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Approving adverse action against the Liquor On-Sale 100 Seats or Less, Liquor Outdoor Service Area (Patio), Liquor On-Sale Sunday & Gambling Location license (License ID #20160001981) held by A & M Bar and Grill LLC d/b/a St Paul Saloon for the premises located at 1045 Hudson Road and imposing the recommended presumptive matrix penalty and amended license conditions. (Licensee will speak to Council on their own behalf.)
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WHEREAS, A & M Bar and Grill LLC d/b/a St Paul Saloon (“Licensee”) holds a Liquor On-Sale 100 Seats or Less, Liquor Outdoor Service Area (Patio), Liquor On-Sale Sunday & Gambling Location license (License ID #20160001981) for the premises located at 1045 Hudson Road (“Licensed Premises”). The Licensee was notified in a letter from the City Attorney’s Office dated March 3, 2026, titled Notice of Violation and Request for Imposition of $500 Matrix Penalty and Amended Conditions (“Notice”) (Exhibit #1), that the Department of Safety and Inspections (“Department”) would recommend the imposition of a $500 matrix penalty and amended license conditions for the Licensee’s violation of license condition #2 and Saint Paul Legislative Code §§ 238.03, 238.04(3), 409.08(5) as well as Minnesota Statutes §§ 144.416(a)(2), 144.417, subd. 2(a), and SCTUO § 8.00(C); and
WHEREAS, The Notice explained that on November 1, 2025, around 11:45 p.m., Saint Paul Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Licensed Premises. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male injured with a gunshot wound to his left leg. Officers provided first aid until medics arrived. The male was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; and
WHEREAS, Officers spoke to the bartender who informed them that she had stepped out to take a smoke break, and when she came back inside the Licensed Premises, she heard gunshots. She observed patrons running and exiting the Licensed Premises in a state of panic. Officers learned that two males exchanged gunfire inside the Licensed Premises; and
WHEREAS, Officers located several spent casings on the ground around the bar area. Officers observed damage to machines and entertainment equipment in the Licensed Premises. Outside, officers located more spent casings on the sidewalk and observed several vehicles that had sustained damage from gunshots; and
WHEREAS, Officers obtained video surveillance footage taken of the Licensed Premises’ interior leading up to and including the gunshots fired on November 1, 2025. When reviewing the footage, officers observed a man working as a security guard near the entrance of the Licensed Premises. The man did not have any visible markings or uniform to indicate that he was a security guard. Officers also observed a metal detector at the front entrance of the Licensed Premises; and
WHEREAS, The video surveillance footage showed the metal detector flashing red lights several times over the course of the evening when patrons entered, indicating the presence of a possible weapon on the patron, prior to the gunshots inside the Licensed Premises, but the man working as a security guard made no attempt to stop or search anyone that walked through the metal detector, including those patrons that caused the metal detector to flash red lights; and
WHEREAS, The City Council may take adverse action against a license for violations of license conditions, any provision of the City Code, or for conducting the business in such a way as to create a serious danger or conduct the activity in an unsafe manner, Saint Paul Legislative Code §§ 310.04(b)(5), (6)(a), (7); and
WHEREAS, The Department has proposed amendments to license conditions 1, 2, and 7 to help the Licensee operate its business more safely and to improve the safety of the community (Exhibit #2); and
WHEREAS, The Department has proposed amending license condition 1 to require the Licensee to create a video surveillance camera and lighting placement plan to ensure accurate and helpful recording of incidents that may occur in the Licensed Premises to support investigations by the Department and law enforcement. The imposition of this amended condition will help to ameliorate the activities that have created a serious danger to the public health, safety, and welfare of the community by allowing investigation and prosecution of any unlawful or suspected unlawful activity; and
WHEREAS, The Department has proposed amending license conditions 2 and 7 to require the Licensee to retain easily identifiable security personnel who will be posted at each entrance of the Licensed Premises to screen all patrons upon their entry to the Licensed Premises by scanning the patrons' identification and using a metal detection device to prevent the entry of weapons into the Licensed Premises. The imposition of these amended conditions will help to ameliorate the activities that have created a serious danger to the public health, safety, and welfare of the community and will prevent further activity that may be unsafe for the community by deterring unlawful or suspected unlawful activity; and
WHEREAS, The license conditions proposed are reasonable to promote public health, safety, and welfare, advance the public peace, will eliminate conditions that are a detriment to the peaceful enjoyment of urban life, and promote security and safety in the surrounding neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, The license conditions proposed are reasonable to prevent the development or continuation of a nuisance; and
WHEREAS, The Notice laid out four options for the Licensee, including to dispute the facts and request a contested case hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and that City Council may impose the costs of such administrative hearing pursuant to Saint Paul Legislative Code § 310.05(k), as well as the option to appear before City Council and admit to the facts but oppose the penalty; and
WHEREAS, On March 11, 2026, the Licensee emailed the Department choosing to admit to the facts but requesting to waive the penalty (Exhibit #3); and
WHEREAS, On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, a Notice of Council Hearing was mailed to the Licensee (Exhibit #4); and
WHEREAS, At a City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, the City Council considered all the facts presented to the City Council by the Department, represented by the City Attorney’s Office; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City Council imposes the $500.00 matrix penalty; and the proposed amended license conditions; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, The Liquor On-Sale 100 Seats or Less, Liquor Outdoor Service Area (Patio), Liquor On-Sale Sunday & Gambling Location license held by A & M Bar and Grill LLC d/b/a St Paul Saloon for the premises located at 1045 Hudson Road in Saint Paul (License ID #20160001981) is hereby ordered to pay the $500.00 matrix penalty and adhere to all license conditions, which are as follows:
1. License holder will create a video surveillance camera and lighting placement plan (video surveillance plan) for the interior and exterior of the licensed premises. License holder will submit the video surveillance plan to the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) liaison with the Department of Safety and Inspection (DSI) for review and approval. In accordance with the approved video surveillance plan, license holder will ensure that video surveillance camera system is in good working order, ensure it is recording 24 hours per day, ensure it can produce recorded surveillance video in a commonly used, up-to-date format, and ensure that accurate date and time of the day are visible on all recorded video. License holder will retain surveillance video for a minimum of thirty (30) days. If an incident is deemed serious by SPPD, license holder shall make surveillance video immediately available for viewing by the SPPD. If a copy of the surveillance video for a serious incident is requested by SPPD, license holder shall have the technology, materials, and staff available to immediately make the copy. In all other cases, license holder shall provide a copy of the surveillance video to the requestor within 48 hours.
2. License holder shall retain clearly identifiable security personnel. Clearly identifiable personnel shall mean a uniform or marked outerwear. Security personnel shall be assigned to each entrance of the licensed premises starting at 10:00 p.m. during any day of operation and shall remain until all patrons have left the property of the licensed business. While on duty, security personnel shall screen each patron upon entry using a metal detection device and check all handbags and packages carried by patrons to effectively detect and prohibit weapons from entering the licensed premises. The requirement to screen patrons includes those who have left for any duration of time and return to re-enter the licensed premises. Security personnel shall verify the age of patrons by checking state or federally issued photo identification cards using the method outlined in condition #7. License holder shall establish and require that security personnel enforce a no picture identification/no entrance policy. The license holder or security shall immediately notify police of any individuals engaging in unlawful behavior or suspected unlawful behavior.
3. No patron(s) shall be admitted to the inside of the establishment after 12:30 a.m. Any patron(s) leaving the establishment after 12:30 a.m. shall not be readmitted to the establishment for any reason.
4. Last call shall be given no later than 12:45 a.m., there shall be no sale, service or consumption of alcoholic beverages after 1:00 a.m. and the licensee will ensure that all patrons have left the premises no later than 1:30 a.m.
5. The license holder shall make sure that all refuse and trash that is on the surrounding sidewalks is removed on a daily basis.
6. Patio seating and location of the patio shall be maintained in accordance with the approved site plan on file with the Department of Safety and Inspections.
7. License holder will use an identification card scanner system to record and retain for a minimum of thirty (30) days the identification of all patrons who enter or re-enter the licensed establishment after 10:00 p.m. until closing during any day of operation. If an incident is deemed serious by SPPD, license holder shall make identification card scanner information immediately available for viewing by SPPD. In all other cases, license holder shall provide recorded card scanner information to the requestor within 48 hours.