Title
Authorizing the City of Saint Paul and the City of Minneapolis to enter a joint powers agreement regarding transfer of discrimination and labor standards cases.
Body
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59, two or more governmental units, by agreement entered into through action of their governing bodies, are authorized to enter into agreements to exercise jointly or cooperatively governmental powers common to each and to permit one governmental entity to perform services or functions for another governmental unit; and
WHEREAS, the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis are governmental units as defined under Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59; and
WHEREAS, this Joint Powers Agreement will allow both cities to transfer human and civil rights and labor standards cases between the City of Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity department and the City of Minneapolis Civil Rights department; and
WHEREAS, both parties have a need to, at times, transfer cases to an outside entity for investigation because of a conflict of interest or other reasons; and
WHEREAS, both parties are tasked with enforcing their human or civil rights and labor standards ordinances by investigating complaints of discrimination and labor standards violations and making determinations on the merits of those complaints; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Human Rights Ordinance and Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance are largely parallel in their prohibitions against discrimination; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Labor Standards Ordinances and the Minneapolis Labor Standards are largely parallel in their prohibitions against labor standards violations; and
WHEREAS, the JPA will allow for better collaboration and service to the public across our municipal borders; and
WHEREAS, the JPA will not require any transfer of funding; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Saint Paul, upon recommendation of the Mayor, approves this Joint Powers Agreement Regarding the Transfer of Discrimination and Labor Standards Cases between the City of Minneapolis and the City of Saint Paul.