City of Saint Paul - Meeting of City Council on 9/2/2026 at 3:30 PM

Details

Meeting Name:

City Council

Agenda status:

Final

Meeting date/time:

9/2/2026 3:30 PM

Minutes status:

Final

Meeting location:

Council Chambers - 3rd Floor

Published agenda:	Agenda Accessible Agenda	Published minutes:	Minutes Accessible Minutes
Agenda packet:	Not available

Meeting video:

Video

Attachments:

File #	Ver.	Agenda #	Type	Title	Action	Result	Action Details	Video
AO 26-61	1	1	Administrative Order	Establishing two (2) new projects through the Neighborhood STAR Year-Round Program as adopted via City Council Resolution #- RES 26-1317 and RES 26-1319.	Received and Filed		Action details	Not available
RES 26-1202	1	2	Resolution	Authorizing the Department of Public Works to apply for federal funding from the Highway Safety Improvement Program administered by the Metropolitan Council, which has a match requirement, to support safety improvements on TH51 (Snelling Avenue).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1226	1	3	Resolution	Approving the City’s cost of providing Collection of Vacant Building Registration fees billed during August 2025 to May 2026, and setting date of Legislative Hearing for September 29, 2026 and City Council public hearing for October 14, 2026 to consider and levy the assessments against individual properties. (File No. VB2603, Assessment No. 268906)	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1298	1	4	Resolution	Approving the City’s cost of providing Collection of Vacant Building Registration fees billed during April 2026, and setting date of Legislative Hearing for September 29, 2026 and City Council public hearing for January 6, 2027 to consider and levy the assessments against individual properties. (File No. VB2604, Assessment No. 268907) (to be withdrawn)	Withdrawn		Action details	Not available
RES 26-1320	1	5	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Mill and Overlay on Concordia/Rondo from Snelling to Marion as part of the 2024 Mill and Overlay Program (Project No. MO2403B, Assessment No. 255503).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1324	1	6	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Jackson Street: University to Pennsylvania street reconstruction project as part of the 2025 Saint Paul Streets and Sales Tax Street Program (Project No. 19271, Assessment No. 255203).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1331	1	7	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Wheelock/Grotto Residential Area Street Reconstruction Project as part of the 2025 Saint Paul Streets and Sales Tax Street Program (Project No. 19270, Assessment No. 255202).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1358	1	8	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Mill and Overlay in the Fourth/Howard, Phase II project area as part of the 2025 Mill and Overlay Program (Project No. MO2501, Assessment No. 255504).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1366	1	9	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Mill and Overlay for Front Avenue from Rice to Western, as part of the 2024 Mill and Overlay Program (Project No. MO2306, Assessment No. 245506).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1379	1	10	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Mill and Overlay on George Street from Cherokee to Cesar Chavez as part of the 2025 Mill and Overlay Program (Project No. MO2503, Assessment No. 255506).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1383	1	11	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Mill and Overlay on Eustis Street from the City limits to 100 feet south of the City limits as part of the 2025 Mill and Overlay Program (Project No. MO2504, Assessment No. 255507).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1385	1	12	Resolution	Approving the application for change of ownership to the Second Hand Dealer - Motor Vehicle license (License ID #DSIBLAUTO-002364-2026) now held by EMR Auto Sales LLC d/b/a EMR Auto Sales for the premises located at 1414 Arcade St.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1386	1	13	Resolution	Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for up to $3,040,0000 from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy grant.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1389	1	14	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Annapolis Street paving project. File No. 19249C, Assessment No. 266001.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1394	1	15	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Robert Street: Kellogg to 11th street reconstruction project as part of the 2024 Saint Paul Streets Program (Project No. 19263, Assessment No. 255201).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1400	1	17	Resolution	Approving the Labor Agreement (January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2028) and Memorandums of Agreement between the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Manual & Maintenance Supervisors Association.	Laid Over	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1402	1	18	Resolution	Approving the Memorandum of Agreement between the City of Saint Paul and the United Association of Plumbers, Local 34, for the purpose of establishing mandatory contributions for the utilization of the Minnesota Paid Leave program.	Laid Over	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1408	1	19	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Griggs Scheffer Phase II paving project. File No. 19233C, Assessment No. 266002.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1415	1	20	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Grand: Fairview to Snelling paving project. File No. 19265C, Assessment No. 266003.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1417	1	21	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Jackson: University to Pennsylvania paving project. File No. 19271C, Assessment No. 266004.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1419	1	22	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Pelham: Franklin to Mississippi River Blvd paving project. File No. 19275C, Assessment No. 266005.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1422	1	23	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the Grand Ave. from Fairview Ave. N. to Snelling Ave. street reconstruction project as part of the 2024 Saint Paul Streets and Sales Tax Street Program (Project No. 19265, Assessment No. 245204).	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1429	1	24	Resolution	Authorizing the Parks and Recreation Department to accept the donation of a six-passenger golf cart valued at $10,000 from The Toro Company.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1438	1	25	Resolution	Approving assessment costs and setting date of City Council public hearing to ratify the assessment for the replacement of sanitary sewer services within the right-of-way as part of the Wheelock-Grotto Phase I paving project. File No. 19270C, Assessment No. 266006.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1474	1	26	Resolution	Approving the Mayor's reappointment of Samantha Juneau to the Administrative Committee of the Pension Plan of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1480	1	27	Resolution	City Council approval of the Development Agreement, Use Agreement, and Disbursement Agreement between the Department of Parks and Recreation and The Sanneh Foundation for Conway Park.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1484	1	28	Resolution	Approving the Mayor’s appointment of Molly Coleman to the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1489	1	29	Resolution	Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Seal Hi-Rise.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1544	1		Resolution	Appointing the Public Rights Project (PRP) as special counsel for the purpose of providing legal representation to the City of Saint Paul in affirmative litigation to challenge a federal rule related to grants.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES 26-1399	1	16	Resolution	Authorizing the Police Department to apply to the FY 2026 CPD Microgrants Program from the U.S. Department of Justice. (Laid over from September 2, 2026)	Laid Over	Pass	Action details	Video
RES 26-1492	1	31	Resolution	Appointing Korinne Dennis as Communications Lead, Reggie Evans as Reparations Legislative Aide and Joanna Zimny as Legislative Hearing Officer.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
SR 26-186	1	32	Staff Report	Staff report on the State of our Youth address.	Received and Filed		Action details	Video
RES 26-1493	1	30	Resolution	Proclaiming September 2nd, 2026 as Jacy Johnson Becker Day in the City of Saint Paul.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-210	1	33	Resolution-Public Hearing	Approving the application of University of Saint Thomas for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for Tommie Fest Homecoming event on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 2115 Summit Avenue - J.P. Monahan Plaza.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-217	1	34	Resolution-Public Hearing	Approving the application of University of Saint Thomas for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for the Cretin Derham Hall Football events on Thursday, October 8, and Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 2115 Summit Avenue - O'Shaughnessy Stadium.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-221	1	35	Resolution-Public Hearing	Approving the application of Anderson Race Management for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for a Walk for Water event on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 226 Spring Street - Upper Landing Park.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-222	1	36	Resolution-Public Hearing	Amending the spending plan in the Fire Department Public Safety Aid projects to more accurately account for the expenditures.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-236	1	37	Resolution-Public Hearing	Amending the financing and spending plans in the Fire Department in the amount of $108,118.15 for the contribution received from the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education to pay for training for firefighters.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RES PH 26-237	1	38	Resolution-Public Hearing	Amending the financing and spending plans in the Fire Department in the amount of $8,500 for a payment received for selling a trailer that was no longer needed for department use.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RES PH 26-238	1	39	Resolution-Public Hearing	Amending the financing and spending plans in the Fire Department in the amount of $37,000 for the amount received from the sale of the land located at 1683 Energy Park Drive.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RLH RR 26-16	1	40	Resolution LH Substantial Abatement Order	Amending Second Making finding on the appealed substantial abatement ordered for 947 FREMONT AVENUE in Council File RLH RR 25-34. (Public hearing closed and laid over from August 19, 2026)	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Video
RLH TA 26-158	2	46	Resolution LH Tax Assessment Appeal	Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 777 OHIO STREET. (File No. J2602A, Assessment No. 268503)	Referred	Pass	Action details	Video
RLH SAO 26-77	2	41	Resolution LH Summary Abatement Order	Appeal of Barbara Clark to a Summary Abatement Order at 1552 CANFIELD AVENUE.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH RSA 26-20	3	42	Resolution LH Rent Stabilization Appeal	Appeal of Robert Fox to a Rent Stabilization Determination at 1640 EDGERTON STREET.	Continue Public Hearing	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH RSA 26-21	2	43	Resolution LH Rent Stabilization Appeal	Appeal of Carli Valez, Tenant, to a Rent Stabilization Determination at 1640 EDGERTON STREET.	Continue Public Hearing	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH FCO 26-71	2	44	Resolution LH Fire C of O OR Correction Order	Appeal of Greg Heck, Montrose Pl LLC, to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice at 221 MONTROSE PLACE.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH VBR 26-17	2	45	Resolution LH Vacant Building Registration	Appeal of John Ludwig, Superior Financing Inc, to a Vacant Building Registration Requirement at 12 OAKLEY AVENUE.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH SAO 26-60	2	47	Resolution LH Summary Abatement Order	Appeal of Erin Metz Verdeja to a Summary Abatement Order at 1518 SELBY AVENUE.	Continue Public Hearing	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH RSA 26-19	2	48	Resolution LH Rent Stabilization Appeal	Appeal of Matthew and James Lindquist to a Rent Stabilization Determination at 1501 SEVENTH STREET W Units 6 and 8.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH SAO 26-71	2	49	Resolution LH Summary Abatement Order	Appeal of Barry Campbell to a Summary Abatement Order at 449 VAN DYKE STREET.	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH AR 26-50	2	50	Resolution LH Assessment Roll	Ratifying the assessment for Demolition of Vacant, Nuisance and/or Hazardous Structure from the month of May 2026. (File No. J2607C, Assessment No. 262006)	Adopted	Pass	Action details	Not available
RLH AR 26-52	2	51	Resolution LH Assessment Roll	Ratifying the assessment for Emergency Sewer Repair at 777 OHIO STREET, fees billed during the month of April 2026. (File No. J2602A, Assessment No. 268503)	Continue Public Hearing	Pass	Action details	Not available

Add New Comment

File #	Date	Name	Opinion	Comment	Action
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 7:03 PM	Mac	Against	This resolution is a slap in the face to every St. Paul resident who called, emailed, showed up at the City Council meeting last week, or encouraged neighbors to do the same to get the City Council to remove the SPPD Flock cameras and take steps to ban m* surveillance tools in St. Paul. We don't want Flock cameras in our city, and we sure don't want drones either. The info doents attached to this agenda item state that drones will only be used for calls and that m** surveillance is prohibited, but the same thing was said about Flock. There is not even close to enough oversight or auditing of these tools to even start to justify them, especially when research shows they don't actually improve public safety. As a resident of Ward 2, I am deeply disappointed in Council President Noecker for sponsoring this resolution and am frustrated that it was added to the consent agenda with no public hearing. I urge the Council to vote against this.
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 6:00 PM	Erin	Against	I am opposed to St. Paul seeking DOJ funding for drones because accepting these dollars creates serious & avoidable safety risks for our community. DOJ grant language is vague enough to allow federal agencies to mandate access or operational control over any equipment purchased with their funds, including drones. Drones are increasingly being weaponized, used for surveillance of residents, & deployed as tools of deadly force, raising profound civil liberties and public-safety concerns. Relying on DOJ funding for this technology opens the door for DOJ authorities to determine how, when, and against whom these drones may be used—not our local community, and not under standards set by St. Paul. To protect residents from expanded surveillance, misuse, and escalating militarization, St. Paul must prioritize community safety and fully consider the long-term consequences of introducing technology that can be turned against the very people it is meant to protect.	+1
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 5:06 PM	Bob Goonin		I am opposed to this resolution. If you put yourself in the shoes of your immigrant residents who were (and still are) terrorized by ICE, that uses Skydio drones to surveil their neighborhoods, you would oppose this resolution. If you put yourself in the shoes of your Black and Indigenous residents whose neighborhoods are discriminated against by police and over-surveilled, you would oppose this resolution.	+2
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 2:22 PM	Judy Rodriguez	Against	Vote against this. It’s an invasion of my rights.	+2
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 1:19 PM	SJ	Against	The authorization for pursuing a microgrant that would be "used as partial funding for expansion of the SPPD’s Drones as First Responders program" is the antithesis of last weeks public overtures towards reduction of police m*** surveillance. The source of this funding also gives pause. Please always prioritize offering opportunities and community services, for instance libraries, over expansion of avenues towards broad surveillance of its people.	+2
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 11:57 AM	AJ	Against	We do not want to live in a surveillance state, strongly against.	+1
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 3:01 AM	ML	Against	I am asking you to vote against authorizing the police department application to the DOJ CPB Microgrants Program. Especially given the Federal occupation and trauma inflicted on community members this past year, I urge you to approach surveillance technologies with deep skepticism; and to improve transparency so that the public is given an opportunity to understand and participate in decisions that affect civil rights, privacy and policing in our neighborhoods.	+4
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 1:58 AM	Jeffery Thole	For	I support St. Paul Police and funding for any tools they need to help control crime.	-2
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 1:38 AM	Lia A.	Against	Resident of St. Paul here. We do not need to be making defense contractors richer at the expense of ALL of our privacy. Please do better, council members. We are already distraught and traumatized as a community by the constant monitoring.
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 1:20 AM	Jeffery Thole	For	I support funding our police and funding any tools to help them do therir jobs.	-3
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 12:30 AM	Fiona Carson	Against	I absolutely oppose seeking funds from the DOJ for more surveillance drones. We need to see the city's contract with Skydio NOW!	+2
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 12:26 AM	Amanda Puente	For	I love this idea, way too much crime gets overlooked. I think it’s about time we all stop fearing m*** surveillance like we are not being monitored by our smart phones and internet activity. Like come on, this is not a sci-fi movie. I have small children that I want safe, I hope this is voted on with rational decision making and not influenced by the fear mongers.	+1 -8
RES 26-1399	9/2/2026 12:08 AM	Lindsay Shimizu	Against	Please vote against this. We do not need more expensive military toys for m*** surveillance. Just another Shotspotter or Flock. We need more funding for proven solutions that work, like violence interruption programs and expanded social services in our schools and group homes. Frankly, I'm shocked Councilmember Noecker would sponsor this after just pushing for the cancellation of city contracts with Flock.	+3
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 11:22 PM	Stuart Orlowski	For	I am in support of seeking out this grant. I think drones can be a valuable tool for law enforcement	+1 -6 4
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 11:09 PM	Heather Worthington	Against	Please do not vote in support of this funding for drones. Drones used by law enforcement present significant risks to civil liberties because they enable cheap, pervasive, and warrantless m*** surveillance that erodes traditional constitutional protections. Without strict legal boundaries, their widespread deployment threatens fundamental human rights, particularly under the First and Fourth Amendments. Thank you.	+3
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 10:48 PM	Rachel Osborne	Against	We don’t want to live in a surveillance state and I’m concerned that this is being considered - strongly against.	+1
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 10:14 PM	Jennifer Allen	Against	Absolutely against. Additional surveillance is exactly the opposite of what is needed for Saint Paul or any community. Our children must be protected from being watched. Women must be protected from being watched. Our neighbors who are homeless do not deserved to watched by a drone. I believe that additional surveillance will increase civil unrest and distrust in our government and will absolutely influence and be evident in the ballot box.	+2
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 9:19 PM	Brendan LaMagdeleine	Against	Absolutely against!!!	+1
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 9:19 PM	Hayley Saccoman	Against	Absolutely not a good use of our funds. Let’s create better lives for the kids of Saint Paul. Not for heightening the surveillance state.	+3
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 8:50 PM	Karen Shore	Against	Why are drones better for the public good than Flock cameras? More crime-prevention good could be done with the microgrant money through harm reduction, housing, and health services. Our spending shows our priorities and I am against surveillance as a priority.	+4
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 8:43 PM	Ian Dees	Against	Please do not authorize the use of a DoJ microgrant to add more surveillance to our community. I can understand the Police Department's desire to make their job easier through the use of this drone system, but the cost is a dramatically easier path for surveillance on innocent bystanders. If this tool is useful, I would encourage the Department to find solutions that do not send data to 3rd party companies where we lose control and jurisdiction.	+2
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 8:13 PM	TR	Against	I am strongly and diametrically opposed to this resolution. I have rapidly increasing concerns over not only expansion in police presence and funding, especially in certain communities, but also the manner in which police use their powers. The catalyst for sending drones into a situation seems to be just about anything - any "threat to public safety" (real or otherwise) sets the stage for an unprecedented risk of pretextually sending in an arm of law enforcement into just about any place at any time. The risk of unchecked surveillance and unethical use of this technology is just too great. I have sincere concerns about Fourth Amendment violations, abuse of power, and using technology under the guise of "safety and efficiency" to mask the aforementioned concerns. This is a bad idea. It is a slippery slope. It is unnecessary and unwanted. It will deepen distrust of the community toward police. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.	+7
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 8:10 PM	Jennifer Thissen	Against	Until and unless there are sufficient laws and regulations in place to appropriately manage the data collected, we need to not buy anything from the companies who are providing the technology.	+1
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 7:15 PM			The city council just stopped Flock cameras out of surveillance concerns. This does the opposite of that. Do not allow this cooperation or grant, it would only harm St. Paul citizens.	+5
RES 26-1202	9/1/2026 7:08 PM	heather c lou	Against	i am opposed to authorize the department of public safety to apply and release information to federal agencies. i believe city council should vote against this resolution for the safety of constituents.
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 6:59 PM	Brianne Reeves	Against	The use of drones in policing, including for seemingly benign use, is an encroachment on our city's privacy rights. More importantly, it furthers the cause of overpolicing from a Department of Justice notorious for it and for a police department that has an already contentious relationship with the community. Absolutely not.	+6
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 5:54 PM	KM	Against	We should not be living in a surveillance state. This goes too far.	+7
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 5:37 PM	Jeff White	Against	Skydio partners with ICE and CBP in providing data to them, and has partnered with Israel in supporting the genocide of Gaza. To try to slip this by one week after saying no to Flock, when many St. Paul residents treat the police with mistrust, after the police brought bulldozers to an encampment eviction after the city promised not to trash anyone's belongings further erodes public trust. We would do well to remember that Melissa Hortman might still be alive if police didn't rely on drone technology and did their jobs to protect and serve. These drones won't be used to protect the community. This contract should be canceled, not prolonged, in the interest of public trust.	+3
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 4:58 PM	AM	Against	Placing this authorization on the consent agenda after publicly declaring concerns over surveillance immediately after the August 26th hearing on police surveillance, erodes public trust in this process especially when the grant in question is funded by the DOJ. Please take the necessary steps to remove this from consent and open it for public comment and discussion.	+8
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 4:51 PM	Erik Hoover	Against	After last week's hearing it should be abundantly clear to the council and especially Pres Noecker that m* surveillance programs and technology should be matters for public discussion. Citizens have made it clear that we do not want AI-enabled, m*-surveillance technology including drones given the track record of abuse by law enforcement and outright lies and half-truths coming from the technology vendors themselves. And certainly not at a time when trust in law enforcement and local, state, and Federal government is already low and falling.	+7
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 4:44 PM	Kelsie Onyango	Against	I’m writing as a St Paul resident to implore you to reject the consent resolution to seek additional funding for Skydio (or any other drone surveillance). This is an unnecessary, harmful, privacy invasive tech. As a St Paul resident, I don’t want any Flock cameras, any other ALPRs, or any drone surveillance.	+5
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 4:33 PM	BK	Against	Placing this authorization on the consent agenda after publicly declaring concerns over m* surveillance immediately after the August 26th hearing on police and m* surveillance, erodes public trust in this process.	+7
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 3:28 PM	Jessica S	Against	Putting an expansion of the SkyDio drone program into the consent agenda comes off as sneaky and underhanded after you clearly heard from the community at large that we don't consent to surveillance technology. There was some skepticism that the anti-Flock resolution last week was simply a political stunt meant to pacify a population you don't respect, and this move is definitely going to deepen that suspicion. We are not fixated on a particular brand name due to a social media trend; we have real concerns based on the data analysis of the bias and ineffectiveness of these policing methods, the history of how these technologies have been used against civilians internationally, and our own lived experience of being stalked through our own streets by a government eager to use every means it can to violate our rights.	+10
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 3:07 PM	Keith Dawson	Against	This authorization should not be on the consent agenda. Last week's public meeting on m*** surveillance technology made abundantly clear that the Drone as First Responder program is anything but uncontroversial. This topic deserves broad public discussion — and far more transparency into its details than the council or the SPPD have exhibited to date.	+7
RES 26-1399	9/1/2026 2:51 PM	Lauren Allen	Against	Authorizing this grant application is a slap in the face of our communities who put their trust in you, and expect you to learn from the city’s experiences during federal operation Metro Surge. I expect you to empathize with the trauma caused by drone surveillance, and benefit from hindsight, and to protect us going forward. Surveillance is not protection. Drone technology is not a solution to police abuses and over-policing of communities, or to the degrading relationship between people and law enforcement. Drones provide law enforcement with another layer of anonymity, invite lazy policing and are a sinister technology masquerading as a safety program. Beyond this, we don't want any DoJ dollars before complete investigations of civil rights abuses and the homicides of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Reject the grant application authorization, and draft an ordinance curtailing m*** surveillance and banning A.I.-enabled drones and cameras.	+9
RES 26-1399	8/31/2026 11:26 PM	Wyatt Miller	Against	This resolution refers to "partial funding for expansion of the SPPD’s Drones as First Responders program." As many residents highlighted during last week's hearing on police surveillance technology, the details of SPPD's drone program do not appear to have been made public. It's unclear what "expansion" is being considered. Drone supplier Skydio's products are an unnecessary 'hammer in search of a nail' after first selling its drones on an institutional scale to the Israeli military for use in the Gaza genocide. When Minneapolis was considering a similar program with Skydio, it attracted much public participation, and ultimately its city council voted against the contract. By contrast, St. Paul seems to be hiding the details of this program from the public. Residents need to know the details of this reported "expansion."	+10

Meeting Details