City Council - Regular Meeting

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Bye. Thank you. Thank you. Call the meeting of the St. Paul City Council to order. Roll call, please. Yang. Here. Bowie. Here. Coleman. Here. Johnson.

Jost. Here. Kim. Here. Council President Naker. Here. Six present, one absent.

Thank you, everyone, for joining us at our council meeting today. We appreciate everyone being here. We invite everyone to join us in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. of the United States of America, and to the Republic, which it stands as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Consent agenda items one through nine are before you for your consideration.

I know we are taking item seven for separate consideration. Is there anything else to be pulled from consent? Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Vice President Yang for the balance of the consent agenda. All in favor, say aye.

Aye. All opposed? Six in favor, none opposed. The consent agenda is adopted as amended. Item 11, Resolution 20. Let me just say. I didn't know that. OK. So seven. Item seven, resolution 26-933, directing the Department of Safety and Inspections to proceed with the 10-day license suspension adverse action against Maryland Supermarket Inc., DBA, Maryland Supermarket, for the premises located at 444 Maryland Avenue, West Suite C. Councilmember Kim.

Thank you. I have entered a version two for my colleagues' consideration. And I've got a statement to read around my decision for an upward departure. I'd like to move a version two of this resolution for the Department of Safety and Inspections to revoke the tobacco shop license held by Maryland Supermarket. I'm moving a version two because under the legislative code, the city council has the ability to deviate from the presumptive penalty matrix when there are substantial and compelling reasons to do so. The facts of this case demonstrate that this business has flagrantly violated the laws of the city, which the department discovered during a routine inspection of the business. Therefore, deviation from the presumptive matrix penalty is justified. The department conducted an inspection of the business in March and found displayed on the shelves along other tobacco products more than 50 flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco products cannot be sold without a specific license type, which Maryland Supermarket does not have. And in fact, Maryland Supermarket knew that it didn't have the license type because that license type was revoked as part of a settlement agreement with the department in early 2025. Then in January of this year, the department sent a courtesy letter to remind Maryland Supermarket that the department would be conducting its annual inspections of all businesses selling tobacco products to ensure that these businesses were complying with the law. The letter stated that the Maryland Supermarket was not allowed to sell flavored tobacco products. The fact that the department inspector visited the business and found more than 50, five, zero, flavored tobacco products for sale in the store demonstrates that Maryland Supermarket intentionally disregarded the laws of the city. I'll add, too, that one of the type of flavored tobacco products found is expressly prohibited in this city in any shop because it is not approved by the FDA. Because Maryland supermarket clearly knew that it was not allowed to sell flavored tobacco products, but it continued to do so, and in a large amount, these are the facts and circumstances that present substantial and compelling reasons to deviate from the presumptive penalty matrix of a 10-day license suspension. The next penalty beyond a license suspension in our tobacco penalty matrix is a revocation of the business license. Given the severity of the violation and the intentional disregard for the laws of our city, I oppose the city I propose the city council direct the Department of Safety and Inspections to revoke the tobacco shop license held at Maryland Supermarket. And with that, I move a version two.

Thank you, Ms. Kim. So the motion is for version two. Appreciate the thoughtful explanation of the reasons why. Is there any discussion of the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Six in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted as amended. Item 11, Resolution 26-946, Honoring the Life and Legacy of Mark, Melissa, and Gilbert Hortman, and Proclaiming June 14, 2026 as Mark, Melissa, and Gilbert Hortman Day in St. Paul.

Councilmember Kim, I want to thank you for your leadership in bringing this very important and somber item before us. I will turn things over to you at this point.

Great. We have a few speakers that mostly are here, one arriving hopefully as I complete reading the council's resolution onto the record. The mayor has also made a very similar proclamation, so both will be presented today. I won't say they were as is. I'll just read the content if that's all right. Melissa Hortman was born in Fridley, Minnesota, on May 27, 1970, and Mark was born in Atlanta, Georgia, November 30, 1966. Mark and Melissa met in Washington, D.C., where they volunteered to mentor students at a local school and later married each other on August 13, 1993. They raised two children, Colin and Sophie, in Brooklyn Park, along with their pet, Gilbert. Mark and Melissa were avid hobbyists and volunteers for organizations like Helping Paws, which led them to training two service dogs in their home, one of which was a golden retriever named Gilbert. Gilbert's charm and instant connection with the Hortman family led to his adoption. Mark was known for his love of playing pool, working on personal projects, and his love for his children. Mark was known to be generous, outgoing, and kind. Melissa preceded her legislative career with a career of service and advocacy as a housing attorney with the Central Minnesota Legal Services, a law clerk in Hennepin County District Court, and by regularly volunteering locally for organizations like Helping Paws. Melissa Hortman was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004. Over the course of her distinguished legislative career, she served as Minority Whip, Minority Leader, Assistant Majority Leader, House Speaker Pro Tempore, Chair of the Energy Policy Committee, and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2019. Melissa led one of the most consequential legislative sessions in modern Minnesota history during the 2023 legislative term, guiding the passage of landmark legislation, expanding reproductive rights, enshrining protections for LGBTQ communities, advancing gun safety reforms, and establishing the state's first paid family and medical leave program. Speaker Hortman consistently led with a strong emphasis on responsive governance, a focus on her constituent services, and empowering leadership and ability of her colleagues. On June 14, 2025, Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their dog Gilbert were tragically assassinated in a politically motivated attack in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Their tragic deaths have served as a profound loss for their children, surviving family, community, and for the entire state of Minnesota. The St. Paul City Council does hereby honor and celebrate with the mayor the extraordinary life and public service of Melissa Hortman, whose two decades of legislative leadership produced endearing gains for Minnesotan families, working people, the environment, and our democracy. The City Council acknowledges the profound sacrifice of Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who together built a life of purpose, partnership, and service, and whose memory will continue to inspire all who believe in the promise of our democracy. The City Council extends our deepest condolences to all the members of the Hortman family and the many colleagues and friends and Minnesotans whose lives were shaped and uplifted by Melissa's work. Therefore, be it resolved, the St. Paul City Council, in partnership with the Mayor of the City of St. Paul, Kali Hur, for whom June 14, 2026, is Mark, Melissa, and Gilbert Hortman Day in St. Paul. I would like to invite our speakers to come up and say a brief words. We have our delegation chair here, Representative Maria Issa. Following will be, yep, come on up. We've got our leader, Stevenson, our majority leader, Air Murphy, and our mayor, Kali Hur.

Welcome up. Thank you for being here.

Thank you, Council President, members of the Council of our capital city of St. Paul, Representative Maria Isa Perez Vega. I represent District 65B, where our capital city and these chambers stand, and I am proud to be the chair of the St. Paul delegation for two terms sworn in with our great late speaker, Melissa Hortman. Today, we honor her in our capital city that she adored so much. Melissa was a fierce trailblazing leader, and I'm grateful to have had the chance to have been mentored, courtman trained as our trifecta class would echo. I was honored the right away that she had my back, and I want to honor her commitment to establishing a strong foundation, which each member of the Minnesota House has within all levels of government, in particularly the great relationships with our cities, our counties, and our federal leaders who honor her as well. I recall watching Melissa Hortman as an attorney way before I was an elected...

Sorry.

She fought for housing justice as a human right and right away I was inspired. She was somebody that when I first ran for office said, hey, you gotta knock, you gotta go get it, but the most important thing is that we work for the people. She was a little alarmed to say, what is your background and work? And I said, I'm a rapper and an educator. And she said, well, let's educate the house with your raps. I had to pass the bar, and you say you have to write bars. I want to honor her memory and her willingness to listen. mentor and bring everyone to the decision-making table and if there were bumps on the roads she always called to say let's figure this out and i don't want you to be upset i want us to work together a year ago was the very last time that i spoke to melissa hortman today she cared about our working and personal relationship and i hold that with so much respect and gratitude She was a champion for us in our posse caucus, ensuring that our values were not just thoughts, but were actual opportunities to make law. And we did that in the miracle of 23. She led as a mother to Colin and Sophie, honoring the balance of the intense demands of state lawmaking and being a proud, supportive mother and also friends to us mothers who had to care for our children. I'm here to embody her joy and resilience with my colleagues and our great mayor of this capital city. And I want to call to action that everyone focus that we cannot allow political violence to be the norm, that we must stand against gun violence, and that we must stand for our children and the responsibilities that we have to hold for equity for all and the future seven generations on this indigenous land in the great capital city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Gracias.

Thank you very much. Welcome.

Hello, thank you. Good afternoon. It's good to be with you. My name is Zach Stevenson. I have the great honor of being the leader of the House DFL Caucus. And I want to thank Council Vice President Kim and the City Council, Mayor Herr, and Representative Perez-Vega, the entire St. Paul delegation. It is absolutely fitting that the City of St. Paul would declare June 14th as Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert Portman Day in St. Paul, especially considering how much time Melissa spent in St. Paul working at the Capitol. I first met Melissa Hortman when I was 17 years old. I am 41 now. She was the big sister I never had. She had this special way of communicating to people that she had complete faith and confidence in you. It's unique in my life, and I know a lot of people who feel very similarly. It's very special. when someone who you respect so much demonstrates that confidence in you. Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert all live lives of incredible service. Melissa, of course, being the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history, her service will reverberate through generations. Melissa and Mark's son, Colin, has talked about how Mark was so proud of Melissa's accomplishments and so proud to support their life together. that he considered himself a public servant too. And Gilbert, well, Gilbert flunked his service dog training but tried to make it up through tireless service to Melissa and the Hortman family. Many of you will remember the remarkable statement that Colin and Sophie Hortman made in those terrible days after June 14th. where they said the best way to remember our parents is to do something, whether big or small, to make someone else's life a little bit better in your community. That's how Melissa Hortman lived. That's how Mark Hortman lived. It's the lesson they leave behind for all of us. To choose service and real action over fancy words and symbolic victories. To choose community and belief in each other over cynicism and self-interest. to choose love, kindness, and empathy over hatred and fear. May we remember them, may we honor them, and may we continue the work that they devoted their lives to. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. Welcome.

Good afternoon. My name is Erin Murphy, and I'm the proud majority leader in the Minnesota Senate. And I'm grateful to be invited and included with so many today to remember our friends Mark and Melissa and their treasured Gilbert. It is impossible not to approach this week with the sense that something heavy is on your chest, as so many of us have lost something dear to us, a person, a family, a relationship, a mentor, and our sense of safety and security. I want to spend the time with you right now just remembering Melissa. I met her first in 2006. It was 20 years ago. When I was first elected to the House, she was an assistant leader, and she taught me what I was supposed to do, because nobody really knows what you're supposed to do when you get to the legislature. And she was sharp, and she was strong, and she had high expectations of us. In the next term, I became an assistant leader with her and helped with our new colleagues in 2008 with a great big majority. I'm helping people together learn how to do their jobs and to move an important agenda for the people of Minnesota. In 2024, when I became the leader at the end of Carrie Dietzik's life, I went into a room with then-Speaker Hortman and said, I am new here. I hope you'll help me learn. And she said, you're not new. Sit down, and let's get to work. And the last time I sat down with her was on the night of the special session when we had completed our work, the House and the Senate together. And she asked me over. She waited for me, and we had some fizzy water and talked about the last hours of our work. She was so proud that the House had completed the work before the Senate, and I was salty about that. She would send me messages, why are your members filibustering the deal that we have created? When are you going to be done? But she waited. And we acknowledged the hard work that we had done together. I don't want to remember Melissa for her death. And it's hard to erase the images that are conjured in the news. I want to remember her for her life. And she always brought herself and her people and the things she loved into the work that she did. Her love of margaritas, baking cakes, redecorating her entire kitchen, inviting people over for dinner. preparing the next generation of leaders. Always, always talking about Sophie Hortman and Colin Hortman. And while we were negotiating the budget in 2025, on the side, she was planning Colin's wedding. We have lost someone dear to us, and I think it is important for us to separate the tragedy of the assassination and the attempted assassination of Senator Hoffman and his family from the beautiful and meaningful life and all of what Speaker Hortman meant to all of us. Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert, may their memories be a blessing. Thank you so much for having me today.

Thank you so much. Welcome, Mary.

Hello. Thank you city council members and council president for giving us this opportunity to talk a little bit about Melissa. I think much has already been said about the public work that she's done and the good that she has left behind and the legacy. But I want to share a little bit about the things that people didn't see. Melissa was someone who cared deeply about staff and her members. I think that a lot of times, those of us who came when she became the speaker, we thought everything was always that way. But to have heard that she decided that she would put in the rule that we would not meet past midnight, that they used to meet till all hours of the day. And that was because she cared about staff, and that they would work hours after we were done, and then they would have to come back the next day. That the care that she had not just for people, and our communities, but for the people who worked in that building. She made structural changes that nobody will ever know about. She created, when we did our bonding bill my first year there, she was the first person to set aside specific bonding dollars for cultural specific programs that had never been done before because she knew who had been missing from the table. She was also somebody who changed the seniority structure so that people who were coming new into the legislature, which was usually women and black and brown people, was that they would have opportunities to be chairs. And when we look at seniority structures, there were times where you might have been in the legislature for decades and not be a chair. And for the first time, some of us who had only been there one or two terms, we were leading this caucus. We were chairs of committees. That would have never been done under anyone else. And so those are the things that no one will ever see. We see the policy work that was done and what a consequential leader she was. But the truth is that much of what was done was behind the scenes and the structures that were dismantled because she was willing to have courage to do things differently. I will say that the one last thing that she taught me was that late nights, she was the one that brought snacks and would push her cart around to make sure that everybody had snacks to eat. And she would stock her office and she would stock the caucus room with snacks so that people, and she did this out of pocket, that she cared so much about all of us and that that's how you make sure that your team stays together. And so when people ask me why I make egg rolls, when I know that our firefighters had a tough day, or that if I know that an animal passed away at the zoo, I'll stop by with cards, it's because that's what Melissa taught me. It's not just about the policy work that you do, but the people behind the scenes who are doing all of the work. And so I'm so grateful for that. And also she did this with Mark Hortman, that when we went over, as Erin talked about, you know, to Melissa's house, it was Mark that made drinks for us. It was Mark that made sure that we all had pizzas. It was Mark that carried the logs in so that we had, you know, at the fire pit that we stayed warm. It was Gilbert running around and jumping on us and licking our faces and making sure that after a stressful, you know, session that, you know, he was a service animal for all of us. And so I'm so grateful to be here with my colleagues to be able to share who Melissa was and to know that even though some people will never know the changes that were made, that the structural changes that she left behind will live on after this. And so thank you all so much for giving us an opportunity to make this mark in Melissa Hartman Day on June 14th in Gilbert. And so I know that her legacy will live on through all of us and how we choose to lead. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you so much to all of our speakers. Ms. Kim, I'm going to take that as a motion for approval, and I assume our colleagues are going to have some discussion. So we'll invite our speakers to sit if you'd like, remain standing if you'd like. I'm looking to my colleagues to see if there's any discussion of the motion. Vice President.

Thank you, Council President. I want to extend my gratitude to you, Council Member Kim, for bringing forward the resolution here and to our incredible group of champions at the Capitol. It's really an honor to have you here. And I'm just really grateful for the space that we have here to remember Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert. As you were reading the resolution to me, there was a moment where everything just really sunk in again. And then for me, the emotions came rushing in because the bio is so normal. It's like a regular, everyday person who loves their community, who has loved ones waiting at home for them. who is clearly in this line of work to make a difference. That's something that we all can relate to so much. And Representative Hollins, one of the first things I said to you when we saw today is I just keep thinking to myself and saying to myself, I wish this was a nightmare we could wake up from. It's still very surreal for me. I'm still processing this too. And to me, one of the, I also say like, I wish this was just something that I continue to only read about in the books. And that to know that it's a reality that we all experience as a state, as an entire country, it is, it's truly heartbreaking. And I know that none of us, including Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert, too, never came into this line of public service as electives. For Melissa, personally, wanting to put her life on the line, I would say for me personally, too, that's something I never considered. But the truth is that for many of us elected, that is something that we now have to consider. And so it is, to me, just, I have a whole, you know, just renewed appreciation for everybody who is in this line of work. And I want to take this moment to really extend my gratitude to everyone who is in public service because we truly do this from a place that is from love, that is from healing, that's from unity as well. And that's really the legacy that I believe Melissa will continue to carry forward in all of us. I remember when I was just fresh out of college, I worked at Take Action Minnesota, was in the Brooklyn Park area helping elect TFLers up and down the ballot. And that was where I met Melissa for the first time. And even though our encounters were just, it was always in passing, really quick, fast-paced work. We only got in a few highs here and there. But I always remember how welcoming and inclusive she was and how, even though I was a very young person at the time, I always felt like I mattered, definitely in her presence and that she cared for everybody and that she is so charismatic, so kind. And that's what I will continue to remember her by and the ways in which she was a fierce fighter for all of our communities. And so this is a very special and heartfelt resolution. And I just wanted to say that for all of us, we have to continue the fight. We have to continue the fight for equity, for justice that Melissa has fought so hard for and that the work is not done. Thank you all for being here and for this special resolution. Thank you, Vice President.

Is there other discussion? I see Ms. Bowie.

Thank you, President Eager. I just want to say thank you so much for everyone who made it here. I see so many people who have crossed pathways and worked in the legislature with Melissa Hortman and also have shared stories of her and her husband and her family as well. I just want to say I really see... A great deep gratitude for taking space and having this on our agenda. I know sometimes when we think about how we're leading what's considered council business, but taking time to transform our grief into celebration of life, which is so necessary. So again, thank you so much, Councilmember Kim, also for bringing this forward. I also think about as a newbie, as an elected official, and have an election certificate and the real fear, right, of political violence. And I know when we heard the news last year, it was a really, really difficult time, you know, especially as women in leadership. And I just want to say, I appreciate hearing from our mayor and also the chair of the St. Paul delegation because this courage is really essential to making sure that we continue having a life of service and taking care of one another. And even hearing the stories about the humanity that Melissa have shared. It could have just been strictly about the business of a house speaker, but even welcoming her colleagues into her home and creating those memories. And I think especially as the first all-woman council here in St. Paul, we have so much to learn from her leadership. Even hearing from the testimonies, I would love to see a snack cart in council. I would love to adopt her timeline of making sure we don't You know, do business till midnight. And, you know, I just think about my first time meeting Speaker Hortman is when I was a chair of the Restore the Vote Minnesota Coalition. And I was just a very ambitious activist. activists and wanting to make sure that we were going to re-enfranchise people's voting rights and I wasn't in Speaker Hortman's district, but I just remember Advocating for her to come out of session and talk with me because we have found out that the legislation didn't make it through committee or through the Yep, through the committee. And she came out and we had a chance to talk. And she was very, very receptive. She listened to me, even knowing that she didn't have the power to move it, right? So that was just a testament to who she was and how accessible she was to the people who really cared, had a passion for change. And my husband, Jamil Lundy, he's also here as well. He had a chance to work with Hortman. When we think about the standard and the high bar she set for her staff, that even trickled down to even how he operates. And I just definitely commend the work ethic she demonstrated and the care that she had. for her colleagues and her staff. And this year, I'm just going to dedicate to making sure that we're showing up and doing what Melissa will want us to do is door knock, get the word out. And all I can say is just like, LFG, let's go. It's time to do the work. It's time to be committed to what Melissa will want us to do. And that's making sure that we have courageous, good-spirited, confident and caring and loving leaders in office.

Thank you, Ms. Bowie. I see Ms. Johnson and then Ms. Jost and then Ms. Kim.

I know we have quite a few different things today, so I won't necessarily be too long-winded, but I just simply want to acknowledge for so many people in the room currently, one, there was a lot of that went probably into even just being here today. And I know that at times when we're talking about grief, when we are talking about tragedy, it can be incredibly triggering, incredibly drama filled. And so I just want to echo just from a side of the city council and as the council member on the east side of St. Paul, like I fully recognize and just want to stand with our state delegation as well as the immediate family of Mark and Melissa Hortman on something that I will just share I know has been felt across the region to echo and to also regurgitate the pain that losing a significant leader like Melissa and her husband to try to put it into words, not something that I can really do, but what I will simply share with you all is just In 2018, I was 22 years old, getting ready to graduate college, and my first real, genuine interaction with Melissa was when she sat down with me and encouraged me to run for office for the first time. And many of you, I actually know through that time, at a time where I really didn't think that anyone actually let alone knew where I was or where I was from, but in particular was encouraged to have a 22-year-old African-American black woman, first-generation college student, and telling her that she should run for state representative in Worthington, Minnesota, of all the places, meant a lot to me. And being able to even get some of my colleagues, some of who are sitting here today, out there for the first time really came from the strategy that was invested in making sure that no place in Minnesota felt like they weren't seen, that no place under her leadership felt like they were less than, and that no person felt like they couldn't do the role and the job and the work that we all do now. And I think that that's been really important to me. Every time I saw Melissa in person, she made it her business to say hello to me. She made it her business to speak. And in a culture and an environment, especially in Minnesota, where we tend to do the nice wave or walk past a person, I never, ever encountered that or felt that from her. And I remember just kind of going through we all know what we were doing in the moment and what we may have felt that morning. I hope that we never have that feeling and that example or that issue again. I know that we are in crazy times in history, but to say that any of our elected leaders do this role just based off issues alone would be inaccurate. We fully recognize and put our heart and our soul into the work that we do. But to think that votes can cost us our life is just simply not an expectation that I want any elected leader to have to deal with, and their families. And so I just want to share, thank you for putting forth this resolution. It means a lot to a lot of people. I think to Senator Murphy's earlier point, yes, we should remember. Speaker Hortman, not necessarily because of what tragically happened to her and her family, but because of the work and legacy that she had done many, many years prior and continued to do up until she was forced to not do it anymore. And so I think that that speaks volumes because of the people that are here in this room. It's one of the few things and many things that actually encourage partnership. I guess my call, you know, in good Speaker Hortman fashion is like, We get to do something. We have a calling to do something because we are all still here. We would be doing a disservice to her leadership if we don't do something with the power and the work and the partnership that we hold. And words cannot express my sincere condolences continuing for our family and for a community that was changed forever by the bigotry and ignorance that exists from the hatred that is currently in this country. And so I just want to just share that from my sentiments. I'm glad to see this move forward. This is a day. But we also will... continue to honor her life moving forward. There's just no way and, you know, ands, ifs, and buts about it because it's fully, I know for my end, it's embedded in the exact leadership that I operate under today.

Thank you, Ms. Johnson. Ms. Jost.

Thank you, Council President. I really appreciate everything that all of the speakers and my colleagues have said. Thank you so much for the courage you had to show up today and your vulnerability and the stories that you shared. That means so much. I just want to say that I'm really holding everyone in my heart today and this week as we come up on this anniversary and certainly everyone that that loved and knew Melissa Mark and her family. So thanks for being here today, and thank you, Councilmember Kim, for all of your effort to bring this forward. Thank you, Ms. Jost. Ms. Kim.

Yeah, thank you. I'll be brief and concise. First, I just want to give a huge thank you to my legislative aide, Abdi Hamid. This was an incredibly difficult task to have placed on them. Asking them to write a resolution for the Hortmans is a tall order. So I just want to extend deep gratitude for a very lovely resolution. So thank you, Abdi Hamid. I think I will just offer what Chelsea, or Chelsea, sorry, Colin and Sophie offered up to us is how you can honor the Hortmans. The first is to visit a park and preferably a bike trail. One that I feel like the council is going to do fairly soon is plant a tree. pet a dog, golden's first, bake a cake, tell a cheesy dad joke, learn new things, stand up for what you believe in, and drink a fresh margarita. So, with that, I motion to approve, Council President.

Thank you so much again, Ms. Kim, for your leadership in bringing this forward, Abdi Hamid for your work on this. Thank you to all of our speakers today. Thank you to all of our legislative leaders who are here and who did not speak today. I want to recognize that we have so many of you here in the room with us, and we appreciate you taking the time. Thank you, Mayor Herr, for being here and for your own separate proclamation in memory and honor of the Hortmans. There's very little to add to what's been said. I just want to note that when Senator Murphy ended her remarks, she said, may her memory be a blessing about Speaker Hortman and her family. And that is a traditional Jewish way of speaking when someone has passed. It's something that we often just sort of say off the cuff without really thinking about it. One of the things that has really struck me this year has been how much Speaker Hortman and her family's memories have been a blessing, how much people have talked about what they learned, how much people have talked about what they are passing on, the work that happened that no one would ever know about. Mayor, to your point, it just is truly a blessing. and it will continue to be a blessing. And I think it is really fitting that we are passing this resolution in this particular place where we do the work. We are about to move on in this agenda to work that may not seem like it matters, may not seem like it's ever going to make headlines, but it is the work that is important and that matters to the people we represent and that builds a better community, item by item by item, day after day. So I hope that Melissa and Mark and Gilbert would be proud of us. And again, thank you for bringing this. With that, we have a motion on the table. All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All opposed. Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 10, Resolution 26-934, recognizing Immigrant Heritage Month, World Refugee Day, and Caribbean American Heritage Month.

We will now gently pivot to another important resolution. I want to welcome up Edmundo Lijo from our city attorney's office to speak to this item as we thank our guests so much again for being here. Welcome up.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Council President, Council members, thank you for having the city attorney's office here today to present this resolution. I'd like to introduce Odell Brown. co-chair of our Equity Change Team, and we also have with us today Marina Lafreniere, who is our Right Track scholar intern for this summer and is also of Caribbean American descent and is with us here today. Thank you for allowing us to present this resolution recognizing Immigrant Heritage Month, World Refugee Day, and Caribbean American Heritage Month. Whereas the St. Paul stands on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Dakota homelands, and whereas we pay respect to the Dakota elders, past and present, and acknowledge the treaties made by the tribal nations that entitled non-native people to live and work on traditional native lands, And whereas we consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement have brought us to the current day, we commit to understanding, respecting, supporting, and advocating for indigenous people and for this land. And whereas Minnesota and St. Paul specifically have benefited from welcoming immigrants and refugees, into our community on traditional and contemporary Dakota homelands, and whereas National Immigrant Heritage Month is celebrated every year during the month of June in the United States, and whereas Immigrant Heritage Month was first recognized provides an opportunity to celebrate the shared experiences and stories of immigrants, to honor their journeys and contributions, and to affirm our shared commitment to fostering society, welcoming to immigrants in our communities. And whereas World Refugee Day, observed on June 20th every year, acknowledges the strength and courage of millions of refugees forced to flee their home countries due to conflict, persecution, and natural disasters, and highlights the need for global solidarity and support for their plight. And whereas Caribbean American Heritage Month is celebrated every year during the month of June in the United States, and whereas Caribbean American Heritage Month was first recognized in 2006, is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the Caribbean American community in the United States, to note that the majority of Caribbean Americans have roots in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, and Tobago, and to remember and honor notable Korean Americans who have contributed to our shared history and culture, and whereas one out of every five persons living in St. Paul was born outside the United States, and over 60,000 immigrants call St. Paul home, and whereas the St. Paul public schools have identified over 115 languages that are spoken in St. Paul homes, And whereas St. Paul has a long and honored tradition of resettling immigrants and refugees, and whereas people who arrive in Minnesota as immigrants and refugees and their descendants, including Caribbean Americans, own homes, start businesses, and are valued members of our St. Paul community, and whereas immigrants and refugees, their descendants, including Caribbean Americans, have made and continue to make significant contributions to the civic, cultural, and economic well-being of the city, therefore, be it resolved, that the City of St. Paul Council recognizes and honors the contributions that immigrants, refugees, and their descendants, including Caribbean Americans, have made to the City of St. Paul and encourages all city residents to join the City Council in recognizing and celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month, World Refugee Day, and Caribbean American Heritage Month in the City of St. Paul. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr. Alejo. I really appreciate you bringing forward this resolution. I'm not sure if anyone else wants to speak, including my boss, Mr. Brown. No? OK. My constituent, therefore my boss. I can't imagine a more important year to have this resolution come forward at a time when we need to reaffirm and insist that our country is not only a country of immigrants, it is a country because of immigrants. And this is such an important part of our history and our modernity. And we reassert it every year, but I couldn't be more proud to be doing it this year. So thank you so much. I will make the motion for approval, and I would look to my colleagues for any discussion of that motion.

Vice President Yang. Thank you, Council President. I want to echo everything that you shared and just really wanted to say thank you all for your work in Mundo, especially during Operation Metro Surge. The work that you did was just truly life-changing and so important, especially because St. Paul is a city of immigrants and refugees. And so I just couldn't go without saying that today, You are right, Council President. These resolutions, we do them every year. And even though it seems like a norm to us, it is so important to continue doing them. Because I think about other government entities, other councils, where maybe this isn't something that they're able to introduce. And so this is such an important way for us to assert our values for our city and for me personally as a daughter of refugees, among refugees. I remember growing up hearing the stories of my parents and elders around having to escape genocide and political persecution. And their experiences are experiences that are similar and shared by so many people all across our city. And so it's very important for us to celebrate our communities who have gone through so much to be here and continue choosing St. Paul home. And I'm so appreciative of that and just really grateful for the ways in which we continue celebrating our different communities through Heritage Month, this month being Caribbean American Heritage Month. So thank you all for your leadership and your work in our city.

Thank you, Vice President. Is there any further discussion of the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

Aye. All opposed? Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Thank you again.

Thank you. Thank you.

Item 12, Ordinance 26-28, granting the application of Omer Development Group to rezone property at 213 Bates Avenue from H2 Residential to T1 Traditional Neighborhood, and amending chapter 60 of the legislative code pertaining to the zoning map.

So this brings us to the public hearing section of our agenda. So for public hearings, if you are here to speak on this item, when your item is called, We ask you to come up, stand right in between the two microphones. You don't need to adjust them. You don't need to bend over. They should pick you up just fine. You'll have two minutes to say your name, where you're coming from, and testify on the subject matter. And then at the end, we ask you to sign in on one of the two sign-in sheets. You'll see that this first item is an ordinance, and that is city law. That means that it already had a first reading last week. This week is its public hearing, and then it will be up for final adoption next week. So we have three readings for all of our ordinances, at least. Our resolutions, which are the next items, only take one public hearing and then one reading and one vote. So with that, if you are here to testify on item 12, this is your public hearing. Is there anyone here to testify on this item? Seeing none, I will take a motion from Ms. Johnson to close the public hearing and lay the matter over till June 17 for final adoption. All in favor, say aye. Aye.

All opposed. Seven in favor, none opposed. The ordinance is laid over for final adoption. Item 13, Resolution Public Hearing 26-97, final order approving the improvement to the alley bounded by Hatch, Orchard, Kilburn, and Ride.

And I believe for this one, before the public hearing, we have a staff report from Cheng Zhang.

Welcome up.

Hi council members, my name is Chen Zhang. I am here on behalf of Steve Dodge. I'm a project engineer in public works. So what you have before you is seeking, public work is seeking the approval of a reconstruction of an alley from gravel to bituminous pavement. The alley in question is in the neighborhood of the Como area just to the south of Como Lakes. It is a tea alley and also a gravel alleys that have numerous drainage concern issues, plowing challenges as well. So the last few years we've been working with Council Member Kim's office with the residents about the drainage issues, addressing the snow plowing and winter maintenance. aspect of it and then also about the funding of the alley improvement as well too. This project was planned to be, was scheduled for late 2025, but because due to the cybersecurity incidents, it has been delayed. So it is scheduled to be completed this fall if approved. So we are seeking for the city council approval for this reconstruction. The project total is estimated to be $350,000 to be funded using general funds and assessment. And the public works engineering recommendation is for approval.

Great. Thank you so much. And thanks for standing in for Mr. Dodge at late notice. Are there any questions for Mr. Zhang before we open up the public hearing? All right. Thanks so much. With that, this is a public hearing on item 13. If you're here to testify, please come on up. Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms. Kim to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 14, Resolution Public Hearing 26-133, approving the application of St. Paul Pride Festival for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for St. Paul Pride Festival event on June 13 and 14 at 725 Raymond Avenue, Dual Citizen.

This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item?

Come on up.

Hello, my name is Cedar Larson. I'm a St. Paul resident. I live at 830 Laurel Avenue in St. Paul. I'm here to speak about this ordinance because I know that sound levels are important to people. People do care a lot about the ability to live in peace, to be able to fall asleep. But we also want to have the balance of being able to have some festivals, some fun, I think that this goes over into another issue of we care a lot about something that happens in our city with the sound that could be bothering neighbors. But then we also send our tax dollars to a violent apartheid state that uses drones to constantly surveil Palestinians. It persists this loud. humming noise that always is in their ears all of the time, whether they're trying to go to sleep, whether they're awake trying to study for school. This loud sound is constantly happening. Not to mention the drones, or not only the drones, but not to mention the bombs that are constantly going off because we are sending our tax dollars to Israel.

I do need to ask you to speak to the dual citizen brewing sound level variance. It started off good, but let's keep it there.

So when we are using our dollars to have these meetings, to be able to give people public comment and ability to talk to certain issues that are about our local issues, it's really nice, but it feels like any time that there's... an opportunity or a room where it comes to speaking to the way that these local issues connect to foreign policy and connect to the way that we use our tax dollars. We could have so many festivals, so many fun things that are provided for social services that are given to us. pop-up health care clinics. We could do these festivals that give out free food. We could do all these things that our tax dollars would be benefiting the population. But instead, we're using our tax dollars to go to bombing Palestinians. And when we look at Waterfall Security Solutions, that's a very local example of an Israeli company Israel is an apartheid state, and when South Africa was committing the same issues, we did divest from them.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Make sure to sign in. Is there anyone else here to speak on the sound level variance for the Pride Festival for Dual Citizen? All right, seeing none, I will take a motion from Ms. Coleman to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 15, resolution public hearing 26-134, amending the 2026 financing and spending plans in the fire department in the amount of $13,000 for the 2024E hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant.

This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item? Seeing none, I will take a motion from Ms. Bui to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 16, resolution public hearing 26-135, to amend the Parks and Recreation 2026 grant and aid fund for a $500,000 donation from Como Friends, a nonprofit to promote, support, preserve, and enhance the Como Zoo and Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.

We want to say a big thank you to Como Friends for this generous grant. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item? Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms. Kim to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor, say aye.

Aye. All opposed? Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 17, resolution public hearing 26-138, approving the establishment of the Galtier Plaza Tax Increment Financing District in the seventh place redevelopment project area and approving the adoption of a tax increment financing plan, therefore, and the use of a project labor agreement.

And this one is a little bit complex. We had first heard it at our Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting, which is the same seven of us in the same seats, but meeting as a different authority. And we are going to transform ourselves back into that authority in a moment to take an action on this. But first, I welcome up Ms. Wolf to just remind us quickly about the item before we have a public hearing. Thank you for being here at the last minute, Ms. Wolf.

Thank you, Council President, Council Members. This item, as Council President said, was before the HRA Board last week to introduce. It is the establishment of a new TIF district to advance the redevelopment of the Galtier Plaza office space into 166 market rate housing units. The project will include 29 studio apartments, 82 one bedrooms, and 55 two bedrooms. The units will have initial rents that are affordable at 60% AMI to 100% AMI, although the units will not be income restricted. Those are just the Initial proposed rents that they would be affordable to those households the action before you today is twofold so the City Council has to approve the establishment of the TIF district that the HRA is requesting and that will be the first action following a public hearing and then when the HRA does Reconvene they will be considering the establishment of the TIF district as well as The approval of a development agreement that will provide financing to be go sculpt here LLC the developer of the project and the owner of the property that Development agreement will include pay-as-you-go tax increment assistance from the newly established TIF district as well as spending plan TIF and The additional action of the HRA board will include the removal of parcels from the Minnesota event TIF district, which TIF district is in place in downtown, and the parcels are in that TIF district, and we have to remove them from the one to include them in a new one. And the project labor agreement is part of the HRA's or the city council's resolution as well to approve the use of a PLA for the project.

Great. Thank you, Ms. Wolf. Are there questions for Ms. Wolf before we open up the public hearing? Doesn't look like it. Thank you again for refreshing our memory. And we are going to hold a public hearing as the city council. We will recess. We will reconvene as the HRA. And then we will take a vote as the HRA. And then we will suddenly come back. So this is a public hearing on item 17. If you are here to speak to this item, please come on up. And if more than one person is here to speak, feel free to line up, just so we know how many folks we have. Make sure to start with your name and where you're coming from. And you'll have two minutes. Welcome up.

Good afternoon, Madam President. My name is Rich Neumeister and council members. I'm here to strongly oppose approval of the Galtier Plaza TIF district financial plan. This is taxpayer-backed public financing with very little guaranteed in return from my perspective. We've seen this exact story with the Amhoist Tower catty corner from City Hall. That project received millions of dollars in TIF and delivered 187 market rate apartments with zero on-site affordable units. Now we're making the same damn mistake with Galtier. This money belongs to taxpayers, not a blank check for private developers. Before any approval, this body must demand, and for all of you, you know who I am, and so you know the perspective where I come from, and I know government, should have enforceable public benefits. Designate a meaningful number of units as deeply affordable. Don't get caught with the term affordable and deeply affordable, because a lot of people don't know that. You may know it, I know it, but many people don't. for households below 50% of area median income with long-term controls, not just market-rate units with soft targets, not just off-site pooling. Real affordability in this building. If the developer won't commit to that, reject this TIF. Go back to discussion like there was with some extent with the M hoist, but the city caved on that from my perspective and from information I know about and discussions I've had with people about that. No more sweetheart deals. No more trust us. Demand measurable returns for the public's money or vote this down. To me, this was important, so that's why I wrote it out distinctly and directly. Thank you so much. A lot of times I just come in off the cuff. Thank you. Yeah, at least you know where I stand, and I'm just pointing out some things that it's important not to make the same mistake that you had before. Thank you for the few moments of your time.

Thank you. Make sure to sign in, and welcome up.

Good afternoon. My name is Peter Donohue. I live at 168 East 6th Street in unit 3404. I am the president of the Erie Homeowners Condominium Association. and I believe some of the council members may know that originally when this proposal was first presented to us, we had serious issues with it. Due to the incredible efforts of Mr. Newman, he has resolved those issues and I would encourage the council to pass this resolution to create the district and to enter into the development agreement for a variety of reasons. The gentleman that presented right before me has some very valid concerns about TIF financing. However, Galtier Plaza has the entire central area of the plaza vacant. The group that I represent own 101 homes. on the top 20 floors of the tall tower. I think you can appreciate what we have invested in that tower, and we want to protect it. Mr. Beagle's proposal, Adam Newman's efforts, will help preserve that entire block. We need it done well. We need it done now. So I encourage you to pass this resolution. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Make sure to sign in. Welcome up.

Hi, good afternoon, everyone. My name is Adam Newman, 8325 Wyzetta Boulevard. I'm here to represent Begos Management and the developer. Begos has been a local Minnesota company. We are a local Minnesota company, and we have been invested across the Twin Cities for nearly 50 years, including in Lowertown for almost 20 years. We are long-term and long-time investors in St. Paul and operators in St. Paul and have have made a real claim of supporting downtown St. Paul and the Lowertown neighborhood. This project, and as Mr. Donahue said, the plaza space has sat vacant for about 10 years now since Cray moved out. And we own and operate apartments on both towers that are connected to the plaza itself. And so when we purchased this plaza and the parking with it, it was... in order to try to save this and get this back into the good graces and contributed member of downtown St. Paul. With that being said, it's taken us a long time to get there. It's taken a lot of work and a lot of conversations with council members and with constituent or with different parties that have a vested interest. And so we appreciate working with the city. We appreciate working with our neighbors in the building. I think there's in record, there's the on the park condo board has also supported this and have been big proponents of it as well. So I just kind of in closing want to let everyone know that we believe in this project, not because it is the greatest financial decision for us to make. We believe in it because it is a long-term downtown St. Paul priority. It is a priority for us to uphold the neighborhood and to continue building St. Paul back to what it can be and what it should be. Thank you.

Great. Thank you very much. Make sure to sign in. Welcome up.

Hello. I want to speak about better uses of taxes. I do not stand for or against this.

Can you start with your name and where you're coming from?

My name is Nathan Phillips. I'm from the Fourth Ward in St. Paul. And I want to speak on better uses for our taxes. And I want to say that I wasn't allowed to speak on Melissa Hortman. You didn't Allow comment. I wanted to speak of Melissa Hortman. Will you allow me to speak on her?

Sorry, we have to keep it to this subject, sir.

The better use of taxes, not giving it to an Israeli company called Waterfall.

For those on this city council that are part of the St. Paul Water Board.

A big decision is going to be made in the next month. And I just want you to understand that the violence visited upon Melissa Hortman and others in this state, in this country, are being also inflicted upon people in Palestine for which we are supporting. Please, when you have a chance, Please think not just of locally who we are here, but who we stand as human beings. If we share common values with Israelis, then we have also become monsters.

Okay. Thank you, sir. We need to keep it on tax increment financing for Galtier.

Better uses for taxes. My name is Nathan Phillips. I'm Jewish and a proud supporter of the Palestinians.

Thank you so much. Make sure to sign in. Is there anyone else here to speak on this topic? All right, seeing none, I will make a motion to close the public hearing and then have some discussion. Motion to close the public hearing. All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The public hearing is closed.

Well, I want to, first of all, thank everyone who came out to testify on this and all of the staff. I know this has been a long process. I want to thank Mr. Newman and Big Os Development. I want to thank the residents of downtown, the Erie Condominium Association. It means a lot to hear that a developer is working closely with the neighborhood and has resolved concerns. So thank you for coming out to say that today. I am strongly in support of this project. I think bringing 166 market-rate units to downtown St. Paul is desperately needed, especially the two-bedroom units. We were just talking, some of us, with members of the Jeremiah program earlier today. And one of the things we heard loud and clear is we need larger units for families. So really glad to see that those are being included. I also hear the concerns about tax increment financing, and I want to thank Mr. Neumeister and others who have written into us about that. I hope that folks know that this council is really taking tax increment financing very seriously. And if you weren't able to watch us on YouTube last week, please do. We had a great budget session. on tax increment financing. And one of the things we talked about was the amount of economic development that TIF financing has allowed us to create, but also the need for this body in the HRA to take a close look when those districts are ready to close and when we can consider bringing some of those dollars back for other uses and the decisions we make about pooling for affordable housing or not. So I think it's It's a subject that we are taking a close look at. And I want folks to know that the concerns are not being heard. If there were another source besides to financing to get these projects done, I know that not only I, but I'm sure many of the developers would also prefer that. But in many cases, there are very few financing options available to us. And we use a third party test to determine whether or not we need the financing, and in this case, that process has come back and told us that we do. I want to note there are a few public benefits of this project besides the expansion of the tax base, and I thought it was interesting earlier today when we had that presentation on economic development from Ms. Worthington. Galtier Towers was the tallest spike in that graph showing where taxable value is. So by adding value to that particular project, that is really going to have significant impact on our city and the region as a whole. But in addition to that, in addition to the new housing, there's also the pooling of dollars for affordable housing that will come from the establishment of this TIF district. And in addition to that, I want to thank Mr. Newman and Bigos in general for an openness to a conversation about the Skyrec facility that they run in downtown St. Paul that's currently open to all of the residents in their buildings. We have been having a conversation about how to expand access to that facility downtown. And I really appreciate how open Bigos and Mr. Newman in particular have been to talking with us about that. And I know we will continue to. So with that, I would move approval. I look to my colleagues to see if there's any discussion.

Ms. Johnson.

Thank you, Council President.

I also really sincerely appreciate your comments and your remarks, especially surrounding just how seriously our colleagues and our council is taking the use of TIF dollars. For folks that were kind of just monitoring and watching TIF, and especially for my residents that have reached out to our office over the last few weeks, Part of the timeliness and also just one of the things that I was very glad to bring forward, especially at what seemed to be just the perfect time, if you haven't had a chance, especially if you're following this topic, go back through and review the budget committee presentation on the third that was given around tax increment financing. It did talk a little bit further from what our typical 1.0 TIF presentations, 2.0 TIF presentations that we had. One of the things that stuck out to me, though, was the percentage of TIF usage and just with recent decertifications of TIF districts, how there is an opportunity to continue to utilize that resource. It's not necessarily something that I would argue is the go-to for funding and the go-to for sources. I echo a lot of the sentiments around ensuring that we have affordable housing and we have continued investments, especially when it comes to our but-for test, when it comes to building a TIF district or establishing a TIF district or using funds within an existing TIF district. In addition to that, I would share that the introduction to the item and part of the reason why the Housing and Redevelopment Authority implemented the two weeks rule was in retrospect, of being able to always bring forth any new designation to the body before there's actually a vote. And so I just had a couple of folks who were like, this kind of seemed to pop up to our community. And I just wanted to share with community that there actually have been several weeks of communication, especially public presentations around not only this project, but TIF in general. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON AND IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE IS JUST THAT LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME FROM THAT CONVERSATION WAS AN INTEREST FOR COUNCILMEMBERS ALSO TO KNOW, AND I REITERATE IT HERE, RIGHT, ANY TIME THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECERTIFY A TIF DISTRICT, WE WANT THAT OPTION BROUGHT TO THIS BODY. THAT WAS A COMMITMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM MADE, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR MADE, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, important step when it comes to just being able to have those discussions. It's where I hope to spend a lot of time in, and just the amount of money that we're actually pooling for affordable housing investment here in the city of St. Paul. So yes, it's about the levy, and yes, it's about ensuring that we have, you know, we're making good use of our downtown taxable property space because almost half of our downtown area is not taxable and so for the 40% that we have that's not taxable for the 60% we do we have to continue to capitalize on that and so just overall wanting to bring those up for folks that maybe tuned in a little late to the party when it came to discussing TIF districts and TIF tax increment financing or specifically with this project you know we have had several series of public communication around that and I would encourage folks to go back through and All committee meetings are streamed on YouTube as well. And if you're not necessarily a YouTuber, we still have those available on the city council site too. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. But overall, really supportive of the project. And I do think that every time we're establishing a text meeting, A tax and government finance district, it needs to have levels of vetting, levels of attention. But not all of them are the same. And in some cases, it just makes sense. And this is one of those.

Thank you, Ms. Johnson.

Any further discussion of the motion?

All right. So again, we'll take this vote. We'll recess. We'll come back as the HRA. We'll come back as the council. So all in favor, say aye.

Aye. All opposed? Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted.

And I think we'll do the gavel-gavel thing. So we are in recess, and we are gaveling in the HRA.

Roll call, please. Commissioners Yang.

Here.

Bowie. Here. Coleman. Here. Jost. Here. Kim. Here. Naker. Here. And Chair Johnson. Here. Should I read that? I don't have the exact name. Do you need the language? Yes. OK. OK. Item 5, resolution 26-926, resolution approving and authorizing the establishment of the Galtier Plaza tax increment financing district in the seventh place redevelopment project area and adopting a tax increment financing plan, therefore, an amendment to the tax increment financing plan for the Minnesota Event Tax Increment Financing District, an HRA budget amendment, and the execution of a tax increment development agreement and related documents, including the issuance of a TIF note and forgivable spending plan TIF loan for the project, District 17, Ward 2.

Well, we were able to get that done in lightning speed. We had our public hearing. We were able to have the vote here at the council. And so at this time, we're just reconvening to have the HRA vote, which if you're watching from home, we have to be able to reconvene this body for this vote after the public hearing is held. So I'll take a motion from Commissioner Naker to approve. Any further questions? Seeing none, all those in favor? Aye. All opposed? Are we? Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Thank you. With no further business in front of us, we are adjourned.

Call the meeting of the St. Paul City Council back to order. Roll call, please.

Yang. Here. Bowie.

Here.

Coleman. Here. Johnson. Here. Jost. Here. Kim. Here. And Council President Naker.

Here.

Item 18, resolution public hearing 26-139, authorizing the police department to accept the 2027 through 29 auto theft prevention program dedicated investigator grant from the state of Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, authorizing the execution of the grant agreement and amending the 2026 grant budget and adding activity budget.

This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item? Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms. Coleman to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed.

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Item 19, resolution public hearing 26-140, authorizing the police department to accept the 2026 Pathways to Policing Grant from the State of Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice program, authorizing the execution of the grant agreement and amending the 2026 grant budget and adding activity budget.

This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item? Seeing none, I'll take a motion from Ms. Jost to close the public hearing and approve. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted. Legislative hearing consent items 20 through 31 are before you for your consideration.

Welcome, Ms. Mormont.

Thank you, Council President.

I believe there is one person here to testify, and that is for...

item number 27 to be read into the record item 27 rlh sao 26-34 second making finding on the appealed nuisance abatement ordered for 2016 fremont avenue in council file rlh sao 26-21 ms mormon council president uh this this file this case will seem familiar because

There have been five appeals in the past two years, approximately a year and a half, related to this property. Three of which have exclusively dealt with, you know, it's vehicles, it's tall grass and weeds, and it's stuff in the yard area. That's pretty much what we're talking about. The vehicle orders are not in front of you today. Those have been handled. The repair issues and the other exterior storage are largely handled, not completely. For example, we have what was a moderate-sized pile of brush was being dealt with by way of burying it, and it's like half buried, according to the inspector. So it's not really completely taken care of yet, but it's on its way. I think that the majority of today's conversation is back to the tall grass and weeds. This is round three in 2024, 2025, and now in 2026, you have seen appeals. And the owner of the property wants to establish native plantings in the yard. And when you've received testimony about this in the past, it has been about how would someone with a lower income approach doing native plantings. The idea was to let the turf lawn grow and to remove the items growing the grasses and so on that weren't considered native plantings. Sure. one by one and leave things like milkweed. This has not been particularly efficient in handling this and you have, again, tall grass and weeds in considerable volume on the property. The photos of the property here, these are from May 5th when the orders were originally issued. And there you can see it was high. We've got There's some dead trees that have been removed, I believe, by forestry. The boulevard here is clearly in excess of a foot, closer to two feet. There's a photo in the pile that indicates the growth in the yard is close to a foot. Lots of dandelions there, lots of just standard grass. Again, I'm not sure exactly what that is. It looks like it might be compost, but it's something, again, a different angle where you just kind of see that it's overgrown. And we have... Other photos that show other parts of the yard being, you know, there's the tree again, and this is just over time. We've got a repair here in the garage that has been largely been addressed, so that's not on my list. We have some flashing and so on that was called out. Then again, the same kind of thing, there was when the vehicle was problematic, it isn't any longer. What I did want you to see was this particular log, and there's some brush here in this pile. For the case of this particular log, you can't just have a big log in your yard like that. You know, you could have firewood, no problem at all. There's a proper way to stack firewood, to cut it, and so on. Right now, this should be put to use or put away. I understand that the owner would like to, at some point in time, turn this log into a piece of furniture. And that's great. But it really shouldn't be sitting here and rotting next to the garage in the meantime. He suggested maybe I should build a fence around it. not necessarily the most practical solution for the problem at hand. But my job, unfortunately, is to talk about where we find ourselves now. And I need to, in the course of looking at this case, consider Minnesota statute and how it discusses native plantings. And it is kind of specific about what is allowable and what is not. And forgive me. I'm just gonna this is attached to your file and it is in the record Managed natural landscape means a planned intentional and maintained planting of native or non-native grass as well flowers Forbes so on and it does not include turf grass lawns left unattended for the purpose of returning to a natural state and Turf grass lawn means a lawn composed mostly of grasses commonly used in regularly cut lawns or play areas, including but not limited to, and it lists some plants, intended to be maintained the height of no more than eight inches. Of course, eight inches is the standard in the city's code for tall grass. And it does say, except as a part of a managed natural landscape as defined in this section, any weeds and grasses growing upon any lot or parcel in a city of greater than a height of eight inches or that have gone or are about to go to seed are prohibited. So we are neither fish nor fowl. We talked plainly about the idea of putting cardboard down and killing grass, of tilling the soil and putting native plant, native seeds in. That hasn't been what's happening. We've been on this for a very, very long time. In my view, this is about cutting the lawn and starting a new area by area in the yard to convert it to a native planting, which there's nothing wrong with that. And in the boulevard, of course, things need to be maintained as well.

Thank you, Ms. Mormond. We'll open up the public hearing, and then if we have further questions, we will defer to you. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak on this item? Welcome up.

I did load some photos that Mr. Pujala submitted for the record, so they're here on the computer as well. Thank you.

All right. Sorry, just give me a moment to make sure I know what I'm looking at.

Yeah. Take your time.

There had also been a list of contacts I had made that I sent in a second email after that. Is there a way for me to pull that up before I start? I can show it to you on here.

There is an attachment in your record for Mr. Kupala, which lists the contacts he has made. It's not on screen right now, but there's about a half a dozen contacts, and you do have it in front of you. Yeah. Okay, yes.

We have that attachment in our record, too.

Thank you. Yep.

And just a reminder to start with your name and where you're coming from, and then you'll have two minutes. And please focus on what your ask is of the council.

Yes. My name is Mark Puhala. I am the owner of the 2016 Fremont Avenue Address. This has been a very confusing mess and a source of horrible emotional distress for me. I struggle to make sense of what the orders are. Ironically, everything that was shown in the photos that you had just seen has actually all been taken care of. As far as I knew, where we were now was that the boulevard and the backyard hadn't been cut down enough, and so the city's going to order to mow everything down. I had a hearing on March 24th. where I explained that I had been employed within the last week finally, and so I finally have money to start really investing in my yard. And I was getting limestone from a neighbor and transferring juniper and succulents along with May bushes. And I had an intention to remove 30% of the grass. I had no tall grass order given at that time. And I was given a deadline until June 5th to take care of that with the assurance that If I show enough progress on the front yard, we can leave the backyard. It was said as taking the yard section by section to do a proper turnover. And I've been working on that. But then around May 5th, I was given... I don't have it exactly in order, but I had given an email about how my water heater had melted. I needed to take care of the water heater, and I wanted to find an extension on everything that was given so that I could focus on that. On May 5th, I was given a hearing where, by the end of the hearing, I said, please, I need an extension so I can fix my water heater. And I was told, just mow your lawn. And that was the end of the hearing. So I focused on- I'm so sorry.

I know it goes by fast. I do need you to wrap up with what your ask is of us today.

Keeping it simple and brief. So apologies that this is blurry. I don't know why. But what you're looking at, the only parts that are tall are protected plants. And the only parts that are grass are all mowed down in the backyard. This is a bit better of here's where the grass was. This is not even eight inches. I don't know if it's showing the mouse. Apologies if it's not. You can see here more of the grass that the grass was mowed down even though I'm being told that it wasn't. And the boulevard that I was told was not done to standard I had Inspector Anthony Munoz come to my house last year, and he specifically pointed at that boulevard as not necessary to mow down because none of that is grass. Those are all bushes that are protecting my common milkweed. And I even found last year, if I take those bushes down, the milkweed snaps in half in a storm.

So just because we do need to wrap up your testimony, is the ask to not have any order whatsoever, to leave things as it is?

I believe that the order that I did not mow my lawn well enough is invalid. And I would like to be asked to be given more time to focus on the garden that I am working to maintain. And please show me where the grass is too long, because the grass is, 30% of the grass is gone at this point. OK. Thank you very much. There's mostly garden.

We're going to have you wrap up there. We may have questions for you, so don't go too far away. All right. I understand. Thank you so much. Make sure to sign in. Sign in? Yeah. I know the time goes by quickly. I will look to, is there anyone else here to speak on this item? Doesn't look like it. Take a motion to close the public hearing for Ms. Johnson. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The public hearing is closed.

Ms. Johnson. Thank you. A couple questions, I guess, for Ms. Moorman. Just so I also understand the order that would be put in, if there was something sent out. So just to be clear on your recommendation, can you just restate your recommendation at this time?

At this point, the question in front of you is whether the nuisance has been abated. And if it has not been abated, authorizing the Department of Safety and Inspections to take action. My recommended finding to you is that the nuisance has not been abated. and to authorize the department to take action. The photos that I was showing you were taken June 2nd, which is the day we had our original follow-up hearing, because Mr. Pujala was pressed for time to make it at his original public hearing last week on the 3rd. We did put it out to the 10th so he could be here, and the photos were more recently taken. If the crew were dispatched to go look at the yard and found that it were in compliance, no crew would take action. There would be no mowing. There would be no assessment associated with that.

And then also just for the sake of being able to discuss the milkweed, it's my understanding that milkweed itself is not on the list of protected plants related to native planting. Can you confirm?

A single milkweed is not a planting, if you will. It is a single milkweed. And it is... Growing tall it's kind of a ragged kind of a boulevard going on it is not Garden it is not yeah, I don't think that it meets the definition of native plantings as described in the law The council can make a different finding that the milkweed and other things growing up around like the telephone pole and so on our native

OK, and so I appreciate that, Ms. Moorman. I don't think I have any additional questions. I also appreciate Mr. Pichala coming out again to testify, especially related to the goals I hear you clearly articulating, and also just in general being able to provide some of the additional updates related to your interpretation of what either has or has not been rectified. I had a chance to review the record. I had a chance to review the images. I had a chance to review the notes. And pretty much everything that is there was also looking through just like the email contacts that you had shared. One thing I don't doubt is that you are making effort. I just doubt that we, that the city and and you are in alignment with what we think around what the state statute requires, especially around native planting. I think that right now I'm inclined to support and approve the recommendation of the hearing officer more so because if it truly has been abated that they won't actually do service on your lawn if it hasn't been they will and so you know i hear from your testimony that you have made strides to rectify the situation and if it is indeed um not tall not tall enough or over uh overgrown turf lawn then they won't actually do or have service when workers are going out to your property if it does not they will and i think that's a pretty clear expectation at least from my end of where we have a neighborhood It is my responsibility to take accountability to my residents as well and to hold folks to the same standards that I would any other situation. And so being that this isn't the first time this has been in front of me, but just going off of what is in front of me at this time, if it is truly abated, there won't be any disservice. However, if it is not, there will need to be. So this time, I'll move the recommendation of the hearing officer and hoping that If indeed you have rectified the situation the last couple of days, there won't need to be a service to your lawn. If not, there will be, if I may be able to get the support of my colleagues. So with that, I'll move approval of the legislative hearing officer.

Thank you, Ms. Johnson. So the motion is for approval of the legislative hearing officer's recommendation. I would support that motion. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The resolution is adopted.

Is there anything for further discussion, Ms. Mormont? Vice President, I'm not aware of anyone else here to testify on a hearing item. All right. In that case, we will hold a public hearing on all of the legislative hearing items. Is there anyone here to testify on any of the other legislative hearing items? Seeing none, I will take a motion from Ms. Kim to close the public hearings and approve the items with the amendations and recommendations of the legislative hearing officer. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Seven in favor, none opposed. The legislative hearing consent agenda is adopted as amended.

That brings us to the end of our agenda. And I would look to my colleagues for good news or news from the words, Vice President.

Thank you, Council President. I wanted to re-up a summertime.

Sir, I am so sorry, but we need you to sit down or exit the room to have the conversation. Thank you.

Thanks, Council President. I just wanted to re-up an event that Council Member, a series of summer events that Council Member Kim already shared, which is Play on Payne Summertime Plaza. It happens right on a vacant lot, right on Payne Avenue, 926 Payne Avenue is the address. And it's an all-day, all-summer-long event. event where folks can enjoy a free, they can connect with locals, play lawn games, delve into delicious cuisine from nearby restaurants on the plaza patio, and tune into the World Cup soccer games during outdoor viewing parties for the 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. games on Fridays through Saturdays. This is an event that does happen from Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. And if folks want to learn more about it, they can go on to the ESNDC website to learn more. So thank you.

Thanks, Vice President. Ms. Johnson. Ms. Justin.

Thank you, Council President. And we are embarking on a lot of different things happening this week, upcoming, Juneteenth being one of them. So there will be plenty of Juneteenth events. But I also want to echo the reopening of the Open Road Fund for Nexus Community Partners. They're once again... This will be the fourth year of grants, and folks will be able to apply. We open up on Juneteenth. It is annual. It's $50,000 for black-identifying individuals in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Every year, they select 100 individuals through a lottery system. It opens up again this year on the 19th, so it'll launch on Juneteenth. If you aren't finding a Juneteenth event and you're not celebrating my birthday with me, find places to be for sure. Just in finding local areas, there is definitely going to be another Juneteenth event on the lawn at the Capitol. But most importantly, just in general, being able to make sure people have access to those resources. And so if you know anyone who should be applying to the Open Road Fund, flag it for them. Anyone over the age of 14 or 14 and older can apply, both as an individual or as a group.

Thanks, Ms. Johnson, and happy early birthday.

Thank you. Ms. Joseph. This isn't super exciting, but I just wanted to give some updates. In my neighborhood, the Highland Park and West 7th area had a significant number of power outages today because of the storm last night. Lots of our schools, rec centers, and libraries were affected. without power today, and some of them closed for the day. So I just want to share that you can always reach out to our office, ward3 at ci.stpaul.mn.us, if you want to know where to send issues with downed trees or things like that. I would encourage folks to reach directly out to Forestry at 651-266-6400 or forestry at ci.stpaul. I think what's challenging when these storms happen is our libraries and rec centers are kind of a place for folks to go. You can check out a Wi-Fi hotspot at your library. I don't know if people know that, but unfortunately today the Highland Park Community Center was closed for the entire day. I'm hoping, and I don't know, but I hope that they'll open tomorrow. This is all as of 4 p.m. The Palace Community Center power was restored there, and they're open for normal hours. I'd encourage folks in Ward 3 to go to your nearest library. Merriam Park is nearby. I believe the West 7th Library is nearby. And so those are, and there's also the Central Library, are, as far as I know, open for normal hours. So that's all I have.

Thanks, Ms. Just. Any other news from the wards or good news? I'm not seeing any more. I will just share that tomorrow night, the Parks Commission meeting is meeting from 6.30 to 8.30 PM, or to 8 PM, and it's going to be at El Rio Vista Rec Center. They meet every month, but this time I'm talking about it because they will be taking up the tree preservation ordinance that will be before us on June 24th. As Ms. Kim mentioned, we might all be planting some trees soon. So I encourage folks, especially folks who are tuning in now and want to weigh in on that, it's a great chance tomorrow at the Parks Commission meeting. If there's nothing else to come before us, thank you all for a very productive day. We are adjourned.