OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Housing and Redevelopment Authority Meeting - December 17, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, December 17, 2025
BodySt Paul, Minnesota
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, December 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 34:30

Transcript — Verbatim
2:03

The meeting of the housing and redevelopment authority to order roll call, please.

2:08

Louie, Coleman, Johnson, Joast, Kim, Naker, Yang.

2:15

Chair Johnson is excused.

2:17

Commissioners Bowie and Coleman are excused.

2:20

For present item number one, resolution 251963.

2:28

Resolution and appreciation of Paul Dubriel's 30 years of service to the city of St.

2:33

Paul.

2:35

Well, the first few items on our agenda today are recognizing folks that are um retiring here at the city of St.

2:42

Paul.

2:42

And so this resolution is to recognize Paul and Paul is not here today, but we will be sharing um a resolution with with Paul separately.

2:50

And so I'm really excited to uh recognize the folks and really appreciate their contributions um to our city.

2:57

So thank you.

2:59

Is there any discussion?

3:00

We're gonna actually think what we'll do, we're gonna save our discussion for the third item because we do have we do have uh Marie here with us today.

3:06

So that's that's what we'll plan to do.

3:07

That's all right.

3:08

Um so with that I'll take a motion from Council Vice President uh Kim to approve.

3:14

All in favor say aye.

3:15

Aye.

3:16

All those opposed.

3:17

Four in favor, none opposed.

3:19

The resolution is adopted.

3:20

Item number two, resolution 25-1976, recognizing Ross Courier's 11-year career with the Department of Planning and Economic Development.

3:31

Uh so again, this is a resolution that's recognizing uh Ross for all of his contributions to our city.

3:37

Um again, uh Ross is not here, but we will be giving Ross the resolution separately and really appreciate uh Ross's work.

3:45

So uh I'll take a motion from Councilmember Yang to approve this item.

3:49

All in favor say aye.

3:50

Aye.

3:51

All those opposed.

3:52

Four in favor, none opposed.

3:55

The resolution is adopted.

3:56

Item number three, resolution 25-1972.

4:01

Recognizing Marie Franchette for an extraordinary career with the city of St.

4:06

Paul and congratulating her on her retirement.

4:10

Um so this is a resolution to recognize Marie and her retirement, and I will turn it over to Director McMahon.

4:18

Sure, thank you so much.

4:20

I am so glad that Maria is here, and we are able in person to recognize her and celebrate her accomplishments and work with the city.

4:26

Um, I will read the actual resolution rather than describing the things because it's pretty amazing the breadth and the depth of the work that Marie has done.

4:34

So I want to make sure to go through and to note that.

4:36

But I also just wanted to note that I think it's a great um such a great example that you've led through the city, through the department, in the work you've done, not just in the outcomes, and we can talk a lot about the outcomes, but in who you are and how you are to work with.

4:51

And I know that has been deeply and greatly appreciated from colleagues that I have heard from about you, even before I came to PED and went in PD.

5:00

So thank you, not just again for the good work and for the outcomes, but for who you are, how you've showed up, and what you've done to help people in the city.

5:07

You know, I've heard a lot when former council president Amy Bremmolen would talk to folks and say, you know, you never really leave the city.

5:15

You are you're always part of the city.

5:17

But when you go around the city and particularly in the work you've done where there is this like physical manifestation of it, that you take the time and the opportunity, and maybe around the holidays, you can go look at holiday lights, but also go look at all of the work that you've done and you've contributed to it and be able to point at that and say, you know, I know stuff about that because I worked on it and I know the background and the history, and and I had a hand and I was part of leading that effort.

5:40

So thank you so much for that.

5:42

And I would like to formally present you with something to recognize your time with the city.

5:49

And I would like if the opportunity to read through it so we can all we can all hear exactly that breadth and depth of experience and work that Marie brought.

5:57

So recognizing Marie Franchette for an extraordinary career with the City of St.

6:00

Paul and congratulating her on her retirement.

6:03

Whereas Marie has had a long career in public service, starting at a nonprofit community organization in Chicago, providing economic development services before starting at the City of St.

6:13

Paul.

6:13

And whereas Marie's project management career and planning and economic development from 1992 to 2025 spanned the administrations of Mayors Norm Coleman, Randy Kelly, Chris Coleman, and Melvin Carter III.

6:26

And whereas Marie, known for her tough but fair negotiation skills, has worked on large scale redevelopment projects that involve the coordination of not only private developers, but several other city departments, such as parks and public works.

6:39

And whereas Marie has managed scores of projects representing tens of millions of dollars in public investment and hundreds of millions of dollars in total development costs, resulting in the creation and preservation of economic development opportunities and critically needed affordable housing for St.

6:55

Paul businesses and residents.

6:57

And whereas Marie was a PED project lead for the development of Alleans Field, she coordinated multiple organizations and stakeholders on public improvements, a stormwater treatment facility, land conveyance, and privately owned public park agreement, and transportation management plan for game days.

7:13

And whereas Marie, a dedicated environmentalist who advocates for climate resiliency and equity through UNITOS, Minnesota, was instrumental in the development of the first affordable passive house multifamily building in St.

7:25

Paul called Verdant, located in the Westside Flats.

7:28

This award-winning project demonstrated that a very high level of energy efficiency is achievable in affordable housing developments.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████33%
Personnel Matters█████████████████████21%
Procedural███████████████15%
Economic Development██████████████14%
Public Works████████8%
Housing███████7%
Environmental Protection██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Housing and Redevelopment Authority Meeting - December 17, 2025

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) convened to recognize three long-serving city employees, approve a flood mitigation resolution on HRA property, review the 2025 Year-End Report, and authorize the Grand Victoria Redevelopment Project Area. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to celebrating the 34-year career of Marie Franchette, with commissioners expressing deep appreciation for her contributions to affordable housing and city development.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution 251963: Adopted unanimously (4-0) to recognize Paul Dubriel's 30 years of service to the City of St. Paul (motion by Council Vice President Kim). Note will be shared with Dubriel separately.
  • Resolution 25-1976: Adopted unanimously (4-0) to recognize Ross Courier's 11-year career with the Department of Planning and Economic Development (PED) (motion by Councilmember Yang). Note will be shared with Courier separately.
  • Resolution 25-1966: Adopted unanimously (4-0) supporting the Ramsey, Washington Metro Watershed District Flood Mitigation and Green Space Improvement Project on HRA owned property (motion by Councilmember Yang).
  • Resolution 25-2027 (Item 5 in transcript, referenced as staff report): The 2025 HRA Year-End Report was presented by Director McMahon; no separate vote was taken on the report itself as it was for informational purposes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Marie Franchette (HRA Employee Retiring): Expressed gratitude for the 32 years spent with the HRA and the City of St. Paul. She described the work as "challenging but really rewarding," specifically highlighting recent efforts in affordable housing. She voiced confidence in the current housing team's ability to move projects forward. She noted appreciation for the HRA commissioners' diligence in understanding complex redevelopment issues and asked challenging questions. She expressed sadness at leaving but excitement to spend more time with family, hiking, and skiing in retirement.
  • Council President Naker: Stated she is not ready to end the day due to the bittersweet nature of the recognition. She thanked Marie for being an "incredible building block" for the city, praising her role in ensuring dignified, affordable, and high-quality housing. She acknowledged the support of HRA members and staff.
  • Councilmember Joast: Complimented Marie's "tough but fair negotiation skills," recalling a specific early instance where she successfully pushed back to extend affordability from 30 to 50 years on a project. He emphasized that one could see dozens of projects from City Hall that would not exist without her work.
  • Councilmember Kim: Expressed appreciation for the breadth of projects reviewed in the resolution, noting the impact of hundreds of housing units on city goals. As an engineer, she highlighted the value of seeing physical manifestations of one's work and the role Marie played in shaping the city.
  • Council President Nick: Shouted out the inheritance fund team for a recent successful celebration and the commercial corridor program for direct on-the-ground impact. He expressed a future hope to see more reporting on job and business attraction as the city continues its housing growth.
  • Councilmember Yang: Thanked the entire PED team, including developers and staff, for their support in completing projects. He requested a future briefing on the status of the "Healthy Homes" and "Power of Homes" programs.
  • Councilmember Naker (Second comment): Expressed excitement about the progress at the Highland Bridge construction site (Block 2) and the commercial corridor program's impact on district councils and community members. He also noted his appreciation for staff support during his temporary role as HRA Chair.

Discussion Items

  • Recognition of Marie Franchette: Director McMahon read Resolution 25-1972, detailing Franchette's career from 1992 to 2025. Highlights included:
    • Management of scores of projects with tens of millions in public investment.
    • Leadership on major projects including Alleans Field, the Verdant affordable passive house (Westside Flats), 431 new housing units at Westside Flats, Penn Field (254-unit mixed-use), and the redevelopment of City House.
    • Specific accolades for her "tough but fair" negotiation skills and mentorship.
    • Council President Naker and Councilmember Joast verbally recounted specific instances of Franchette's effective negotiation strategies.
    • Councilmember Kim (as Chair) noted that Chair Johnson (excused) had also prepared for this recognition.
  • 2025 HRA Year-End Report: Director McMahon presented the report, covering:
    • Bond Rating & Audits: Successful maintenance of bond rating and successful third-party audits.
    • Housing Projects: Openings of The Williams (90 units), The Harkin (60 units), and Marshall Avenue Flats (98 units) alongside completions like Kimball Court and Mary Hall.
    • Preservation: Refinancing at Jackson Street Village and subordination at Sibley Park/Court preserving 243 units for 30 years.
    • Grants & Homeownership: $2.3 million+ in pass-through grants and $1.1 million committed in down payment assistance.
    • Development Sites: Ongoing work at United Village (Highland Bridge progress, hotel construction next year) and Habitat for Humanity home sales.
    • Land Disposition: Updates on the strategy for HRA-owned land, including map updates following a cyber attack.
    • Economic Support: Relocation grants for Madison Equities tenants and the rapid launch of the Commercial Corridor Organization Assistance Program (18 contracts executed).
    • Sustainability: Compliance with sustainable building ordinances and weatherization programs.
  • Grand Victoria Redevelopment Project: Discussion regarding Resolution 25-1960, authorizing the establishment of the Grand and Victoria Redevelopment Project Area, a TIF district, and an HRA budget amendment. Councilmember Bowie opposed the item, while the rest of the board expressed support for the plan.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution 25-1972 Adopted: Unanimous approval (4-0) to recognize Marie Franchette's extraordinary career and retirement after 34 years of public service.
  • Resolution 25-1960 Adopted: Approved (5-1) to establish the Grand Victoria Redevelopment Project Area and execute the Tax Increment Financing District plans. The single opposition came from Councilmember Bowie.
  • Strategic Directives:
    • Councilmember Yang requested a briefing on the status of "Healthy Homes" and "Power of Homes" programs for the next meeting.
    • Council President Naker noted the need for future reporting on job creation and business attraction alongside housing development.
  • Meeting Adjournment: The HRA meeting was adjourned following the vote on Resolution 25-1960.

Meeting Transcript

The meeting of the housing and redevelopment authority to order roll call, please. Louie, Coleman, Johnson, Joast, Kim, Naker, Yang. Chair Johnson is excused. Commissioners Bowie and Coleman are excused. For present item number one, resolution 251963. Resolution and appreciation of Paul Dubriel's 30 years of service to the city of St. Paul. Well, the first few items on our agenda today are recognizing folks that are um retiring here at the city of St. Paul. And so this resolution is to recognize Paul and Paul is not here today, but we will be sharing um a resolution with with Paul separately. And so I'm really excited to uh recognize the folks and really appreciate their contributions um to our city. So thank you. Is there any discussion? We're gonna actually think what we'll do, we're gonna save our discussion for the third item because we do have we do have uh Marie here with us today. So that's that's what we'll plan to do. That's all right. Um so with that I'll take a motion from Council Vice President uh Kim to approve. All in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed. Four in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item number two, resolution 25-1976, recognizing Ross Courier's 11-year career with the Department of Planning and Economic Development. Uh so again, this is a resolution that's recognizing uh Ross for all of his contributions to our city. Um again, uh Ross is not here, but we will be giving Ross the resolution separately and really appreciate uh Ross's work. So uh I'll take a motion from Councilmember Yang to approve this item. All in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed. Four in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item number three, resolution 25-1972. Recognizing Marie Franchette for an extraordinary career with the city of St. Paul and congratulating her on her retirement. Um so this is a resolution to recognize Marie and her retirement, and I will turn it over to Director McMahon. Sure, thank you so much. I am so glad that Maria is here, and we are able in person to recognize her and celebrate her accomplishments and work with the city. Um, I will read the actual resolution rather than describing the things because it's pretty amazing the breadth and the depth of the work that Marie has done. So I want to make sure to go through and to note that. But I also just wanted to note that I think it's a great um such a great example that you've led through the city, through the department, in the work you've done, not just in the outcomes, and we can talk a lot about the outcomes, but in who you are and how you are to work with. And I know that has been deeply and greatly appreciated from colleagues that I have heard from about you, even before I came to PED and went in PD. So thank you, not just again for the good work and for the outcomes, but for who you are, how you've showed up, and what you've done to help people in the city. You know, I've heard a lot when former council president Amy Bremmolen would talk to folks and say, you know, you never really leave the city. You are you're always part of the city. But when you go around the city and particularly in the work you've done where there is this like physical manifestation of it, that you take the time and the opportunity, and maybe around the holidays, you can go look at holiday lights, but also go look at all of the work that you've done and you've contributed to it and be able to point at that and say, you know, I know stuff about that because I worked on it and I know the background and the history, and and I had a hand and I was part of leading that effort. So thank you so much for that. And I would like to formally present you with something to recognize your time with the city. And I would like if the opportunity to read through it so we can all we can all hear exactly that breadth and depth of experience and work that Marie brought. So recognizing Marie Franchette for an extraordinary career with the City of St. Paul and congratulating her on her retirement.

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