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Committee appointments and the ice arena parking lot were the big issues on the docket for the West St. Paul City Council, as well as a resolution and budget support for Burnsville first responders in response to the recent tragedy.
Committee Appointments
After interviewing 10 residents, the West St. Paul City Council made multiple appointments to committees and commissions:
- Planning Commission: Mayor Dave Napier appointed Brooklyn Petrich to an open seat on the Planning Commission and reappointed Maria Franzmeier and Lisa Stevens.
- Environmental Committee: The Council appointed Emily Vergin and Kelly Gibson to three-year terms and Ashley Khondakar and Troy LaFaye to one-year terms. Vergin previously served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee: The Council appointed Nolan Cornell, Leah Foxhill, and Ángela Rizo Rosales and reappointed Luke Abrahamson, all to two-year terms.
The Charter Commission met two weeks ago and nominated Morgan Kavanaugh, Emily Lefholz, and Andrew Olson to be appointed by a judge, per Charter rules.
Ice Arena Parking Lot Reconstruction
The City of West St. Paul is finally redoing the parking lot at the John V. Hoene Ice Arena after an expansion to the building in 2022 funded by the West St. Paul Youth Hockey Association.
- Upgrades: The lot will be expanded to 115 parking spots from the current 94, with room to add 32 more if needed. There will also be a separated drop off/pick up lane, curbing, lighting, improved pedestrian access, and bike parking.
- Debate: Mayor Napier pushed back on the drop off/pick up lane, arguing that he’d rather see more parking spots. “I think it’s a waste of valuable parking,” he said. “When we’re digging it out in a year or so, we’ll talk about that.” Council debated changes and asked for staff opinion, but when Napier saw no support for his position he called the question. Council approved the plans unanimously.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Supporting first responders: Council approved a resolution supporting first responders in light of the killing of two police officers and an EMT in Burnsville recently. The resolution included an additional $30,000 in overtime pay for West St. Paul officers who have been helping in Burnsville since the tragedy. Two West St. Paul officers put in overtime on their days off to serve in Burnsville.
- Housing: Council discussed a Housing Improvement Area (HIA) policy during the Open Council Work Session (OCWS). First raised back in November, HIAs allow condos and townhomes to take out loans through the city for improvement projects. With no major concerns, this item will come back on the consent agenda at a future meeting.
- Strategic planning: Council will include time for strategic planning in the next several OCWS meetings. This session included learning about the Baldridge Framework and focusing on specific community indicators the city could use to track progress on a variety of issues.
- Expenditure policy: Council approved the Public Purpose Expenditure policy, which has existed but has several additions that codify existing practice.
- Women’s History Month: Council officially proclaimed March as Women’s History Month.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online. You can also watch the video recap by 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 recaps with the support of our members.
