Title
Amending Chapter 142 of the Legislative Code (Title XII) pertaining to a special service district in downtown. (Public hearing continued from July 19, 2023 for Final Adoption)
Body
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, chapter 428A authorizes the City to create “special service districts,” the purpose of which is to provide an increased level of service or infrastructure to its commercial or industrial areas; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 428A.01 subdivision 4 defines a special service district as “a defined area within the city where special services are rendered and the costs of the special services are paid from revenues collected from service charges imposed within that area;” and
WHEREAS, special service districts have proven to strengthen downtown business environments throughout North America, with nearly all of Saint Paul’s peer cities employing self-imposed and self-managed districts to improve the economic strength of their downtowns; and
WHEREAS, City and County roles are most commonly thought of as fiscal sponsors for collecting fees through property tax collections, and disbursing proceeds to special service districts; and
WHEREAS, in recent years Saint Paul workers, residents, business owners, and community leaders were engaged - through the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, its Downtown Vitality Vision, and the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance - in a process to research best practices and determine the feasibility of a special service district in downtown Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 Saint Paul business leaders and property owners drafted a service model that would provide services beyond those ordinarily provided by the City or other public entities with a priority on improving safety outcomes and perceptions, which received broad support; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 428A.08 requires that, in order to create a special service district, the owners of 25 percent or more of the land area that would be subject to the char...
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