Title
Authorizing stipend payments for the public members serving on the Public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group.
Body
WHEREAS, pursuant to RES 26-1314, the Saint Paul City Council established the Public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group (hereinafter “Working Group”) on August 12, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council recognizes that volunteer participation by community members is an effective way to engage them in the development and improvement of City policies, programs, and services and to incorporate community perspectives into issues affecting the City; and
WHEREAS, the Working Group is comprised of six community representatives who collectively possess expertise in civil rights, legal advocacy, racial equity, housing stability, neighborhood engagement, labor, and municipal fines and fees policy and who reflect diverse geographic representation; and
WHEREAS, the Working Group’s mission is to produce and review draft recommendations for inclusion in the final memorandum required to be submitted to and presented to the City Council no later than November 1, 2026, including recommendations regarding:
1. Procedures that promote fair, accessible, and equitable systems of compliance with the Saint Paul Legislative Code where civil fine authority is proposed to be used;
2. Policies that prioritize education, voluntary compliance, corrective action, and public safety before financial penalties are imposed for a code violation;
3. Policy options to address residents experiencing financial hardship when faced with an administrative citation;
4. Notice, appeal, hearing, and due process procedures that are transparent and accessible to all residents;
5. Policy safeguards to ensure administrative citations are implemented as compliance tools and are not used primarily to generate revenue for general governmental operations;
6. Citywide programming to account for revenues exceeding implementation costs that may lead to further equitable community investments and other priorities identified by the City Council through the annual budget process; and
7. Annual reporting mechanisms regarding the effects of the City’s Administrative Citations program to ensure legislative oversight through annual public reporting, budget review, periodic policy evaluation, and review of equity outcomes consistent with the legislative intent of RES 25-192; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council recognizes that the public members of the Working Group serve as community advisors and provide valuable perspectives regarding the implementation of administrative citations, and that their participation promotes public trust, transparency, and accountability; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council finds that providing a nominal stipend to public members of the Working Group is in the public interest and is consistent with the City’s practice of providing stipends to public members who serve in similar advisory capacities; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby authorizes a stipend of fifty dollars ($50.00) per meeting for each public member of the Public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group who elects to receive the stipend, to help defray expenses associated with their service, including parking and other related expenses; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the stipend authorized by this resolution is intended to recognize and compensate public members for the time, effort, and expenses associated with their participation in Working Group meetings and related activities; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council finds that providing stipends to public members of the Public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group serves a public purpose by supporting meaningful community participation and engagement in the development and implementation of City policy.