After six painful years, the city has stamped an approval on redeveloping the former 3rd Police Precinct building that was ground zero for the 2020 uprising. Big chunks of East Lake Street remain vacant or simply absent. We sat down with co-owner of Moon Palace bookstore, Jamie Schwesnedl, to talk about how city action and inaction have impacted the immediate neighborhood on Minnehaha Ave. The second half of the episode is an interview with Sam Gould of the Confluence community design studio, also located in north Longfellow. Gould reflects on his documentation and community-building projects around the history of policing at the 3rd precinct, and exactly how far short this redevelopment falls. Recorded 8/5/26 and 8/10/26.

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We did a rare episode of Mill City Paul, as Robin takes us through four layers of the scandal currently enveloping Mayor Kaohly Her. Her is accused of sexual harrassment and inappropriate workplace behavior. We discussed what this controversy reveals about backstage dynamics in government, as well as dynamics between elected officials and police. Recorded 8/5/26.

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Did you know that city and police representatives are negotiating another three year contract right now? Police are asking for significant pay premiums on top of the historic raise they won in the prior contract. Meanwhile Councilmember Robin Wonsley put out a list of proposals she wants to see in the contract. We talk through those, status of negotiations, and the challenge of trying to use the police contract as an instrument of positive change. Recorded 7/22/26.

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Angry resident testimony, surveillance, new technology and the ethics of hungry corporate vendors: the debate over a proposed first responder drone pilot program had a lot going on. This could still be a live issue going forward: Mayor Frey used it as a talking point just days after the vote failed. We explore this topic, including past examples of technology adoption and policy shifts by the Police Department. Recorded 7/22/26.

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South Minneapolis legislator for district 63A, Samantha Sencer-Mura, joins us for an interview to talk about the intersection between local and state politics. We talked about the special role of safe seat legislators, what it takes for the city legislative agenda to be effective, and how to move policy work in the divided legislature. This included insights into issues like funding for municipal recovery, the police/emergency training center proposal, public education, and Waymo trying to get autonomous vehicles legalized. Recorded 7/8/26.

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The Park Board voted 8-1 to begin the work of decommissioning the well-used Minnehaha off-leash dog park. We tackle how this emerges from the efforts of that board to meaningfully incorporate Native folks as important community stakeholders, and also the loud backlash that the Board now must manage. Cam also reports on efforts by Minneapolis Schools to build a permanent home for the Anishnabe Academy magnet school at the former Cooper School site. Recorded 6/24/26.

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The City un-banned bathhouses as part of a Pride month policy agenda. We talk about this ordinance in context of query history, and discuss some of the past city dynamics around regulating business and sex. This is a round-up episode, so we also talked about the latest semi-annual report on Minneapolis Police Department reform progress. In short: not looking good! Recorded 6/24/26.

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As anger at the Big Tech data center boom seems to be boiling across layers of society, data center politics landed in Minneapolis last month. The City Council passed a temporary moratorium - with generous exceptions - on new data centers in the city. We look at some of the data center projects that exist today, and those that appear to be in-progress. How do we think about hyperscale? We also examine the downtown vacancy dilemma, and the challenges and tradeoffs between data center conversions and housing conversions. When and how do data centers make sense in Minneapolis? Recorded 6/10/26.

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Just weeks after Mayor Frey challenged the City Council to support the re-nomination of his Police Chief, that same Chief has resigned under threat of discharge by that same Mayor. It is hard to remember a more dramatic climbdown in recent city politics. But for this Mayor, it is one of a series of high profile public safety hires to end in disappointment. We talk through what was said, speculate on what actually happened, review the last four years of MPD leadership, and talk about what could and should happen next. Stick around past hour two if you want some Rocco Forte talk. Recorded 5/27/26.

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Mayor Frey instructed us to basically get serious in his annual State of the City address. Or to seriously get back to the basics? Whatever the case, it was a somewhat jarring call for goverment to do less after Minneapolis communities went above and beyond to push out ICE. Cam and Jesse talk through the speech, and ask what a parallel address by a more visionary mayor might have sounded like, in this historic moment. We also recap the victory at the Charter Commission. Recorded 5/20/26.

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