The Minneapolis City Council voted to adopt a legislative directive from the Public Health & Safety Committee that seeks legal analysis and options for how the council should respond when city actors or offices are not following the city charter.

Chair Chavez presented two PHS items: acceptance of a Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education reimbursement and a legislative directive concerning charter compliance and penalties for charter violations. Legislative staff asked to add the phrase "in consultation with the office of city attorney" to the directive so that legal interpretation is included in the work product.

The directive prompted debate. Council member Cashman said the directive stemmed from frustration that an October 29 presentation on investigation clearance rates had not occurred as scheduled and that violent-crime clearance numbers—aggravated assaults at about 43%, breaking and entering at 8%, car thefts with very low or zero clearance—warrant a follow-up. She told the council she offered staff options to reduce scope but had not received timely material.

Council member Paul Musano and others said the directive concerns council tools when the charter is not followed, not a single homicide or investigation. "This legislative directive is not in fact about Davis Maturi," one council member said; "it's about what we do when the administration or even ourselves are out of line with the city charter."

The clerk recorded the roll on PHS items: item 1 (reimbursement) passed unanimously (11 ayes); item 2 (the legislative directive) carried with recorded votes showing 8 ayes and 3 nays.

The motion as amended requires that the legislative department conduct the directive in consultation with the city attorney's office so that legal interpretation of charter compliance is included in the analysis to be returned to the council.