C-Notes: May 29, 2025
Remembering Chief Mike Goldstein
It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of retired Plymouth Police Chief and
Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation board member Mike Goldstein. He passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 20, while on vacation in Italy. This sudden news has been difficult for many of us to process.
Chief Goldstein committed his career to the City of Plymouth, serving as Police Chief from 2005 to 2021. He was also actively involved with the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) for many years, including serving as President in 2017. Mike was particularly passionate about Officer Wellness and was a true pioneer in this area. He developed one of the first Officer Wellness programs in the state at the Plymouth Police Department, leading the way in providing what were then called "Check-ups from the Neck Up." These have since become common practice in police departments across the state and the country.
Chief Goldstein was a lifelong public servant and a trusted mentor known for his generosity, leadership, and dedication to helping others succeed.
We understand you will want to know about funeral arrangements. However, due to Mike's passing in Italy, there are logistical matters that need to be resolved before details of a service can be shared. We will inform you as soon as this information becomes available.
Thank you,
Jeff Potts
Executive Director
MCPA Fall Conference Survey
MCPA is exploring the possibility of hosting a fall conference and wants to hear from you. If you haven’t yet shared your input, please take a few minutes to complete the short survey linked below. Your feedback is important and will help guide future planning.
Special Session Update
On Tuesday, May 20, The House and Senate adjourned for the year. The 2026 legislative session will begin on February 17. Before adjournment, the House and Senate passed the State Government Finance bill, which checks another one off the budget bill list. The following budget areas have been passed by the legislature and are expected to be signed by the Governor:
- Public Safety
- State Government Finance
- Cannabis Omnibus Bill
- Pensions
- Agriculture
- Housing
- Legacy Funding
- Veterans
- Human Services Omnibus Policy bill
The following are the budget areas that remain unresolved:
- Commerce
- Energy
- Health and Human Services
- Transportation
- Higher Education
- Workforce and Jobs
- Taxes
- E-12 Education
- Environment
The legislature must now finalize its work in a special session that the Governor will call once all the budget bills have been negotiated. The Governor calls a special session but the legislature decides when to adjourn. Because of this dynamic, the Governor will typically insist that he and the legislative leaders sign an agreement determining the scope of the special session. Before adjournment last night, legislative leadership sent out the attached agreement, which outlines how the legislature will proceed while outside of regular session. Since the conference committees that were established during session are no longer technically constituted, they will continue as “work groups,” with the same members. The work groups are encouraged to meet in person and in public, although there is no rule or law that requires either. The Tax conference committee, however, did meet in public today and discussed their priorities and it appears they will continue to do so. Most notably, the agreement establishes a deadline of Wednesday, May 21 by 5 pm for the work groups to have the finance and policy issues resolved. While no specific consequence is listed for tardy projects, the most likely scenario in the event that a budget area isn’t finished would be that the legislative leadership and the Governor take the bill over and make the final budget and finance decision for the chairs and work group members.
When a special session is called, it is treated as a session outside of the regular biennial sessions. Every bill must be re-introduced to be considered. There will be little risk that the legislature will take up issues that are not agreed to by leadership and it’s entirely possible that the special session could last only one day.
As we get more information, we will pass it along.
Upcoming Retirements
Stephanie Revering, Police Chief - 27 Years of Service with the Crystal Police Department
Retirement Celebration: June 27, 3-5 p.m. at Crystal City Hall
JD Carlson, Public Safety Director - Albert Lea Department of Public Safety - 28 Years of Service in Law Enforcement
Retirement Celebration: June 27, 1-3 p.m at the Albert Lea Fire Station
MCPA extends our congratulations and gratitude to both Chief Revering and Director Carlson. Thank you for your years of service and your contributions to public safety in Minnesota!
9 Things to Know About Peer Support
The Peer Support Advisory Board to the League of Minnesota Cities has written a short, informative article on peer support in first responder agencies. “9 Things You Need to Know About Peer Support” is designed to educate, dispel common myths, and help agencies overcome barriers to implementing peer support programs as part of their wellness efforts.