Lawmakers grill stadium authority chair on suite usage

The Minnesota Vikings faded in the second half of their season and must watch the NFL playoffs on television, but controversy over who was able to witness their home games in style at U.S. Bank Stadium remains.

Speaking Wednesday before the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee, Michele Kelm-Helgen said the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority has backed off a policy for suite usage even though it followed what occurred at the Metrodome and does at other major sports facilities in Minnesota.

“This is a new day,” said Kelm-Helgen, the authority chair. “I clearly heard and understood that people did not support having friends and family in these suites even though that’s what’s done at [Target Field and the University of Minnesota].”

The authority’s new suite policy puts the focus on sales and marketing, Kelm-Helgen said, and the five commissioners will not bring friends and family as had been occurring. “It’s not worth anyone losing faith in the authority over an issue like this,” she added.

LISTEN Full audio of Wednesday's House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee hearing 

With two suites, commissioners could “avoid any quorum issues,” Kelm-Helgen said, citing one event at which all five were in attendance, with three in one suite and two in the other.

But Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia) questioned whether that fulfilled the state’s Open Meeting Law requirement of public notice for any gathering of a quorum of a public body. (MSFA bylaws peg a quorum at three of the five members.) Kelm-Helgen said authority attorneys had determined the commissioners’ purpose in attending was essentially social.

Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent) sought an accounting of how many sales were generated by use of the two suites by the authority and SMG, the company hired to operate the stadium. “Are [the two suites] even necessary?” he asked.

Kelm-Helgen said it is important to use the suites as a way to showcase the facility for organizers of potential future events.

Swedzinski also asked about heavy winds dislodging metal panels on the exterior of the stadium. Kelm-Helgen said additional bolts securing the panels might help.

Rep. Kelly Fenton (R-Woodbury) wanted to know what is being done to prevent incidents such as what occurred at the Vikings’ last 2016 home game, when protesters rapelled from a truss inside U.S. Bank Stadium to unfurl a banner over spectators seated below.

Kelm-Helgen said security screening devices at stadium entrances don’t register non-metallic materials like rope and cloth that the protesters hid under their clothing, a problem that might not be solved “unless we have people outside take off their coats.”

The good news,” Kelm-Helgen said, “is nobody got in with weapons. But, obviously, this cannot happen. It will not happen.”

She added the authority is looking for any other vulnerabilities in the new building.