Finding a Green Way to Govern

Is it possible that the city’s new Executive Mayor – Legislative Council charter change is making it harder for our city government to function well?   That certainly appeared to be the case in October, when Mayor Jacob Frey, the council majority, city attorney and other department leaders grappled with Frey’s veto of a new pollution control annual registration fee. Following the veto letter from the mayor, the council voted to override the veto, and the mayor threatened to instruct staff not to do the work to implement it.   As we shift attention to the upcoming city elections, the timing seems right to look at how that new structure is working.   It is worth recalling that three years ago, the so-called strong mayor charter amendment was narrowly passed with just 1.41 percent more than the required 51 percent of the votes. It was defeated in 8 of the 13 wards, but passed because of the large number of voters in wards 13, 11 and 7 where it won handily, esp...

  Part 1 - Mr. Smith Goes to City Hall Last year, the city saw an exodus of staff in two of its newest divisions, the office of race, equity and inclusion and the office of performance and innovation, now called The Department of Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left in 2023 was Brian K. Smith. In 2016 Smith went from being an outsider fighting city hall to becoming the Director of the new city division aimed at innovation and equity, started by then-mayor Besty Hodges. That ended last year, following a controversial city coordinator appointment, a discrimination complaint, and a lawsuit he and others filed against the city. On July 7, 2023, just a few weeks after retiring from his position working in City Hall, I met with Smith and talked with him about his experience there.  He didn’t expect to get the job when he was hired by Hodges.   “She knew me just like most of the other council members,”...

   Here is a video someone just shared from a presentation I did for Greens on how to govern.  It might be of interest to some of you.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldh9LAP-2lA  

 The future of Hiawatha Golf Course took an interesting turn this January when the city’s historic preservation commission and the park board weighed in on its past.  Both formally responded to a nomination submitted last year to add the golf course to the National Register of Historic Places. The Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) voted to support the nomination of the 140-acre site located at 4553 Longfellow Ave.  The Park Board approved a letter expressing both support and concerns. The nomination was submitted last year by the Bronze Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports preservation of the 18-hole golf course, who hired Hess, Roise and Company to draft the nomination. The Bronze Foundation also manages the Bronze tournament, formerly called the Upper Midwest Bronze Amateur Open, that has been held regularly at the course since 1954. The application was submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on November 4, 2022. T...

As the Council is considering a more recent proposal to amend the police conduct ordinance, I humbly offer this work product from last year, which I drafted with the help of some key community advisors and with input from city staff.  The underlining indicates new language and the strikethrough marking indicates language to be removed. I hope that it might be helpful.  Former CM GORDON's AMENDED DRAFT, AUGUST 20, 2021   CHAPTER 172. - POLICE CONDUCT OVERSIGHT [3]   Footnotes: --- ( 3 ) --- Editor's note— Ord. No. 2012-Or-061, § 1, adopted September 21, 2012, amended the title of Ch. 172 from "Civilian Police Review Authority" to "Police Conduct Oversight." See also the Code Comparative Table. 172.10. - Police conduct oversight system established. For the purposes of (1) assuring that police services are delivered in a lawful and nondiscriminatory manner, (2) assuring that effective accountability for policing is supported through a...