Thanks to Bisanz Brothers, Dakota County, and Lehner Law Office for their support.
City Council approved two crisis rent support programs, learned about improvements for Charlton Place condos, and honored two gold-medal winning athletes.
Gold Medalists
The City Council recognized two West St. Paul athletes who won gold in the recent Special Olympics USA Games:
- Jesus Ortega won a gold medal in the 4×400-meter relay and a bronze medal in the 1500 meters.
- Dimitri Johnson won four gold medals in the bench press, the squat, the deadlift, and the combination.
Crisis Rent Support Programs
Back in February, in response to increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, the City Council approved emergency rent support. Now the city is updating and expanding these programs to serve other crisis situations.
- 360 Communities: The initial grant program gave $10,000 to 360 Communities for families at risk of eviction due to federal immigration enforcement activities. Most of the money was successfully used to keep families in their homes. Now the city wants to expand the program, making $20,000 available with no ICE condition, just broad emergency rent support. It’s intended to be money of last resort, using other grant programs first.
- Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: The initial grant also gave $10,000 to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon to serve families impacted by ICE who were not connected to other resources through schools. None of this money was used, and now the city wants to reallocate it for veterans facing eviction or loss of housing. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon already has one case that could use this support.
- The money: Both grants are paid for with state Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) money. These are restricted funds that can only be used for certain purposes. Both programs are only eligible to households residing in West St. Paul at or below 80 percent of area median income experiencing financial hardship and risk of eviction or loss of housing (and for the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program at least one member of the household must be a veteran of the U.S. armed forces). The respective nonprofits make decisions about who receives assistance.
- Council response: The City Council unanimously approved both measures.
- City Council Member John Justen noted the city has a hard time finding legitimate uses for the LAHA funds, so he was in favor of using them for this purpose. He said he’d have to think harder if it were general fund dollars.
- Mayor Dave Napier said he did not support the 360 Communities program. He said he wasn’t against it, but he wanted more time to double check details. (The mayor does not get a vote.)
Condo Improvements
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), staff shared details about a Housing Improvement Area (HIA) application for Charlton Place condos, which includes 34 units.
- What: This program allows the city to finance common area improvements for the condo. It is the first HIA application to come to the city. Charlton Place condos pushed for the city to create an HIA program in 2024.
- Cost: They’re requesting about $2 million in bond financing, which will be repaid through a special assessment on the owners’ property taxes. 91% of the owners support the project (surpassing the 65% minimum required). There is minimal risk to the city.
- Next steps: If approved, the process will come back to City Council multiple times before being finalized by the end of the year.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Strategic priorities: During the OCWS, Council continued to discuss survey results. In response to increasing disaproval, the city plans to hire a ‘litter czar’ to clean up Robert Street, parks, and other public areas. They also discussed a clustering strategy to support small businesses by identifying several business niches.
- Knock Out Hunger: Jim Probst and other representatives from the Knock Out Hunger Border Battle announced this year’s food-packing event, which will be on Saturday, Nov. 21 and hosted in South St. Paul for the first time.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online. You can also watch a video recap from Council Members Robyn Gulley and John Justen.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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