The Minneapolis City Council will hold a public hearing over a proposed ordinance that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia on Tuesday morning.

Councilmember Jason Chavez authored the ordinance, writing on social media that “it will ensure our local laws are in compliance with state law while also centering the humanity of our shared community.

Chavez and other supporters on the council describe it as a “step toward treating drug use as a health issue, not a criminal one.”

Andrea Corbin, owner of the Flower Bar on Lyndale Avenue, is concerned that an ordinance like this could have negative impacts on her business and residents across the city. 

“I’m very concerned about it,” Corbin said. “If we want to help the underserved and people that are really struggling mentally, then we need to connect them with services, not give them a playground to do whatever they want to do; that’s not a good solution.”

Corbin is also the president of the Uptown Association, a group representing businesses across the neighborhood. She described Uptown as a neighborhood at a crossroads and wants to see safety and foot traffic increase. Corbin said the Uptown Association has partnered with police, Metro Transit and other grassroots organizers to focus on reviving the area. She worries an ordinance like this could derail their effort.

Supporters like Chavez say the ordinance would align the city with state law. Minnesota legalized drug paraphernalia in 2023. At the time, advocates told WCCO the approach focuses on harm reduction and helping both communities and users stay safer while working toward recovery.

The hearing will start at 9:30 am on Tuesday at Minneapolis City Hall.

Since 1913, St. Clement Catholic Church has stood the test of time in Minneapolis’ Northeast Arts District. It’s served as a social hub for countless community members and lifelong residents like Ann Marie Cosgrove.

“This is where my grandparents went to church, my parents were married here, my siblings and I were baptized here,” said Cosgrove.

But the church’s future is uncertain. This may very likely be the last Easter celebration, church leaders said, at the more than 110-year-old church.

“I’m trying to not have an emotional reaction to this, but it is emotional, but I’m also praying that a miracle happens,” said Cosgrove.

Aaron Stockton, a trustee for the church, said a piece of equipment as old as the church itself is to blame. Despite patches and fixes over the years, he said the church’s boiler is on its last legs.

“That would be such a devastating loss,” Stockton said. “That boiler is an existential risk. It could have failed at any moment for years and years. This year, it looks more tenuous than it has ever before.”

He said a fix would cost roughly $150,000. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is set to help with fundraising, Stockton said, but their campaign doesn’t kick off until next January — so the money would come too late.

Church leaders and its members are now hoping for a miracle.

“I’m really praying that God heals the boiler,” said Cosgrove.