City Hall and Court House

15 West Kellogg Boulevard

Council Chambers - 3rd

Floor

City of Saint Paul

651-266-8560

Meeting Minutes - Action Only

City Council

Council President Amy Brendmoen

Councilmember Russel Balenger

Councilmember Mitra Jalali

Councilmember Rebecca Noecker

Councilmember Jane L. Prince

Councilmember Chris Tolbert

Councilmember Nelsie Yang

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

ROLL CALL

3:30 PM

Council Chambers - 3rd Floor

Meeting started at 3:31 PM

7 -

Present

Councilmember Amy Brendmoen, Councilmember Chris Tolbert,

Councilmember Rebecca Noecker, Councilmember Jane L. Prince,

Councilmember Mitra Jalali, Councilmember Nelsie Yang and

Councilmember Russel Balenger

COMMUNICATIONS & RECEIVE/FILE

Letter from the Department of Safety and Inspections declaring 1262

Minnehaha Avenue East a nuisance property. (For notification purposes only;

public hearings will be scheduled at a later date if necessary.)

CO 23-60

Received and Filed

Amending the 2023 spending budget in the Department of Public Works

General Fund Traffic Signals and Street Lighting Maintenance accounting

units.

AO 23-111

Received and Filed

CONSENT AGENDA

Items listed under the Consent Agenda will be enacted by one motion with no separate

discussion. If discussion on an item is desired, the item will be removed from the

Consent Agenda for separate consideration.

Approval of the Consent Agenda

Council President Brendmoen stated that Item 12 would be taken separately.

Councilmember Balenger moved approval.

Consent Agenda adopted as amended

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Approving the City’s cost of providing Collection of Vacant Building

Registration fees billed during February 24 to June 19, 2023 and setting date

of Legislative Hearing for December 5, 2023 and City Council public hearing

for February 14, 2023 to consider and levy the assessments against individual

properties. (File No. VB2403, Assessment No. 248802)

RES 23-1483

RES 23-1484

Adopted

Approving the City’s cost of providing Securing and/or Emergency Boarding

services during July 2023 and setting date of Legislative Hearing for

December 5, 2023 and City Council public hearing for February 14, 2023 to

consider and levy the assessments against individual properties. (File No.

J2403B, Assessment No. 248102)

Adopted

Approving the City’s cost of providing Collection of Fire Certificate of

Occupancy fees billed during June 28 to July 23, 2023 and setting date of

Legislative Hearing for December 5, 2023 and City Council public hearing for

February 14, 2023 to consider and levy the assessments against individual

properties. (File No. CRT2402, Assessment No. 248201)

RES 23-1485

RES 23-1486

RES 23-1487

Adopted

Approving the City’s cost of providing Excessive Use of Inspection or

Abatement services billed during May 22 to June 21, 2023 and setting date of

Legislative Hearing for December 5, 2023 and City Council public hearing for

February 14, 2023 to consider and levy the assessments against individual

properties. (File No. J2403E, Assessment No. 248302)

Adopted

Approving the City’s cost of providing Graffiti Removal services during June 6

to August 10, 2023 and setting date of Legislative Hearing for December 5,

2023 and City Council public hearing for February 14, 2023 to consider and

levy the assessments against individual properties. (File No. J2403P,

Assessment No. 248402)

Adopted

Authorizing the Police Department to submit an application for funds under a

Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Capital Region Watershed

District for its 2024 Partner Grants.

RES 23-1664

RES 23-1665

Adopted

Authorizing the Police Department to submit an application for funds under a

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) issued by the University of Baltimore’s

Center for Drug Policy and Prevention, using funds that originate from the

federal government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Adopted

Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to add organizations to

the List of Eligible Recipients for Charitable Gambling funds for 2023.

RES 23-1689

RES 23-1690

RES 23-1709

Adopted

Changing the rate of pay for Parks Services Assistant (formerly Refectory

Assistant).

Laid over to November 15, 2023

Approving a Second Hand Dealer - Motor Vehicle license for Ado’s Motors

LLC d/b/a Ado’s Motors LLC (License ID #20230001708) for the premises

located at 834 7th Street West.

Adopted

Approving the application with conditions, per the Legislative Hearing Officer,

for Kito Auto Sales & Repair LLC, d/b/a Kito Auto Sales (License ID

#20230001593), for Second Hand Dealer - Motor Vehicle and Auto Repair

Garage licenses, located at 1103 Arcade Street.

RES 23-1711

Adopted

Supporting an application for the Energy Futures Grant.

RES 23-1712

RES 23-1727

Adopted

Approving the Memorandum of Agreement between the City and Manual &

Maintenance Supervisors Association for the purpose of establishing an

on-call scheduling and payment process for Supervisors in the Street

Maintenance division of the Public Works department.

Laid over to November 15, 2023

Appointing and authorizing the execution of a master legal services

agreement with McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb, Chartered.

RES 23-1731

RES 23-1732

RES 23-1733

Adopted

Authorizing the City to shift unspent American Rescue Plan Funds into the

DSI Remote Virtual Inspections Project.

Adopted

Accepting the gift of travel expenses from the National Organization of Black

County Officials for Mayor Melvin Carter to attend the NOBCO 2023

Economic Development Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October

19, 2023.

Adopted

FOR DISCUSSION

Honoring Saint Paul Veterans on Veterans Day, November 11, 2023.

RES 23-1692

Councilmember Prince spoke to and read from the resolution.

Tom Miller, Chair of the Veterans Employee Resource Network (V-ERN), spoke to the

resolution and played a presentation highlighting current and former members of the

military.

Prince gave additional remarks and moved approval.

Council President Brendmoen spoke in support.

Adopted

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

ORDINANCES

An ordinance is a city law enacted by the City Council. It is read at three separate

council meetings and becomes effective after passage by the Council and 30 days

after publication in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Public hearings on ordinances are

generally held at the second reading.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Live testimony is limited to two minutes for each person. See below for optional ways

to testify.

Amending Chapter 74 of the Legislative Code by adding a new section 74.04

for the purpose of designating the Dwight H. and Clara Watson House at 402

Hall Avenue as a Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Site.

Ord 23-46

Mark Thomas, resident at 402 Hall Ave, spoke during the public hearing.

Nicole, renter at 402 Hall Ave, spoke during the public hearing.

Councilmember Noecker spoke in support and moved approval.

Laid over to November 15, 2023 for Final Adoption

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Setting the Solid Waste Service Fee for 2024.

RES PH 23-346

Council President moved to lay over to December 6, to be taken up with other budget

items.

Public hearing closed and laid over to December 6, 2023

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Setting the Recycling Service Fee for 2024.

RES PH 23-347

Council President moved to lay over to December 6, to be taken up with other budget

items.

Public hearing closed and laid over to December 6, 2023

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Authorizing the City to re-allocate funds currently held in the Public Works

Traffic Engineering accounting unit to the Traffic Warehouse accounting unit

to finance the purchase of high-access lighting poles designed to mitigate

copper-wire theft and vandalization of City lighting fixtures.

RES PH 23-333

Council President Brendmoen spoke in support.

Councilmember Noecker moved approval.

Adopted

7 -

Yea:

Nay:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Approving the application of Podium Sports Marketing, Inc. for a sound level

variance in order to present amplified sound for the Turkey Trot Saint Paul on

November 23, 2023 by Shepard Road between Washington Street and

Sherman Street.

RES PH 23-334

Councilmember Noecker moved approval.

Adopted

7 -

Yea:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Nay:

Approving the adoption of a Fourth Amendment to the Tax Increment

Financing Plan for the Downtown and Seventh Place (For the Minnesota

Event District) Tax Increment Financing District and authorizing the execution

of related amendments to documents (including an amended and restated tax

increment agreement).

RES PH 23-342

Councilmember Noecker moved approval.

Adopted

7 -

Yea:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Nay:

Establishing a budget for a facilities master planning process.

RES PH 23-345

Councilmember Jalali moved approval.

Adopted

7 -

Yea:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Nay:

LEGISLATIVE HEARING CONSENT AGENDA

Items listed under the Consent Agenda will receive a combined public hearing and be

enacted by one motion with no separate discussion. Items may be removed from the

Consent Agenda for a separate public hearing and discussion if desired.

Approval of the Consent Agenda

Councilmember Yang moved approval.

Legislative Hearing Consent Agenda adopted as amended

7 -

Yea:

Councilmember Brendmoen, Councilmember Tolbert, Councilmember

Noecker, Councilmember Prince, Councilmember Jalali, Councilmember

Yang and Councilmember Balenger

Nay:

Ordering the razing and removal of the structures at 594 BRUNSON STREET

within fifteen (15) days after the November 1, 2023, City Council Public

Hearing.

RLH RR 23-50

Referred to December 12, 2023 Legislative Hearing

Appeal of Greg Lehman to a Vacant Building Registration Notice and Fire

Certificate of Occupancy Revocation Notice at 839 FOURTH STREET EAST.

RLH VBR 23-59

RLH RR 23-51

Adopted

Ordering the rehabilitation or razing and removal of the structures at 1726

FOURTH STREET EAST within fifteen (15) days after the November 8, 2023,

City Council Public Hearing. (Refer to November 28, 2023 Legislative

Hearing)

Referred to November 28, 2023 Legislative Hearing

Appeal of Manoj Bhakta to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at

1046 JESSIE STREET.

RLH VBR 23-63

RLH FCO 23-82

Adopted

Appeal of Greg Vanwert to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 295 LARCH

STREET.

City Council meetings are open for in person attendance, but the public may also

comment on public hearing items in writing or via voicemail. Any comments and

materials submitted by 12:00 pm of the day before the meeting will be attached to the

public record and available for review by the City Council. Comments may be

submitted as follows:

The public may comment on public hearing items in writing or via voicemail. Any

comments and materials submitted by 12:00 pm of the day before the meeting will be

attached to the public record and available for review by the City Council. Comments

may be submitted as follows:

Written public comment on public hearing items can be submitted to

Contact-Council@ci.stpaul.mn.us, CouncilHearing@ci.stpaul.mn.us, or by voicemail at

651-266-6805. Live testimony will be taken in person in the Council Chambers, and by

telephone by registering to speak by noon on the day before the meeting. The

registration link is located on the City Council website at www.stpaul.gov/council or

https://forms.office.com/g/TD3xN7WHy5.

Council Meeting Information

The City Council is paperless which saves the environment and reduces expenses.

The agendas and Council files are all available on the Web (see below). Council

members use mobile devices to review the files during the meeting. Using a mobile

device greatly reduces costs since most agendas, including the documents attached

to files, are over 1000 pages when printed.

Web

Meetings are available on the Council's website. Email notification and web feeds

(RSS) of newly released minutes, agendas, and meetings are available by subscription.

Visit www.stpaul.gov/council for meeting videos and updated copies of the agendas,

minutes, and supporting documents.

Cable

Meetings are live on St Paul Channel 18 and replayed at various times. Check your

local listings.