Thanks to Clover Montessori School for their support.
West St. Paul City Council will consider plans for the return of Wendy’s and hold a public hearing for a proposed Council pay raise. They’ll also start the conversation for the 2025 budget.
Wendy’s Returns to West St. Paul
City Council will consider the site plan, conditional use permit, and planned development amendment for a new Wendy’s fast food restaurant located on Robert Street in the Cub Foods outlot.
Planning Commission unanimously approved the plans with a few conditions related to signage and trees. They did discuss pedestrian improvements with the drive thru, but the code requirement forcing the drive thru behind the restaurant made that impossible. No one from the public spoke during the public hearing.
Budget & Audit
On the financial front, City Council will start the conversation about the upcoming 2025 and 2026 budgets. This is an initial conversation about fundamentals that will define the budget, with a number of wide-ranging stats and facts in the agenda packet on everything from safety to environmental factors.
Council will also review and approve the 2023 audit.
Council Pay Raise
There will be a public hearing and final vote on a proposed pay raise for City Council and the mayor that amounts to 26% in the first year.
- How much: If approved, pay would go from $8,165 to $10,400 for Council and $10,480 to $12,500 for the mayor in 2025.
- Why: Rationale focused on bringing pay in line with comparable cities, better reflecting the amount of work Council members put in, and improving the pay to make elected positions more accessible.
- Process: As a change to the charter, this measure will need to pass unanimously with all members voting, including the mayor.
- More: We explored the pay raise in more detail in previous reporting.
Other Items on the Agenda:
- Strategic planning: During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), Council will review results of a business survey and discuss engagement options with local businesses.
- Parks: The consent agenda includes two park planning contracts, looking at Kennedy Park and improvements to Albert Park and Dodd Park as part of the Smith/Dodd intersection realignment.
Engage
Watch: The public can watch the meeting live on Town Square TV or cable TV starting at 6:30 p.m. (5 p.m. for the OCWS) on Monday.
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.
