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Approval of the Delaware Avenue reconstruction project and an early look at the 2027 budget were the big tasks for the West St. Paul City Council during last night’s meeting.
Delaware Reconstruction Public Hearing
Council held a public hearing on the coming Delaware Avenue reconstruction project.
- Where: This includes Delaware from Marie to Dodd, as well as Butler from Delaware to Manomin.
- When: Initial utility and tree clearing work will start this fall, with construction happening in two phases over 2027 and 2028.
- What: Delaware will be completely rebuilt with upgraded sewer and a new trail on the west side (in Mendota Heights). Butler will get a mill and overlay, with a sidewalk on the north side and a trail on the south side.
- Cost: The total project cost is $21.2 million. West St. Paul’s share is about $2.4 million, which includes about $1 million of sewer upgrades. At the end of the project in 2028, Delaware residents will be assessed an estimated $7,106 for a single family lot and $14,320 for a lot bigger than one acre. Sanitary sewer and trails are not included in the assessments.
- Public hearing: Two people spoke during the public hearing, both concerned about the assessment. They questioned high property taxes, the necessity of the work, the loss of trees, the proximity of the trail to homes, and the timing of the city’s notification about the hearing.
- Vote: City Council unanimously approved the project.
Initial 2027 Budget
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), staff presented the initial 2027 budget. Council members will get a look at parameters, driving factors, and an early look at the potential property tax levy.
- Budget: The city is looking at a total levy of about $27.7 million, a $3.5 million increase from 2026 (14.6%). Staff emphasized that this is an early estimate and likely to come down.
- Drivers: The biggest driver of that increase is wages at about $1.1 million. The budget includes another $1 million placeholder for capital improvements, though city staff haven’t worked through those details yet. Other increases included healthcare ($267,000), South Metro Fire ($267,000), severance and transition costs ($250,000), an embedded social worker ($146,000; sounds like Dakota County plans to split this cost with the city, so that will go down), and a new “litter czar” position ($100,000).
- Timeline: Council needs to approve a preliminary budget and maximum property tax levy in September. This is the number that will be mailed to residents in November. Then Council approves a final budget and property tax levy in December (which can go down from that September number, but can’t go up). More budget updates will come in July and August as the numbers are finalized.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Award: The City Council recognized police Sgt. Elyse Wood for receiving the 2026 Meritorious Service Award from the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association.
- Special events: During OCWS, staff discussed several changes to special events permitting to make things less confusing and set clear enforcement authority. Ordinance changes will come at a future meeting.
- Food trucks: Also during OCWS, staff discussed changes to the food truck ordinance that will set a minimum distance from restaurants and require registration with the city.
- Zoning changes: Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to make multiple changes to city zoning. Initially, this was to streamline the presentation of zoning, but with that change they’re also making a number of smaller tweaks to modernize the zoning code. This includes removing outdated terms (such as “dairy store), adding new terms (such as “data center”), expanding used merchandise stores, removing several uses from industrial zones including offices and auto work, and more.
- Council salaries: Council unanimously approved an ordinance and Charter amendment change to continue their 2026 salaries into 2027 and 2028 with no increase. This comes after a failed vote to increase those salaries.
- Parks & Rec: The city recognized July as Parks and Recreation Month and July 17 as Parks and Recreation Professionals’ Day.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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