Title
Approving the use of grant funds through the Neighborhood STAR Year-Round Program for Metro Transit public art honoring Nathaniel Khaliq.
Body
WHEREAS, on May 25, 2018, the Neighborhood STAR Board reviewed a proposal for STAR financing to assist the Metro Transit with Green Line Public Art - Nathaniel Khaliq addition at the Victoria Street LRT Stations; and
WHEREAS, the Neighborhood STAR Board rated this project a 4.6 on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high); and
WHEREAS, due to the significance of this project in preserving culture and history of the Rondo neighborhood, a waiver of the matching dollar requirement is being recommended; and
WHEREAS, the Art Project will honor long-time Rondo community and civic leader and former Saint Paul Ward 1 Council member Nathaniel Khaliq; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Khaliq was born on September 11, 1943 in Saint Paul, Minnesota in the Rondo community; and
WHEREAS, he served three years in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from Saint Paul College and Dunwoody Institute; and
WHEREAS, he founded N.R. Davis Construction in 1975, while completing the Control Data Corporation Selby addition in 1977; and
WHEREAS, he joined the Saint Paul Fire Department in 1984 and retired in 2001 and served as Saint Paul NAACP president for 15 years; and
WHEREAS, he served his community as the basketball coach for junior high school boys at Martin Luther King Recreation Center, camp coordinator for ROADS Annual ‘Take a Kid Fishing Weekend,’ speaker for groups of young men within the criminal justice system, speaker with various classes/schools within Saint Paul Schools, mediator of disputes between different groups and individuals, and provider of support and direction for a number of African-American males; and
WHEREAS, he led the effort to hold police accountable with unequal treatment of Black male strip searches, initiated the community initiative that resulted in the establishment of the Citizens Review Board and aided the formation of the community group that resulted in the formation of Selby CDC; and
WHEREAS, he functioned as a catalyst to African-American families that received inadequate attention and services after a family member had been murdered; and
WHEREAS, he led negotiations between the Saint Paul NAACP, Saint Paul Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice; and
WHEREAS, he also led the negotiations of Black Firefighters United in their lawsuit against the City of Saint Paul, which resulted in a settlement agreement; and
WHEREAS, he served on search committees for the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief; and
WHEREAS, he has been involved in a number of initiatives to improve opportunities for housing, economic development and criminal justice for African-Americans; and
WHEREAS, after thirty years of community service, Mr. Khaliq was appointed interim City Council Member for Ward 1 in 2013; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Khaliq continues to be an active and engaged member of the community in Rondo and Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Mayor and the Saint Paul City Council to participate in the financing of these activities by providing up to $5,000 in grant funding through the Ward 1 Neighborhood STAR Year-Round Program; and therefore be it
RESOLVED, the City of Saint Paul honors the work and service of Nathaniel Khaliq; and be it further
RESOLVED, upon the recommendation of the Mayor, the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby authorizes and directs the appropriate City officials to execute the necessary grant documents to implement this Resolution, subject to approval by the City Attorney; and
FINALLY RESOLVED, staff of the Department of Planning and Economic Development are further authorized and directed to proceed with all other actions necessary to implement this Resolution.