Let's open the meeting with the pledge of allegiance. I 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 regular council meeting for March 2nd, 2026. This is an open meeting recorded by True Lens Community Media. You can view city meetings live and replayed on cable channel 799. Meetings are also streamed live and archived on the city of St. Paul Park's YouTube channel. Um, I'm going to need a motion to switch items number one and two. >> So moved. >> Second. >> I have a motion, a second to switch items one and two around. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Motion carries. All right. Now that the formalities are done, um, first thing we're going to do this evening is swear in a firefighter. Um, >> um, go ahead. I'm sorry. >> Council member, did you have something to add? >> No, just was gulping. >> All right. Um, big day for the Conrad family. So, Council Member Conrad is going to be doing the swearing in. So, if you want to go ahead and go over to the deis and feel free. We will be swearing in Council Member Conrad's son-in-law. >> Oh, okay. >> They all left on a fire call. >> Go out on a fire call. >> All right. >> But he's still here, correct? >> He's still here. >> All right. Well, let's get this done and then maybe he can get to work. >> Yeah. All right. >> All right. If you can raise your right hand. >> I, Lance, >> I, Lance, >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota >> and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota >> and faithfully discharge the duties of the for the city council >> and faithfully duty >> discharge >> or discharge >> the duties for the city council. >> Duties of the city of the council >> for the city of St. Paul Park >> for the city of St. Paul Park >> in the county of Washington >> the county of Washington >> and the state of Minnesota >> in the state of Minnesota >> to the best of my judgment and ability >> to best judgement and ability. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> CONGRATULATIONS. OH, >> this That's awesome. >> All right. Thank you, Lance, for your hard work and your continued support of the city. All right. Now, it's my turn. Where's the chief? All right, item number two. Now swearing in our new police chief, Scott Whiteford, check. >> Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I >> I Scott Whiteboard >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota >> and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota >> and faithfully discharge the duties for the city council >> and faithfully discharge the duties of the city council >> for the city of St. Paul Park >> for the city of St. Paul Park >> in the county of Washington >> in the county of Washington >> in the state of Minnesota >> in the state of Minnesota >> to the best of my judgment and ability >> to the best of my judgment and ability. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> CONGRATULATIONS NOW. OKAY. Like we talked. All right. Uh, thank you for everybody being here. >> Oh, hold on. Let me let me introduce you. >> I got to sit down first. Thank you, Chief. I know, um, the city council and I, our department, we're very excited to have, um, newly appointed and hired chief. Um, it's big times for the city. I did ask Scott to stay separately because um he's going to be one of our managing department heads who's going to oversee our entire department, which we're hoping is just going to become a very positive thing for our city. So, I've asked Scott to step forward and just for everybody out there watching that wasn't able to attend tonight, and I'm sure Scott will get into a few of his priorities and how he's going to um get out in the community, but just give us a few brief words on who he is, where he comes from, and um a little introduction of himself and then we'll move on with the meeting. So, Chief, go ahead. Sorry to interrupt. >> No, thank you. Uh first of all to the uh personnel committee, the city council, uh mayor, um as well as the officers of the St. Paul Park Police Department. I'm very blessed and grateful for the trust and faith you've put in me to lead uh and and serve the department. So, thank you for that. Um I come from 21 years of policing, uh 29 and a half starting as a a high school police explorer. Um the last 21 years as an officer with the city of Plymouth. Um they're doing many duties. Uh supervision supervisory duties including patrol sergeant, patrol commander, criminal investigation supervisor, uh SWAT hostage and crisis negotiation team leader or I spent 16 years on that uh team. Uh a member of the city's emergency management team as well. Um I'm an adjunct criminal justice faculty member at Inenver Hills College with a total of 13 years total uh teaching academically uh in criminal justice. Um, I've got a master's degree in public safety administration. I have my degree from Northwestern University School of Staff and Command. Um, as well as attended the FBI's Executive Leadership Institute and Command Leadership Institute. Um, also, um, I am the the founder, uh, and past president of the Crisis Negotiators Association of Minnesota and served on the National Board for Crisis Negotiations as we set standards for negotiators across the country. Um, thank you to my family for being here. Um, 21 years in in this in this line of work and all the work that goes through it, you know, to to be in this position, I'm very grateful for and blessed. So, thank you. um for my family uh from Plymouth um and my new family from from Washington County and my new family from uh St. Paul Park. Um those folks have been uh my mentors um and could not be here with without the folks from from Plymouth and my new mentors from from Washington County. Um they're an extension of my family. Um so for the folks of St. Paul Park and officers, they are now an extension of your family and there to mentor you or be there anytime you need it. So, they will pick up the phone for you anytime. Um, to my son Ty that couldn't be here today. He's actively serving in the US Air Force overseas. Um, so very grateful for his support as well. U, I'm excited for the future of this department. Um, I have an excellent bunch, we have an excellent bunch of officers here that as I learn more and more, I'm very proud of their service to this department. Um, over the next month, we're going to be building the future culture and mission of this department that will serve this city for the next many generations. So, very excited for that. Um our mission which we're going to be developing together um is enhancing the quality of life for this community and it's going to be done through excellence in policing people first mission always. So very excited for that. So again thank you very much for the trust again that you've put in me for this position and I look forward and very excited to what we have to come here. So thank you. All right. And I would like to add and and welcome um a few dignitaries and and local semi-leelebrities like uh Cottage Grove public safety director Pete Kerner. We all love him. um just out of formality and and to show that um I think what Scott's going to bring to this department and to this city are these partnerships and the ability to um foster this um new beginning for the city of St. Paul Park and its department. Um I want to thank uh Greycloud town board Phil Dri and um board member Dick Pa for showing up this evening to show support. Washington County Sheriff Dan Stari, Stillwater Chief Brian Mueller, once again, Public Safety Director Pete Kerner, and um some of his staff, and Washington County Commissioner Carla Bingham. And I think it really goes to show what kind of a person and leader Scott is when some of his former department shows up here to send him off. And and um I apologize I didn't get your name. um the officers from Plymouth Police Department, but the fact that he left that department and they came here to show support for his future shows me what type of a good person I'm hoping we're getting here at St. Paul Park and how grateful we are to have him. So that if I missed anybody, I apologize, but thank you all for coming. Um and thank you to the citizens and the family members that are here. Um, anybody who wishes to stick around, we have a few small sandwiches, some cookies and chips and stuff. So, anybody can get to know Scott or um >> Lance or anybody any one of our officers that are here this evening and just take a little time to get to know each other. Let's build this community and let's build it together. So, with that, we're going to move on to item number three, uh, approval of the minutes for February 2nd, 2026, regular council meeting, and wave the reading of the same. >> So moved. >> Second. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Motion carries. 5-0. All right. On to item number four, items from the public. We have a few names on the list this evening. So, we'll start with Frank Cersin. Just come on up, state your name and address, and give us a couple minutes. >> Mayor, councel, my name is Frank Cersin. S rheen. Um, my address in Woodbury, 6245 Crackleberry Trail. I own a shop down on the south end of town at 13137th Street. Uh, I've been down there since 1989. I've got a lot of friends and relatives that live in the community. And I guess I've become a little concerned after watching all the construction on Third Street last year. The bulldozers and excavators and back hoes going to town all summer, not really thinking what the outcome's going to be. And then all of a sudden, uh, the overlay and the curbs go in and all of a sudden it's snowing. Well, now when I drive down that road, just about every day I think about, and I know you guys have rehashed this and okayed it, but I'm looking at the long-term effect of what this road is going to do. It's narrow. It's dangerous. It's an exposure for the city. I believe it's going to be a lawsuit at some point in time. No matter how much you guys worked it over, it's hard to believe that an engineering firm would s would sign off on this. It really is. I've got a number of pictures I want to show that I just happen to take when I drive down. And I I might drive down that road every other day, but I see an accident waiting to happen. No matter how how your uh 25 mph speed limit's going to affect that, I don't know. But when you have traffic going on there and we haven't seen any traffic yet from the big trucks from Greycloud, that would be my biggest concern. I'm saying I I don't think it's a matter of if someone gets hurt, but someone but when someone's going to get hurt. Um I've got some pictures that I've taken over the last four or five months. Um some notes that I've taken. I was never notified as to what was going on and and a lot of the businesses that are a block or two away from Third Street. I know it's not your job to do that, but we really didn't know about that. There's a number of businesses over by Pullman and the railroad tracks that use this road every day. And there are a lot of big trucks. Um mine, I don't use it that much myself anymore. I've whittleled down my my business. Um, so there's a lot of big big trucks that are going to be coming through. It went from one of the widest streets and down to one of the narrowest, I believe. I don't have the measurements on it, but it looks kind of ridiculous. Um, and like I say, almost every time I drive down there, I see something that just eggs me on to meet with you guys and tell you this. I've sent some letters to the city administrator uh, outlining my concerns, and you might pass that on to the council. some of the copies to them uh stating the same thing. A lot of that same thing I'm going to outline right now and I'll try and make it quick. I've got some pictures that I've taken and put on some nice 8 by10 glossies. And earlier this winter, I took a picture at the post office when I was there. There's a lady getting out of her van minivan. The doors open. She's taken up that whole lane. That's without a vehicle coming at her. And I'll give these pictures. You guys can have them. Uh or whatever. And a little bit further down the road on trash day, you have this going on. The garbage barrels on the on the shoulder. Well, that doesn't leave much room for that big truck on the other side. And that's not even a big truck or a car that's going to pass along that side. What's to say when those garbage trucks are picking that those barrels up? that's going to take up that whole lane. Here's a funny one that I saw. A car parked on the sidewalk. The sidewalk's wider than the car and then there's a car parked on the wrong side of the road. Uh but it seems kind of ridiculous to me that you get a car that's on a I don't know what the sidewalk was so big for. Is there going to be a marching band on there or what? And then to take it from the other end where Ninth Street crosses, you can see the difference in the narrow third street redo and the width of the old time. And that's a big deal. I I it just doesn't make sense. The other day I was coming down here on Saturday and it was real busy downtown for some reason. I don't know what was going on, but there were cars parked all over up and down Broadway and down third. Well, this is right next to Broadway that I just took on Saturday. Lot of cars going from there all the way to the post office. That's kind of busy. And that's without any big trucks going down there. Now, those big trucks haven't even come out yet. They're going to be busy here once the frost comes out. So, the expanded boulevard 10 feet, the sidewalk 10 feet. Doesn't make any sense to me. it looks out of out of line with the rest of the the road that's there. Um, then you got the mailbox in there. Well, what's going to happen when the street plow or when the snow has to be plowed and you got to get that wing to get that extra snow over the edge of the curb, it's going to have to flip it up over every mailbox. And then what's going to happen? All that salt and the snow that's getting pushed up there, it's going to kill whatever grass on that 10t is there. Unless people are really taking care of it, they're going to have to reseed it every year. they're going to have to uh water it. I It just doesn't make any sense. That salt is going to be damaged. It's going to be a weed pile. Um and again, like I said, the uh garbage day and and the trucks going down there and possible mail truck coming in the other direction for the mailboxes. Um a liability, an exposure that really is not necessary. Uh, and again, we weren't I didn't have any idea. I just knew that Third Street was under construction. Just probably like a lot of my fellow business owners down there. Same thing. And I should say that I've asked a few other business owners in town if they would want to be up here with me. They don't want to burn any bridges. I don't have a bridge to burn. I'm I'm willowing out of my business life right now, and it's going to be a situation where I'm not going to use it at all in a couple years. But these other companies that are still going strong, they've got to use that and they're afraid to put their name on what I'm talking about. >> All right, Frank. Tell you what, can >> I overstep my boundary? I understand. But what about the other development that's going to go on down there on the south end of town? >> Right. >> There's two or 300 cars a day easily going through there. I guess some of I would just say at this point just can you get the specifics and the pictures and get them to Hugo that way he can because we haven't seen or heard you know some people about the optical illusion but as far as the specifics that you have get them to him and then we can have him disseminate it. can do that. But what I'm saying too is that only onethird of this is done, >> right? >> Can we put the brakes on it and have another look at it before you go and expose the other >> that we don't know and I'm I'm not going to debate right now here today during this portion. >> Um, we need to move on. >> I guess I would just say anyone with similar concerns, make your voices heard to the city. >> No, send emails. >> Reach out. I would greatly appreciate it. Yep. >> The more we know, the better. >> This This is just a start, >> right? Thanks, Frank. >> Yep. >> All right, Richard Bert. Good evening, uh, Keith, mayor and the city council. That young man from Woodenbury must have rode my mind. >> Address, sir. >> A Dayton Avenue. Been there for I've been in the park since December 1st, 1950. And I come down here also to whoever initiated the idea of ruining Third Street and whoever voted in favor of it, in my opinion, it was wrong. He said everything I'm thinking of. It makes it too narrow. And one thing he didn't cover when cars come on north and they park and on the east side of Third Street and get out the door, the door is 23 in from the center line. So any traffic coming north has to get into the out has to cross the yellow line and get an oncoming traffic to get around them or you're going to have an accident. It's a terrible design. And now in front of the post office, they put up a no parking sign. Now, I don't know who has authority to put up no parking signs, police, the county, whatever, but the whole design of Third Street to me was a terrible idea. I don't think I mean, there was no reason for it to make a boulevard 10t wide. I walked that sidewalk twice a day during the school months from 1951 to 59. Kind of dates me, but you know, there was nothing wrong with Third Street for 100 years. I brag about the park having wide streets, park on both sides, and now you got a disaster waiting to happen. And uh with the no parking signs make it worse to get into the post office. And uh so that was point one. The other two I'll keep short. Three weeks ago there was a water line broke on 10th and Dayton. Now some people say it was own pipe. The water line on Dayton was put in nine years ago in front of my house. My water line froze up 18 months later. Cost me $700 to get it thought out. And my opinion, the reason it froze as that pipe was not 42 in below grade. In our part of the country, frost goes down 42 in. And when I went out to look at the water line, I told the inspector, "Hey," I said, "That's not 42 in below grade." And she kind of blew me off to be honest with you, cuz I know what 42 in is. And that water line on Dayton and Tentth, it might have been old, but it was also, I believe, above the 42 in frost line. And my last point, as long as I'm talking about our taxpayers's dollar, when they redo a street like Third Street last year, state code or common sense says 4 in of asphalt after compaction. That's 4 in after compaction. And this happened to me personally, so I know a contractor's, you know, nobody is totally honest. But when the contract says for our city to get 4 in, that's what we should get or the taxpayers are getting shorted. That's it. I think you made a big mistake on Third Street. And when you hire a firm to oversee our construction, it should be done according to our rules. So, >> all right. >> Thank you, Pete and all. Hey, you notice I didn't bring up my fire department. >> Yeah. >> God bless you. >> Love you too, Dicki. >> All right, Tony Fland. >> Hey, Tony Flandre. I live in Cottage Grove. I'm also with uh the heritage days committee. Um I'll be very brief for you here. Um we just wanted to follow up from our last meeting. We talked to you guys at your last meeting um on a couple of requests that we had um in the parks. We met with park and wreck and uh we have another special meeting with park and wreck again to discuss a couple of things next Monday. And uh along with that, if anyone else had questions or concerns or anything, feel free to reach out to us or we're meeting down there at Heritage Park at 5 5:15 on Monday if you wanted to ask anything or discuss anything. And um the other thing is um we appreciate your patience and your helping and uh supporting of it. Um, and I think that's it. But if you have any questions, come look us up. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, next Monday. >> Next Monday. Yep. >> Okay. Thank you, Tony. >> Appreciate it. We appreciate everything Heritage Days Committee is doing. Do doing good work. All right. Item number five, the consent agenda. This evening on the consent agenda, we're going to pay the bills. Um, approved dates and times for the regional open book meeting for Washington County. April 2nd, 2026 at the College Grove Service Center from 5:00 to 7:00. April 16, 2026 at the Woodbury Central Service Center from 5 to 7 p.m. April 22nd, 2026, Washington County Government Center from 2 until 7:00 p.m. Um, we will be approving uh purchase of Laser Fish Cloud Storage and uh approving a gambling permit for Ducks Unlimited. Uh approving the Gak filter replacement at the water treatment facility. Uh purchasing a new police chief squad and approve extension of the lawful gambling permit for Hope Christian Academy on August 15, 2026. And that is it for the consent agenda this evening. Mayor Frankie, Council Member Swinson, uh I move that we approve tonight's consent agenda. Second. >> I have a motion, a second. Any further discussion. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Opposed. Motion carries. 5-0. >> All right. Reports from the council. Council member Hagerty. Public works commission. Yes. So, we have a public works commission uh meeting tomorrow uh March 3rd here at uh yeah, just right outside here at city hall. Uh it'll be at 6:00 and we still need one more member. Yeah. So if you're uh interested in uh becoming uh on the public works, please come down and and submit your application. Love to have you. >> Thank you. >> We're the best commission, by the way. >> Thank you, Council Member Hagerty. Council member Swenson, public safety. >> Thank you, Mayor. I think uh council member Hagerty meant second best cuz the first best of course is public safety which meets this Thursday. It's meeting week here at St. Paul Park. Um and we are meeting at 6:00. Come on in and visit and with the new chief that we just installed today. Um otherwise uh nothing new to report from the public safety commission other than the fact that we also could use two members. Thank you. >> Thank you uh council member Hagerty. Um and that's all I have. Mayor, >> thank you. Council member Swanson, Council Member Conrad, planning. >> The last planning meeting was uh cancelled, so the next planning meeting is um March 9th, 7 p.m. here at City Hall. >> Thank you, Council Member Conrad. Council member Whit Hemson Parks. >> Um we did have a meeting and um our garden event is on May 9th from 10 to the 10 to 2, Cindy. 11 to 2. We'll have crafters crafts for the kids, a jump house, hot dogs, cookies. Um, so please stop in and help us plant and look at our community garden. Um, our next meeting is March 19th, Thursday at 6:00. It has it was moved. So if it's on your calendar, you might want to check that. Our next Bunko event is March 27th. March 27th, Friday, March 27th. And Bunko is going great. Thanks everyone for coming. We've met new friends. And we also need a couple members, but I think we have I think we have two or three people signing up this week. >> Oh, excellent. >> Thank you, Council Member Fred Hamson. Um, for myself, I've just been working the phones and meeting with people uh around a bunch of changes around the city and then also at the capital trying to get forward some of the bills we're proposing about the studies for 70th Street and other things that I've been working on up there. Um, and uh, I guess at this point I'll just I have a couple comments, so we'll just move on to item number seven, council comments or requests. Anybody have anything this evening? >> All right. I would just like to add that I'm very excited for us and for this city. Um, from where we were last year to where we are now. >> Yes, >> we have all of our department heads in place. I'm very optimistic and very excited. We have Hugo, we have Dawn, we have Tony in public works and Scott now in the police department. And um I just want to thank the council for the hard work that we've all done. Um and I'm very excited to see what we do moving forward and stay tuned. So with that, that's about all I have this evening. Thank you. This meeting's adjourned.