North St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Parks Planning and Conceptual Designs (HGA Report)
Street Reconstruction and Bond Issuance
2024 Budget Amendments
Community Feedback/Concerns
Departmental and City Initiatives Update
Votes (3)
Presentation from HGA Parks planning for their final report
HGA presented their final report outlining conceptual designs for three park sites: Downtown Open Space, Third Street North Open Space, and McKnight Athletic Complex. The process involved extensive community engagement and conceptual cost estimates, but no fixed budget or prioritization. Designs included a 'front porch' concept for Downtown, a nature-based playground for Third Street, and a phased redevelopment for McKnight focusing on flexible athletic fields, a skate park, and a new community building to support programs and address drainage. Council members engaged in a Q&A session discussing specific design elements, phasing, and ADA compliance.
Proposal to adopt the Street Reconstruction Plan and the intent to issue a General Obligations Street Reconstruction Bonds
Dissent: None
Moved by council member Norby [0:49:28] · Seconded by council member McKenzie [0:49:30]
Finance Director Winnick presented the 5-year Street Reconstruction Plan for 2025, outlining work on Gerald Avenue, Shauni Drive, Buel Avenue, and the Casey Lake Park parking lot. The proposal included a resolution to adopt the plan and issue up to $7 million in General Obligation Street Reconstruction Bonds, triggering a 30-day public petition period that could force a public vote on the bond issuance. No public comments were received during the hearing.
Budget amendment for the fiscal year 2024 budgets
Dissent: None
Moved by council member Woods [0:54:19] · Seconded by council member McKenzie [0:54:21]
Finance Director Winnick detailed several amendments to the 2024 budget, characterizing them as a routine 'cleanup' to ensure that reported revenues covered all expenditures authorized by the city council throughout the year. Specific adjustments included increased budgets for community events (snowy sculptures), passing on higher state fire aid, accounting for a sewer cleaner purchased through a prior CIP approval, and adjustments for solid waste fees, fiber optics, insurance, and equipment fund transfers for a plow truck received in 2024.
Notable Quotes (7)
we did conceptual design for three Parks the downtown open space a Third Street North open space and mcnight athletic complex... that process included discovery of... stakeholders... and it also included a pretty lively and rigorous engagement process getting out into the community...
something we had thought about just to consider is not having to make the decision tonight on exactly what it's going to look like but making the decision that we can start the path to move forward because we know how big it is is that with the softball fields that that potentially could be like phase two...
the artificial Fields they're a at surface and a profile that goes down 2 3 feet that the water that drains water through... it infiltrates into the soil...
this we'll have to open this up for a public hearing for any comments on issuing bonds for this project... it shows the 2025 and it also shows the What's um planned in part of our CIP for 2027...
this also starts the 30-day time period where if the public were against issuing the bonds they could petition within the next 30 days then what it would do is end up forcing the issuance of the bonds to be held in a public U voting meeting versus city council issuing it...
before you is um kind of a cleanup for a 2024 um budget... it's basically um increasing the budget um and revenues um to make sure that they're covering all of the expenditures that have been um authorized by city council through the year...
the purchase of a sewer cleaner was actually approved in by the CIP a few years ago it took up until this past year in 2024 to finally actually get the piece of equipment... our budgets don't carry over...
Ordinances & Resolutions (11)
A document summarizing and documenting the process and concept designs for three park sites.
Request for Proposal solicited by the city via the Parks and Rec Commission for park concept designs.
A survey conducted prior to the HGA project, used as initial input for park planning.
Agreement between the City and Independent School District 622 regarding the use of McKnight Athletic Complex.
City plan that identified funds for the McKnight parking lot and outlines future street projects.
A five-year plan detailing proposed street reconstruction projects, including those for 2025 and 2027.
Official action to adopt the 5-year street reconstruction plan and declare intent to issue General Obligation Street Reconstruction Bonds.
Financial instruments proposed to fund the street reconstruction projects, with a maximum issuance of $7 million.
An official action to adjust revenues and expenditures in the 2024 budget to cover authorized costs.
Grant program that North St. Paul participates in, mentioned in the consent agenda.
A new program restarted by the Fire Department for businesses.