Let's see what the thing is.

Call city council to order roll call, please.

Kim.

Here.

Yang.

Here.

Bowie.

Here.

Coleman.

Kerr.

Johnson.

Here.

Jost.

Here.

Council President Acre.

Here.

Seven present.

None absent.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Welcome to our St.

Paul City Council meeting.

Thank you so much 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 God, indivisible.

Liberty and justice for all.

I know that we are pulling items six and eight for separate consideration.

Is there anything else to be taken 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.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The consent agenda is adopted as amended.

Item six, resolution twenty-six-eight seven four approving mayor's appointment of IJong to serve as the city's director of the Department of Safety and Inspections.

So I will make a motion for approval.

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

You can do it twice.

Do solemnly swear.

Do solemnly swear to support the constitutions.

Of the United States.

And of the state of Minnesota.

And to discharge faithfully.

Of the city of St.

Paul.

To the best of my judgment and ability.

Okay.

Item eight is resolution twenty-six eight-eight six eight eight six.

Exercising the city's authority to opt into and support the Ramsey County Economic Development Authority.

I'm going to move a one-week layover of this item.

Um we received a request from the county to do so and uh want to make sure to honor that.

So I'll move a one-week layover.

Any discussion of that motion?

Seeing none.

Well, something that's not adopted.

By June 1st.

They apparently do not need it done by June 1st.

Yes.

I had a discussion at HR.

Appreciate your we had the same questions.

Uh all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The item is laid over one week.

Item 12.

Uh resolution 26-841.

Amending the findings of facts, conclusion of law, and recommendations submitted by the administrative law judge and adopting them as amended concerning the auto repair garage and secondhand dealer motor vehicle license held by MFK Enterprise for the premises located at 830 Robert Street South and imposing the presumptive matrix penalty and amending the license conditions.

Welcome to Schaefer.

Good afternoon, Council President Naker, members of the city council.

My name is Monica Schaefer.

I am an assistant city attorney, and I'm here on behalf of the Department of Safety and Inspections.

I want to say this is a long procedure and facts here, so this might be a little bit longer than usual, but I'm going to try and get through this as quickly as possible while being methodic.

So the purpose of today's item is for this body to consider the record of hearing before administrative law judge McKenzie that happened back in December, and her findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendation that she issued in April.

This body does not consider new facts or arguments not presented to that judge.

And the licensee has who is here has the ability to allege error in the part of the ALJ in the application of the law and interpretation of the facts.

The licensee may also present arguments related to the recommended action, which is what I am presenting now.

So this is a this is a matter involving MFK Enterprise located at 830 Robert Street South.

Mo Kia is the license holder here, and there are two licensee licenses at issue.

First is an auto repair garage license, and the second is a secondhand dealer motor vehicle license.

This is a unique property because there is another business that shares the same lot, and that is also a secondhand car dealer, and that is named Import Auto.

This is the second adverse action taken against Mr.

Kia's license.

The first was imposed in January of 2024.

And when I say first, that is within the two-year period provided by the statute or by the code.

So I'm going to use the voice activated projector just to show you a few things.

Voice activated projector, please.

I think it works for all voices.

We'll see.

You know, it did this last time too.

So oh, there it is.

No, never mind.

Voice activated.

There we go.

Nice.

I'm just gonna soon be offended if every time just kidding.

Um, so this is I'm all of the exhibits that I'm talking about are in your materials attached to this resolution.

So these are all in exhibit number five.

So after receiving neighbor complaints, the department sent inspectors out to the property in October 2024 and found several violations.

Here, a car in parked in the parking lot up on a jack, presumably receiving um receiving repair services, a car parked in violation of the site plan and obstructing the drive-thru lane.

Here car parts stored exterior or on the exterior of the property and not in proper storage spaces.

More car parts and rubbish, and then again a car in the lot um needing repair.

Because there were violations found, the department asked that these be corrected, and then it would return in less than a month.

Here it actually gave over a month, but um returned to the property, hoping to find that the violations had been corrected, but they were not, and there were additional violations found.

So in November on November 14th, 2024, the department returned.

And here we have more car parts.

This is a coolant, is a 55-gallon drum of anti-freeze and coolant, improperly stored under the Ramsey County hazardous waste guidelines.

Here we have more car parts, cleaning fluid, rubbish, um items stored exteriorly, which is against the St.

Paul City Code.

And then lastly, here again, we have a car parked in violation of the site plan and in obstructing the drive-through lane.

Here is relevant.

We are not pursuing this violation, um, but essentially a car being dropped off from a large trailer in the middle of Robert Street, which is a busy street, and then backed up onto the street.

The person came from access to the MFK offices.

So, and I'm done with the voice activated projector now.

So, because there were more violations, the department recommended the imposition of adverse action.

Specifically a $1,000 matrix penalty and several amended conditions.

The department came or Mr.

Kia requested to come before this body and challenge the recommended penalty.

And then when he got here, we ended up this body ended up sending the matter to a contested case hearing because Mr.

Kia was challenging the facts.

So we had the contested case hearing in December of 2025, and the city presented 20 exhibits and three witnesses, which Mr.

Kia had the ability to cross examine and challenge.

He also testified on his own behalf.

And the judge expressed confusion with one of the license conditions as well.

So Judge McKenzie issued her report and recommendation, the findings and conclusions, on April 3rd.

Ultimately, she found that the city had met its burden and proved that the penalty was reasonable and proper under the code.

The department respectfully requests that the city council amend or adopt the amended findings of fact that the department has proposed and the reasons for the amended findings of fact.

Although the judge ultimately found in favor of the city, the findings of fact and conclusions of law were erroneous in places.

And so we would just add the department respectfully requests that the city council adopt the amended ones.

The amendments are to explain confusion, identify Mr.

Kia's unsupported testimony, remove the judges' extraneous comments and interpretations of the code, explain credibility determinations, heighten or value the credit, credit the testimony of the department's witnesses, and address um the years of neighbor and resident complaints about the business that were not addressed in the original order.

So ultimately, the department asks that you adopt the amended findings of fact and impose the $1,000 matrix penalty and the amendments to license conditions one, four, six, and eight.

So one just clarifying question.

So the administrative law judge found that the city's recommendation of the thousand dollar matrix penalty was reasonable.

And then the additional conditions that we are that the department is recommending imposing on the license.

Can you give some context or those extraordinary conditions compared to other auto repair maintenance dealerships in the city?

Absolutely.

So there are four amended conditions being proposed.

The first amended condition is condition number one, and that is to clarify what the judge pointed out she was confused about during the hearing, and so trying to just help everybody basically with that one.

But then conditions four, six, and eight are recommended because they are aft because they are in response to numbers of complaints received or um observations of the property and violations that are consistently happening or are consistent essentially pulling out parts of the code that everybody has to comply to, but drawing attention to those for this business, and then as well, they are also consistent with what other auto repair garages essentially get on their license or a secondhand dealer license as well.

So this is really consistent, they are not overly burdensome, they are reasonable, and they are justified by public um public safety concerns here.

Thank you, Ms.

Schaefer.

Are there any other questions from a Schaefer before we uh hear from the appellant?

Doesn't look like it.

Thanks so much.

Don't go too far.

Um, so we'll now hear from the appellant.

Um, so there will be five minutes for testimony.

So if you are here on this item, please come on up.

Or I should say the property owner.

And for all public hearings, including this one, we ask that folks just stand in between the two microphones.

You don't need to adjust them.

They'll pick you up just fine.

Um, start with your name and where you're coming from, and then in this case, you'll have five minutes, sir.

Normally we have two minutes for testimony, and then we do ask that people sign in on either of the two sign in sheets after you're done uh testifying.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Mo Kia.

I'm here for MFK Enterprises.

Yeah, last time when I was here, I requested that because there are two businesses, same business in the same location.

Unfortunately, I'm the one who is getting all the blames.

There were so many pictures on previous meeting that we had with the judge that belongs to the other business in Port Auto, but none of them was presented here right now.

But I was the one who gets the letter and things gonna go against my license.

The mechanic shop that we had originally, we share that lot with me and my brother-in-law, Messen Mohammed Abedi.

Abidi is retired now, he lives out of state.

He has given his section to another gentleman who is running the business for him.

And we were sharing the mechanic shop together at the time when he was here and we had no issue.

But unfortunately, now there is uh some issues regarding mechanic shop.

That even I don't have the mechanic, the other party has the mechanic.

But the point is we both are responsible for taking care of the lot because it's one building and we are sharing.

But uh I requested last time it's two different businesses with two different licenses, we are paying two different fees, and please, when they come inspection, do inspection, um, whatever is for MFK, separate that from import auto.

So let's each person who is responsible for the lot get those uh deficiencies and notice so they can correct that.

But last time when the inspector was there, he told me, well, because the license is under your name.

Uh we can you are responsible for it.

But I've been there for like uh almost 30 years originally when we bought that property and start business on 1997.

So I was the only owner over there, and I brought my brother-in-law Mohammed Abidi and gave him half of the lot, so he started the business over there too.

But everything that happens now, uh as I said, uh I get the blame for it.

I admitted some of those uh deficiencies that we did correct that.

Everything is done.

I mean, it was chairs outside in summertime.

We we see that there is trees and cold and uh they took pictures and they said uh, you know, this is against the city ordinance.

We throw it away.

There were some cars that the customer, their car breakdown, they bring it the toy, we put in the lot temporary for until we make arrangements, send it to the body shop or somewhere to fix it for a customer.

But meanwhile, because we are under microscope by the neighbors, they take a picture and report that.

They have been in inspector, you can check the records.

They have been maybe more than 100 times over there.

The main complaint was uh we have too many cars.

And every time they come and count the cars, it wasn't maybe one or two occasions, maybe, but uh 95% or more.

We didn't have too many cars.

We are uh a small lot, 14 cars, 10 cars for sale, four cars for employee and customer, and 14 cars for the other party.

I'm sorry.

So uh it happens when they bring something like that.

It has happened, maybe the car was left outside, but that was in a short period of time, and we took care of it.

They showed that Mercedes that it had a damage under and it was parked in the customer parking, but they took a picture, they said it shouldn't be there, and of course they move it.

As I said, all those things was issues temporary.

The main thing that caused trouble was a delivery truck, those semi truck who delivered cars on uh last time that has absolutely, and I even told I reported to the judge to I mentioned that.

Absolutely has nothing to do with MFK enterprises.

They have the picture of that trucking company.

They can verify who the card belongs to.

Where did it come from?

Who was delivered to?

I say, in front of all the council members, if you see that card belongs to me that caused all those troubles, you have the right to cancel my license and put me out of business.

So uh basically, regarding the thousand dollar, I'm asking if we can reduce that to half a lease, and uh the other request is uh please uh as I said uh send a report or when the inspector comes, please uh inspect the Portuguese location, not just uh MFK because all the letters and stuff comes through MFK and against my license, and that's all I'm requesting.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in.

All right, thank you.

Is there anyone else here to speak?

Well, that actually we are only gonna hear from you.

All right.

Uh, so I will um do I have to move to close the telephone?

Okay.

Do you have any other questions for one?

Um I guess uh public hearing the lectures.

Okay, we want to do it in discussion.

Okay, um, sir.

I really appreciate you coming out and testifying.

Um, and I do um I'm grateful, first of all, that you're doing business in St.

Paul.

I know that it's a challenging environment.

I also recognize what you're saying about the fact that there are two businesses on the same premises and that that's complicated and that the ownership and the responsibility has been um somewhat somewhat complex.

Um but that said, as you mentioned, you are responsible for making sure that the entire business and the lot, regardless of who is responsible, regardless of the ownership, complies with the conditions of your license.

And those license conditions are there for the public safety, for public benefit, for the aesthetics of the neighborhood.

Um, your neighbors also have a right to the enjoyment of their property and to the safety of the road outside.

Um, and there have been a number of complaints about the property over many, many years.

Um, and in fact, complaints have continued to come in even since this particular matter has been in front of the ALJ at your request last time to kind of sort through some of that complexity.

This body really isn't equipped to serve in that capacity, which is why we sent it to the administrative law judge to really figure out whether or not this penalty was warranted.

Um she came back and said that it was warranted, so I am going to move to adopt um the department's recommendations today.

Um, however, I am going to ask that the department come out to your property um within the next two weeks to talk with you and make sure that you both understand the conditions and are ready to comply with them, and also that these ownership questions that you have, that there's a path to figuring them out because we all want that to be clarified.

We all want you to understand what's expected, we all want you to have a profitable business in the city, and we all want your neighbors to have the amenity in the neighborhood to enjoy as well.

Um so I am going to um move the recommendation of the Department of Safety and Inspections in this matter.

Um, is there any discussion of that motion?

All right, seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Items 13, resolution 26-812, approving a legislative hearing fee waiver pilot program for the remainder of 2026.

And this is an item that we're gonna have a brief staff report on just to tell us a little bit more about what it is.

Welcome, Ms.

Mormont.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, this is kind of an exciting item for us.

Uh, I began conducting legislative hearings 25 years ago or so.

And um, since the 90s, even the appeal fee for many of the types of appeals that are filed is $25.

And we've been collecting that money, and there's a lot of administrative processing that goes on with that.

That's not to say, yeah, it doesn't cover the administrative costs, even of you know, somebody walks in the door, we have to prepare a file, we have things to do.

Twenty-five dollars is just a nominal part, but we've considered it consistently um to be an indicator that somebody's actually gonna show up.

You know, that we haven't spent the public dollars putting together an appeal package and setting things up.

But right now we're thinking we should test that assumption that we've had all these years that you know that it's a guarantee that somebody's gonna show up.

And in fact, about 60% of the appeals that we hear are for special tax assessments or orders to remove or repair a substantial nuisance.

None of those have a $25 appeal fee connected with them.

And so after talking this over with a few council members and the council staff team, um, uh I bring forward this proposal to do a pilot program where we can waive the fee for um till through the end of the year and then see what kind of impact that is actually had on folks showing up on what the appeals looks like and make a decision for the long term.

We're um pretty excited about doing this.

We also think that it uh moves forward with uh concerns about procedural justice that we at the city um increasingly I've talked with the um city attorney's office about this and procedural justice is about giving voice a chance for people to tell their story, neutrality, unbiased decision making, respectful treatment, so treating individuals with dignity and trustworthiness, demonstrating fair caring motives, and all of these build trust and legitimacy into the process.

Having a barrier of a fee could diminish our ability to deliver on procedural justice, and we'd like to explore that a little bit further.

Uh, all of that being said, the resolution in front of you sets before you the clear intent to undertake this action.

We'd like the council to adopt it.

Uh we'd like to begin implementing it immediately.

The uh chapter 18 of the legislative code, which governs legislative hearings, does currently allow and has forever allowed that the council may waive the legislative hearing fee.

And so this is before you within resolution form.

Uh, been working with the council city council, the city attorney's office for the past couple of days, and we'd like to do a belt and suspenders approach on this and bring forward a resolution or an ordinance to follow up on this as well.

So you can look for that in future agendas.

But right now, quite comfortable putting in front of you this with the um proviso that it is discretionary for the council.

Thank you, Ms.

Mormons.

And we can sort of consider this the policy committee discussion of that ordinance since it's coming to us as a resolution first.

Um, I really appreciate this.

I will just say I'm very supportive of this idea, and I I appreciate the fact in particular that it is a true pilot.

I think sometimes we say pilot by which we mean um we want to start something and we only have a money to do it for a certain amount of time, and then we're gonna have to find more money later on.

Um, this is a pilot in the sense that we're really trying to test a concept and see if our assumptions all this time about the fee leading to the showing up really is accurate.

So I think this is how we should do um more of our government, and I I appreciate you doing this.

Bring this forward.

So I I look to my colleagues.

Um, take a um motion from Ms.

Yang, and then I'll look to my colleagues for any discussion of the motion.

Ms.

Yang.

Thanks, Council President.

Well, I'm very supportive of this.

I want to say thank you to you, Marcia, um, Director Wilms and all of her staff who helped work on putting this together for your work on it.

I just remember sometime last year, Marcia.

I came to you and asked, why do we have this $25 fee and where did it come from?

When did it start?

Um, I I believe it was when we had a rental common appeal, their rent stabilization of the decision.

And so I just never want to see a fee be the reason why somebody would choose to not come to City Hall here to appeal their case, especially with this being a government where we don't want to to um, you know, it's we're not here for profit at all, and we obviously are not profiting from this at all either, and so um I I think it makes a lot of sense, and it just is a step towards equity to to uh waive this, even if it's just a pilot.

My hope is that in the future we would make this permanent, and I just want to make sure I'm on the same page with you too, and that I heard you correctly.

It is for the pilot here, this would be and that we would automatically be waiving it is that right, or would it be like a request that somebody has to make in order for the fee to be waived first?

First, Council president, council member, uh the plan is to waive fees, period.

Okay, all right, thank you so much.

Um, yeah, and so again, thank you for your work on this.

Thanks, Ms.

President.

I think I saw Ms.

Coleman.

Oh, I did not see Ms.

Coleman.

Any other discussion of the motion?

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item 14, resolution 26-791, approving the mayor's appointment of Melly McMahon to serve as the city's director of planning and economic development.

And this is an item that we discussed a couple weeks ago.

I um I will make the motion uh to approve this appointment.

Excited to work with uh interim director McMahon now as director McMahon.

Um, and I know we all shared a lot of thoughts about that two weeks ago, but I will just reiterate that I have full confidence in her abilities, and we have um a lot of work to do in planning and economic development.

We need someone skilled in that position, so excited that uh she is being appointed.

Um, I look to my colleagues for discussion of the motion.

I see Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, also I just wanted to say I appreciate the discussion that we had two weeks ago.

I really appreciate the assistant mayors and the directors who uh you know had made attempts in terms of making sure that we have some shared agreements and some understanding around our shared outcomes.

I do want to just share.

Um, we weren't able to connect, be due to the memorial weekend.

Um, I think we all could agree that it's much better for us to spend time with our families and our friends and you know, trying to iron out this business.

But I do want to just, you know, share to be clear about my vote and give some context behind it.

You know, my vote today is not about not believing in um interim director McMahon's intelligence and her ability to leave.

I'm very confident in her background, especially her legal background, her involvement working on large major projects here in St.

Paul, and I have been a partner in that work.

Um but my vote for my office and on behalf of my constituents is more rooted in the culture and the values that I deeply believe that should be guiding the decision of the future of the economic development here in St.

Paul moving forward.

And as a council member who represents ward one, I carry the voices of my communities that historically have not been included when we think about who shapes the decision, who has access to wealth, and who's as has access to opportunities and who actually has access to those relationships to make sure that they can find a place here in St.

Paul, whether it's choosing to build housing or choosing to build their business.

So, and I just want to just give context.

You know, um I represent Ward One, I am proud to say I come from Rondo, and just given the context in terms of what representation looks like.

Um, historically, there was a time where we didn't have uh demographic, not demographic, it was a time we didn't have geographic representation, and that there were literal neighborhoods that were left out in decision making.

And when I think about just when a time when we did have ward representation here, it was at a time where Rondo did not have economic engine, and it's really important that every community not only feels impacted but are able to see their impact in the outcomes that we have coming out of the city.

Um, and I just think it's really important that we have urgency uh with this leadership, investing in our neighborhood corridors, supporting our small businesses, and really communicating early with council members when programs aren't working well for certain um communities and ensuring that black and brown immigrant and historically underinvested communities are not an afterthought when it comes to our economic strategies.

And I know that is something that um uh myself and our our colleagues, my colleagues, and also um Director McMahon um shares, but I want to ensure that it is demonstrated and we have that collaboration that's clear.

Um, I originally wanted to share, I originally intended on abstaining my vote, but um, due to our amazing city attorneys and our amazing city clerk was informed that I have to take an action.

Um, so just in terms of because of that, I am voting no today as a representative of my ward as a way of setting clear expectations for that partnership and accountability moving forward.

My expectation is still collaboration and rooted in that spirit.

My expectation is still growth for uh growth and prosperity for our economic developments in our neighborhoods, and my expectation is all part of St.

Paul benefiting from our decisions that we make here today, and that includes places like Rondo, Frogtown, Rice Street, Midway, and Selby.

So thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Bowie.

Other discussion of the motion.

Vice President Yang.

Thank you, Council President.

I am in full support of this appointment.

I do want to say thank you to Director McMahon for her leadership and also her work and commitment here in our city.

It is when I just think about I always bring this up whenever I talk about Director McMahon.

The pathway in which she her leadership has grown here in the city from being in LA to now being a director is just phenomenal.

It is very inspiring.

It is the same type of growth and transformation I want for all of my staff when I think of them for all of us really who come through the work of public service and anybody who comes in this work of public service truly does it from a place of deep humility and love and care for the community.

And so I I also wanted to highlight how I how appreciative I am of the ways in which Director McMahon has continued to stay committed in the different roles that she has.

Paul overall amidst the different crises we've lived through.

When I first came onto the council here seven years ago, that was when the pandemic hit.

We also experienced a cybersecurity attack too.

And then we with the recent operation metro surge as well.

And so wanted to extend those words of gratitude to the entire PED team and all of our city staff overall.

So again, I'm very supportive of the appointment.

Thanks, Vice President.

Ms.

Just.

Thank you, Council President.

I'll also echo that I'm really excited to support this appointment today of uh interim Director McMahon.

I think that you know the story of how she started her work here in St.

Paul just illustrates how much of a dedicated public servant she is to our city and how much she cares deeply about its future.

As Council Vice President Yang mentioned, she started out as Ward 3's aide when my predecessor to my predecessor, Councilmember Tolbert.

I think that you know her skill and intelligence and ability to build relationships and work through really complex problems led to Mayor Carter hiring her to guide developments across the city, first in his office, and then as a leader in the planning and economic development department.

And now here she is before us to be appointed to lead that department under uh our new mayor, Mayor Her.

And so I'm I'm really just just looking forward to all the work we're gonna do, and I think the work that she's done so far speaks for itself, you know, across the city.

Um building and construction has you know continued even through the shock of COVID and many other construction challenges that have been, you know, have been happening industry-wide across the country.

Uh Highland Bridge and Allianz Field and the Heights, to name a few, but many other projects are uh under construction and buildings are going up, which is you know, as an engineer is just one of the things that brings me so much joy uh with people that are hard at work uh building our city's future.

And I think another thing I appreciate about Director McMahon is that uh she's been you know able to work through all of those challenges and and find a way uh through them under immense pressure, and having to um you know work with all of our staff and you know, variety.

Uh, I mean, since she started here, uh, she's worked with so many different councils and mayors.

Um, just really appreciate um her ability to be able to get things done.

And then also I want to commend uh all of our PED staff as well that have you know had a lot of different leadership and and have been going through a lot of changes, but I'm looking forward to the future and the steady leadership that Director McMahon will bring.

Thanks, Ms.

Just.

Uh Ms.

Johnson.

Yes, thank you.

Um I just wanted to share on this item two weeks ago.

I did XRSIs and I right as a council member to request a layover on this appointment.

Um I continue to believe that that decision was both appropriate and part of my obligation as an elected official, especially with a community that trusts in me to thoughtfully advise, to consent, as the charter allows, and overall to govern on behalf of my residents.

Um I think that the ability to vote on appointments is truly meaningful only if there's room for questions, for vetting, for dialogue, and for due diligence.

Otherwise, to me, that process feels more like a rubber stamp than an intentional exercise of governance that our community expects from us.

I think each member of the council, you know, takes the responsibility really seriously, especially with whom we support.

I know that I do, and I hear and that I hear that sentiment echoed from across the room.

I think that you know it's really important for folks that are looking in and out to understand that we have the ability and we can at any time ask questions, especially of our leaders who stand up to be public servants.

And that doesn't mean that it's wrong to ask for a layover or that it somehow creates controversy to just simply say, hey, we need to take a closer look at an appointment.

And so for me, that's always been about how to get to a yes, as I had shared in previous comments, especially a couple of weeks ago, that that's really the desire that we have, I think, for all wards and neighborhoods and communities to ensure that no one's left behind in that process.

I think it's important for the public to understand, especially as it pertains to the planning and economic development role, that it's unique within the city and is distinguished between any other appointment that we have in director roles, being that it actually serves as a planning economic development director role.

It is the mayoral's appointment.

But it also then can independently serve as the executive directors of the housing and redevelopment authority.

And in that role, individuals work directly with and at the direction of the HRA board.

And it includes issues related to housing redevelopment, land use, economic opportunity, and investments in the city.

That distinction is actually why there was a significance of dual responsibility here that I thought needed a little bit more time to talk about.

And again, I just think that that's always going to be reasonable.

That's always going to be responsible, and that's something that I will always stand by as a council member.

I truly believe that asking questions, doing my due diligence is an obligation that I hold, especially when I ran for office and made that commitment to my ward.

For people who are just maybe tuning in to this appointment, and especially for folks who are reading about it on the first time, maybe two weeks ago, I think it's important to give some historical context about this appointment, especially including providing the additional reminder that the previous appointment was a national search.

It actually included former council member Chris Tolbert on the selection committee, and the council members were invited to engage with the search consultant to help inform the process all the way down to the questions that were asked for that particular appointment and position.

It was a huge level of collaboration that just simply did not happen in this instance, and there was a space for additional conversation, there was alignment before moving forward, there was deep partnership embedded in this appointment.

And that was during an extensive, again, nationwide search in which the council had a direct role in that appointment process.

I think that's important to acknowledge here because that's just again not what happened here.

There was actually internal communication about this appointment that went out before the council's vote, which personally for me really made me one to wonder, you know, what role did the council play in the process.

So my request for the layover was rooted in never was never rooted in personal opposition to Director McMahon or to her leadership.

I think I shared a lot of the same sentiments, especially because Director McMahon does start as legislative aide here at the city council.

And I hope that one day our legislative aides really do see a pathway that they can operate within to one day lead a department.

Um I know we have some really incredible legislative aides, many of whom have extensive supervision and supervisor skills.

Um at the end of the day, though, I think the conversation is always bigger than one individual.

It's also not about hiring our internal folks without begging the question: are there more and more qualified folks that we should also consider with any appointment such as this?

And so that to me was something that I really wanted to make sure to pose the question to my colleagues.

I stand by that decision, and I'll never apologize for making or asking for a layover for my colleagues because it's truly what I feel like is our obligation to get to a place where we feel that every community in St.

Paul is seen, heard, and prioritized in the future of the city, especially as it relates to housing, especially as it relates to redevelopment and economic opportunity.

So for folks that are just wondering, and I did get this question from my constituents, what happens in two weeks, right?

I've had several conversations with staff, with the mayor's office, especially regarding the ways to strengthen partnership and improve communication.

I have made it very clear that I intend to see a prioritization and continued investment when it comes to East Side projects and businesses to ensure that there's stronger alignment between PED leadership and the HRA board moving forward.

I've discussed the importance of strengthening process, particularly at a time when the city or HRA board may not necessarily agree with the direction or the approach or recommendations from PED staff and leadership, which I also think is very important because we oversee things like guideline changes, and if we can't do those in partnerships and in tandem, then we aren't necessarily communicating.

I also want to take this opportunity to share that I would like to see the HRA work plan be a little bit further developed with clear tangible outcomes, benchmarks, and accountability measures, but also with Director McMahon, I truly want to echo my interest in having continued partnership with you.

I think we're in a critical critical moment now in St.

Paul's history when it comes to downtown, when it comes to east side investments and needs.

And so I do think this requires a visionary leader.

I just wasn't going to vote on it in a space where I didn't necessarily feel comfortable.

So I do appreciate my colleagues for supporting that layover.

I also appreciate Director McMahon from being pulled in to have further communication.

I just wanted to make sure to address that and also provide that clarity moving forward.

And so I appreciate that time that's given.

It is my full intent to have follow-up conversations, especially ahead of any discussions around the HRA appointment, as those are independent and separate entities in this case.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

Any further discussion of the motion?

Vice President.

Thank you, Council President.

I just wanted to add in another quick comment to my remarks from earlier, which is to share a bit of context around.

Well, I was one of the council members who supported the two-weekly over from a couple of weeks ago.

And I think for me, I wanted to give kudos to my colleagues to all of us really for taking the time to ask questions and share about any sort of concerns.

I'll shall also give praise to Director McMahon, too.

For me, I I wanted to get earlier I said, yeah, share a bit of context because what I do remember is that when I first came onto the council seven years ago, the just even the concept around leavers wasn't very commonly seen.

And then also it didn't seem like at the table here, there was often room for we didn't always create space for council members to be able to dig into the weeds on some of these sort of things, and sometimes that didn't happen offline either.

And so to me, it's um it's very special that we are in this space right now where we've shifted that culture um a bit, and uh also just being really um intentional about what sort of conversations we we want to have at the table or not.

And um the last thing I'll say is that I'm very grateful to Director McMahon for for her willingness to have open conversations with each of us.

Um I'm very hopeful and just again have full confidence in her leadership and want to share my gratitude for the ways in which she has really committed to um strengthening the relationships, the working relationships between her as a director and also the council too.

I mean, it's it's just always been an open willingness to continue doing that.

And I think overall, like that's not that's something that I would want to see all across, all across the board in terms of how we all as leaders, um no matter what our positions are, whether we are in like their positions or not, to always find ways to improve our own leadership and also recognize the ways in which we're showing you a really strong and too.

And also we should uh we should um share those things with each other as feedback too on what we're seeing each other do great in and what we can do in terms of improvements.

Thank you, Vice President.

I agree.

Um, so I'm as Kim and then Ms.

Coleman, and I think we're gonna move us toward a vote.

Um I'll be um hopefully pretty brief.

Um I was very supportive of the two-week layover, you know, when the HR chair is asking for additional time, that is absolutely very easy.

Yes for me.

Um, in that two weeks, I used the time to uh speak to interim director McMahon on multiple occasions, and I used the opportunity to lean in to talk about both my concerns but also I think my dreams and hopes and aspirations for the HRA department and for PED.

Uh Ward 5 has like maybe six HRA parcels and the Kmart sites, so we don't have a lot going on.

Um, and yet um I found her to be incredibly responsive to not just my hopes and dreams for Ward 5, but my hopes and dreams for the city and what we see and what we have in terms of a skill set and dedication from this director.

And I met Melanie many years ago, and I was a very fresh um newbie LA in the Ward 5 office, which is funny.

Having Kim O'Brien here, my predecessors here.

Um, and I walked in not knowing that many people, and she was um just tremendous to work with then.

Um, and so I think noting that I heard concerns from some of my colleagues with an interest and wanting more I think like an equal willingness of having positive relationships with our staff.

Um that was one that we discussed.

Um, and we we talked about a lot of things.

So it wasn't even necessarily that I had concerns on the front end, but it did give me the opportunity to reach out and have more in-depth conversations with Director McMahon, and it only just continued to solidify the fact that we have a very dedicated um staff member that is risen through the ranks in City Hall, and women tend to check every single box before they feel like you know we're ready and qualified.

And I really can't think of anyone else that is better positioned to take um the PED department and sort of the next iteration and have a strong partnership along the way.

So I'm looking forward to supporting this um appointment and um looking forward to um working with my colleague.

Thank you, Ms.

Kim.

Ms.

Coleman, take us home.

Oh, and then Ms.

Bowie, and then we'll really take a vote.

I will keep it very brief because I shared most of what I had to say two weeks ago when we discussed this appointment and echo so much of what I've heard around the table today.

I am a very enthusiastic yes on at this appointment and very excited to see interim director McMahon become Director McMahon.

The only thing that I really wanted to add is that in this conversation about what does economic development look like in the city of St.

Paul, what does planning look like?

How are we thinking about growing the city that we all want to see?

I want to take maybe a moment in the midst of all this to just celebrate what I see as a the tremendous amount of work that's happened from PED just in the time that I've been in this role in less than a year.

I think that we are seeing so much momentum moving forward in our city, so many affordable housing projects in, you know, in Midway, where I live, and part of um Ward 4, we're seeing market right housing moving forward, we're seeing affordable housing projects moving forward, supportive housing projects moving forward, we're seeing new commercial development, we're seeing ongoing and critical conversations about how we can continue to, you know, do the nitty gritty work of revising our zoning code and making it easier to promote the type of development that we want to see, and that's just in one tiny neighborhood that happens to be within walking distance of my house.

There's that, you know, I think that there are unique challenges and opportunities throughout the city, but in my experience being here and working with PED under, you know, almost that entire time under uh interim Director McMahon's leadership.

I've really just it feels like we are on the precipice of really big and exciting things for the city of St.

Paul, things that I hear consistently from my constituents are desperately needed and wanted as we look to what does the St.

Paul of five, 10, 20, 50 years look like.

I'm really, really excited to be able to work with again soon to be, I hope director McMahon in that capacity as we work to build that city.

I think that we have made tremendous strides with a lot of work to go again as has been discussed around this table.

There is, there's no shortage of work ahead of us, but I I look forward to continuing this project together.

Thank you, Ms.

Coleman.

Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

I promise you I'll bring it home.

I just want to say I appreciate everything that was said earlier.

I was wanted to, it was something that um Chair Johnson had mentioned that I just want to expand on, and also Councilmember Coleman as well, in terms of like seeing the good and praise it.

I think we do a really incredible job, you know, as a city, highlighting what we're doing good at, highlighting the growth, highlighting the good.

Um, but I do truly think we struggle with seeing the challenges and confronting it.

And you know, this conversation uh today is just in a space of making sure that council members, all council members have a safe space to exercise their vote and exercise their voice without fear of political attacks, without fear of false allegations, without fear of just all the things that comes when you are speaking your truth and representing your communities, even if it's not in favor or highlighting the positive um things that we all are supportive of.

So I just wanted to say I think this is a really an incredible example of an all-woman council, a woman mayor, um, among woman mayor, making a decision and actually actively in democracy, having the dialogue, even if it is, you know, not um, even if we're not on the same page, but I just want to highlight that because I do think, you know, it's something that um um counts, or excuse me, vice president Yang, you had mentioned in terms of like seven years ago, that there wasn't a space.

There wasn't like a clear space to have these discussions.

Um, and I know I came in like understanding that I cannot be a rubber stamp.

My um voters will not allow for me to take votes that isn't truthful to what their experience has been or even what our my commitment is to improving these departments.

So um again, I want to just reiterate, you know, this is not anything personal, and I honestly, as a woman of color, I even hate saying out loud having to explain myself, you know, and I think that's a truth that has been found in this place, um, in terms of when we have a difference in opinion, you know, how do we respect that and how do we be respectful of all of our colleagues in this space?

Thank you.

Thanks, Ms.

Bui.

Well, I appreciate the robust discussion.

Um I uh I really respect the way that we do have these conversations, and I do think um Vice President Yang is one of the two people who have been here for a long time.

Remembering when conversations were much less robust at this table.

I think it's a much much healthier counsel um in our in our agreement and in our disagreement.

So thank you everyone for speaking um thoughtfully and from the heart today.

With that, we will take a vote, and I think it's gonna be a roll call vote.

Kim.

I'm Yang.

Bowie.

No.

Coleman.

Aye, Johnson.

Aye.

Jost.

Yes.

Council President Acre.

Aye.

Six in favor, one opposed.

That being Council Member Bowie, the resolution is adopted.

I'm sure she's gonna be here.

No, no swearing unnecessary at the moment.

Okay.

Item 15, resolution public hearing 26-120, approving five applications of the Grand Avenue Business Association for sound level variances in order to present amplified sound for the grand old day event on Sunday, June 7th, 2026, at 640, 791, 917, and 1055, and 1549 Grand Avenue McAllister College parking lot.

This brings us to the public hearing section of our agenda, which I think I already talked about a little bit earlier.

So again, when your item is read, if you're here to testify, please come on up, stand between the two microphones, don't need to adjust them.

You'll have two minutes.

Please start with your name and where you're coming from, and then sign in when you're done.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to us about grand old day sound level variances?

Oh, come on up.

Okay, good time.

Hello, Council President Naker, hello, members of the city council.

I'm Kim O'Brien, and I'm the executive director of the Grand Avenue Business Association and former legislative aide to this body.

So I just wanted an opportunity to represent uh the Grand Avenue Business Association and Grand Old Day, and um say that we invite everybody here at the table and everybody in our community to join us on June 7th, Sunday, June 7th.

This is the 53rd year of Grand Old Day in the City of St.

Paul, which is a pretty amazing tradition.

And somehow, despite so many barriers and obstacles, the community continues to come together to support this uh celebration of St.

Paul and celebration of our community.

I know many of you are planning to join us in the parade or in the race, um, or at our events throughout the day, and I just want to um say thank you.

I also wanted to make a note to say thank you to the city council um for your work on security credit um to help us uh defray the cost of securing our event that's meaningful to us in the festival and community organizing world, as well as your support of the commercial corridor program.

Some of that funding is going um towards um Grand Avenue Business Association's ability to put on a festival of this magnitude.

So everybody in St.

Paul and and beyond St.

Paul, join us June 7th.

It'll be great.

No, it'll be a grand old day in St.

Paul.

Thank you.

Any questions about the event?

Sorry, I'm so corny.

It's it's great.

I mean, it's grand.

Um any questions for Ms.

O'Brien.

Ms.

Johnson.

I don't necessarily have a have a question, Miss O'Brien, but it's great to see you.

And I um I laughed a little when you walked up only because I'm like, I fully expect you to be on brand and positive, and just I think it's an attestement to the community feel of having attended uh grand old days before.

I think it's just really um it's it's just really great that to see community leaders step up to provide um to provide parades, to provide celebrations and to provide for festivals all across the city as we continue to work, uh post all of the things that have been handed to the city.

So thank you for your work and uh thank you for your positivity and thank you for just being here and making the time to be here today.

Thank you, Councilmember Johnson.

Uh Ms.

Bowie.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to say the same as well.

I just appreciate your footprint all around St.

Paul and what makes it fun, honestly.

Um, when I think about just like your service, not only like in the city, but also servicing the small businesses, multiple associations.

I don't see how you have the time, the energy, or even really the fortitude for it.

But I'm just so grateful, you know, for your leadership and how you have just made an incredible impact when we think about not only events and festivals, but really um growing the identity and the vibracy when it comes to our corridors.

So thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Councilman Bowie.

Appreciate that.

Uh any other comments.

All right.

Uh well, I will um make a motion to close the public hearing and approve this item.

And in doing that, I will echo my colleagues' thanks to you, Ms.

O'Brien, for your incredible leadership, um, your enthusiasm, and I cannot wait to uh once again run the 5K and um be in the parade.

It's not as hard as it looks, everybody.

So feel free to join me.

Even my children do it, and Councilmember Joe's child does it, and Councilmember Joe is gonna do it again this year also.

So it's gonna be great.

Uh so we will see you there.

And now we will also be able to hear you because in a moment you'll be able to have sound.

Um, so with that, I move to close public hearing approve.

Uh any further discussion?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted.

Item sixteen, resolution public hearing 26-121, accepting grant funds authorizing execution of a grant agreement and amending the operating budget with respect to the city's sponsorship of a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, redevelopment grant for the benefit of Afton Parks Development Mixed Use Redevelopment at 841 to 851 Grand 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 17, resolution public hearing 26-122, accepting a grant on behalf of the St.

Paul Fire Department from the Capitol Region watershed district to support maintenance of the green roof located at the fire department headquarters, station one building and amending SPFD's 2026 financing and spending plans.

I didn't even know they had a green roof.

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 18, resolution public hearing 26-126, authorizing the city to accept 6,800.

Nope.

$6,800,061 in home ARP funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and amending the 2026 budget to incorporate these funds into the federal grant budget.

I knew federal funding was decreasing to these, but I didn't know it was at that order bank.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone here to speak to this item?

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

Coleman 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 19, resolution public hearing 26-130, adopting the climate action and resilience plan update.

And on this item, we will have a staff report from Liz Boyer.

We are super excited, I think.

Uh, yes, um, as well as members of the climate action and resilience uh team.

And this is actually an item we've heard about before.

We had an opportunity to have a policy session on the climate action plan and give some feedback.

And I know that changes have been incorporated based on our feedback into the plan.

Um, so I want to thank Ms.

Boyer and all of uh our community leaders for their hard work and want to hear more about what's in the plan now.

Welcome.

Thank you, Council President, Council members.

I'm Liz Boyer, Climate Action Coordinator for the city.

I uh sit in the office of financial services.

Um they said you didn't want a staff report or presentation, so I'm happy to just kind of like give an overview of where we're at.

You had a presentation a little while ago, now a couple months ago, maybe at a policy um committee meeting, and we made some changes to the plan after that, but it's largely the same.

Um so I guess what I would say, you know, high level, we adopted the original CARP in 2019.

It included a recommendation to um have an update every five years.

So this is our first update designed to make sure that we're keeping up with uh best practices and changes in technology and um science and implementation.

We ended up adding some new categories to the plan.

We added categories for uh funding, partnerships, implementation, and most importantly, we're including a um five-year action plan in uh at the very end of the plan.

The idea is for these 25 action items to be um kind of prioritized in the next five years.

The original plan is beautiful and complete and descriptive and wonderful, and had 170 action items in.

Um so this uh five-year action plan kind of gives us a place to start.

The way that those 25 uh action items were selected was based on community input, you know, what through our year-long community engagement process.

What did we hear from people that they wanted us to focus on and prioritize?

Uh we did a lot of communication and meetings and back and forth with city departments.

What are some things that are already in the works or that city departments know we need to prioritize um in the in the coming years?

So all of those factors went in.

One thing that came up when I came to the policy committee that I want to make sure I kind of touch on here now, too, is how we are addressing hazards and vulnerabilities, vulnerable communities, vulnerable populations in the updated plan.

We know now really what the hazards are of climate change for our area, and we know, too, um, that there are uh geographies that are more sensitive to these hazards, and we know that there are populations of individuals that are more sensitive to these different hazards.

We also know that there are natural systems and built infrastructure systems that have different levels of vulnerability to these hazards.

Instead of having kind of well, we do have a separate chapter where we talk about those hazards and those vulnerabilities, but then instead of having like an uh equity chapter or you know, having that be the only place that hazards and vulnerabilities are discussed.

We instead highlight for each of the hazards so extreme heat, severe storms, flooding and water damage, air quality for each of these kind of known hazards.

We then talk about the vulnerable populations, the vulnerable geographies.

You'll see maps in the updated plan, um, and then at the end of that hazards and vulnerability section, we have a composite vulnerability map.

So we know the areas of the city geography, you know, geographically, as well as those populations within those geographic areas that are more vulnerable.

Um, then when we get to the actions, we talk in the in the action sections and in the 25-year action plan.

We say this is the action we want to do, and we should prioritize vulnerable communities.

So we're not just like making that up in the action that then references back to those vulnerabilities identified for those hazards.

So that's just one thing I especially wanted to make clear.

I can go on.

I love this plan, and I'm really proud of the process that we went through.

We um had a lot of community engagement.

I'm happy to talk more about that or any of the actions.

Also happy to just step aside and let folks who came here to speak speak and be available for questions if you have them.

Thank you so much, Ms.

Boyer.

Um, for someone who didn't even know she was giving a staff report.

That was a beautiful staff report.

This is how much I love this plan and how proud I am of the process, from the heart.

I can talk about it at a drop of a hat.

It was beautiful.

Thank you so much.

Um any questions from Ms.

Boyer, we are gonna open up the public hearing, and then I think we'll have general comments after that, but any sort of informational questions at this point.

Um, okay.

We will then open up the public hearing.

Um, if you're here to testify on this item, item 19, please come on up.

And again, two minutes.

Please start with your name where you're coming from.

Welcome.

Hello to everyone.

And Murphy, if you would just stand right in between the two microphones, just shift a little bit.

There you go.

There's a microphone.

Can you hear me better?

Yep.

Okay, thank you.

Hi.

Um, my name is Kristen Dawkins, but everyone calls me Murph.

I live in Railroad Island in Ward 7.

I'm uh also uh was a member of the plan that of the Climate Justice Action, Climate Justice uh CJ.

Yeah, climate justice action something.

And uh helped to do the revisions that are before you now.

I too agree that it's a very good and very complete plan and uh much more specific than last time around.

It's uh something that we should support.

I just wanted to mention that the um part of that plan that I am most excited about is the geothermal, the thermal action plan for the whole city.

I'm working in my own neighborhood to try to bring about some thermal uh support for heating and cooling in uh homes and businesses, but I uh think the citywide plan is an ambitious idea and it's very very important.

It's a hot one out there today.

It's been hot for a couple days, and it's gonna be hot soon for another couple days.

In uh nationwide, we have 90% of households have air conditioning.

10% do not in the Twin Cities, 84% have central air conditioning.

And uh, but among renters, it's only 60%.

So picture the renters in your own districts that are sitting up in their third floor apartments or any apartment and sweltering in this heat and uh really suffering.

Heat related deaths are up quite a bit.

They're almost double what they were in 2000, and uh it's really important to pay attention to this.

Um, the uh difference between a geothermal heating or cooling, uh which you don't get automatic cooling, you know, with when you pay Excel for your gas uh heat, you do get it automatically when you're part of a geothermal system.

And uh you can picture that just because the difference to heat from let's say it's 55 degrees uh underground where the water that heats our homes comes from, and to heat that up to 78 degrees is minuscule compared to on a winter day going up from zero or below zero, let's say, up to 78 degrees.

There's a lot more heating has to happen, and so that's where the uh benefits come from uh the financial uh issues.

That's much cheaper and cleaner as well to use geothermal wherever you can.

And that is that is time.

So I'm gonna have to.

Oh, already, okay.

I just wanted to say it's so fast.

Uh the geothermal parts of your plan here are excellent.

So are many others.

The program, the um power of homes and the healthy homes really need to be first, though, because we can't put geothermal in a house that is still leaking all over the place.

It won't help.

But thank you very, very much for your time, and I look forward to its approval.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

And welcome up.

I'm sorry the two minutes do go by extremely fast, and it's my unenviable job to keep everybody to them.

So, hi, I'm Catherine Dugarm.

I live in Ward 3, and I've been meeting with Nito St.

Paul along with Murph.

Um, and I wanted to also speak in in uh favor and appreciation of the um proposed thermal energy plan that will be um completed or at least worked on.

Um, and a couple of goals that I think were already mentioned were that um uh well, other goals are that we would have 3,500 additional households served by Thermal Energy Network, which it's an investment up front.

It costs a lot of money to put in wells and get things connected, but then it's like free energy after that.

So um it's it's putting in money up front, but we'll save people in the long run.

Or save people money in the long run.

Also, the 40% increase in low and moderate income households with access to rooftop solar or solar garden subscription.

Um I'm fortunate enough I was able to put solar panels on my house.

Not everyone lives in their own house, um, and you can't just put solar panels on the apartment building you live in.

Um, at least I I it doesn't seem like a good idea.

Um so making rooftop solar or solar garden subscriptions available to people who are not able to do those things.

I'm those are the things I'm in favor of.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Thank you.

Hello.

Well, I'm gonna stick with my script since I only have two minutes.

Then if I have time, I'll say other stuff.

But hello, dear members of the St.

Paul City Council.

My name is Lachelle Cunningham, and I'm the executive director of Frogtown Farm, a nonprofit urban farm located at 941 LaFond Avenue in Frogtown neighborhood, ward 1.

I am writing in strong support of the climate action and resiliency plan, resilience plan update, and the urge to urge the council to adopt it, along with the resources, staffing, and partnerships necessary to ensure meaningful implementation.

Frogtown Farm has been an active partner with the City of St.

Paul on climate resilience work for several years.

Most recently, we've completed a climate justice project through the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, CNCA, in partnership with the city's climate action coordinator.

That project was recognized for its potential for national impact and is being featured in a CNCA webinar as a replicable model of community to city climate partnership.

Our work sits at the intersection of food security, economic opportunity, and environmental justice.

We operate community growing programs, lead grower incubation and initiatives for BIPOC and low-income residents, and have built a working relationship with city climate staff that demonstrates what meaningful community engagement looks like in practice.

I want to specifically commend the addition of language in action, item number three under community resilience and emergency preparedness.

Food security, specifically encourage equitable distribution of community assets to improve food security, including urban farms and foraging, community gardens, food markets, healthy food options, and community-based initiatives that strengthen local food systems and community resilience.

The inclusion of community-based initiatives that strengthen local food systems and community resilience is significant.

It creates a framework that recognizes the work organizations like ours are already doing.

Not just growing food, but building community infrastructure and capacity that makes neighborhoods more resilient in the face of climate uh disruption.

I have a lot more to say, but I'm running out of time.

So really I invite you all to come out and see what we're doing at Frogtown Farm.

We have a lot of events, Juneteenth.

We we celebrate National Night Out and all of those amazing things.

So please come, 941 LaFon, and come and make action to the climate resiliency plan.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your leadership.

Make sure to sign in.

Welcome up.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Celeste Masillas.

I am a farmer at Frogtown Farm.

And here, just wanting to share a little bit about the experience there at Frogtown as a farmer as a community member and as someone who is very devoted to climate justice, which is really connected to food justice, land justice, um, a lot of other works that's really intricately woven.

And um this has been a beautiful experience to be now the second year at Frogtown Farm where we get to see the community members come together and um and thrive on this land.

Um we're in Frogtown Farm, which is a very low tree canopy part of town, and with Frogtown is actively giving back in um with with you know we're giving carbon um or sorry we're relieving carbon um but also we get to feel out of the impacts on the land.

So being on a land that is so surrounded by industrial um and um other initiatives.

Um this is a place where community gathers and we come in and um looking to forage relationships not with just ourselves with each other but also with the land and giving us the opportunity to um one recognize the essential um the essentialness of having uh urban farms and in climate um impact and then two invest in environmental justice communities before an action becomes irreversible, and then three partner with us as we're already doing the work, um, like Lachelle said, already implementing other other initiatives and really um you know, as a community wanting to be well and you know um have that version of next generations.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you so much.

Make sure to sign in.

Uh, is there anyone else here to speak on this topic?

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

Kim to close the public hearing and then we'll have some discussion.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Uh seven in favor, none opposed.

The plan is adopted.

Public hearing is closed.

The public hearing is closed.

So I would look to my colleagues, we're very close to uh for discussion and a motion.

Ms.

Jost.

Um thank you, Council President uh Aker, and thank you so much to all the staff that are here and that have been working on this, and also all of our community partners.

Um, very supportive of the climate action resilience plan.

I uh many of you know that how strongly I feel about the issue of climate action.

Um, and I do believe it is it is one of the biggest issues that that we're facing here worldwide.

Um it's an it's the impacts of climate action and and global warming are uh you know inescapable.

And I I really do believe it is um just such a high priority for us and for our residents.

Um making sure that we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, uh making sure that we are focused on uh thinking differently about how we want to build our environment in our city.

How do we want to develop?

What do we want you know our communities to look like?

How do we want to get around and really making sure we're thinking innovatively about how we move forward, and then also um, as some of the testifiers mentioned, the impacts of climate action that we are going to have to experience and and endure while we're battling global warming and um how that you know disproportionately impacts uh you know many of our communities, especially our black and brown communities in St.

Paul and making sure that uh we have the the resources and the tools that we need to be able to support folks in this climate crisis that we're living in.

And then lastly, I just want to say that you know, I said I'm very supportive of this plan, and I'm also very committed to seeing through the um the funding and the additional work that is going to be required to see this plan through, because like I said, I this is this is one of the most challenging issues that uh we'll we'll be facing in our city and that we continue to face as it evolves uh over time.

So thank you again to everyone excited to support this today.

And I'll take that as a motion for approval.

Yes, a motion for approval.

Thank you, Ms.

Joseph.

Is there discussion further discussion of the motion?

Ms.

Coleman.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to echo the thanks to our city staff team and community partners and volunteers and everybody who's been such an integral part of this, both you know, this year and in over the past five plus years.

I share the excitement and enthusiasm for passing this.

I think that sometimes there is a message, either explicit or implicit, that cities shouldn't be trying to tackle some of the biggest problems that we face as a as a country, as a society, and I I just so strongly believe that that is not correct.

And I think that what we're showing with the climate action resilience plan is that we can and must tackle the biggest challenges facing our community, facing our country, facing our world, and that we actually have so many of the tools that we need in order to take the tackle those challenges head on.

Um it is obviously an incredibly distressing time to be in the United States when we have a federal government that no longer seems to care about stopping climate change, um, and in fact seems dedicated to making the situation worse at a very rapid pace.

Um but I think what cities like St.

Paul are showing is that there is a different way forward, a different path forward, and that it is in fact critical that we do this work here for all of the climate associated reasons, but also because this is an economic justice issue.

This is a question about how do people get around our city safely and affordably.

It's a question about what does housing look like in our city, about what is our infrastructure look like.

It is to me so much about this is the bread and butter of what we are supposed to be doing as city leadership.

And I just I want to say that when I look at at the CARP and kind of look at the updated version of it, really what it paints for me is such an incredible vision of what our city should look like and what it should mean to be able to live in a city that is equitable, that is affordable, that is actually, a city that is going to be sustainable for the long run.

So anyway, I could say a lot more about it.

I think that there's so much in here that's incredible.

I think obviously I think this phrase has been used like half a dozen times today, but uh plans are only as good as the paper they're written on if we aren't actually committed to seeing this through and making sure that funding is secured and that these kind of the priority steps in the CARP are actually prioritized through how we are running the city in the next over the next five years.

But I have a ton of confidence that we will make that happen that we have the teams that we need in place at the city to make it happen.

So very excited to vote yesterday.

Thank you, Miss Coleman.

I think it's on Miss Bowie.

Yes, thank you, Council President.

I also just want to say thank you for everyone who showed up in person.

You know, it's always a pleasure when we see the people behind the action and also the people who are like in the field, you're making sure our neighborhoods and our cities are more climate oriented.

Um I also just wanted to say I appreciate a couple things that were mentioned during the testimonies, like the tree canopy, uh Frogtown Farm being here.

I really appreciate uh just learning more and hearing more and just getting you know familiar faces here.

If people have not had a chance to, um I really encourage you to tour Frogtown Farm.

It is one of the like in the million, you know, um unique examples of how a city-owned uh property can actually do good when it comes to um addressing the food desert, food, um, excuse me, um, um, not desert, but or yeah, food.

Um scarcity, thank you, thank you, thank you.

It is, I need some food right now.

Okay, I need to go to Frogtown Farm.

Um, but um, but I want to just encourage the leadership there is amazing.

We have a lot of partners that's invested.

Um, it is uh fully volunteered.

There's so many programs and so much good work that's happening there.

I also used to serve on the advisory council for the Department of Agriculture, and um one of the things that we were really intentional about is investing in urban farms and St.

Paul's one of the largest, or excuse me, Frogtown Farm is one of the largest urban farms, community-owned urban farms.

Um, I thought actually in the state of Minnesota, but it's actually the country.

So when we think about just the national impacts that we have, you know, um here in in Ward One in St.

Paul, we're setting an example for it.

And also just want to share, I really appreciate just the um the continuation of the plan.

Um I I remember, you know, former director Russ Stark really was leading on from not only a council member, but now that was the director of that um of that office and just leading it on.

And I'm just happy, even with this um change in administration that this is still a commitment as this is still a priority.

Um, and I'm excited to just really continue taking those bold steps and sure that um not only the plan, but really the decisions we make in terms of development projects, infrastructure, all that's integrated in this plan, and I see how it's so uh comprehensive, right, as well.

Um, and when I think about just like the evolution of how we even invest and talk about climate um change or even climate resiliency has truly evolved.

Um, it used to be a time where it was just like, you know, you change your light bulb or you have like you fix your sink, but now it's very, very um comprehensive, it's integrated in everything that we do.

So I just want to just echo uh that leadership, um, echo the people who volunteer their time um and energy to show up to educate um as well.

And I think I want to just highlight as well um in our budget priority retreat that we had, you know, many of us had an opportunity to hear about different district councils and them prioritizing climate change.

Um, and I'm really curious to learn more about just like what are the neighborhood um um neighborhood advocacy, you know, priorities.

I know in Frogtown, I just want to just say this because I think my my friends in Frogtown probably would be upset if I don't mention it.

Um, but there is a uh really robust emerging campaign that's growing out of the Frogtown Neighborhood Association called Frogtown Deserves to Breathe.

And when we think about the brass foundry and like many of these um metal refineries that's in our cities and like the impact that it has in understanding that the lack of tools that the EPA has or even our um the state pollution agency has to really ensure and enforce that we have clean air, that we have safe breathing air, um, and that that's not just only for you know areas that have the tree canopy, but that's for all of our areas, especially when we think about our our farms, our local farms, and like what is the health conditions um that we're setting forth um for these neighborhoods, and what are the tools that the city and also the other um government agencies can use to ensure that we protect our our climate.

Thanks so much, Miss Bowie.

Some Ms.

Johnson and Ms.

Kim.

Yeah, I uh I you know I won't further belabor um just the the point itself, but genuinely wanted to offer my sentiments and my support, especially because I know that to me the the CARP is an economic, racial and um social justice tool.

Like we genuinely are creating a framework to undo, you know, over a century of harm that has been done in certain communities and some spaces, like if you look at what kind of really grounded within the CARP plan and where it stemmed from, including the reports that really just led up to our response as a collective.

You know, there's no way to really have this CARP plan without addressing some of the equity concerns that has genuinely been embedded in our city.

And so I just really appreciate the advisory board that spends a lot amount of time uh working on this.

I appreciate the staff that are also leading this work.

There's no blueprint to do your roles and your job.

Um, it really is, you know, requiring you to be visionaries, it's requiring you to also think about what the future looks like, you know, when some of us are long while all of us long and gone, right?

It's a it's a legacy document, it's a breathing document.

It also is really important that we continue to get more specific as we learn more and as we die further in.

And so I also share that need for partnership when it comes to funding, and I look forward to just continuing to lead in this council and especially this sector coming in as the budget chair of the council.

I feel really um, you know, I feel a sense of responsibility and continuing to echo our sentiments and our responsibilities and our priorities, and was really glad to see the council really address climate action as um one of the things that we felt pretty strongly unanimously across the board in.

And so just really thinking about what that looks like.

I think this plan does a really good job of taking the bold ideas and the bold visions and making it specific, and I look further to even diving further within that um to create funding opportunities for that specificity and that response, especially with that equity lens.

And um, you know, I I appreciate Murph being here, uh, you know, one of the most dedicated folks in uh Word 7 when it comes to climate action, and there's several people on several communities that show up to many office hours that I have, many community conversations because this is really important to them and really important to me.

Um, you know, and I think we've heard from different organizations throughout the day, right, that have invested time and effort.

We heard from moms to man action this morning.

Umilis Minnesota is another organization that just genuinely will continue to be an advocacy-based organization that is building on power and building through these lens, and climate justice is clearly a huge part of the work that they do.

Um, but things like this plan, the updates, and even just the staff partnership really stem from the community members saying this is important to us and really being willing to defend the decisions to show up to support the decisions.

So just want to say I hope that folks feel like even in the midst of everything that's happening federally at the local level, people are not moving away from something in a mayoral transition.

This remains a priority for not only you know the council, but also embedded within the city with having staff that are just saying, hey, this is super important to us.

We're gonna continue this work.

We've made you know community commitments.

And so over the years, I hope this plan just continues to continue to wind down and what the direction is.

Um, but also as it continues to flush out just the details, it's gonna come with a price tag.

And I look forward to continuing those conversations, especially because I look forward to climate action being one of our legacies as well as an all-woman council on how we continue to respond when we know that right, like I want to build a uh a world in which some of the climate inequities that we've seen don't exist when my husband, my husband and I are gone, and my son is sitting in my seat.

And I look forward to being able to, you know, to have that be a part of the work that we do together.

Thanks, Ms.

Johnson.

Ms.

Kim.

Yeah, it just big kudos to the staff.

Um, Liz, it's wonderful to see you here, like carrying this work.

Um, big fan from our district council's days.

Um, and a huge kudos to Frogtown Farm, also an incredible place where you are creating um system like food systems and ecological systems and ones that you know we have a lot to learn from, quite frankly.

I think that the thing I want to lift up is that it's not just clean air and clean water for us, but for all living um animals on this on Mother Earth, right?

Like we are our our job isn't only for ourselves.

Oftentimes I think we get that a little bit in our heads where like we start to go down this our own profit driven destruction because we're so focused on humans versus like what is Earth's democracy look like and if animals and our trees had to vote and our water had to vote at the table, what would that look like?

And so, even though I think a lot of the things that we talk about have price tags, um, I think the best part about this plan is that it also focuses on like local um like earth economies, right?

So, how then do we also legislate opportunities for families to grow their own food in their backyard, right?

To create more of a biodiversity here in the city.

Um, and so I just I'm really excited about how much better it's getting.

Um, and I'm extraordinarily excited about the geothermal.

I know sometimes there can be conflict around like putting more things into Mother Earth, right?

And on Indigenous, on stolen indigenous land.

Um, and yes, here I sit.

I am um ward five.

So far, I know another ward is gonna beat us, but we have um two of the largest geothermal projects in the city, and they are, I have to say they are absolutely incredible.

And so, how do we utilize all of the the tools um that we have while also centering the values of not just humans but our um our uh our ecosystems and all the living beings here on earth?

So huge codes kiddos to staff.

I know that's a shared value and a huge lofty vision, and this plan absolutely takes us one giant step forward to figuring out how the city can deliver on our promise that we are gonna tackle climate change and at a local level.

So, congratulations to all of you.

And I will obviously be very supportive of the vote.

Thank you, Ms.

Kim.

Uh any further discussion.

I think I would just echo all of my colleagues' thoughts and thanks, and uh just say that I'm I'm so grateful and proud that we have a climate action resilience plan in the city of St.

Paul.

I don't think there is an issue that resonates with our values as a city and as a people, as climate action does because caring for our city and caring for our climate are inextricably related.

We are seeing the effects of climate change every day now.

It is not theoretical, it is real.

Um, and it is an issue that we hear about from our constituents on a regular basis.

And I am grateful and proud to be able to point to this plan that we've worked on in an inclusive way.

Um thank you so much to the Climate Justice Advisory Board for that that we work on in a tangible way.

Um, thank you, Ms.

Boyer, for the improvement so that we actually have action steps that are not overwhelming in number, but really really doable.

Um, and then I do want to say I'm I'm very grateful for the attention to the feedback that we gave and specifically for the attention to those areas and uh populations that are particularly vulnerable to hazards.

I know that was a concern that I raised because of the Southport neighborhood on the west side in my district.

I know lots of others um on the council have specific neighborhoods in their areas, and um seeing the way that you interwove vulnerability into all the chapters rather than just having it off on its own, um, really ensures that we'll see action on that issue.

So um so thank you and looking forward to supporting this today.

And with that, I think we are ready to vote.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The plan is adopted.

Legislative hearing consent agenda items 20 through 27 are before you for your consideration.

Welcome, Ms.

Mormons.

Hard pivot.

Tough act to follow.

Um, Council President, I don't believe there's anyone here to testify on a legislative hearing item.

All right, so we are now holding a if you are here to testify on items 20 through 27, any of those items, this is your public hearing.

Is there anyone here to testify on any of those items?

Seeing none, I will take a motion from Vice President Yang to close the public hearings and approve the items with the amendations and recommendations of the legislative hearing officer.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

The legislative hearing consent agenda is adopted as amended.

That brings us to the end of our agenda, and we've lost all the students I meant to embarrass earlier.

But they were here, teachers.

They were here.

Uh and so with that, uh brings us to good news from around the wards.

Anyone got any?

Ms.

Johnson.

Yeah, so I thank you.

Um, thank you to Council Breing for also having uh the thought that I wanted to share too today.

Um, so I hope folks are watching what has been happening at Walk and TB.

Um the walk on TP Center is actually getting ready to open and they're having their grand opening on Friday.

I'll be uh there along with the mayor, Senator Hear, Senator Klobuchar, and several other um elected officials and community members and partners and funders there for the ribbon cutting.

It's Friday, May 29th.

Um it starts at 11.

There will be a remarks in the first half.

So even if you're running a little late and need to stop by after uh lunch, as you know, politicians are gonna have their time to speak.

Um, but also you might be able to get through um the doors are open at 12:30 to two.

So even if you're coming in between lunch and can only spare a few minutes um and you want to skip the chit-chat 12:30 to two.

But yes, it's gonna be a whole um event.

Um, we are asking folks to kind of know where they are going.

Um, you'll have to put in 594th Street East.

Um, there'll be some signage and things there too.

But um, you don't have to take a car either, you can just take the bus too.

But either way, it's really um just gonna be really great to see this milestone come to milestone come to fruition, and so huge shout out to uh Maggie Lorenz, our awards 7 resident, but also um the director at Walk on TP, and so I'm just really excited to see this open because it's been a long time in the making, and I know they're really excited to see it go live.

And so they are asking people to RSVP, so please do so.

Maggie would tap me on my head if I didn't share that.

So you can always show up, it's free to attend, but they have a registration link on top online too.

Very exciting.

Thanks, Ms.

Johnson.

I see Miss Kim.

Awesome.

Uh thank you.

We the Norrisel Rec Center is their fields are going under construction.

They will be closed.

This is good news, I promise.

Um, they'll be closed um starting uh yesterday and through the fall of 2026.

Um, but it's because we're getting uh field improvement through our common sense sales tax.

So it's one of the Common Sense Sales Tax projects so folks can see renovated fields.

So that is one.

So ball fields will be closed.

Um, and then also Food Truck Friday is again this Friday, 9 07 Payne Avenue at the corner of Payne in York from 3 to 7.

It happens every other Friday.

This Friday is one.

And then my last good news is that I went to go visit the North End soapbox derby team yesterday.

They were putting the finishing touches.

If you don't know, it has been my good news for several weeks.

But the soapbox derby where we defend our title against Minneapolis is happening in Ward 3 down Hidden Falls.

Um the road in Hidden Falls.

Um, and we have several teams that are competing from St.

Paul.

So please go cheer on your rec center kids as we um defend our title on home turf June 2nd, 5 to 7 p.m.

Hidden Falls.

Please find parking and walk-in.

Thanks, Ms.

Kim.

No event has ever been better promoted at Good News from the Wards than that one.

So to your credit.

Other news, a single event.

Over and over.

So except CVS.

Except, yeah.

Ms.

No broken arms at this event.

Um this Saturday, May 30th at 11 a.m.

at Dunning Wreck or the Tony Stonefield at the Dunning Wreck uh Sports Complex is the unveiling of the amazing Dave Winfield statue.

Um, I just wanted to say kudos to director Andy Rodrigas.

He has just been giving me updates about every step of the way.

Uh I really just enjoyed uh seeing the small um uh model of it.

Now we've we've had it shipped in.

It's here in St.

Paul, but there's gonna be the unveiling and the installation of it at Dunning Reg May 30th, which is this Saturday at 11 a.m.

There will be um speaking, um, engagements from the mayor, myself, and and a couple other people as well.

Um I really really encourage everyone to come out.

If you are baseball fans, uh, we're gonna have ESPN there, the twins will be there, and also I want to say the major baseball league as well.

They'll be there.

There's a lot of um support to um not only honor um Dave Winfield's legacy, but him himself.

He has um he will be there and his family as well.

As many of you may know, some of the Winfield families, um, really prominent in Rondo.

So yeah, thanks, Miss Bowie.

Other news.

I shared this last week, um, so I have a different one this week, but just to remind you of last week that in 25 minutes, the party for the parks starts at Harried Island, and all are welcome, and it couldn't be a better day.

So um just wanted to plug that one once again.

And then on Friday, after you go see the food trucks, um, the uh downtown block party is back by popular demand.

It is in Mears Park.

It is from 5 to 8 p.m.

There is live music, food and drinks, free activities um featuring DJ Boom and live music featuring milk.

Um, and it's uh gonna be awesome.

It's all free and open to the public.

So hopefully everyone can come five to eight this Friday.

With that, if there is no quick question about the downtown series, is it every week or every uh that is an excellent question.

I don't think it is quite every week.

Um it it has been episodic throughout the summer.

Last year was the first time they did it, and I think they did it at least twice.

Um so I will I'll make sure to incorporate it in my good news all the time.

So perfect.

Not to worry.

All right, with that, uh, thanks for a great meeting.

We are adjourned.

Thank you.