15 West Kellogg Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55102

City of Saint Paul

Minutes - Final

Legislative Hearings

Marcia Moermond, Legislative Hearing Officer

Mai Vang, Hearing Coordinator

Joanna Zimny, Executive Assistant

legislativehearings@ci.stpaul.mn.us

651-266-8585

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

9:00 AM

Room 330 City Hall & Court House/remote

9:00 a.m. Hearings

Special Tax Assessments

RLH TA 25-388

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 650

SIMS AVENUE (File No. 2507T, Assessment No. 259010) (Refer back

to January 20, 2026 Legislative Hearing)

Yang

Sponsors:

Approve the assessment.

Mai Vang, owner, appeared via phone

[Moermond gives background of appeals process]

Moermond: your appeal says you thought you did it on your own and it was done.

Forestry said there were a couple of dead branches high up and there was concern

about them following on the neighboring property. Did you hire someone to go up high

into the tree?

Vang: I know I went to tell him to handle it, I went there once with my husband. He’s

the one who cleaned up the place with my son. I will have to ask him for the details.

Moermond: I’ll definitely look at any additional information you want to share. We have

the before photo from May, and an after photo from December, and it looks like these

are very high up branches. Easily 40 feet in the air.

Staff report by Supervisor Adam Strehlow: there are two branches in particular we

estimate to be 3-4” in diameter which are well known to cause significant damage if

they fall, especially from that height. That’s roughly 40’ in the air, give or take. There is

equipment to get a more exact measurement, as that height it is kind of moot, as

whether its 30 or 40 it would cause significant damage. It was over the garage and

sidewalk of neighboring property. Those were the concerns in the abatement order.

Moermond: and that’s done that way since it would damage the neighbor’s property?

Strehlow: yes, if it wouldn’t affect any neighboring properties we may reach out and

suggest, but it only qualified for ordinance enforcement if it affects the neighbor.

Moermond: why is the owner responsible if the branches overhand the neighbor’s

property?

Strehlow: any branches that cross into the neighboring property can be trimmed by the

neighbor, but since the trunk of the tree is solely within 650 Sims that means

maintenance lies solely with them.

Moermond: I’m thinking you want to talk to your husband about what equipment he

used?

Vang: I called some tree services and they called back and said they couldn’t figure

out why the City was so strict about that and didn’t’ see the problem. Then I called

Xcel to make sure everything is safe and they sent out someone. I got a phone call

from the contractor saying they would go out and look into it and see if there’s anything

on their end they need to call. That’s the last I heard. Then my husband went out and

cleaned out the place and suddenly we got this. we weren’t sure what is going on. We

didn’t see any difference in the tree. I’ll have to talk to my husband on this. I know he

took a couple days to haul the tree and branches away.

Moermond: why don’t you do that and I can review any information. Right now, this has

a Council Public Hearing date February 11th. Between now and then if you could get

us any information it would be helpful.

Vang: yes, can you also send the before and after photos too?

Moermond: absolutely. There are two dead branches pretty high up in the air. I don’t

see any power lines through the tree.

Strehlow: the power lines are really low. You can see it in one of the photos, about the

same height as the garage.

Vang: I have another tree with a power line and that’s why I did call and make sure all

of it had no issue.

Moermond: I’m looking at decreasing it some. I think you got bad advice, but you did

have responsibility to review what the orders actually said and talk to the department

about any confusion.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/11/2026

RLH TA 25-391

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 933

WOODBRIDGE STREET. (File No. J2601R, Assessment No. 268601)

(Refer to January 20, 2026 Legislative Hearing)

Bowie

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: this is a cleanup and it looks like the work was done June 30th, may be a

trip charge, however we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up so lacking that to support the assessment we will

recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026

10:00 a.m. Hearings

Special Tax Assessments

RLH TA 25-413

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 862

CLEAR AVENUE. (File No. J2601TW, Assessment No. 268701) (Refer

to January 20, 2026 Legislative Hearing)

Yang

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up due to the cyber -attack so lacking that to support the

assessment, we will recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026

RLH TA 26-16

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 705

DAYTON AVENUE. (File No. J2602E, Assessment No. 268301)

Bowie

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up due to the cyber -attack so lacking that to support the

assessment, we will recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/18/2026

RLH TA 25-416

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 913

EARL STREET. (File No. J2601TW, Assessment No. 268701) (Refer to

January 20, 2026 Legislative Hearing)

Yang

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up due to the cyber -attack so lacking that to support the

assessment, we will recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026

RLH TA 26-13

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 1084

SELBY AVENUE. (File No. J2602TW, Assessment No. 268702)

Bowie

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up due to the cyber -attack so lacking that to support the

assessment, we will recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/18/2026

RLH TA 26-17

Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 435 VAN

BUREN AVENUE. (File No. J2602E, Assessment No. 268301)

Bowie

Sponsors:

Delete the assessment.

Moermond: we don’t have any Department of Safety & Inspections orders or

documentation for follow up due to the cyber -attack so lacking that to support the

assessment, we will recommend deletion of the assessment.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/18/2026

11:00 a.m. Hearings

Making Finding on Nuisance Abatements

RLH SAO

25-69

Making finding on the appealed nuisance abatement ordered for 2016

FREMONT AVENUE in Council File RLH SAO 25-55. (Refer to January

20, 2026 Legislative Hearing)

Johnson

Sponsors:

The nuisance is abated and matter resolved.

Moermond: my understanding is both appeals for these are abated?

Supervisor Kedrowski: correct.

Moermond: deny the appeal noting it is in compliance for Summary Abatement Order

26-6 and the nuisance is abated and matter resolved.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026

Summary & Vehicle Abatement Orders

RLH SAO 26-6

Appeal of Mark Puchala to a Vehicle Abatement Order at 2016

FREMONT AVENUE.

Johnson

Sponsors:

Deny the appeal, noting the property is now in compliance.

Moermond: my understanding is both appeals for these are abated?

Supervisor Kedrowski: correct.

Moermond: deny the appeal noting it is in compliance for Summary Abatement Order

26-6 and the nuisance is abated and matter resolved.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026

RLH SAO 26-5

Appeal of Danny Ballard to a Summary Abatement Order at 120

FLANDRAU PLACE.

Johnson

Sponsors:

Grant to March 6, 2026 for compliance.

Danny Ballard, owner, appeared

[Moermond gives background of appeals process]

Staff report by Supervisor Richard Kedrowski: Summary Abatement Order was issued

for exercise equipment, trash and debris throughout the property. Appeal was filed

before the resinspection date.

Ballard: my wife has some medical issues and has been in and out of the hospital the

last few months, and I’ve been having issues with my joints, so we got behind

financially and lost track of things since last summer. I just need 60 more days, so I

can address my medical issues. My wife won’t be able to help. I have a couple other

people who live with us but I can’t rely on them to help.

Moermond: we have a vehicle in the front and that isn’t written up, and the other things

are in the back?

Ballard: they’re on the side, at the end of the driveway. It is organized.

Moermond: this looks like items, not garbage, is that correct?

Ballard: yeah, there’s not trash or garbage.

Moermond: no food waste or things that will attract pets.

Ballard: most of the bags are leaves.

Moermond: can you deal with those sooner?

Ballard: now they have snow piled on top.

Moermond: how many leaf bags do you have?

Ballard: 5 or 6.

Moermond: I’m going to recommend an extension to March 6.

Ballard: that would be fine. I’m going to get rid of the car anyway. It has sat there for a

year and I told her the City would eventually give her a time on that. I will include that

personally in getting that area cleaned up.

Moermond: great, we have a plan of action.

Referred to the City Council due back on 2/4/2026