St. Paul Park council appoints interim PWD

Public works supervisor resigns, resident Andy Cison remembered for contributions

By Joseph Back
Posted 1/19/25

The St. Paul Park Council held its regular council meeting Jan. 6. at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers. With all council members present at roll call but no one speaking in open forum, the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

St. Paul Park council appoints interim PWD

Public works supervisor resigns, resident Andy Cison remembered for contributions

Posted

The St. Paul Park Council held its regular council meeting Jan. 6. at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers.
With all council members present at roll call but no one speaking in open forum, the night’s consent agenda included several items, among them the following:
A. Approve commission appointment renewals.
B. Approve the 2024 Pay Equity Report to be filed with the MN Department of Management and Budget.
C. Set Day, Date and Times for Council Meetings in 2025, which will be at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month (except if it falls on a legal holiday).
D. Adopt Resolution No. 1734A and Resolution No. 1734B, resolutions designating depositories for 2025.
E. Approve “Non-waiver” of Statutory Liability Limits for city under Minnesota Statute 466.04.
F. Accept resignation of Public Works Supervisor Jeff Dionisopoulos effective Jan. 9 and authorize staff to begin the hiring process.
G. Approve Agreement for Interim Public Works Supervisor.
H. Approve budget amendments.
I. Approve special event permit for the St. Paul Park/Newport Lions Club boot hockey event on Feb. 8, 2025.
J. Approve temporary liquor license for St. Paul Park/Newport Lions Club boot hockey event on Feb. 8, 2025.
K. Approve Pay Voucher #2 to Taylor Electric Company for the construction of the WTP Generator.
L. Approve “tentative” dates and times for Regional Open Book meetings.
• April 3, 2025 (5-7 p.m.) —Cottage Grove City Hall
• April 9, 2025 (5-7 p.m.)—Oakdale City Hall
• April 17, 2025 (207 p.m.)—Woodbury City Hall
M. Approve payment of bills for the period Dec. 4, 2024 through Jan. 7, 2025.
N. Approve lawful gambling permit for Ducs Unlimited on Jan. 19, 2025.
O. Approve License Applications for:
• Alarm Users
• Body Art & Tattoo Establishment
• Home Occupations
• Garbage Collectors
• Massage Therapists
• Wrecking and/or Junk Yard
After approving the consent agenda, Franke went into new business, but elaborating more on consent agenda item G.
“I am going to pull item number G off the table and set that for approval. So I make a motion on item number G which is the approval of the interim public works supervisor position. We will be offering that to Tony Brinkman, who has 17 years of service with the city of St. Paul Park. A longstanding employee who put in his time and (has) done some good work and furthered his education and I think personally that being such a small city with such a small contingency that giving the opportunities when we can is prudent. So that is what we are doing here. And also that its interim I believe if you all read your packet it’s for six months or until we find someone to fill the position fully and we will be going out and potentially hiring a firm to find that person and then holding interviews and going from there. But in the meantime we need somebody in charge so that’s item number G.”
Councilmember Charlene Whitbred-Hemmnison requested a workshop on the public works supervisor appointment.
Councilmember Swenson questioned if interim positions are usually brought in front of the council if it’s within the approved budget.
“Councilmember mayor, Councilmember Swenson yes, we’ve done this,” City Administrator Kevin Walsh said. “I mean particularly this is the third time that in my time here OK we’ve done this in the agreement and it is required because we’re a statutory city that the council does approve this appointment, essentially.”
”I’d like to see some kind of discussion around if it has to be at another time or whatever, but I think there’s some details that should be looked at,” Conrad said.
“And I think any details on how we move forwards and what’s required will be dealt with in that process of one, laying out what our expectations are, what those requirements are for our next incoming full-time public works supervisor and I think the full council should have the opportunity to weigh in on that,” Franke said. “So in the meantime we need somebody in charge because Jeff Dionisopoulos is out of here in just a couple of days, so this is our only opportunity to put that person or somebody in charge.”
The motion carried unanimously.
From approving the interim public works supervisor it was into approval of appointments for 2025, as follows:
Acting Mayor (mayor pro tempore) - Council Member Jeff Swenson
Attorney and Civil Prosecution - GDO Law
City Administrator Kevin Walsh
City Clerk Amy Truhlar
City Engineer Morgan Dawley of WSB Associates
City Attorney Kennedy and Graven
Finance Director Melody Santana-Marty
Legals Newspaper - St. Paul Pioneer Press
From positions and legal newspaper the meeting turned to committees, as follows:
Personnel Committee - Mayor Franke, Kevin Walsh, Councilmember Swenson
Public Safety Commission - Council Member Zenner, Fire Chief Mike Kramer, and Police Chief Jessica Danberg
Public Works - Councilmember Swenson
Parks and Recreation - Councilmember Whitbred-Hemmnison
Planning Commission - Councilmember Conrad and city consulting firm
Great River Rail Commission - Councilmember Conrad
South Washington County Telecommunications - Patrick Downs and Kevin Franke
South Washington County Watershed District -Kevin ChapdeLaine
St. Paul Park CAP Panel - Mayor Franke
With motion and second after question by Swenson the appointments were approved, the council then moving to reports.
Swenson the Public Works Committee will meet in March.
“I do believe we have a full boat, we don’t need any new commission members, and so that’s all I have to report,” he said.
Whitbred-Hemmingson gave an update from the Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Our next meeting is this Wednesday,” she said Jan. 6. “We’re still looking for a few members, the Bunco’s going great.”
The glow in the dark snow event was cancelled for no snow but they were still looking to have Winter Fest and a movie. The Whitbred rink would be open 4:30-10 p.m. and warming house would be open 4-9 p.m. Residents can check out the city website Park and Rec page.
Mayor Franke closed with the update on a recent community loss. Resident Andy Cison died Dec. 26, 2024 after battling cancer over four years.
“I’m just going to say a few words,” Franke said. “We recently lost a member of our community, Andy Cison. Andy was a big part of this city and a big part of the Parks and Rec Commission, a friend of mine. I think everybody here knew Andy and if you drove around—Char’s going to start crying and so am I—if you drove around when we used to hold the Christmas lights contest I mean almost every year Andy and his family won that. So if you didn’t know Andy you knew his house, if you drove around looking at lights in this city. Andy also spent lots of years volunteering with the Parks and Rec Commission and doing a lot for this city. And I know Andy lived his life to the fullest so it was sad to see Andy go, and I know that from myself as mayor and this council, past councils, and anyone who had anything to do with the city we want to say that Andy will be sadly missed and our prayers and everything are out there for his family…It’s just a sad day for the city of St. Paul Park,” he said, thanking Cison’s family for the time they gave up to let Andy be a part of the city.
Councilmember Zenner had a suggestion.
“Since he was with Parks and Rec I would like to see Parks and Rec take up renaming the garden after him,” Zenner said.
Whitbred-Hemmingson said some things were in the works to remember Andy. “We do have a few things in the works,” she said. “We’ll try to do something.”
St. Paul Park Council meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, except when changed due to legal holiday.
The public is invited to attend.