It was a short one Monday, August 4 as the St. Paul Park Council met to consider mostly routine business at city hall.
Included in the night’s agenda was approval of the minutes, payment of bills, a resolution amending designating depositories for 2025, and addition of new city administrator to the Personnel Committee, among other business. Also included were pay requests to WSB for June services with regard to the water treatment plant and Well #2 trunk watermain project, as well as a resolution for a lawful gambling premises permit to Carbone’s Pizza and approval of a change order on the Third Street Reconstruction Project.
Lasting just under 16 minutes, the meeting started in earnest at 6:30 p.m.
“Alright everybody, 6:30. Let’s open the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance,” Mayor Keith Franke said.
The Pledge completed, it was into business.
“Resolution No. 1749A and Resolution No. 1749B, resolutions amending designating depositories for 2025, that’s just naming our bank,” Mayor Franke said in designating Old National and MidWest One Bank as city depositories.
The next item of business was a change order for the Third Street Reconstruction. Morgan Dawley from WSB gave the details.
“Thank you Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. This next item before you is to approve change order number 1 for the Third Street Reconstruction Project,” he said. “It’s relatively small. I think it’s worth stating that for federal and state construction project, every tiny little change is documented in a change order. Usually for city projects you don’t see this as often. With the relatively small amount of $6,296 in relation to the overall contract amount, over $7.1 million, it’s just a formality of the state funding.” With that said Dawley presented Change Order one, consisting of the inclusion of surmountable curb to navigate some driveways and entrances, traffic control with permanent detour signs to last through the winter and entire project. The final part of the change order was for the pole that holds the flashing red light at Third and Broadway, pulling the light to salvage it and possibly reinstate it later after evaluation.
“Thank you Morgan,” Mayor Franke said of the presentation. “Still keeps us within budget?”
“Absolutely,” Dawley replied. Council member Charlene Whitbred Hemmingson had a question.
“So the light could possibly go back up?” she asked.
“It could,” Dawley said. “So at this time, undetermined. Public Works is committed to taking a look at it…It is awkward to maintain and maybe hard to get parts at this time.” Dawley said a more modern version might be flashing LED lights with motion detector for the four stop signs, flashing only when vehicles were present.
Motion to approve the change order was made by Franke and seconded by Council member Jeff Haggerty.
In other council news, members gave commission reports. Included in Council member Haggerty’s update was an opening on the public works commission.
“Nothing to report since our last city council meeting. Our next public works meeting is Sept. 9 at 5 :00 p.m. And we still need one more member, maybe two, so come on down,” he said.
Council member Jeff Swenson was excused, with the next public safety commission meeting on Sept. 4 at 6:00 p.m. in city hall.
Council Tim Conrad shared that the next planning commission meeting was Aug. 11 at 7:00 p.m. in city hall.
“As far as I know right now it’s still on schedule,” he said.
Council member Whitebred-Henmingson gave the update for Parks and Recreation.
“First of all tomorrow is Night to Unite,” she said. “Parks and Rec will be there with their table, we’ll be passing out some veggies from our garden. I believe there’s going to be a small carnival. Lions Club will be there handing out hot dogs.”
City administrator Hugo McPhee had more.
“The State Patrol helicopter that I’m interested to see land is supposed to be there,” he said of Night to Unite events. Johnny pops and fire trucks were expected as well.
In other news, an ice cream fundraiser was scheduled to take place for CGAA Volleyball at Mik Mart on Thursday, Aug. 7 from 2 to 9 p.m., as well as on Friday, Sept. 19 from 4:00 to 8:30 p.m.
As for Heritage Days August 15 to 17, there will be a free movie on Aug. 14 at Heritage Park. The Masons will be there with popcorn and hot dogs for a free will donation.
“We set up at 7 p.m., the movie starts at dusk,” Council member Whitbred-Hemmingson said. “Movie to be determined.”
Council member Conrad then continued with the Heritage Days update, with events planned the weekend of Aug. 15 to 17. Activities will be at both Heritage Park and Broadway, with schedules posted on the group’s Facebook page at 2025 SPP Heritage Days Festival. The annual event is still in need of volunteers to watch over some events.
The meeting closed with a tribute to 77-year-old city resident Michael Walseth, a Park High graduate who passed away on July 5.
“He not only played, he was a coach for three sports,” Franke said of finding out more on Walseth’s sports background.
“He led the Big Ten in home runs in ’68 and ’69,” Franke said of Walseth’s time with the Gophers. Drafted in the seventh round, Walseth played 10 pro seasons for the Atlanta Braves.
“These are things you don’t know and humble people don’t talk about them,” Franke said. “My condolences to Wally’s family, but what a great person in our community, and I just wanted to take a moment to recognize Wally this evening and what a great life he has lived and we’re sad to see him go because he was a good man and did a lot of things. I’ll end on that note.”