Judge rules City of Minneapolis 'lacks authority' to manage Commons park
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Hennepin County District Court judge ruled the City of Minneapolis "lacks authority" to manage the Commons Park, which is located next to U.S. Bank Stadium.
John Hayden, a former City Council candidate and Paul Ostrow, a former city council member, filed a lawsuit challenging the City's authority to spend money on the Commons due to the Minneapolis Charter.
According to the judge's order, the city violated its charter when the MPRB leased the Commons to the City to operate and manage. A section of the City Charter prohibits the City from operating a park, instead designating that responsibility to the MPRB.
Hayden and Ostrow have 10 days to submit a proposal for a path forward; the City and MRPB will then have 10 days to respond.
City officials are disagreeing with the judge's decision.
"With due respect for the bench, we believe that the court got it wrong in this case," said City Attorney Susan Segal in a statement. "The City and the Park Board have been working cooperatively for over a hundred years to serve the best interests of the people who live and recreate in Minneapolis, with the 20 year joint funding plan for neighborhood parks bring just one recent example. We will be proceeding jointly with the Park Board in responding to the latest order."