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Politics and Government News
Jon Collins
Minneapolis

Minneapolis extends COVID-19 emergency powers as state order ends

A woman stands just outside a door to answer questions to media.
Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender speaks to press in February 2020. Council members say they're extending the city's public health emergency to phase out regulations more thoughtfully.
Brandt Williams | MPR News

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The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to extend the city’s COVID-19 public health emergency powers that were set to end along with the state’s emergency pandemic order, which expired with the passage of a new two-year state budget.

Council members said the extension was needed to ensure that some emergency regulations put into place by Mayor Jacob Frey — including changes to business and liquor licensing, relaxed zoning for bars and restaurants and rules for food delivery services — could be phased out more thoughtfully.

“I think it’s very important that we manage this transition in a way that gives people some predictability about how emergency regulations that impact them are going to change,” said Steve Fletcher, a council member who represents Ward 3.

The city wants to ensure that work groups and commissions can continue to stream their meetings online, said Lisa Bender, the City Council president.

“We’ve had more access and transparency for some of these,” she said. “If we’d have ended remote meetings in just a week, a lot of those meetings would become less accessible to the public.”

The extended powers are set to run through the end of September.

Council members also amended Frey’s plan to spend federal pandemic emergency dollars, bringing the first phase of spending one step closer to passage.

In two phases over the next year, the city is receiving a total of $271 million from the federal American Rescue Plan. Frey’s proposals for the first phase of spending include provisions to address homelessness and create affordable housing, support businesses and workers harmed by the pandemic and invest in public safety.

The council amendments dedicate more funding to youth outreach workers, violence intervention programs for groups that fight sex trafficking.

The council will vote on a full package Friday morning.