St. Paul City Council Meeting – April 15, 2026

The St. Paul City Council held a regular meeting on April 15, 2026, covering three major agenda items: a mid-session update on state legislative priorities, a report on the contracted harm report for the reparations commission, and an initial discussion on potential charter reforms. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and included presentations from city staff and councilmember questions.

Discussion Items

Mid-Session Legislative Update

• Presenter: Jennifer O'Rourke, Director of Government Relations (on the job for 2.5 months)
• O'Rourke outlined the legislative landscape with a Friday, April 17, 2026 deadline for omnibus bills, noting that the House Republican leadership had stated they do not want omnibus bills, while Senate DFL controls by one vote and House is tied. The session is expected to end May 18, 2026. The budget forecast will influence spending; the governor proposed a small supplemental budget. Key local priorities include:
  • St. Paul bills: sales tax extension for the River Center complex (half-cent sales tax), appropriation bonds, Komozoo Big Cat exhibit, West Seventh utilities, statewide lead pipe replacement, and non-fatal shootings program (already in omnibus public safety bill).
  • Federal projects: Eight of 10 St. Paul projects advanced by Representative McCollum’s office for congressionally directed spending.
  • Defensive issues: monitoring bills targeting St. Paul, such as copper wire regulation changes.
• Councilmembers asked about speed cameras (O'Rourke said unlikely to pass this year; pilot program expires 2029), cannabis tax (no local tax bills seen, but city seeks restoration of local cannabis aid), and reimbursement for state rally costs (new program being established).
• Councilmember Johnson expressed interest in greater council involvement in lobbying and testifying, and in leveraging relationships with Metro Cities and the National League of Cities.

Reparations Harm Report Contract

• Presenter: Veronica Burt, City Staff
• The council awarded a $229,000 contract to the African American Redress Network (AARN), based at Columbia University, to produce a comprehensive harm report documenting historical and ongoing harms to descendants of chattel slavery in St. Paul. The contract runs from April 15, 2026 to April 14, 2027.
• Methodology: data collection, historiographic analysis, archival/genealogical research, community engagement (oral histories, interviews, focus groups), and hiring a local research liaison. Phases include harm assessment, oral history, impact analysis across sectors (health, income, education, and potentially public safety and infrastructure), and final policy recommendations.
• Councilmembers asked about travel budget (included in contract), number of bidders (4–5, with 1–2 local), and the itemized budget (to be provided to council). Councilmember Bowie noted the contract began on April 15, 2026 and asked for a kickoff meeting at least one month out. Council President Acre praised the milestone-based payment structure. Councilmembers suggested learning from other cities (Evanston, Detroit) that have implemented policies from harm reports.

Charter Reform Discussion

• Presenter: Tim Greenfield, Staff
• Greenfield provided an overview of the city charter (home rule, strong-mayor-council system) and the two amendment processes: via Charter Commission proposal (then to voters) or via council ordinance (requires all seven votes and mayor’s signature). He identified two broad governance areas for potential reform:
  • Executive governance: mayoral appointment/removal powers, veto process, city attorney oversight, budget preparation.
  • Legislative governance: part-time vs. full-time council, filling vacancies, ordinance effective dates, committee structure.
• Councilmembers discussed multiple topics:
  • Councilmember Johnson urged more engagement with the Charter Commission, noting it meets infrequently.
  • Councilmember Bowie called for a deeper conversation on interpreting the charter, emphasizing that the council holds adoption power over the budget.
  • Vice President Yang raised specific proposals: shortening the 30-day effective period for ordinances (e.g., for emergency policies), allowing expedited unanimous ordinance passage (as in Minneapolis), and studying council compensation/turning council full-time.
  • Councilmember Coleman suggested a holistic review of charters from other cities modernized in the last 20 years for best practices.
• Next steps: Staff will continue studying charter reforms; council may place specific proposals on the policy committee calendar for further discussion. No formal votes were taken on charter changes.

Key Outcomes

• The council received the legislative update; no formal action taken.
• The contract with the African American Redress Network for the harm report was affirmed (previously awarded). The report is expected by April 14, 2027.
• Staff was directed to compile an itemized budget for the AARN contract for council review.
• The council will pursue further discussion on charter reforms, with potential policy committee meetings scheduled in summer/fall 2026. No specific amendments were voted upon.