Title
Amending RES 25-192, as amended, to integrate the responsibilities of the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee into a public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group.
Body
WHEREAS, on January 22, 2025, pursuant to Section 3.01.8 of the Saint Paul City Charter, the Saint Paul City Council adopted RES 25-192 establishing the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for the equitable implementation of administrative citations; and
WHEREAS, RES 25-192 was subsequently amended by RES 25-658 and RES 26-170 to modify implementation timelines and committee establishment deadlines; and
WHEREAS, the City Council established the Legislative Advisory Committee to ensure that the implementation of administrative citations reflected the City's commitment to equity, transparency, procedural fairness, community engagement, and public accountability; and
WHEREAS, the City Council reaffirms that these principles remain essential to the implementation of administrative citations and continue to guide the legislative intent of RES 25-192; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul voters on November 4, 2025, via ballot referendum, approved amending the City Charter to permit the city to issue administrative citations
(“Administrative Citations”) that carry penalties of civil fines by a margin of 68.19 percent to 31.81 percent; and
WHEREAS, after the 2025 referendum and inauguration of a new Mayor, the city convened internal city staff comprised of Council central staff, the Mayor’s Office, the City Attorney’s Office, and city Departments to prepare an ordinance to authorize Administrative Citations under the requirements of the City Charter and the ballot referendum; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that directing the responsibilities of the Legislative Advisory Committee towards a public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group can ensure meaningful community participation, independent representation, transparency, and legislative oversight into the city’s eventual use of Administrative Citations; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council that this amendment strengthens-not diminishes-the City's commitment to equitable implementation by requiring public engagement, independent community participation, measurable accountability, and ongoing Council oversight;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby amends RES 25-192, as amended, as follows:
RESOLVED, that the duties and responsibilities originally assigned to the Administrative Citations Legislative Advisory Committee shall be incorporated into and carried out by the public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group.
RESOLVED, that the public Administrative Citations Implementation Working Group consists of six community representatives appointed by the City Council; Markia Pfferson, Dr. Sharonda Chea, David Conover, John W Johnson III, Rebecca Nelson, and Zeus Jesus, who collectively possess expertise in civil rights, legal advocacy, racial equity, housing stability, neighborhood engagement, labor, or municipal fines and fees policy and reflect diverse geographic representation, with staff from the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, or other City departments directed to provide any necessary information or draft ordinance language where authorized to do so in preparation of the submitted material.
RESOLVED, that community representatives shall participate fully in the public Implementation Working Group, which includes producing and reviewing draft recommendations that may accompany the final memorandum required to be submitted to the City Council.
RESOLVED, that, prior to the written memorandum’s submission to the city council, the public Implementation Work Group, along with representatives from the City Council, Mayor’s Office, and interested city departments, shall conduct meaningful public engagement in Saint Paul on Administrative Citation program proposals with residents, neighborhood organizations, district councils, labor organizations, housing stakeholders, legal advocates, and communities historically impacted by fines and fees to inform the written memorandum required of the Work Group.
RESOLVED, that no later than November 1, 2026, the Working Group shall submit a written memorandum to the City Council summarizing the public engagement process on Administrative Citations and containing a review of the city’s Administrative Citation program regarding:
1. Recommended 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. Recommended policies prioritizing education, voluntary compliance, corrective action, and public safety before financial penalties become imposed for a code violation.
3. Review of and recommendations for policy options to address residents experiencing financial hardship when faced with an administrative citation.
4. Recommended notice, appeal, hearing, and due process procedures that are transparent and accessible to all residents.
5. Proposed policy safeguards to ensure administrative citations are implemented as compliance tools and are not used primarily to generate revenue for general governmental operations.
6. Proposed city-wide 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.
7. Propose required annual reporting mechanisms on the effects of the city’s Administrative Citations program to ensure legislative oversight of the Administrative Citations program through annual public reporting, budget review, periodic policy evaluation, and review of equity outcomes to ensure continued compliance with the legislative intent of RES 25-192.