15 West Kellogg Blvd.  
Saint Paul, MN 55102  
City of Saint Paul  
Minutes - Final  
Legislative Hearings  
Marcia Moermond, Chief Legislative Hearing Officer  
Joanna Zimny, Deputy Legislative Hearing Officer  
Mai Vang, Legislative Hearing Coordinator  
legislativehearings@ci.stpaul.mn.us  
651-266-8585  
Tuesday, September 29, 2026  
9:00 AM  
Room 330 City Hall & Court House/Remote  
9:00 a.m. Hearings  
Remove/Repair Orders  
RLH RR 26-2  
1
Ordering the rehabilitation or razing and removal of the structures at 799  
UNIVERSITY AVENUE WEST within fifteen (15) days after the February  
18, 2026 City Council Public Hearing.  
Bowie  
Sponsors:  
Recommendation forthcoming pending timeline.  
Coung Pham, owner, appeared via phone  
Ian Newby, contractor, appeared via phone  
Moermond: calling about University Avenue. Do you have Ian Newby’s number to add  
into the call?  
Voicemail left at 9:32 am: good morning Mr. Newby, we’ll try reaching back about  
University Avenue. I think Mr. Pham is going to try and reach you too.  
[Ian Newby called in]  
Moermond: we were looking for a timeline and code analysis submission, then for plan  
review we can get that expedited and get permits pulled. I need a way for me to move  
on from this and let you run with the ball and push the department to work quickly. I  
don’t want to be trapped in this hearing process waiting for those things to happen. I  
will say it is very important for me to greenlight things here, because they won’t do  
anything in Department of Safety and Inspections until that Council vote. They need a  
work plan. I am happy to review whatever those items are, but I need a rope around the  
timeline and clear bench lines. Does that make sense?  
Newby: 100% making sense. I have an engineer report with a build back already.  
We’re sending this in today, I wanted to send it in the day after but it was my  
understanding only the roof is greenlighted to get water tight. There was a section of  
the northwest wall that had to be redone before redoing the roof. I couldn’t just send in  
roof truss plans without that information, including some floor joist repairs. It took me  
yesterday at 2 pm to get that updated plan.  
Moermond: absolutely the Council and the Department of Safety and Inspections are  
always sin agreement that sealing the envelope of the structure to maintain integrity.  
That’s step one, you’re on that track, fantastic. I want a sense of where you go from  
there. You sound like you’re on top of it.  
Newby: I was told last time the roof was greenlit. I already have that literally on my  
schedule to start the full demo of the trusses next week, weather permitting. Assuming  
they allow the permits sometime in the next week.  
I can’t give anyone the scope of work until I have the build back plan myself. I’m  
waiting for an architect on the inside so I can send to my subs.  
Moermond: I’d love to see it by the end of this week.  
Referred to the City Council due back on 10/7/2026  
Making Finding on Nuisance Abatements  
2
RLH RR 26-18  
Making finding on the appeal of Brian Balsaitis, dba 925 Magnolia  
Avenue E LLC, to a substantial abatement ordered for 925 MAGNOLIA  
AVENUE EAST in Council File RLH RR 26-6.  
Yang  
Sponsors:  
Recommendation forthcoming pending timeline.  
Brian Balsaitis, owner, appeared via phone  
Staff update by Supervisor James Hoffman: property has been maintained, no issues.  
A couple new HVAC and mechanical permits issued. Plumbing finaled. Per Clint we’re  
at 95%.  
Moermond: that assessment he did when?  
Hoffman: that was a month ago.  
Balsaitis: being this is a duplex with two furnace systems and electric systems  
separate, the first floor is complete. HVAC is signed off, electrical and plumbing are all  
finished first floor. Second floor, electrical is closed, plumbing as well, HVAC is  
completed, ORSAT test done, and we’re just waiting for the final inspection. Bit of a  
delay because my contractor tried to pull permits and there was a hold on the website.  
He was waiting for that to be released. That’s the only reason it isn’t done. On the  
second floor all that’s left is window trim.  
Moermond: and you’ve squared away the HVAC permit situation?  
Balsaitis: yes, warm air for ventilation in the bathroom. We’re just waiting for final.  
Moermond: I wasn’t understanding the HVAC issue.  
Balsaitis: yeah I wasn’t sure how that worked online. He just said there was a pause  
online.  
Moermond: do you have that final inspection scheduled?  
Balsaitis: am I supposed to call?  
Moermond: no, usually it’s the contractor. Would you say you’re just a couple of weeks  
out?  
Balsaitis: yes, but I’m dealing with moving my father with dementia into a facility and  
selling his house, so there’s a couple of weeks in October I can’t work. It is just a  
couple of weeks of millwork to do. Should be done by the end of October though.  
Moermond: I don’t want to jus throw a number out there. Can you put together a plan  
for finishing?  
Balsaitis: yep. No big ticket items left. Just rekeying locks, no big deal.  
Moermond: let’s get that by email by the end of the week and we can put a number on  
that and get this wrapped up.  
Balsaitis: sounds good, thank you.  
Referred to the City Council due back on 10/14/2026  
11:00 a.m. Hearings  
Summary & Vehicle Abatement Orders  
3
RLH SAO  
26-102  
Making finding on the appeal of Melanie Richards to a nuisance  
abatement ordered for 2103 SHERWOOD AVENUE in Council File RLH  
SAO 26-73.  
Yang  
Sponsors:  
Nuisance is abated as related to the first deadline.  
No one appeared  
Moermond: we understand 2103 Sherwood is abated for the first deadline?  
Supervisor Richard Kedrowski: yes.  
Referred to the City Council due back on 10/7/2026