Title
Approving the City of Saint Paul Audit Committee’s next two studies concerning the Department of Safety and Inspections’ Business Licensing Operations and the Public Works Department’s Street Maintenance and Pothole Repair Operations, and authorizing Wilder Research to conduct the respective studies in 2026 and 2027.
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WHEREAS, the Audit Committee’s mission is to evaluate the financial and program performance of City departments to build public trust and ensure outstanding service delivery, transparency, and accountability; and
WHEREAS, as part of its effort to streamline and improve its study selection process, the Audit Committee revised its approach from identifying one study topic at a time to proactively identifying multiple studies in advance, allowing the Committee to plan and prepare for upcoming work based on areas of high interest and ensuring that work on the next study can commence promptly upon completion of the preceding study, thereby improving efficiency and continuity in the Committee’s study process; and
WHEREAS, the Audit Committee considered audit topics received from City Council committees, a resident survey, a staff survey, and community engagement with the City’s 17 district councils; and
WHEREAS, at its July 21, 2026 meeting, the Audit Committee reviewed five (5) study topics. Following discussion, Committee members and advisors expressed strong support for forwarding three (3) topics to the City Council for consideration: Department of Safety and Inspections - Business Licensing Operations; Planning and Economic Development - District Council Reform; and Public Works - Street Maintenance and Pothole Repair Operations; and
WHEREAS, the City Council considered the three (3) topics forwarded by the Audit Committee members and advisors and determined that Business Licensing Operations and Street Maintenance and Pothole Repair Operations are consistent with the Audit Committee’s mission and should proceed as the Committee’s next two studies; and
WHEREAS, the 2026 study of the Department of Safety and Inspections’ Business Licensing Operations is anticipated to include, but not be limited to, further analysis of:
• Historical and current PAULIE licensing data;
• Invoice compliance and internal controls through appropriate sampling;
• The end-to-end business licensing lifecycle and related processes;
• Processing times, error rates, renewal delays, and system bottlenecks;
• Licensing service costs and fee revenues;
• Feedback from DSI staff, businesses, contractors, and other relevant stakeholders through interviews, surveys, or other appropriate engagement methods; and
• Current performance compared with historical data, applicable ordinances, policies, and established service standards; and
WHEREAS, the 2027 study of the Public Works Department’s Street Maintenance and Pothole Repair Operations is anticipated to include, but not be limited to, further analysis of:
• Pavement management systems, Pavement Condition Index (PCI) data, and prioritization criteria;
• The accuracy and completeness of work-order and maintenance data;
• End-to-end street maintenance and pothole repair workflows;
• Budgets, labor, materials, contracted services, and resource allocation;
• Response times and service levels compared with established targets;
• Pavement conditions, maintenance backlogs, and repair outcomes;
• Preventive maintenance and reactive repair costs and outcomes;
• Asphalt plant production costs, utilization, and operational performance;
• Feedback from Public Works staff and other relevant stakeholders; and
• Practices and performance of peer cities, including identification of potential causes of performance gaps; and
WHEREAS, the Audit Committee intends for the studies to provide objective analysis and practical recommendations that may assist the City in improving service delivery, operational efficiency, transparency, and accountability; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby approves the Audit Committee’s next two studies: the Department of Safety and Inspections’ Business Licensing Operations study, to be conducted in 2026, and the Public Works Department’s Street Maintenance and Pothole Repair Operations study, to be conducted in 2027; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby authorizes Wilder Research to conduct each study and directs the Department of Safety and Inspections and the Public Works Department, as applicable, to participate in and support the studies by providing reasonable access to relevant information, data, personnel, and other resources necessary to complete the studies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Wilder Research shall provide a comprehensive report of the findings and recommendations from each study to the Audit Committee and City Council upon completion. The reports shall include, as appropriate, proposed operational improvements, policy changes, or budgetary actions that may be considered in response to identified findings; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that each study shall include meaningful engagement, as appropriate, with community stakeholders, subject matter experts, advocates, City staff, and other relevant parties to support a transparent, inclusive, and effective study process.