From Rebecca's Desk
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Happy Spring! I wanted to update you on some of the issues I'm working on, as well as some news from the City.
If there are other issues you care about that aren't addressed here, feel free to reach out. Call or email me anytime, or drop by one of my Community Coffees, Happy Hours or Virtual Lunches (see information on the right.)
Thank you for allowing me to serve you. I look forward to hearing from you!
  Interviewing for the city's youth employment program - Right Track
Citywide 3K
One of my top priorities is to make St. Paul a great place to raise kids. Too many families in our city struggle to afford the cost of high-quality childcare; some have to choose between working full-time and providing good care for their kids. I’ve been impressed by the examples of other cities – such as Denver, Boston and San Antonio – that have funded high-quality early childhood programs and I’m interested in seeing if we can do the same in St. Paul. I’m working with the St. Paul Children’s Collaborative and a work group of community members, educators, childcare experts and others to create a blueprint for citywide “3K” (high-quality early learning for 3 and 4 year-olds). The blueprint will be completed in September, and I’m looking forward to reviewing the results and advocating for the funding necessary to make the plan a reality.
I share the concern of many of our downtown residents, workers and visitors about the perceived safety of our downtown and our skyway system in particular. Deputy Mayor Kristin Beckmann and I are co-chairing a newly created Skyway Vitality Work Group, comprised of city staff and downtown stakeholders, to coordinate action on the many issues facing our skyway system. We anticipate making changes to our skyway ordinances, working with property owners so they fully understand their responsibilities, and supporting the development of a comprehensive downtown security plan. The best way to have a voice in our skyway policy is to attend the CapitolRiver Council’s Skyway Governance Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to us.
In
the aftermath of the recent officer-involved shooting in Dayton’s Bluff, I have
been honored to be part of some honest and difficult conversations about police
conduct and mistrust between our communities and the police. I appreciate the efforts of advocates in the community
to bring groups together, and I am committed to working with all of you on
strategies to hold our police department accountable, and rebuild the trust
that has been broken. In one step toward transparency, the Saint Paul Police Department has released its 21st Century Policing Report online, which measures the department’s progress towards reaching recommendations outlined in the “Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.”
Proud to stand with Ward 2 award winners - Captain Ken's and El Burrito Mercado
Saint Paul Business Awards
We all know how important our neighborhood businesses are to our community and our economy. But sometimes, those of us at City Hall get too wrapped up in red tape and forget to say thank you to the hard-working business owners who make our city so great. I worked with my colleagues Council Members Jane Prince and Dai Thao to launch the first annual Saint Paul Business Awards to say thank you to community businesses for their contributions to our city. This year’s awards honored eight businesses in a variety of categories - small and large, those owned by women and people of color, those that have been around for generations and “new kids on the block.” Read more about the Saint Paul Business Awards and this year’s recipients here.
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