e e e e e e e e all right we're going to open the meeting with the Pledge of
Allegiance pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all all right welcome to the city of St Paul
Park special council meeting Thursday March 20th 2025 um first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes for the February 18th 2025 postpone council meeting and wave the reading of the same so moved second I have a motion and a second any further discussion all in
favor say I I I motion carries 30 all right on item number two council member appointment um I just want to give everybody an update on how the process is going to go from here we have received five applications all great candidates um those applications are in
everybody's packet which will also be available online in this packet um since council member Conrad was unable to be here I going to uh we're going to wait and um bring all the candidates that can make it at to a certain meeting in the future and give them all two minutes to
give us a little bit of a Spiel a little bit of who they are um and and how they feel about the city and and what they want to do and um we'll listen to each of them for 2 minutes and then um we won't take any questions and answers at that point we don't want to drag it out
and then at that point we will make our decision and take a vote um so I would encourage any council members that have not done your due diligence to do your due diligence on all of these candidates um to help you to make your decision so that is how we are going to go forward
with that so we will deal with that and make that that decision at a future council meeting um so on item number three items from the public yes council members if I may ask on that point uh is it mandatory that the candidates be here to be
chosen I don't think so okay just just inquiring Mr Mayor swon I mean the idea at this point I mean if I think if there was a majority of them that couldn't make it but at this point uh I mean at least staff is anticipating that uh the candidates will be invited to the next
regular council meeting which is uh Monday April 7th at 6:30 okay and that's another in and we know that I think we'll have a full Council um in attendance at that next meeting so we're hoping to give a majority of them that can make it enough
time to set it to their calendar to come before us so yeah perfect all right I'm glad you're happy item number three items from the public seeing nobody we will move forward to item number four the consent agenda this evening on the consent agenda um we are approving the renewal
addendum to the attenna site agreement with Excel Energy um approving the purchase of the onton pickup truck and amend the budget accordingly that's for public I'm sorry y mayor that's for Public Works yes the truck okay yep it's
the one we approved in the budget yes um we have to pay for construction on the generator payment number four um renew our agreement with Washington County on the rain Gardens um we are going to approve um filling
the county or community service officer position at the rate of $20 an hour can can I ask a couple questions about that yes council member do we have a CSO right now no we have no CSO right now no she turn res um you know what do does
she does the CSO go out and drive around do you like the chief to come up here to the de so that the public can out of the uh consent if you yeah I have a couple I have a couple questions I want to ask C all right per council member just a minute
Chief light I can on it per council member Swenson's request we're going to pull the community item number F and deal with that after the consent agenda um so item number F will be pulled and added to new
business thank you council member Swanson all right we will be adopting resolution 1738 approving plans and specifications for the advertisement for bids for the Third Street reconstruction process is which is the main reason we
had to hold this meeting here so we can get out and get that done for as cheaply as possible spring construction season is upon us and we need to get moving forward on that um item number
H ordinance number 775 amending ordinance 610 extending the terms of the electric franchise um and that also goes with adopting ordinance number 776 amending ordinance 609 extending the
terms of the gas franchise this is our franchise agreement with EXL um per state statute uh we have to extend this because the paperwork is not done and the agreement is not signed but if we want to continue receiving that income to the city we need to extend this at
this this time until all the t's are crossed and the eyes are dotted so that's what those items are and then we have added an item item number J adopting resolution number 1739 approving a lawful gambling permit for
willly hidden Harbor to partner with Woodbury Athletic Association um and that is an addition to this consent agenda so that lengthy consent agenda is finished Mr Mayor yes council
member swansson I move that we approve tonight's consent agenda minus agenda item f i second I have a motion in second to approve the consent agenda minus item
F any further discussion you're stating again items H and I if I read properly it's just it's uh housekeeping until we can get those things things taken care of correct yes okay corre so there's no just extends the current agreement so there is no
lapse in the payment from EXL yeah and Mr mayor council member Swanson so the so staff has been negotiating with Excel Energy um and we've had uh a franchise agreement in place for both Gas and Electric uh for the last 20 years and so that 20-year agreement is now expiring
um but because those negotiations are not finalized yet uh they have to file an extension with the Public Utilities Commission uh in order like the mayor said to continue to collect the current fees that are on uh residen Excel Bill
okay thank you City administrator Walsh any further discussion all those in favor say I I I motion carries three Z all right new business um first thing
I just want to update on a quick maral appointment of Tony Brigman our interim Public Works director to the Public Works commission and then we will move back to item number F to approve the filling of the community service officer
position council member yes so the CSO does do they drive around and see stuff that's against the ordinance themselves or does someone have to complain about it no both both so she or they they do
drive around and okay y they answer the complaints they receive first you know it's it's just a matter of prioritizing what's coming in so when they do have downtime right when they're not handling the complaints they've already received that come into the city whether it be by
phone dispatch um the template that form that we started um then or assisting officers because there are certain calls that they will assist officers on than they do drive around the city and I say they just because who whoever it is that
fills the position right right so um how what what's the process so you know people in town because I get asked all the time what's the process of giving someone you know get rid of your abandoned cars that have been there for six years you know what's the process
with that so if the complaint is not observed by the CSO okay then it needs to be reported to us and whether that be I mean the the preference would be you call dispatch it gets handed by handed by an officer or a CSO especially now
when we don't have a CSO when that position is open um then the other option the next best option is to fill out the form that we have available on the website for the ordinance violation and then that gets sent to me and gets when we don't have a CSO and then that gets delegated delegated to an officer
and then they address it when they're available um the process is once they receive that complaint then or have that complaint they go to confirm that the the violations of course it has to be visible to them from the street or from an alley so they they can't come on to
the property to view the property unless they get the the property owners permission to be able to do so um they notice the violations and they sometimes will talk to the property owner but uh we historically also make sure we get a letter out too because it has to be
documented of this violation that letter then gives them 14 days to take care of whatever items that need to be take care taken care of so there's no longer a violation and they're in compliance uh there are times that the violations are
pretty extraordinary so 14 days isn't always reasonable whether it be to that the property owner's um time availability monetary you know some of them are are are not physically able to either so it kind of depends on some of
those circumstances we do give leniency and will extend that um that 14 days and then ultimately if whether it be extensions or not the property is still not coming into to compliance or we don't see progress on the property and
again the progress would be on those more overwhelming situations uh then citations are issued to the property owners and then the property owners need to go to court and then the court process is is handled sometimes we're
contacted by the city's attorney then to do yet another update you know the person will appear in court and say hey no I did this much to my property like it's because usually when that court date comes it's like oh oh boy it's really it they mean it right I better take care of it uh so then we'll check
on the property again a lot of the times um and then you know what happens in court whether it be a fine I we we don't find out about that we just find out whether or not you know it was pled if it was dismissed um if a conviction occurred and then when that process has
happened if the violation is still occurring because that does happen and it comes to our attention again whether it be by a complaint again received or the CSO observing it or a police officer observing it then that whole process
starts over again so it's not like we can there's only so much we can do to force the situation unfortunately you know the the whole hope in this is that the property owners see that we're not trying to cause them difficulty we're
really trying to make the community look better um so that is the end goal with all of it okay thank you m any other questions with that yeah related to the position council member swansson thank you mayor since we're going down that
Avenue sure um do you feel that the ordinances and the codes that are written for the city allow you to do what you need to do with regards to cleanup yeah I really don't think there's much with the the ordinances that can be tweaked so to speak it's
it's just kind of all in the court process right I mean we have we have the ordinances that need to be there um I don't believe any have really come up where we're like hey we can't do anything usually when our hands are tied it's because a property is in Probate
right if it's in Probate there is no specific owner we can't site anybody um or the you know property owner is well that would be deceased so it's in that limbo state where there is no assigned property owner that's kind of the the
biggest hurdle we have or of course if they just continue to not comply or come into compliance and I get I it would be nice if there's something to figure out to kind of set up with the city for those homeowners who are not able-bodied to be able to take care of some of them
you know to have some type of grant funding to help with that cuz some of these properties are I mean you wonder how they're ever going to get into compliance you know and our job isn't just to be like throw a fine at them it really is to be able to get
it up to good standards but right now there isn't anything well thank you again since the door has been opened I'm just questioning it says that uh we're we approved today or we're going to we're asked to approve the filling of the community service officer position does that mean we have a candidate or
does it mean we can go out for posting now it's still go out for posting so originally when we hired the previous Community Service Officer it was at $1 an hour it's been a couple years there's been a lot of fluctuation with the with anything law enforcement related regarding starting pay um and I checked
on the you know the sites that are more often than not that have CSO positions available and there nothing is in that $18 range it's like 23 and up obviously City Size Matters um so it's kind of
taking that into into consideration but uh I just don't feel with an an hour posting we're really going to get many applicants or applicants that want to stick around for okay pay right so I I mean you can go to a a a fast food restaurant and get paid $18 an hour and
not have a whole lot of responsibility that you know is continuous as you come in there and you do your duties there well with with working for a police agency you have a a lot more to it you know you have more responsibilities and have to follow up on things and and
prioritize and assist the police officers with stuff and wear a uniform so there's just more that goes with it thank you very informa I know that the city for a long time for the 20 years I've been here uh it it's not necessarily where it wants to be
militant with regards to code enforcement it's just that sometimes it gets out of control yes yeah yeah absolutely thank you MH all right thank you any more questions thank you thank you Chief all
right well I'll make a motion to adopt item number F approving filling of the CSO position at $20 an hour I'm going to vote no I mean I why keep we're not even there yet oh
sorry okay I'll second it all right I have a motion in a second discuss any further discussion can we pay 18 and if they do their job pay up 20 if they're here 3 months 6 months I guess my answer to
that would be um I can't even get people through the door at the cafe for 20 an hour so I I the chief's already said that you know the the positions right now are going for 23 and up in other communities and we're already below that
I mean that I think this is just a starting wage and that can be part of the process of you know holding or the process of holding them accountable training and then um advancement and possible wage increase
you know what I mean I guess my personal thought would be we want to get someone through the door at least get people applying um but I think in today's market that $20 an hour I mean people
just aren't even going to consider that Mr Mayor if I if I may ask this is this is a part-time job once and that's correct so I mean the city decides on the number of hours it's not a full-time permanent position
correct so this person can go through I mean it can be hired and fired at will correct okay yep and a lot of times and a lot of times we have had csos that are going to school or they have other full-time jobs and so I know the the chief has been flexible with
hours and sometimes it's 20 hours a week sometimes they can make 10 hours a week we we just kind of we try to fit in their schedule and this $20 it's not we're not amending the budget or anything this $20 is accounted for in the 2025 CSO budget and grass cutting season is
coming snow's melting I guess personally I'd rather see get somebody through the door and then work with them train them and not take time away from our full-time officers to deal with this stuff but um I think it's a fair
starting wage for a part-time position because there's just so many opportunities out there and lack of people applying for any type of um law enforcement position right now that
people that are in school there are more law enforcement positions in the state than there are licensed peace officers by far so anybody that's you know going to be um coming out of school or looking to be involved in a position like this I
think that they would want to be successful um and and stay there until they either get through school or get to that point and it could be a potential stepping stone and a and a training opportunity for us to keep them in the city so I think starting them off on a
good foot um with support from the city shows you know what their potential could be so yeah I that's my philosophy and My Philosophy is I don't believe the tenure of this position is ever very long no no it's pretty short and so if it's a bad candidate we get a new
one so yeah I hope kind of that puts you at ease on right well I just want I just want to see some things improve as all right so I think we need to get one through the door first to have the opportunity give them the opportunity to
make that okay approvement versus not have anybody and have the taken away from our full-time officers which sometimes you know that's kind of my philosophy and if they're not doing their job or I'll do it right along um hey there you
go all right I'm ready okay any further discussion no no no all right all those in favor say I I I motion carries 30 Z thank you council members we will move
on on to reports from the council council member Swenson Public Works commission thank you mayor uh last uh quarters Public Works commission meeting was cancelled due to lack of agenda uh the next Set uh meeting is uh public
works for June 3 thank you council member whitre hemingson uh and that'll be at five o'clock here at City Hall that's all I have today thank you council member swensson council member with hemingson Parks and Recreation commission um we did have a cancel but
we do have things coming up um on March 28th we have Bunko at Heritage Park it starts at 700 um our our buncos have paid for the mural at Heritage Park and it also has just paid for a mural that's
going to be put down at bets Park um the next couple bunos we have are going to be in honor of Andy caon to earn some money for our garden um the March 28th one at Heritage Park April 11th we're going to have it over
at rustic floral over on I'll get the address out it's on concerete Exchange uh so and all the money will from that hopefully we'll pay for our irrigation that we'd like out at the Garden and this is in honor of
Andy um May 3rd is our garden event in honor of Andy um and we'll have vendors um bouncy houses kindergarten teachers are coming in they're going to read They're going to uh read out by our reading Nook um we
got a new sign we're getting a new bench we're going to have lots of events so watch our Facebook page and there'll be more out there the Masons will be there selling hot or giving hot dogs away popcorn
cookies all the fun stuff so hope everyone can come and that's it for me all right thank you Council Whit R hemingson um I will mention that council member KR could not be here today we were hoping that he would be able to zoom um but he
is in Arizona in the mountains enjoying himself so uh unable to get connectivity um having issues there so we will not get an update from him but we sure hope he's having fun um I will um say that for myself and administration um one of
the big things that we've been working on getting out and why we had to have this meeting is excited that we're going to get the Third Street project out for bid I think that's one of the largest um reconstruction projects we've had in this city and it's really going to be nice once it's all finished and that
gets all done I'm really looking forward to that um Kevin and I have been fiing some questions from some potential commercial opportunities and housing opportunities we'll see how those come to fruition um we've also
been working with some of our state um uh of state representative ransen and Senator Mt Klein I'm potentially getting some things accomplished um some around development um and then some lately
we've been discussing um how we can work to maybe get some of that money back from the mines and get our gravel tax back that was taken away from us years ago um to help maintain Third Street once it's redone um not sure where that's going to go but I'm going to keep
pushing for that and working with them on on getting that money back for our city and then some other things so we've been a little busy ourselves um after that item number seven Council comments and requests do we have anything else this
afternoon I don't think so all right nothing further before this Council this meeting is adjourned e