City briefs - Mar 2026

Report on MPD reform efforts
Effective Law Enforcement for All, the company hired to evaluate the city’s settlement agreement with the state Department of Human Rights, released its latest report in January. In the 48-page document it states that the “City and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) have made measurable and meaningful progress,” but that further progress “has been hindered by lack of coordination within the MPD and with other city entities, lack of communication by MPD leadership concerning implementation, overburdened staff, and lack of resources.” For more visit https://ele4a.org/minneapolis/ 

Security added at LRT stops
The metropolitan council has contracted with Inter-Con Security to provide 20 to 24 hour coverage daily at several transit stops, including the I-35W & Lake Street, Franklin Avenue, 46th Street and Lake Street/Midtown light rail stations. They may also accompany agents and assist on light rail and bus rapid transit lines. They carry pepper spray and handcuffs and can be identified by their black uniforms with unique patches.

City council committees
Several of the Minneapolis city council committee meetings have been canceled until April. Only the committee of the whole and regular full city council meetings will be held as scheduled. According to a statement from the city clerk, the change was made “to response to ongoing community needs resulting from the presence of federal agents” and that “council members are prioritizing their constituents and the community, and they recognize the demand this ongoing situation has placed on the city’s administration and staff.”

East Lake Special Service District
The city council has appointed Matthew Lerner, the owner of East Lake Liquors, and David Quisenberry, store director of the East Lake St Target, to the East Lake Special Service district board for the remainder of the year. Both had their residency requirement waived, as they do not currently live in Minneapolis.

Police training annex project
The Minneapolis city council has approved accepting the $436,000 bid of Rochon Corporation to convert the city-owned facility at 19 North 4th Street into a training facility with wellness services for the Minneapolis Police Department.

Immigration legal services
The city council and mayor have amended the city budget to add $500,000 for immigration legal services, doubling the amount they approved in December.

Rental assistance
The council and mayor also approved a budget amendment to allocate $1 million to provide emergency rental assistance for renters affected by the federal immigration enforcement surge. This money will be administered by Hennepin County which has budgeted over $9 million through its Rent Help Hennepin program to provide rental assistance households in the county.

Eviction moratorium proposal
City Council Members Wonsley, Osman, Chavez, and Stevenson have introduced an ordinance amendment that, if approved, would authorize eviction moratoria during states of emergency.

Pre-eviction notice extension
Council Members Wonsley, Osman, Stevenson, Chavez, and Chowdhury have introduced an ordinance amendment that, if approved, would temporarily extend the length of the required pre-eviction notice from 30 to 60 days.

ICE and county
In Janaury, County Attorney Mary Moriarty clarified that "local county jails hold people before their cases are resolved, not after they are convicted. Handing people to ICE before conviction strips our community of the accountability it deserves and harms victims by robbing them of a court process. If a person is convicted, the prison system shares information with ICE.” According to the County Administrator, Jodi Wentland, "The HCSO’s [Hennepin County Sheriff's Office] law enforcement decisions (including those at the Whipple Building) are determined by the sheriff, and such decisions cannot be directed by county administration or the county board. Because the sheriff is an independent elected office, the county board’s authority is limited to setting the HCSO’s operating budget and approval of capital projects for the HCSO."

State funding requests
The city council has approved its priority requests for state funding this year. Their top priority is a request of $19 million for a Community Safety Training and Wellness Facility; followed by 12.36 million for renewal of water main pipes; $5 million for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan implementation; 1$3.5 million for 13th Ave NE stormwater improvements; $14.5 million for 35th Avenue N flood mitigation; and $3.5 million for Aldrich Ave So sanitary rehabilitation.