I'll be over there.

Yeah.

But yeah, that'll be my last one here, unless she's clear.

Whatever council president speaks with our fear of please don't think I'm going to be able to do that.

Like, all right.

Call the meeting of the St.

Paul City Council to order.

Roll call, please.

Coleman.

Here.

Kim?

Here.

Yang.

Here.

Fui.

Here.

Joast.

Here.

Johnson, Council President Acre.

Here.

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

Great.

Welcome everyone to our city council meeting.

Thank you for joining us today.

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 God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Consent agenda items two through 29 are before you for your consideration.

I know I was hoping to pull number 13 for separate consideration.

Is there anything else to come off of consent?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Vice President Yang for 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 13 is resolution 26-3-3 534, initiating business sign zoning code study.

And this is an item that is in uh direct follow-up to our policy committee meeting just last week where we talked about the need to take a fresh look at our sign ordinance both for downtown St.

Paul but also for citywide to try to make it easier for our businesses to hang out of shingle, let people know that they're there, and uh just make it easier to do business in general in St.

Paul.

So this is a uh zoning code study that we're initiating today that we hope will come back to us yet this year with some recommendations for how to do that.

So just wanted to take a minute to pull it off of consent.

Thanks, staff for the hard work to get this going and the hard work ahead in advance.

Any discussion.

All in favor say aye.

Hi.

All opposed?

Six in favor, non-opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Uh take a motion from uh councilmember Kim for to suspend the rules in order to consider resolution 26-617.

All in favor of suspending the rules, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

617.

Six in favor, non-opposed, the rules are suspended.

Resolution 26-617, honoring the legacy of Dolores Huerta and recognizing April 10th, 2026 as Dolores Huerta Day in St.

Paul.

Councilmember Kim.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Um, I am just gonna say some brief remarks.

Um, but then I'd like to welcome uh two guest speakers to speak um to share a few words as well.

But I'm proud to bring this resolution forward.

Um just to I think speak very bluntly.

It was awkward to bring on April 1st, which was Caesar Shabbos's day, and then we didn't his birthday, and then we didn't have um council that aligned.

And so this is uh resolution is honoring the legacy of Dolores Huerta um for her birthday, which was April 10th.

Um her birthday is recognized as a holiday in states like California and Washington, and of course her impact uh to the labor movement has extended far beyond her home state.

So I would now like to uh welcome Norma Garces and Katie Avenia from the Academia Caesar Chavez to come up and join us.

Please join us at the Dais um to share a few words as well.

Um so to provide a little more context as they come up.

Um, right in the middle, thank you so much.

Um some of you may know, but Dolores came out um and identified herself as a victim of um sexual assault and had two children um that she had to bear, and she is a labor movement, so she is much more than um the pain that was caused to her, but you know, looking across the table at all my female colleagues.

Um we have an opportunity to sort of write history.

Um and so I'm gonna just yield to my speakers here, and then I'll share a few words and um I'll read brief excerpts from the resolution.

So um the floor is yours.

Thank you so much for joining us today.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

There we go.

Good afternoon.

Thank you, Council members, for inviting both Ms.

Norma Garces and me, Katie Avina here.

Both of us are executive directors and co-directors at Academias La Paz.

We're both here in strong support of recognizing April 10th, 2026 as Dolores Huerta de here in St.

Paul.

Dolores Huerta's legacy is rooted in the fight for human dignity.

She stood up at a time when people were treated as invisible, as treated as invisible and as disposable and less than human.

And she refused to accept that.

She demanded that farm workers, families, and entire communities be treated with respect, with fairness with humanity.

But it's not just about history.

Right now, people are still fighting to be seen, still fighting to be treated with dignity, still fighting to be treated for their humanity.

And that's why Dolores Huerta matters in this moment.

Her life reminds us that dignity is not guaranteed.

It is something that we have to protect in how we treat one another and in the systems we uphold and the values we've chosen to live by.

In St.

Paul, recognizing Dolores Huerta de is not just symbolic, it is a declaration of who we are today.

And it says that we believe every person deserves to be seen, to be respected, and to be treated as fully human.

We urge you to pass this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So for 60 years, Dolores carried a secret that was not her shame to bear.

She carried it because she believed as so many women have been conditioned to believe that the cause was larger than her own wound.

That is what the patriarchal violence demands, that women of color absorb harm quietly so that powerful men can keep their pedestals.

When Dolores finally spoke her truth, she did not do it to tear anything down, but she did it because she has always known that the movements built on silence and suppression are not liberation movements, but rather more of the same.

She chose accountability over comfort.

That is not a footnote to her legacy, it is the fullest expression of it.

We know what it means to fight for workers who are told their labor has no value.

We know what it means to show up for communities who are told their humanity is conditional.

Dolores Huerta spent her life making sure those workers, those communities understood that Cise Puere was not a slogan, it was a promise.

We owe her not just our admiration, but our own commitment to build to building movements worthy of our example.

Honest, accountable, unafraid to name who causes harm, no matter how beloved their name, and a singular vision towards our shared liberation.

I just want to give an extra shout out to my legislative aide, Opticamid, who wrote those comments.

Um from here.

Great job.

I always say they have to be Thai spicy, and that was definitely a tie spicy.

Beginning in 1955, Dolores Huerta co-founded the Stockton chapter of the community service organization, leading voter registration drives and civic engagement efforts for the Latina community at a time when those communities were systemically shut out of political power.

In 1962, Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farmers Farm Workers of America, one of the most consequential labor organizations in American history, dedicated to securing fair wages, safe conditions, and basic dignity for the workers whose labor feeds this nation.

Dolores Huerta's years of bourcarding boycott organizing, including national boycotts, helped produce the California Agriculture Labor Relations Act of 1975, the first state law in the nation to recognize farm workers' rights to collective bargaining, a landmark achievement of the labor movement achieved through community power, not charity.

The lost one, Dolores Huerta gave the labor movement one of its most enduring rally cries.

C say puere, a declaration of collective power widely credited to her that is echoed from the fields of California to the streets of St.

Paul, fueling generations of workers, organizers, and community leaders who fight for the dignity of working people.

Feeling very emotional about it.

Great job, Abdi Hamid.

And I yield to my colleagues for uh for statements, but I move approval.

Thanks so much, Ms.

Kim.

There's a motion for approval.

Is there discussion of the motion?

Ms.

Bowie.

Just brief remarks.

I just want to say thank you so much for the representatives that were here to receive this honor.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Kim, for just bringing this history to surface, and also just eloquently like telling the story and truth and transparency.

I I recall this year was the first time.

I should say that I heard about Delores' history and her legacy.

So I do appreciate you know ingraining this into St.

Paul City Council's expression of women, you know, as a woman of color who represents this body.

It's really important that the truth is is told, and also the efforts of so many women who is the backbones of our movements in this labor movement is also recognized.

And April 10th is a really special day, not only um for me, but uh my best friend who's Ecuadorian.

Um her birthday is April 10th.

And when I think about the legacy of her family having to migrate to Minnesota, and they share the same type of history of being um labor workers, right?

And farm farmers and you know, skills um built in like agriculture and ensuring that in St.

Paul that they can be protected and they also have a voice and that they're also part of that movement.

So thank you so much for recognizing this.

Thanks, Ms.

Bowie.

Any other discussion of the motion?

Ms.

Yang.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to say thank you to you, Councilmember Kim, and also to our speakers, Abdi Hamid as well, for your work in bringing forward the resolution here.

Um it is very meaningful.

I'm I'm very um grateful and honored to support it.

And just wanted to name that for me personally.

I still remember when um when I first saw that post that Dolores Huerta shared on Facebook about um breaking the the silence and just sharing about the very traumatic experience that she went through.

And um to me it was it was shocking, it was heartbreaking, and I can only imagine what somebody has gone through for just you know decades of of um that pain and living in silence, but also the deep uh courage that she uh exemplified to all of us and wanted to just name like it's never too late to speak your truth to speak our truth.

Um, and so it's really powerful.

Um, this is definitely a really powerful uh resolution, and um I I'm just like really living into just how grounding like storytelling is and and um how powerful truth telling is that you know we have to continue doing it.

Um we need leaders to continue doing it so that we can give um others permission to keep sharing their stories too.

And so I want to say thank you for um bringing forward the resolution here.

Thanks, Ms.

President.

Any other comments on the motion?

Uh otherwise, I just want to echo my colleagues' thanks to you, Ms.

Kim, for your leadership and your courage in bringing this forward.

I want to thank our speakers as well.

Um it's a really important time to be making sure that this story is told, and I'm hopeful that in the months and years ahead, we will be um telling both Ms.

Quarta's story and and many others at the same time.

So thank you.

Um with that, we have a motion on the floor for approval.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Six in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 30 is final adoption of ordinance 26-17, administrative ordinance establishing the minimum qualifications for the vacancy for the position of fire chief pursuant to the provisions of section 12.12.1 of the city charter.

So this brings us to the ordinance section of our agenda.

Uh, for those of you who don't join us every single week or tune in with our millions of viewers online.

We always have three readings at least of all of our ordinances.

Um, our first reading is a staff report giving us basic context for what we're doing, what the ordinance is proposing.

The second reading is a public hearing when we hear public comments on what's being proposed.

And the third reading is is final adoption, so the final vote on that ordinance.

Sometimes we take more time.

Sometimes we need additional weeks to consider additional amendments or to have more discussion.

Um, but at a minimum, three weeks.

So anything you see before us for final adoption that is an ordinance has already had at least two previous readings uh before it's being adopted today.

So this item 30 is before us for final adoption.

I will look to Ms.

Coleman, who is our lead author.

No additional amendments, no changes.

I would move approval.

Motion on the table for approval.

Any discussion of the motion.

Ms.

Bowie.

Yeah, I just wanted to say I'm gonna support um and just like congratulate all the robust conversations that went into it.

Um, having a chance to hear from like local 21 representatives, also the Firefighters United, which African American-based um group in our fire department, where they're really excited um for the to continue the legacy, you know, Chief Inc.

Um, former Chief Inks had left some really big shoes to fill.

Um, so um thank you so much, uh Council Member Coleman, particularly around making those amendments to the qualifications.

I think uh is really in it's really important that we have these robust conversations, um, just because you know these are really important uh leadership positions.

And I I do have a question, but just a follow-up.

You know, I uh I know this is to just establish the minimum qualifications, but I just want to make sure on record it's clear that this position is appointed by the mayor only, right?

There isn't uh or is this a community-based interview process in the same way that we also appoint our chief.

Yeah, thanks, Ms.

Bui.

That's a actually a great thing to daylight.

So this position, um, like only the police chief and the director of uh human rights and equal economic opportunity have a uh more robust community process, and our council has more of a role.

So um, besides establishing the minimum qualifications, this council will also be establishing the membership of a selection committee made up of folks from the community.

Um, and then after that, that committee will make a recommendation to the mayor, the mayor will make an appointment and this body will approve it.

So there is another step along the way, and Vice President Yang has graciously agreed to lead the work to uh establish that selection committee.

Okay, thank you.

Thanks, no, thanks for raising it.

Uh any other discussion of the motion.

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution the ordinance is adopted.

Item number 31 is ordinance 26-19, adding chapter 448, the administrative code to institute training, reporting, and programming related to the city's relationship with civil immigration laws and enforcement practices under administrative code chapter 44.

So, as I was saying uh on the previous item in introduction to this section, we sometimes take just three weeks to approve an ordinance.

Sometimes we need more time than that, and often that's when we have additional information that comes forward that needs additional public comment.

Um, for this item, we have received a memo from the city attorney's office, which was um also recommended by the city attorney's office to have um the chance for public review and public comment on it.

So I um for those of you who are here today for final adoption of this item.

Unfortunately, we are not gonna be able to take a final vote on this today.

Um we will be holding the public hearing on this, reopening the public hearing, and then um we will continue that public hearing till next week because we always have to give folks a week notice when we have a public hearing, and our hope is to take a final vote on this item next week.

I know we're all very eager to do that, um, but we have to make sure that we give plenty of time for transparency and input when there's new information forthcoming.

Um so that memo from the city attorney's office is attached to the record now for anyone who wants to review it.

I'll take a motion from Ms.

Coleman to reopen the public hearing at this time.

Um we will hold it, right?

And we will hold that public hearing, and then again we will lay this over and continue the public hearing till next week so that people who aren't here right now know about it and can have time to weigh in.

So this is a public hearing.

If you still vote on it.

First, we are going to vote to reopen.

We first we're gonna vote to reopen the public hearing.

So motion from Ms.

Coleman to do that.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is reopened.

So this is a public hearing.

If you uh are here to speak on this issue, or if you would like to speak on this issue because you didn't know there was going to be a public hearing, but you're here now.

Um, you are welcome up.

Please come on up.

All right, seeing none, the uh public hearing, take a motion for Ms.

Coleman to continue the public hearing.

Oh, you would like to okay.

Come on up.

I know this is sort of a last minute, so welcome.

And for those who are here to testify on any item for our public hearings, I'll just take a minute to to give the intro to that.

Um, for public hearings, we ask that you come up as is being demonstrated beautifully.

Stand in between the two microphones.

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

Um, you have two minutes to testify, and we ask that you start with your name and where you're coming from, and when you're done testifying, please sign in on one of the two sign-in sheets.

Welcome up.

Thank you.

Um, President Aiker and other council members.

I'm Jean Comstock.

I live on the east side of St.

Paul.

Um, hi.

And um I was not prepared to speak today.

We thought this was just gonna move on through, but I did want to just run up here and say we I believe I speak for people at Unidos in saying that we are fully in support of this resolution and believe it really needs to be passed.

So I would just um encourage you to to do so and ask a quick question.

Does that mean people will be able to testify next week?

Perfect.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

Uh, anyone else here to testify or want to testify on this item?

Dennis, Ms.

Comstock just asked, we the reason for having to wait a week is exactly so that people can be noticed of the public hearing, um, either send emails or come and testify next week, and then we will hope to take a final vote next week.

And again, apologies that this was a last minute delay.

All right, seeing that no one else is here to testify, I'll take a motion from Ms.

Coleman to lay the continue the public hearing and lay the matter over until April 22nd.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, non-oppos.

The public hearing is continued to April 22nd.

Item number 32 is ordinance 26-20, the leading chapter 54 of the legislative code pertaining to rental application fees.

This ordinance is also before us for final adoption.

I'll look to lead author Ms.

Johnson for a motion.

Um thank you.

I appreciate just being able to make this update.

It's genuinely more of a change that needs to happen in order to be able to prepare for our tenant protections ordinance that goes into effect on May 14th.

So with that, I move approval.

Okay.

Motion for approval.

Any discussion of the motion.

See none.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The ordinance is adopted.

Item number 33 is final adoption of ordinance 26-21, updating chapter 13 of the administrative code pertaining to the Department of Safety and Inspections.

This is also before us for final adoption.

I'll look to Ms.

Johnson for a motion.

Insert all of my comments previously.

No, I'm kidding.

But in actuality, again, just wanting to make sure that anything that was not currently covered in the Tinder Protections Ordinance, but that is covered in chapter 54.

Uh is now also being able to update chapter 13.

So with that, I move approval.

Okay, motion for approval.

Any discussion of the motion.

Ms.

Kim.

I just want to extend my uh gratitude to who I'm um, I think affectionately calling Chair Squared uh Johnson, um, our HRE chair and budget chair.

Um, just for your persistence and diligence and ensuring that ten of protections is fully implemented.

Uh you are our housing champion.

I remember sitting in this chambers watching my changet um uh sworn in, and I remember asking, like, hey, you know, what committee would you want to be on?

And we talked about HRE.

And so it's just to say I'm just really um proud of the work that you're doing, and I substantively did nothing.

I added my name to it, but just to show you how much I'm supportive of it.

But so deeply uh grateful for all the work that you're doing to ensure that um some of our strongest tenant protections in the um in the city that you uh championed is um being implemented.

And I know the implementation side isn't like the one that everyone talks about, so just lifting it up and just so grateful for your leadership.

Thank you.

Thanks, Ms.

Kim.

Any other discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The ordinance is adopted.

Item number 33 is resolution public hearing 26-75, authorizing the police department to accept four donations from the St.

Paul Police Foundation, totaling 109,332.41 cents, and amending the 2026 grant budget and adding activity budget.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Item 34.

Three four?

Three four.

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

Bowie to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number thirty five is resolution public hearing twenty-six-76, authorizing the acceptance of the Department of Emergency Management of 1,505,142.29 cents in total granting, total grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build and sustain the capabilities of the urban area to protect, prevent, protect, against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other hazards, authorizing the execution of a grant agreement and amending the 2026 grant budget.

It's good to know that FEMA owns a thesaurus.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Jose to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 36 is resolution public hearing 26-84, approving the application of breakaway festivals LLC for sound level variants in order to present amplified sound for the breakaway Minnesota 2026 event on Friday, June 26th, and Saturday, June 27th, 2026 at 400 Snelling Avenue North outside Allianz Fieldgrounds.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Welcome up.

Welcome back.

It's great to be back.

Hello, everyone.

Uh, my name is Jared Fucci.

I serve as a president of Breakaway Music Festival.

It's great to see some of you again, some familiar faces.

I just want to take a second to highlight a few um items for this year's festival.

We're excited to return to the Great City of St.

Paul for our third annual breakaway music festival.

Um thanks in large part to um our partnership last year.

We saw a tremendously successful event um and it mitigated many of the concerns that stem from our first year.

Last year we welcomed over 25,000 people to the festival.

Um incident free.

Um this year, the festival is anticipated to return um in just um what feels like tomorrow, about eight weeks.

Um we have 13 stops on our festival tour this year that we are um incredibly excited about.

We just completed our first one in Dallas, Texas last week.

Our team is currently setting up in Tampa, Florida this week or in Arizona next week, and we are awfully busy.

Um ticket sales are off to a strong start, featuring global icon DJ Zed.

Um many of you may have heard of him before.

Um primary and principal goal here is to say the city of St.

Paul long term.

Um this year we are um again returning to our plan is returned to all Leon's Field, and we are exploring alternative locations as Alleons and the area continues to develop for 2027 and beyond.

Um last year, in large part, um we saw a great decline in um the number of for lack of better words, complaints or pieces of feedback in 2024.

Um, there was over 600 um calls into municipal services last year to DSI's knowledge and ours, there were zero.

We received about 50 pieces of feedback into the community notice form that we established alongside St.

Paul PD, as well as DSI, um ranging from we love this event, there's a lot of food foot traffic.

Please turn down the music all over the place.

Um we deployed a mailer that went out to um went out to um homeowners and residences around the community.

We are partnering with DSI this year to expand um that program and continue to try and receive even more feedback and especially um the piece around parking in neighborhoods.

Um we got a great meeting with the union um park district um to continue this effort.

So I know I'm at time.

I appreciate it, and we look forward to hopefully returning.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

Uh anyone else here to testify on this item.

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

Bowie to close the public hearing.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The public hearing is closed.

Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I'm open to adopt uh the resolution for the variants.

I just wanted to share.

Um, I had a chance to talk with DSI staff.

It's been really amazing.

Thank you so much for coming and testifying.

I know you've been doing a lot of travels.

Um, we've been hearing from the breakaway festival for their team, been really proactive with partnership and actually expanding not only the geographic area, but expanding their their plan in terms of parking and and traffic um mediation.

I uh also was able to observe that they're going to be repositioning and putting some sound blockers, installing some sound blockers to ensure that the sound's not going to be amplified from the freeway.

Um, like we all have experience in 2024.

That was just really um unsettling for many of us.

Um I did receive some concerns um from some of my constituents.

Um, I have shared with them that they also not only can um submit their complaints and live feedback um through the QR code that's presented or provided from the event organizers, but they also can utilize our new poly system.

Um, and that's a way for the city to be able to capture um those complaints as you can heard as you heard from the event organizer.

Um, there was about zero complaints that came in from last year.

But there I do want to uh make clear that there were complaints that did not go through the proper channels, but you can always contact your council members um on it.

But we did see a huge dramatic decline of complaints.

Um I I want to support you know events and festivals.

I want St.

Paul to be a place where people can have their their concerts, but we want to make sure that, especially in the residential areas, that um there's strong partnership, and that's something that at least I was able to see.

Um, and just for our million of um viewers out there, you know, can always contact me if there's any concerns.

Um, this event is about eight weeks out.

So if there's some accommodations that needs to be made ahead of time, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Great.

Thank you, Ms.

Bowie.

And that's a motion for approval of the of the South November.

Great.

Um, thank you.

Any discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, uh, I just want to say I support the motion and Ms.

Bowie, I appreciate your leadership and your diligence to your constituents' concerns about this.

Um, I also echo your thanks to the organizer for continuing to come in person.

I think it's uh easier maybe to come in person after a year of very few complaints and definitely harder to come last year when we had some complaints.

Um, and appreciate that you are personally taking accountability and seeing um seeing positive change as a result of the efforts you're making.

So thank you for that.

All right, seeing no more discussion, uh there's motion for approval.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, all opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 37 is resolution public hearing 26-85.

Approving the application of Anderson Race Management for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for the ALS superhero dash event on Saturday, May 16th, 2026 at 200 Dr.

Justice O'Hage Boulevard, Clarence W.

Wiggington Pavilion, Harriet Island Regional Park, Riverside.

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, aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 38 is resolution public hearing 26-87, authorizing the police department to accept the community crime intervention and prevention 2026 grant from the state of Minnesota, Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, authorizing the execution of a grant agreement and amending the 2026 grant budget and adding activity budget.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Vice President Yang 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 39 is resolution public hearing 26-88, accepting grant funds authorizing execution of a grant agreement and amending the operating budget with respect to the Metropolitan Livable Communities Fund for a local housing incentives account grant program for 680 to 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 40 is resolution public hearing 26-89.

Accepting grant funds, authorizing execution of a grant agreement and amending the operating budget with respect to the Metropolitan Livable Communities Fund, a local housing incentives account grant program for the common bond communities at 58 East Wood Street.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Kim to close the public hearing and approve.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item number 41 is resolution public hearing 26-91.

Providing the issuance of and accepting a proposal on the sale of a general obligation judgment bond series 2026A and levying a tax for the payment of the series 2026 A bond.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

Seeing that I'll take a motion from Ms.

Jose 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 items 42 through 114 are before you for your consideration.

Welcome, Ms.

Mormond.

Thank you, Council President.

There are two items to be pulled for several consideration today.

The first is uh number 6565.

Item number 65 is RLHTA 26-44, ratifying the appealed special tax assessment for property at 665 Fry Street.

Ms.

Mormon.

Council President, this is a an assessment for boarding and securing a property.

Uh in this particular case, I believe we're looking at an emergency call out one with one board being secured.

The police called the boarding company to come in.

It appears that there was a SWAT raid at the property before then.

Testimony in the legislative hearing indicated that the owner thought that the person that police was seeking the tenant in this case should be responsible for paying for the boarding and securing of the structure or the city who actually did the damage to it.

A claim form was provided uh to determine for the city separately to determine any responsibility that would exist there.

As you know, the city would seek uh recompense from the property owner, the property taxpayer, rather than seeking out um separately uh from the tenant that they have no obligation for property taxes.

Thank you, Ms.

Mormon.

Are there questions for Ms.

Mormon before we open up the public hearing?

Doesn't look like it.

All right, this is a public hearing.

Um if you're here to speak to this item, come on up.

Yes, well, council James Murniky, I'm the property owner.

Um so this boarding took place without my knowledge or consent.

I had no knowledge of it until after the fact.

Um, if I was given the option, I would have and could have done it myself or hired my own contractors.

Um in this property, I've not had any other instances such as this during my ownership of police forced entry.

Um I rent a low-income residence.

Um I have for a long time.

Like I said, I've not had other instances like this.

And really, I think the assessment in whole is unjust, but I think any reasonable person would conclude that just the amount of the assessment is unjust to put a 25 dollar piece of plywood over a door.

Um I think just under 500 is very excessive.

I don't see the reason for this gray of an amount in the situation.

Just to be clear, are your what is your ask to us?

I would ask the entire assessment be struck because I had no I had no knowledge of this occurring and I did not give any consent for this to be done to the property.

Great.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

Is there anyone else here to speak to this item?

Seeing 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, non-opposed.

The public hearing is closed.

Ms.

Coleman.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I just do have a couple of follow-up questions for Ms.

Mormond, and I think specifically it would be helpful to just hear a little bit um about how we do emergency boarding and kind of when that decision is made.

Council President, Councilmember Coleman.

Uh emergency boardings are called uh in by uh the fire department following fires by the police department when a property needs to be opened or is found open already, or typically um inspections mostly vacant buildings would be calling in.

In the case of an emergency situation, uh the the biggest portion of the assessment is the emergency call out.

It's not unlike calling out a plumber on an emergency basis.

That's 250 dollars just to get the person on site.

The actual um securing was a 60 dollars.

So if it's getting somebody to drive out there at this particular um boarding occurred at, and I do have the police report on this uh 1744.

So a quarter to six in the evening.

Um when it's an emergency, the police in this kind of a situation where there's a raid, the police need to secure the site as quickly as possible in order that they can move on to their next call.

So it's considered an emergency.

You don't want to leave a site where there was a raid or other kind of criminal activity open to entry, and there is in many cases no effort to reach out to the property owner because of the exigent circumstances.

So that's what we're looking at here.

Thank you.

And just to be clear, there's no uh you said how many circumstances there that outreach doesn't take place.

There, there's no requirement that the city take any specific steps to notify a property owner before they respond in an emergency like this.

No, there is not.

Thank you.

Thanks, Ms.

Coleman.

I have a follow-up question actually.

Ms.

Mormon, I seem to remember that there are some times when we do first contact the owner, and then only if we don't get a response, we call for the boarding.

Can you clarify the distinction?

Yes, um, that would be more in a situation where uh we have, for example, a fire, and someone can be identified, you have city staff uh on scene for a longer period of time, there's property damage and there's a lot going on.

In terms of a raid in terms of gunfire, in terms of other kinds of things that are moving like that, it's extremely common to see an you know a boarding right then and there if there were squatters inside of a vacant structure and uh they were rousted out as it were.

Uh there would also be a securing right away, especially if there was any sort of uh fire to keep warm or other kind of thing going on like that.

So it's it is determined in the field.

Uh yeah.

And then with your permission, Ms.

Coleman, just another so in terms of the responsibility when the damage to the property has been done by the city in pursuit of its official duties, like a SWAT rate, for example.

Um where does the responsibility lie?

Is that that is determined to be with the property owner, or that is something the property owner can submit a claim to the city for, and that's processed separately.

I know you mentioned a claim was submitted, so I'm just trying to follow the thread a little bit.

A claim form was provided as the owner indicated.

He thought the city or the tenant should be responsible.

If it is the tenant he believes is responsible, then that would be a private claim against the tenant handled in court.

For if the city's responsible, that would be filing the claim form, having it reviewed by the city attorney's office, and um arguing that out.

So it's possible that we would approve this assessment today because the boarding work was done, the cost was incurred.

That does not mean that the property owner can't still claim that to be reimbursed by the city or separately, privately as a civil matter, the tenant.

Indeed, that can be handled through a claim and separately.

Uh the record of this assessment is um can go forward to district court, shouldn't appeal be filed.

Uh so that would there's um written guidelines on how that can happen when it needs to be filed and so on.

I think my last question with my colleagues' permission, sorry for the barrage.

Um we heard the testimony about not receiving notice until after the boarding had happened.

Um what is the timeline after which?

How much time do we allow to pass before notification?

I assume we notify the property owner that it has occurred within some time frame afterwards.

What is that?

The next business day or following business day is when the letter is sent out indicating a board, you know, the building was boarded or otherwise secured.

So they send it out right away and they say there is a charge that's going to be associated with this coming forward as an assessment down the line.

Okay.

Thank you.

Ms.

Bowie.

I have a question out of curiosity since we're you know learning more about the situation here.

And um, I also just want to say I do support on the council members um amendment or um adoption.

So I I just I'm curious because it's I know there's like the DSI, there's this assessment um charge, but I'm just curious around because what was said in the testimony was there was damages from the raid.

So is there like is there a certain channel you go through if you're looking to get you know support around like what are those damages that are separate from just the boarding rate?

I imagine I don't I'm not able to see the pictures to see what level of damage was done, but I'm just curious to know when a raid is conducted and you'll say doors need to be broken into or whatever.

Uh what is the follow-up?

Um, and is that just only solely through like SPPD?

Is there any you know financial or coordination um in the aftermath?

I can imagine what you know your property being damaged, and now you're being fit with a bill that has a different department.

I'm just curious to know what SPPD's response after a raid has been conducted.

I have not heard of, although there could be cases where um the city has paid out uh for property damage.

Uh I don't know.

Uh typically in this kind of situation, uh, if the city would not cover, I have not heard of the city covering.

Doesn't mean it didn't happen, but that's not in my experience.

Uh I would say this is uh kind of a claim you could bring to your insurance company, perhaps, but it is not considered the responsibility of the general taxpayer to cover the cost for a raid and an invest, you know, in a in a property.

So that's the reason it's called out separately as a nuisance emergency boarding.

Any other questions from Ms.

Mormond?

Otherwise, I would look to Miss Coleman to see if there's a motion.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Mormond, and thank you, Mr.

Murderkey, for being here to testify today.

I would move adoption of the recommendation of the legislative hearing officer.

I think that there are a whole variety of questions in a situation like this, many of which were raised at this table.

Um I do, you know, when we sit in this role on a matter like this in our quasi-judicial role, I am looking for either is there some misunderstanding of the facts, do we have the facts wrong, or has the law been misapplied to those facts?

I think in this case it seems like there's factual agreement and you know a clear understanding that the law as it exists was applied to those facts.

I think the outstanding questions of does the city bear liability here are good and correct ones, but this isn't the forum to litigate those.

Um just to the question of sort of the amount, I do just really want to emphasize that when we are levying these assessments, they aren't punitive assessments, they aren't you know, we're not multiplying them by 10, it's just for the cost of the work as Ms.

Mormond was describing.

Um, given that I think it is appropriate in this case for the city to recoup their costs.

So I will move approval.

Okay, so the motion is for approval.

Um, is there any discussion of that motion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Ms.

Mormond.

Council President, the second case uh is item number 85.

Item number 85 is RLHTA 26-40, ratifying the appealed special tax assessment at 622 prior avenue north.

Ms.

Mormont.

Council President, uh, this is very much second verse the same as the first.

Uh, we have an emergency boarding following a raid.

In this case, I don't have a police report that indicates it's a SWAT raid.

What I have is a police report that refers to a previous case number.

And it indicates also that the disposition was advised at CIST.

The the previous case number is under investigation, and so we do not have access to that file at all.

We can't see that.

What I can tell you is this was a raid that happened at the property, and following the raid, there was also the need for the property to be secured in this particular case.

Uh the securement happened with excuse, sorry.

The uh opening was secured with metal fasteners, two doors.

That was again a um two doors at sixty dollars, 120, and the emergency uh call-out fee is 250 dollars.

This uh occurred according to the report um at uh about 6 30 in the morning.

All right.

Um any questions before we hold the public hearing?

Doesn't look like it.

Don't go far.

This is a public hearing.

If you're here to testify on this item, please come on up.

Welcome.

Hello, I'm Nathan Arvald.

I'm the property owner at 622 Prior Avenue.

Um on October 7th of last year, uh, there was a SWOT grid.

Um they were looking for not a tenant of mine, but someone in association with that tenant.

Um from listening to the last person up here, I guess um.

I would have liked to have been notified.

I'm now understanding that that's not something that the city does.

I think it should be something that the city tries to.

I mean, I would have given them the keys.

They could have walked straight in the door and done whatever they would liked.

Um the second thing, um so my phone number is right next to the door.

Somebody could have called.

We could have been there within minutes to secure the building as needed.

My one of my biggest problems was that the building was not adequately secured.

So they did take a couple metal brackets and screw them into the door frame and into the door with number two Phillips screws.

That's somebody something that anybody walking down the street with a screwdriver could just open up.

So we're talking about a building with thousands and thousands of dollars of construction equipment in it, um, something that is a highly stolen item.

And when the SWAT team came in, they drove over two sets of fences, one to gain entry into a front part of our lot, and then over a basically six-foot fence with barbed wire, drove the SWAT truck straight through it.

Those areas were not secured at all, leaving a ton of vehicles and construction equipment just there.

Uh, we were never notified.

Um, I know I just heard that the city sends something out within one day.

We never saw that letter.

I was actually notified a week later by my tenant that something had happened, at which time we came in and found Gates drove over the building poorly secured, and now we have an assessment for upwards of 500.

Um, and all they did was put about 10 bucks worth of steel brackets on two different doors that didn't adequately secure the building.

Um we're just sort of an innocent victim here trying to pick up the pieces from this.

Um I think that either the St.

Paul SWAT, St.

Paul police, whoever came through should be responsible for their damages.

They came in way too hot and basically broke down doors after they had the suspect in custody.

So that's why I'm here today to just ask you to please don't assess me with this.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

Is there anyone else here to speak on this item?

Seeing 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.

Um, and after you're done testifying, by the way, you're welcome to stay there.

You can also take a seat again.

We'll call you back if we need you.

It's up to you.

Um, Ms.

Coleman.

I have no additional questions.

Happy to defer if others have questions.

Okay.

Questions or comments for Ms.

Mormond.

Does not look like it.

Okay.

Um look to Ms.

Coleman for a motion.

In that case, I would also move approval.

I I think my previous comments apply in the situation.

I will say, having heard this now from two different testifiers today.

I think that it is it would be well worth our time to look into when the city makes that emergency determination versus when a property owner is given notice.

And I think hearing that there are some situations where city staff is on scene long enough in the instance of perhaps a fire to give people a little advanced notice and sort of have a better communication plan.

That I would be very curious if there are ways that we can sort of better operationalize that.

Um I understand that there are likely trade-offs, I think, but I think it would be worth looking into and and making sure that we have that balance right.

That said, given kind of where we are with with the current policy and current practices.

I would move approval here.

Okay, thank you, Ms.

Coleman.

And I support that, and I know but to both of our testifiers, I really appreciate you coming out, and I'm sorry that this that this happened to you on your properties.

Um, and I I think Ms.

Coleman expressed it really well that we're in this uh situation acting almost acting like a court quasi-judicial when we're considering cases related to someone's property, and we have to take the law as it is and apply it fairly.

Um, but that doesn't mean that we're not also hearing some of the concerns that you're raising about how the law is.

And um when we take off our court hats and put back on our legal hats, um, which we can do at a future at a future meeting after consideration, um, this is often the kind of thing that does lead to policy changes.

Um so I think Ms.

Coleman, your questions about um both notice and then also I heard Ms.

Ms.

Mormon saying, and I think it's important to note that um claims can be filed against the city for damages um to the property, and so I I certainly hope that um those who have testified today can be assisted with that process.

And so I I certainly hope that those who have testified today can be assisted with that process, have been made aware of how to do that because I think that that those concerns that I heard today are also very valid.

So with that, there's a motion on the table.

Is there further discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Ms.

Mormon, is there anything else for separate consideration?

Not to my knowledge.

All right.

If you are here for any of the other legislative hearing items from some number 42 to 114, this is your public hearing.

So if you're here for any of those items, please come on up.

Seeing none, take a motion from Vice President Yang to close the public hearing and approve the items with the recommendation of the legislative hearing officer and any amendments thereof.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is or the legislative hearing consent agenda is adopted as amended.

That brings us to the end of our meeting, and I would look to my colleagues to see if there's any news from the wards.

Vice President Yang.

I think you have a couple of events to share.

Um in the east side, there's a neighborhood cleanup happening on Sunday, April 26th from 9 a.m.

to 12 p.m.

at the Haza Park Rec Center.

Um there will be gloves and bags provided.

It's a great chance to meet your neighbors and help keep the neighborhood clean.

And the second one is that there's a personal safety virtual workshop being hosted by the St.

Paul Police Department.

It's on Thursday, April 23rd from 6 p.m.

to 7 p.m.

And it is virtual, so you can go on to their website for more information.

Great.

Thanks, Vice President.

Ms.

Coleman.

Thank you.

I am super excited to share the news that just came out yesterday about the Hamlet Midway Library.

So while we don't yet have a finalized opening date, we were looking at the end of the year, and uh Director Hartman announced yesterday that it will actually be by the end of the summer that our library is back open.

So stay tuned for more.

Stay tuned for some exciting opening day events.

But someday, I'm gonna say summer is before Labor Day.

So sometime before Labor Day, we will have a library again in Midway.

Great.

Thanks so much, Ms.

Coleman.

That is truly exciting news.

More exciting than some of the other neighborhood news that you have shared at this table in some previous weeks.

Um that's taking place at George Latimer.

George Latimer's Central Library.

Um I'll be stopping by there as well.

There's 20 plus authors that'll be there.

Panel discussions, um, and just a really great way to support, especially local but uh Minnesota Black Authors.

Right.

It's from 11 to 4 on Saturday.

Thanks, Ms.

Johnson.

Other good news, um, Ms.

Bowie.

And also on Saturday, before you go to the Minnesota Black Authors Expo, you can join us on University Avenue.

We're having a community trash pickup starting at 10 a.m.

There's going to be free free beverages at F Pleva Cafe, also at Life Juices, um, all are along University Avenue.

There is about four pickup locations where you can get a bag and join some friends and help clean up University Avenue between Lexington and Rice Street.

So it's gonna be between 10 to 2 p.m.

Great.

A lot going on.

Any other news?

Um I'll just mention two super quickly.

One is that today is the deadline to sign up if you want to be part of the Cinco de Mayo parade, which is coming up the first Saturday in May.

It's always a wonderful event.

And I just found out that the deadline is today.

Uh so wanted to make sure I shared that with with the world.

Um, and then also on uh Monday, April 20th at uh I have it on 8:30 a.m., but maybe it's not starting at 8 30 a.m.

The state of the city address.

I think it's later than that, maybe others know, uh, will be uh held.

The mayor will be uh giving her state of the city address at the International Institute 1694 Como Avenue.

Um I'm sure online they have the actual time that might be the arrival time for us.

Uh any other news from the wards?

Otherwise, thanks so much for a great meeting.

We are adjourned.

No, I think it's a good thing.