Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis rent control ballot measure advances under threat of veto
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution to begin the process for putting a 3% cap on rent hikes on the November ballot after a heated debate Thursday — but the measure lacked the votes needed to survive a promised mayoral veto.
Mayor Jacob Frey, who previously said he intends to veto any rent control proposal with a three percent cap, now has five days to veto the resolution, which passed by a vote of 7-5 in the Thursday morning council meeting.
Starting a process
Council members Aisha Chughtai and Jamal Osman put forward the resolution, which directed the city attorney’s office to draft the referendum question to include a 3% cap on annual rent increases, with no exceptions for new construction or adjustment allowed for inflation.
The ballot language would need to be approved by a council subcommittee and passed via an ordinance by the full council following a public hearing, a process that could take up to seven weeks.
As Chughtai explained, state law requires the ballot language to be approved by Aug. 25 for the ballots to be printed in time. She argued the council needed to act quickly to get the process started via the motion up for vote, but there would be several opportunities for members to make amendments or other adjustments to the policy.
“If you dislike components of this policy, that’s OK, let’s work together,” she told the council.
Those in favor
Council member Jason Chavez pointed out the results of the 2021 referendum on rent control in Minneapolis in which voters approved a measure with 53% support to amend the city charter, giving the city council the power to enact rent control. He said support was just over 70% in his ward, which is one of the most diverse in the city.
“Our communities of color and immigrants and families are being squeezed from all their money while the people in power continue to profit off our back,” he said.
Osman pleaded with those opposed to vote in favor and make changes further along in the process, saying, “Housing is a human right. The one thing we cannot do is stay quiet and not move forward… our residents expect us to do something and at least move something forward.”
Those opposed
Council member Andrew Johnson opposed the resolution, arguing it would have unintended consequences harmful to renters. He said it would lead to an increase in rents because landlords would be incentivized to increase the rent by 3% every year since the proposal prohibited landlords from “banking” unused rent increases.
“It will frankly, increase the rent for renters by incentivizing all landlords to maximize the rent increases, particularly because of the ‘no banking,’ to the full amount, 3%, which on $1,000 a month unit is an additional $360 a year. The huge amount of money that’s comparable to several weeks of value on groceries for an individual,” he said.
Tense exchange
In pointed remarks, Council member LaTrisha Vetaw suggested the council focus on other ways to help renters of color, including universal basic income.
“There is nowhere in this country where you have rent control or rent stabilization policies that benefit people who look like me… It’s just become this fear tactic to make people think that somehow this will help them,” she said.
This drew a rebuke from Council member Jeremiah Ellison.
“I’ve had a lot of discussions with a lot of council members and a lot of advocates around the country around policies like rent stabilization. I will say that through the hundred hours of discussion, today might be the first time I’ve heard someone claim that these policies do not help black and brown people, that’s absurd,” he said.
Their exchange grew tense. Council President Andrea Jenkins intervened by banging the gavel on two occasions and reminded the members of the rules of decorum.
Frey now has to decide whether to veto the motion or to let the process continue until the next council vote. His office did not respond to a request for comment by the time this story was published.
Minneapolis, MN
3 people shot in Dinkytown early Friday morning
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Authorities are investigating a Dinkytown shooting that left three people injured early Friday morning.
What we know
A SAFE-U Emergency Alert states that three people were shot at the intersection of 4th Street Southeast and 13th Avenue Southeast around 2:15 a.m.
This area is in the heart of Dinkytown, just over half a mile west of Mariucci Arena and Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The shooting happened off of the University of Minnesota campus.
What we don’t know
Police have not released information on whether any U of M students were involved.
No suspect information is currently available.
Minneapolis, MN
Xcel faces challenges with old utility poles
More than two thirds of the utility poles throughout Minnesota are at least a half-century old and records show their failure rate dramatically increases with age, a problem exacerbated by climate change, experts said.
Minneapolis, MN
City Council calls for audit of MPD response to neighbor dispute that led to shooting
A group of Minneapolis city leaders are calling for an independent review of a recent neighbor dispute that ended with one man hospitalized after being shot and another man in custody.
As reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS last week, Davis Moturi says he repeatedly called police about threats made by his neighbor, 54-year-old John Sawchak.
Many city council members are saying a separate review is necessary in this case. Prosecutors say Sawchak shot Moturi after a months-long dispute. Video shows Moturi pruning a tree near the property line and then a pop is heard before he falls to the ground.
However, it took days for officers to arrest Sawchak after prosecutors charged him with the shooting and after city council members called for police to take action.
Moturi also says for nearly a year, he had been reaching out for help from Minneapolis police regarding harassment and threats from Sawchak. On Sunday, Police Chief Brian O’Hara also apologized, saying the department “failed” Moturi.
During Thursday’s meeting, council members called for an independent review of the case in addition to the internal review.
“Seeing another Black man not be delivered the justice that they deserved and to see our police department or leadership initially blame said victim for the cause of their near-death experience — it was disheartening to hear that our actions to bring attention to eight months of inaction was labeled as political,” Ward 2 Council Member Robin Wonsley said.
Early Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey issued the following statement regarding an independent review into the shooting:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow.
“The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community.
Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
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