Title
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 410.12, subd. 7, seeking a recommendation from the Charter Commission to amend Chapter 6.03 of the City Charter by ordinance pertaining to the application of Administrative Citations for violation of City ordinances.
Body
WHEREAS, in every department in the City of Saint Paul, when there is a violation of City ordinance, the goal is to achieve compliance; and
WHEREAS, the City prioritizes education, abatement, restoration, and restitution above for compliance to all City ordinances; and
WHEREAS, for many ordinances the City is limited to criminal citation for enforcement purposes; and
WHEREAS, criminal citations can result in a criminal record which can create severe unintended consequences for community members such as harming their ability to secure and maintain housing and employment; and
WHEREAS, there are situations where criminal citations may be too harsh, punitive, and/or unreasonable as a response to the violation that occurred; and
WHEREAS, the City seeks to add an enforcement tool, to the benefit of Saint Paul’s visitors, residents, and workforce, with the ability to implement ordinances without the severity and lasting consequences of criminal citations, when appropriate; and
WHEREAS, the City does not currently have specific authority under its Charter to issue civil penalties; and
WHEREAS, administrative citations are a standard tool that governments across the nation utilize every day with great effect; and
WHEREAS, the use of administrative citations provides municipalities with various levels of tools to ensure compliance in all situations and the City of Saint Paul seeks to include this authority for improved health and safety of its residents on par with comparable municipalities; and
WHEREAS, the City believes that civil penalties will assist in reaching compliance goals in a timely, consistent, and appropriate manner and provide the public and the city with an effective, transparent...
Click here for full text