Okay.

Yeah, we're here.

Call the meeting of the St.

Paul City Council to order.

Roll call, please.

Coleman.

Here.

Kim.

Here.

Yang.

Here.

Bowie?

Here.

Joast.

Here.

Johnson.

Council President Acre.

Here.

Six present, one absent, that being Councilmember Johnson, and she is expected shortly, I believe.

Um welcome everyone to our city council meeting.

Thank you for joining us.

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

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under guide.

Liberty and Justice to all.

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

And I'm gonna pull item five for separate consideration.

Is there anything else to come off of consent?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Vice President Yang to approve the balance of the consent agenda.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Six in favor, none opposed.

The consent agenda is adopted as amended.

Item number five is resolution 26-505, approving a liquor on sale, liquor on sale, Sunday, liquor on sale 2 a.m.

closing an entertainment B new location license application from Lux Event Planning and Decor LLC doing business as the Ivory for the Premises located at 1259 Street East Unit 127.

And I uh appreciate my colleagues being willing to consider this separately.

I just want to introduce a version two, which makes a technical correction as to the fact that um notice was actually not required for this.

It had previously said that notice was sent, but that was not the case because notice isn't required for this type of um use.

So um I would move version two.

Any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, six in favor, none opposed, the resolution is adopted as amended.

Take a motion from Councilmember Bowie to suspend the rules to consider resolution 26-535.

All in favor of suspending the rules, say aye.

Aye.

All posed.

Six in favor, none opposed, the rules are suspended.

Resolution 26-535, declaring April 7th as National Black Bookstore Day.

Miss Bowie.

Good afternoon, colleagues.

So today I am just so proud to introduce this resolution recognizing April 7th as the National Black Bookstore Day here in the city of St.

Paul.

And also wanna recognize my longtime uh mentor, scholar from Rondo, an author, entrepreneur, Dr.

Artica Tiner, who's the founder of Planting People Growing Justice Bookstore, who I had the pleasure of joining um during her opening of the new little free library right there at her home, and also have several of her books in Ward One's office and part of my library collection.

And we have also have shared some of her books with the Divine Nine on Fraternity and Sororities during our Black History Month resolution resolution.

So before I even move to the resolution, I would like to read the resolution and invite Dr.

Tiner here to share a couple brief remarks.

So the declaring April 7th as National Black Bookstore Day, whereas the rich cultural heritage of the United States is deeply shaped by black storytellers, scholars, publishers, and entrepreneurs who have preserved, published, and shared knowledge through literature and community institutions.

And whereas throughout history, African Americans have made significant contributions to the culture, economy, and social fabric of our country, and have played an integral role in shaping the independent bookstore industry, even though black owned bookstores represent less than eight percent of all booksellers in the United States.

Whereas book black owned bookstores have long served as a vital institutions for education, activism, cultural expression, civic dialogue, and economic empowerment, especially during periods when mainstream institutions excluded or ignored black voices.

And whereas since the 19th century, black visionary entrepreneurs have established bookstores that became sacred spaces for intellectual growth, cultural preservation, and political engagement, including David Ruggles bookstore established in 1834, George Young's Young's Book Exchange, established in 1915, Louis Mashut's African National Memorial Bookstore established in 1932, Marshall's Music and Bookstore 1938, Hakeem's Bookstore 1959, Marcus Books 1960, Liberation Bookstore 1967, and Who Meant Human, excuse me, bookstore and cafe 1984.

And whereas from the 1960s through the 1990s, black owned bookstores served as epicenters of community organizing, education, artistic expression, and historic preservation within African American communities nationwide.

And whereas the number of black owned bookstores declined significantly over recent decades, from more than 325 in 1999 to just 54 in 2014, many operating under substantial financial strain.

And whereas in recent years, renewed national attention to racial equity and community investment has contributed to the resurgence of black owned bookstores, with nearly 300 operating across the United States today.

And whereas Georgia, Mother Rose West, born April 7th, 1949, she's an Aries, y'all.

Okay, founded Underground Books in Sacramento, California, where it became a treasured gathering place for literature, learning and community, and her legacy inspired the establishment of National Black Bookstore Day in her honor.

And whereas a National Association of Black Bookstores, founded on Juneteenth in 2025, works to promote literacy, amplify black voices, and strengthen the sustainability and visibility of black owned bookstores nationwide.

Whereas within St.

Paul, Minnesota, Planting People and Growing Justice, founded in 2017 by Dr.

Artica Renee Tiner, has served the community by hosting author talks, book launches, and intergenerational dialogue events that center diverse voices and lived experiences.

It actively supports youth literacy initiatives through reading programs, culturally responsive book access, and partnerships with local schools, libraries, and community organizations.

Beyond bookselling, it creates intentional space for cultural dialogue and civic engagement, fostering conversations around equity, education, and leadership development, and stands as a vital cultural and economic anchor in the community.

And the last whereas recognizing National Black Bookstore Day each year on April 7th provides an opportunity to honor the legacy, resilience, and ongoing contributions of Black owned bookstores locally and nationally.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the St.

Paul City Council hereby proclaims April 7th, 2026 and April 7th thereafter as National Black Bookstore Day and encourages all residents to celebrate and support Black owned bookstores through patronage, partnership, and participation in the cultural and civic life they helped to sustain.

So thank you so much for this resolution and leading on this initiative, Dr.

Tiner.

I'm gonna welcome you to the stand.

Welcome.

Thank you.

I'm honored to be here today.

I just want to thank City Council for your hard work and diligence.

As we look at the future, black owned bookstores are anchored in two key areas.

They offer the ability to not only dream but also lead.

If we look at the history of black-owned bookstores and David Ruggles' legacy, 1834, we stand here almost two centuries later.

And yes, we did hear about the opportunities where we can continue to grow the number of black-owned bookstores and our impact.

But what is more important is that power of dreaming.

He was dreaming of the power of liberation.

Today we dream of the books that help open minds and hearts to infinite possibilities.

We also lead in the face of adversity, black booksellers and black bookstores are at the forefront of social change.

Why do I say that?

We have three locally owned bookstores here in my hometown of St.

Paul, Minnesota.

We have Baby Stocks, uh Bookstore, Baby Cakes, I'm sorry, bookstacks, uh, Black Garnet, and of course, Planting People Growing Justice, which I founded and represent today.

In the face of challenges like book deserts, we help to create those gardens of hope through the power of books.

We help in Mayor Hurst's legacy to continue to bring forth an open business of Minnesota and an open business of St.

Paul, we are part of the economic engine.

But more importantly, we lead social change.

And I want us to acknowledge why Planting People Growing Justice was created in 2017.

We have roughly about 18% of young people who look like me that can read in our school system.

Only about 34% across the board.

Here is our opportunity.

Bookstores to be those anchors of change where young people, families, and community come together to discover joy in reading and build a culture of strength and power.

So we thank you today, and we acknowledge with National Black Booksellers Day that this is an opportunity to celebrate reading culture and change.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

And thank you, Councilmember Bowie, for your leadership and bringing this forward.

It's really an honor to get to honor you today and black booksellers all across the country.

Absolutely.

So thank you so much.

We understand what the impact of this work.

I just asked before we move to adopt uh this resolution, which seems like we have some support across the board.

If uh if my colleagues will like to join me with a picture with Dr.

Tyner.

Yes.

Okay, maybe all right.

Thank you.

Yes, absolutely.

And Peter has the host for lessons.

All right, I'll take that as motion of approval from Ms.

Bowie.

Any discussion of the motion?

Ms.

Johnson.

I wasn't sure if I missed the comments uh, excuse me.

I am adjusting to motherhood.

So I appreciate the patience.

Um I just wanted to uh just take the moment to acknowledge uh Dr.

Tyner.

I have a lot of respect for her and her leadership and was really excited to see this item come through.

Um I also have a chance.

Yes.

Dr.

Turner, you mind coming back to the we just don't want to talk um over our backs.

You deserve these words.

Yay.

Okay, so I just wanted to share that I have a lot of dealer respect for you, both as a leader in our community, but also um I find a lot of truth and in your words, both on paper and in person.

And I know that there's a lot of things that you do outside of uh this um and outside of being an Arthur, and also just in general, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge your presence, your work, and to give you your flowers.

And if we haven't done a round of applause, we should because Dr.

Tyner is a herstery maker and truly someone that deserves and is deserving of her own book and her own life journey.

And so I just wanted to acknowledge you and ask for us to do a cheesy round of applause really quickly for her.

I think that's really important.

I think it's so important that when people come into the chambers that they are warmly welcomed, and especially with a woman of your stature.

And so um, you know, declaring April 7th as a national black bookstore day, I just want to share that I'm excited to stand in support of this.

Um April 7th has a pretty uh important date.

It is my brother's birthday for our family, but also something that um when you think about our black bookstores, they are and have always been places to buy books, but they're also spaces for truth telling, for cultural preservation, and community power.

At a time when black stories are too often challenged, restricted, and deemed too controversial, these spaces remain unapologetic and uplifting voices that must be heard.

And I have seen you do that time and time again, whether it's trips to Ghana and connecting, you know, our black American African American folks to uh their heritage and their roots and establishing your own roots and uh in many different ways.

Uh, this is about honoring that legacy and supporting that resilience and ensuring future generations continue to see themselves reflected in the stories that shape our world.

I can't tell you how excited I am to make sure that my son is able to read the words that you have scripted on paper and the importance of being able to see him and so many of our black students and black youth captured in pictures and stories and in testimony.

So I just wanted to give you your your flowers, say thank you for being here.

Um, and really excited that I didn't miss this item.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh, any other discussion of the motion.

Seeing none.

Oh, sorry, Miss Bowie.

And I understand I introduced the item, but I just want to just give um Dr.

Tyner her flowers in so many ways.

Um, she has just been a servant leader in so many ways.

Um, she also is my constituent when I think about her fierce advocacy for functional and responsive government.

She's someone who just ensures that this council is responsive and um engaged.

Um, when I think about my inspiration, even being a policymaker, it is because of Dr.

Tyner, her leadership, um, and her servitude to our communities that really inspires me and so many much so many more people to have uh a life in civics.

Um, and just you know, also wanted to uplift um her famous trips to um um um um Ghana.

She, you know, if you have been part of uh the group or the cohorts of leaders going to Ghana.

Um I I definitely want to just say if you have not, you know, look into investing and supporting um that exchange of culture, and also she is someone who is champion and leading St.

Paul as a cultural destination, and when we think about the arts and the culture and how St.

Paul's history is just a landmark um for so many people.

She is like going across the globe, telling the story of St.

Paul.

So again, um, I understand we're recognizing national black bookstores, but we also want to recognize the the leaders who are creating spaces for truth telling and justice.

So thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Bowie.

Thanks again for bringing this forward.

It's really it's really special.

Um, any further discussion of the motion?

Seeing none.

All in favor say aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number seven is final adoption of ordinance 26-17, administrative ordinance establishing the minimum qualifications of vacancy for the position of fire chief pursuant to the provisions of section 12.12 of the city charter that the public hearing was reopened at the last council meeting.

And this uh before we get into this item, this brings us to the public hearing section of our agenda.

Um so for all of the next items up until 13, these are public hearings.

So if you're here to testify on any of these items, we ask that when your item is called, you come to the front, stand in between the two microphones.

Um, you don't need to adjust them, they'll pick you up just fine.

You'll have two minutes to testify.

We ask that you start with your name and where you're coming from.

Um, the two minutes do go by quickly, but there's a timer right in front of you, and I'm here to help you keep to it also.

Um, and then when you're done testifying, please sign in on either side of the dais.

Um, so with that, this is item uh number seven.

We've actually already uh we had a public hearing about this.

We made an amendment and we um have the public continue the public hearing until today.

Um Ms.

Coleman, did you want to make any comments before we hold the public hearing?

I uh just wanted, well, I guess I will make the motion after the public hearing.

I'd like to lay this over for until our next meeting if possible for a final vote.

Okay.

So there will be a motion to lay this matter over um until next week, but we will uh hold the public hearing now.

So if you are here to testify on this item number seven, um this is your public hearing.

Please come on up.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, can you hear me?

Um my name is Kathy Quick.

Uh good afternoon, council members.

I am a resident of Ward 4.

I'm also a member of the organizing team of UNIDOS, Minnesota for Sanctuary Cities Policies, which has been advocating persistently to strengthen our sanctuary cities policies for almost a year.

I'm so sorry to interrupt you.

This is item seven, which is about the qualifications for our next fire chief.

Um I'm not speaking about that.

Thank you so much.

We may see you see you soon.

Um happens all the time, so don't worry.

All right, uh, so this is a public hearing about the fire chief qualifications.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Okay, seeing none, I will take a motion from Ms.

Coleman to close the public hearing and lay the matter over until uh April 15th for final adoption.

We don't meet next week.

Any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed, and the ordinance is laid over to April 15th for final adoption.

Item number eight is ordinance 26-19, adding chapter 44A to the administrative code to institute training, reporting, and re and programming related to the city's relationship with civil immigration laws and enforcement practices under administrative code chapter 44.

And before we call this public hearing, something I forgot to say before is that anything that is listed here as an ORD, which is short for ordinance, um, if it is here for a public hearing, that means that it's actually already had one reading in front of the council.

We all of our ordinances have three readings.

The first week, we have a staff report on what the ordinance is, what we're proposing.

The second week, we have a public hearing.

Um, and then the next week, the item can be adopted.

So at least three readings.

Sometimes we have more than that, as you just saw, we had a public hearing that was just continued to today, and and we'll take it up again in two weeks.

So sometimes the process takes longer, but anything that you're seeing here as an ordinance for public hearing has already had at least one hearing beforehand, and anything you see for final adoption, which I don't think we have any today, would have had at least two readings beforehand.

So, with that, uh, this is the public hearing for number eight.

If you're here for that item, please come on up.

Welcome back in some cases.

Thank you.

Hi.

Um I'm Kathy Quick.

I'm a resident of Ward 4 and a member of UNIOS Minnesota's organizing team on Sanctuary Cities, and we've been working with you persistently for about a year to improve our sanctuary cities policies.

So I really want to thank the city council, the city attorney's office, the staff of the city council as a whole, and also the city's policy team for really working persistently to improve these policies to be responsive to the community and for being good on your word to really work through this in a very thorough and deliberative way.

I'm also a tenured policy professor of public policy, and my specialization is community and police relationships.

Everything in my 12 years of experience working with a diverse array of constituents, community organizations, and law enforcement professionals all across the state and in fact internationally as well, makes me absolutely firmly convinced that there is nothing to be gained for anybody by having police involved in any way in law enforcement activities relating to federal immigration.

For that reason, I'm speaking in favor of this ordinance, which provides training for employees to prepare them with clear direction on how they may and may not interact with federal immigration policies and professionals.

I observed a training that the city attorney's office provided in January for this body about the sanctuary city policies that were in place at that time.

As he pointed out at that time, sanctuary city policies are not expressly about immigration policies.

Above all, they are about public safety.

One important thing that this ordinance adds to the previously existing policies is stronger standards for accountability.

The mechanisms for reporting and investigation of alleged violations are crucial.

The mechanisms for sharing those reports once they've been investigated are also crucial.

Basically, trust depends not only on doing the right thing, but also on fessing up when you mess up and being consistent with communication.

And in that regard, I want to point out that the Rose Street actions of the St.

Paul Police Department against residents and journalists were a real violation of that trust.

So it is my firm hope that in addition to this ordinance proper that the members of this council will continue to pursue a full investigation of that.

It comes as a great disappointment to me that may or her has declined to have an independent investigation of that.

Thank you.

But thank you for your work on this ordinance.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Sometimes we go side to side.

Up to you.

Hi, can you guys hear me?

We can.

Hello, council members.

My name is Laurel St.

Marie Jerusalem.

I live in Ward 7 in the Beaver Lake Heights neighborhood.

I'm also a volunteer leader with Unios, Minnesota.

On November 25th, 2025, ICE agents arrived on the 600 block of Rose Avenue East in Payne Fallon.

As people began to blow their whistles to alert their neighbors, a large crowd of constitutional observers began to form, and the St.

Paul Police Department was called to the scene for crowd control.

As the events unfolded, SPPD engaged in excessive use of force and direct violence towards peaceful St.

Paul residents.

For example, there's video footage of an officer spraying a chemical irritant into a disabled person's face, and then another officer pushing the person to the ground.

The two officers then jumped into an unmarked van and sped off.

Thankfully, residents took care of the injured person.

SPPD deployed Powerballs, chemical agents towards peaceful crowds where journalists are present.

They also knowingly injured three photojournalists with less lethal weapons, sponge bullets, and pepper bulb pepper balls.

At least one reporter was transported to the hospital.

And they violated the city's sanctuary ordinance by being directly helpful to ICE.

At a minimum, these few examples violated the First Amendment.

The St.

Paul Police Department needs increased scrutiny, oversight, public reporting options, and accountability so that we can enforce peace rather than rather than injustice and violence.

As residents, we deserve to have a police department which truly carries out its duties with courage, honor, and respect for all, and does not brutalize its people.

This is why I am in strong support for City Ordinance 2619.

Thank you, Council members.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Thank you, Council.

My name is Reverend Karen Herring.

I am a resident of Councilmember Kim's ward.

I speak in favor of ordinance 2619.

I was on site at the ICE raid on Rose Street on November 25th as a constitutional observer.

When I arrived, there were seven masked agents in front of the house wearing vests generically labeled police.

The front yard was marked off with yellow tape, reading police line do not cross, and a growing crowd of neighbors and constitutional observers was gathered in the street and neighboring yard.

They were blowing whistles and making noise, but remained outside of the taped area.

I spent time in both the front and the back of the house, and at no time did I witness the citizens posing a physical threat to the ICE officers.

Then reinforcements of additional ICE agents arrived wearing full gas masks and helmets, some carrying rifles and other weapons.

Their intention to intimidate was clear.

I said, I hope you are here to protect the citizens who are being peaceful and need your protection.

As the federal agents seem determined to escalate the situation.

One of the officers dismissed my request, saying, You'll have to speak to our higher ups.

We are only allowed to follow orders.

We all know what happened when the police entered the scene that day.

If their actions were indeed the orders they were given, then everyone involved from top to bottom might have benefited from greater clarity, better training, and more transparency around what city staff may and may not do when interacting with federal immigration agents and their encounters with city residents.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Hello.

My name is Jill Toll, and I'm a resident of Ward 6.

Um I'm reading a letter from my friend and neighbor, Ward 5, who's uh Caroline Hagen from Ward 5, who uh we're both in Pain Phelan.

Um she says, I've been a resident of Ward 5 for the last 11 years, and I can honestly say that I've never spoken face to face with a St.

Paul officer in that time until the day the ice came to the block of 600 Rose Avenue last November.

I had seen ICE agents hanging around the auto parts store near Payton, Maryland in the days before then, looking for random black and brown auto workers, most likely, who they could ask for citizenship papers and possibly pick up.

So it wasn't a surprise to hear that they were fixated on a house on Rose Avenue and that they were not giving any reason or showing any warrants that justified their presence there.

I was surprised that St.

Paul police officers were there in such huge numbers and that it was impossible to tell them from the ICE agents in many cases.

When I talked to them, they didn't want to answer questions that I had about who they were protecting and from whom.

When the incident was over, St.

Paul officers acting on behalf of ICE, threw gas bombs and sprayed rubber bullets at dozens of people.

I hope that St.

Paul police officers understand the damage they did that day, acting on behalf of the masked intruders to our area, and then gassing bystanders on the way out, as if they didn't work in this community, and as of the observers weren't the we're the enemy.

Before this day, I thought there was a vast difference between how an ICE agent might act versus how a trained police officer might act.

We have learned to expect ICE agents to act lawlessly and with disrespect.

I had no idea that it could come from the St.

Paul police.

Please pass this ordinance and give your constituents some hope that there's accountability in law enforcement and that police will work with residents and not against them.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

All right, and this uh last call.

If there's anyone here to testify on this item.

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

Coleman to close the public hearing.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed.

And just look to my colleagues to see if there are any comments.

I will say to everyone, thanks to everyone who came out to testify.

It is always a little bit anticlimactic because as I mentioned earlier, we uh we wait a week before we take the final vote on these items.

Um, but sometimes folks want to make comments while people are here.

So just looking to my colleagues.

See if that's the case.

Uh it doesn't look like it.

All right, thanks everyone so much for the testimony, and this will come back to us on April 15th.

The item is laid over to April 15th for final adoption.

Item number nine is ordinance 26-20, the leading chapter 54 of the legislative code pertaining to rental application fees.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Johnson to close the public hearing and have the matter lay over till April 15th.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed, and the ordinance is laid over to April 15th for final adoption.

Item number 10 is second reading public hearing of ordinance 26-21, updating chapter 13 of the administrative code pertaining to Department of Safety and Inspections.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Johnson to close the public hearing and lay the matter over till April 15th.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed and the ordinance is laid over to April 15th for final adoption.

Item number 11 is resolution public hearing 26-34, accepting grant funds authorizing execution of a grant agreement and amending the operating budget for the city sponsorship of a Metropolitan Council TBRA grant program for the benefit of Hams Brewery West End at 680 and 694 Mini Haha Avenue East.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Johnson to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 12 is resolution public hearing 26-35.

Accepting grant funds authorizing execution of a grant agreement and amending the operating budget for city sponsorship of a Metropolitan Council LCA seed grant for the benefit of Rondo Revitalized at 708 Marshall Avenue.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Bowie to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 13 is resolution public hearing 26-74.

Approving application of twin cities in motion for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for the get in gear event on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at 240 Summit Avenue outside the James J.

Hill House.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Bowie to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Legislative hearing consent agenda item number 14 is before you for your consideration.

Is there anyone here on 14, Ms.

Warn's?

Council President, there is no one here to testify on the legislative hearing agenda item.

We don't often have one agenda item for the legislative hearing.

That's why we're making a big deal about it, in case anyone cared.

Okay.

This is the public hearing on item 14.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Johnson to close the public hearing and approve the recommendation of legislative hearing officer.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

That brings us to the end of our agenda.

Um and one of the best parts of the week.

Any news from the wards?

Vice President Yang.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to share about the spring holiday carnival happening this Saturday, April 4th at the Arlington Hills Community Center.

It's from noon to 2 p.m.

There will be jumping castles, games, raffles, crafts, face painting, and egg hunt, free food and more.

Everyone's welcome and no registration is required.

Sounds like punt.

Other news from the wards.

Ms.

Kim.

Mine is not specific to the war, but yesterday was um trans day of visibility.

And I just want to uplift that every day.

I see my colleagues and myself work in solidarity with our trans community.

Yesterday also, the Supreme Court struck down Colorado's ability to enforce their banning conversion therapy.

And so I just want to reiterate to every um trans youth in our city and trans adults that um the violent attacks to erase you from public from the public realm, like we do not stand for here in St.

Paul.

You belong here, and your rights to medical, the gender affirming care and your right to medical care that matches who you are.

Um will be protected here in St.

Paul.

So happy trans day of visibility, um, which to me and this council I know to be every single day in our work.

So thank you, Ms.

Kim.

Well said.

Other news, Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

So I have two um good news and ward or not in ward one.

One in ward one and um the other one is in your ward, um, council president.

But I'll start off with the uh uh uh St.

Paul Public Schools or St.

Paul Public Library, excuse me, is sponsoring the Black Authors Expo.

Um it is on Saturday, April 18th from 11 a.m.

to 4 p.m.

inside of the George Latimer Central Library.

So it's open and free to the public.

I actually am so excited that it's hosted here in St.

Paul.

This might be the first year.

I uh made it to the inaugural Black Authors Expo, which was in Minneapolis.

So I was so happy to have it here.

It's an amazing event.

You get to meet a range of black authors all throughout the twin cities.

And the second event um in ward one is a second annual Halle Q Brown 97 year anniversary Friendsaver, uh, which is uh from taking place at Howie Q Brown, as you're aware, from 11 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

April 4th, which is this Saturday.

So there's gonna be live food or excuse me, live music.

Good food.

Sorry.

That's a whole different thing.

Whoa, not live food.

No, the food will be clipping.

Not healthy fresh food.

Um, tons of speakers.

Unfortunately, I will not be there, but I want to invite all my colleagues.

It's um tons of family friendly activities and a lot of surprises along the way.

Especially if the food turns out to be live.

I really hope it's not.

Um, we are not meeting next week because of spring break.

Um, and during that time, there actually are rec centers that are doing rec checks extended, so there is gonna be all day programming at Edgecombe Hazel Park and North Dale uh rec center, so arts and crafts and games um from 8 30 to 5 p.m.

for grades one through five.

It is ten dollars a day, but just wanting to put that out there for families who um like mine, you still come to work even though there's no council meeting, I'll still be here.

Um I think also just in addition, uh every year Battle Creek Rec Center has done a prom um a prom sale where they are able to donate prom dresses that have been used before, or just like also sometimes new prom dresses.

They are doing that at Hazel Park Rec Center this year, and so um they're really having things like dress and full-on suits, jewelry, shoes, ties for as low as five dollars.

Um, so if you know of some young people who just need to look nice for a night, you know, not everybody wants to go and spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that they're only gonna wear once.

I did, and then I never wore it again.

So, and and then I donated it to the prom sale.

So um it's uh starting on Monday, April 6th, uh, continuing on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

The hours vary, but it'll be at Hazel Park Rec Center.

And then last but not least, um, today the emergency rental assistance program did open up again for the city today, and tomorrow we're accepting applications um from St.

Paul residents.

And if you are someone who is right now living in St.

Paul and you know that this month is gonna be a challenging month for you, and you are in need of emergency rental assistance, you have a letter that you may have received from your landlord, and you fall within this 80% AMI threshold, which may surprise you is actually quite uh high when it comes to the income level for families, especially families of four and above.

Um, you might qualify, and you should take a check, uh checking it out at St.

Paul.gov slash E R A.

Um, if you have any questions, that's where you would go.

The applications are open today and tomorrow, and then they'll resume again um in the month of May and so forth.

It'll always be open on the first and the second of the month until the expenses are expended.

So if you're watching and that applies to you, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our office.

Thanks.

Thanks, Ms.

Johnson.

Appreciate your leadership on that, and also making it really clear that this is the time and uh and how folks can apply.

Any other news from the wards?

Seeing none, thanks for a great meeting.

We are adjourned.

How do you donate dresses?

Just drop it off.

Yeah, just drop it off and where is it again?