OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Saint Paul City Council Meeting: March 18, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, March 18, 2026
BodySt Paul, Minnesota
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, March 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:23:11

Transcript — Verbatim
2:06

St.

2:06

Paul City Council to order.

2:07

Roll call, please.

2:08

Johnson, Joast.

2:10

Kim.

2:10

Here.

2:10

Yang.

2:11

Here.

2:11

Bowie.

2:12

Coleman.

2:13

Here.

2:13

Council President Naker.

2:14

Here.

2:14

Five present, two absent, those being council members, Bowie and Johnson, and they are expected shortly.

2:19

Thank you to everyone for joining us for our city council meeting today.

2:22

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

2:27

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

2:32

Which fans, one nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

2:44

Is there anything to be taken for separate consideration?

2:48

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

2:52

All in favor say aye.

2:53

Hi.

2:53

All opposed?

2:54

Five in favor, none opposed.

2:56

The consent agenda is adopted.

2:58

Item number sixteen is resolution twenty-six-four sixty-one.

3:01

Recognizing Eid Alfatier and all Saint Paul residents who are celebrating the holiday.

3:07

Ms.

3:07

Kim.

3:08

Thank you.

3:09

Um, I'm very briefly going to read this into the record.

3:12

Um, and I just want to thank my LA Abdi Hamid for writing this for us.

3:16

Whereas the Muslim community of St.

3:18

Paul contributes to the civic and cultural fabric of our community, enriching our community through their entrepreneur entrepreneurship and service.

3:25

Whereas Ramadan is a time of heightened devotion and self-discipline in which Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset, cultivate gratitude, deepen their connection to faith and family, and renew their commitment to service and generosity.

3:39

And whereas Eidal Fatur is one of the two most sacred celebrations in Islam, marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.

3:49

Whereas in 2026, Adel Fatur is observed on Friday, March 20th, by Muslims around the world and throughout the city of St.

3:56

Paul, gathering to give thanks, celebrate with our family, perform acts of charity known as Sakat Al-Fatur, and attend communal prayers.

4:03

Whereas the city of St.

4:04

Paul is committed to celebrating the diversity of its residents, affirming the dignity of all faiths and cultures, and fostering a city where every resident feels welcomed and valued.

4:13

And now therefore be it resolved.

4:36

So I just um I think my comments will be brief, but just to name, I think it's an incredibly difficult time to be um of many different faiths, but in particular for our Muslim community here in St.

4:47

Paul and across the country, the vitriol that's coming from our national narrative around the folks in our community that are loving and devoted, um, is incredibly dangerous.

5:00

And so I just expand extend my own heartfelt thanks to them and not just for the contributions, but for the way that they love St.

5:04

Paul as much as we love St.

5:06

Paul.

5:07

I often have to question why we choose to create like boogeyman and boogie people out of folks of faith.

5:13

And I believe in my bones that there are so many religions and particularly Islam that bumps up against a lot of the things that we fight here every day colonialism, white supremacy.

5:23

And so as we start to think about how we celebrate this year, I just ask myself and our folks that do not practice Islam to think about why it is necessary for the federal government and our president to have a boogeyman and why they choose folks of incredible faith and devotion.

5:42

So thank you to my um Ellie Abdi Hamid for this beautiful resolution, and I look forward to support on it.

5:50

Thank you so much, Ms.

5:51

Kim.

5:52

I really uh I support and really appreciate the spirit that is motivating this resolution and um completely share your sentiments.

5:59

Um I was honored to be able to attend an IFTAR that was organized by the Somali Community Action Coalition, and one of the things that one of the imams there talked about was how Ramadan is a time to remember that we are all connected and to do that reflection internally, but also to remember how we all need each other.

6:16

And I really appreciate all of the many um different Muslim groups that um really take advantage of the opportunity that Ramadan offers and the Iftar in particular to to extend themselves outwards and bring people in to build that understanding and that connection.

6:31

It's beautiful and it um it really strengthens our community.

6:34

So thank you.

6:37

Any other comments?

6:40

Ms.

6:41

Johnson.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████████████████████39%
Public Engagement█████████████13%
Personnel Matters████████████12%
Procedural████████8%
Public Safety█████5%
Land Use Regulation████4%
Homelessness████4%
Racial Equity████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Saint Paul City Council Meeting: March 18, 2026

The Saint Paul City Council met on March 18, 2026, at 3:31 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting covered consent agenda items, discussion items, ordinance final adoptions, public hearings, and legislative hearing items. Key topics included a resolution recognizing Eid al-Fitr, an ordinance extending the pre-eviction notice period from 30 to 60 days (with a proposed exemption for the St. Paul Public Housing Agency), establishing minimum qualifications for the next Fire Chief, approving a sound level variance for Allianz Field summer concerts, and a public hearing on federal immigration grievances.

Consent Calendar

  • Adopted unanimously (5-0) on the consent agenda, with Councilmembers Bowie and Johnson absent. Items included approvals of costs for securing/boarding structures, demolitions, cooperative agreements, sponsorships, gifts, special counsel appointments, easements for Osborn Plaza renovation, and pay classification changes (one item laid over).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Fire Chief Minimum Qualifications (Item 19): Sarah Gartner (Ward 7 resident) testified against requiring a bachelor's degree without substitution for experience, arguing it could be exclusionary and inequitable, filtering out highly qualified candidates from working-class backgrounds or communities facing systemic barriers to higher education. She urged valuing lived experience and community trust equally with formal education.

Discussion Items

  • Recognition of Eid al-Fitr (Item 16): Councilmember Kim introduced Resolution 26-461, recognizing the 2026 Eid al-Fitr (observed Friday, March 20, 2026) and all Saint Paul residents celebrating the holiday. Kim noted the difficult national climate for Muslim communities and expressed thanks to legislative aide Abdi Hamid. Council President Noecker and Councilmember Johnson spoke in support, emphasizing community connection, continued normalization of honoring religious holidays, and the positive role of local Muslim groups.
  • Pre-Eviction Notice Period Extension (Item 18): Councilmember Kim proposed an amendment to exempt St. Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) properties from the temporary 60-day pre-eviction notice period (ordinance 26-18). Karina Serrano, PHA Housing Choice Programs Director, explained that PHA already uses a 30-day notice; extending to 60 days could increase unpaid rent balances, risking federal capital fund eligibility. Discussion included: PHA's tenant accounts receivable rose from ~$90,000/month (2021) to ~$400,000/month after adopting 30-day notices; FY2024 saw 271 eviction filings (48 executions), FY2025 saw 393 filings (66 executions), current FY: 191 filings (43 executions, 23% execution rate). Councilmember Johnson expressed concern about exempting the city's largest landlord from tenant protections. Councilmember Kim questioned whether the risk of funding loss outweighed benefits. Councilmember Bowie noted high density of public housing in Ward 1. Councilmember Jost supported the exemption due to federal funding concerns. The council voted unanimously (7-0) to lay the ordinance over to March 25, 2026 for further information.
  • Fire Chief Minimum Qualifications (Item 19): Chrissy Hauge (HR Consulting Services Manager) presented proposed changes: requiring a bachelor’s degree (no substitution for experience), modernizing command experience language, and eliminating out-of-title experience credit. The council and public discussed equity concerns about the degree requirement. The public hearing was closed, and the matter laid over to March 25, 2026 for final adoption.
  • Allianz Field Sound Level Variance (Item 20): Zachariah Lutzel Swob (Sr. Director of Event Operations, Minnesota United) presented a request for a series sound level variance for five Friday concerts (May 29, July 24, July 31, August 14, September 18, 2026). Council President Noecker noted the process improvement from single-event variances to series variances. The resolution was adopted unanimously (7-0).
  • Public Hearing on Immigration Operations (Item 22): No public testimony was offered. Councilmembers acknowledged the value of having held multiple weeks of hearings, encouraging continued community input via email and phone. The public hearing was closed unanimously (7-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Adopted (5-0) except Item 9 (RES 26-421) laid over to March 25, 2026.
  • Resolution 26-461 (Eid al-Fitr): Adopted (7-0).
  • Ordinance 26-18 (Pre-Eviction Notice Extension): Laid over to March 25, 2026 (7-0) for follow-up on PHA funding risk and data.
  • Ordinance 26-17 (Fire Chief Minimum Qualifications): Public hearing closed, laid over to March 25, 2026 for final adoption (7-0).
  • Resolution PH 26-66 (Allianz Field Sound Variance): Adopted (7-0).
  • Resolution PH 26-67 (Police Grant): Adopted (7-0).
  • Public Hearing PH 26-4 (Immigration Grievances): Closed (7-0).
  • Legislative Hearing Consent Agenda (Items 23-31): Adopted as amended (7-0).
  • Ordinance 26-16 (Xcel Energy Rezoning): Adopted finally (7-0).
  • Adjournment: 4:52 PM.

Meeting Transcript

St. Paul City Council to order. Roll call, please. Johnson, Joast. Kim. Here. Yang. Here. Bowie. Coleman. Here. Council President Naker. Here. Five present, two absent, those being council members, Bowie and Johnson, and they are expected shortly. Thank you to everyone for joining us for our city council meeting today. I invite everyone to join us in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Which fans, one nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all. Is there anything to be taken for separate consideration? See none, I'll take a motion from Vice President Yang to approve the balance of the consent agenda. All in favor say aye. Hi. All opposed? Five in favor, none opposed. The consent agenda is adopted. Item number sixteen is resolution twenty-six-four sixty-one. Recognizing Eid Alfatier and all Saint Paul residents who are celebrating the holiday. Ms. Kim. Thank you. Um, I'm very briefly going to read this into the record. Um, and I just want to thank my LA Abdi Hamid for writing this for us. Whereas the Muslim community of St. Paul contributes to the civic and cultural fabric of our community, enriching our community through their entrepreneur entrepreneurship and service. Whereas Ramadan is a time of heightened devotion and self-discipline in which Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset, cultivate gratitude, deepen their connection to faith and family, and renew their commitment to service and generosity. And whereas Eidal Fatur is one of the two most sacred celebrations in Islam, marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Whereas in 2026, Adel Fatur is observed on Friday, March 20th, by Muslims around the world and throughout the city of St. Paul, gathering to give thanks, celebrate with our family, perform acts of charity known as Sakat Al-Fatur, and attend communal prayers. Whereas the city of St. Paul is committed to celebrating the diversity of its residents, affirming the dignity of all faiths and cultures, and fostering a city where every resident feels welcomed and valued. And now therefore be it resolved. So I just um I think my comments will be brief, but just to name, I think it's an incredibly difficult time to be um of many different faiths, but in particular for our Muslim community here in St. Paul and across the country, the vitriol that's coming from our national narrative around the folks in our community that are loving and devoted, um, is incredibly dangerous. And so I just expand extend my own heartfelt thanks to them and not just for the contributions, but for the way that they love St. Paul as much as we love St. Paul. I often have to question why we choose to create like boogeyman and boogie people out of folks of faith. And I believe in my bones that there are so many religions and particularly Islam that bumps up against a lot of the things that we fight here every day colonialism, white supremacy. And so as we start to think about how we celebrate this year, I just ask myself and our folks that do not practice Islam to think about why it is necessary for the federal government and our president to have a boogeyman and why they choose folks of incredible faith and devotion. So thank you to my um Ellie Abdi Hamid for this beautiful resolution, and I look forward to support on it.

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