City briefs - Jul 2026

Violence interrupters
The City has approved contract extensions for local violence interruption services. Restoration Inc, Metro Youth Diversion, and TOUCH Outreach will each get $700,000 for street outreach and violence prevention services through June 2027. The groups will provide violence interrupters and outreach workers in the Folwell, Hawthorne, Jordan, Cedar Riverside, Midtown Phillips, Ventura Village, and East Phillips neighborhoods.

MPD Report
Equal Law Enforcement for All, the group hired to evaluate progress on the city’s settlement agreement with the state’s Department of Human Rights, released its fourth semi-annual progress report on June 15. The report covers Oct. 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. There will be a meeting to discuss the report at the Brian Coyle Neighborhood Center (420 15th Ave. S) on June 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. Read the report at https://ele4a.org/minneapolis/. 

Public Safety Training & Wellness Center
The City Council voted 7-6 on May 21, 2026 to not to acquire the 4.7-acre property at 146 W. 60th St. in the Windom neighborhood for the construction of the training and wellness facility for police and other public safety city employees.

Law enforcement agency agreements
The city council approved an ordinance amendment that prohibits city departments from entering into agreements with any enforcement agency that does not ban concealing their identity while performing their activities in the city.
Minneapolis 2050

The City of Minneapolis is beginning work on its next comprehensive plan, Minneapolis 2050, that is intended to help guide how the city will develop over the next decade. The city is required through state law to update and submit its comprehensive plan to the Metropolitan Council for approval every 10 years.

City department head nominations
Mayor Jacob Frey has recommended the reappointments of Eric Hanson to be Community Planning & Economic Development Department director, Timothy Sexton to be Public Works Department director, and Rachel Sayre to be Emergency Management Department director. Frey also chose Reginald Freeman as the new fire chief. Freeman started his career in Mississippi and has been a fire chief in Oakland, Calif., Hartford, Conn., and for the U.S. Department of Defense in Iraq.
Autonomous vehicles

The City Council plans to study autonomous vehicles and explore policies to manage them. According to a council report, there are no policies in place to protect workers or the public at the state or local levels. The council may refer business licensing ordinance amendments that could help regulate the vehicles to a committee on June 25, 2026 for review.

Met Council Transportation Plan
The Metropolitan Council is seeking comments from now until July 17 on its “Unified Planning Work Program” that aims to promote a unified approach to regional transportation planning, document how funds are used, and implement the Met Council transportation policy plan.