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A proclamation in honor of the late Lisa Stevens and a vote on the preliminary budget levy were the two big items at tonight’s City Council meeting.
Lisa Stevens
The Council issued a proclamation honoring long-time city resident Lisa Stevens, who recently died unexpectedly. She served on the city’s Planning Commission, as a liaison to the Environmental Committee, as an election judge, and was active in the community in several other ways. Seating for members of the public was hard to come by, as multiple friends and family members were in attendance to hear the proclamation, and Mayor Dave Napier presented Stevens’ family with a framed copy of the proclamation after a moment of silence. During the public comment period, multiple residents, City Council members, and the mayor spoke in her memory.
Preliminary Budget Levy
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), City Manager Nate Burkett updated the Council on the preliminary budget levy.
- The proposed budget levy includes a 6.84% increase in property taxes, down from 7.22% at the last meeting. This decrease was not due to any further budget cuts, but instead due to an $80,000 increase in funding from the state. This tax increase would be the second-lowest in Dakota County, higher than only Inver Grove Heights, and similarly low when compared to other cities statewide.
- Burkett provided some context on the city’s pay increases for city staff, noting that salaries have been rising among many peer cities since the state passed a law removing a salary cap on city employees three years ago. The salary increases in this budget should get the city more in line with current market conditions.
- Burkett also outlined options for further cutting the levy increase, though he advised against this option, noting that it would require the city to cut essential infrastructure projects and potentially leave future councils with cash flow issues.
- Council expressed general support for the 6.84% increase during the OCWS, and the motion to approve it passed unanimously during the regular session. This move caps the property tax increase at 6.84%, though it can still be lowered before the budget is finalized.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day: The council issued a proclamation recognizing Indigenous People’s Day on October 14, 2024.
- Buried utilities for Smith/Dodd: As part of the Smith/Dodd realignment project, the city is exploring burying utility lines within the footprint of the project. The city’s internal estimates suggested that the work would cost in the range of $450,000 to $600,000, but consultation with utility companies brought that number down to $300,000 to $400,000. During the OCWS, city staff were seeking the Council’s decision on whether to bury these lines so that planning for the street realignment could continue. The Council expressed support for the move despite some initial skepticism about its cost for two reasons. First, the city would recoup the costs of the work by charging businesses which redevelop properties around the intersection. Second, the improvement would provide greater flexibility for more ambitious designs for public space on the intersection.
- St. Paul Parks Conservancy relationship: During the OCWS, Director of Parks and Recreation Eric Weiss reviewed the city’s commitment to improving city parks and the struggle of securing funding for these improvements without raising taxes. They’ve been working to secure grants wherever possible, but there is intense competition for many grants and there are limits to this strategy. The St. Paul Parks Conservancy plays a strong role in fundraising and community engagement in the city of St. Paul, and is considering expanding its operations into first-ring suburbs, including West St. Paul. They would charge an 8% fee for funds going to West St. Paul, which would be well under the 20% fee that other fundraising agencies might charge. The Kennedy Park project would be the first one on which the city and the Conservancy would collaborate since it sits on the border between St. Paul and West St. Paul. City Council was largely in favor of the move, seeing it as a good source of revenue for future park projects. The city would retain control over the nature and scope of any improvements, and would only have to pay the Parks Conservancy if they deliver funds to the city.
- Cannabis business licensing: During the OCWS, city staff reviewed the preliminary plan to license cannabis businesses in the city. The plan would allow for up to two licenses for full-potency THC retailers, two more for retailers that get 10% or more of their revenue from low-potency products like currently-available edibles and beverages, and unlimited licenses for retailers that get less than 10% of their revenue from low-potency products. State law dictates that the city must allow at least two retail licenses based on its population. They would also allow a maximum of one cannabis production business in town, which could also qualify for one of the available retail licenses. No cannabis-related businesses would be allowed within 1,000 feet of any schools, and production businesses would only be allowed in industrial-zoned areas. The first public reading of the proposed licensing ordinance would take place in late October or early November, with the goal of having the law on the books by January 1, 2025 in compliance with state law.
- Public hearing: The Council reviewed recent mill and overlay projects, which came in slightly under budget. Residents on the redone streets will be assessed $1,717.39 each (instead of the estimated $1,886.13), while businesses will be assessed $12.19 per linear foot (instead of the estimated $13.38). One resident made a comment during the public hearing, recommending that the streets be completely closed for these projects in order to ensure the work is done well.
- Cable: Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4), which provides TV coverage of City Council meetings, is asking member cities to accept reduced franchise fees to help them with increased costs and reduced revenue due to people switching from cable to streaming. Fees would be cut in half this year, and cut in half again next year, in order to have time to revamp these agreements to reflect the new subscriber reality. City Council expressed support for this change, as well as for legislative changes to put NDC4 on firmer financial footing for the long term. The motion passed unanimously.
- New chiropractic office: Accident Care Chiropractic is applying for a conditional use permit to open a clinic at Southview Square in the former T-Mobile space. The owner of Accident Care Chiropractic, a city resident, was present at the meeting and introduced himself to the Council. The motion passed unanimously.
- Burger King abatement: The former Burger King site at 1650 Robert Street has sat vacant since 2021 when plans to rebuild it fell through, and the site is currently overgrown with weeds and full of standing water. City staff outlined multiple attempts to work with the property owner to remediate the issue, none of which have been successful. Potential causes for the holdup in construction stem from issues securing an easement from Hobby Lobby for access to the new site, as well as the fact that the company which owns the parcel is in bankruptcy. The abatement resolution would allow the city to take legal action against the property owner in order to force them to properly maintain the property or compensate the city for doing that maintenance work with city resources. The motion passed unanimously.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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