The Minneapolis Charter Commission met yesterday to set a schedule of meetings to consider a proposal put forward by the City Council to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. Next Wednesday, they’ll hear from members of the City Council and Mayor Frey — who opposes the change. A public hearing is set for Wednesday, July 15.
Written comments can be submitted here. Instructions for how to participate by phone in the July 15 virtual public hearing will be available here once the meeting notice has been posted.
One potential outcome would be for Commissioners to decide they want to take more time. With a tight timeline, that would kill the proposal for at least this year. If the Commission fails to act — offering either a yes, no, or substitute recommendation — by their August 5 meeting, the charter amendment would be kept off the November ballot, and voters would be unable to weigh in.
The City Council can decide to ignore any recommendation of the Charter Commission. But the City Council can’t move forward and put the charter amendment on the ballot if the Commission withholds a recommendation, which would have the effect of running out the clock.
Yesterday, some members of the Commission expressed a desire to take their time.
Matty Perry: “I’m not as concerned about meeting the council’s timeline as I am about getting this right.” Wants to give community groups and neighborhood orgs time to get the word out. “If that pushes the timeline out, so be it.”
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Neighborhood associations run on a monthly cycle, says Sandberg. Worried them having time to get word out.
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“People have plans and need longer than a week,” says Metge. Vacations and camp, though she acknowledges maybe not during a pandemic.
Tight timeline: for the charter amendment to make it on this November’s ballot, the Charter Commission would have to take action by August 5. That would allow a city council committee to take it up August 6 and the full city council to vote August 14. pic.twitter.com/HvlUQdgert
— Wedge LIVE!™ (@WedgeLIVE) July 1, 2020