It has been heartening to see so many stakeholders across Minneapolis voice a collective goal to revitalize downtown. We all share a love for Minneapolis and a passion for working to see it flourish once again. The hospitality community, with our unique contributions to the cultural vibrancy and economic diversity of the city, remains especially committed.

Largely, we share the same goals as city and labor leaders. We agree on steps being taken to make housing more affordable for everyone – especially for workers who keep this city humming. Significant public investment, in partnership with the private sector, will no doubt contribute to solidifying Minneapolis as a world-class, thriving city. And we certainly agree with efforts to improve public safety, and ensure our city is a safe place to work, play, and live.

We also understand that investment in downtown doesn’t end with renewing office leases and converting building spaces to allow for mixed-use functionality – although those elements are important. Investing in the workforce, including by providing competitive benefits and creating paths to professional advancement, is crucial. It’s a priority for the hospitality community, and a commitment that our operators not only share but strive for. Fair labor practices and rejection of illegal activity like wage theft are pillars of Minneapolis hospitality, and we don’t take that lightly.

These are all areas for collaboration and opportunities for growth as a community. But we believe strongly that the path to revitalization – the path to a truly ideal future – will not happen by adding new layers of bureaucracy. And that’s where we differ from proponents of a Labor Standards Board proposal. (The Minneapolis City Council is expected to bring this proposal forward at its Feb. 8 meeting.)

We disagree with the implication that the right tools to protect workers are not already in place today. If rules and regulations aren’t being properly enforced, we want to work with city leaders to ensure that they are – before establishing more new and untested processes that make it harder for businesses to operate. Let’s instead leverage existing worker protections that have smartly been put in place by both city and state leadership – and double down on enforcement. Too often lost from this conversation is the reality that Minneapolis is a trailblazer in establishing protections and mechanisms to protect workers.

That’s something city and business leaders can be proud of.

Hospitality is the beating heart of the city’s cultural vibrancy and the key to our collective revitalization. Without a doubt, that revival is going to require city leadership to maintain pathways to investment that are unencumbered by decisions advanced by a new unelected bureaucracy. We are an industry with uniquely thin margins and an equally unique and critical contribution to the fabric of our city.

At the end of the day, we want to ensure that restaurants, venues, and other gathering places can remain open and draw in visitors from across the city and beyond. That’s essential to true revitalization. We can’t risk losing it.

Moreover, we must not lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of local restaurants are run by small business owners. Our industry offers one of the best paths forward for advancement and unparalleled opportunities for career growth, especially for traditionally underserved populations. If we add more layers of complicated bureaucracy, this could stifle prosperity for thousands of Minnesotans.

It has been enlightening to talk with small business owners in downtown Minneapolis about the challenges they face. It is also inspiring to hear their continued commitment to the city, despite those challenges.

At the end of the day, this is not about picking sides. We agree far more than we disagree. Let’s continue to build that consensus, work with city and community leaders, and advance policies that work for everyone – workers, businesses, and the patrons we are all enthusiastically welcoming back through our doors.