Thanks to Clothesline Laundromat for their support.
West St. Paul City Council will consider wading into garbage, discussing whether or not to debate organized trash collection. Other items include the city budget, fee schedule, assessment review, and more.
City Trash Collection
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), Council will discuss whether to consider organized trash collection—having the city manage garbage haulers instead of residents choosing haulers on their own.
- Note: This is not a discussion on whether or not West St. Paul should do organized trash, it’s asking if Council even wants to have the conversation.
- Process: Switching to organized trash collection is a complicated process and would involve a committee with public representatives to study the issue and make a recommendation, a charter amendment to require a city vote on the issue, and if it ultimately went that far, a city election to decide if organized trash should be implemented.
- Why: Fewer garbage trucks would mean less wear and tear on city streets and alleys, less noise and pollution, the potential to expand to organics collection at a lower cost, and potentially lower fees.
- But: It’s frequently been a fraught conversation. St. Paul’s process was an “epic fight” and Bloomington’s prompted tears, though other cities have had success with Maplewood calling it a “non-issue.”
Other Items on the Agenda
- Fee schedule: There will be a public hearing for the fee schedule for next year. This was originally presented on October 23, but continued to this meeting due to miscommunication on the public hearing. A number of fees are being increased that haven’t been raised in a while, including for the pool and room rentals.
- Appointment process: The board and commission appointment process is coming up, and yet again the city is making changes to the process that Council will consider during the OCWS.
- Budget: During the OCWS, Council will consider the 2024 budget one more time before it’s officially presented in December for approval. The total budget is $41.6 million and includes a 5.97% levy increase (down from 6.03%).
- Assessments: Two properties were pulled from the last meeting’s assessment hearing to be reviewed separately. Council will consider assessments against 1070 Hall Avenue and 195 Stanley Street East for missing permits, building maintenance, unsheltered storage, and a trailer parked in the yard.
- Charter: Council will consider two amendments to the city charter and hold a public hearing. The first measure modifies a measure regarding initiatives and referendums to come in line with a recent Supreme Court decision. The second measure gives Council authority to authorize expenditures, filling a potential gray area.
- Sidewalk: The city is applying for a grant for sidewalk along Lothenbach east of Robert Street. If successful, the grant would cover 80% of the project, though work wouldn’t happen until 2027. The project would reconstruct and narrow the road.
- Recognition: Recently recognized by the Minnesota House, local resident Edgar Herrera will be recognized during the meeting.
Engage
Watch: The public can watch the meeting live on Town Square TV or cable TV starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (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.
