West St. Paul City Council Preview: May 28, 2024

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Several big items for City Council this week, including the sale of a former church property for townhouses, alley repair, pool rehab, and a potential Council pay raise.

Note: Next week’s meeting is on Tuesday due to the Memorial Day holiday.

Townhouses at Former Church

Faith United Methodist Church held their last services in West St. Paul on May 12 and moved to Inver Grove Heights. They’re in the process of selling their property at 1530 Oakdale Avenue to M/I Homes who plans to develop 42 townhomes on the site.

While it’s a private real estate deal, the city is guaranteeing a portion of the costs to facilitate the sale. The Economic Development Authority (EDA) will consider the issue after the regular Council meeting.

Alley Repair

West St. Paul alleys are in rough shape, though they’re a challenge to fix due to the lack of subgrade and the fact that homeowners shoulder 90% of the cost. The city does seasonal patching, but the costs are adding up. Alley reconstruction is usually up to a petition of residents, but the city has considered forcing reconstruction.

During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), Council will discuss options, including reconsidering the 90% cost, whether or not to force reconstruction, potential assessment for maintenance, and potentially allowing residents to opt out of maintenance by petition.

Council Salary Increase

Last week the Charter Commission met and unanimously recommended a 26% pay raise for the mayor and City Council members. The resolution explains “the goal of getting closer to comparable cities and making service on the Council more accessible.” City Manager Nate Burkett previously said any increase would not be a “substantial burden” to the budget.

	Mayor	Council	Total Cost	Change
Current	$10,480	$8,165	$59,470
2025 Increase	$12,500	$10,400	$74,900	$15,430 (26%)
2026 Increase	$14,500	$12,500	$89,500	$14,600 (19.5%)

• Process: The city is legally required to consider Council pay raises every two years. It goes through the Charter Commission, and then any proposal has to be unanimously approved by Council (including the mayor). If passed, there would be a public hearing on June 10 for the second reading. Any increase would not go into effect until after the next election.
• Proposals: Increases varying from 3% to 58% were proposed, based on different metrics aligned to city staff pay raises.
• Why: Charter Commission Vice Chair Matthew Schempp included a letter advocating for the increase: “While on a percentage basis, this may seem like a large increase in terms of total dollars it is not an insurmountable sum.” Schempp goes on to make an hourly comparison—assuming 15 hours per week, Council members would only be earning $13.33 per hour in 2025 and $16.03 per hour in 2026. “The Charter Commission felt that while these projections were still on the low side, in this context, it supports the proposed increases,” Schempp wrote.
• Recused: Charter Commission Chair Doug Fromm, who is running for City Council this year, recused himself and did not vote.

Other Items on the Agenda

• Pool rehab: Originally opened in 1956 with a major rehab in 1999, the West St. Paul pool again needs repairs and upgrades. The city is considering a feasibility and design study to look at options. This is the first step, and the path forward will be decided after the study and community engagement.
• Library update: Wentworth Library Branch Manager Stacy Lenarz will give an update on library services, coming self-service hours, and the 2025 remodel.

Engage

Watch: The public can watch the meeting live on Town Square TV or cable TV starting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (5:30 p.m. for the OCWS).

Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.

We believe in government transparency and provide these West St. Paul City Council previews with the support of our members.