For those keeping score at home: sex and drugs. All that’s missing is rock and roll.
By Elizabeth Shaffer
This week was Festivus on City Council, with numerous council members taking the opportunity to air their various grievances with the mayor’s three appointees: Kristyn Anderson as City Attorney, Margaret Anderson Kelliher (a Ward 7 resident!) as Chief Operations Officer, and Todd Barnette as Commissioner of the Office of Community Safety. Anderson and Kelliher’s reappointments were successful (11-2 and 7-6 respectively), but Barnette’s failed on a 6-7 vote. The mayor is vetoing the council’s action on Barnette and we’re waiting for clarity on next steps. For the time being, I am glad Commissioner Barnette will be able to stay in this role.
I was proud to support all three nominees. These are highly qualified, deeply respected, and impeccably credentialed professionals who have chosen to serve our city. The mayor has put forward a strong team, the voters spoke, and Minneapolis is fortunate that people of this caliber are willing to step into these roles.
After participating in this process though, I’ll be honest: I came away concerned. The way we treated these accomplished public servants sends a message –if you are talented and have options, there may be better places for your energy than serving the City of Minneapolis. That is, unless you wish to subject your job security to factional politics, behind the scenes vote trading, and cutting criticism from folks who really don’t have an understanding of your profession. This is not a message we can afford to send if we want to attract the best of the best in the future.
We also sent a message about our legislative priorities this week. The council debated — and ultimately delayed action on — the complete legalization of possession and public use of all drug paraphernalia. We also directed staff to research the legalization and regulation of adult sex venues. For those keeping score at home: sex and drugs. All that’s missing is rock and roll.
Joking aside, the issue isn’t really whether these are good or bad ideas on the merits. It’s about what we, as a body, are choosing to prioritize right now. I don’t believe these are top issues for the vast majority of our residents — many of whom are still processing the trauma of Operation Metro Surge and looking to their city government for stability and responsiveness.
All that being said, this week held some bright spots of learning and community. I got a chance to visit Pathway 2 Recovery and see the amazing work they’re doing to support recovery in the Native and East African communities. I met with the City Assessor to learn about trends in Ward 7 property values, discussed new revenue streams with the Board of Estimate and Taxation, got an update on the efforts to bring back the beloved Berger Foundation (aka the Dandelion Fountain) in Loring Park, and spent time with Bryn Mawr neighbors at the BMNA Annual Spring Fest.
As always, thank you for staying engaged and we appreciate hearing your thoughts on all of the important issues facing our city.
Via Ward 7 Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer Newsletter
Thankfully the Strib is weighing in now, consistently.
“Minneapolis didn’t decline overnight”
https://replica.startribune.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=fc38d567-1610-4b16-b44b-2814f64950f6&share=true
A leadership meltdown unworthy of this great city
https://replica.startribune.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=19fec4c7-fcab-4fcf-9db9-b498c1b38ba9&share=true
Did having to address issues you don’t think are important prevent you from advancing issues you believe are important for the council to consider?
The genuine criticisms about Barnette have been out there for some time and it was obvious that he was facing resistance from the council. Is it leadership to try to force through a nominee who hasn’t done well when you don’t have the votes, or to try to find a candidate that will receive broad consensus and support?
Who knows anymore, but I guess we’re just going to play the “the other side is really mean and bad, and the source of all our problems” and act like that’s how we solve issues in our city.
I appreciate Elizabeth’s input to this periodical. I hope she continues to contribute!
It would have been a lot more helpful if the council member had explained why Barnette’s appointment was controversial. I try to follow these matters but I don’t know. It certainly seems that the lopsided shift in the votes when Barnette came up was not the result of mindless adherence to DSA or “moderate” party lines.
I also agree that one should respect expertise but that doesn’t mean that elected representative should not question experts closely when determining policy.
Woods Halley
Does Shaffer have any opinions separate and distinct from the mayor or is she just his mouthpiece?
Not looking forward to the airing of grievances that will inevitably come about when they get a chance to weigh in on Chief O’Hara
This type of conduct by the Wonsley/DSA aligned voting block has been going on for quite some time.
This Strib piece from Nov 2023, below.
* Chowdhury and Stevensen had not yet joined that pack, but since their arrival, things have not gotten any better for our city staff and employees or prospective staff.
https://www.startribune.com/frey-names-margaret-anderson-kelliher-for-city-operations-officer-a-major-cabinet-heather-johnson/600319701?utm_source=gift
Excerpt.. In her letter to Frey on Tuesday, Johnston seemed to recall the ordeal — and swiped at unnamed members of the council. “I simply could not legitimize moving through the Council’s public hearing process that puts politics before professional experience and allows abusive, untrue comments to be made about people who have dedicated their careers to service, systems change, and improving people’s lives,” she wrote.
She also voiced a sentiment previously expressed only quietly by some city employees about the tenor of some on the council, contending “staff who have spent years working for the City do not want to present their work to Council because they believe they will be embarrassed, belittled or have their expertise questioned. This is simply not okay in any workplace, let alone one that values inclusivity.”
But, of course, if certain CMs follow the leader, as they watch this “representative” do THIS kind of thing at their work site, pretty much anything goes after that.
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-council-member-robin-wonsley-should-recant-claims-against-mayor-jacob-frey/600302863?utm_source=gift