Mankato public commenter urges trauma‑informed training after delayed city responses

Doctor Bridget Kennedy, a specialist who works with survivors of abuse and with people who have committed crimes, used her three‑minute public comment time at the Mankato City Council’s Sept. 22 meeting to describe delays she said she experienced when contacting city officials and to ask the council to adopt trauma‑informed training for staff and leadership.

“My name is doctor Bridget Kennedy, and I’m here regarding some issues that I have seen in how I have been communicated with personally with public officials with the city of Mankato,” Kennedy said. She told the council she emailed a public official on 05/30/2025 and “did not hear back from this official until 08/10/2025,” and asked whether months could be considered “trauma sensitive.”

Kennedy said the city’s written policy appears strong “on paper,” but that “the heart of the policy is not being followed in practice.” She asked the council to add a formal agenda item asking the city to provide trauma‑informed response training, prioritizing leadership who regularly interact with the public, and offered her assistance in developing or delivering training.

Council members thanked Kennedy for her comments; no formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the public comment and the council did not vote on a training initiative that night. The clerk indicated public comment rules and the mayor confirmed the three‑minute limit.

Next steps: Kennedy asked the council to place the request on a future agenda; the council did not set a specific date during the Sept. 22 meeting.