St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Commission Organization and Procedures
Reparations Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC) Report Review
Votes (5)
Commissioner Introduction and Ancestor Acknowledgment
Edman Iyim introduced herself as a new commissioner, sharing her background as a student at the University of Minnesota and her interest in community advocacy for change. Commissioner Mila Golden then read an acknowledgment recognizing the forced labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants, and the ongoing impact of historical injustices, setting a solemn tone for the commission's work.
Review of Reparations Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC) Companion Report
The Chair provided an overview of the LAC's work, including the St. Paul City Council's Resolution 21-77 that led to the commission's creation. Key aspects covered were the LAC's guiding principles (based on UN standards), recommendations for staffing and compensation, public meeting protocols, the commission's powers and duties, and feedback gathered from extensive community listening sessions in 2022. The discussion clarified the commission's mandate to address the racial wealth gap and legacy of discrimination.
Adoption of 2024 Meeting Schedule
Moved by Unidentified Speaker [00:23:45] · Seconded by Unidentified Speaker [00:23:50]
The commission reviewed a proposed 2024 meeting schedule, which set regular meetings for the fourth Wednesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Significant discussion centered on meeting locations, with commissioners emphasizing the need for visibility, accessibility (bus lines, parking), and presence in diverse communities, including Black businesses and churches, acknowledging technological challenges for recording. A conflict with Christmas Day was noted, requiring a separate poll for an alternative December date. The general schedule was adopted, with details for specific locations to be determined.
Adoption of Robert's Rules of Order as Interim Bylaws
Moved by Unidentified Speaker [00:34:00] · Seconded by Unidentified Speaker [00:34:00]
The commission discussed the immediate need for a procedural framework to conduct orderly meetings. Veronica (Staff) presented a 'cheat sheet' summarizing key principles of Robert's Rules of Order, including quorum requirements (established at 7 members for an 11-member body) and standard procedures for motions and debate. This temporary adoption aimed to ensure fairness and efficiency until the commission's permanent bylaws could be fully drafted and approved.
Discussion and Drafting of Permanent Bylaws
Moved by Jeremy English (Commissioner) [00:40:40] · Seconded by Unidentified Speaker [00:41:30]
The commission engaged in a section-by-section review of a draft of its permanent bylaws, authored by Ray. Key decisions and areas of consensus included: incorporating the full text of the St. Paul Recovery Act Reparations Commission ordinance 11.1205.25 regarding powers and duties; making meeting locations general while specifying the 'Fourth Wednesday' for regular meetings; formally setting the quorum at 7 members; and striking the predefined 'Standing Committees' section, opting instead to establish committees based on the future work plan. They also clarified that non-commission members could 'advise' special committees rather than 'sit on' them. Discussion on permanent parliamentary authority (Robert's Rules vs. Democratic Rules of Order) was tabled for later review. The final adoption of the bylaws was deferred pending City Attorney review.
Notable Quotes (11)
I'm interested in this um commissioner because I want to get involved in community advocacy and I wanted to see change in um because there are so much need in the community and um I hope we accomplish everything that we are trying to advocate for.
We acknowledge that much of America including its culture economic growth and and development has been possible has been made possible by the forced Free Labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants who suffered the horror of the transatlantic slave trade Catt slavery Jim Crow segregation and acts of racism all culminating into modern-day disparities.
On January 3, 2021 the St Paul city council pass resolution 2177 that apologize for holding Dr Scott military slavery at apologize for the destruction of the Ral Community VI of the I94 freeway and apologize in St Paul's role in practicing institutional racism against this black residents it also set up a limited term legislative advisory committee that created the sa PA recovery at permanent reparations commission ordinance.
the powers and the duties are for us to make short-term medium and long-term recommendations to the mayor and the City Council on how to address of the racial wealth act in the city of St Paul in um addressing its Legacy of discrimination or how it harmed black people
we definitely need to uh uh be visible to the people that we're serving
it really would behoove the commission and the goal to actually hold meetings in as many black businesses as we can and I don't and and I recognize that that's challenging in terms of saying they don't have the technology to record these because we have to make sure that the record of these meetings is available to the public
Robert rules is the essentially parliamentary procedure conducting orderly meetings that accomplish goals fairly
a quorum must be present for any business to be conducted all members have equal rights of Privileges and obligations no person shall speak until recognized by the chair
I see the things that you've mentioned um in the purpose component um where powers and Duties are kind of the actions that we would work on that would help to manifest or to impact um health and home ownership and and education
can I make a motion that we uh take the powers and duties um that we have in section three and what we do is we more um what the ordinance powers and Duties are into section three to make sure that we establish those as our powers and duties that would that would be 11 120525
the work plan is going to be the thing that guides what we're doing and we're not there yet we got to get past this to get there
Ordinances & Resolutions (5)
Passed by St. Paul City Council on January 3, 2021, apologizing for slavery, destruction of the Rondo Community, and institutional racism, and establishing the legislative advisory committee.
The foundational ordinance for the commission, specifically referenced by its number 11.1205.25 for powers and duties.
Guiding principles adopted by the Legislative Advisory Committee, including cessations, non-repetition, restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, and satisfaction.
Adopted as interim bylaws to guide meeting procedures until permanent bylaws are established; also discussed as a potential permanent parliamentary authority.
Suggested by Joseph as an alternative permanent parliamentary authority, to be reviewed later.