Some City Council allies of Mayor Jacob Frey recently floated an idea to resolve a standoff over who should serve as Minneapolis' top public safety official: Hire no one for the role, at least for now.

Why it matters: It's a sign of how deeply frustrated some city leaders have grown with the Office of Community Safety (OCS) — the agency meant to unify the city after a divisive 2021 police ballot measure.

The big picture: The city created OCS in 2022 to lead MPD reforms and elevate alternatives to traditional policing.

• But OCS has since drawn criticism from across the council's ideological spectrum — and could soon be looking for its third leader in four years.

State of play: Since April, Frey has been using veto power to keep current community safety commissioner Todd Barnette's hopes for reconfirmation alive.

• But Barnette — who oversees the city's public safety agencies and neighborhood safety departments — needs council support to keep his current title past Aug. 2.
• Last Thursday, council members voted again, 7-6, to oust him.

Driving the news: After the vote, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw proposed ending the doom loop by pausing the search for a new commissioner to conduct an evaluation of OCS.

• Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer agreed, as did Michael Rainville, who wondered aloud "if there should be a commissioner."

The intrigue: These Frey allies were mirroring the recent remarks of a Frey critic: Council Member Robin Wonsley, who in April called OCS a failed experiment.

• Last week, Wonsley suggested opening a national search for a new commissioner — but she told Axios that her colleagues' comments might "open the door of other pathways."

Friction points: Critics say OCS has failed to keep MPD's budget in check, overseen several high-profile police controversies and mismanaged "violence interrupter" contracts.

Defenders have said OCS or Barnette can't be blamed for cost overruns stemming from crises, including the ICE surge and Annunciation shooting.

What they're saying: Barnette told Axios the city couldn't have responded to these crises "nearly as effectively without the Office of Community Safety," crediting OCS for improvements in interagency communication and decreases in violent crime numbers.

• "Eliminating that progress feels disconnected from what residents are actually asking for from their city government," Frey told Axios in a statement.

City Council swing vote Jamison Whiting believes the solution lies in giving OCS more authority, saying the commissioner role lacks the "teeth" to hold agency chiefs accountable.

• "Let's actually go in and fix it, rather than just putting our hands up and saying, 'Well, let's not do it anymore,'" he told Axios.

What we're watching: Barnette's rejection was seen as a bad omen for police chief Brian O'Hara, who faces his own council confirmation hearings in a few weeks.

Click for more on what happens after Aug. 2

🕯️ Three days of events remembering George Floyd culminated yesterday on the sixth anniversary of his murder with an all-day block party in South Minneapolis. (Star Tribune)

🇺🇸 A memorial to Master Sgt. Nicole Amor, the Minnesota soldier killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait in March, was unveiled yesterday in her hometown of White Bear Lake. (MPR News)

🏗️ Minnesota companies reported spending $2.5 billion on expansions to their facilities or staffs in 2025, a decrease from previous years. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

🦁 Maji, the Como Zoo's lioness, will move to another zoo "for her well-being" following the death of Mumford the lion. (Star Tribune)

• News of the move comes just after the Legislature delivered $9.3 million to renovate the zoo's big cat habitat.

🎆 The St. Paul Rotary Club is raising money to bring July 4 fireworks back to the city after eight years, but is currently $83,000 short. (Pioneer Press)

"I personally found myself oscillating between 'Wow, this could be extremely useful,' and 'Oh my God, this is Big Brother coming to ruin our lives.'"

A handful of metro area communities are either using or testing the use of drones to respond to emergency calls.

What's the buzz: Brooklyn Park and Minnetonka already have first responder drones, MinnPost reported.

• Edina and Bloomington also recently launched pilot programs, and Minneapolis officials are considering one.

Go deeper via MinnPost

Minnesota's first women's sports bar brought home a trophy of its own last week.

Driving the news: A Bar of Their Own, which opened in Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood in 2024, was named "Best Local Sports Bar" in the latest USA Today Sports Readers' Choice Awards.

What they're saying: USA Today gave the "groundbreaking" spot kudos for "offering a full food and drink menu in a bright, inclusive space."

• "The bar proudly shows 'ALL women's sports, ALL the time,' creating a community driven atmosphere that feels different from traditional sports bars," the publication wrote.

The bottom line: "Fans love the mission, the welcoming staff, and the sense of belonging."

If you go: A Bar of Their Own, located at 2207 Franklin Ave. E., is open Wednesday through Sunday.

• Hours vary by day.

Hot tub boats set sail on the Mississippi River this week.

Catch up fast: The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board recently approved a local company's pitch to offer rentals of the electric vessels at Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.

How it works: Groups of up to six can take "Spacruzzi" boats for 90 minutes at a time, with rentals available Thursday through Sunday. Prices start around $300.

What we're hearing: Minnesota Hot Tub Boats owner Matthew Witt tells Axios that the boats are in the water and that reservations are open for the summer season, which starts Thursday.

• The first two days are already fully booked, but spots remain for next weekend.

Take the plunge