All right. Good evening everybody. 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 January 5th, 2026. Um, I need to make a motion to amend the agenda and um, change up the item numbers. First item on the agenda should be the swearing in of our council members. >> So, if I need a second. >> Oh, I second. >> I have a motion, a second to amend the agenda to swear in our council members. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Motion carries. All right. So, let's get that out of the way so you guys are official. I'm going to bring you over here. >> We'll do you both at the same time. Does that sound good? >> Sounds good. >> All right. Raise your right hand, gentlemen. Your other right hand. Oh, okay. And repeat after me. I >> I >> state Jeff Hagerty >> Jeff Swenson >> 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 for the city council >> and faithfully discharge the duty of 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 >> and the state of Minnesota >> and the state of Minnesota >> to the best of my judgment and ability. So help me God. >> to the best of my judgment and ability. So help me God. >> All right. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for your service. >> Yes, sir. >> Congratul All right. Now that we got that out of the way, let's move on to the important business. Next item on the agenda is approval of the minutes for the December 15, 2025 regular council meeting and wave the reading of the same. >> So moved. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Motion carries 5-0. >> All right. Next item is items from the public. Anybody have anything to speak on this evening not pertaining to the agenda? I didn't see anybody's name on the >> list. Yeah. >> All right. Seeing no one, we will move on to the consent agenda. This evening on the consent agenda, we will be paying the bills for December 17th through January 6th. Um approving the commission reappoint renewals. Approving um the cost of living increases for our accountant technician, city clerk, and public works supervisor. adopting resolutions 1766A and 1766B designating our banks um and approving a temporary liquor license for the St. Paul Park Newport Lions Club boot hockey event on February 7th. And we will also be approving some home occupation licenses, um, mechanical contractor and garbage collectors. And those would be for this meeting Hearth and Home Technologies, Manachi Munitions LLC, and Highland Sanitation. And we will be making those approvals. >> And that's it for the consent agenda. >> Yes, council member. >> Thank you for the consent agenda this evening. And I move that we approve said agenda. >> I second. >> All right. I have a motion, a second. Any further discussion, questions? >> Mr. Mayor? >> Yes, Council Member Spencer. I'd >> like the council to know for the uh 2026 wages for the city staff, it was a kind of a unique year because we had some midyear hires and some mid-year promotions. And so this year doesn't really follow the past uh we have done or the past contracts that we've done, but it's been closely looked at and uh the administrative committee approves that those wage increases. >> Thank you, Council Member Swanson. Any further? All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. I. Opposed. Motion carries 5-0. [clears throat] All right. Item number four, any new business? Um the only new business is the mayoral appointments. Um for the council members and staff, all of that's going to stay the same for now. Um, for what we ended last year with, acting mayor will be council member Swanson, GDO Law, the attorney, Hugo Miy, city administrator, city attorney Kennedy Graven, city clerk Amy Truler, uh, city engineer is WSB, finance director Don Monahan, and our legal newspaper is St. Paul Pioneer Press. and the committees and commission appointments will stay the same. So, council members, whatever you are on now is what you will continue to be on. And that's it for the new business, >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, council member. >> Since there are mayoral appointments, we don't need to have a a council vote on that. Correct? >> No. Correct. It's no approval needed. I will note for those that may have saw the agenda that came out, um there are some misprints on the committee reports, but we will move on to item reports from the council and start with council member Hagerty, public works commission. >> Yeah, public works commission. We haven't had a uh public works commission meeting since our last city council meeting. Uh but our next meeting is March 3rd. Uh and we are still looking for one more uh member uh commission member. So please come down to city council uh and apply. We'd love to have you on the council on the commission. >> Thank you. Council member Hagerty, Council Member Whit Hemson, Parks and Recreck. >> Um our next meeting is this Thursday here at 6:00. our glow-in-the-dark sledding and our Winterfest up at Woodbird Park is just going to be determined by the weather because we can't sled or skate in the heat. Um the warming house hours are up on the city website and on our park and wreck page. Go on up there and there's skates to rent and and it's games to play and we got a warming house attendant can help you pick out your skates and so kids go on up there. That's it. Thank you, Council Member Whippington. Is that skates to rent or skates to use? >> Skates to use. Did I say rent? >> You said rent. >> I'm sorry. There's There's free skates up there. >> Not to rent. Free renting. >> Use them. >> Whole closet full. >> All right. Thank you, Council Member. Um, Council Member Conrad, Planning Commission. >> Nothing new with our last planning meeting. Our next meeting will be January 12th at 7 p.m. here at city hall. >> Thank you, council member. Council member Swenson, public safety. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh, nothing new to uh to report from the Public Safety Commission. Our next meeting is set March 5th. I believe it's 6:00 here at city hall. And we are short two members. And if I may ask, Council Member Conrad, you have a full vote on the planning commission. >> Um, I believe so. I haven't officially heard that anybody's there's been an on and off couple people missing here and there, but as far as I know, they were just excused absences. >> Well, congratulations. [clears throat] We're envious. >> It's been busy. >> That's a popular group. >> Thank you, Council Member Swinson. Um, as for myself, um, I'm excited that uh, administratively it seems like things are on track. Hugo has been doing a great job. Um, Don's been doing a great job. All our new hires have been doing good work. We're starting to roll out a lot of different types of communications policies and procedures um that we've never had before. And I I think the trajectory for our city and for our staff and um city hall altogether is just definitely tracking positively. Um, Council Member Swanson and I took part in some final interviews and I know Council Member Hagerty and Council Member Conrad took part in the initial interview process for a new police chief and we'll be moving forward with that and hopefully have some news to announce there soon enough um once we follow some more and get through some more um due diligence on our part. And I think we're just all very excited how things are starting to shape up and I'm very optimistic and pleased about the future for us in this city. So very happy about where we're at right now um moving forward. Um I think things are going to be looking up for us. So thank you. Thank you council members and thank you to the staff and I'm I'm very optimistic and pleased about the year to come. So thank you with that. Does anybody have anything else tonight? Council comments and requests or questions. All right. Nothing further before this council. This meeting's adjourned.