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, August 26, 2025

9:00 AM

Room 330 City Hall & Court House/Remote

9:00 a.m. Hearings

Remove/Repair Orders

RLH RR 25-23

Ordering the rehabilitation or razing and removal of the structures at 670

SIMS AVENUE within fifteen (15) days after the September 17, 2025,

City Council Public Hearing.

Yang

Sponsors:

Order the building removed within 15 days with no option to repair unless $5,000 PD is

posted and CCIR is applied for no later than September 10, 2025.

Kristina Kaluza, attorney o/b/o PHH, appeared via phone

Moermond: the property owner’s daughter, Ximena, reached out to our office and said

she can’t attend because she picked up another shift at work and needs sleep. I’m

looking at needing the same things we did before. James, has the property been

maintained?

Supervisor James Hoffman: there’s a Summary Abatement Order to cut the grass,

otherwise it has been quiet.

Moermond: what I’m going to say is that they need to have an application for a Code

Compliance Inspection Report in as well as the $5,000 Performance Deposit posted by

September 10th. Lacking that, I will recommend the Council order the building

removed within 15 days. This has a Council Public Hearing of September 17th. If they

come through with those 2 things I will ask the Council to send it back to Legislative

Hearing to give some time for the other things to occur.

Kaluza: will there be some sort of summary to the borrower and her daughter?

Moermond: we’ll send a follow up letter similar to the 15th.

Kaluza: can I get a copy as well, so I can reach out to Ximena as well?

Moermond: we did send one August 15th. [confirms email was correct] We’ll send a

follow up letter this week as well.

Referred to the City Council due back on 9/17/2025

Making Finding on Nuisance Abatements

RLH RR 25-25

Making finding on the appealed substantial abatement ordered for 925

MAGNOLIA AVENUE EAST in Council File RLH RR 24-44.

Yang

Sponsors:

Grant additional 180 days and continue $5,000 PD pending submission and approval of

updated work plan and proof of financing.

Brian Balsaitis, owner, appeared

Staff update by Supervisor James Hoffman: Clint reported about 80% complete, for

what he can figure out without seeing permit status.

Moermond: that means we can extend your $5,000 Performance Deposit. It’s also far

enough along we don’t need to post another one. Can you put together a plan from

where you are at now to finishing and what needs to be done, and confirming proof of

funds to do the remaining work.

Balsaitis: not a problem.

Moermond: for the work plan, I’d give the full 180 days. You may not need that if you’re

80% done. If you can do those things I’m happy to recommend to the Council on

September 10th to grant an additional length of time. Can you have those in by next

week?

Balsaitis: yes ma’am.

Referred to the City Council due back on 9/10/2025

RLH RR 25-24

Second Making finding on the appealed substantial abatement ordered

for 378 SIMS AVENUE in Council File RLH RR 25-5.

Kim

Sponsors:

Recommendation forthcoming pending status of project on CPH date.

True Yang, owner, appeared via phone

Voicemail left for Wesley Hart at 10:04 am: this is Marcia Moermond from St. Paul City

Council calling you about the follow up for 378 Sims. We have Ms. True Yang on the

line. We’ll conduct the hearing and send a follow up letter.

Staff update by Supervisors James Hoffman: per Inspector Zane they are at 80%

completion based without full access to system to check permit status.

Yang: I just spoke with the contractor and he met with Clint and they were at 80%, but

right now he completed the basement and gutters after inspection. He just needs to

put in windows and do some wall repairs, and then he will schedule a final inspection.

Moermond: Council Public Hearing of September 10th. You do seem to be close to

the finish line. On September 10th, do you think you’ll go beyond that? I can work with

a couple weeks grace period, but if it goes longer I would want an updated work plan.

Yang: I will let the contractor know. I will keep you updated.

Referred to the City Council due back on 9/10/2025

11:00 a.m. Hearings

Correction Orders

RLH CO 25-8

Appeal of Nachman Goldberg to a Correction Order at 1809

YORKSHIRE AVENUE.

Jost

Sponsors:

Layover to LH September 23, 2025 at 11 am for further discussion (need permit/zoning

info from Stamp/AMANDA).

Nachman Goldberg, owner, appeared via phone

[Moermond gives background of appeals process]

Staff report by Supervisor Lisa Martin: August 7 a Correction Notice was issued to

owner to redirect a pop up drain to the center of property to prevent drainage to the

public sidewalk. There are photos in the file.

Moermond: the letter itself appears to be dated August 13, but it does reference an

August 7 inspection. I imagine that delay is due to the ongoing computer systems

being down.

Goldberg: the inspector was nice and friendly. He knocked on my door and we spoke.

He told me redirect to the middle of my property. I am on a hill. It isn’t water coming

out of my house, it is groundwater coming from 5 miles away. Moving the tank up to

the middle of the hill isn’t possible because the water won’t go up a hill.

This was done with approval from the City by a licensed contractor 3 to 4 years ago.

This is what the City came up with because there’s so much groundwater there has

been a constant stream since I bought in 2012, trickling out of the ground out of the

sidewalk. When I re-did my driveway, we wanted to find a better solution with the City

to eliminate that trickle. The idea of the tank was the water collects and by June it

dries up enough it goes into the tank and disperses and doesn’t go on the sidewalk.

Eliminates that constant stream to the sidewalk. The pop-up valve happens when there

is too much rain. Due to the amount of rain this year the ground is so saturated it never

dried up enough. I can take the tank out but it doesn’t solve the problem because the

constant trickle of rainwater will still be there. It would be worse.

Moermond: where is the tank?

Goldberg: it is in the corner of the where the driveway and grass meet. Right above

where the sidewalk splits. It is ground water, it isn’t a sump pump.

Moermond: how deeply is it buried?

Goldberg: my guess is maybe 5 feet, because the popup has to be above the ground.

5 feet east. According to the contractor the City had the plans and were approved by

the City. I paid a lot of money for the driveway and to deal with the driveway so it

doesn’t sink.

Moermond: I think we need to get that permit and some of the discussion. We are

delayed. I’m thinking we can push this to September 23 and hopefully by then we will

have mapping up again.