City Briefs - Nov 2026

The political views and actions of the first Minnesota women to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1922 were told in a recent Minnesota Fringe play. “A Woman’s Place is in the House,” written by David Berger, tells the story of Myrtle Cain, Sue Hough, Hannah Kempfer and Mabeth Paige, who all were elected just two years after women received the right to vote. Berger is hoping “A Woman’s Place is in the House” will continue after Fringe as a longer two-act version. Cast, director, playwright, and representatives: (left to right) Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, Megan Rowe, David Holmes, director Casey Marie Holmes, Amber Payne, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Ann Frances Gregg, Olivia Dubiel, Rachel Ratkowski, playwright David Alan Berger, Rep. Athena Hollins, Sarah Stephens-League of Women Voters. The play received a Minnesota Fringe award for highest box office sales in its venue, Rarig Center.

TERRY FAUST 2026

Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2026 12:38 pm

Compiled by Cam Gordon

Data centers
The Minneapolis Planning Commission held a public hearing, amended the staff proposal and forwarded their recommended changes to regulate data centers for City Council review. One amendment requires that data centers would only be allowed within an overlay district in the two downtown zoning districts (DT1 and DT2) and would not be allowed as a conditional use. The second amendment limited the square footage of the data center to 50,000 square feet instead of the staff proposal of 175,000 square feet.

3716 Cheatham
Last spring, the City of Minneapolis and its Heritage Preservation Commission approved the demolition of this property on the Hiawatha Corridor Grain Industry Historic District . In October, the city council approved $1.8 million in Brownfield grants from the Met Council ($1 million) and Hennepin County ($800,000), for cleaning up soil, asbestos and lead-based paint during the demolition and removal of the 41 contaminated grain elevators. On Oct. 26, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing and discussed subdividing the property for the construction of a proposed 98-unit, $60 million housing project.

Council seeks subpoena authority
In October, the council voted to request a legal analysis from the City Attorney’s Office as to whether it has authority to subpoena the City’s administration for information.

Safe Outdoor Parking Ordinance.
Following a public hearing on Oct. 20, the City Council’s Business, Housing, and Zoning Committee recommended passage of a new Safe Outdoor Parking ordinance that will be considered by the full council on Oct. 29. The ordinance, authored by Ward 9 Council Member Jason Chavez, Ward 10’s Aisha Chughtai, and Ward 12’s Aurin Chowdhury, includes regulations and requirements that would permit the creation of specific, managed parking lots operated by a non-profit organization, government agency, or religious organization where people could safely park their car and stay overnight.

Behavioral Crisis Response
The City Council voted to not enter into a new contract with a new company to operate the city’s Behavioral Crisis Response program. They also voted to waive the City Council’s procurement procedures and enable the city administrators to extend the contract with the current company providing the service, Canopy Roots, for up to 18 months, to help ensure continuity of service while allowing time to examine alternative models, including bringing the service in-house as a city-run program.

Contract with HERC
The City Council has approved a one-year contract with Hennepin County to continue paying for waste incineration at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) for 2027.

Health commissioner: HEIDI RITCHIE
Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Heidi Ritchie to the appointed position of Health Commissioner for a term ending January 2030. There will be a hearing on the nomination Nov. 4, at the Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee.

Police chief: BILL PETERSON
There will be a hearing on the Mayor’s nomination of Bill Peterson to the appointed position of Police Chief for a term ending January 2030, on Nov. 4 at the Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee.

34th Street Greenway Project
The City of Minneapolis is planning to develop a new greenway project on 34th St, between Hennepin Ave and Hiawatha Ave to improve safety and better connect people to neighborhood parks and schools.

NARCAN at Fire Station 12
The City of Minneapolis has installed a NARCAN® vending machine at Fire Station 12 at 5401 33rd Ave, S, offering free and anonymous 24-hour access to the medication used in response to opioid drug overdoses. Other machines are located at Fire Station 5, 2700 Bloomington Ave. S., Fire Station 14, 2002 Lowry Ave. N. and Fire Station 21, 3209 38th St. E.

Review of Mariah Samuels’ death
The city council has requested an independent review of how police handled domestic-violence calls before the 2025 killing of Mariah Samuels, aiming to identify system gaps and possible racial disparities. Its Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee also took public comments on the city's domestic-violence response on Oct. 21.