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West St. Paul City Council discussed organized trash collection, reviewed the 2024 budget, approved the fee schedule and charter amendments, and reviewed two assessment cases.
Organized Trash Collection
City Council discussed organized trash collection during the Open Council Work Session (OCWS)—or rather, whether or not to even discuss it—and it didn’t go over well. Several members expressed concerns about a city contract going to a big company and the smaller haulers pushed out of business, and noted those are the haulers residents seem to love.
- Council Member Robyn Gulley was the only one to express support for the idea.
- Mayor Dave Napier came out the hardest against the idea, saying he’d prefer other methods to protect infrastructure.
- A representative from Highland Sanitation did attend the meeting and was asked to share his perspective. He raised a number of issues that showcased the complexity of organized trash collection.
- The other Council members were willing to have the conversation, but after the meeting City Manager Nate Burkett said with such weak support they’ll likely table it and not bring it back.
- The process to move forward is complex and lengthy—including creating a public committee, making a charter amendment, and putting the issue to a city-wide vote.
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Other Items on the Agenda
- Fee schedule: The fee schedule originally presented on October 23 came up for a public hearing, though no one spoke. A number of fees are being increased that haven’t been raised in a while, including for the pool and room rentals. They were approved unanimously.
- Appointment process: The city introduced yet another board and commission appointment process during the OCWS. The main change is all applicants, no matter what they’re applying for, will be interviewed. Council gave staff a thumbs up on the process with no discussion.
- Budget: During the OCWS, Council considered the 2024 budget one more time before it is officially presented in December for approval. The total budget is $41.6 million and includes a 5.97% levy increase (down from 6.03%, mainly due to savings on employee health insurance). Council had no changes.
- Assessments: Two properties were pulled from the last meeting’s assessment hearing to be reviewed separately. Council considered assessments against 1070 Hall Avenue and 195 Stanley Street East for missing permits, building maintenance, unsheltered storage, and a trailer parked in the yard. The owners of 1070 Hall pled their case and Council reduced their assessment by $1,000 on a 4-2 vote (John Justen and Gulley voted no—both seemed to support a larger reduction). The assessment for 195 Stanley was approved unanimously.
- Charter: Council gave unanimous approval to two amendments to the city charter. 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: Council approved an application 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.
- Recognition: Local resident Edgar Herrera was honored during the meeting with a recognition by the Minnesota House that was announced at the recent Latine Community Heritage Celebration.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online. You can also watch a video recap with Ward 2 Council Members Robyn Gulley and John Justen.
- 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.
