Saint Paul City Council Meeting: Liquor District Hearing, Assessments, Reports, and Grants – Oct 14, 2026

The Saint Paul City Council met on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, beginning with a 9:00 AM public hearing at the Merriam Park Rec Center on Ord 26-49, a proposal to create the Snelling & University Commercial Development District around the University and Snelling intersection. The regular council meeting convened in Council Chambers at 3:31 PM. Five members were present at the morning session; seven were present at the start of the afternoon session. After a 4:58 PM recess, the meeting resumed at 5:09 PM with six members, Councilmember Yang absent, and adjourned at 5:18 PM. The council used roll-call votes while seven members were present because one member participated remotely; after the recess, remaining votes were taken by voice vote with six members present.

Public Hearing: Snelling & University Commercial Development District

• Ord 26-49 would amend Chapter 409 of the Legislative Code to create a Commercial Development District divided into four quadrants and allow seven On-Sale Liquor Licenses distributed among the quadrants at and around the University and Snelling intersection.
• The ordinance was laid over to October 21, 2026 for final adoption on a 5-0 vote with Councilmembers Yang and Johnson absent. Written comments from John Purdy, Mike Hahm, Alan Hupp, and the Union Park District Council were included in the record.

Consent Calendar and Receive/File

• AO 26-47 establishing a new Neighborhood STAR Year-Round Program project was received and filed.
• The consent agenda was adopted as amended by a 7-0 vote. It included routine special assessments for tree removal, delinquent garbage and yard waste bills, demolition of a vacant/nuisance structure at 610 Charles Ave, and associated legislative/public hearing dates.
• Licenses approved included an approximately 1,000-square-foot liquor service area expansion for Zamboni's on 7th at 174 7th St W and a new Health/Sport Club license for Element Boxing and Fitness at 928 7th St W.
• The council authorized the fire station license agreement with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a $5,000 donated firefighter lunch from Operation BBQ Relief and NPGA, the Ramsey County Critical Corridors application for 5th Street, a pond maintenance agreement with the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, Afton View Apartments conduit housing revenue obligations, non-use of a Project Labor Agreement on the SKD Auto Tek Neighborhood STAR project, the 2027 council meeting schedule, HR Manager II pay, stipends for the Public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group, and a correction to the honorary Mahmoud El-Kati Avenue co-naming boundaries.
• Four pay/union items were laid over one week to October 21, 2026: RES 26-1678, RES 26-1688, RES 26-1689, and RES 26-1690.

Discussion Items

• Sewer Revenue Bonds (RES 26-1705). Staff reported a competitive sale earlier in the day of $6.8 million in Series 2026D Sewer Revenue Green Bonds. The city received eight bids and awarded the bonds to Huntington Securities at a true interest cost of 4.57%. Councilmembers credited the city's AAA credit rating—and AA+ for sewer bonds—with saving millions in interest. The resolution was adopted as amended, 7-0.
• Data Practices Process Report (RES 26-1704). Dr. Heather Britt of Wilder Research presented an audit of the city's data practices request process. Findings included rising request volume, average closure time of about 13.5 days (down from just over 20 days in 2022), a median closure time of 4 days, and heavy concentration of requests in the Police Department. Recommendations included better use of GovQA tools, structured intake, standardized procedures, refresher training, publishing frequently requested records, and periodically assessing whether to transition to another system such as FOIA. Councilmembers Yang and Johnson spoke favorably about the findings, and the report was accepted 7-0.
• Autonomous Vehicle Labor and Community Protections (RES 26-1733). The council adopted version two of the resolution, 7-0, directing the Planning Commission's Transportation Committee to study autonomous vehicles and their effects on labor and the community, engage stakeholders such as transportation workers, disability advocates, and planners, and recommend guardrails before the technology arrives in Saint Paul. Written public comment from Birch Hansen was attached to the record.
• Ord 26-46 (Final Adoption). The council adopted 7-0 an ordinance amending Chapter 51.01 of the Administrative Code to allow conveyance of real property used by Saint Paul Regional Water Services to the Board of Water Commissioners.

Public Comments & Testimony on Assessments, Plats, and Grants

• Lynn Rolfe from the Office of Financial Services explained the assessment process: for street and alley projects the city generally pays 75% and assessable costs start at 25%, then are capped at the lesser of cost or the special-benefit appraisal. Examples included Pleasant Avenue collecting 5.4% and University Avenue 10.2% through assessments.
• For the alley bounded by Seventh, Woodward, Railroad, and Payne (RES PH 26-235), Gina Rosenberger of 581 7th St E asked why only some properties were assessed and sought consideration of costs dating back 20 years. Staff said every specially benefited property was assessed; one triangular vacant lot was found to have inconclusive benefit, and pre-2024 alley policy assessed 100% of costs rather than 25%. The assessment was ratified 7-0.
• For the Pelham Boulevard reconstruction (RES PH 26-240), staff gave a detailed report: the road was narrowed from 32 feet to 24 feet, an off-street trail was added, the road was shifted 14 feet to save large canopy trees, 22 of 202 boulevard trees were moved, 61 were removed, and the project cost fell from an estimated $18.45 million to about $11.75 million, with the final assessment below 12% rather than 25%. Multiple property owners testified in opposition: Andrea Kish (554 Pelham) called the assessments excessive and said residents lost parking and trees; Zafar Khan (383 Pelham) objected to a $14,109.50 assessment and questioned the special-benefit analysis; Jisan Yu (375 Pelham) said mature trees and landscaping were removed; Amy Sperling (501 Pelham), a 35-year real estate agent, said property values were likely hurt; and attorney Craig Hardie, for 2446 University Avenue LLC and Pelham Parking LLC, asked that assessments of $84,610 and $31,375 be removed or equitably reduced, arguing the HOSH analysis was generalized rather than property-specific. Councilmember Coleman moved approval, stating she saw no significant extenuating circumstances; Council President Noecker acknowledged the episodic burden of the assessment policy. The assessment was ratified 7-0.
• For the Carondelet Fields preliminary plat (RES PH 26-242), staff planner Katie Dables said the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Saint Paul Public Schools requested the plat to clean up long-standing meets-and-bounds legal descriptions; there are no development or use changes. Karen Sarrow of 540 Warwick St asked that future changes pause for neighborhood input; John Victor Kroelk, representing the Sisters, said no development is planned and the plat is an administrative cleanup. The plat was approved 7-0.
• During the grant hearing for Torre de San Miguel (RES PH 26-262), several speakers, including Wyatt Miller, Cedar Larson of Women Against Military Madness, and Barry Reish, testified about the Saint Paul Police Department's Axon/SkyDio drone contract and demanded transparency and an end to contracts they said are complicit in Israel's actions in Gaza. Council President Noecker directed them to keep testimony germane to the agenda item. The grant agreement was adopted 6-0 with Councilmember Yang absent.

Other Public Hearings Adopted Without Testimony

• Public hearing assessment ratifications for University Avenue, Pleasant Avenue, Fourth/Howard mill and overlay, three alley projects, and Wheelock/Grotto Phase II were adopted 7-0. The Highland Bridge Rowhomes Ninth Addition Final Plat was approved 7-0 without testimony.
• The remaining grant and budget resolutions—The Heights Parcel E1, the Fire Department's $25,140.87 Regions EMS whole-blood reimbursement, SKD Auto Tek STAR funds, and the HOME 2026 budget amendment—were adopted by 6-0 votes.

Legislative Hearing Consent Agenda

• Items 49-61 were heard together with no public testimony and adopted as amended 6-0. Most ratified appealed special assessments and abatement findings for properties including 1431 Arundel St, 555 Ashland Ave, 1166 Colette Pl, 1101 Hoyt Ave W, 925 Magnolia Ave E, 777 Ohio St, 1702 Orange Ave E, 752/760 Payne Ave, 1083 Sherburne Ave, and 1046 Western Ave N.
• The 1046 Western Ave N items were referred to the November 3, 2026 Legislative Hearing, with the related tree-removal assessment amended and also set for the January 6, 2027 council public hearing. The 1702 Orange Ave E vehicle-abatement appeal was denied as the nuisance was abated and matter resolved.

Ward Announcements

• Councilmember Kim announced a panel called Technofascism: The Rise of AI and Mass Surveillance in the Twin Cities on Monday, October 19, 6:00-7:30 PM at North End Community Center.
• Councilmember Bowie announced a Ward 1 community budget meeting on Tuesday, October 20, 5:30-7:00 PM at Frogtown Community Center, co-facilitated by district councils and including state, county, and school board representatives.
• Other announcements included the District 6 annual meeting and community dinner on October 19 at Dayton's Bluff Rec Center and a Growing Green tree-planting event at Camford Church.

Key Outcomes

• Ord 26-49 was laid over to October 21, 2026 for final adoption (5-0).
• The consent agenda was adopted 7-0; four pay/union items were laid over to October 21.
• RES 26-1705, RES 26-1704, RES 26-1733, and Ord 26-46 were each adopted by a 7-0 vote.
• All street, alley, and plat assessment ratifications were adopted, with the Pelham Boulevard hearing drawing the most opposition.
• Grant and budget resolutions and the Legislative Hearing Consent Agenda were adopted 6-0 after Councilmember Yang left.
• The 1046 Western Ave N assessment was referred to the November 3, 2026 Legislative Hearing and related public hearing dates.