Council updates city paid parental leave to include foster placement, drops payback provision

The Minneapolis City Council on Nov. 6 approved changes to the city's paid parental leave policy that add foster placement as a qualifying event and remove a prior payback provision for employees who take paid parental leave and later do not return to city employment.

Council member Palmisano spoke in favor of the amendment, saying it updates city policy to comply with state law and to expand qualifying events beyond birth or adoption to cover foster placement. Palmisano also indicated a separate administrative step is expected soon to align payroll practice with negotiated labor contracts.

Council member Cashman praised a change that drops the payback provision, calling it a step in the right direction for young parents who took parental leave. Council members moved the Administration & Enterprise Oversight committee report, and the clerk called the roll on the grouped items (excluding two gift-acceptance items), which carried with recorded ayes noted in the minutes.

The council did not yet resolve payroll-tax or the implementation details at the Nov. 6 meeting; staff told members another item will come forward as the city aligns payroll systems with negotiated contracts.

The policy change acknowledges foster placement explicitly in the paid parental leave policy and removes a repayment requirement in some circumstances; implementation will require administrative steps to update procedures and payroll.