Yes, six.

Got it.

So I'm just I'm just pulling six because twenty things left on, right?

Twenty-eight.

Oh, from that, yes.

I don't know if you're going to be able to do it.

Wait, is she withdrawing twenty-eight?

That's my first hearing.

Yeah, yes.

You're withdrawing twenty-eight.

Did you want to say anything about it?

Can she say something?

So we'll pull it.

Yeah.

Yes.

Started the meeting.

Okay.

Oh, I already have it.

Call the meeting of the St.

Paul City Council to order.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Here.

Here.

Coleman.

Here.

Johnson.

Here.

Jost.

Here.

Kim.

Here.

Council President Naker.

Here.

Seven present, not absent.

Thanks so much to everyone for joining us for our city council meeting today.

We invite everyone to join us in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

And to the Republic or with two chance.

Just before we start our agenda today, I wanted to make a note of sort of two housekeeping items.

Um of them is that I know many members of the public and of the media were expecting the council to introduce a resolution today in response to the police actions on Rose Street last week.

We can see her right here.

And for that reason, we are going to be taking roll calls for all of our votes today as opposed to our normal all in favor I.

So you'll hear a lot of roll calls, you'll hear our names a lot of times, and shout out to brand new mom, Councilmember Johnson, for somehow still being here.

Okay, with that.

Consent agenda items six through 28 are before you for your consideration.

I understand that we're pulling six and twenty-eight.

Any other items for separate consideration.

Seeing none I'll take a motion from Ms.

Coleman for the balance of the consent agenda.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Roll call.

That's gonna happen.

That's also gonna happen a lot tonight.

Roll call.

Yang.

Here.

Bowie.

Here.

I'm sorry.

Or here are I.

Oh, aye.

Okay.

We're doing eyes.

I'm gonna start a roll call, please.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Hi.

Johnson.

Joe.

Yes.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The consent agenda is adopted as amended.

Um item number six, resolution 25-1614 approving the 2025 neighborhood sales tax revitalization grant program awards.

Ms.

Yang.

Thanks, Council President.

I am supporting the item here.

I just wanted to make a couple of comments, which is that this is a program that I'm very, very supportive of.

I'm so glad that we have this as a way to support our many organizations and businesses in our city here.

I am just want to give a huge shout out to many of the award six businesses and organizations in my ward that did apply for the dollars when I looked at the list.

I was just so pleased to see so many of them, and it just really speaks to the incredible work that many of our business associations in the East Side and also you know my staff in our office, we've done to really promote this, and so I'm really proud about that.

The other comment I like to make is that I'm uh very just surprised and shocked to see this coming so late to the council.

I did get some phone calls from um neighborhood star board members and also many of the applicants themselves asking what is the status of my application, and so that is really concerning to me, and I don't ever want to see us approve this so late in the year.

Like literally, this this is our second third last council meeting of this year, and many of these projects could have happened way earlier on.

And so the hold up to that, I really don't have um a clue to why that is.

I asked the staff about it, and um I I hope that uh there will be more transparency, um, especially from our mayor's office to really talk about um what the holdup was when our new our um neighborhood star grant uh board members reached out.

I mean, they were they didn't have an answer um to why the there was a hold up, other than you know it is it's in the mayor's office, but the version that we're seeing here, there weren't any um any adjustments at all um from the mayor to the approvals or to the um to the board's approvals, and so it's sort of like they're wondering well, why did it take long and in the end there's no adjustments at all?

And so I'm very pleased and very um supportive of the the recommendations that came from the neighborhood star board um and also very grateful to Mary Carter for his support for the recommendations here, but again, just want to stress we need to be doing this way earlier.

Thank you, Ms.

Yang.

And I couldn't agree more.

I think we need to do better by our applicants.

So thank you for raising that.

Um and share your support for the program and all the dollars we're gonna be getting out the door to support economic development in our city.

Any other I'll take that as a motion for Ms.

Yang for approval.

Any other comments on the motion?

Seeing none, roll call.

Yang.

Aye, Bowie, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Joast.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Acre.

Hi.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 28 is RES 25-1896 requesting a comprehensive relocation renovation and reopening plan for Rondo Community Library.

Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Chair.

Or thank you, President.

Um, and in the body, I just want to um just share a few words, particularly around this item.

I know we're due for time, um, and I want to also just say I appreciate the chair, uh, the library board, Joe's, um, as well as Director Marine, particularly around making sure that we do have a comprehensive plan.

Um, this resolution was a request and have deliverables around the comprehensive plan for not only the renovations but relocation plan and the reopening plan.

Um, as of November 25th, Director Um Hartman was able to provide about I would say like 75% of the responses to the best of her ability.

Um, so I will be withdrawing this item, but I do want to make very clear and be very courageous on my stance about this library renovation project.

Um I to be you know honest, been very deeply disappointed in the lack of collaboration um from the start.

Um, I think you know, particularly, especially being um award-wine representative and being uh uh uh a product of Rondo neighborhood.

Um it's been really challenging to um to convey not only to this administration but to the leadership and the decision makers around the impacts, the huge negative impacts of closing around the library is gonna have to our community.

Um this is a neighborhood that's already faced with great blights, it's faced with a lot of challenges.

It has um uh mental health crisis, and we're dealing with a fed and all crisis, and closing this rondo community library is probably the last thing if I was in charge, if I was mayor or if I was a director would do.

Um, I do not support nearly a million dollars of investments to go towards moving the bathrooms.

I think they're you know, I want to echo just some of the concerns I've heard from my residents, particularly around what can we imagine a million dollars, nearly a million dollars of investments into this area into this public space.

What would look like?

Um, as we talked with some of the ask me and frontline workers, many of them have come with many ideas that they have shared that was not taken into consideration.

So moving forward, knowing that we're going to have a transition, knowing that um these dollars are going to be um dedicated to the Rondo Community Library.

I anticipate working with um a new mayor, particularly to make sure that ward one is in collaboration, that we're working in coordination, and we have the best use and maximized use of these funds.

So I do support continuing the transparency.

I do support having a comprehensive approach that don't only just renovates the buildings or renovates the bathrooms, but look at it from a holistic lens of how do we make sure um everyone who's on board can be part of making the Rondo Community Library better.

So I again I don't support this closure.

I understand that there are some limitations uh uh with council, but I do want to just say I do appreciate everybody's input, um, everyone's support around how as a council member do you move forward um when you have administration that is deciding to go in a different direction.

Um, and that was a challenge that was before us.

So um I will be withdrawing this item because I know Director Hartman, she plans on presenting at the library board in January, and I look forward to those discussions.

Thank you so much, Miss Bowie, and I know that there's no motion here because you're withdrawing, but I really um uh appreciate your sharing your sentiments um and your thoughtfulness behind this the resolution.

Um so there's no discussion of the motion, we'll move on.

Yep, item number 28 is withdrawn, and item number 29 is withdrawn as well.

So item number 30 is resolution public hearing 25-230, establishing water charges for 2026 and this is public hearings hearing has been closed.

Yeah, so we uh we held a public hearing on this matter um on November 5th.

So this is before us for final adoption.

I do want to thank the constituents who have raised uh some questions about the the right of way water charges.

Um we did look into those questions, and based on the information that we've received from the city attorney's office, I feel confident moving um these items forward today, but I appreciate that we took the time to look into that.

Uh so I will take a motion for approval from Ms.

Yang.

Is there any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye, Coleman.

Aye Johnson.

Hi Joast.

Aye, Kim.

Aye, Council President Naker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 31 is resolution public hearing 25-231, establishing water fees and charges for 2026.

Public hearing was closed and it was laid over from November 5th.

I will take a motion for approval from Vice President Kim.

Is there any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie, aye, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Jost.

Aye.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 32 is resolution public hearing 25-239, setting the 2026 sanitary steward and storm steward rates laid over from November 5th, and the public hearing is closed.

I'll take a motion from Ms.

Jost for approval.

Any discussion of the motion.

Seeing none, roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Jost.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 33 is resolution public hearing 25-253.

Setting the solid waste service fee for 2026.

Public hearing was closed on November 12th.

Take a motion for approval from Ms.

Coleman.

Is there any discussion of the motion?

See none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Joast.

Aye.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Maker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 34 is resolution public hearing 25-254 authorizing public works to request $828,344 in score grant funds from the Ramsey County to support the curbside recycling program and setting the 2026 city recycling service fees.

Public hearing was closed on November 12th.

I will take a motion from Ms.

Bowie for approval.

Is there any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Jost.

Aye.

Kim.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 35 is resolution 25-1816.

Approving the Regional Water Services 2026 budget.

And just a note as we move into the next few items, these are all adopting massive budgets, which we will do relatively quickly given the significance of the material contained here.

But just to note that all of these have been the subject of multiple days, weeks, and months of conversation, uh discussion and debate and deliberation.

And so in some cases, we'll turn it over to the chairs of those different bodies to say a few words before we adopt.

And in this case, I would look to um Ms.

Yang to see if you want to make the motion and if you have any comments.

No, um I move approval.

Any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bui.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Aye.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 36 is resolution 25-1861, approving the final 2026 housing and redevelopment authority budget and certifying the five the final HRA property tax levy payable in 2026.

And I will look to Ms.

Jost for a motion.

I'd like to make a motion to approve the budget.

And I will I will turn it over to Chair Johnson.

All right.

So the version in front of us is going to be version two.

Chair Johnson.

Thank you so much, Vice Chair and Council President.

I mentioned this at the Housing Redevelopment Authority meeting.

But for our community members who are tuning in to the council meeting who may have missed it, this is a really impactful budget this year.

We have several opportunities within the HRA budget for 2026 that have truly represented and reflected the goals that our HRA board has shared many, many times over.

It invests in downtown.

It is intentionally intentionally investing in affordable housing development.

It's prioritizing what I think has also been something that has been communal to a lot of community conversations, such as investing in our district councils in a way that truly is historic.

We have had CDBG C D BG funding for many years, which we are very thankful for.

And in many ways, the district councils have spoken to us all across the city about the need for continued flexibility.

And we're able to do that in this budget.

We're able to invest in many different departments as well throughout the city of St.

Paul.

And I think that that's really important when it comes to just showing that in many ways.

Paul residents, and we also care a lot about ensuring that not only are we investing in housing, but we're investing in economic development.

We're investing in businesses, we're investing in communities, we're investing in our city services, you know, and in many ways, just overall taking a chance to think about the HRA board and our finances and our fund in a way that's responsible and accountable to our community.

So really just a very proud of this budget.

I was very clear very um excited and it's been an honor truly to be the chair this year, to be the chair this year, um, but also to work in partnership with many of the council members to ensure that not only are council members' priorities echoed, but the city's priorities are echoed as well.

Thank you, Chair Johnson, and thank you again so much for your leadership of the HRA this year and also of this process.

Uh it has truly been um impressive to watch you work to watch your attention to detail and to watch the way in which you have guided us to a really um substantive and impactful HRA budget.

So thank you.

Other discussion of the motion, which is for approval of version two.

All right.

Uh seeing none, I just want to say one more thing about version two, which I meant to say earlier, which is that in addition to the district council funding chair that you mentioned, which I think is truly significant and is gonna make a huge difference in how our district councils work.

I also want to call out the fact that we're fully funding the program that we initiated last year at the HRA, the Commercial Corridor Organization Assistance Program, which has seen 1.4 million dollars literally fly out the door to 17 different commercial corridors throughout our city, supporting murals, supporting small businesses, supporting events and activations.

We were able to keep that funding consistent this year as well under your leadership, Chair Johnson.

And then also just want to thank you as well for the five million dollar uh downtown vitality fund.

Um we are taking the five million dollars that the mayor proposed for downtown activation and giving that additional detail and additional um substance by calling it the downtown vitality fund and giving it um some specificity and some direction so that we can get those dollars out the door for both housing and retail development downtown on day one.

Um and we'll be adopting the actual program for the downtown vitality fund before the end of the year.

So wanted to thank you and my colleagues for that support as well.

All right, with that, if there is no further discussion on the HRA budget, uh roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye, Bowie, aye, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson Joast, Kim.

Aye, Council President Naker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 37 is resolution 25-1863, approving and adopting the St.

Paul Public Library Agency budget.

Chair Joast.

I'm going to again move version two uh and uh adopt the budget with as amended with version two.

All right, the motion is for adoption of version two of the library budget.

Is there any discussion of the motion?

Ms.

Jost.

I kept talking.

Thank you, um, Council President.

Again, I we also adopted this at the library board meeting early today, but I'll just um uh I'll just uh share a few highlights.

So um first I'm just really proud of what we already have in our budget uh to keep the transforming libraries projects moving forward.

Uh we are currently building Hamlin Midway Library, which is set to open next year, and we will also be um uh we will be renovating the Riverview Library and the Hayden Heights Library in future years, and so we're on track to do that.

Uh in this budget, um, one of the a couple of the amendments that our our library board and council made were to um restore the library hours at the Arlington Hills Library, and so I'm really happy that our council was able to find a way to do that.

Um, I think keeping our library hours open and available uh to our community is is so important.

There are things that our our residents really count on, those are the things they really value in our city is being able to come to our library, and so really excited to see that.

And then we also were able to restore the library collections funds uh to kind of what we need to keep the library on track with collections.

So, for example, some of that looks like you know, having having um books and materials that are in different languages or that really everyone in our community can be able to see themselves in and enjoy.

And so I just really appreciate um council president Naker for you taking the lead on on helping us to figure that out and how we can keep that going.

Um, and I'm really again just really excited about the the library budget we're passing this year, and want to thank everyone.

I want to thank um Director Hartman and all of our staff, and then also want to thank the Friends of the Library.

Um, part of the reason why we're able to continue with our library collections and the readbrave program, transforming libraries, so many things is because of um the advocacy and investment um in partnership with the friends of the library.

So thank you.

Thanks, Ms.

Joast.

And I also want to thank you for your leadership of the library board this year.

It has been a pleasure working underneath under you and seeing your um your enthusiasm and your passion and your dedication to the libraries.

It's really been um a joy, and you've produced a wonderful budget.

So kudos to you.

Any other discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye, Bowie.

Hi, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Joast.

Aye.

Kim.

Aye.

Council President Haker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed, the resolution is adopted.

Item number 38 is resolution 25-1807, approving the River Center Convention and Visitors Authority 2026 budget.

I will take a motion from Ms.

Bowie for approval of this item.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Joast.

Aye.

Kim.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed, the resolution is adopted.

Item number 39 is resolution 25-1853, approving the 2026 city tax levy.

And I will move version two of this item.

And just for those millions who are watching us at home, version two of all of these just contains all of the final detailed information that wasn't available when this was agenda was first published that has been worked on up until the moment that we've sat down at the table.

So moving version two of our city tax levy, which remains at 5.3%.

Any discussion of the motion.

Ms.

Yang.

Thanks, Council President.

Well, I will be approving voting in support of this agenda item.

I just wanted to make uh a quick comment that I've shared that at the table here many times.

It's always been in my interest to bring down the levy even more.

And it's really because of what we've been heard from what we've heard over and over from many businesses and residents about the financial burden that they are experiencing, especially the tax burden.

And while I think that there are so many things that we are doing great in our city, there's also a lot of things that we can do to reevaluate what we are doing to be more efficient with our dollars and also make sure that we're not duplicating programs that you know the state or the county or other entities already have.

And so that being said, I know that there wasn't appetite from the full council for majority of the council here to bring the levy down even more, but I hope that for next year we will really uh commit to that, knowing that the cost of living for many people in our city and also for business here businesses is only going to increase and we can work together more to to do better.

Um and by at and at the same time really finding a fine uh really finding a balance between sustaining many of the programs that we know are very important to our residents.

Thank you, Ms.

Yang.

And I I want to applaud you and and completely support you in um in the way that you are raising to our attention always the importance of affordability and the fact that um that so many folks are struggling that we hear every single year under the property tax burden that we have due to both the city, the county, the school district, and the state and beyond and being more efficient with our resources and trying to keep the levy as low as possible, I think is is always a priority.

So thank you for saying that.

Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to also just echo it.

Thank you so much.

Um I'm sure for all the million viewers and all the people who are looking to us to make this really critical decision.

Um, I often think as a council member, you know, the decision of like, do I want to make a point or do I want to make a policy change?

And I think you know, if there was the will of the council to lower that levy, I would be on the side of to lower that.

But since there's not, I'm briefly just making my point, particularly around uh, you know, there is a lot of people that are very tax burdened.

Um, and I want to also applaud um the budget chair for um really starting us off in a good foot to get at get a clear overcast, particularly from the state and other entities around not only from like Ramsey County's assessment of like how people are taxed, because we aren't taxed equally, and although we are um voting on setting a levy, um, these impacts are going to be faced very differently for different um neighborhoods.

I know in the Thomas Dale neighborhood, they're going to be experiencing like dramatic dramatic increases in their taxes, and many of them have shared with me their concerns about it.

So I am more well committed to you know this new uh mayor and work in collaboration, particularly around ways that we can lower it.

Um, also understanding that the administration did a fantastic job with making sure we're not making any cuts that's going to cut staffs, but we want to make sure we are preserving not only our services, but um really um the people you know who makes this city runs every day, but I am also as well connected or excuse me, committed um, you know, for next year, looking at ways that we can lower that levy.

Thanks, Ms.

Bowie.

Any further discussion of the motion.

Seeing none, roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye, whoever Colman.

Hi.

Johnson Joast.

Hi, Kim.

Hi.

Council President Naker.

Hi.

Seven in favor, none opposed, the resolution is adopted.

Item number 40 is uh resolution 25-1814, adopting the 2026 budget.

And for our last and most significant budget item, uh, I first of all want to just say a huge thank you to Chair Yang and Vice Chair Kim for your leadership of this process.

Um, it has been remarkable to watch you both work, and uh and we've we've gotten to a great place.

So um I'll turn things over to um Vice Chair Kim to talk a little bit about the budget.

Awesome.

Um I went I went back in time very briefly, and I saw that we had our budget retreat on June 5th, where we established a lot of our priorities together for the first time.

And some of the things that came out of that budget retreat was a strong focus on economic development and that a thriving downtown is sort of the economic engine for the city, and so deep investments in our downtown and along our culture along our commercial corridors is incumbent upon the council to continue to expand.

Um, we also were really interested in fiscal resilience around staffing and overtime vacancy reporting.

We're also really interested in budgeting reforms.

I think it's not a mystery that budgeting every single year is kind of how we've done things, but I think there's an interest in sort of program outcomes and looking at even a biennium budget.

Um, as the council president mentioned, we also had a strong focus on our district councils.

A few of us volunteered on a few of them.

Um we also had a very strong focus on housing thanks to our Chair Johnson and Vice Chair Jo stuwer of homes, rental assistance, rental assistance for folks that are in need for housing stability.

So just in brief I when you think back about that I just want to just commend my colleagues for having a clear vision for what this budget could look like for the council and so I mean we know the the budget is much more than a balance sheet it's a it's a reflection of our values and our values were really clear throughout and we support our workers in this budget we invest in our residents and our neighborhoods and when we invest in our community's ability to afford a home work and play and attend school we we know that they're safer and it was an honor to serve as vice chair and interim chair of the budget committee this year and we started out with a commitment having more transparent process and a strong focus on the quality of services that our city provides and I do feel strongly that we achieved that we made a point to engage residents and stakeholders earlier than in the past and it was important that we center and respond to the concerns of our residents and in ward five I want to give a shout out to my LA Abdi Hamid and the St.

Paul Youth Commission we hosted a youth budget engagement session in Ward 5.

There are really strong ones in this budget and I'm proud you've led on or supported we've successfully restored funding for our immigrant defense fund in partnership with Councilmember Coleman and Chair Yang and we're storing 1.5 million dollars in public safety through our CARES unit BLS and our firefighters our frontline staff work incredibly hard to provide programming and services for our residents that they rely on and enjoy this budget really focuses on investing in staff I'd like to acknowledge some folks that made this budget happen although it was definitely a citywide effort I'm grateful for your partnership chair yang on the budget committee huge huge thanks to our budget officer Kamud Verma who jumped right into our budget cycle and hit the ground running and a special thank you to Director Lodson and Madeline Mitchell along with the whole staff of of OFS for their collaboration and continued engagement and collaborative problem solving I know sometimes we might my questions might be the problem but you all always were willing to come forward with a really great with a really great answer.

The last two thoughts very briefly is you know I believe the city is sort of a frontline service and last line of defense and I feel like what I see in this budget that my that was in collaboration with all my colleagues we achieved it and on a very last note you know I think this budget and the council brought forward priorities and values that sort of deepen the investments that the current administration and mayor Carter has and also is marking a beginning for a new administration as we welcome mayor elect her so as sort of a bridge between administrations carrying forward a budget and the values of our city was a heavy lift and I just really want to commend all my colleagues at the table.

But I'll see if our chair has additional comments as well.

Thanks Vice President Kim I want to say thank you for filling in for me while I was out on maternity leave you you really um took the lead for really over half a year or close to half a year while I was out and so I really appreciate you I want to say thank you to you and and your legislative aid updihub meet also thanks to my legislative aides to Plua who's out on maternity leave as well and then Sarah shout out to Kamut our chief budget officer and really all of the staff who have been a part of this really important process.

This is my fifth year on the council and when I reflect on this year I mean I've got to say it's really been I'm so pleased with the process and I want to say thank you to the council here who's really contributed to us having a budget process that is that is rooted in engagement with each other and also engagement with the community as well and really giving space for even council members who may be here who are newer to be able to have a voice at the table even more where where amendments that they really care about those are really prioritized too and so that's just you know to me I um when I think about our process it's rooted in that engagement and that's really important because everything that we that I have here on this sheet on on amendments that we as the council have pretty much carved into the amended budget like it's here because of the voices that came from the community members from our staff members and whenever I have you know there's folks who come and meet with me to talk about the budget they are always asking what's the best advice for us to be able to to um you know convey to you what's important to us and I always say you know really to have a head start come to the council members early talk to everyone that you can and especially to be really clear about your demands.

But you all know, like our city is growing, and we as a council we have so much on our plate.

We're trying to figure out how can we meet these demands coming from our growing city, which um you know, I know that this is a council that has always been up uh to uh finding the answer for that.

And as I think look at these um different items on the on our document here for the budget we're about to to pass.

Like I'm I'm so proud about it.

Um I'm really proud about us restoring library hours and recreation center hours that were about to be cut, like that is not okay.

I mean, if we are not if we're not funding our libraries and our rec centers, no other government entity is gonna step in and do that for us.

And so we need to know what where our priorities lie, and then also for the council, like our office to be getting very um much needed renovations to it so that even we can um you know be have a space that is accessible and safe, like that's also really important too.

We fight for our um you know, our staff and other departments to be able to have that, and we need to remember to fight for ourselves too and for the staff who work for us every day.

And so that's why for me that project was so important.

In addition to that, I'm also um just really grateful to everybody here for your support and in increasing staffing for um staffing capacity for the St.

Paul Port Authority.

They describe themselves as an economic um development engine for our city, and they really are, and it's really important that we are supporting them because they're also supporting us right in return and and making sure that we're expanding our tax base too.

Um, and also um to be for um our office of financial services and um our um chair chair Johnson.

Um you really you and your our are um planning economic development staff working to find funding for one-time funding for EB Car that's really important.

Um I I'm naming that one specifically because I remember like my first year on the council here.

We had a vision to expand services to the Greater East Side, a community that has been left out but in dire need of more transit, more options to be able to travel around, and so we needed to fill that gap.

And I know that we're getting there, but we also need to make sure we're supporting funding um to the to uh our car to be able to make that happen, and so securing that funding was really really important.

I don't know we have a little bit left to do to actually fill the gap, and so my hope is that next year we can work even closer to just get from that 176,000-ish to 200,000 to support that important work.

And there's a lot that I'll say here um that I want to say, but what um I do think that through comments from the rest of you, many of it will be covered.

So I would just the only thing I'll add is that I am really excited about the the um coming year here and know that we're gonna be able to move into it with the same momentum or even greater momentum around how we can uh how we can continue funding programs and uh services and positions that are really important to our city.

I am hoping that one day we won't be doing this annual process, but instead be moving to a two-year process because we really need to make room for evaluation in our city process here, like over at the county, they work on a two-year budget uh basis, and we need that because we're missing really critical, uh really critical time, you know, really to just look at where are our investments going and is it are we meeting our goals?

And uh also if we are, then we should consider putting more funding where we need it.

Um, that's even a conversation that I feel we don't have enough of, and there's so much work for us to be celebrating.

Um, and so I I hope that we will work to change our system so that it works for us and that we can be even more intentional about the um you know where we want to be putting investments and always putting our residents and businesses and staff at the center of our work.

Thank you again, Ms.

Yang and um chair and vice chair for your leadership on the budget.

I think I'm gonna ask my colleagues to hold further comments until we've done a little bit more um budget mechanics because we do have a couple of additional amendments that are gonna be considered.

Um so I will look to Ms.

Bowie um for the I will look to Ms.

Kim first to move the global amendment.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

Oh make a motion to approve is amended.

Um so this is to move the the chair's amendments in version two.

Okay.

Uh all in favor say aye.

Or sorry, roll call.

Thanks, Greg.

Yay.

Hi.

Hi.

Coleman.

Hi, Johnson.

Hi.

Jost.

Hi.

Kim.

Hi.

Council President Naker.

Hi.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The A1 amendment is approved.

Okay.

Uh, and now we will move to uh Ms.

Bowie, who I believe has two amendments to propose.

Yes.

I have um uh A2 amendment that I'm going to actually refer to our chief policy officer, um Tim Green, to uh talk about the different versions.

So we brought forth a version one, but I believe there's going to be a version two that's going to be presented to all of us as some changes have took place earlier this morning.

And I oh, yep, there you go.

Okay.

And I just want to remind all of all of us that we are on sort of a timeline for our uh budget chair.

Vice Chair, so a couple a couple minutes.

Yep.

Thanks.

Uh uh Council President Naker and members of the committee.

The A2 Bowie amendment um, as mentioned by Councilmember Bowie, uh, is an evolution of what was previously posted, and this is a request for information regarding opium opioid settlement dollars.

Um so a lot of the um whereas clauses have remained intact from what was previously disviously posted for this um that was I believe intended to be part of the chair's budget amendment, but now has been separated out and uh kind of taken on its own.

Um so I won't go into detail about the the exact uh nuances and the detail of the whereas clauses it's been posted on Legislatar and is available for your review.

Um but I will note that there are three components to this uh request for information from the administration.

Um the first of which is um at the outset, this request is due to the council on March 1st of 2026.

That represents a change from what was previously posted where the request was due September 1st, 2026.

So this timeline is now uh considerably accelerated.

Uh and then the three components are a um request for information uh on the use and expenditure of existing city opioid settlement funds, um, including a full current fund balance, projected annual settlement revenue, a description of all expenditures to date, and an analysis of policy outcomes, performance indicators, and measurable impacts from any previously funded initiatives or staff.

The second component uh and uh request of the information is a full opioid response and spending strategy plan that is detailed in the bottom portion of the amendment that describes the city's collaborative and complementary approach to the future uses of settlement dollars with uh specific and detailed information regarding the proposed one million dollar allocation coming from the administration regarding a fentanyl initiative that is being adopted in today's 2026 budget.

And then the third component of the uh the the ask for the request for information is um uh information about a proposal to establish an account that would be um that would direct the settlement dollars um the funds into those into that specific account rather than a general government account and would allow for um council approved uh expenditures or allocations from that account.

So just a request for information on that proposal rather than um actually putting the mechanics of that proposal uh in the first version.

So um from there um there are some other minor differences that I'd be happy to talk about if members have questions, but um I will note that uh those are those three uh components are um on page two and kind of reflect the the crux of the of the A2 amendment.

Just A1.

Okay, thanks so much, Mr.

Greenfield.

Um so Ms.

Bowie.

Yep, and with that, thank you so much.

Um I just motioned to amend um the chair's budget to include a uh A2 or Bowie two, I believe.

Sorry, yeah, just want to make sure this is aligned with the procedural.

This is uh they might have only adopted this.

They need to actually adopt this first.

So we might need to do that really quick.

Yeah, just oh, did we skip this?

Right before we do that, Ms.

Bowie.

We're gonna have to take a motion from Chair Kim to adopt the 2026 council budget summary of changes.

And it's been it's been changed since to just council changes.

Council changes.

Attachment A.

Attachment A.

Yes.

So moved.

Any discussion of the motion before we come back.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie, aye, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson, aye, Joost, Kim.

Aye.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The amendment is approved.

Sorry about that.

Ms.

Bowie, back to you on your amendment.

So I'll just bring forward the motion to move um item A2.

Great.

And I will speak in support of the motion.

I really appreciate Ms.

Bowie, uh, your leadership on this.

We've talked a lot at this table about the need to have a more coordinated approach to our opioid dollars with both the city and the county, and also just understanding what we're doing with these millions of dollars that are gonna be coming into the city and the oversight that you're providing here.

Um, I think is really needed.

So I will say that.

Other discussion of the motion.

Seeing none.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

What's that?

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Joast?

Aye.

Kim.

Aye.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The amendment is approved.

Ms.

Bowie.

And uh my other motion is A five.

It's an amendment.

Um, I just want to just articulate some changes.

So it first was proposed as um funding for Ujamo place, but I have made some changes to the language, so it's gonna be funding continued support for the returning home St.

So it's gonna be funding continued support for the returning home St.

Paul, which is a program that existed within the community first public safety.

Um, so this will not be a direct allocation um to a community organization.

This will be a funding to a uh uh returning home St.

Paul program that's in partnership with Ujama Place.

So we all have heard um, you know, from the public safety committee where the Minnesota Justice Research Center had came and presented the report.

Um one of the things that came out of the report is that um this program worked and that the community members' lives have been changed, and we have seen over the years that housing is truly a public safety, removing barriers is public safety, investing in people's public safety, and um it keeps our neighborhoods safe when people have access to housing and that those barriers are removed.

So these funds will be actually um going to the returning home St.

Paul that exists within the office of uh Office of Financial Services that's the Office of Financial Empowerment.

Um, and it gives residents a fair shot at stability um in their in their homes after um leaving from incarceration.

So I just motion uh all to I guess welcome discussion or motion to um amend the or excuse me amend the city uh budget to include a five.

Great.

Thanks, Ms.

Bowie.

So the motion is for approval of amendment A5.

Is there discussion on the motion?

Ms.

Yang.

Thanks, Council President.

Uh I uh I am planning on supporting this, but I would just like clarification about the um the uh budget for the budget solved for this just because in the the document I'm looking at, it says that 100,000 is going towards returning home St.

Paul from the fentanyl intervention plan.

And I'm trying to figure out if that is a part of the opioid settlement dollars or not.

Yep, it's um fund 21, and uh the current budget for that is one million dollars um for the Fed and all intervention plan that will be uh allocated 100,000 will be allocated from that fund to the returning home program.

For those are um are those part of the opioid settlement dollars?

Correct.

They are okay.

All right.

Um, I I would just uh make a comment that while I was planning on supporting this, I I don't plan on voting for it just because I know at the table here we've talked a lot about wanting to have um more conversations about about opioid settlement dollars, and one thing that has been really important to me is making sure that there is collaboration between us and for example the county as well to make sure that we aren't duplicating our programs, and so because we haven't had that sort of conversation yet, or more so I would say a holistic plan on this.

I don't plan on supporting it.

However, I would I would like to be um if in a scenario where this did not um pass, then I would really like to see um funding for returning home St.

Paul be a part of the holistic plan that we have crafted.

Um once we know what exactly um the situation is gonna look like on how where we put investments in this in partnership with other with the county as well.

Thanks, Ms.

Yang.

Other discussion of the motion, Ms.

Johnson.

Thank you so much, and I uh appreciate this amendment, uh, Councilmember Bowie in bringing this forward.

I appreciated hearing from several young men at our truth in taxation um this year, especially around this program uh as the current vice chair of Heading Home Ramsey and the continuing uh the continuum of care um that we have with the partnership with the county and with the city.

Councilmember Bowie, I really um see this program as an area for continued investment, especially as we head into the new year.

I know that a lot of the conversations surrounding that group, um Heading Home Ramsey has been around how we're investing in our in children homelessness um community in totality, and so I see this amendment, I see the prioritization and I hear the need.

Um I see avenues to even discuss investments, not only in the opioid response dollars, but potentially in our city and county local affordable housing aid dollars in the future.

Um, and so I don't, you know, I will be transparent in the sense that I'm not sure how um the vote will go today, but I genuinely uh do plan to see continued partnership with you on this investment um because this is something that I do actually think is worth um continued conversation into 2026.

Um I think that the main reason why I supported your opioid uh resolution is because I want to ensure there's transparency and reporting on all ends of how we're using those funds.

Uh I don't know if this necessarily accomplished that it accomplishes that today.

So I'm gonna vote no on the on the um the proposed amendment to the resolution at this point.

Um, but I do want to just reiterate, you know, I see multiple avenues for partnership with the program that is put forth, and I genuinely hope that uh as we head into the new year that that's something that is taken into consideration, and we have many partners um that are members of Heading Home Ramsey, including Ujama, that I hope to see that continued investment uh and partnership to as well as well with the county, and I'm happy to work with you on that as we head into the new year.

Thank you.

I am gonna uh move us towards a vote.

Um, if there's no further urgent discussion on them on the item.

All right.

Uh thank you, everyone.

Roll call, please.

Yay.

No.

Bowie.

Yes, Coleman.

I Johnson.

No.

Joast.

Yes.

Kim.

No.

Council President Naker.

No.

Three in favor, four opposed, those being council members Yang, Johnson, Kim, and Naker.

The amendment is not approved.

Um, and I believe I have the last amendment to offer, which is A4.

Um, so I would make a motion for A4.

This is to keep our library collections uh purchasing power consistent with what it has been in past years.

We have made a motion as a library board to do that.

Um, we already took a vote on this at the library board, but this is specifically to allocate cultural star dollars to uh keep the collections and our materials budget um purchasing power constant, and that had to be done at the city, not at the library board.

Uh so that's that I would make that motion.

Any discussion.

Ms.

Yeah.

Thanks, Council President.

Uh I will be supporting your resolution, but I do want to be um really clear that I uh I don't want to I don't want to see the council continue to vote for library collections as um you know through cultural star funds over and over again.

Like it's really important to me that we're finding a uh very sustainable funding source for this because you know our libraries, our families in St.

Paul here and many visitors of our libraries, they really deserve to have new and updated materials in our libraries, but they also really deserve um for us to be able to problem solve this as well.

And so that because this is not a sustainable um solution at all for this, um, I uh I'm really stressing on this and I hope that next year let me just be really clear.

If this comes up again next year, I will not vote in favor of it because I hope that um we will be able to figure this out.

But for this um for this vote here, or right now, I will be voting in support of this.

Thanks, Ms.

Yang.

I and for what it's worth, I agree with you.

I'm I'm grateful that the friends of the public libraries were able to find 40,000 to help us fill our gap and that we were able to find 85,000 in um our own unspent funds as a council to fill this gap.

But you're right, we're continuing to go to sources that we shouldn't have to go to like cultural star to fill a gap that really should be um ongoing funding proposed in the base budget by the mayor um for the library department.

So uh hope to get there as well.

Um further discussion, Ms.

Joe.

Really quick.

I um as library board chair, I I also agree.

Um I'd like to see this uh ongoing in the library budget.

Um, and again, I really appreciate the friends and their support.

You know, collections is something that a lot of library um friends of libraries or library foundations uh are able to contribute to, you know, they don't they they don't contribute to pay staff salaries and things like that, which that is what a large portion um of any of our department budgets um budgets are, but I do think I would like to see a more just stable source really handling the base of library collections, and then you know, if the friends are gonna help out here and there as they always do, we we love to see that too.

Thanks, Ms.

Jost.

All right, there's no further discussion of the motion.

Uh oh, Ms.

Johnson.

Apologies for that late hand raise.

Um I I just want to share that I um, you know, as a person who served forbidly on the cultural star board.

I remember being in rooms where we were talking as a community on the cultural star board of what it was like when these dollars were earmarked for certain uh things or put for purposes without the you know real inclusion of the members.

And so I do want to know that, Council President, I appreciate this amendment.

I do want to know that the it's it's never it never felt great when there was cultural star dollars that truly come far and wide between um often that are used to fund projects throughout the city and have multiple projects that come through that are for funding.

I'm really supportive of a continuing uh the continuation of the funding for library materials.

I am gonna vote no to this um because of that because of that reason.

Um I think that we really need to get out of the practice of of using cultural star dollars for this as we actively are trying to ensure that cultural star dollars um can reach many places in our city.

I am gonna vote no to this um because of that because of that reason um I think that we really need to get out of the practice of of using cultural star dollars for this as we actively are trying to ensure that cultural star dollars um can reach many places in our city uh but that is not reflective of my lack of support for library materials as I'm very supportive of library materials continuing both you know the um both the making sure that we're keeping up with the market but also ensuring that our community members and our St.

Paul community members have access to our public libraries and our materials and so I just really want to say thank you for that but I also want to just raise that this is something that I hope we um as a as a board and also as council and um partnership with the mayor elect as we head into new year can really prioritize investing in libraries this year.

Thank you Ms.

Johnson and thanks to everyone I appreciate the articulation of the tension inherent in this vote with that there's no further discussion roll call please yay aye no Coleman aye Johnson no Joast yes Kim hi Council President Aker.

Aye five in favor those oppos to opposed those being council members Bowie and Johnson the amendment is approved.

All right and we are now at the if there are there any further amendments we are now at the point of being able to um move the look to Chair Kim for a motion to move the 2026 to approve the 2026 budget as amended is there any discussion of that motion and this would be a great time to make brief comments about the budget as a whole if you haven't already commented Ms.

Coleman thank you council president I'll keep this very quick and just say that I came into this budget cycle much later than everybody else at this table and in doing that I think that it is a little bit stressful.

You know as as the council vice president said our budget is a reflection of our values and coming into this not having been there on June 5th when we talked about what are the council's values and what are our priorities it was it has been such a relief to come in and see how shared our commitments are in this body and to have so many of the conversations and priorities that I spent the year hearing about from folks in ward four already be accounted for and reflected in this body's priorities things like safe and stable housing economic development and vitality public safety um including safe streets parks rec centers libraries so many of the things that have already come up today um deep investment in climate sustainability multimodal transit a commitment a deep commitment to our immigrant community all these things are things that I have just been very appreciative to see that folks across the city folks across throughout City Hall and particularly here in the council are so deeply committed to so I will be voting yes for this budget.

We all know that it is not an easy financial year.

I think that um again to go back to the fact that our budget is a reflection of our values it is very easy to hold true to your values when things are good and easy and it is much harder to do so in challenging times but I think that this budget really manages to do that in the midst of the challenges that we face.

Thanks Ms Coleman other discussion of the motion Ms.

Joost uh thank you council president um again you know this is such a tough year when we when we entered into the budget and with the looking at the budget for this year we started out with a 23 million dollar deficit that we had to cover last year's was 16 million dollars um and you know a lot of that was covered by cuts that were made in the mayor's budget before it was proposed to us you know 23 million dollar um deficit would mean like an 11% levy which we know that we just we we're not going to entertain and so I just really appreciate all the effort that we put in even in the beginning of this year when we started the process to get a lot of our um priorities incorporated from our you know June retreat even in that process because you know it's it's really challenging every year to continue to do um even the core services we do every day um a large majority of of our budget is paying our staff a lot of our funds are in um contracts uh that we um that we have to hold um for our workers that we care so much about and so I think I'm just I'm just totally uh just really impressed with what we were able to do this year with that being our starting point we have 23 items plus the amendments that we made today uh that we were able to add and if you'd asked me earlier this year if I thought that we were going to be able to do that I I don't know I I'm not sure I would have um would have thought this is where we would lay in the plane but I'm really uh excited to see uh a lot of a lot of these um restorations to what I think uh really is kind of the heart of our city services our parks our libraries um our public safety through our um firefighters I'll I want to highlight a couple other things I'm really excited about the district council funding that was something that um I tried to me and a few other council members tried to get in last year's budget was really challenging and so I really appreciate that being in this budget.

Um I also uh am really excited about the EV car share program.

Councilmember Yang, thank you so much for your partnership on that, and really actually all the council members, councilmember Coleman, everyone that tried to um, you know, be able to maintain that that funding.

That was something we found out about um, you know, after we already had started the budget process, and it was going to be really challenging, but that's something that we care about so much.

And then lastly, uh one other thing I'm really excited about is the the lighting on Shepherd Road.

Yeah, I know council president's gonna talk about that, but I I think uh the other thing that I really care a lot about is um is our public works and our infrastructure.

And I I did have a couple of uh of second round amendments I tried to bring around making sure we're we're keeping our mill and overlay money and a really cool robotic print machine that I'm still really excited about.

Uh, but I I really hope, you know, I I work as an engineer, and I think that um making sure we're continuing continuing to invest in in things like our our roads and our um our pedestrian safety, sidewalks, infrastructure, plowing, all of those things are really important to me, and I'll be looking, you know, in the next years to make sure we are continuing to invest in those items because well those were cut, um, you know, and and I see that as a disinvestment in public works and public works that is already not fully funded to what we need.

I think that's just so key to uh to um what our residents expect and really need to see uh in our city.

And so I I look forward to continuing to tackle some of those challenges.

Uh, but again, there's just there's so much in this budget that is is just really exciting to see.

I lastly want to say the you can you can see that part of the reason we were able to do this is because we worked with um OFS and the fire department to be able to increase ambulance transport fees.

That's two point almost 2.3 million dollars of this.

And if we weren't able to find that, I think we're having a very different conversation about things that we might need to make even tougher decisions on of what we're gonna keep and what we're gonna cut.

And so really appreciate everyone's effort on that.

Um, and I think you know, again, we all really care a lot about uh lowering the property tax levy um for the future and also making sure that it is staying uh stable for people for our residents, and I'm really excited to see that a lot of our investments are gonna do just that.

Our investments in downtown.

Um, we did you know just decertify a turf a TIF TIF district this year, and then also um particularly uh in Ward 3, a lot of the action that this council and HRA took this year um was able to get more um more housing built at Highland Bridge, and so that I think all of those things and all the other developments we have across the city are really moving us in the right direction for being able to try to keep our property tax levy as low as possible while delivering on the services our city requires and really the values we care about.

So thank you all so much to everyone.

Thank you to um Chair Kim, Vice Chair uh Yang, Kamud.

I I don't want to start listing people because I'll forget folks, but also our um our uh council director who's not here, Jay, and all of our staff um for for all of their work on this budget.

I'm really proud of our process and where we got to.

Thanks, Ms.

Just.

Any final comments briefly, Ms.

Johnson.

I will be brief as I've talked a lot.

Um so I just want to say to my constituents and for sure and the Ward 7 conversations and the citywide budget discussions.

You know, I just I heard very clearly that as my colleagues have echoed, there is real uh a real need to continue to have conversations surrounding our tax burden here in the city.

And I also just want to uplift the work that the council has done in the past two years.

Um I I do not think at if um not for net for last year's budget process and advocacy of the council that our tax levy discussions would be where they are right now.

And I truly feel that that um that last year's tax levy discussions, the painful cuts that everyone had to go through for the budget to be at 5.9% last year for a tax levy really geared us into making the conversations surrounding the 5.3% tax levy convers increase uh conversation to be a lot easier because some of those works around vacancy reporting, the intentionality that we took around taking a look at our overtime uh spending within our St.

Paul Police Department and St.

Paul Fire Department, the ask and questions that this council has been able to echo multiple times um through now our second budget cycle.

Uh uh, you know, and council member Coleman's first budget cycle.

But if not for last year, I'm not sure if the conversations this year would have been the way that we've seen them go.

And I think that that's really crucial and important.

Um beyond that, I'll just share that I'm really excited that we were able to restore our funding for our libraries, for our rec centers, we're able to prioritize public safety dollars.

That quite literally in my ward, that is the number one thing that I heard consistently was do not cut our firefighters, do not cut our chairs unit, do not cut the BLS night shift, do not cut public safety in any way, shape, or form.

We've had a lot of public safety uh related issues in our community, including a shooting that just happened blocks away from my AIDS home.

And so, in a way where we are trying to prioritize public safety right now, this is a huge win for our city in more ways than one.

And just uh very very quickly, um, I continue to be a huge supporter of our local affordable housing aid dollars and the continued investment in our down payment assistant program, the continuing investment in our eviction prevention program, the uh downtown investments as well as the continued uh you know, just renewal of those fundings.

Um, and just in many ways, I become more and more proud to be able to be in partnership with our council members on I think spending money the way that we should be, which is respond responsively, uh responsibly and conservatively.

So really excited to support the budget, even more excited about some of the budget to actual reporting that we'll be doing next year.

And I uh just will I'll end with that and say thank you.

And I look forward to working with you all in 2026.

Thanks, Chair Johnson.

Ms.

Bowie, very quick.

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

I just want to just echo everything that was said.

Also, I just want to just say that this budget is not the end.

It was truly the beginning of a new chapter here in St.

Paul.

And I'm so grateful for all the residents.

I'm so grateful for how we approach this um budget conversation, how all the people have participated um in the process.

I do want to just highlight um, you know, also as a chair of the public safety and community wellness committee.

I'm really, really grateful to see that the listening housework now program came out of of that review.

I wanna just also just give a shout out to um our former staff who led the heart team, the amazing heart team, Andrea.

Um, and when I you know was just reaching out trying to figure out what is some good public safety, community safety investments and the work now program has really, you know, got the attention it deserves.

So I'm happy that um you all are in support of that, and that made the list as well.

So um kudos um for this process.

I look forward to next year to having even more robust conversations about it.

Thanks, Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you all so much.

I will just close not by repeating anything you've said, but by saying I think this was the most transparent collaborative and productive budget I have ever been a part of on this council.

Um we restored critical services, we preserved ideas that are working, like our commercial corridors program.

We made changes that make sense, like our district council funding.

We were able to accommodate dozens of ideas from all of us.

And I know that each of us might feel dissatisfied with a portion of the budget, but I hope we can feel super, super satisfied with the vast majority of this budget because I hope you see your fingerprints all over it.

Um and and we did that without raising the levy further.

We stayed within that 5.3%.

We might have wanted to get it even lower, but we were able to make a ton of changes and additional investments while staying within that with creative problem solving like the fire transport fees that don't fall on property taxpayers with belt tightening and with tough choices.

Um and I want to just finally say this was all done through a process that was extremely transparent.

It used to be that we'd hear from department directors, the budget would go into a black box, the council president would talk to the mayor, and then it would emerge and nobody would know exactly how that had happened.

Um and in this case, we did not do that.

We spoke with the administration throughout the process.

We came to this table two weeks ago, and we all shared our amendments publicly here.

Um and now that budget is what you're seeing in front of you and all of our constituents can see.

So I'm also just as proud of the process as I am of the product.

Um, and we are adopting our budget on time and on budget uh on the day that we said that we would do it on December 3rd.

And we've been clear about that timeline from the very beginning.

So huge thanks once again to our chair, to our vice chair, to Mayor Carter and his administration, to all of our staff, to our community members, and finally, and especially to you, my colleagues, because uh this would not happen without all of our dedication.

So, with that, we have a motion for approval from Vice Chair Kim.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Hi.

Bowie, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson, hi.

Joast, I Kim.

Hi.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted as amended.

Item number 41 is final adoption of ordinance 25-77, amending section 220.05 of the legislative code to set rates for base level garbage service to be effective January 1st, 2026.

And those of you who are just joining us for the first time, our ordinance adoption process has three stages.

First reading, staff report, public hearing at the second reading, and final adoption.

We take them backwards order.

So this final adoption has already been before us at least twice, in this case twice.

Uh, and I will take a motion from Ms.

Yang for final approval.

Any discussion?

Seeing none roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye, Bowie, Coleman.

Hi, Johnson.

Hi.

Jost.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution or the ordinance is adopted.

Item number 42 is public hearing of ordinance 25-72, amending chapters 60, 61, 68, and 72 of the legislative code pertaining to the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area and Flood Management Overlay Districts.

And the public hearing was continued from November 19th, I believe that was.

Yes.

Great.

So this is uh actually before us for a further public hearing.

Um, thanks to all the constituents and other stakeholders who came out to testify about this ordinance last week.

Um, based on the testimony that we heard last week and um just reflecting on what we're trying to do along our river corridor and downtown.

Um, I am proposing an amendment today that removes the height restrictions downtown and restores the language to the original staff recommendation that went to planning commission.

This is version four in front of you.

Um so I'm gonna move version four for consideration.

Do we need to vote on that?

Okay.

Um so I'll move version four and just say a bit about it, and then we can have discussion, vote on the amendment, and then we're gonna have another public hearing because that is a substantive or continue to keep the public hearing open, have the public hearing.

Um we've got the amendment before you have the public hearing.

Yeah, okay.

So you can vote on the amendment now if you want to.

Or okay.

So um I'm moving this amendment because I first of all I want to thank there's so many folks who've waited in on this, but I want to especially thank friends of the Mississippi River, who I think have done a really good job articulating kind of the trade-offs that are in front of us with this item.

Um, and it seems like everyone agrees that we need to balance economic development and especially downtown development, which we have all acknowledged is the economic engine of our city and our region, with protections for the river.

Um, and we also agree that any major project along the river should have public oversight, um, both in general and to make sure that that project conforms to Merca.

Um, and I also agree that as some have argued it's better in general to have clear guidance rather than arbitrary or vague guidance because that does make things easier for development.

Um, but I think in this case, the issue is that the clear guidance directly conflicts with a major project that we all support, including those who are advocating for the height limits, um, and that will um make it tough to uh to get through that process because it will require a conditional use permit with a lot of additional um regulations and hoops to jump through.

I also think it would be difficult to write guidance here that would be clear and would also apply consistently to every major project along the river.

I just think the nature of development along our river downtown is such that each one of these projects is going to hopefully be an iconic development.

It's gonna look really different, and we're gonna want to review those projects on a case-by-case basis.

It would be difficult to say one height limit that is gonna apply across all of them and not trigger additional review and conditional use permits.

So rather than trying to get a different height limit right, um, my proposal is to just go back to the more subjective tiering process and review each of these projects on an ad hoc on a case-by-case basis for subjective tiering through the public site plan process that both River's Edge and other major projects along the river will have.

So I think it's important to note that I think it is important for that public oversight to happen, but we can do that through the site plan review process.

We don't have to do that through the cut process, which I think is more intimidating and inhibiting of development.

Um, so that's uh that's why I'm making the motion.

Um, and so I would look to my colleagues for discussion of the motion, and again, and we'll vote on the amendment, and then we'll have a public hearing.

Ms.

Joost.

Um, thank you, Council President Acre.

I just really appreciate you bringing forth this uh amendment and for your um your thoughtfulness on it.

I agree.

I think that this provides um clarity to the process.

Uh and you know, in ward three, we have um, you know, the the southern border of ward three is all the river, and so this is something that uh my my constituents also care a lot about.

So thank you for for all of your um your effort on this.

Thanks, Ms.

Joost.

Is there other discussion?

Ms.

Bowie.

Yep, thank you.

I just want to say I'm in support of your amendment as well and all your hard work that went into it.

I know this has been like a Mothai year range plan and discussion.

Um many of the residents who have shared uh with me that they also want to see something iconic, they want to see this area revitalized and really uh be a state of the art of development, you know.

And I think the way forward that you present it gives that opportunity.

Thank you, Ms.

Bowie.

Any other discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, we'll take a roll call vote on the amendment and then open up the public hearing.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie, aye, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Joast.

Aye.

Council President Haker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The amendment is approved.

All right.

Uh, for all of our public hearings, including this one, uh, we'll open the public hearing.

We'll ask folks who want to testify to come on up to the front.

You can stand right in front of those two microphones.

You do not need to adjust them.

They'll pick you up just fine.

Uh, you'll have two minutes to testify, start with your name and where you're coming from.

Two minutes goes by fast.

My job is to keep you on time.

It's not fun or easy, but it's it's the glory in the big bucks.

Um, and uh at the end, when you're done, make sure to sign in.

Uh so with that, welcome up.

President Naker, members of the council, Alan Torstenson, 1555 Branston Street in St.

Paul.

With the proposed amendment to replace objective height tiering language for the UC district with vague subjective language, it would be unclear what meets the tiering requirement in state Merca rules.

For larger buildings, decisions on conformance with the Turing requirement would be referred to the planning commission for consideration and public hearing as part of the site plan review process.

So that subjective review would happen whether or not there's a conditional use permit or if it's done through site plan review.

I think it's better to keep the objective height language recommended by the planning commission to automatically approve most structures for conformance with the Mercaturing requirements and provide for a conditional use permit in the few cases where greater height is proposed.

Conditional use permits should be required for things that need subjective review.

That's their purpose.

A cup is the standard often used best way to prove permit additional height where subjective review is needed.

It's not onerous.

Thank you so much, and make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Uh we have lines going on both sides, so we'll just go alternate sides.

Yeah.

No, I use my elder elder for this back.

Uh oh, thank you.

I uh am Kiki Sanan from 1758 Hewitt Avenue in St.

Paul, and I'm here for um representing the St.

Paul Bird Alliance.

The um the matter is uh the same as the at last hearing.

The annual loss of one billion birds to window collisions in the U.S.

is an ecological catastrophe.

However, an under-reported consequence of our urban environment's brutality towards birds is the harm to our individuals and collective well-being.

When its residents are subjected with regularity to the suffering and death of animals, the city has no basis to tout its livability.

The proposed version has removed the bird safe requirements in an earlier draft that was authored by our esteemed uh Alan Torstenson.

The city administration proposed language to include only recommendations to study a citywide bird safe policy.

And uh that's the study you're talking about a little bit.

We agree that studies can help local governments make policy decisions based on uh uh uh uh available data, but American cities that have already implemented bird safe zoning and building codes like Madison, Wisconsin, and uh San Francisco and so forth, they've they've proven that it works.

The the um growing consensus that of updating building and zoning codes to include protections for migratory birds is a common sense approach to designing livable cities.

We should not have to encounter dead and dying birds on our sidewalks.

Many of our city problems do not have clear, feasible solutions.

They don't have uh provide meaningful benefits to the city and its people, but bird window collision problems have an easy solution.

Put bird safe features into our zoning and building codes is the answer.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Good evening, council president and council members.

My name is Dr.

Bibi Newman, and I am a Ramsey County resident who attends the cathedral, the St.

Paul Cathedral, and whose eldest child is a student at Hamlin University, right here in the city.

I live in St.

Anthony Village, a small suburb, but what happened in St.

Paul on November 25th concerns me deeply because the safety of our immigrant neighbors, our students, and our journalists is not confined to city borders.

The choices made here ripple across the entire region.

I'm so sorry, I'm gonna have to stop you for just a minute.

Can we stop the time?

So just to be clear, we are required to hear public testimony on the item that's in front of us.

So I'm gonna need you in the next minute and a half of your testimony to tie in to the item in front of us, which is the Mississippi River corridor critical area.

We can't have a public hearing just about any topic.

So please continue.

The choices made here ripple across the entire region, including the public corridor of the Mississippi.

On November 25th, community members and journalists gathered in Paint Fallon out of fear for an immigrant neighbor targeted by ice.

What they encountered instead was chemical irritants, tear gas, rubber projectile rounds, and chaos.

Reporters clearly marked as press were shot with less lethal munitions.

One was hospitalized, others, including residents simply holding space, felt burning eyes, difficulty breathing, and the terror of excessive force.

As someone who prays weekly in the city, whose child walks St.

Paul's streets to attend classes, including the river, and who relies on journalists to help us understand what government actors are doing in our name.

I'm alarmed that St.

Paul police, knowingly or not, contributed to harm during a federal immigration action.

I appreciate that the city council has called for an outside investigation.

But an investigation alone is not accountability.

I'm asking you to take these next steps.

Full transparency, release all body worn camera footage, radio traffic, and after action reports.

Protection of cons of constitutional rights.

Ensure journalists and peaceful observers are never again targeted with projectiles or gas.

Clear boundaries with ice, reaffirm and enforce the city separation ordinance.

So community trust is not fractured by federal entanglement.

Reinsurance reassurance.

That is time.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up as a reminder, this is a hearing about the Mississippi River Critical Corridor Area Ordnance.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Hi, uh St.

Paul City Council.

Thanks for having me to speak on this matter.

I'm Cheyenne Violet.

I am a Lower Town resident, and I am here to emphasize previous comments that you have all made in regarding the tiered height limitation restrictions in the Planning Commission's updates to the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area Program.

I'm in support of and agree with the City Council's decision to amend the height limitation restrictions in favor to be more alignment with the city staff's recommendations.

As President Naker proposed, I echo that these height limitations offer more obstacles that would stagnate progress for a more thriving, vibrant, dense and lively downtown metropolitan area.

Buildings that exist today, such as the Science Museum, would not, and projects including Ramsey County's River Edge, would have the opportunity to revitalize downtown and grow the public realm, but may not come to fruition with these restrictions in place.

So thank you for this amendment.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

All right.

Last call for anyone here to testify on the Mississippi River Critical Corridor Area Ordinance.

Looks like there is no one.

So I will take a motion very quick comment.

On the Mississippi River Critical Corridor area.

Yeah, I actually just have like a question.

Okay, stop.

We're not gonna answer questions, but you can testify name and where you're coming from, and then you'll have two minutes.

I'm Sophia Lipsad Dean.

Um I live in Minneapolis, but I work and grew up in St.

Paul.

Um, I'm just wondering if the Dakota community has been discussed with or if there's a plan to involve them with this ordinance and sort of where that where that all is.

Um it's hard to know sort of where you're coming from with this without knowing if you've had conversation with them, and I think anything related to the Mississippi River, they need to be involved in that discussion.

So that was it.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate that.

Make sure to sign in.

Okay, anyone else here to testify on this item.

All right, I'm gonna make a motion to close the public hearing and then make some comments.

Uh, so move to close the public hearing.

Roll call, please.

Yay.

Hi.

Hi.

Coleman.

Hi.

Johnson.

Hi.

Joe's Council President Acre.

Hi.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed.

Uh, I want to thank everyone for coming out to testify.

Um, and actually, I think um the question that was just asked at the end, Mr.

Johnson.

We have we have a staff person here who um I think it might be helpful to connect with the testifier just now, um, because I think that's a great question, and I know that our um our staff has done extensive work on this and engaged with um many different communities, and I appreciate you bringing up um the need to engage with the uh Dakota community as well.

I want to um I want to say, first of all, in terms of the bird safe glass that many folks have mentioned, we did talk about this two weeks ago at the public hearing, but I think it's important to note that um the fact that we initiated a study of bird safe glass is is not um is not inaction on that issue.

It is actually the opposite.

So in order to pass good policy, we need to be informed about what the implications of that policy is and also um having it not be tied to Merca means that we can have bird safe glass in other parts of the city, which I think might be the intent um of those who support this as well.

So I did hear very clearly the call to not elongate this process and not have a study be a delay tactic, and I think that that is very well taken by this body.

Um but I just wanted to note that that um we we are studying that, we are moving that forward.

We are um not adopting it today, but that doesn't mean that we are not um taking the next step on that process.

We are not gonna vote today.

This is gonna have to lay over for another week um for final adoption because we did make a substantive change today.

Um, but I would look to just see if my colleagues have any other comments before we let it lay over for another week.

Not seeing any.

All right, yep.

The item is laid over to December 10th for final adoption.

Item number 43 is uh second reading public hearing of ordinance 25-78, establishing chapter 15 of the administrative code to establish and define structured quarterly reporting requirements for certain personnel vacancies and overtime utilization.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Number 43.

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Bowie to close the public hearing and lay the matter over till December 10th for final adoption.

Roll call, please.

Yang aye, Bowie, aye, Coleman.

Aye, Johnson, aye, Joast, Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed, and the ordinance is laid over to December 10th for final adoption.

Item number 44 is resolution public hearing 25-252, amending the home project budgets to reflect the earned 2024 home program income of 3,356 or $3,356.60.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Coleman to close the public hearing and approve.

Uh roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 45 is resolution public hearing 25-258.

Approving the adoption of a second amended restated spending plan for various tax increment financing districts.

And let's say this is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Joast to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Jost.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 46 is resolution public hearing 25-259.

Amending the 2025 regional water services budget resulting in an increase in spending and financing of $600,000 for urgent 2024 lead pipe replacements.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Yang to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 47 has been withdrawn.

Item number 48 is resolution public hearing 25-264, approving a five-year reconstruction plan street reconstruction plan for the fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and granting preliminary approval to the issuance of to the to issuance of certain general obligation street reconstruction bonds by the city.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Bowie to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Kim.

Or Joast.

Aye.

Council President Daker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 49 is resolution public hearing 25-271.

Amending the financing and spending plans in the fire department for the in the amount of 29,333 and 99 cents for the Minnesota Task Force 1 reimbursement from the city of Edina and accepting the donation of conference registration.

Always a good day when we take money from the city of E Dinah.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Coleman to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Jost.

Aye.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 50 is resolution public hearing 25-272, amending the financing and spending plans in the fire department and the amount of $4,500 from the Minneapolis Fire Department.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Jost to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 51 is resolution public hearing 25-273.

Amending the fire department's financing plan to transfer funds from the HRA to the fire department for Catholic Charities response work.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Yang to close the public hearing and approve.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 52 is resolution public hearing 25-274.

Amending the general city general fund to budget to budget a transfer in in of available balances from the HRA.

And I'm going to move the updated version.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

We should do the motion.

We're gonna uh vote on the motion.

Yes.

I'm gonna okay.

We're gonna vote on the updated version.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Aye.

Council President Nakers.

Aye.

Six in favor, none.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The amendment is approved.

Oh wait.

But we have to do that.

This is a public hearing.

Yes.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none.

I'll take a motion from Ms.

Joast to close the public hearing and approve the updated version.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Buoy.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Joast.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted as amended.

And the public hearing is closed.

Um legislative hearing consent agenda items 53 and 54 before you for your consideration.

Ms.

Marmont.

Oh, you're right there.

That was weird.

Ta-da.

Council President.

Uh there are there's only going to be uh an ask on item number 54, which is to continue the public hearing till next week.

No other change.

Okay.

Uh I'll take a motion from Ms.

Yang to continue the public hearing on number 54 to next week.

I might need to read.

Does that need to be does that need to be read separately?

Or is that just part of the consent agenda?

Part of consent.

Okay.

So we can take them together.

Okay.

So we're gonna hold a public hearing on both items 53 and 54.

If you're here for either of those items, this is your public hearing.

Okay, take a motion from Ms.

Yang to close the public hearing, except for 54, where we're continuing, where we're following legislative hearing officers' recommendation.

And otherwise approve 53.

Yep.

Roll call, please.

Yang.

Aye.

Bowie.

Aye.

Coleman.

Aye.

Johnson.

Oh.

Hi.

Council President Naker.

Oh, Joast.

Aye.

Council President Naker.

Aye.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The legislative hearing consent agenda is adopted as amended.

For those of you who can't see, uh, we have uh Isaiah joining us for the end of our meeting.

It's very exciting.

Good.

Um, all right, that brings us to the end of our agenda.

That's the best good news that I could imagine.

But is there any other good news around the table?

Ms.

Coleman.

And then Ms.

Joost.

Thank you.

Um, as we have talked so much today about our wonderful district councils, just wanted to share that the Union Park District Council is holding their annual meeting tonight.

It is open to all lovers of Union Park and I guess probably specifically residents, but um that'll be at the Spirit Street Center from 7 o'clock to 9 o'clock.

Thank you so much.

Uh Ms.

Jost.

Um, I wanted to share uh actually I realize this event is in your words.

Um sorry, but um the grand meander is is this weekend on December 6th.

It's also in my um and and so it's basically a big event by the Grand Avenue Business Association and our district councils where um there's uh you know Santa and Hot Chocolate and all the businesses are open and sometimes you know serve different tastings or just different events and um it's something I look forward to every year at the Cats and Coffee Shop, which is new um almost coming up on a year.

They had I think they were alpaca, not llamas.

I should know that, but they were dressed up and you should you should definitely know that.

They were dressed up and you can you can meet them and so it's just such a wonderful event.

You can also ride the trolley and listen to um listen to uh staff from the Red Bull in the bookshop, read a book.

So that's this weekend from 11 to 3, really at multiple spots along along Grand.

So anywhere you you go, there will be something to do.

Great.

Thanks, Ms.

Joast.

Uh Ms.

Yang.

Thanks, Council President.

Care for all is a business in the east side, and they're hold hosting a youth coat drive for coats, hats, gloves, socks, and boots for use in all sizes, K through twelve.

They're also accepting gift cards for purchasing additional winter gear and other items.

So if you have any items to drop off, please do so on December 13th at 925 Pain Avenue Suite B3.

Any other good news?

Thank you.

Um, I just can't stop smiling looking at Isaiah.

So that's that's my good news.

All right.

Uh with that, thank you all for a great meeting, a productive budget season, and we are adjourned.