Budget Committee September 23, 2024   9/23/2024

Public Hearing

• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:00:53
    Good evening.
  • 00:00:54
    My name is Aisha Chugtai and I'm the chair of the Budget Committee.
  • 00:00:57
    I'm going to call to order our adjourned committee meeting for Monday, September 23, 2024.
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    Before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all council members, staff presenters, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation.
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    These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community.
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    Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast.
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    We ask all speakers to moderate the speed and clarity of their comments.
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    At this time, I'll ask the clerk to call the roll so we can verify the presence of a quorum.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 00:01:43
    Council Member Payne present Wonsley is absent.
  • 00:01:47
    Rainville present.
  • 00:01:48
    Vita present.
  • 00:01:50
    Ellison is absent.
  • 00:01:51
    Osman is absent.
• • SPEAKER_37
  • 00:01:54
    Cashman present.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 00:01:55
    Jenkins is absent.
  • 00:01:58
    Chavez present.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:01:59
    Chaudry present.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 00:02:01
    Palmisano present.
  • 00:02:03
    Vice Chair Koski
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:02:04
    Let the record reflect that we have a quorum.
  • 00:02:10
    Colleagues, we have one agenda item today which is to receive public comments on the mayor's recommended 2025 city budget.
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    Mayor Frey presented his budget on August 14th providing a proposed fiscal plan for the city's operation in 2025
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    totaling about $1.88 billion with an increase to the city's property tax levy of about 8.1%.
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    The Board of Estimate and Taxation met last week and voted to authorize a tax levy of up to 8.3%.
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    A copy of the mayor's recommended budget is posted on the city's website which is available at minneapolismn.gov slash budget.
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    Since the Mayor presented his recommended budget, the Budget Committee has begun meeting to receive a series of presentations to examine the details of each department's budget requests.
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    These meetings are available on demand on the City's YouTube channel.
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    Tonight's public hearing is the first of three hearings that the City Council will conduct on the proposed 2025 city budget.
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    The Budget Committee will hold a second public hearing on Tuesday, November 12th at 10 o'clock in the morning, our third and final public hearing which will be statutorily required
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    which will be the statutorily required Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for a meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, December 10th, also at 6.05 p.m. And now, before we begin, we will open the floor, before we begin our public hearing, I'll recognize Budget Director Jane DeCenza, who will provide a brief summary of the proposed budget.
  • 00:04:02
    Welcome, Ms. DeCenza.
• • Jayne Discenza
  • 00:04:03
    Thank you, Council Vice President and Budget Committee members.
  • 00:04:06
    I'm Jane DeCenza, the Budget Director in Finance and Property Services.
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    I'll be giving just a brief version of my comments from prior Council meetings.
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    The full presentation of the mayor's recommended budget can be found on YouTube on the September 9 Budget Committee.
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    So as the chair noted, the mayor's recommended budget for 2025 is about $1.88 billion for all funds.
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    It increases to $1.90 billion in 2026.
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    And so that is about a 2.86% increase from 2024 as adopted budget.
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    Well, much of that budget is ongoing investments.
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    There are some new budget proposals that are baked into those figures.
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    So those are summarized in the new spending by priority section of the budget book and also on each department's budget book page.
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    There's about $29.5 million in new spending across all funds.
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    $19.3 million of that is in the general fund.
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    There are some offsets built into those budget numbers, so including some state public safety aid, franchise fee revenue that's supporting some of our climate initiatives, and downtown assets fund transfer that is supporting some economic development activity.
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    So that brings the amount that's really impacting the levy down to about $12.1 million.
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    On the revenue side, this budget reflects 1.90 billion dollars in revenues in 2025, which increases up to 1.91 billion in 2026.
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    So this slide shows the many different types of revenues that are coming into the city.
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    Charges for services and sales and taxes are some of the major components.
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    And we can see in orange the dwindling impact of both CARES and ARPA, those federal stimulus and recovery dollars are sort of coming out of our budget going forward in 25 and 26.
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    So just briefly, I'll breeze through some of the context of this budget in particular.
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    So this is our second time with a biennial budget.
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    So we're trying to think more strategic long-term planning with the budget.
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    As we've talked about a few times, sales tax revenues have exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
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    So we bottomed out on local sales taxes during the height of COVID at about $51 million of local sales tax revenue.
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    And we hit $100 million last year.
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    And so we're showing some positive outlook
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    This budget has a new technology budget proposal process which is going to allow for more enterprise-wide holistic assessment and a way for us to avoid duplication across departments.
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    We've been able to expand the capital improvement program, making use of that great AAA bond rating to make sure that we can
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    Pave roads fix bridges and build the the buildings that are required for the settlement agreement and Then in the spring the budget division did pilot a public engagement program with some small groups And that was a lot of fun, and we hope to expand and deepen those relationships next year
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    Some challenges though, I think we're all aware that the cost of personnel means that the city's expenses are growing faster than revenues and that's just a function of wanting to recruit and retain excellent staff to do the important work for the people of Minneapolis.
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    We also have a settlement agreement that requires us to achieve some outcomes and that leads to expenses both on the capital and operating side.
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    Of particular interest tonight, we know that
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    Declining property values on the commercial side are leading to this burden shift for Residential properties and so the people of Minneapolis whether they rent our own are going to feel more acutely the impacts of a property tax increase And while we're raising property taxes, we're seeing modest growth overall in other non property tax types of revenues so local sales taxes are up and that's great but some other revenue sources have declined a bit and so a
  • 00:08:16
    will be keeping an eye on that throughout this biennial.
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    And then 2025 is the end of ARPA for the city.
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    We've long planned to discontinue ARPA by the end of the year.
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    So as the chair noted, this is the levy table, which I realize is a bit hard to read on the screen, but it shows an overall 8.3% levy increase for 2025.
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    and I've just highlighted the change from the mayor's rec to last week is in the park board line.
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    So that's the highlighted section.
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    The property tax levy, so this slide summarizes the info that we just went through and also provides a little bit more context on what that will mean for residents.
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    So just due to shifting property values, people with a median single-family home, homesteaded property, were likely, even without a levy increase, they would have seen an increase of about $36 in their property taxes.
  • 00:09:20
    This increase of eight point three percent will mean something closer to two hundred and fourteen dollars of an increase for 2025 and The city's assessing department puts together a really excellent levy impact estimator So if folks are interested in seeing what the impact in their neighborhood will be this is available.
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    It's linked in the city's a city assessor's website as well as on our budget book and
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    And then very, very finally, I will just note a couple of budget book sections that might be relevant for folks who are trying to dig in a little bit further.
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    So first I'd start with the budget in brief, which is in the budget summary section.
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    It's a great overview of all the city spending and revenue context.
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    And then the department sections are likely to be the next place people will want to look for a detailed view of each department's ongoing and proposed work.
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    And with that, I will conclude.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:10:15
    Thank you Director DeCenza.
  • 00:10:20
    With that, before we proceed to the open public hearing, I want to review a few procedural matters.
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    If you have written comments or materials to submit, please give those to the clerks either outside at the registration table or at the end of the dais to my right hand side.
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    We also have printed comment forms available at the registration table if you'd like to submit a comment on the proposal and have that included in the public record of this matter.
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    I would also encourage everyone to take advantage of submitting your comments about the budget in other ways.
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    The easiest way to submit your comments and ensure they are added to the public record is to send those to the city website at minneapolismn.gov slash public comment.
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    All submitted comments will be included in the public record related to the 2025 city budget.
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    We will be taking speakers in the order that they are registered.
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    If you would like to testify, I invite you to register your name with the clerks at the table in the hallway outside of the chambers.
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    Every speaker should have an assigned number.
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    I will be calling speakers by their number.
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    Because we are limited on available seating in the room, there is an overflow room where the public can monitor this meeting.
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    If you're registered to speak but aren't able to sit in the chamber, please head towards the chambers when your number is called on as we get close to your speaker number.
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    Each registered speaker will be given two minutes to address the committee.
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    That time will be doubled for those who need interpretation services.
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    We have a timer available where the speakers can monitor the use of their time.
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    We ask that you wrap up your comments when your time has expired so we can accommodate all speakers today.
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    I will be really stringent about making sure to interrupt when your time has expired.
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    It's not personal, we just want to make sure that we get through all the speakers that are here today.
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    We also ask that everyone be respectful of all speakers and of all the opinions offered
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    I understand that we have over 30 people registered to speak today.
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    Again, before I open the floor, I'll invite anyone who hasn't registered but would like to to register with the clerks at the table in the hallway where you came in outside of this chamber.
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    We ask all speakers to self-identify for the public records before you begin your comments.
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    With that, we are ready to open the public hearing.
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    The first five speakers who...
• • SPEAKER_36
  • 00:13:10
    Excuse me.
  • 00:13:11
    I want to make sure that I'm accounted my attendance here.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:13:15
    I apologize Councilmember Osman.
  • 00:13:18
    Can we note that we have been joined in this meeting in this public hearing by both by Councilmember Osman and by Councilmember Jenkins and did we miss Councilmember Chowdhury as well during roll call?
  • 00:13:32
    Okay, wonderful.
  • 00:13:34
    Thank you.
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    Thank you very much.
  • 00:13:36
    All right, so the first five speakers that we have registered today are speaker number one, Teresa Delatta, speaker number two, Donna Nesty, speaker number three, Eladine Wickstrom, speaker number four, Aline Gauté, and speaker number five, Wilmar Delgado.
  • 00:14:00
    Speaker number one, Teresa Delatta.
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    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:14:04
    Hi, I'm Theresa DeLotta.
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    I'm a Ward 11 resident, but I worship in Ward 8 at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community.
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    Today I'm here as a person with lived experience of homelessness and also as a board member of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative.
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    Tonight, many housing advocates join me here today.
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    I'm in support of the Mayor's proposed new program Minneapolis Affordable Rental Stabilization which is giving a million dollars of the new sales tax revenue from the local affordable housing aid or LAHA as it's known.
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    We at Beacon provide supportive housing like the May
  • 00:14:45
    in downtown and opening soon Emerson Village on the north side.
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    We've been providing permanent affordable housing for humans from shelters and also those getting out of the tent encampments.
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    Supportive housing is a long-term solution to end homelessness and the need is great now as we all know more than ever.
  • 00:15:10
    We have been providing supportive housing for over 20 years and these costs have required now to keep residents and buildings safe and secure and fully staffed are beyond what we've ever imagined.
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    I urge you to include this new program that stabilizes nonprofit supportive housing in the 2025 budget and work to increase that amount by using the local affordable housing aid through the sales tax.
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    Thanks for the city's commitment to supportive housing and thank you for your time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:15:43
    Thank you.
  • 00:15:43
    Our next speaker is Donna Nesty.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:15:49
    Hello, I'm here also with Beacon and I'm speaking in support of the Mayor's Minneapolis affordable rental stabilization.
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    Supportive housing, um, like Beacon's Bemosoko in downtown makes it possible for people coming out of shelters and encampments, people with the most barriers to finally have a home.
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    And as you all probably know, I've been here a lot about encampments and I'd like to see them off the street and in housing like this.
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    and I'm very proud of Beacon for what they are doing.
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    And they've been doing this kind of stuff for families, single people, and low burial housing for 20 years.
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    And the cost today for this is staggering.
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    So the Minneapolis Affordable Rental Stabilization will be a great help in keeping these needed programs going.
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    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:16:55
    Good evening and thank you members of the City Council and the Budget Committee for allowing us to speak tonight.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:17:08
    I'm an elder, a mother, a sister, a caregiver, a grandmother, and a friend, and I'm also a member of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging.
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    City property taxes
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    increases plus water sewer increases are having a negative impact on elders' ability to remain in their homes or make needed repairs to their homes.
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    This can also create safety and health issues for them as well.
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    Social Security is the primary source of income for the majority of elders and recipients generally receives small annual increases.
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    However, their expenses for utilities and other service increase by double digits.
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    They are falling behind financially and elderly women are dropping in poverty in greater numbers.
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    Elders are also not able to pay for costly apartment rentals.
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    The elderly population is growing before our eyes, and we often feel that we are invisible and left to fend for ourselves.
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    Services and programs for elders are fragmented, limited, and not very effective in addressing needs of the elderly.
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    We often find out about services via word of mouth.
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    It is in the best interest of the City of Minneapolis to formulate and prioritize quality services and programs for the aging population.
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    For example, providing organized and funded citywide home repair services
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    They're greatly needed.
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    Provided home health visiting nurse programs would be important as well.
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    And providing affordable and safe housing is critical.
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    There are many other issues, but I chose to select those three tonight.
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    I've also been a resident of the City of Minneapolis for 57 years.
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    Thank you very much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:19:08
    Thank you for offering your comments.
  • 00:19:10
    Our next five speakers will be Elaine Gautier, followed by Wilmar Delgado, then Russ Adams, then Juve Gremio, followed by Chrisman Guzman.
  • 00:19:28
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_32
  • 00:19:28
    Welcome.
  • 00:19:30
    Good evening Council members and Budget Committee.
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    My name is Elaine Gautier and I'm a member at large of the Minneapolis Advisory Council on Aging.
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    Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today.
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    I just wanted to highlight a couple of items.
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    Minneapolis is a very vibrant, beautiful city and I believe it is that way in part because of the contributions of our senior communities.
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    Working, volunteering, raising families,
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    and contributing in so many ways, but as we know, times change, tables turn, and those who helped build this city may be needing support from us.
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    The Advisory Council has identified three areas that could use your support.
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    safe and affordable transportation options for lower income adults that help them to do daily marketing and participate in events to decrease their isolation senior housing support so seniors can continue to live independently as long as possible and continued funding of a community navigators project that partners with culturally specific organizations hosts bilingual paraprofessionals who provide direct service to older adults and their caregivers
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    As you work on the City's upcoming budget, I hope you can find support for some of these initiatives.
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    Thanks so much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:20:47
    Thank you for offering your comment, Lynn.
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    I'm really sorry I got your name wrong.
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    Next we will welcome Wilmar Delgado.
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 00:20:55
    Hello, good evening everyone.
  • 00:20:58
    I am here to support the developers teaching assistant program.
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    Why?
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    Because I am a product of that.
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    Being a real estate for 22 years, I needed support.
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    My dream is becoming a developer.
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    Now, after taking this amazing class, I finally accurate or purchase a building site in 27 and Lake Street.
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    Thanks to that, we are going to build a amazing building in that corner that is going to hold 48 units from single, one, two, three, four bedrooms that is going to totally 100% low income from 30 to 50 MI.
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    Why is this kind of program important?
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    Because it helps us to understand why or how come becoming a developer.
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    Not having the knowledge that we need
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    support from companies that know or organizations like Redesign that is helping us.
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    We are going to have a Class A building, market rate as a low-income housing.
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    Why?
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    Because I believe that the people deserve a really nice place to live.
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    We are going to have a balcony, we are going to have a really nice building,
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    really well established and well secured with all programs thanks to the city and help us to understand what is important for them.
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    And becoming an emerging developer from South America, and I am not knowing or having an idea how it is becoming one, these kind of programs help us with the support and with the acknowledgement to become one and be more fair and help the community where we live and where we are living in.
  • 00:22:29
    Thank you so much for the support and I hope that you consider to keep supporting this amazing, amazing program.
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    Okay?
  • 00:22:36
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:22:36
    Thank you.
  • 00:22:37
    Next we're going to welcome speaker number six, Russ Adams.
• • SPEAKER_34
  • 00:22:41
    Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the committee.
  • 00:22:44
    Russ Adams, I'm with the Lake Street Council.
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    We're here to encourage continued investments in small businesses, immigrant-owned, BIPOC-owned businesses, which as you know are the driving economic engine of our local economies on commercial corridors like Lake Street.
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    and other places.
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    We'll be submitting some comments electronically in a few days, like over multiple programs that we think are benefiting our businesses.
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    Some of these you've heard, some of you have heard these at our morning mixers.
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    We're excited that we're able to get all six of the council members who have Lake Street in their wards.
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    to these morning mixers and we're excited to do more of those this year and next year.
  • 00:23:25
    The gentleman who just spoke, Wilmar, about the Developers Technical Assistance Program, that's a very important program.
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    We're having trouble finding that.
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    in the current budget.
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    And we are trying to find out whether that's discontinued, if it's delayed or not, but I can tell you, you'll hear from another speaker in a little bit, that that's an important program.
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    We are excited about what is in the budget.
  • 00:23:50
    There's extra help for Uptown, which really needs it, both in the Business Technical Assistance Program, as well as the Great Streets Business District Support Program, Facade Improvement Program.
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    and we're excited to see that the mayor has moved in the long term base budget funding to support Great Streets.
  • 00:24:09
    That's something that's come up in previous budget committees in previous years as you know.
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    We are also watching how the public safety initiatives that you passed last year are rolling out.
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    Some are being implemented, some have yet to be.
  • 00:24:24
    We know there's a healthy tension there with the administration on how to do that in the best way.
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    We want to encourage you to keep pushing on that.
  • 00:24:34
    Finally, we saw your own priorities and your list, including help for businesses struggling with road construction.
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    We hope to see those elevated during this budget process.
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    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:24:45
    Thank you.
  • 00:24:45
    Next, we're going to welcome speaker number seven, Jovia Gremillo, followed by speaker number eight, Crispin Guzman, followed by speaker number nine, Sue Goodstar.
  • 00:24:58
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_33
  • 00:24:58
    Hello, my name is Yuvia, I live and work in Ward 7 and I'm here with Seytole.
  • 00:25:04
    When I met someone from Seytole last year, that was the first time I learned about earned sick and safe time.
  • 00:25:09
    They explained it to me in a way that a poster on the wall could not, and apparently it wasn't something that my employer deemed important enough to tell me about.
  • 00:25:17
    When I got sick, I either had to choose between showing up to work sick or taking the time off and losing money from my paycheck.
  • 00:25:24
    It's very scary and something that many of my colleagues have faced.
  • 00:25:31
    Last year, I was hit by a car and had to miss a week of work, which meant I was a week short on my paycheck.
  • 00:25:38
    And in order to avoid missing a rent payment or losing the ability to provide for my basic needs, I had to go back to work before I fully recovered from my injuries.
  • 00:25:46
    It isn't fair or right for people to decide between their health, employment, and paying the bills.
  • 00:25:52
    It wasn't until this January that my job became required to pay us earned safe and sick time hours.
  • 00:25:59
    We were a small business with fewer than six employees so it was previously optional for my boss to pay that time off.
  • 00:26:06
    He chose not to.
  • 00:26:07
    He also chose not to inform us of our new rights to paid sick time when the state law went into effect.
  • 00:26:13
    And unfortunately one of us got seriously ill and as employees we had to push the boss to begin to follow the law and allow us to accrue and access earned safe and sick time.
  • 00:26:24
    I'm here today as a two-hole member that has been positively impacted by the co-enforcement program and want to encourage City Council to support ongoing funding so that workers like myself have access to this often life-changing information.
  • 00:26:40
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:26:41
    Thank you.
  • 00:26:42
    Before we continue, I will note that we have been joined in this meeting by Mayor Frey.
  • 00:26:46
    Welcome.
  • 00:26:47
    Our next five speakers will be Speaker No.
  • 00:26:50
    8, Crispin Guzman, Speaker No.
  • 00:26:53
    9, Sue Goodstar, Speaker No.
  • 00:26:55
    10, Estela Dorado, Speaker No.
  • 00:26:58
    11, Paulina Bernal, and Speaker No.
  • 00:27:01
    12, Milka Herrera.
  • 00:27:07
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:27:08
    Hola, buenas tardes.
  • 00:27:09
    My number is Crispin Guzman.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:27:11
    I'm sorry, I'm going to interrupt.
  • 00:27:12
    Clerks, can we double the time?
  • 00:27:16
    I apologize.
  • 00:27:17
    Thank you so much for being here.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:27:21
    Welcome.
  • 00:27:29
    I was working in Minneapolis for two years, working six days a week, for two, three hours a day.
  • 00:27:40
    In all this time, I couldn't go to overtime.
  • 00:27:45
    After working more than a hundred hours a week, I was in the hospital for part of the
  • 00:27:53
    I am very happy to be able to speak with you today.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:28:12
    Hello, my name is Crispin Guzman.
  • 00:28:15
    I live in Minneapolis in Council Vice President Aisha Chutai's uptown neighborhood.
  • 00:28:20
    I went to an injustice working in a store in Minneapolis.
  • 00:28:23
    I worked in a store for two years, working seven days a week, 12 hours a day.
  • 00:28:28
    In all that time, I was not paid overtime, even though I was working over 80 hours each week.
  • 00:28:34
    I was also so humiliated by the employer that they spit on me when I left work and fired me unfairly.
  • 00:28:41
    I, along with two co-workers, are collectively owed over $50,000 after working for years without receiving overtime.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:28:52
    Oreso, venimos a cetur a uscar ayuda y nos ayudaron abreir un caso con el departamento de enforzamento de estandares laguarales de Minneapolis.
  • 00:29:02
    For those of you who are interested, I am involved with the Council and I am here to tell you about the importance of this program and the work and the experience and the organizations as a Council that help us.
  • 00:29:15
    I would like to thank the workers for helping us and I know that they are very interested in the role of the Mayor of Minneapolis.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:29:27
    We came to Setul for help and they helped us open a case with the Minneapolis Department of Labor Standards Enforcement.
  • 00:29:33
    Because of that injustice that happened, I am involved with Setul and I am here for you to see the importance of this program and the work and hope that organizations like Setul give us.
  • 00:29:45
    They listen to us workers so that you can hear them and know that there are many wage theft injustices in Minneapolis.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:29:54
    Estamos esperando que se recero valkaso y cuando logremos tener acusticia, estaré contento sabiendo que hay un puerarama como se túl que ayudan a nosotros los trabajadores, cuyo de roychos son violados.
  • 00:30:06
    Y voy a compartir los recursos de se túl con más trabajadores en la comunidad que han subrido acusticia como la mía para que recibang este apoyo también ellos por favor en bier tan esta finaciación contiño y muchas gracias.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:30:20
    We are waiting for them to resolve the case and when we can get justice.
  • 00:30:25
    I will be happy knowing that there is a program like CETUL that helps us workers whose rights are violated and I will share CETUL's resources with more workers in the community who have suffered injustices like mine so that they can too receive this support.
  • 00:30:40
    Please invest in this continued funding and thank you very much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:30:46
    Thank you very much.
  • 00:30:47
    Next we will welcome speaker number nine Sue Goodstar followed by speaker number ten Estela Terado.
  • 00:31:02
    Welcome Sue.
• • SPEAKER_03
  • 00:31:05
    Hello, my name is Sue Goodstar and I live here in Minneapolis, specifically in Jason's Ward in the Phillips neighborhood.
  • 00:31:13
    I'm here to talk to you today about my son who works in downtown Minneapolis at Whole Foods.
  • 00:31:21
    There have been numerous times where he has told me that he could not leave work to go to his sick daughter's doctor's appointments, couldn't stay home with her when she was sick, or couldn't stay home with me when I had back surgery.
  • 00:31:37
    All of these instances should be covered under Earned, Sick, and Saved Time.
  • 00:31:44
    So why was he not allowed to exercise his right to care for his family?
  • 00:31:50
    Luckily, I'm a member of Satul.
  • 00:31:54
    and I'm educated on ESST.
  • 00:31:58
    I was able to explain to him his rights and how they were being violated.
  • 00:32:02
    When I talked to him, I also learned that other coworkers at Whole Foods were experiencing the same thing.
  • 00:32:10
    Could you imagine what more could have happened to these workers if I wasn't informed about workers' rights?
  • 00:32:18
    Last year, you approved the budget increase for co-enforcement.
  • 00:32:22
    That increase helped places like Satul educate myself and others on how workers' rights work.
  • 00:32:31
    But that's not enough.
  • 00:32:34
    There is still more work to be done.
  • 00:32:36
    Co-enforcement work deserves ongoing, sustainable funding.
  • 00:32:42
    Without Council's action,
  • 00:32:45
    Funding for co-enforcement will be cut 75%.
  • 00:32:49
    I want to live in a city where I don't have to worry about my son's rights being violated.
  • 00:32:56
    I don't want to imagine what else could happen to these workers when there isn't funding for places like this, it's a tool to educate them.
  • 00:33:04
    Do you?
  • 00:33:07
    Thank you for your time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:33:09
    Thank you.
  • 00:33:09
    Next we will welcome speaker number 10 Estela Terado.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:33:17
    Good afternoon, my name is Estella.
  • 00:33:37
    I live in Northtown, Minneapolis.
  • 00:33:41
    I work in a restaurant in Dantau.
  • 00:33:44
    I'm here because I want to thank the people and donations that have been supported by the program.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:33:58
    I live in Northeast Minneapolis.
  • 00:34:00
    I work in a restaurant downtown.
  • 00:34:02
    I am here because I want to thank you for the support in the past, that you have put money in the budget for the co-enforcement program.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:34:12
    Thank you for your support, this tool and other organizations.
  • 00:34:17
    In unity, we will be able to recuperate more than one million dollars in food sales.
  • 00:34:26
    And since the beginning of our
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:34:29
    Thanks to your support, Zetul and other organizations in Unity have been able to recover over one million dollars in stolen wages since our relationship with the city began and many workers have learned about paid sick days and other rights.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:34:57
    Yo era una de las trabajadores que hace años, me pago vam menos del minimo.
  • 00:35:03
    Pero con el apoyo de cítul me prepare para decir a mi manager y pedir lo que era la ley y do recuperé el dinero que faltaba de mi cheque más de quinientos dólares.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:35:19
    I was one of those workers who years ago was paid less than the minimum wage but with Cetul's support I prepared myself and I spoke to my manager and I was able to recover the money that was missing on my paycheck which was more than $500.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:35:33
    I was able to defend my rights thanks to Cetul and also to learn
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:35:43
    So I have learned to stand up for my rights thanks to CITUOL and I also learned that I was entitled to paid sick time and that is why I'm here today.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:36:02
    y quiero pedirles que si gan apoyando esta a este programa y nuestras organizaciones comas dinero a largo plazo para que este programa de derechos puedo hacer más sostenibles
  • 00:36:19
    I want to ask you to continue supporting this program and our organizations so there's more money in the long term.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:36:44
    This education, this rights education program can be more sustainable with more funding so that more workers can continue to unite, to join, and learn more about their rights.
  • 00:36:55
    Especially paid sick days so that we can actually take care of our health.
  • 00:37:00
    We thank you for your support.
  • 00:37:03
    And we count on it.
  • 00:37:04
    And Freddie, do you want to say anything?
  • 00:37:07
    No?
  • 00:37:08
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:37:10
    Thank you, Asala.
  • 00:37:10
    Thank you, Freddie.
  • 00:37:12
    Next we will welcome speaker number 11 Paulina Bernal and after that I will go over the next five speakers.
• • SPEAKER_31
  • 00:37:31
    Welcome.
  • 00:37:31
    Buenas tardes con todos.
  • 00:37:33
    Mi nombre es Paulina Bernal.
  • 00:37:36
    Trabajo cuidando personas ya niños.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:37:40
    Good afternoon everybody, my name is Paulina Bernal and I work caring for both adults and children.
  • 00:37:51
    I live in Minneapolis and I've participated in many different events with CETUL.
• • SPEAKER_31
  • 00:37:58
    Like many of my peers, I have suffered many abuses and I think it is time for us to work to make a better future for ourselves and our families.
  • 00:38:09
    I came from Ecuador and found many injustices in this country.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:38:14
    Like many of my peers, I have suffered many abuses and I think it's time for us to unite and work towards a better future for us and for our families.
  • 00:38:24
    I come from Ecuador and I have encountered many injustices in this country.
• • SPEAKER_31
  • 00:38:29
    So the owner of the place where I was living offered me a job.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:38:50
    She asked me to take care of her son from 4 in the morning until 11 at night and at the same time clean her house.
  • 00:38:58
    All of this for only $20 a day.
• • SPEAKER_31
  • 00:39:01
    Túbe que buscaro to trabajo cuando encontre algo para limpiar una casa, también me pagabá muy poco pero fue ayidóne que conocía se tú.
  • 00:39:13
    Me invitarón a conocer y fuía una reunión.
  • 00:39:17
    Yo que de impactada de saber sobre las leges, sobre mis derechos, entendí que estaba regalando mis horas de trabajo.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:39:27
    So I had to look for another job, and when I found something cleaning a house, I was also paid very little.
  • 00:39:33
    But that was where I heard about Cetul.
  • 00:39:36
    I was invited to learn more and went to a meeting, and I was very impacted to be able to learn about the laws, about my rights, and I was able to understand that I was giving away my hours and my labor.
• • SPEAKER_31
  • 00:39:51
    Pero gracias a cetul, ahora se que tengo de rechos por es estoy aquí para pedirles que apoy en el programa de educación porque no solo yo se reveneficiada si no muchos más trabajadores.
  • 00:40:05
    Este tipo de información tiene la capacidad de cambiar la vida de muchos por favor ayudenos a collaborando a cetul.
  • 00:40:15
    Gracias.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:40:16
    But thanks to Setul, now I know that I have rights.
  • 00:40:20
    And that's why I'm here today to ask you to support the education program because not only I will be benefited but many more workers as well.
  • 00:40:28
    This kind of information has the ability to change lives.
  • 00:40:33
    So please, we're here to ask you today to put more money in your budget to support the work that we're doing.
  • 00:40:38
    Thank you very much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:40:42
    Thank you, Paulina.
  • 00:40:43
    The next five speakers we're going to welcome are speaker number 12, Milka Herrera, speaker number 13, Austin Lopez, speaker number 14, Johnny Lopez, speaker number 15, Alexandra Plaza, and then speaker number 16, Abe Demage.
  • 00:41:01
    Welcome, Milka.
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 00:41:05
    Buenas tardes, mi nombre es Milka Tamara y soy pintora de casa mamá soltera de un pequeño de siete años.
  • 00:41:12
    Yo pasa por sitación es muy difíciles por el robo de salario y por
  • 00:41:17
    I am here to tell you that this is a reality for many workers.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:41:41
    Good afternoon, my name is Milca Tamara and I am a house painter and a single mother of a seven-year-old boy.
  • 00:41:48
    I went through very difficult situations because of wage theft and the dangerous environment of the workplace.
  • 00:41:54
    I was threatened and I had to fight for my lost wages.
  • 00:41:58
    Perhaps you have never gone through an anguish of not knowing how to pay the rent or feed your children.
  • 00:42:04
    I am here to tell you that this is a reality for many workers.
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 00:42:08
    Before I leave the city, I think that I won't be able to recoup my pay from 100 organizations of the city, and this program will help me a lot.
  • 00:42:18
    It will help me more than anyone else.
  • 00:42:19
    It will help me with my experiences.
  • 00:42:21
    I know that I'm not the only one who has suffered, and I want everyone to have the same opportunity.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:42:27
    Before I came to Setul, I thought I was never going to recover the over $1,200 in stolen wages.
  • 00:42:37
    The organizers of Setul and this program helped me a lot.
  • 00:42:41
    They gave me more than legal help.
  • 00:42:43
    They gave me hope.
  • 00:42:44
    And I know I am not the only one who has suffered, and I want everyone to have the same opportunity.
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 00:42:51
    We want to ensure that our rights are respected and that we don't have to wait for difficult moments.
  • 00:43:00
    And now is the time to make the correct measures to guarantee the security and dignity of workers.
  • 00:43:10
    I would like to say that the program with the funding is being used to sustain the course and funds to help a lot of people like me.
  • 00:43:21
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:43:23
    We want to make sure that our rights are respected and that we don't have to go through such difficult times.
  • 00:43:30
    Now is the time to take concrete steps to ensure the safety and dignity of workers.
  • 00:43:35
    Please don't let the Human Enforcement Program end.
  • 00:43:38
    We need the resources and sustained funding to keep helping countless workers like myself.
  • 00:43:43
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:43:46
    Thank you.
  • 00:43:47
    Next we're going to welcome speaker number 13, Austin Lopez, followed by speaker number 14, Johnny Lopez.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:44:00
    Buenas tardes.
  • 00:44:08
    Soy Austin Lopez.
  • 00:44:09
    El esmijo Johnny Lopez.
  • 00:44:13
    My name is St. Lopez.
  • 00:44:14
    I'm here as a member of Cetul.
  • 00:44:17
    I'm here as Cetul for R.O.V.A.
  • 00:44:18
    Salario.
  • 00:44:19
    I'm going to be working on a project here in Minneapolis, and one day I will be here, if there's not one reason, I will have to go to the Dias Trabajados, which I don't want to go to.
  • 00:44:31
    For the sake of the family, I'm here as Cetul, and with you, Maria Perez.
  • 00:44:35
    the city of San Luis Obispo.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:45:04
    Hello, my name is Austin Lopez and this is my son Johnny Lopez.
  • 00:45:07
    I am a member of Setul.
  • 00:45:09
    I came to Setul for wage theft.
  • 00:45:11
    I was working in painting on a project here in Minneapolis and there was a boss who fired me for no reason.
  • 00:45:17
    He owed me money for days worked, which he didn't want to pay me.
  • 00:45:21
    I met Maria at Setul and she explained to me the procedure and the correct steps to take in order to claim this payment.
  • 00:45:28
    She accompanied me to talk to the boss, telling them about the abuses that she was committing against me and the processes they were going to take to get me to pay.
  • 00:45:37
    At first, Maria was insulted by this boss, but eventually she agreed to pay the three days she owed me.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:45:49
    When I was a child, I was a child of 33 years old and I didn't know what to do.
  • 00:45:53
    I didn't have an orientation of who I could be so that this path would be realized.
  • 00:46:00
    I had more than two months of being in the United States and I was a little more than a kid, only $300 is something that I could attend to, to find the limit for my children and to find the limit for my children and to find the limit for my children.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:46:14
    When that Wednesday happened, I felt sad and frustrated, not knowing what to do.
  • 00:46:19
    I had no guidance on where to go to get this payment made.
  • 00:46:22
    I had only been in the United States for two months.
  • 00:46:25
    And although the amount was very little, only $300, it was something I could use to afford buy food for my children and send money to my wife because she was sick at the time.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:46:37
    I would like to thank the city council members, as well as the other city council members who have supported us and helped us as well, who are in the fight for the future of the city.
  • 00:46:51
    What I have learned from the city is to try to share with the city's construction team so that we can defend ourselves.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:46:58
    It was because of the support I found at the tool that I became a member.
  • 00:47:02
    I know that of other colleagues who have suffered wage theft as well, who are still struggling to trying to get the companies to pay them.
  • 00:47:10
    What I have learned here at the tool, I try to share with my fellow construction workers so that we can stand up for ourselves.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:47:18
    Many people need to know what are the laws and directions we have.
  • 00:47:21
    It is not important that the state is legal here in the country.
  • 00:47:26
    It is a place where if we want to learn how to defend ourselves or what we have to do, we have to go out there and solve other problems in the world.
  • 00:47:37
    I am here to tell you that the city is continuing to build on the program of co-enforcement and that it has not yet been funded in the year that it has been funded.
  • 00:47:50
    The program will be used by many people here in Minneapolis.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:47:54
    A lot of people need to know what the laws are and what rights we have, no matter what their legal status is here in the country.
  • 00:48:00
    Setul is a place where we want to, we can learn how to defend ourselves, or who to go if there is wage theft and other problems on the job.
  • 00:48:12
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:48:13
    Thank you.
  • 00:48:14
    Next we're going to welcome Jonny Osteen, or sorry, Jonny Lopez.
  • 00:48:24
    Wonderful.
  • 00:48:24
    We both recovered.
  • 00:48:25
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:48:26
    Excellent.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:48:28
    Um, all right.
  • 00:48:29
    Next we're going to welcome Alexandra Plaza followed by speaker number 16 Abe Demage.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 00:48:45
    Buenas tardes.
  • 00:48:46
    Mi nombre es Aleksandra.
  • 00:48:48
    Vivo y trabajo en el north east de Minneapolis.
  • 00:48:51
    Soy madre eso terra de un niño.
  • 00:48:53
    Estoy aqui porque resiente mente a mi entre o trabajo pase por a coso sexual por parte de un supervisor.
  • 00:49:01
    Yo me sentía muy estresada y frustrated.
  • 00:49:03
    También fue difícil porque mi quitaro misoras de trabajo por no acceptar sus invitaciones para salir.
  • 00:49:09
    No sabía que hacer pensaba como encuentro otro trabajo o donde busco ayuda.
  • 00:49:15
    Good afternoon, my name is Alexandra and I live and I work in Northeast Minneapolis.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:49:31
    I'm a single mother of one son and I'm here because recently at my previous job I went through an experience of sexual harassment on the part of my supervisor.
  • 00:49:43
    I was very stressed and frustrated.
  • 00:49:45
    It was also difficult because they took hours away from me because I didn't accept his advances to go out with him.
  • 00:49:52
    I didn't know what to do.
  • 00:49:53
    I was thinking, how do I find another job, or where do I go for help?
  • 00:49:57
    What do I do, I thought.
  • 00:49:59
    But then my aunt recommended a person to me from a legal rights department, and it was that person that gave me the address and the phone number of Setul.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 00:50:08
    I would like to thank you all for being here today.
  • 00:50:17
    I would like to thank you all for being here.
  • 00:50:25
    In other cities of work, but the person who helped me didn't have a single case.
  • 00:50:31
    I think it would be more useful for workers and more training about sexual things and other rights and protections in the work.
  • 00:50:40
    And this tool is one of the organizations that has this type of training.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:50:45
    So I arrived at Setul and when I did they told me to come to a meeting about my rights.
  • 00:50:50
    It was there that I received help to write a letter and I brought it to Human Resources to explain my situation.
  • 00:50:57
    I did receive my hours back at another worksite, but the person who harassed me did not receive any kind of punishment.
  • 00:51:06
    I think there should be more justice for workers and more trainings about sexual harassment and other rights at our worksite.
  • 00:51:14
    And also other protections at work.
  • 00:51:16
    And CETUL is one of the organizations that gives these type of trainings.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 00:51:20
    I learned that I have rights and that I have justice.
  • 00:51:23
    I'm still looking, but I hope that you will be able to support and understand the program.
  • 00:51:29
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:51:44
    So I learned that I have rights and that I deserve justice.
  • 00:51:48
    I am still fighting, but I hope that you will continue to support and invest in the co-enforcement program so that we can have more trainings on sexual harassment and workers' rights, so that we can have a better future for all of us.
  • 00:52:02
    Please don't let this program run out of funds.
  • 00:52:05
    Thank you so much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:52:07
    Thank you.
  • 00:52:08
    Our next speaker will be Abe Demage and after that I will cover the next five speakers but the speaker after Abe will be Youssir Mohamed.
  • 00:52:16
    Welcome Abe.
• • SPEAKER_23
  • 00:52:17
    Hi, my name is Abe Demaj.
  • 00:52:19
    My topic would be a lot different than what you guys heard.
  • 00:52:23
    I migrated 33 years ago to this country, amazing country, and I came to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • 00:52:29
    I went to study Morris, Minnesota.
  • 00:52:32
    I started as a furniture delivery guy.
  • 00:52:34
    From there, I continued to have a real estate development.
  • 00:52:38
    Within the 2020 after George Floyd, my business has been completely torn down in one night.
  • 00:52:46
    That was the money that I was putting for my family.
  • 00:52:48
    Everything was gone within one night.
  • 00:52:50
    It was very devastating that I had continued to have rebuilding the community.
  • 00:52:55
    I swift my whole entire money from my 401k, my home equity loan money into the Abyssinia Center.
  • 00:53:03
    Abyssinia Center has been built in June 2020.
  • 00:53:07
    When I was opening up, my 37th window was shut up completely.
  • 00:53:10
    There was nothing there for me.
  • 00:53:12
    So I started to become how to become a real estate developer.
  • 00:53:15
    So swifting from a furniture store, how could I bring those people who has been displaced into this building?
  • 00:53:21
    I continue to strive and the program that I got into it was the DTAB program.
  • 00:53:25
    I really recommend all of you guys to support that.
  • 00:53:28
    It brings the people of color to bring food and everything to their family.
  • 00:53:34
    and I really urge you guys to support that so you will not see another crisis I think we deserve and I also my colleague and the budget lady that she spoke about 100 million I was a product of that I contribute we hire for 50 ethnic city from different you know ethnics into our furniture business and we all paid taxes we all paid property tax income tax I paid everything to the state of Minnesota what they owe me was my neighborhood is torn apart
  • 00:54:02
    One night.
  • 00:54:03
    So if you guys turn your back and saying that we're not going to help this, I think you're all going to be accountable.
  • 00:54:08
    So let's not the history to be repeated.
  • 00:54:11
    I urge you guys to support DTAP and BTAP program completely to people of color.
  • 00:54:17
    Thank you so much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:54:19
    Thank you.
  • 00:54:20
    The next five speakers we're going to hear from will be speaker number 17, Yusra Mohammed, speaker number 18, Sherry Stouffer, speaker number 19, Maria Palacios, speaker number 20, Tate Hornoff, speaker number 21, Lisa Boyd.
  • 00:54:37
    Welcome, Yusra.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:54:38
    Thank you for having me.
  • 00:54:39
    Hello, council members.
  • 00:54:41
    The story that you heard from Abe is many stories that you hear across Minneapolis and Lake Street.
  • 00:54:47
    Again, my name is Yousir Mahmoud.
  • 00:54:49
    I am from Lake Street Council.
  • 00:54:51
    I'm a business advisor.
  • 00:54:52
    I've also worked in the corridor for over eight years.
  • 00:54:55
    I've studied here.
  • 00:54:56
    I grew up here.
  • 00:54:57
    so I am a product of my environment.
  • 00:55:00
    We are pleased that the base budget extends funding for BTAP over the next funding cycles with an allocation of $200,000 a year and we appreciate the one-time boost in the budget for BTAP services for the uptown area.
  • 00:55:13
    So just as DTAP, BTAP is something that we also urge our council members to continue to support.
  • 00:55:22
    As the mayor's budget documents note, and this is something that we fully agree with, that without additional funding, significantly fewer entrepreneurs and small businesses will be able to receive services funded by BTAP in 2025.
  • 00:55:38
    BTAP has been an extremely successful program in providing resources for entrepreneurs in Minneapolis, starting new businesses as well as extending the service capacity of vital community organizations.
  • 00:55:49
    Communities that have participated in BTAP activities saw significant improvements in helping them gain access to capital,
  • 00:55:57
    gaining vital new technical skills and emerging in their new demanded roles.
  • 00:56:01
    As we know, our businesses have continued to face disadvantages.
  • 00:56:05
    We hear stories such as the one that we just heard that the disparities daily in the small businesses here on Lake Street is something that they will continue to be facing if we do not continue to support them with these services.
  • 00:56:18
    The impacts of the pandemic and the unrest continue to be felt.
  • 00:56:23
    The customers served by this proposal are primarily new entrepreneurs and small business owners who have been here historically.
  • 00:56:31
    In 2023, 86% of BTAP recipients were BIPOC.
  • 00:56:36
    BTAP providers included businesses associations, community development corporations, and professional service providers such as ours.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:56:42
    Thank you.
  • 00:56:43
    Thank you, Ms. Mahmoud.
  • 00:56:45
    Next we'll welcome speaker number 18, Sherry Stouffer.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 00:56:49
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 00:56:53
    Thank you, and I appreciate the opportunity to share comments on housing stability My name is Sherry Stouffer.
  • 00:57:01
    I am a member of Plymouth Congregational Church, and I'm award of or the ward 13 and I'm here to advocate for supportive housing because very simply I believe everyone needs a home and should have a home It's not a privilege.
  • 00:57:16
    It's a right
  • 00:57:17
    We all know that the playing field is not level, so many face barriers to housing stability that we couldn't even imagine going through.
  • 00:57:27
    So it's critical that we support and provide the necessary needs for those to have a safe home.
  • 00:57:34
    I'm grateful to see all the housing advocates here tonight.
  • 00:57:38
    I'm with Beacon Interfaith Collaborative and have been for 20 years as a volunteer in many capacities because they get the job right.
  • 00:57:46
    In fact, I was with them when it used to be called Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation.
  • 00:57:50
    I'm speaking in support of the mayor's new proposed program, Minneapolis Affordable Rental Stabilization Supportive housing, like Great River Landing and Emerson, the new one that will be opening soon, provide permanent homes for those who face so many obstacles It's a long-term solution to homelessness that's critical to the health of our city
  • 00:58:16
    But the costs, as we all know, are exorbitant.
  • 00:58:19
    I remember when we started our first project at Plymouth Neighborhood Foundation called Lydia, and the costs back then were so different than what they are now.
  • 00:58:29
    We're facing so much more in terms of many areas, but primarily the 24-hour security alone.
  • 00:58:38
    I hope you will not only include the new program that stabilized supportive housing in your 2025 budget, but more importantly, increase it.
  • 00:58:48
    The future of our city, I think, depends on it.
  • 00:58:50
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 00:58:51
    Thank you.
  • 00:58:52
    Next, we're going to welcome speaker number 19, Maria Palacios, and then followed by speaker number 20, Tate Hornuff.
  • 00:59:04
    Clerks, if we- wonderful, you're on it.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:59:09
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:59:25
    Yeah, okay, yeah.
  • 00:59:28
    Good evening, everybody.
  • 00:59:29
    My name is Maria Palacios, and I am a single mom living in Ward 8 of Minneapolis.
  • 00:59:35
    I currently work two restaurant jobs in the city, and I've had to hold down more than one job so that my kids can have a fighting chance moving forward.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:59:45
    The problem is labor, it's not about labor, it's economic and personal.
  • 00:59:52
    I didn't receive a paid training in my work.
  • 00:59:56
    I think it is necessary that we are in training to know our rights and to follow the rules.
  • 01:00:07
    And the rule of law is that we have rights that we also have to follow.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:00:16
    So labor issues labor issues affect my life in every way every day financially and personally.
  • 01:00:26
    At my job I have never received paid training.
  • 01:00:30
    We feel that training is important because it helps us become more aware of our rights in the workplace and that's why we value organizations like CETUL that inform and educate us on very fundamental and key issues.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 01:00:44
    Mi para ese que ninguno de mis trabajos sigue la leyque de los días infirmidad a pagados.
  • 01:00:52
    Completamente, en uno de mis trabajos, me han pedido que llevé un papel de el doctor por solo un día, y en otro, me han pedido que buscio un remplazo para que me cubra, mi turno, y quiero que eso no esta, mostar, esta provido por la ley, no que uno tenga que buscarso remplando.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:01:15
    So it seems to me that neither of my jobs follow the paid sick days law completely.
  • 01:01:22
    At one they erase our hours at the end of the year and another one we have been required to bring a doctor's note if we're sick for just one day and also that we need to find someone to cover the shift ourselves.
  • 01:01:36
    Neither of those things are correct according to the law and I wouldn't know about this without the support of organizations.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 01:01:43
    They are workers just like me.
  • 01:01:48
    that we experiment more frequently with the situations of the rights that we live with, such as coming back to school or the time of birth, and color, Latinos, Negroes, and more.
  • 01:02:06
    The human rights movement are the people that have the best access to the information and resources of our rights, the laws.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:02:18
    So it's workers like me who most often, most frequently experience situations of violations of our rights as low-wage workers, as part-time workers, as workers of color, black, Latino workers, and also as women.
  • 01:02:35
    We are also the people who have the least access to information and resources about our labor rights.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 01:02:41
    I want to say that we all have respect and have both.
  • 01:02:49
    One way to do this is to work collectively in an organization in the past year that has had workers participate in this area for the rights that we have been advancing.
  • 01:03:08
    So for this we are here today to say that we are here
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:03:15
    So I want us all to be treated with respect and equality and to have a voice.
  • 01:03:19
    One way to achieve this is that we work collectively in an organization.
  • 01:03:23
    Last year, 500 workers participated in rights workshops, and we need to keep moving forward, not backwards, and this is how we do it.
  • 01:03:30
    We're here today to ask that you continue to invest support and money in programs like this to strengthen our rights.
  • 01:03:35
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:03:36
    Thank you.
  • 01:03:37
    Thank you very much.
  • 01:03:39
    Next we're going to welcome Tate Hornuff.
  • 01:03:42
    is Lisa Boyd.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 01:03:51
    Good evening.
  • 01:03:57
    My job is educating workers about their rights and empowering them to take action.
  • 01:04:02
    I'm concerned about funding for the co-enforcement program.
  • 01:04:07
    You just heard many powerful stories about the program's real impact on people's lives.
  • 01:04:13
    But according to the mayor's budget proposal, the funding for this program will be cut by 75% of the current funding level.
  • 01:04:21
    Could you imagine the devastating impact this would have on thousands of low-wage workers across the city?
  • 01:04:28
    Historically, the co-enforcement partnership has recovered over $1.7 million in stolen wages.
  • 01:04:36
    Just last year alone, because of the city's increased investment in co-enforcement,
  • 01:04:42
    Community partners Satul, ROC, and NJP recovered over $100,000 in wages owed to Minneapolis workers and trained over 500 workers across hundreds of workplaces throughout the city.
  • 01:04:59
    All of our outreach focuses on low-wage industries and communities that are most likely to experience workplace violations.
  • 01:05:07
    Women, immigrants, and black and brown workers are most likely to be victims of wage theft and experience violations of earned sick and safe time.
  • 01:05:17
    If the City is committed to working towards racial justice, part of that commitment has to be investing in programs that provide critical information, resources, and support to black and brown workers.
  • 01:05:30
    We are proud of this partnership with the City and grateful for the support the Council has shown in passing one-time budget amendments over the last several years.
  • 01:05:39
    and workers shouldn't have to show up here every year to fight for sustainable budget for this critical and successful work.
  • 01:05:49
    We hope this year will be the year that the city will find a path for ongoing sustainable funding.
  • 01:05:54
    Thank you for your time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:05:55
    Thank you for your testimony, Tate.
  • 01:05:58
    We will next hear from Lisa Boyd and then the five speakers after that will be speaker number 22, Laura Perez.
  • 01:06:06
    Speaker number 23, Ibella Rodriguez.
  • 01:06:11
    Speaker number 24, Byron Richard.
  • 01:06:14
    Speaker number 25, Emily Kirkfold.
  • 01:06:17
    And speaker number 26, Damla Ayrton.
  • 01:06:20
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_02
  • 01:06:22
    Good evening and thank you to the Budget Committee for the opportunity to speak tonight.
  • 01:06:28
    My name is Lisa Boyd.
  • 01:06:29
    I live in Ward 12, but I'm here tonight as the staff for a new collaborative known as Lake Street Alignment.
  • 01:06:36
    We are made up of stakeholders from many different sectors all along the corridor.
  • 01:06:42
    We support the Lake Street Council agenda in favor of programs that are making a critical difference in stabilizing local commercial corridors across the city, including Lake Street.
  • 01:06:53
    Programs such as a permanent funding source for the city's business district support program and facade improvement program, sustained funding for BTAP, new and continued investments into public safety approaches for Lake Street businesses and anyone who is using the corridor,
  • 01:07:12
    support for business districts recovering from large road construction projects and as we heard from Mr. Dimash, recovering from other impacts as well.
  • 01:07:24
    And lastly, continued investment in the developers technical assistance program DTAP, an effort that is creating career pathways for new commercial developers of color.
  • 01:07:36
    We also support Councilmember Chavez's resolution on Lake Street Cultural District Safety Services for funding within the Neighborhood Safety Department to reduce violence in the Lake Street Cultural District from Pillsbury to Cedar and along Lake Street from Cedar Avenue to Hiawatha and along Lake Street from Pillsbury to Lindale.
  • 01:07:56
    Thank you.
  • 01:07:58
    but there is also a need for transparency, simplification, and above all, cooperation across these enterprises.
  • 01:08:06
    In addition to thoughtful policy proposals for business support and community safety, we need the assurance of the departments that they are affecting are actually capable of follow-through.
  • 01:08:17
    We expect you to listen to city departments and staff about their capacity and the City Council and the Mayor's Office to work together on these initiatives.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:08:27
    Thank you.
  • 01:08:29
    Thank you.
  • 01:08:30
    Next we're going to welcome speaker number 22, Laura Perez.
• • SPEAKER_30
  • 01:08:41
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:08:45
    Hello, my name is Laura Perez and I live in the neighborhood of Cochrane.
• • SPEAKER_30
  • 01:08:53
    I am here because we are in need for the budget to have a $100,000 for a study on social housing.
  • 01:09:20
    This will allow for better housing, dignable housing, equitable housing, and that every family and anybody can have a house.
  • 01:09:47
    This needs to end and we can no longer live like this.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:10:07
    As a mother, I cannot allow myself to think.
  • 01:10:11
    I either pay the rent or put food on the table.
  • 01:10:15
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_30
  • 01:10:17
    We ask that you listen to us and that you hear and understand our necessities because we can no longer continue with this type of housing, this type of situations, this type of struggle in our communities.
  • 01:10:46
    Hello, how are you?
  • 01:10:56
    How are you?
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:11:07
    More families that I know and keep on happening that are facing eviction.
  • 01:11:14
    They cannot find a dignable place to live.
  • 01:11:16
    There is not enough jobs and the wages are low and this makes for us, the community, to be vulnerable.
• • SPEAKER_30
  • 01:11:26
    Gracias.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:11:29
    Thank you.
  • 01:11:30
    Next we're going to welcome speaker number 23, Ibelia Rodriguez, followed by speaker number 24, Byron Richard.
  • 01:11:40
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_26
  • 01:11:44
    Hola buenas tardes, mi nombre is Olivia Rodriguez.
  • 01:11:47
    Y soy member de la organización en Quilinos Unidos.
  • 01:11:51
    Y estoy aquí para pedir que su pueso pongan este $7,000 para un estudia vivienda social.
  • 01:12:01
    We need more resources to live, so that we can live digitally.
  • 01:12:06
    I think it's good to know that there are so many opportunities for us to live socially, so that we can make it necessary for us to live socially for everyone.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:12:24
    Hello, good afternoon, my name is Alibeya Rodriguez.
  • 01:12:28
    I am here with Enquilinos Unidos.
  • 01:12:31
    I am here because we want to ask for the city budget to add $100,000 for a social housing study.
  • 01:12:40
    This is a necessity because we need more resources to make sure that there is dignified housing
  • 01:12:48
    because we can no longer live like this.
  • 01:12:50
    We want to have dignity in the place that we live and also it has to be accessible and equitable.
  • 01:12:58
    And this is something that we're asking for dignity for us all.
• • SPEAKER_26
  • 01:13:04
    I think what we are doing right now in the situation is very difficult.
  • 01:13:07
    We have to take care of our children.
  • 01:13:10
    And also, all the pressure that there is right now, we can't take care of our children's lives for our families.
  • 01:13:18
    And we have to take care of our children, which are very difficult for our children.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:13:23
    As you may know, due to the current situation, it is very difficult to find dignified housing.
  • 01:13:29
    As you may know also, the cost of living, the cost of renting is too high for some of us.
  • 01:13:34
    It is sometimes very, very difficult not only to find housing, but also to find dignified housing for us and our children.
  • 01:13:43
    And as you may also know, because the rent prices keep on going up, it is becoming a very difficult situation for us every day to make the very difficult decision of choosing to keep the money for rent or to put food on the table for our children.
• • SPEAKER_26
  • 01:14:12
    And these are some of the other reasons that we're asking for this $100,000 for this housing study to be added.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:14:32
    Not only for because it's needed in the community, but also because it will prove to you, it will show you how much it is needed in our community.
  • 01:14:42
    I would like to thank you for your time, but I would also like you to think about this, put your hand in your heart, and think about adding the $100,000 of this study because it will be very helpful for the equitable housing in this city.
  • 01:15:12
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:15:14
    Thank you.
  • 01:15:15
    Next we're going to welcome speaker number 24, Byron Richard, followed by speaker number 25, Emily Kirkfold.
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 01:15:24
    Welcome.
  • 01:15:25
    Good evening.
  • 01:15:26
    It's good to be here.
  • 01:15:28
    Council members, mayor, other neighbors, I'm here to speak in, oh, my name is Byron, I'm from Ward 11.
  • 01:15:37
    I'm here to speak in support of the work of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging
  • 01:15:41
    A recent letter to the mayor describes the uncertain status of three service areas important to seniors, and they include $50,000 for transportation needed by seniors, $250,000 in ARPA funding for community navigators, and $810,000 for senior housing co-debatement and repairs.
  • 01:16:06
    I want to urge the mayor and council to work to find alternative funding streams to support the current revenue.
  • 01:16:14
    Part of that I hope will be a negotiation of a franchise fee that will make it possible to actually do the work of retrofitting the whole city to meet our climate goals.
  • 01:16:28
    I support a budget that supports the future of our multigenerational, income diverse, racially diverse, gender inclusive community.
  • 01:16:38
    Thank you for your work.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:16:40
    Thank you.
  • 01:16:41
    We're next going to welcome speaker number 25, Emily Kirkfold, followed by speaker number 26, Damla Ayrton.
• • SPEAKER_39
  • 01:16:53
    Hello council chair Chuck Tye and members of the committee My name is Emily Kirkfold and I am a Minneapolis resident and an employee with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity I'm here today to share our support and advocate for the inclusion of the affordable homeownership preservation grant currently proposed in the mayor's 2025 budget
  • 01:17:13
    Through Twin Cities Habitat's partnership with the Department of Regulatory Services, housing inspectors refer low-income homeowners to our Brush with Kindness program.
  • 01:17:23
    Homeowners need to be at or below 80% AMI, but the majority of clients we serve are at or below 30% AMI.
  • 01:17:31
    This program was originally piloted in 2018 and was able to continue through an ARPA allocation with the current contract set to end this December.
  • 01:17:41
    It has provided grants typically between fifteen to twenty thousand dollars a project to preserve affordable home ownership opportunities throughout the city.
  • 01:17:49
    We have found that for most of our clients without this program there are few if any housing options available due to extremely limited resources making their current housing the safest and most affordable option.
  • 01:18:01
    With currently almost 500 open housing orders, the need for this program is essential, not only to preserve the city's current housing stock, but also to prevent potential displacement of these homeowners.
  • 01:18:13
    According to the State Tomographer's Office, the city of Minneapolis has over 7,000 homeowners at the age of 65 or over who are living on $40,000 or less a year.
  • 01:18:25
    We believe this number will continue to grow as more baby boomers retire with little additional savings.
  • 01:18:30
    Currently the program's proposed funding level is at $100,000 in one-time funding but we hope the City Council supports us in increasing this amount to $295,000 of ongoing funding so that we can continue to expand on our work and demonstrate the success of this partnership.
  • 01:18:47
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:18:50
    .
  • 01:18:50
    ≫ Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_38
  • 01:19:02
    Hello, my name is Damla Ayrtan and I'm the president of the Uptown Community Coalition, which is a nonprofit organization representing Ward 7 and 10.
  • 01:19:12
    I also own and operate a business in Minneapolis.
  • 01:19:16
    I appreciate Mayor Frey's budget focus on affordable housing and public safety.
  • 01:19:20
    However, I want to address the economic development section of the budget.
  • 01:19:24
    While the intention is clear, small business support continues to rely on programs like the Ownership and Opportunity Fund, match-based façade improvement grants and business loans, which are notable but often inaccessible for businesses and neighborhoods like mine in Uptown, still recovering from the pandemic and infrastructure disruptions.
  • 01:19:44
    I respectfully propose an alternative, a non-match-based grant program funded by a modest city-wide tax increase modeled after the City of St. Paul's STAR grant program.
  • 01:19:54
    This would provide direct, equitable financial support specifically designed to meet immediate business needs and promote growth.
  • 01:20:02
    Considering the City is developing a biennial budget, it is essential that the foundation for this grant program be included in the 2025 budget.
  • 01:20:10
    By acting now, we can ensure small businesses receive timely and equitable support.
  • 01:20:15
    that addresses their immediate challenges.
  • 01:20:18
    Implementing this program next year will allow businesses to stabilize, make capital improvements to their establishments, and strengthen the entire city's economic vitality and sustainability.
  • 01:20:28
    A full proposal has been submitted by my organization digitally.
  • 01:20:32
    Thank you for your time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:20:34
    Thank you, Damla.
  • 01:20:35
    The next five speakers we're gonna hear from are Jesse Mortensen, speaker number 27, speaker number 28, Brenda.
  • 01:20:44
    Speaker number 29, Laura Sanchez.
  • 01:20:48
    Speaker number 30, Filiberto Onofre.
  • 01:20:52
    Speaker number 31, Mary Tyler.
  • 01:20:56
    Thank you.
  • 01:20:57
    Welcome, Jesse.
• • SPEAKER_04
  • 01:20:58
    Thank you very much.
  • 01:20:59
    Hey everybody.
  • 01:21:00
    I'm here to urge the council to support a housing first policy in Minneapolis.
  • 01:21:06
    I want to link it to safety.
  • 01:21:07
    I live in Quarker in two blocks south of Lake and Hiawatha.
  • 01:21:11
    and it's funny to me because I know I've met a lot of people in the city who believe that if we simply hire more cops, pay more cops more, crime will go down even though the data is way more complicated than that but I've met very few people who know that in the country of Finland they have through government action effectively eliminated the conditions that force people to live on the streets.
  • 01:21:31
    Street homelessness is almost gone in the country of Finland and they've done this by adopting a housing first policy.
  • 01:21:39
    And for me, I know that that's going to be a big ask, right?
  • 01:21:44
    Finland's a country with a social democratic tradition, right?
  • 01:21:46
    Housing is expensive, how are we going to do that?
  • 01:21:48
    It might be too big for Minneapolis to take on.
  • 01:21:51
    But if you think that it's too expensive, I want you to look at my neighborhood and think about all of the tens of millions of dollars across government agencies and levels of government that have invested at Lake and Hiawatha
  • 01:22:02
    and yet here we are years after the pandemic and that location is really unsafe.
  • 01:22:07
    It's really unsafe for the people who are hanging out there, living there, people who are unhoused there.
  • 01:22:12
    All that investment is not serving them well, it's not serving their safety needs well.
  • 01:22:16
    the homelessness, homeless camp evictions that I've seen in numerous camps around my neighborhood and a mile around where I live have just moved people around.
  • 01:22:25
    That's not solving the problem either.
  • 01:22:26
    So we're spending money so that people who aren't housed or not being served are not safe and residents living around these areas are not feeling safe either, right?
  • 01:22:34
    Like I got people who are close to me who are like, I'm not going to that train station.
  • 01:22:38
    So I'm asking for leadership on this council for a housing first policy because that has demonstrated
  • 01:22:45
    an ability to create safety in a way that's enduring that changes people's lives and again if it's a big sacrifice I'm asking you like hey if we don't do it who else is like we're here we're at their front line we got to do it so thank you very much thank you next we will welcome speaker number 28 Brenda Clerks if we can know the time change thank you
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:23:17
    Welcome, Brenda.
  • 01:23:17
    Welcome, Taylor.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:23:20
    Buenas noches.
  • 01:23:21
    Mi nombre es Jerania.
  • 01:23:22
    No soy Brenda.
  • 01:23:24
    Brenda tuvo una cita de doctor se la cambiarum para hoy y no puedo llegar pero he escribió un testimonio.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:23:33
    So my name is Jerania.
  • 01:23:35
    Brenda wanted to be here, but she had a doctor's appointment that got changed at the last minute, but she had written a testimony.
  • 01:23:40
    So I'm going to read it for her today.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:23:43
    So I'm gonna read it as she wrote it today.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:23:57
    Hi, my name is Brenda.
  • 01:23:58
    I work downtown in food service and I live in Northeast Minneapolis.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:24:03
    You know I want to let you guys know that the co-enforcement program with CETUL has helped me a lot and I want other workers to be informed about their rights such as paid sick days.
  • 01:24:25
    As of one year ago, when I was in Chicago, the grocery store was full of celery.
  • 01:24:31
    I didn't want to recoup your dinner because we didn't know about our dishes.
  • 01:24:35
    That doesn't affect us economically and emotionally.
  • 01:24:40
    We don't have dinner to pay rent or food to our children.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:24:44
    So, a few years ago, when my husband and I lived in Chicago, he experienced wage theft.
  • 01:24:49
    He never recovered his money because we didn't know about our rights.
  • 01:24:53
    It affected us a lot financially and emotionally, not having the money to pay for rent or for food for our children.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:25:03
    When I was a child, I learned that there was support for workers.
  • 01:25:07
    I would like to have this support in Chicago when we pass through this difficult time with the workers.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:25:14
    So, getting to know Seytool, I've learned that there is support for workers, and I would have liked to have had such support when my family and I went through such a difficult time experiencing wage theft.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:25:26
    Estas injusticias ya no pueden ser parte de la ambiente laborale en Minneapolis y con el apoyo de organizaciones tenemos la oportunidad de acabar con los abusos.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:25:36
    These injustices can no longer be a part of the work environment in Minneapolis.
  • 01:25:41
    And with the support of these programs and organizations, we have the opportunity to end such abuses.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:25:48
    We have the opportunity to end such abuses.
  • 01:25:51
    We have the opportunity to end such abuses.
  • 01:25:56
    We have the opportunity to end such abuses.
  • 01:25:59
    We have the opportunity to end such abuses.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:26:01
    So without training programs about our rights and the laws, we have seen that we're not informed by our managers or our bosses about our rights.
  • 01:26:10
    And so many of us are left misinformed and we just are left to assume certain things.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 01:26:16
    Por ejemplo, si mi hijos enferma y no se nada de las sobras de enfermedad pagadas, no me van a pagar, ni voy a pedir pago porque ni si quieres estaría informada sobre esta lei, o tal vez ni pediría mi día para llevar a el doctor a mi hijo por no perdere se día de salario.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:26:32
    This is just for this, we need training of directors and labor organizations that have helped us not only this year, but also in the last few months.
  • 01:27:01
    So this is unfair, and that's why we need rights trainings and labor organizations, and we want to ask you to support us ongoing, not just this year, with continued funding.
  • 01:27:11
    Thank you so much.
  • 01:27:13
    Thank you so much for allowing us to speak on her BF.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:27:20
    Thank you.
  • 01:27:21
    We're next going to welcome speaker number 29, Laura Sanchez.
  • 01:27:26
    We have eight speakers, including Laura, who are signed up to speak this evening.
  • 01:27:31
    We have moved the sign-in table from right outside of the chambers into the chambers right next to where the clerks are seated.
  • 01:27:41
    So to my right-hand side, anyone is still welcome to sign up to speak, and we will make sure to get to you in eight speakers.
  • 01:27:50
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:27:52
    Hola, my name is Laura Sanchez.
  • 01:27:55
    I live in the area of Phyllis.
  • 01:27:57
    I am a daughter with four children.
  • 01:27:59
    I love all the days for my children because they have a better future.
  • 01:28:06
    I have 25 years of my life in the center of the central market.
  • 01:28:12
    I work during all days to be able to solve the costs and be able to live and be able to help my family and my life.
  • 01:28:22
    I have been living more economic for my life, including the central market,
  • 01:28:31
    We really need to stabilize ourselves because of the pandemic and the history that occurred in the area of the Main Street.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:28:44
    So my name is Laura Sanchez.
  • 01:28:46
    I live in the area of Phillips and I'm a single mother with four kids.
  • 01:28:50
    I fight every single day for my kids to be able to have a better future.
  • 01:28:56
    I have been a business owner for 25 years inside of Mercado Central.
  • 01:29:01
    I work hard every day so that I'm able to afford my bills and expenses and so that I can survive and actually move forward my family and my business.
  • 01:29:14
    I'm asking today for more support economically for the Latino businesses that are inside Mercado Central because realistically we have not been able to stabilize ourselves since the pandemic and with the uprisings.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:29:31
    Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to speak here tonight and express my opinion and thank you again for taking my cause into consideration.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:29:56
    Thank you so much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:29:59
    Thank you.
  • 01:30:01
    Next we will welcome speaker number 30, Filiberto Onofre, followed by speaker number 31, Mercy Tyler.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 01:30:11
    Buenas tardes a todos.
  • 01:30:14
    Mi nombre es Filiberto Onofre.
  • 01:30:16
    Soy un pequeño impresario, dueño de casa y leader de mi loca.
  • 01:30:22
    of this city.
  • 01:30:24
    Today I am presenting you with a good deal of inspiration, but also with the necessity of doing my best in the number of people who, as I have said, are looking to help us to sustain our families and our communities.
  • 01:30:39
    First, I want to tell you that, first of all, there is no limit of interest to the property.
  • 01:30:44
    For many of us, the property's property and the house's property are almost $100,000.
  • 01:30:52
    We are celebrating things in our homes and businesses, and one more moment, we cannot resist and have stability.
  • 01:31:07
    This can affect our businesses and, at the same time, our community, depending on ourselves.
  • 01:31:14
    Second, we have more programs to support small businesses, Latinas, but without intermediaries,
  • 01:31:22
    The duty must be directed and in bureaucracy to limit the amount that comes to us.
  • 01:31:34
    Every day, when we try to maintain our safe streets, create jobs, and support this city that we are so proud of.
  • 01:31:46
    This is the creation of more press programs.
  • 01:31:51
    Today, when we face an emergency, it is almost impossible to have a press program more rapid.
  • 01:31:58
    that can make a difference between the security of the land and the sea, for example.
  • 01:32:05
    We cannot wait for weeks or months when our needs are immediate.
  • 01:32:12
    I am here not only as an impression, but as a person who wants to see our community flourish.
  • 01:32:20
    My words are not only the most
  • 01:32:25
    My words are only my words, they are representative of a community.
  • 01:32:33
    We want to be part of the progress of this city.
  • 01:32:37
    We are here today to build this future together.
  • 01:32:40
    Thank you for your attention.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:32:45
    My name is Filiberto Onofre.
  • 01:32:50
    I am a small business owner, a homeowner, and a black leader in this city.
  • 01:32:54
    Today I stand before you with a full heart of hope, but also with the need to raise my voice on behalf of so many who, like me, struggle every day to support our families and our communities.
  • 01:33:06
    First, I want to say firmly, no to property tax increases.
  • 01:33:10
    For many of us small property owners, every dollar matters.
  • 01:33:14
    We are already facing high costs in our homes and our businesses and another increase will not only put our stability at risk, but also the stability of the entire community that depends on us.
  • 01:33:26
    Second, we need more programs to support small Latino businesses, but without intermediaries.
  • 01:33:32
    Aid must be direct, without bureaucracy that limits or reduces the amount that truly reaches us.
  • 01:33:39
    Every penny counts when we are trying to keep our doors open, create jobs, and contribute to the city that we love so much.
  • 01:33:46
    Finally, it is urgent to create more emergency loan programs.
  • 01:33:50
    Today when we face an emergency, it is nearly impossible to get a quick loan that can make the difference between moving forward or closing our doors forever.
  • 01:33:58
    We cannot wait weeks or months when our needs are immediate.
  • 01:34:02
    I am here not just as a business owner, but also as a neighbor who wants to see our community thrive.
  • 01:34:08
    My words are not just my own.
  • 01:34:09
    They represent many who are not here today, but feel the same way that I do.
  • 01:34:15
    We want to be part of the city's progress, but we need your support to continue building that future together.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:34:20
    Thank you.
  • 01:34:21
    Thank you so much.
  • 01:34:23
    Next, we're going to welcome Mercy Tyler, followed by speaker number 32, Jamie Schweiznudl.
  • 01:34:35
    Welcome.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:34:36
    Thank you.
  • 01:34:37
    Good evening to the members of the Budget Committee and City Council, Minneapolis City Council.
  • 01:34:44
    My name is Mercy Tyler and I'm here on behalf of Community Partnership.
  • 01:34:49
    I'm here as the Community Partnership Manager at Partnership and Property Commercial Land Trust.
  • 01:34:55
    Today I'm here to express our support for the proposed 2025 budget, particularly in relation to the continued funding and development for the Lake Street Council, as well as to raise important questions about the future of the DTAP program, the Developer Technical Assistance Program for emerging developers.
  • 01:35:16
    The Lake Street Council has played a pivotal role in fostering economic development, supporting small businesses, and revitalizing one of the most culturally diverse areas in our city.
  • 01:35:26
    We strongly encourage the continued investment in this vital organization as its impact is felt throughout our community.
  • 01:35:35
    I would also like to highlight my experience working with the DTAP program.
  • 01:35:39
    Through this work, I've had the opportunity to provide direct consulting and one-on-one assistance to emerging developers of color.
  • 01:35:47
    This program has been instrumental in opening pathways to commercial real estate for developers who are reflective of the diverse communities of Minneapolis.
  • 01:35:56
    The accessibility that DTAP provides is a critical step towards ensuring equitable development across neighborhoods.
  • 01:36:03
    However, I must express some concerns regarding the sustainability and ongoing commitment to this program.
  • 01:36:09
    As we continue our shared mission of equitable development, it is imperative that the DTAP program not only remains funded, but also grows to meet the needs of more emerging developers.
  • 01:36:19
    These developers are the future stewards of commercial spaces in our communities, and their success is tied into the overall economic health and inclusivity of Minneapolis.
  • 01:36:29
    Thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:36:31
    Thank you.
  • 01:36:31
    The next and final five speakers that we will welcome tonight, who are signed up as of right now, of course, please feel welcome to register, are speaker number 32, Jamie Schwenizel, speaker number 33, Hal Reynolds, speaker number 34, Pal Crumley,
  • 01:36:52
    Speaker number 35 Adam Drizzi and speaker number 36 Muhammad Jama.
  • 01:36:59
    Welcome Jamie.
• • SPEAKER_37
  • 01:37:00
    Hi, thanks for taking some time to hear us.
  • 01:37:05
    So I own a business with my wife on the 3000 block of Minnehaha Avenue and
  • 01:37:11
    Five years ago, I could look out and see 12 locally owned businesses from the front door of our business that are no longer there.
  • 01:37:20
    And I don't just mean that the businesses have closed down, but the buildings are gone.
  • 01:37:25
    and the buildings that remain did receive a lot of damage in the uprisings of 2020 and the unrest and the buildings that are gone but came back are mostly corporate chains to drive through fast food restaurants, a chain auto parts store, a chain department store and the post office thankfully as well.
  • 01:37:55
    So what's happened is business owners, my friends, my neighbors, people who are mostly people of color who developed that neighborhood have been fighting with the city
  • 01:38:10
    every step of the way for everything from demolition permits to snow removal to getting the trash removed.
  • 01:38:20
    So, and in addition to all of that, a lot of people have had to become developers, people who are chefs, who are nonprofit theater managers.
  • 01:38:31
    They're not real estate developers, but they're needing to basically become real estate developers because they were working in buildings that were not
  • 01:38:39
    built within the last 50 to 75 years and don't meet current building standards and those buildings aren't gone and they have to build back something new.
  • 01:38:48
    So I'm here to say DTAP is a great program that I know helps a lot of people like that and also just that business owners and residents in our city are desperate for successes not for great ideas that don't get implemented.
  • 01:39:06
    So thank you.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:39:07
    Thank you Jamie.
  • 01:39:08
    Next we're going to welcome Hal Reynolds followed by Pat Crumley.
  • 01:39:17
    Welcome Hal.
• • SPEAKER_00
  • 01:39:18
    Thank you.
  • 01:39:19
    Hello everybody.
  • 01:39:20
    I'm here on behalf of Beacon as well as Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.
  • 01:39:25
    I recently joined Beacon as a board member and got an opportunity to visit their Vista 44 location which recently opened up and I'm working with Fellowship to support us joining the new location that will be coming on board here soon with Beacon in North Minneapolis.
  • 01:39:47
    What I want to share today is the impact of supportive housing on top of affordable housing and the deep impact it makes in community.
  • 01:39:56
    Getting to see it firsthand, I was moved, I was inspired, but not just because there was support right inside the buildings to help our residents, because this support wasn't Beacon, but it was partners that Beacon brought in that knew the community.
  • 01:40:11
    to support them.
  • 01:40:15
    These were partners that wanted to truly make the impact outside of just the building but also in the community.
  • 01:40:22
    Supportive housing as you can imagine is expensive.
  • 01:40:26
    That includes sometimes security as well to make sure residents feel safe and supported and so I'm here on behalf of the support
  • 01:40:35
    some of the new policies that are coming out around supporting things of this nature that are really needed.
  • 01:40:41
    It really helps young people that are transitioning stand up in those spaces and have a brighter tomorrow because the support is right there at their convenience.
  • 01:40:49
    They don't have to go search for it.
  • 01:40:51
    So thank you for your time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:40:55
    Thank you, Council members, community members.
  • 01:40:58
    We're now down to our final three speakers who are signed up to speak this evening.
  • 01:41:03
    We will hear from speaker number 34, Pat Crumley, followed by speaker number 35, Adam Drizzi.
• • SPEAKER_35
  • 01:41:12
    Good evening.
  • 01:41:14
    Good evening.
  • 01:41:14
    It is a pleasure and opportunity to be here.
  • 01:41:16
    My name is Pat Crumley and I live over in North Minneapolis and I'm really here to talk about or to speak on and to give testimony with regard to my experience in the affordable home ownership preservation program that is
  • 01:41:31
    sponsored or implemented by Habitat for Humanity.
  • 01:41:35
    I think a lot of times we hear testimony and we hear different things about what we need, but I just want to say as a senior, I was at a point where I had provided some assistance to my family member who spent experience in dementia.
  • 01:41:48
    I did hospice care for a brother.
  • 01:41:50
    So there was a period of time where even though I had worked as an attorney for 25 years in social justice issues and also as a city attorney, as also for a public defender, both state and federal,
  • 01:42:00
    There was a particular time when I really needed help with my home to maintain it.
  • 01:42:05
    I go to a YMCA over in North Minneapolis and what we talk about as seniors a lot is affordability, repairs, safety in our homes so that we can stay there.
  • 01:42:16
    Sometimes as you get older, and I'm 72 but I'm strong, we become invisible as if we don't count, as if we no longer have a voice.
  • 01:42:25
    So I thank you for this process that we have here in Minneapolis to be heard.
  • 01:42:29
    and I support Habitat and I hope that you will support increasing their budget from $100,000 to the $295,000 that they are asking because it really makes a difference.
  • 01:42:38
    I'm kind of here to stay.
  • 01:42:39
    I've enjoyed the 25 years plus that I've lived in North Minneapolis and the community contacts I have and I appreciate the opportunity to appear to you before you all tonight.
  • 01:42:49
    and I support this program and I just want to say it's made a difference.
  • 01:42:54
    I'm safe.
  • 01:42:55
    Nothing is falling apart.
  • 01:42:56
    I have trees trimmed.
  • 01:42:58
    I really have circuit breakers now.
  • 01:43:00
    I have a sump pump.
  • 01:43:03
    So I'm very happy and it makes a difference.
  • 01:43:05
    So thank you very much.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:43:07
    Thank you Pat.
  • 01:43:09
    Next we are going to welcome speaker number 35, Adam Drizzi.
  • 01:43:15
    Followed by our final speaker of the evening speaker number 36 Muhammad Jama Speaker number 35 Adam No worries, we'll skip ahead to speaker number 36 Muhammad Jama and then Adam We will welcome you after Adam left wonderful.
  • 01:43:43
    Thank you for letting us know
  • 01:43:47
    Welcome, sir.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 01:43:48
    Hey, how y'all doing?
  • 01:43:49
    Good afternoon.
  • 01:43:50
    First, I'd just like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you guys here.
  • 01:43:53
    I'm standing in front of you as a husband, a father, and a community member, also a commercial tenant of the South Whittier community off of West Lake Street, which I was told it's not in your budgets ever.
  • 01:44:04
    So I'm gonna start off by saying please include us and I'm gonna give you reasons and stats of why we should be included.
  • 01:44:09
    Currently, we lead the city of Minneapolis in shootings and homicides.
  • 01:44:14
    We're at 27 just this summer, not the whole year, just this summer.
  • 01:44:17
    Also, that's the total of last year, we see 9.
  • 01:44:20
    Total of last year, 9.
  • 01:44:21
    Just 27 this summer.
  • 01:44:23
    Also, from 2019, we were at 3.
  • 01:44:27
    Think about it, there's a lot of urgency that's going on here right now.
  • 01:44:30
    From 3 to 27, just within one summer.
  • 01:44:33
    Also we'd like to talk about how you guys can help us right now.
  • 01:44:36
    We'd love to be included in your budget and I understand this meeting is about the budget, but currently there's urgency that's needed from the community, from tenants, as community members, as commercial tenants.
  • 01:44:45
    We need police presence, we need cameras, we need lighting, we need safety.
  • 01:44:50
    I have kids, I'm a father, right?
  • 01:44:52
    The principal of my school after the shooting that just happened a few weeks ago, didn't even know anything that was going on.
  • 01:44:56
    These kids had to report the first week of school of seeing murder outside the yard.
  • 01:45:01
    We truly need lighting, we truly need police presence, we truly need gun spotters, and we really need you guys to act urgently, currently.
  • 01:45:09
    As far as it comes down to your budgeting, we would love to get engaged in your meetings.
  • 01:45:13
    We would love to be invited to your meetings.
  • 01:45:16
    We have over 800 commercial tenants.
  • 01:45:18
    I'm speaking for the East African community that's based out of West Lake Street, specifically from Grant, Pillsbury, Pleasant, and Blaisdell.
  • 01:45:26
    It's urgent guys and we're asking, we're begging you guys.
  • 01:45:29
    We've reached out to individuals and we've been asking and as city members, as leaders, we're asking to be heard.
  • 01:45:35
    So please, what can we do right now to address this issue is what I'm here for.
  • 01:45:40
    Thank you for the time.
• • Aisha Chughtai
  • 01:45:42
    Thank you very much.
  • 01:45:45
    With that, we have concluded all of the registered speakers this evening.
  • 01:45:53
    Is there anyone wishing to offer testimony before I close this hearing?
  • 01:46:00
    Going once, going twice.
  • 01:46:04
    All right with that I am going to close this hearing and I will remind everyone that we have our second public hearing scheduled for Tuesday November 12th at 10 a.m. followed by our final public hearing on December
  • 01:46:28
    I want to thank everyone who participated in this hearing tonight and for everyone who spoke or submitted comments.
  • 01:46:39
    We have had an influx of just comments coming in related to the budget that we are all passing along to our clerks to be included in the official record.
  • 01:46:50
    and with that we appreciate your engagement today and your continued engagement on the city budget and the important work that helps us improve our community and make it better for residents in Minneapolis.
  • 01:47:07
    With that we have concluded all business to come before the committee this evening and without objection we stand adjourn until our next meeting which is tomorrow morning
  • 01:47:16
    at 10 o'clock a.m. where we are slated to receive presentations from the Neighborhood and Community Relations, Arts and Cultural Affairs, and Intergovernmental Relations Departments.
  • 01:47:27
    All three of those presentations are available council members in LIMS, so please if you have not had a chance to do so yet, review those ahead of our committee tomorrow morning.
  • 01:47:36
    Thank you everyone.