Minnesota Council on Disability

The committee discussed changing the scheduling of future meetings and adding May 16 and June 13 to the council calendar. They also considered asking the External Relationships committee for a speaker in September and connecting with Leslie Kerkhoff, DHS, for an update on the Waiver Reimagining project.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda and previous meeting minutes from September 10, 2025, and a Special Full Council meeting from October 28, 2025. Discussions focused on Committee Business, including confirming all council members were appointed to committees, noting the upcoming transition of the Vice Chair role, and electing a Chair for the Governance Systems Committee. A decision was made to hold six Full Council meetings in 2026, every other month. The body accepted and approved the Executive Director Limitations Report. The MCD Public Policy team presented an update on the 2026 Legislative Agenda, which was tabled until the next meeting due to a loss of quorum. Subsequent staff reports and updates were conducted as a discussion only due to the lack of quorum.

The Minnesota Council on Disability's 2026 Legislative Agenda aims to build a barrier-free Minnesota, enabling people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in their communities. Focusing on equity, accessibility, and inclusion, the agenda highlights policies to remove everyday barriers, protect essential services, and ensure public systems are responsive to individuals with disabilities. Key priorities include people-centered fraud prevention and enforcement reform, stabilizing home and community supports, improving access to affordable, high-quality health care, modernizing outdated systems, expanding accessible and affordable housing, improving infrastructure access statewide, and transitioning away from subminimum wage.

The committee meeting included the approval of the agenda. Key discussions centered on the update regarding the Executive Director Annual Review process, which involved reviewing the Executive Director Limitation Report and subsequently approving that document. The committee also planned items for the next Full Council meeting agenda and discussed the scheduling for future Council Planning Committee meetings, agreeing to meet in the months between the Full Council sessions. Action items included sharing the Executive Director Limitations Report at the next full council meeting and preparing the agenda for the December 10, 2025, Full Council meeting.

The Council Planning Committee discussed several items, including the approval of the meeting agenda and the process for the Executive Director Annual Review. The committee decided to move the Executive Director Annual Review update to the Full Council Special meeting for a summary and decision-making. Discussions involved the review timeline and the unique situation of onboarding numerous new council members. The committee passed a motion authorizing members Addyson Moore and Andy Christensen to complete and approve the Executive Director Annual Review when presented by Human Resources. The group also planned agendas for two upcoming Full Council meetings: a Special Full Council meeting on October 27, 2025, and a regular meeting on December 10, 2025. Finally, the committee discussed future scheduling, agreeing to meet between Full Council sessions, with the next meeting tentatively scheduled for late December or early January.