Thanks to Minnesota Locks and Clothesline Laundromat for their support.
The Eagle Pointe license hearing and Bernard Street reconstruction project were the main topics of Monday’s meeting.
Presiding: With Mayor David Napier and Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Berry absent, Council Member Lisa Eng-Sarne took the role as acting president for the duration of the meeting. Berry is representing West St. Paul at the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference in Washington, D.C.
Eagle Pointe Apartments Rental License Hearing
- What: Eagle Pointe Apartments was issued a provisional license in June of 2023 due to an excessive number of police nuisance calls, fire code violations, and additional code compliance problems. This issuing is being reviewed.
- What’s changed?: Management was given nine conditions to satisfy during the licensing period, of which they have satisfied eight. Police calls have decreased from 31 to 13 in a six-month period. Fire code violations dropped from six to five, and were all corrected upon reinspection. Seven code complaints were made relating to heat, water, and dumpster management, and were efficiently remedied.
- Alarm system: The unmet condition involves the installation of a door alarm system, for which management filed for an exemption. They claimed that, with weekly door checks and surveillance cameras on every door, additional alarms would only prove to be a nuisance to residents. The Council ultimately refuted this claim, making it clear the priority was ensuring the safety of residents and that alarmed doors would help ensure this. Police Chief Brian Sturgeon brought up the possibility of silent door alarms to alert management of issues, which Council Member Pat Armon supported.
- Conclusion: Council agreed unanimously to approve the provisional license, which will come up again in July. Stipulations were kept the same, save for the specification that work would need to be done with staff to determine an appropriate duration of time before the alarm triggers.
Bernard Street East Reconstruction Project
- What: Council approved a full reconstruction of Bernard Street from Oakdale to Waterloo, including the installation of a sidewalk on the north side of the street, is due to begin construction next summer.
- Concerns: Councilmember Julie Eastman raised concerns about the number of trees needing to be removed for the construction. 46 out of the 48 trees assessed along the stretch of road need to be removed either due to poor health or species (ash trees), but will all be replaced. Armon raised concerns about speeding traffic and crosswalk bump outs will be considered.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Relay for Life 20th anniversary: Darlene Tinucci and Kristi Larson spoke in favor of the event, and announced they are looking for “20 teams for 20 years” this year. The event raises money for the American Cancer Society, and it has raised $1.3 million over the past two decades. More information can be found at Relay52.org.
- Open to Business: Council approved a joint powers agreement (JPA) with Dakota County to continue the Open to Business program which supports local businesses.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and EDA 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.
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