYE. >> VICE CHAIR COMMISSIONER STEVENSON >> AYE. >> CHAVEZ. >> AYE.
>> THAT IS FIVE AYES. >> AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THINGS MORE. SORRY. THAT PASSES, THE NEXT ORDINANCE IS THE RECOGNIZING ALL GENDERS ORDINANCE. I'M GOG TO TRY TO GO THROUGH THINGS MORE QUICKLY BEE IT FEELS LIKEE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
SO I'LL BE FAIRLY QUICK.THIS ONL GENDERS ORDINANCEUTHORED BY MYSELF COUNCIL MEMBER CHOWDHURY, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHUGHTAI. WHICH BASICALL DOES A FEW THINGS. IT MAKES SURE THAT ALL GENDERS IN OUR CITY CODE ARE LEGALLY
RECOGNIZED. FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE, WE'RE STRIKING MASCULINE, FEMININE OR NEUTER IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND BASICALLY SAYING THAT ANYTIME ANY GENDER IS REFLECTED IN OUR CITY CODE, THAT ALL GENDERS ARE REFLECTED.
OUR ORDINANCES RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH MANY OF THEM. IT'S MOSTLY HE/HIM ORIENTED, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY EVERYBODY IS RESPECTED IN OUR CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE A LOT MORE WORK THAT WE HAVE
TO DO IN THE FUTURE TO REVISE OUR ORDINANCES, BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AT LEAST LEGALLY SPEAKING ALL GENDERS ARE NOW GOING TO BE REFLECTED WHENEVER YOU SEE GENDERED LANGUAGE IN OUR CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS. AND IT MATTERS, BECAUSE R
COMMUNITY MATTERS, AND OUR NEIGHBORS' DIVERSITY MATTERS AND THEY SHOULD BE REPRESENTED IN CITY GOVERNMENT. SO WITH THAT, I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND WE HAVE... IS THIS... OKAY, SO HI, CAT.
WELCOME. >> HELLO AGAIN. CAT RONE. OUT ONT NNESOTA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ORDINANCE FORWARD. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT COME UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT LIVES THROUGHOUT CITY CODE, BECAUSE IT HAS ILICATIONS ON WORK ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I THINK A REALLY GOOD, PHYSICAL TANGIBLE EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU START SEARCHING THROUGH MUNICIPAL CODS TO A CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS. BUT IT ONLY RERS TO THAT
PERSON AS A "M." YOUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, I DON'T BELIEVE, USES HE/H PRONOUNS. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF THESE THINGS WERE BUILT AT A TIME WHEN THERE WERE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHO WOULD BE SITTING IN SEATS OF POWER. CIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
INCLUDING HERE IN MINNESOTA, HAVE LANGUAGE THAT'S INERE, NOT OUT OF ILL INTENTION, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT REFLECTED THE CONVERTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME. WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT MOMENT. WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT TIME. WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE, WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL GENDERS A
STEPPING INTO POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY, INCLUDING HERE WITHIN THE CITY. AND MAKI THESE CHANGES NOT ONLY REFLECTS THAT REALITY OF WHO IS SERVING IN THE CITY, BUT IT REFLECTS WHO IS LIVING IN THE CITY. AND IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE IS CSISTENT, SO
THAT WE D'T HAVE TO ASK WHEN A PIECE OF ORDINANCE COMES UP THAT ELS INCONSISTENT. DOES THIS REALLY INCLU OUR COMMUNITY? DOES THIS REALLY INCLUDE OUR FAMILIES? DOES THIS REALLY COVER THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S INTENDED TO COVE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY MALICIOUS INTENT IN THE
LANGUAGE THAT EXISTS TODAY. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE IA GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE LANGUAGE FOR THE REALITIES OF TODAY'S MINNEAPOLIS. THIS IS A SIMPLE, EASY FIX. IT IS A COMPLEX ONE IN TERMS OF SCOPE, BECSET TOUCHES SO MANY AREAS OF POLICY.
BUT THE ACTUAL IMPACT IS VERY SIMPLE. IT'S JUST UPDATING LANGUAGE TO REFLECT WHO WE ARE. SO I HOPE YOU CAN SUPPORT IT. THANKS FOR THE TIME. >> THANK YOU. THERE'S NO ONE ELSE TO TESTIFY. SO I'LL GIVE ONE WARNING... TWO
WARNINGS... THREE WARNINGS TOSEO TESTIFY. GIVEN THAT NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO TESTIFY, I WILL NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER WHITING. >> I'LL BE VERY QUICK. VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS WORK
SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO I THINK GENDER-CONFORMING LANGUE WITHIN OUR CODES AND ACROSS KIND OF OUR COMMUNICATION. IT'S BEEN A BROADER LEGAL EFFORT ACROSS THE LEGAL FIELD RIGHT NOW. IT'S ACTUALLY JUST AN EFFICIENCY THING AS WELL, INSTEAD OF SAYING
HE, HIS, HER, ETC., JUST KIND OF HAVING THEY/THEM BROADLY SPEAKS KIND OF WHERE THE LEGAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MOVING. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS, AND THEN THE AUTHORS WORK TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. AND I'LL PASS IT TO ONE OF THE AUTHORS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHOWDHURY. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. I JUST WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE ORDINANCES WERE DONE BEFORE SPEAKING BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD A LOT OF BUSINESS TO DO. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A STATEMENT O GREAT GRATITUDE AND THANKS TO OUR 2S LGBTQIA
COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY FOR ALL OF THE INPUT AND COLLABORATION ON THIS PRIDE AND POLICY PACKAGE, BUT JUST FOR THE STEADFAST ADVOCACY COMMUNITY WELCOMING-NESS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN
TO THIS CITY AND OUR COMMUNITIES TO JUST BUILSOLIDARITY ACROSS RACE, CLASS, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION. I THINK THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT PRIDE IS ABOUT.
AND SO DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU TO OUTFRON MINNESOTA. THANK YOU TO EVERY PERSON WHO CAME TO THE COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE DID ON THE ALL-GENDER LCOMING ORDINANCE AT QUEER COMMUNITY. THAT WAS VERY VALUABLE. I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIALHANK YOU TO TIGERS, AND LEE FROM
TIGERS AS WELL. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE INTERSEX COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND IT'S JUST BEEN A WONDERFUL AND BUTIFUL EXPERIENCE TO ESPECIALLY MEET A LOT OF INTERSEX YOUTH IN OUR CITY AND SEE THEM SO HAPPY TO HAVE SE SPACES I WANT TO THANK
ALL THE RESIDENTS IN THE 12th WARD THAT ARE A PART OF 2SLGBTQIA COMMUNITY. I'VE HAD SEVERALESIDENTS WHO I'VE MET WITH DOOR KNOCKED WHO CAME TO MINNEAPOLIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS A TRANS REFUGE STATE, TRANS REFUGE CITY,
A WELCOMING PLACE FOR LGBTQIA TWO-SPIRIT COMMUNITY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE ALWAYS ASKED OF ME IS HOW TO HOW DO WE ACTUALLY LIVE UP TO BUILDING OUT WHAT A TRANS REFUGE STATE LOOKS LIKE, A WELCOMING CITY. AND THIS IS A BIG, IMPORTANT
STEP, THIS POLICY PACKAGE. I THINK THIS IS THE MT... IN AT LEAST IN ALL OF THE TIME I'VE WORKED AT THE CITY, THE MOST POLICY IN, AN ENTIRE PACKAGE THAT WE'VE SEEN COME TOGETHER FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY BIG AND IMPORTANT STEP. AND I PE THAT THE ADVOCATES IN
THIS SPACE CAN TAKE THIS AND BRING IT TO OTHER CITIES AND BRING IT TO OUR STATE LEGISLATURE. BECAUSE WE NEED IT EVERYWHERE. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT ELSE WE NEED TO DO HERE IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES AND OUR ADVOCACTO OTHER LEVELS
OF GOVERNMENT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AGA. >> ALL RIGHT, ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, THE CLERK MAY CALL THE ROLL. >> COMMISSIONER PAYNE >> A. >> COMMISSIONER VETAW. >> AYE. >> COMMISSIONER WHITING. >> AYE.
>> VICE CHAIR STEVENSON. AYE >> AND CHAIR CHAVEZ. >> AYE. >> AND THAT MOVES. >> I'M GOING TO GO QUICKER ON THE REST OF THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BEHIND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 2526 AND 27 TOGETHER. AND I'LL QUICKLY BRIEF MY COLLEAGUES ON IT NUMBER 25 IS AN ITEM DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK IN
COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO FORMULATE A PLAN A RECOMMENDATION TO UPDATE THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO WHENER POSSIBLE REMOVE GENDER SPECIFIC REFERENCES IN THE CODE. ITEM 26 IS A RESOLUTION CALLING THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO AMEND MINNESOTA STUTES TO
AUTHORIZE MUNICIPALITIES TO ENACT BUILDING STANDARDS TO PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO RESTROOM FACILITIES AND PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION OR GENDER... REGARDLESS OF GENDER IDENTITY. AND ITEM 27 IS A LEGISLATIVE DIRECTIVE REGARDING GENDER NEUTRAL RESTROOM ACCESS
CENTIVIZATION EFFORTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM ASKING AN UPDATE ON THIS FROM THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION THAT MYSELF, COUNCIL MEMBER CHUGHTAI AND CHOWDHURY ARE AUTHORING. HAPPY TO HAVE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS MAY HAVE. OTHERWISE I'LL MOVE THESE FOR APPROVAL. IF I CAN GET A SECOND.
>> SECOND. >> ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> [ AYES RESPOND ] >> OPPOSED SAY NAY. AN ABSTENTIONS? AND THEN WE'LL MOVE QUICKLY TO NEXT ITEMS FOR APPROVAL. IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONSING, WE CAN HAVE IT. BUT ITEM 28 IS REGARDINA
CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH SOUND THINKING, THE GUNSHOT LOCATION SYSTEM. WE KNOW THAT THIS WAS INITIALLY BROUGHT AS A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT, AND SO OF US ON THE COUNCIL REQUESTED A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT INSTEAD, SO WE CAN GET THE STUDY FROM THE AUDITOR THAT'S COMING THIS AUGUST.
>> CHAIRHAVEZ, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE 28 WITHOUT APPROVAL, IF THERE IS A SECOND FOR THAT. >> CAN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SEPARATELY? LIKE I... >> SURE. >> I WANT TO ME THIS FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDION TODAY AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT LATER. >> WEL I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY VOTE TO MOVE IT WITHOUT APPROVAL.
OR WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION. >>OMMISSIONER VETAW. >> YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD BE DOING THAT WHEN WE HAD A CONVERSATION ACT HAVING A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT AS AN APPROVAL. SO TO MOVE IT FORWARD WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING, WHAT'S THE
PURPOSE OF THAT? WHEN STAFF ACTUALLY DID WHAT WE ASKED, AND NOW THEY'RE BACK WITH THE CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR. >> I ALREADY MADE A MOTION TO MOVE IT WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION. >> SECOND.
>> ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER WHITI. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. JUST A QUICK NOTE HERE, LOOKING AT THE RCA, I WANTED TO BE SURE I WAS READING THIS CORRECTLY. I'M SEEING THE KIND OF E STRIKETHROUGHS FROM THE PREVIOUS RCA. WHERE WE WERE KIND OF AMENDING
IT TO THE ONE YEAR EXTENSION. IT LOOKS LIKE BAS ON THE FISCAL KIND OF UPDATES, FROM THE BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE, I AM NOTICING THAT THERE'S STILL A REFERENCE TO A REQUEST FOR A THREE-YEAR EXTENSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS REQUIRED, OR IF WE A DOING IT FOR JUST... I'M ASSUMING JUST FOR THIS ONE YEAR EXTENSION. >> CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT WE HAVE IN FNT OF YOU
RIGHT NOW IS THE ONE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION ALONG WITH THE EXPANSION SIDE OF THINGS. >> OKAY, PERFECT. AND I THINK IF MY ASSUMPTION THEN, IS IT PROBABLY JUST NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO NOTE... IT STILL SAYS THREE-YEAR EXTENSION. ON THE LAST PAGE, RIGHT BEFORE "ENTERPRISE REVIEW," IF YOU GO
UP AND LOOK THROUGH THE KIND OF STRIKETHROUGHS RIGHT THERE, YOU'LL SEE MARCH 21st, 2027. BUT THEN THE PRECEDING LANGUAGE SAYS, REQUESTING A THREE-YEAR EXTENSION THROUGH MARCH 21st, 2027. >> THAT CAN BE EASILY CORRECTED.
IT'S FOR ONE YEAR. >> COOL. PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN JUST MAYBE QUESTION FOR CHAIR CHAVEZ HERE. THERE IS... STILL KIND OF CONFUSED ON THE PROCESS.
THERE WAS AN AUDIT KINDF GOING ON ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY. WHERE IS THAT IN THE ETHOS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING? >> YEAH, SO THERE'S AN AUDIT THROUGH THE AUDITOR THAT IS GOING TO HAVE THIS AUDIT READY REGARDING MANY OTHER STUFF, BUT ON TOP OF I BELIEVE SHOTSPOTTER
THAT'S COMING... WE'LL HAVE INFORMATION ON THAT IN AUGUST. SO YEAH. THAT'S ALL I KNOW. >> OKAY. AND TN... AWESOME. THEN ALSO MAYBE A QUESTION. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE... I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER FROM BACK WHEN THIS FIRST CAME UP IN FRONT OF US, THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN
AGREEMENT KIND OF MADE, OR AT LEAST THEY'RE HOLDING ON TO THIS CONTRACT UNTIL THAT AUDIT EXISTS, THEY'RKIND OF JUST LIKE... WAS THERE AN AGREEMENT THAT... IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WE ARE OFF THE BOOK WITH THIS AT THE MOMENT. AND THEN THIS WOULD JUST BE UPDATING IT THROUGH MARCH OF
NEXT YEAR, BUTOT NECESSARILY UNTIL THAT MORE IN-DEPTH AUDIT. >> CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS CORRECT. RIGHT NOW SHOTSPOTTER IS WORKING WITH US SO THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE A LOSS OF SERCE WHILE WE WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH YOU.
>> OKAY. AND THEN IS THAT... I GUESS THE WORKING WITH MPD ON THIS. IS THAT IS THERE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THROUGH WHEN THIS WILL KIND OF I... I GUESS IS THERE A DATE IN WHICH THE SHOTSPOTTER IS WORKING WITH MPD ON THIS, BEFORE THEY NEED LIKE AN ABSOLUTE KIND OF A EXTENSION
TO THE CONTRACT? >> WE'RE AT THAT... CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE AT THAT POINT ALREADY. THEY'VE EXTENDED QUITE A BIT. I DON'T THINK WE CAN ASK ANY MORE FROM THEM. >> OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW. THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW. >> CHAIR, CHAIR CHAVEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITING THEY THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT ENDED ALREADY THEY'VE EXTENDED IT FOR US OVER THIS PERIOD OFIME SO THAT WE DID NOT LOSE THE COVERAGE. WHAT THEY BOUGHT BEFORE US THE LAST TIME WAS A CONTRACT NOT ONLY FOR THREE YEA FOR THE COVERAGE WE HAVE, BUT ALSO TO EXTEND THE COVERAGE AREA.
SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK FOR THEM TO GO BACK AND GIVE US A ONE YEAR TO WAIT ON THIS AUDIT REPORT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET IN AUGUST. SHOTSPOTTER S ALWAYS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND SO IT SEEMS THAT THEY WANT AN AUDIT OF THE ACTUAL
TECHNOLOGY TO SEE E VALUE OR NOT, OR WHATEVER. SO WE'LL GET THE REPORT BACK, AND I THINK FOLKS WANT BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION AFTER THE AUDIT REPORT COMES BACK ON SHOTSPOTTER. AND I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE, IF IT'S USEFUL, WE'LL VOTE FOR IT, FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT FOR THREE
YEARS. I DON'T KNOW A WORLD WITHOUT IT. SO I HOPE THAT, IF IT IS GOING TO CHANGE, PEOPLE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO BRING TO THE TABLE INSTEAD OF SHOTSPOTTER. BUT FOR NOW IT IS TO COVER FOR
THIS YEAR. AND THEY'VE BN MORE THAN GRACIOUS IN GIVING US A LOT OF TIME ON THIS CONTRACT RIGHT NOW. >> PERFECT. THANK YOU, CNCIL MEMBER VETAW. >> SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN QUEUE, ALL THOSE I FAVOR SAY AYE.
[ AYES RESPOND ] THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE ITEM NBER 29. A CONTRACT WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES INTERNAL FOR AFTER ACTION SERVICES.
AND COLLEAGU, I'M WONDERING IF YOU ALL READ THE RCA AND ARE READY TO JUST MOVE IT FORWARD, OR IF YOU NEED THISRESENTATION QUICKLY? >> [ OFF MICROPHONE ] >>O I PUT THIS ON DISCUSSION IN THE AGENDA SETTING, BECAUSE I
THOUT OTR COUNCIL MEMBERS ULD WANT TO KNOW THAT THIS... THERE WAS NOT FUNDING, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, FOR AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW. I PARTICULARLY THOUGHT COUIL MEMBER RAINVILLE WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT. SO I'LL HAVE TO TELL HIM TOMORROW ABOUT THIS. BUT WE CAN MOVE THIS ON WITHOUT
DISCUSSING IT AT BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT CURRENTLY THERE IS NOT AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW HAPPENING, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT MONEY FOR IT. >> WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NO FURTHER
DISCUSSION, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM. AND ON THAT MOTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [ AYES RESPOND ] THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. AND THEN, NOW THE NEXT ITEM IS
NUMBER 30, WHICH IS A YOUTH COORDINATIOARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND TO BEGIN THEIR PRESENTATION. AND WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT NUMBER... M TRYING TO SEE IN THE MEANTIME IF ITEM NUMBER 32
OR CT STAFF, IF THEY CAN COMMUNATE WITH OUR CLERKS IN MY OFFICE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO DELAY THIS CYCLE JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE. BUT WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU, DIRECTOR. >> WE HAVE A POWERPOINT. I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME BRING THAT UP. I HAVE A FLASH DRIVE, IF YOU NEED THAT.
GREAT. ANYWHERE GREAT. HI, EVERYBODY. I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A LONG AFTERNOON AND I APPRECIATE YOU WAITING FOR US I'M HERE WITH TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES. I'LL INTRODUCE THE IN A MINUTE. BUT AS YOU KNOW, I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH COORDINATING BOARD. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 40 YEARS.
AND WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY, THEARKS, THE SCHOOLS, AND THE CITY ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. AND BEFORE I SAY TOO MUCH, I WANT TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN MINNEAPOLIS. 20% OF THE RESIDENTS OF MINNEAPOLIARE UNDER THE AGE OF
18. ABOUT A THIRD OF THOSE ARE LITTLE, LITTLE KIDS. THEY ALL HAVE PARENTS. SO, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS, THEY'RE CONNECTED TO PARENTS. SO WE'REALKING ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE, CHILDREN, AND THEIR FAMILIES. SO IT'S A BIG GROUP OF PELE,
OUR CONSTITUENTS, BECAUSE WE CONSIDER THEIR PARENTS ALSO TO BE OUR CONSTITUENTS. WE RECENTLY COMPLETED A THEORY OF CHANGE. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER
WHITING,HO ARE BOTH ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. COUNCIL MEMBER WHITING IS OUR CURRENT BOARD CHAIR. AND THEY'VE SEEN OUR WHOLE THEORY OF CHANGE, WHICH I COULD GO THROUGH WITH YOU, BUT WE WOULD BE HERE AUT AN HOUR JUST LOOKING AT THAT. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR HEADLINE, OR OUR THEORY OF
CHANGE IS THAT IF THE YCB ALIGNS POWERFUL INSTITUTIONS, EQUIPS INFLUENTIAL ALTS, LIKE YOU, ELEVATES YOUTH POWER AND DRIVES DECISIONS WITH SHARED DATA, TH SYSTEM-WIDE PRACTICES CHANGE, RESOURCES FLOW TO WHAT WORKS,
AND YOUTH OUTCOMES IMPROVE EQUITABLY. SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE AFTER AT THE YOUTH COORDINATING BOARD. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE... THAT IS OUR MAIN THING WE ARE WORKING ON. ALL THOSE THINGS TO HAPPEN. WE OPERATE WITH SEVERAL CORE ASSUMPTIONS. AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THREE
THIN IN THIS TO YOU. ONE IS THAT WE WORK COLLE COLLECTIVELY, OR COLLABORATIVELY. WE WORK WITH OUR OTHER JURISDICTIONS. AND WE WORK TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEI GOALS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND WE WORK PRIMARILY WITH ADULTS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. WE ALSO WORK ON PREVENTION. A LOT OF TIMES IN GOVERNMENT, WE WORK TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING. WE WORK ON THE PREVENTION END OF
THINGS. THAT, WE THINK, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SEEN TREMENDOUS RESULTS WITH. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANTO HIGHLIGHT TODAY, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BRING UP SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TO TALK ABOUT THIS, IS THAT IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE
OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CENTERED IN DECISION MAKING. WE LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO TELL US. THEY HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO SAY. AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, THEIR PERSPECTIVES ARE CRITICAL TO THE DECISIONS
THAT WE MAKE. SO, IN THAT AREA... I'M GOING TO SKIP AHEAD A MINUTE HERE. IN 2007, THE MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH COORDINATING BOARD CREATED SOMETHING CALLED THEINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS.
AND THE MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS ACTUALLY WAS CREATED BY AN ADULT YOUTH PARTNERSHIP. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WERE OUT TALKING TO OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, TALKING TO OTHER ADULTS. AND THEY CAME BACK AND WORKED WITH OUR BOARD AND DECIDED WE NEEDED A PLACE, A FORMAL PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO WORK WITH
ADULTS TO MAKE SURE YOUTH PERSPECTIVES WERE REPRESENTED IN OUR WORK. AND THE VISION, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS THAT THE MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS IS A REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF YOUTH THAT HAS AUTHENTIC POWER AND INFLUENCE, AND DECISIONS D POLICIES RELEVANT
TO YOUTH, AND THAT WORKS IN COLLABORION WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, FOCUSING ON A COMMON UNDERSTANDINOF THE WELFARE OF THE YOUTH IN MINNEAPOLIS. THEIR MOTTO IS "NO DECISION ABOUT US WITHOUT US."
AND WE TAKE IT VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY. THE YOUTH CONGRESS IS A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE GRADES EIGHT THROUGH 12. WE PAY THEM WE FEED THEM. THEY'RE HUNGRY WHEN THEY COME TO US. WE TRANSPORT THEM.
WE TRAIN THEM. AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ADULTS WHO WORK WITH THEM, WHO KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY DIVIDE INTO FIVE COMM COMMITTEES. THEY MEET FOUR TIMES A MONTH ON THURSDAY NIGHTS OVER AT THE LIBRARY. AND THEY'VE MET THERE EVER SINCE
2007. AND THEY WORK VERY HARD IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS. ONE IS SOMETIMES ADULTS, WORKING ON PROJECTS IN OUR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, COME THEM AND SAY, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS, CAN YOU HELP US THINK THROUGH WHAT
YOU... YOUR IDEAS ARE ABOUT THIS? AND SOMETIMES THEY WORK MORE ON A REGULAR BASIS ON TOPICS. BUT SOMETIMES THEY HAVE IDEAS OUT THINGS AND THEY WORK ON TOPICS THEMSELVES. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WORKED ON, FOR TWO YEARS, THEY TESTED OUT
SCHOOL BUS CARDS WITH... YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WENT FROM YELLOW BUSSES IN SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS TO CITY BUS PASSES, THEY TESTED THAT OUT FOR TWO YEARS. THAT WAS THEIR PROJECT.THEY ALSX TRAFFICKING A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
THEY WKED ON TOBACCO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW WHEN SHE WAS AT NORTH POINT. SO THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS ON THEIR OWN AS WELL. BUT THIS IS... THEY ARE INLUABLE TO US. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE DID A YOUTH MASTER PLAN, AND THEY
WORKED ON IT WITH US. THEY D 13 WARD MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND THEY CAME BACK TO US, AND WE REVISED THE MASTER PLAN, BECAUSE THEY FOUND THINGS WE DID NOT SEE. BECAUSE FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE,
THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE MISSED. SO WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM AND HAPPY TO HAVE THEM. SO TODAY, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO TWO OF OUR YOUTH COUNCIL COORDINATORS WHO COULD BE WITH US. MARK WOODS, WHO IS A LONG-TERM
YOUTH COUNCIL COORDINATOR, AND SALIM ALI, WHO IS AN ALUM OF THE YOUTH CONGRESS, AND IS NOW ONE OF OUR COORDINATORS. SO I'D LIKE THEM TO ASK THEM COME FORWARD. THEY'RE GOG TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO YOU. AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT... I'VE ASKED THEM TO TALK A LITTLE BIT TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SAYING, AND
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE ON THEIR RADAR. OKAY? >> I LOVE THAT. >> SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CHAVEZ, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, FOR ASKING US TO BE HERE. >> YES. WELCOME. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ, AND
THE COMMITTEE. AS ANNE STATED, MY NAME IS MARK WOODS. I AM OUR SENIOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SCIALIST, AS WELL AS OUR HEALTH COMMITTEE COORDINATOR. I HAVE WORKED WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT OUTLETS OF OUR
ORGANIZATION, SUCH AS OUTREACH, AND OVER A DECADE WITH OUR YOUTH CONGRESS. TODAY WE WILL BE DOING OUR ELEVATOR SPEECHES, WHICH IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AS WELL AS GOING THROUGH YOUTH EXPERIENCES, ITEMS ON THE
AGENDA THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT, THAT DECISION MAKERS LIKE YOURSELF SHOULD KNOW ABOUT, FOLLOWING WITH WHATECOMMENDATIONS OR PARTNERSHIPS ENGAGEMENT THAT WE COULD PROPOSE TO CITY COUNCIL AS WELL.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL PASS IT OFF TO SALIM TO START OUR ELEVATOR SPEECHES. >> WELCOME. THANK YOU. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS SALIM ALI. I AM 19 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE BEEN A PART OF MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS FOR THREE YEARS. AND I'M CURRENTLY A STUDENT AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. THREE THINGS I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT ARE THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORTATION, AND THIRD SPACES. AND ONE THING THAT I BRING TO THE TABLE THATDULTS DON'T IS BEING A SPONGE FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES AND OPINIONS.
>> AGAIN, MARK WOODS, OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, AS WELL AS HEALTH COMMITTEE COORDINATOR. THREE THINGS I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT ARE SETTING YOUNG PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS NOT FAILURE. CULTURE AS WELL AS EDUCATION. ONE THING I BRING TO THE TABLE THAT OUR YOUTH MAY NOT IS OV 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
AT THIS TIME, AGAIN, SALIM WILL BE GIVING SOME EXAMPLES OF S EXPERIENCES WITH YOUTH CONGRESS, AS HE IS REPRESENTING OUR ENTIRE STUDENT BODY, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LESSONS OR OUTCOMES THAT HE
HAS FIRSTHAND BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE DUE TO SUCH. >> HELLO. AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVINGUS. I'VE BEEN A PART OF MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS SINCE I WAS 16 YEARS OLD AND IT HAS HELPED ME
GROW BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. IT HAS HELPED ME GROW WITHIN SOME SKILLS, LIKE FACILITATING BLIC SPEAKING, AND TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME MOMENTN HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME THROUGH THESE PAST THREE YEARS.
THE FIRST THING THAT I'LL MENTION IS THE COMMUNITY AND CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE IN 2024. MYSELF AND OTHER YOUTH, A PART OF NYC, WERE ABLE TO FACILITATE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CITY STAKEHOLDERS.AND WHILE THIS WAS
NERVE-WRACKING FOR MYSELF, THROUGH SUPPORT AND PRACTICE, I WAS ABLE TO GO UP THERE AND LEAD A CONVERSATION. I LED A CONVERSATION WITH MANY COUNITY LEADERS, INCLUDING CHAIRMAN CHAVEZ, AND IT WAS VERY FULFILLING FOR MYSELF, BECAUSE I
WAS ABLE TO FEEL LIKE I WAS A PART OF THE TABLE WHILE LDING THE CONVERSATION, AND HEARING ALL OF THE IMPORTANT... ALL OF THE PEOPLE'S OPINIONS AND PERSPECTIVES. AND IT WAS JUST INSPIRING FOR MYSELF. THE NEXT ISSUE THAT... THE NEXT
MORABLE MOMENT FOR MYSELF WAS THE MINNESOTAESEARCH JUSTICE CENTER'S EVENT "REIMAGINING JUSTICE" CONFERENCE. WHICH I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND BECAUSE OF MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS. AT THIS EVENT, I HEARD MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE
POWER OF STORYTELLING. AND I FELT VERY EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED, AND LIKE I JUST HAD THIS STRONG EMOTIONAL REACTION BECAUSE OF THEIR SRYTELLING. AND WHAT THAT DID FOR ME WAS IT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND BRIDGE THE GAP
OF UNDERSTANDING. THE LAST EXPERIENCE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IS DURING ADDITIONAL MEETING FOR NYC WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR BEING ABLE TOACILITATE.
AT THIS MEETING I WATCHED A DISAGREEMENT BETWEENWO MEMBERS ABOUT WHETHER SOCIETAL STANDARDS ARE AGREED UPON OR NOT. AT THIS MEETING, I WAS ABLE TO WATCH THEM CLASH, AND THEIR
OPINIONS CLASH, WHILE THEY WERE STILL ABLE TO HOLD A CIVIL CONVERSATION. AND FOR ME, THIS WAS VERY IMPACTFUL, BECAUSE I LEARNED THAT, WHILE PEOP MAY DISAGREE, THEY STILL ARE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND BE RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER. THROUGH THESE MOMENTS AND MANY
OTHERS, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GROW AS A PERSON. AND I HOPE THAT MANY YOUTH AFTER MYSELF ARE ABLE TO HAVE SIMILAR AND NEW EXPERIENCES IN MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH CONGRESS. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] >> CLAP INTO THE MIC! SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO CHAIR CHAVEZ, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE FOR ALLOWING THIS OPPORTUNITY, AS THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF REAL TIME, WHERE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE GET TO EXPERIENCE THINGS THAT MOST WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO, OR DO NOT
EVEN KNOW ABOUT. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RELATIVE OF TIME, I WILL JUMP DIRECTLY INTO IT. MY BACKGROUND OF BEING WITHIN EDUCATION, AS WELL AS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS BEACONS, AND BEING ABLE TO
CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY EMPLOYMENT THROUGH NYC, BUT ALSO THESE EXPERIENCES. MY GOAL BEING TO HAVE TRANSFORMATIVE SKILL SETS THAT ARE NOTNLY IMPLIED WITHIN SCHOOL AND EDUCATION, BUT A
PLACE TO PRACTICE THEM AND PUSH THROUGH. I WILL BE GIVING DIRECT FEEDBACK THAT I HAVE GAINED FROM THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS. I AM SIMPLY THE MESSENGER TODAY. AS MY PROFESSIONAL ACCOLADES AND
BACKOUND HOLD NO WEIGHT ON WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT. SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BROUGH UP, NOT TO DISMISS THINGS, SUCH AS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL D WATER SAFETY, NOT TO DISMISS HOUSING CRISIS
AND ISSUES, NOT TO DISMISS ANYOE COMMITTEES COVER ON A REGULAR BASIS, THE FOCAL POINT BEING RIGHT NOW IS SAFETY. SAFETY IS BIGGER THAN PHYSICALS.
YOUTH WANT TO FEEL SAFE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, AND PUBLIC SPACES. CONCERNS ABOUT VIOLENCE, BULLYI, HARASSMENT, AND UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENTS, FEELING UNSAFE LIMITS THEIR PARTICIPATN IN COMMUNITY LIFE. RIGHT NOW WE ARE PARTNERING WITH
THE PARK BOARD AND HOLDING A THIRD-PARTY SPACE AT NORTH COMMONS, IN WHICH SOME OF THE FEEDBACK IS "I CAN'T GO THERE." AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE AGAIN ARE OPENING THE DOOR FOR MULTIPLE, NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL PARKS, HASEEN A CONCERN THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WANTING T
PARTICIPATE BUNOT FEELING LIKE US AS A SOCIETY HAVE CREATED THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE JOINING. THIS ALSO GOES WH EMOTIONAL SAFETY YOUTH NEED SPACES WHERE THEY CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES
WITHOUT FEAR OF JGMENT, FEAR OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD, DISMISSED, OR LABELED. I THINK BEING PRESENT TODAY HAS BEEN A DISPLAY OF THAT NOT BEING ADDRESSED, AND ALSO TRICKLING TO
OUR ADULT COMMUNITY AS WELL. MANY YOUNG PEOPLE REPORT FEELING ISOLATED, DESPITE BEING CONSTANTLY CONNECTED ONLINE. OR EVEN WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL SPACES, WHERE THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE AROUND THEM.
BUT AGAIN, STILL FEELING ISOLATED. MY KEY POINT IS SAFETY IS NOT JUST THE ABSENCE OF DANGER, ASWE OF TRUST, BELONGING, AND SUPPORT. THE NEED FOR THE THIRD SAFE
SPACES, THE THIRD-PARTY SPACES, THE DEFINITION OF FIRST SPACE BEING HOME. WE HAVE LEARNED THAT NOT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AT HOME. WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE HHM OFTEN SHARING SPACES WITH SIBLINGS, OTHER RELATIVES, NOT
HAVING A SPACE OF THEIR OWN TO REALLY DECOMPRESS OR PROCESS THR DAY. OUR SECOND SPACE BEING WORK OR SCHOOL. ALTHOUGH SAFE SPACES, WORK AND SCHOOL OFTEN HOLD HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF CONSTANTLY HAVING TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
WHEREAS THIRD-PARTY SPACES, AGAIN, ALLOW THEM TO JUST EXIST. AS WELL AS BELONG. THE YOUTH FEEDBACK IS THE DESIRE FO SPACES THAT AREOT HEAVILY STRUCTURED. PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GATHER
WITHOUT BEING VIEWED AS A PROBLEM. AGAIN, I THINK THE STIGMA OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS THAT IF THEY ARE NOT DOING SOMETHING PROACTIVE, TH ARE DOING SOMETHING NEGATIVE. I THINK THAT... THAT I WANT TO BE CAREFUL WITH MY WORDS... THAT DEMONIZATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS
SOMETHING THAT THEY HOLD PERSONAL. OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD FRIENDSHIPS AND COMMUNITY NATURALLY. NOW, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL, WE PLACE STUDES IN SCHOOL BASED ON THEIR AGE, ASWE.
AND SO TO BE ABLE T CONNECT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I BELIEVE MYC IS AN EXAMPLE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE OSE STUDENTS COME FROM ALL DEMOGRAPHICS, AS WELL AS EIGHTH THROUGH 12th GRADE, GIVING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND
NARRATIVES, HELPING THEM BE A MORE ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL AS THEY DEVELOP. AGAIN, MY KEY POINT, YOUTHEED SPACES WHERE THEY ARE WELCOMED, NOT MERELY TOLERATED.
GUIDANCE FROM TRUSTEDDULTS. YOUTH ARE SAYING THEY NEED ADULTS THAT THEY CAN TRUST. THEY WANT GUIDANCE, NOT CONTROL. THIS GENERATION DOES NOT RESPECT POSITIONAL POW.
THEY FEEL THAT IS KIND OF A DICTATORSHIP INSTEAD OF AN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN LEADERSHIP. WHICH IS WHY WE AT YOUTH CONGRESS MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTIVELY ENGAGE OUR YOUTH. WE DO PROJECTS WITH THEM. AGAIN, HAVING SALIM WITH AT THIS
POINT, PUTTING THE BALL IN HIS COURT, AND AGAIN, BEING ABLE TO PRACTICE THE SKILL SET, BUT ALSO HAVING US BE ABLE TO MODEL. THEY WANT ADULTS WHO LISTEN BEFORE ADVISING. THE CHALLENGE BEING MANY ADULTS ASSUME YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A
SUPPORT SYSTEM. OR ACCESS TO TRUSTED MENTORSHIP BEING CONSISTENT THERE ARE OFTENTIMES YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THESE THINGS, BUT AGAIN, CONSISTENCY BASED ON OUR
SOCIETAL NEED FOR OUR ECONOMY, JOB WORK BEING BUSY TAKES AWAY FROM YOUNG PEOPLE, WHEREAS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEFT TO ESSENTIALLY RAISE THEMSELVES OR DEVELOP ON THEIR OWN. ONE CARING ADULT CAN
SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE A YOUNG PERSON'S TRAJECTORY. MY OBSERVATION OF LACK OF AUTHENTICONCTION. YOUTH ARE SURROUNDED BY COMMUNICATION, BUT OFTEN EXPERIENCE LIMITED CONNECTION. RELATIONSHIPS CAN FEEL
TRANSACTIONAL OR SUPERFICIAL. MANY YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO FIND MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS. HUMAN CONNECTION IS NOT A LU LUXURY. IT IS A DEVOPMENTAL. NECESSITY.
I BELIEVE THE UNDERLYING ISSUE IS IMPLIED UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT DEPTH. MY OBSERVATION IS ADULTS OFTEN BELIEVE THEY UNDERSTAND YOUTH BECAUSE THEY WERE ONCE YOUNG. YOUTH OFTEN BELIEVE ADULTS
CANNOT UNDERSTAND BECAUSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED. THE RESULT IS ASSUMPTIONS REACE CONVEATIONS. DECISIONS ARE MADE WITHOUT DIRECT UNDERSTANDING. I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF MODELING THAT TODAY, QUESTIONING AND CHALLENGING EACH OTHER, AND EVEN
TABLING THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE DOING YOUR PROPER RESEARCH. THE KEY POINT IS UNDERSTANDING REQUIRES ONGOING ENGAGEMENT, NOT PAST EXPERIENCE.
THE ISSUES YOUTH IDENTIFD ALL POINT TOWARDS ONE COMMON NEED. GENUINE HUMAN CONNECTION AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT. WHICH BRINGS US TO THE FINAL QUESTION, WHICH IS... HOW CAN CITY COUNCIL ENGAGAND WORK WITH YOU?
THE ANSWER IS... ENGAGE. NOT OCCASIONALLY. NOT SYMBOLICALLY. CONSISTENTLY AND AUTHENTICALLY. I SALIM BEING ABLE TO REMEMBER A MOME WITH CHAIR CHAVEIS A DIRECT EXAMPLE OF THIS, AS WELL
AS I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO COUNCILMAN WHITING, WHO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THIS PAST YEAR'S OATH OF OFFICE, AS OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SWORN IN AS OFFICIAL MEMBERS WITHIN THE YOUTH CONGRESS.
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONVERSATION, SUGGESTIONS. OUR REGULAR YOUTH LISTENING SESSIONS, COMMUNITY FORUMS DESIGNED FOR YOUTH PARTICPARTICD OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH DECISION MAKERS. IN THE PAST, WE HAVE DONE
THINGS, SUCH AS THE YOUTH CHIEF SUMMIT, WHERE WE ASK OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND CHIEF TO DROP THEIR PRIVILEGE AND SHOW UP TO ANSWER COMMUNITY QUESTIONS AND BUILD RAPPORT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ON A HUMAN LEVEL INSTEAD OF THE POSITIONAL POWER LEVEL AND
AUTHORITY OF BEING OFFICERS. DUE TO OUR CLIMATE, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN QUITE SOME TIME, BUT I LOOKOR THINGS LIKE THAT TO BE BROUGHT BACK. SO AGAIN, THAT WE CAN REPAIR, AS WELL AS HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND REBUILD TRUST IN GOVERNMENT, AS
WELL AS PROCESS. ENGAGEMENT SHOULD NOT BEGIN AFTER DECISIONS ARE MADE. ENGAGEMENT SHOULD HELP SHAPE THE DECISION. INVESTING IN MENTORSHIP. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? YOUTH DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
EXPOSURE CREATES OPPORTUNITY. RELATIONSHIPS CREATE GROWTH. KRS 1, THE LEGENDARY HIP HOP ARTIST STATED THAT, "YOUNG PEOPLE SPEND TIME AROUND OLDER PEOPLE TEND TO ADVANCE FASTER
AMONGST THEIR PEERS, OR YOUNGER PEOPLE. WHEREAS OLDER PEOPLE WHO SPEND TIME AROUND YOUNGER PEOPLE TEND TO ADVANCE FASTER AMONGST THEIR PEERS OF OLDER PEOPLE. I BELIEVE I AM A TESTAMENT OF THAT, AS I OFTEN AM ABLE TO TRANSLATE THINGS THAT OUR OLDER
GENERATION DOES NOT KNOW. YOUNG PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR LANGUAGE ALMOST ON A DAILY. IF WE THINK OF THINGS LIKE AAVE, YOU MIGHT SAY ONE WORD, AND IT MEANS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE. IF WE GET INTO THE TECHNICALITY,
EVENEGALESE, HOW SOMETHING IS WRITTEN VERSUS HOW IT IS UPHELD, THESE TYPE OF THINGS MATTER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE PLACE THE EXPECTATION ON YOUNG PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHILE ALSO CONTRIBUTING. IN APPLICATION, BOTH GENERATIONS
BENEFIT. MENTORSHIP IS NOT A ONE-WAY EXCHANGE. IT IS MUTU LEARNING. AGAIN, I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE YOUNG PEOPLE I SERVICE. AND I HE, AND HAVE GOTTEN MY FLOWERS, THAT IS ALSO RECIPROCATED.
BEING AUTHENTIC AND TRANSPARENT. YOUNG PEOPLE RECOGNIZEHEN INFORMATION IS FILTERED OR OVERSIMPLIFIED. THEY ALRDY ENCOUNTER COMPLEX REALITIES THROUGH SCHOOL, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND EVERYDAY LIFE. BEING AT THE CENTER OF
MINNEAPOLIS, THE ICE RAIDS THAT HIT ROOSEVELT AND OTHER THINGS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE ALMOST FEEL, AGAIN, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERMS, LIKE WE'RE PLAYING IN THEIR FACE WHEN WE TRY TO SHELTER THEM FROM INGS THAT THEY ARE AEADY EXPOSED TO. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE
TRANSPARENT AND ACTUALLY EXPLAINING THINGS AND OPENING DIALOG FOR TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, GIVING THEHEM THE ABILITY TO PREPAR AS WELL AS RESPOND WITH ACTION. OUR REQUESTS, ARE AGAIN, SPEAK
HONESTLY EXPLAIN DECISIONS OPENLY AND INVITE QUESTIONS. TRANSPARENCY BUILDS TRUST. TRUST CREATES PARTICIPATION. INFLUENCFORE EXPECTING IMPACT. ALAN WATTS ONCE SAID THAT THE FIRST RESPONSIBILITY OF AN EDUCATOR IS TO GAIN INFLUENCE,
AND WE ARE COMPETING AGAINST SO MUCH THESE DAYS. AS MY TIME AS A TEACHER, I ASKED MY STUDENTS, HOW COME SOMETIMES THEY DON'T LISTEN TO ME EVEN WHEN THEY TRUST ME AND HAVE SHOWN THAT MY TUTELE REAL TIME
ISEING HONEST.AND THEY SAID, "W" I ASKED IF ANTHONY EDWARDS CAME IN HERE AND SAID THE EXACT SAME THING, WOULD YOU LISTEN TO HIM OR WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME, EVEN THOUGH YOU SEE ME EVERY DAY? THEIR ANSWER WA... "ANTHONY EDWARDS, OF COURSE."
INFLUENCE COMES RELATIONSHIP PEOPLE LEARN FROM THOSE THEY TRUST. YOUTH ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE WHEN THEY FEEL RESPECTED AND HEARD. SO SPENDING TIME WITH YOUTH DIRECTLY. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK CANNOT BE FULLY GAERED FROM REPORTS,
STATISTICS, OR ASSUMPTIONS. RELATIONSHIPS PRIDE CONTEXT THAT DATA ALONE CANNOT. SO, JUST TO REFRAME, NOTHAT YOU GUYS HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO, BUT OUR REQUEST IS THAT YOU ATTEND YOUTH EVENTS, VISIT
COMMUNITY SPACES. LISTEN MORE THAN SPEAK. AND BUILD FAMILIARITYEFORE SEEKING SOLUTIONS. IN CLOSING, I WILL DO ONE FERENCE FROM JOHN TRUDEAU.
WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD THAT IS GREAT GRADUALLY LOSING ITS UNDERSTANDINOF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. AND I DO NOT WANT THAT FOR OUR FUTURE. D THEY HAVE EXPRESSEDHAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY DO NOT WANT. SYSTEMS DO NOT OVERRIDE HUMANITY. THE REEST WE HEARD ARE
FUNDAMENTALLY HUMAN REQUESTS. SAFETY, BELONGING, GUIDANCE, AND CONNECTION. MY FIN MESSAGE: YOUTH ARE NOT ASKING SIMPLY FOR MORE SERVICES. THEY ARE ASKING FOR MORE RELATIONSHIPS. THEY ARE ASKING TO BE SEEN, HEARD, AND ENGAGED AS MEMBERS OF
THE COMMUNITY. IF WE WANT YOUTH TINVEST IN THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, WE MUST FIRST INVEST OUR TIME, PRESENCE, AND ATTENTION TO THEM TODAY. AGAIN, I THA YOU GUYS FORLISTEN. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU.
>> AT THIS TIME, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? >> YEP. I'LL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, FOR ALL YOU DOOR OUR YOUTH IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE TODAY FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU DO,
AND FOR THE WORK THAT Y DO IN THE CONGRESS. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, AND IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY OUR CITY ENTERPRISE. SO JUST VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. AND VERY THANKFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY, AND THIS INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION.
I'LL PASS TO COUNCIL MEMBER VETAW. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. I ALSO WANTE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONTINUED WORK, NOT ONLY ON THE YOUTH COORDINATING BOARD, BUT TH YOUTH CONGRESS. I WILL SAY THOUGH, I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE POLY IDEAS COME BEFORE THIS COUNC. THAT'S SOMETHING I WORKED ON FOR YEARS WITH THE YOUTH CONGRESS.
VERY SOLID POLICY THAT YOUTH WANTED, AND THEY DID A LOT OF WORK AT THAT TIME WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL TO MAKE SURE PUBC HEALTH POLICY WAS PASSED. SO I WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE NOT ONLY TO CHAMPION, BUT TO HAVE QUESTIONS WITH YOUTH ABOUT
POLICY IDEAS. >> COUNCILMEMBER WHITING. >> YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVEZ. FULLY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VETVETAW ON THAT AS WELL. WE ARE NOT YOUTH ANYMORE, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO THINK SO.
AND THEN AGAIN, JUST A DEEP LEVEL OF GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. AND SALIM, I WOULD TAKE A MOMENT TO KIND OF, AS YOU KIND OF WALK AROUND IN HERE, RIGHT? YOU ARE E YOUNGEST PERSON IN THIS IN THIS CHAMBERS AT THE MOMENT. AND THAT IS NOT A SMALLEAT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVES AND YOUR YOUTH AND IT SHOULD BE SEEN AS AN ACCOMPLIMENT. SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CHAVE I ACTUALLY GET FEEDBACK FROM OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HOPING TO GET MORE YOUTH VOICE INVOLVED IN THEIR POLICY AREAS AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW WE COULD
BETTER INTEGRATE YOUTH VOICE INTO KIND OF THE BROADER POLICY MAKING SPHERE. >> YES, WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEA PART OF POLICY MAKING ONE IN THE PAST THAT IS STILL CONTINUING WAS THE CAK THE CANNABIS AWARENESS. THE STRUGGLE BEING WE DO NOT
WANT TO POSE UNDERAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SOMETHING THAT IS 21+, BU ALSO NOT LOSE EQUITY. IN THE PAST OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ALSO BEEN ON YOUTH ON BOARDS, WHERE THEY CONNECT WITH BOARDS AND AUALLY AGAIN GE
THEIR VOICE DIRECTLY. MY PUS THAT I TRAIN THEM TO BE JUNIORONSULTANTS. I DO NOT TEACH THEM WHAT TO THINK. I JUST CHALLENGE THEIR THOUGHTS, SO THAT TH THINK OF THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM AS A WHOLE. AGAIN, COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS,
AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT THE SUPPORT COMES FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE AND EXPOSURE, SO THAT THINGS LIKE WRITING SCHOLARSHIPS OR... EXCUSE ME... LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION ARELSO A PART OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. AND SO WE HAVE THESEHINGS.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING. I JUST BELIEVE THAT WE STILL NEED MORE. SALIM, DID YOU... >> SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT WOULD BE... WHEN FEEDBACK IS RECEIVED FM YOUTH, THAT THERE IS CONSISTENT AND CONSTANT
SHING OF THAT FEEDBACK BEING RECEIVED, AND SHOWING WHERE THAT FEEDBACK IS BEING PLACED. OFTEN, WHEN YOUTH, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, HAVE REACHED OUT OR COMMUNICATED THEIR OPINIONS, THE FEEDBACK IS TAKEN AND USED PERFORMATIVELY, AND THEN NOT
ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED INTO THE CURATION OR THE IDEAS THAT ARE USED EVENTUALLY. >> REALLY GOOD POINT OF FEEDBACK. SO, HAPPY TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EMPOWERING THAT VOICE MORE THOROUGHLY. >> AND THEN WE'LL BE HAPPY... THE YOUTH, Y'ALL HAVE VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT IDEAS AND POLICS ALREADY THAT YOU RECOMMEND. MAYBE IT'D BE GOOD TO INVITE Y'ALL AS YOUTH TO COME AND JUST PRESENT THOSE TO COUNCIL. THAT'LL BE I THINK A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THOSE. MYSELF INCLUDED, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THEM. >> CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE, TOO, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO COME TO THE YOUTH CONGRESS AT SOME POINT. WE CAN ARRANGE FOR THAT ANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY OR AS A GROUP. YOU CAN JUST TALK TO ME, AND I WILL TALK WITH LATOYA AND WE'LL SCHEDULE YOU IN. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME MEET THERE. AND I KNOW THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TOEET YOU. THEY HAVE LOTS OF GUESTS, AND
THEY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU AS OUR GUESTS. I'M CERTAIN THAT'S TRUE SO JUST KEEP THAT AS AN OPEN INVITATION. THEY SEAT A NEW COHORT IN OCTOBER. AND THEY MEET THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR. YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE DO HAVE SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE THROUGH THE SUMMER.
BUT REALLY THEY'RE ACTIVE TIME IS OOBER THROUGH ABOUT MID. JUNE. TOMORROW NIGHT WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE PARTY FOR THE GRADUATES. SO THAT'S KIND OF THEIR YEAR. >> COUNCILMAN WHITING, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT THING.
>> YES. AND I WAS GOING TO SAY I'M GONNA NEED ONE OF THESE ONEF THESE HOODIES, SO IF YOU CAN MAKE SURE I CAN FIND A LINK TO FIND ONE... WHERE ONE OF THESE HOODIES ARE AT. APPRECIATE I >> IT THANK YOU SO. >> EXCUSE ME, COUNCILMAN
WHITING, THESE HOODIES WERE ACTUALLY MADE AT THTEEN TECH CENTER. THESE LOGOS WERE DESIGNED BY A FORMER NYC MEMBER ELISE LEGLER AFTER THEEORGE FLOYD INCIDENT. AND SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE, WE HAVE THE PRINT VINYL. PLEASE STOP BY. AND WE CAN EVEN MAKE IT AN ACTIVITY. THE GOAL IS TO HAVE US DROP OUR
COOLS, EMBRACE OUR INNER CHILD. I APPRECIATE THE DECORUM. WE HAVE TO HAVE BALANCE, T TO ALSO JUST HAVE F AND ENJOY EACH OTHER IN OUR SPACE. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN. >> BEAUTIFUL THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. HONESTLY, REALLY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE.
EVEN IF WE'RE HERE AT 5 P.M., I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR YOUTH. I WOULD LOVE TO COME AS WELL AND HEAR FROM THE YOUTH DIRECTLY ABOUT THEIR POLICY PRIORITIES. ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, WITH THATSEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO RECEIVE AND FILE THAT REPORT. NEXT UP WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 31. IT'S OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ANNUAL REPORT.
THIS IS THE LAST PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. AS STAFF COMES UP HERE AND GETS READY TO REPORT ON THIS REPORT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FINISH ITEM NUMBER 32, WHICH IS JUST A RECEIVE AND FILE COLLEAGUES. BEFORE YOU PRESENT DIRECTOR, I WANT TOAKE SURE THAT ITEM NUMBER 32, WHICH IS SENIOR
RESIDENT HOUSING STABILITY GETS RECEIVED AND FILED. SO COLLEAGUES, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'LL ASK THELERK TO RECEIVE AND FILE THAT REPORT. ANY OBJECTIONS? GREAT. WE'VE BEEN DISPENSED. NOW YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, DIR DIRECTOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR CHAVEZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANKS FOR STANG THIS LONG. I KNOW I AM BETWEEN YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR EVENING. SO I WILL TRY TKEEP THIS PRETTY QUICK. I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE YOU TODAY TO REALLY BRAG ABOUT THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN DOING INENVIR.
SO MY NAME IS KELLY. AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OFENVIRONME MINNEAPOLIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ON THE WORK OF ENVIRONMENTA SERVICES INSPECTIONS TEAM WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS UNIT.
SO JUST CONTEXT OF WHERE WE SIT WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE ALL REPORT UP TO THE COMMISSIONER, CHAPLIN. DESMOND CHAPLIN WE ARE WITHIN THE DIVISION OF SUSTAINABILITY HEALTHY HOMES AND ENVIRONMENT. AND THEN WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS UNIT.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER PATRICK HANLON OVERSEES THE DIVISION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE OFTEN SAYS IS THIS WORK IS THE OPERATIONS ARM OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL WORK. SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES TEAM IS LOCATED WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS UNIT.
IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU'VE HEARD PRESENTATIONS ON THE POLLUTION CONTROL ANNL REGISTRATION. LATER THIS SUMMER, YOU'LL GET PRESENTATIONS ON THE CITY TREES AND BIOCHAR PROGRAMS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PERMITS D INSPECTIONS TEAM IS SOME OF THE CORE WORK OF THE UNIT, BUT DOESN'T OFTEN GET PRESENTATIONS
IN FRONT OF THEOUNCIL. OUR TEAINCLUDES FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS. THAT EACH OVERSEE A QUADRANT OF THE CITY. WE WILL HAVE FOUR INSPECTORS THROUGH THE END OF 2026, WHEN WE'LL ACTUALLY GO DOWN TO THREE INSPECTORS AND REDISTRICT TO
THREE DISTRICTS STARTING IN 2027. THE INSPECTIONS TEAM IS SUPPORTED ALSO BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, A SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT MANAGER, OUR PCAR PROGRAM COORDINATOR. WE HAVE SUMMER ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIANS, ONE OF WHOM HAS JOINED ME TODAY. AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
PERMITS TEAM. THE UNIT ISSUES, INSPECTS, AND ENFORCES ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PERMIT TYPES SO I'M GOING TO GO OVER EACH OF THESE VERY BRIEFLY. SEDIMENT IS THE NUMBER-ONE POLLUTANT OF OUR WATER BODIES BY VOLUME.
AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE THE NUMBER-ONE SOURCE. SEDIMENT ITSELF AND THE CHEMICALS IT CAN CARRY HARM THE STREAMS RIVERS AND LAKES THAT WE SWIM FISH AND RECREATE IN. SO AS A RESULT, EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST SCOPES OF WORK WITHIN
THE INSPECTIONS TEAM. CPED ACTUALLY ISSUES THE PERMITS FOR EROSION SEDIMENT CONTROL FOR ALL WRECKING AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT DISTURB MORE THAN. AND ENFORCING THE EROSION AND SEMENT CONTROL PERMITS AND
WORK IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM PERMIT. SAY THAT TEN TIMES FAST. FROM THE MPCA. EROSN AND SEDIMENT CONTROL IS OUR THIRD LARGEST PERMIT BY VOLUME, AND REQUIRES THE
GREATEST AMOUNT OF INSPECTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT TIME FROM OUR STAFF. ALONG WITH SEDIMENT POLLUTION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIS TEAM ALSO ENFORCES CONSTRUCTION SITES HOURS OF OPERATION. AND E HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUES PERMITS FOR WORK OUTSIDE OF THE
ALLOWED HOURS 7 A.M. TO 6 P.M. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT AREN'T COMPLYING. MANY OF YOU ARE ALSO FAMILIAR WITH NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL BARS, RESTAURANTS AND MUSIC VENUES. THESE ALL COME TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS, WHO CAN VERIFY IF A BUSINESS OR
RESIDENT HAS AN AMPLIFIED SOUND PERMIT. THEY CAN TAKE SOUND MEASUREMENTS WI THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE AND ENSURE THAT FACILITIES ARE OPERATING WITHIN ALLOWED DECIBEL LIMITS. IN RECENT YEARS, WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT MORE AMPLIFIED SOUND PERMITS REQUESTINGO GO PAST 10
P.M. TO YOU ALL, AND THAT IS TO ENSURE THAT YO KNOW THAT THOSE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING, AND YOU CAN IMPROVE THEM, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THEM FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH WPED BUSINESS LICENSING ON NOISE VIOLATIONS. THIS INFORMATION IS SHARED WITH
THEM, AND IT MAY IMPACT A BUSINESS'S ENTERTAINMENT LIC LICENSE. INSPECTORS FROM CPDS BUSINESS LICENSING TEAM MAY ALSO JOIN ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS FOR LATE NIGHT SOUND MONITORING, AND OUR TEAMS JOINTLY ENFORCE TO OBTAIN COMPLIANCE.
A LITTLE KNOWN AREA OF WORK IS TAS AND WELLS. INSPECTIONS TANKS, PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE REMOVAL ABANDONMENT AND INSTALLATION OF UNDERGROUND TANKS, AND ABOVE-GROUND STORAGE TANKS, 200T PROPANE TANKS, 200 POUNDS AND LARGER.
INSPECTIONS ARE PERFORMED ON ALL OF THESE TANK REMOVALS TO ENSURE THAT WORK IS COMPLETED AND DONE IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER THAT COMPES WITH STATE AND LOCAL CODE. THERE ARE ALSO WELL CONSTRUCTION SEALING AND MAINTENANCE PERMITS. THIS IS DELEGATED WORK THROUGH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT
HEALTH AND HAS BEEN SINCE 1991. ABOUT 25% OF WELL CONSTRUCTION AND 10% OF WELL CEILINGS ARE INSPECTED TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE. TEMPORARY WATER DISCHARGE PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL DISCHARGES OF WATER TO MINNEAPOLIS SANITARY
OR STORM SEWER SYSTEM. AND THESE ACTIVITIES ARE ALSO INSPECTED BY OUR INSPECTIONS TEAM. THIS IS TYPICALLY GROUNDWATER STORMWATER OR SNOW MELT THAT HAS ENTERED INTO A CONSTRUCTION SITE EXCAVATION AREA AND NEEDS TO BE PUMPED OUT TO CONTINUE WORK. SO WE MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF THE
SEDIMENT IS CARRIED WITH THAT WAR INTO OUR STORM SEWER SYSTEM. THERE ARE ALSO ABRASIVE BLASTING PERMITS. THIS IS A METHOD OF REMOVING PAINT, RUST, GREASE, AND DEBRIS TO PREPARE A SURFACE FOR PAINTING OR SEALING WE PARTNER
WITH THE LEAD TEAM ON THIS. BECAUSE ALL SURFACES ARE TESTED FOR LEAD PRIOR TO AN ABRASIVE BLASTING PERMIT BEING ISSUED. IF THERE IS LEAD-BASED PAINT PRESENT, THEN THERE IS ADDITIONAL CONTAINMENT OF THE STRUCTURE, NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE
SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED TO PROTECT THAT AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS INTENSE MONITORING BY THE LEAD TEAM STAFF FOR THOSE, TO MAKE SURE THERE'S COMPLIANCE WITH HAZAR MITIGATION AND CLEANING PRACTICES.
THESE ARE THE FUN NUMBERS THAT I'M EXCITED TO SHARE. IN 2025, THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED, AND THE TOTALEVENUE THAT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE CITY THROUGH THESE PERMITS. YOU CAN SEE THAT EROSION CONTROL, AFTER HOURS CONSTRUCTION, AND AMPLIFIED SOUND PERMITS ARE THE MOST COMMON AND BRING IN THE MOST
REVENUE. IN 2027, WE'LL ALSO BE STANDING UP AN INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER PROGRAM. THIS IS A NEW REQUIREMENT THROUGH OUR MS4 PERMIT WITH THE STATE. THEY'RE REQUIRING BOTH THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT PAUL TO DO THIS. PUBLIC WORKS, SURFACE WATER, AND
SEWERS IS LEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM WITH SUPPORT FROM SOME CONSULTANTS WE WILL HAVE TO CREATE A NEW PERMIT TO GENERATE REVENUE TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM. SO YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE FROM US OTHAT. AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE SLIDES I HAVE ARE JUST GOING OVER SOME
OF OUR COMMON SERVICE REQUESTS. SO ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THEIR HOURS RPONDING TO SERVICE REQUESTS THAT COME IN VIA 311 AND COUNCIL OFFICES.SO E OF THE MOST COMMON ONES. INSPECTORS ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO APPROACHING THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE WITH EQUITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AT THE FOREFRONT. INSPECTORS LEAD WITH EDUCATION AND MEDIATION. OUR GOAL IS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, NOT ISSUE CITATIONS I ALSO WANT TO SAY, AS I MENTIONED IN A COUPLE PREVIOUS SLIDES, THAT WE DO A LOT OF COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE WORK WITH REC SERVICES, HOUSING INSPECTORS, AND THE HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM ON RENTAL CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT INTERACT WITH BOTH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ON IDLING OR GENERATOR COMPLAINTS. WE WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON SEDIMENT POLLUTION, ON OIL SPILLS, ON DISCHARGE PERMITS AS
WELL. WE WORK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, BUSINESS LICENSING,E POLLUTION. WE WORK WITH ZONING WITH MINNEAPOLIS DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, AND BUILDING INSPECTIONS ON DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION SITE ISSU, INDUSTRIAL COMPLAINTS, AND OTHERS.
WE'VE RECENTLY TAK OVER THE HAZARD TREE WORK FROM REGULATORY SERVICES, SO THAT ALL TREE WORK HAPPENS WITHIN T HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE SAME UNIT, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE REALLY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH STAFF WITH TRAINING ON TREE
IDENTIFICATION, AND ALSO CONNECT THOS HAZARD TREES TO OUR CONDEMNED TREE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. SO THAT RESIDENTS WHO INCOME QUALIFY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THAT HAZARD TREE REMOVED COMPLETELYF. AND THEN TREES USED TO REPLACE IT. I MENTIONED OUR COLLABORATION
WITH THE LEAD TEAM ON ABRASIVE BLASTING. SO AGAIN, A LOT OF COLLABORATION FROM OUR TEAM. ALSO MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THESE FREQUENTLY OCCURRING ISSUES MAY ULTIMATELY LEAD US TO MAKE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS AND BRING THOSE BEFORE YOU ALL HERE
IN COUNCIL, OR CREATE NEW PROGRAMS. SO I WANT TO MENTION A COUPLE ITEMS THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR. ONIS WE'RE DOING A REPEAL AND REPLACE OF CHAPTER 389, OUR NOISE ORDINANCE. AND THAT IS REALLY JUST TO CLEAN
UP AND REMOVE SOME OUTDATED LANGUAGE, SOME CONFLICTING LANGUAGE, MAKE IT FLOW BETTER, KIND OF MODERNIZE IT. WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A SMALL ORDINANCE AROUND GENERATORS, AS THAT HAS BEEN A GROWING ISSUE OF COMPLAINTS,
BOTH AROUND AIR QUALITY AND NOISE WITHIN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND THAT'S BOTH RESIDENTL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. SO THESE ARE THE NUMBERS OF SERVICE REQUESTS. THIS INFORMATI IS JUST PULLED FROM 311 THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE
ALL THE ADDITIONAL SERVICE REQUESTS THAT WE MAHAVE RECEIVED THROUGH YOUR OFFICES OR INDIVIDUALS REACHING OUT DIRECTLY TO OUR OFFICE. SO YOU CAN SEE BY NUMBERS, NOISE POLLUTION IS CERTAINLY THE LARGEST AREA OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVE, AS THEN FOLLOWED BY
LAND POLLUTION, WITH A LOT AROUND ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND FINALLY I WANT TO WRAP UP JUST NOTING E OTHER SOURCE OF REVENUE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS TEAM CITATIONS. AS I MENTIONED, WE DON'T LIKE TO ISSUE CITATIONS, BUT IT CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO OBTAIN
COMPLIANCE. ESPECIALLY WITH PROBLEM CONTRACTORS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES. AND YOU'LL NOTE THE INCREASE IN CITATION REVENUE WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN WE'VE BEEN OPERATING WITH FULL TEAM OF FOUR INSPECTORS. SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WRAP UP, AND I'M HAPPY TO STAND FOR QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ALONG WITH OUR STAFF. I'LL SEE IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I WILL HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST WANT WOULD WT TO KNOW... AND IT WON'T BE FOR TODAY. MAYBE WE CAN TALK OVER EMAIL ABOUT THE IMPACT OF MOVING DOWN I THINK THREE INSPECTORS AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR SERVICE LEVEL. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY I'LL PROBABLY REACH OUT JUST FOR A MEETING, JUST BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN A
DETRIMENTAL IMPACT. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IF FOS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST FOLLOW UP OVER EMAIL I KNOW THAT WE FELT A LITTLE RUSH TODAY SO I APOLOGIZE ON TT AND I APOLOGIZE TO STAFF. COLLEAGUES, SEEING NO FURTHER
DISCUSSION, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO FILE THAT REPORT. AND SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE US BECAUSE I ALREADY RECEIVED AND FILED THE OTHER ONE, I WILL DECLARE THIS MEETING ADJOURNED. [ GAVEL ]