Title
Amending RES-25-192 to extend the timeline for the establishment of an Administrative Citation Legislative Advisory Committee.
Body
WHEREAS, on January 22, 2025, pursuant to Section 3.01.8 of the City Charter, the Saint Paul City Council, adopted RES-25-192, herein attached as Exhibit A, which established a legislative advisory committee for Administrative Citations, which had been adopted pursuant to Ord 25-2 by the Saint Paul City Council on January 22, 2025; and
WHEREAS, RES-25-192 established a timeline of no longer than one year to bring forward an administrative citations equitable implementation framework recommendation for Council consideration; and
WHEREAS, on April 15, 2025, the Saint Paul City Clerk transmitted a Certificate of Sufficiency, herein attached as Exhibit B, which stated that
- On March 24, 2025 a Petition requesting a referendum on Ord 25-2 was delivered to the office of the City Clerk; and
- On April 15, 2025 the City Clerk certified that the petition has the sufficient number of signatures required under Minn. Stat. § 410.12, subd. 3.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Saint Paul City Council amends RES 25-192 to extend the deadline for the establishment of the Administrative Citation Legislative Advisory Committee as follows:
RESOLVED that the Saint Paul City Council hereby commits to no later than 90 days of passing to establishing an Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee to provide a written report to the City Council on an Equitable Implementation Framework to guide the future implementation of Administrative Citations within 90 days of the successful passing of the ballot measure which would add the Administrative Citations to the Saint Paul City Charter; in the future, and
RESOLVED the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee shall include representation of from an individual (s) with an academic background on city enforcement, a labor union representation, a representative with a legal academic background and/or attorney, a district council representative(s), a community expert on fines and fees, a representative from the Reparations Commission, a representative from an independent research organization, as well as representation from city staff that can attest to the enforcement mechanisms and process from the City of Saint Paul; and
RESOLVED, the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee will aim to include representation of from many Wards in the City of Saint Paul and all appointments to the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee shall be established by a Saint Paul City Council resolution(s); and
RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council requests a written report and recommendation from the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee no later than one year after it established. Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee will be disbanded thereafter; and
RESOLVED, that the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee will provide a written report and recommendation to the Saint Paul City Council that will address the following:
1. Potential disparate impact of administrative citations to groups protected by the City’s Human Rights Ordinance (Saint Paul Legislative Code Chapter 183.01) and strive to mitigate such impacts; and
2. Budgeting mechanisms to direct future administrative citations fees revenue gained, in excess of policy implementation costs, towards priorities that advance equitable measures in city budget, planning and investments such as but not limited to; rental assistance, affordable housing, worker protections, and community engagement and outreach; and
3. Procedures and policies to ensure equitable enforcement, including provisions to assess ability-to-pay for residents facing economic hardship or are impeded by other life circumstances; and
4. Assess the City’s existing fee, fines, and abatements structures - examining their ability to recoup public expenses in a fair and equitable manner, including estimated historic impacts of such fines and fees, such as harms imposed on protected groups - especially regarding race and income status; and
RESOLVED, the City Council will require annual departmental reporting as a part of the budget process, when applicable, which will include the following:
1. Public engagement efforts, specifically as it relates to administrative citations and
2. Periodic review of the city’s fine and fee policies, specifically as it relates to administrative citations; and
3. Reports on administrative citations and fines, including, collection rates, revenue or deficit amounts, and allocation of fine revenue, and to the extent possible, data collection on demographic impacts.