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During last night’s meeting, West St. Paul City Council approved shifting management of the dome in house, a new approach to emerald ash borer treatment, and increases to Council salaries.
Management of the Dome
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), Council discussed the future management of the West St. Paul Regional Athletic Center, known colloquially as the Dome.
- Current state: The Dome has been under third-party management since it opened in 2012.
- Proposal: City staff proposed bringing the management in-house and creating a new recreation facilities manager position to oversee the Dome and other facilities, including the ice arena, the pool, athletic fields, and park buildings.
- Why: The Dome currently has maintenance issues that will cost approximately $100,000 for a short-term fix and $1 million to fix long term. These are examples that could have been caught sooner with in-house management more focused on long-term issues. Also, by managing the Dome itself, the city can prioritize community needs and better serve the community.
- Cost: There’s not much of a financial difference between the two approaches, though in-house management has potential infrastructure savings and other benefits.
- Result: Council supported the move and city staff will fill the recreation facilities manager position in the next few weeks.
Emerald Ash Borer
Ash trees in West St. Paul have been decimated by the emerald ash borer. The city has treated ash trees since 2015, though it’s becoming less effective and increasingly expensive. Treatments must continue for the life of the tree. Other cities and grant organizations are shifting focus to removal and replacement.
- Impact: The city has 1,041 ash trees on street boulevards and in parks, which amounts to 37% of the tree canopy. Currently, treatment uses up 80% of the city’s tree replacement budget.
- Options: Shifting to a long-term plan means focusing on removal and replacement of existing ash trees. Staff outlined three proposals for how quickly to remove and replace trees.
- Cost: The cost ranges from $1 million to $1.2 million, with faster being cheapest and slow being the most expensive.
- Timeline: The aggressive approach would be complete by 2030, the moderate by 2034, and the slow by 2040.
- Issues: An aggressive approach would have a visible impact on the city’s tree canopy, as well as resulting in other fallout from the loss of mature trees—lack of shade and cooling, decreased stormwater retention that can lead to flooding, etc.
- Result: Council directed staff to take the moderate approach. Council members were reluctant to remove trees and wanted to minimize “apocalyptic” impacts, but also recognized the reality.
Council Salary Increase
During even years, the Charter Commission is required by law to consider a pay increase for City Council.
- Increase: The Charter Commission met last month and proposed the following increases:
- 3% increase for 2027 and a 2.5% increase for 2028.
- That brings total salaries for the mayor to $14,935 for 2027 and $15,308 for 2028, and for Council members to $12,875 for 2027 and $13,197 for 2028.
- Process: As a Charter amendment, these salary increases need to be approved unanimously. There will be a public hearing and final reading on April 13. The salary increases will not take effect until after the next election.
- Result: Council approved the increase unanimously, with the usual comments about how awkward it is to vote for their own pay raise, but emphasizing the importance of keeping the pay at pace with other communities and as an encouragement for people to run for office.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Parking: Council unanimously approved the final reading to restrict boat, trailer, and RV parking on city streets to 48 hours.
- Charter: Council unanimously approved updating the entire City Charter with gender neutral language. There will be a public hearing and final reading on April 13.
- Moving on: City Council members thanked City Clerk Nicole Tillander for her service as she is moving on to another position with a different city.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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