Schiff, at the time working as a
teaching assistant in the University of Minnesota's
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs He won unanimous DFL endorsement on September 11, 2001, and, in a race that was overshadowed by the
2001 terrorist attacks, he ran against Lucky Rosenbloom, an African-American Republican. Schiff received the endorsement of the
Star Tribune, which noted his "first-hand knowledge" of
light rail systems in other U.S. cities. He was sworn into office on December 17, 2001, earlier than his fellow councilmembers, when Thurber resigned from her seat to assume the position of deputy director of
Perpich Center for Arts Education.
First term (2001–05) In his first term, Schiff sponsored and cosponsored numerous legal reforms to the Minneapolis Zoning Code that reduced bureaucratic obstacles for small businesses and housing developers, including a measure that permitted sidewalk cafes to use permanent outdoor furniture and a change in city zoning code that facilitated the construction of denser and more affordable housing. He also sponsored an ordinance to add domestic partnerships to the Zoning Code's definition of "family" in terms of housing. In 2003, with colleagues Barbara Johnson and Sandy Colvin Roy, Schiff developed a last-minute plan to restore $2 million in proposed cuts to the Minneapolis
Fire and
Police Departments, following a $26 million cut from Local Government Aid by former Governor
Tim Pawlenty. That same year, he sponsored an ordinance that effectively blocked police officers, city inspectors, and other city employees from inquiring about a resident's immigration status. The ordinance forbids police officers from arresting a suspect solely on the grounds of a suspected immigration status violation.
Second term (2005–09) In July 2004, the Minneapolis City Council passed a ban on indoor smoking in bars, restaurants, pool halls, and bowling alleys by a 12-1 margin. In March 2005, the ban took effect alongside other indoor smoking bans passed by other cities in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Subsequently, during the
2005 Minneapolis City Council elections, a write-in candidate named Dave Shegstad received 10 percent of the ninth ward vote under a "Smoke Out Gary" campaign slogan—a reference to Schiff's role as a co-author of the smoking ban. 59 percent of voters re-elected Schiff to a second term; his main opponent, Green Party candidate David Bicking, won 30 percent of the vote. The City Council passed the cap lift, and the number of Minneapolis taxis doubled between 2010 and 2012. Beginning in 2008, Schiff and other city leaders contended with local ramifications of the
Great Recession, which included spate of foreclosures in economically distressed neighborhoods. In April 2008, the city council approved a pilot mortgage assistance program called Minneapolis Advantage. The program, which passed the council 10–2, offered
forgivable loans to homebuyers who were interested in properties on the same block as foreclosed or city-owned properties within targeted neighborhoods. Schiff argued that the initiative was not targeted enough to have the designed effect and voted against it, along with fellow councilmember Paul Ostrow. Schiff proposed eliminating some restrictions, and the city council passed ordinances allowing pedicabs to operate on downtown streets, downtown bridges, and on the
Nicollet Mall, at any time except the morning and evening rush hours.
Third term (2009–13) In February 2012, a reporter for the
Minnesota Daily wrote that Schiff is "possibly the most active and popular City Council member" and noted that 60 percent of Ward 9 voters reelected him to a third term in 2009. An avid supporter of microbrewing in Minneapolis, Schiff sponsored the "Brew Beer Here" ordinance that allowed the sale of 64-ounce "
growlers" of beer on Minneapolis brewery premises. Passed in August 2010, the ordinance facilitated brewery operation within Minneapolis city limits and led to the opening of Harriet Brewing Company, the first Minneapolis brewery to open in decades. With colleague Elizabeth Gidden, Schiff co-sponsored the "Surly Bill," an ordinance that permits breweries to sell pints of their products on-site. Schiff also proposed eliminating zoning constraints against establishments serving alcohol within 300 feet of a house of worship outside of the downtown area. The ordinance change was inspired by a struggle between Rob Miller, a brewer interested in opening a "pico brewery" called Dangerous Man Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis, and the church of Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, located across the street from the brewery's proposed location. Citing his work to ease ordinances prohibitive to the microbrewing industry,
Twin Cities Business named Schiff the most business-friendly city councilor in Minneapolis in 2012. In 1997, before he became a member of the city council, Schiff co-authored an amendment to the City of Minneapolis Charter that mandated a voter referendum on city stadium subsidies that cost taxpayers over $10 million. As of 2009, the Minnesota Vikings were moving forward on a $870 million plan to rebuild a downtown stadium on the site of the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The team also considered building a new stadium in other cities, including
Anoka, Minnesota and
Los Angeles, California. Though supportive of the Vikings remaining in Minneapolis in 2012, Schiff became an outspoken critic of the financing plan for the
stadium when it came to a vote before the Minneapolis City Council, in part because it bypassed the charter amendment. Despite Schiff's objections, the Minneapolis City Council approved the stadium financing 7–6. Subsequently, the football team moved forward with plans to demolish the Metrodome and rebuild a new stadium on the site, and Governor
Mark Dayton signed a financing plan approved by the legislature. ==Mayoral bid (2013)==