Better Minneapolis Podcast

The latest in a long string of disputes between the mayor and the city council centers on the behavioral crisis response (BCR) contract, a service currently provided by Canopy Roots, a local Black-owned business.Mayor Frey launched a request for proposals to expand the program’s scope so it would cover more types of non-emergency calls. Canopy Roots, for example, does not accept calls that come from homeless shelters. Frey and his staff chose Community Bridges, a firm based in Arizona. The city council rejected that choice, the mayor vetoed the council’s action, and the future of the service in 2027 is now uncertain.Expect this pattern to repeat over the next two years as the council and mayor continue to struggle over power. Voters who approved the “strong mayor” system in 2021 may have hoped that giving the mayor administrative authority over all departments would lead to a more functional City Hall. So far, the result has been more infighting.Power Struggles Are Costly for TaxpayersThe city launched the BCR program after the murder of George Floyd. Its goal is to send mental health calls to people trained in de-escalation and support, rather than to police. Many of the people involved in these calls are not committing a crime. They need someone to help them through a moment of distress.Like many alternatives to policing, the program suffers from council micromanagement, poorly defined measures of success, and questionable billing practices.The council moved the program from the Neighborhood Safety Department to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD) with little explanation, and without giving MFD the guidance it needed to succeed. A recent audit of the program found the following:* When oversight moved from the Neighborhood Safety Department to MFD on January 1, 2025, MFD inherited major gaps. Missing performance measures, inconsistent documentation, and weak financial controls continued through the first year. These gaps made it harder to oversee a contracted crisis response model within a department built for direct emergency response.* The city has not defined performance measures.* The contractor’s billing and MFD’s review process do not line up.* Invoicing and review practices do not follow consistent criteria.In short, Canopy Roots bills the city $5.9 million per year, the maximum the contract allows. According to a sample from the city’s 911 dashboard, the program handles about 2% of 911 calls, or roughly 14 calls a day. That suggests an estimated 5,110 calls per year, which works out to about $1,155 per call. Other reports have said they field as many as 10,000 calls a year, which equates to $590 per call. The lack of verifiable data make precise calculation impossible. Documentation of outcomes is scarce. As the audit put it, the contract requires the service to be available but sets no requirements for how well it performs, and the city lacks a complete record of its own oversight of Canopy Roots.Read the city council’s press releases, and the BCR program sounds like an unqualified success. The releases offer no measure or evidence to back up that claim. They simply call the program a success and insist that Canopy Roots remain the vendor.ADVERTISMENTLetting the city council choose vendors invites conflicts of interest. It brings to mind President Trump choosing a friend to “fix” the Reflecting Pool.If the council and the mayor cannot agree on their roles, Minneapolis residents can expect more inefficiency and waste. The council’s job is to pass program budgets, not to pick the vendors who carry them out. The mayor’s job is to appoint capable leaders who track vendor spending and hold vendors to clear performance standards. Both sides need to keep ambiguity to a minimum.All Politics Are LocalThe accusations and power struggle over the BCR program reflect a narrowly divided, highly partisan government in which every compromise looks like weakness. That dynamic may help political careers, but residents pay for it through higher taxes, slower growth, and weaker services.The parallel to federal politics is hard to ignore. If the polls are right, and many people doubt them, Democrats will win back at least the House next year. Expect bills and hearings that look good on paper but go nowhere, stopped in the Senate or vetoed by the president. Our politics are dominated by extremes: shouting, rallies, and protests. Diplomacy, statesmanship, and finesse feel like relics of another era.With luck, the city council and the mayor can bend enough to restore some form of behavioral crisis response for 2027, and then do the harder work of passing a city budget. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

In April 2023, the City of Duluth launched Safe Bay, an outdoor parking program for people living in their vehicles. The idea caught the attention of Minneapolis Council Members Chavez, Stevenson, Chughtai, and Chowdhury, who have introduced their own version. Their ordinance would allow nonprofits, religious organizations, and government entities to host managed parking lots where people can sleep in their cars. The authors describe it as one of several tools for helping people who are experiencing homelessness or are close to it.After a public hearing on October 20, the Business, Housing, and Zoning (BHZ) Committee voted to send the ordinance to the full council. Only a few committee members raised doubts. Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer asked whether any budget dollars or nonprofit sponsors had been identified. None have. Council Member Pearll Warren shared the story of a cousin who died of an overdose in a vehicle. She asked who would be checking on people and whether a host church could be held liable. Staff answered that every sponsor must carry its own liability insurance and have its own security plan.Our best guess is that the ordinance will pass at the October 29 meeting, with the nine votes needed to override a mayoral veto if it comes to that. To learn more, you can find the presentation slide deck in LIMS [here]. If you have questions or concerns, now is the time to contact your council member.The residents who testified made a persuasive case. The sadness, trauma, and frustration people feel about homelessness in our city was clear. Many residents are open to creative solutions, and Safe Outdoor Parking is one that a broad public may find acceptable.Still, no one at the meeting could say how large the need is. The original 2023 proposal estimated $150,000 in startup costs to serve 250 vehicles. Duluth’s program, which ran seasonally, served about 10 vehicles a night at a cost of roughly $800 per day.The Cost of Positive OutcomesCommittee members agreed that the proposal is well thought out. Any provider that wants to open a lot will need a management and security plan approved by the BHZ Committee and the Minneapolis Police Department. The regulatory bar is high, and important questions remain open. Chief among them is Warren’s: who will check vehicles for overdoses? As she put it, “not all closed eyes are asleep.”The ordinance would take effect January 1, 2027, but residents are unlikely to see lots open right away. Each site must be at least 10,000 square feet and have permanent restrooms. We have not analyzed how many religious organizations or nonprofits meet those requirements, and neither has the council, but we suspect the number is small. Sites that do qualify will also need funding for on-site security and services from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., when all vehicles must leave for the day.That staffing will be expensive. Duluth’s experience works out to about $80 per vehicle per night. Add insurance and services, and the cost could reach $100 per vehicle per night or more. At that rate, the program begins to approach the cost of a hotel room, which raises a fair question about whether the benefits justify the expense.Leading by CollaboratingSafe Outdoor Parking is meant to be one more option for responding to the shortage of affordable housing that can lead to homelessness. Several people who testified explained why some people avoid the shelter system: shelters are often full, most do not allow pets, people feel ashamed, and shelters can be unsafe.Three parts of the discussion deserve more attention.* Work with the county and state. According to a 2025 Hennepin County handout to state legislators, the county “allocates $191 million to housing and homeless activities each year.” Minneapolis is one of many cities searching for solutions. If the council wants to lead, it needs the county and state on board. Homelessness involves more than affordable housing. It is tied to addiction, mental illness, disability, the needs of young people and older adults, and involvement with the justice system. These issues cross city and county lines. To be effective, Minneapolis leaders need to work with other governments toward shared, cost-effective goals.* Work with the mayor. If the city wants to try this program without county or state support, it can at least bring the mayor along. The council keeps advancing programs as though the mayor has no say. They may wish that were true, but wishing does not make it so. During the committee meeting, Council Member Chavez said he did not know whether the mayor would veto the ordinance. Why not? If the mayor has concerns, address them. If the goal is a workable, low-barrier option where people can keep warm in their cars overnight, and the authors want it to succeed, they need to keep the mayor informed. He was elected by voters across the entire city.* Win over doubters with a pilot. Secure a site and a provider. Cap the number of vehicles and show it can be done safely. Show skeptics that letting people keep their pets and offering the dignity of a toilet will not attract “predators,” as one person feared in testimony, and that it will not generate nightly calls to the police. A successful pilot can ease neighbors’ legitimate concerns, or at least allow for adjustments before the program expands.As the council’s own slide deck notes, Minneapolis has been under a homelessness public health emergency since December 2023. Meaningful progress will require cooperation across agencies and across city and county lines. The causes of homelessness, and the solutions, are too large for any one city to handle alone. They call for a wide network of service and housing providers, medical and emergency workers, and coordinated planning.Leadership is not always about being first or loudest. Sometimes it means working behind the scenes to build consensus. That can take longer, but when the goal is a lasting result, it is often the best way to get the job done. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

Efforts to increase early voting appear to be working. On Sunday, October 11, we spent the day at the MPLSvotes.org booth at Open Streets on Hennepin, handing out flyers and encouraging people to vote. Quite a few people told us they already had. They have plenty of company. On October 16, the Secretary of State reported:In the first four weeks of voting, local election officials in Minnesota have distributed 519,813 absentee and mail ballots. As of close of business on October 15, a total of 80,870 voters cast their ballots in person, and 121,382 voters returned their ballots by mail – for a total of 202,252 ballots cast during absentee voting so far.In 2022, 172,520 Minnesotans cast their ballots in-person or by mail during the first four weeks of voting.That is 29,732 more votes than at this point in 2022, a 17.23% increase. Some people vote early out of habit. Others are concerned about possible federal interference and see early voting as the best way to avoid it. Either way, we encourage it.The early voting office at 908 Hennepin has extended its hours:* Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.* Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.There are also twelve one-day pop-up voting events, and two more early voting centers will open on Tuesday, October 20:Urban League Twin Cities2100 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411Bethel Lutheran Church4120 17th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407Two Candidates, One Important OfficeWhile we were at the booth, both candidates for Hennepin County Attorney stopped by to say hello, so this seems like a good time to share our interviews with them again. With so much money and attention focused on the races for Governor and U.S. Senate, it is easy to overlook the Hennepin County Attorney race. But it matters. The next county attorney will shape the lives of people who are arrested and will also play a central role as the whole community looks for ways to improve safety in Minneapolis and Hennepin County.Here is a summary of my interview with Anders Folk from December 2025:Anders Folk, a lifelong Minnesotan and former federal prosecutor, is running for Hennepin County Attorney with a focus on restoring public safety and rebuilding the office’s reputation. Drawing on his experience in the Marine Corps, at the Department of Justice, and earlier in the Hennepin County Attorney’s juvenile division, Folk argues that the office has suffered from weakened relationships with law enforcement and poor communication with the public. He stresses the importance of professionalism, transparency, and collaboration across the county’s public safety system.Here is a summary of my interview with Cedrick Frazier from January 2026:Cedrick Frazier, a state representative and former public defender, describes the personal and political experiences behind his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Raised on Chicago’s South Side and shaped by firsthand exposure to violence, poverty, and inequity, Frazier has built a career in public service that spans criminal defense, education law, and six years in the Minnesota Legislature. He frames his candidacy as a response to the current moment, arguing that constitutional rights, due process, and public trust face renewed threats amid federal overreach and high-profile uses of force. (There was a spelling error in the original post, his spells his name Cedrick.)Share your thoughts on the race and let us know if you’re planning to vote early or have already. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

On Tuesday night, as we walked away from the Uptown Futures Forum 2.0 at the Granada Theater, my companion shared his disappointment with the Doran apartment building going up at the corner of Hennepin and 31st. To him, it was a missed opportunity. He had hoped the developers would choose one of the earlier designs that created a courtyard on the block, and he suspected financial pressure had rushed the decision. It’s a major project, yet it came up only once in the presentation. Apparently, no one involved saw it as a success or a sign that the neighborhood is on the right track.The meeting highlighted few positives. Moona Moono, across from the construction site, got a mention, and it was full of people as we walked to the event. Other new additions to the neighborhood include Harold’s Fried Chicken, Arizona Taco and Tiki Tom’s Thai.Despite these hopeful signs, the panelists offered the same ideas for revitalization that the Urban Land Institute (ULI) presented at last year’s Futures Forum 1.0. When I reread Craig Wilson’s summary of that event in the Hill & Lake Press, I found it just as relevant now as it was then. The ULI has some interesting ideas for “animating” the area, but the business community’s two main requests haven’t changed: safety and parking. Several women on the panel said they didn’t feel safe walking in the area or using its parking garages. Panelists also pointed out that no business will lease a large space without enough customer parking. Extending the trolley from Lake Harriet into Uptown is a fun idea, but at $10 million, it would take significant investment from the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County or the City of Minneapolis.To move its agenda forward, the ULI is advocating for a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID). An NID would add a tax on area businesses, and possibly on large apartment buildings, to promote Uptown, beautify its streets and pay for additional security. The idea has merit. We attended hoping to hear about progress, next steps and goals. Instead, the meeting covered the same ground as last year with few updates. We predict a few more cannabis shops will open before anyone adopts an official plan and moves the NID forward.Government InactionWe were pleased to see Ward 10 Council Member Aisha Chughtai at the event. However, her message seemed at odds with most of the other participants. Ward 7 Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer, along with several others, praised the Minneapolis Police Department for helping reduce open drug use in the area. Until Chughtai spoke, the audience seemed to share the view that MPD has an important role in reducing crime and creating an environment that encourages foot traffic. Chughtai offered a different outlook:“In 2027... the city of Minneapolis plans to spend a total of $12 million on addressing homelessness. ... We plan to spend more money on police overtime than we do on all of homelessness response.”As chair of the Budget Committee, Chughtai likely has the numbers right. But her approach suggested more interest in continuing her battle with Mayor Frey than in finding ways to reinvigorate Uptown. What statements like this one lack is context. She could have pressed her fellow panelists, State Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Jamie Long, for more state funding for county programs. It would also be worth hearing how much responsibility for our current challenges lies with Hennepin County. Much of the funding for housing and recovery programs is meant to come from the county, which has a larger budget than the city. Yet rather than calling on county board members, Chughtai focused on placing as much blame as possible on the mayor.The lack of progress in Uptown reflects a larger dysfunction at City Hall. A slim council majority appears intent on undermining the strong mayor system that voters approved in 2021. That year, opposition to the new system was strongest in Wards 1 and 10, and those same wards elected Elliott Payne and Aisha Chughtai. Both continue to resist the change, and they are using their power over the budget to do it.Before Tuesday’s event, Payne and Council Minority Leader Robin Wonsley announced that they “are advancing a proposal that would restructure and consolidate city government by eliminating the Office of the Community Safety (OCS) and Performance Management and Innovation department and consolidate the work of the Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging department into the Neighborhood Community Relations Department. All proposed changes impact departments that were created in the 2022 government structure implementation ordinance and have struggled to demonstrate efficacy.”Their stated goal may be to cut unnecessary costs. But if that were the main motive, they could have brought their ideas to Mayor Frey before mid-October and worked toward an agreement. Instead, residents will watch this power struggle play out through the end of the year, when the council must approve a final budget. The same pattern has unfolded each of the past two years. This year, though, there’s an added twist: if the mayor vetoes the budget again, the council may not have the votes to override. That could lead to the unprecedented situation of the city ending the year without an approved budget.Given the lack of cooperation and progress, it’s hard to see how a council of 7 or 9 members would perform any worse than our current 13. Reducing the council’s size is worth exploring as a new initiative for the Charter Commission. Another way to save money would be a part-time council with seven district members and two at-large members. Opponents of this kind of change usually argue that residents would lose representation, but more doesn’t always mean better. Seattle, which has roughly 354,000 more residents than Minneapolis, operates with a nine-member council: seven elected by district and two at-large.Looking beyond City Hall, if Democrats win back the U.S. House, and possibly the Senate, in a few weeks, we expect Washington to become consumed by hearings, legislative battles and vetoes. The president has already shown his willingness to target Minnesota, and those attacks may increase next year as he issues executive orders to work around a hostile Congress. Minnesota and Minneapolis could face even greater disruption to federal funding. In that environment, a city government that operates efficiently and cooperatively will matter more than ever. Unfortunately, nothing coming out of City Hall suggests we are ready. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

In her newsletter post “Dear Minneapolis Public Schools: It’s Not Me, It’s You,” Molly Mogren Katt compares the relationship between parents and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) to dating someone who is “bad with money– always complaining about being broke while making tons of careless financial choices. Their past is full of burned bridges. And they start telling you about the handful of times they’ve blown up their life, chasing some half-baked, hairbrained scheme.”Katt’s take is humorous, but many parents find the situation anything but funny. On September 15, MPS presented three possible paths for School Transformation, and many parents felt all three were out of step with what families need. Each option closes schools. Parents say the proposals arrived with little warning after a development process they found opaque. Some were concerned enough to come together and write their own counterproposal.According to Katt, parents are “excavating this plan as we go.” The plan runs 118 pages, and she says it does not put the effects of school closures front and center: how much money closures would save, or how many families would be affected. The deeper problem is trust. Katt says district leaders have worn down the community’s confidence through a series of poor decisions, including the 2020 Comprehensive District Design, which she likens to “district-wide Boggle.” That plan aimed to increase diversity and equity across the district, but despite the upheaval it caused many families, there are few signs it reached those goals.The new Transformation proposals also set lofty goals:“MPS School Transformation is a districtwide effort to reimagine a district where every student thrives – academically, socially and emotionally – through a holistic, culturally sustaining education that engages and prepares contributing citizens.”Before anything else, a culturally sustaining education needs to produce students with reading and math skills at state standards. Today, fewer than half of MPS students do. It may be that we are asking too much of our schools and offering too many options. Families can choose among community schools, magnet schools, charter schools, culturally focused schools, open enrollment in another district, and homeschooling. As Katt puts it, “It’s like when you go to a restaurant and there’s . . . like 80 pages of the menu and you’re like, first of all, how can you make all this food?”Parents want MPS to succeed. Many volunteer, help with school fundraisers, and serve on committees. They are invested in getting this next stage right, yet the latest proposals have left many of them anxious. Katt is calling for a pause so parents can better understand what the proposals are meant to achieve. She also believes the school board members elected this November are the right people to cast the final votes, since they will be responsible for carrying out the decision and living with its results.MPS now enrolls about 29,000 students in a system built to serve 43,000. There are different theories about where those students have gone, though many have likely left for private schools and the suburbs. This moment feels like a turning point for whether the district can hold on to its students and grow again.State races are spending millions to get our attention, but local races often have a bigger impact on our daily lives. That is one of the reasons we created Better Minneapolis. To see what is on your ballot, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s sample ballot tool, or find candidate information from the League of Women Voters at Vote411.org.Here in South Minneapolis, there are two school board races on the ballot:* School Board Member, At Large (vote for two): Michael Baskins, Collin Beachy, Christin Crabtree, and Stephanie Johnson* School Board Member, District 5: Molly Chase and Becca DrydenStop by the MPLS Votes booth at Open Streets Hennepin on Sunday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’ll be handing out voting information and talking with people about local politics. There is plenty to talk about! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe