North St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Proposed Ordinance Amendment 117: Consumption and Display of Permits
Code Compliance Overview
Votes (2)
Discussion of Proposed Ordinance Amendment 117 of the North St. Paul City Code (Consumption and Display of Permits)
Attorney Jack Burksbank presented a draft amendment to the city code allowing consumption and display permits for venues that permit patrons to bring and self-serve alcohol. Key proposed changes included requiring a trained, sober professional at events, restricting eligible locations to business districts, and mandating event insurance for events over 25 people. The council debated the insurance threshold, with the Mayor recommending it for all events. Other policy considerations included maximum statutory eligibility for permits, the statutory fee cap of $300 (city) + $250 (state), and whether the council should retain decision-making authority or delegate it to staff. The draft will be revised to include the broadened insurance requirement and returned for a vote at a future council meeting.
Code Compliance Overview
Fire Department staff provided an overview of code compliance operations, including officer roles, complaint handling (Resident Resource, phone, email, proactive), 2024 violation data (tall grass/weeds and vehicle parking being most frequent), property owner notification, violation correction timelines (e.g., immediate for dumping, 12 hours for snow removal, 5-10 days for tall grass), and enforcement tools like summary abatement orders and legal citations. Council discussion focused on practical challenges, such as the enforcement of 'No Mow May' (not allowed unless a 'managed natural landscape'), the state preemption on native gardens, boulevard management, the 12-hour snow removal deadline's practicality, the lack of battery recycling options, and the affordability issues with current driveway material requirements (concrete/asphalt only). The council requested staff to research alternative driveway materials like regrind, and to investigate code compliance approaches in comparable suburbs regarding native vegetation and boulevard management. They also requested regular updates every six months.
Notable Quotes (8)
a consumption and display permit is a type of liquor license that does not allow a business to sell or serve alcohol, but does allow people to bring their own um, you know, to the location and selfs serve.
This draft would require event insurance if you have an event of 25 or more people. Um that number of 25 people is just what I thought was reasonable on the day and is fully up to council.
I believe the insurance should be acquired for any event regardless of number of people.
The question is does the city want to allow the maximum statutory eligibility or restrict that further which the city does have the ability to do.
vehicle parking definitely is up there with one of the problems that we have in the city. And it it obviously with winter parking restrictions which obviously help out for plowing, it creates a problem for us in code compliance because the properties in the majority of the properties in North St. Paul don't have large enough parking areas to provide parking for you know three, four, five vehicles plus trailers and and other things.
So there's a state statute that says we have to allow the specific term that they use is managed natural landscape...managed natural landscapes does not include turf grass lawns left unattended for the purpose of returning to a natural state.
I think we should definitely reconsider looking at that because class 5, I mean, I think that's I think we should revisit it because it's a very expensive, especially these days now, concrete and asphalt are very expensive for residents and we don't live in a high-end neighborhood that people can afford that kind of stuff.
parking on a driveway and in the yard as it relates to vehicles and trailers is really the most difficult thing I think she probably has has to deal with because ultimately um when they run out of space and they have too too much stuff they they it you're kind of like this. You're going back and forth and that that is really a difficulty.
Ordinances & Resolutions (14)
Proposed amendment to the North St. Paul city code regarding consumption and display permits.
General reference to the city's regulatory laws.
Type of liquor license allowing bring-your-own alcohol.
General type of license, also used for comparison with consumption and display permits.
Specific liquor license mentioned for fee comparison.
Specific liquor license mentioned for fee comparison.
Legal framework governing liquor license eligibility and managed natural landscapes.
Online platform used by the city for reporting and tracking code compliance concerns.
City website feature for residents to report code compliance issues.
Legal order used in extreme situations for city-led property correction.
Specific code section defining carports and garages, noted for a potential language error.
Alternative decision process for permits, if council chose not to be involved.
Permit type mentioned in St. Paul for allowing raised beds in boulevards.
Required for accessory structures like sheds or driveway expansions.