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Since 2015, Michael has lead the Como Community Council through change and growth. He leaves the Como neighborhood for bluer waters! Starting next month Michael will be the new city administrator for La Pointe, Wisconsin aka Madeline Island.
Ward 5 is incredibly grateful for the thoughtfulness he brings to complex issues, his ability to hold tension in order to find shared values and his absolute persistence when it comes to building a more just and equitable world.
Thank you Michael!
"President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) is a once-in-a-generation, visionary reinvestment into our nation. The ARP is intended to accelerate the country’s recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and the ongoing recession. As part of the plan, an unprecedented $172 million will come directly to the City of Saint Paul.
How we invest these dollars will be one of the most significant decisions we make for a long time. Used well, this funding can reconstruct both physical and social infrastructure. Used wisely, this funding will dovetail with and extend our many partners’ ARP investments. Used strategically, this funding has the capacity to catalyze growth and, importantly, equalize prosperity in our community.
At our City Council meeting recently, Congresswoman Betty McCollum explained that, while federal spending guidelines are still being drafted, the dollars will be able to cover a wide range of expenses, directly or indirectly tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. So while it’s too early to propose specific programs, we believe it’s exactly the right time to commit to these general principles to guide us in making these important decisions." - Council President Amy Brendmoen and Vice President Rebecca Noecker
 
COVID Community Coordinators support Minnesotans who need COVID-19 information specific to their communities, including in their languages. Coordinators help community members find and get critical resources to deal with health concerns, as well as employment, food access, housing, child care, and legal rights.
COVID Community Coordinators can answer questions about:
- Where to get tested for COVID-19
- What COVID-19 vaccines are available and how and where to get vaccinated
- Food support
- Health care and mental health resources
- Housing and rental assistance
- COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing
- Employment resources
The Coalition for Asian American Leaders, Hmong Public Health Association Policy and Advocacy, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health have produced a report that illustrates COVID impacts on our Asian Pacific Islander communities.
Despite the identifiable diversity within the Asian American community, Minnesota continues to combine all Asian Americans as one monolithic community. Asian Americans can trace their lineage to over 50
countries and speak more than 100 different languages. This broad diversity results in marked differences between education, English language fluency, economic class, immigration status etc. that has directly impacted the communities’ access to health insurance. Just using the larger category of ‘Asian’ has created inaccurate assumptions, untargeted responses, and furthered generalizations about the true impact of COVID-19. Because the current COVID-19 infection and mortality data available to the public is only cumulative data or aggregated data, it fails to point out the health disparities that exist within different ethnicities in the Asian population.
The City’s parking minimums were last updated almost a decade ago and are out of date with land use best practices, modern market demand for parking, and policies in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Under the current parking code, parking minimums are calculated to exceed demand so there is always empty parking spaces. Developers, property owners and tenants absorb the high cost of these extra parking spaces. These parking minimums also assume that cars are the only way to get from Point A to Point B, with little consideration of other nearby available transportation modes or neighborhood density. The requirements provide little flexibility for property owners to use these extra parking spaces for other uses, such as patio or outdoor shopping space, without City intervention.
Today, about 36% of Saint Paul’s land is dedicated to moving and storing automobiles. Reducing or eliminating parking requirements benefits Saint Paul by:
- increasing housing affordability and construction costs,
- giving new flexibility to small business owners who want to use their off-street parking for other uses,
- supporting economic growth, and
- reducing carbon emissions and making walking, biking and transit more appealing.
SEASONAL HIRING OPPORTUNITY! Seeking candidates for full time and part time work in Parks and Rec and Public Work departments. Work outdoors and soak in the warm summer sun while helping to keep our parks and city streets looking snazzy. Day time, evening, and weekend shifts available. Join our team as a Park Worker 1 today.
  Deadline extended! Applications close July 1 at 4:30 PM.
To apply (and view other current City of Saint Paul job openings) visit www.stpaul.gov/jobs
There's a lot happening up and down Rice Street these days. Here are a couple of pictures of parking lot construction underway on the southwest corner of Rice and Larpenteur.
  
Created by park rangers with visitors in mind, the NPS App gives the public up-to-date information about all 423 national parks in one easy-to-use app!
“National Park Week is a time for us to celebrate national parks and experience them in new ways,” said Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “We hope that visitors will recognize this opportunity to use the NPS App to discover their next national park adventure and learn more about these incredibly special places.”
Dare we say spring is here?! We continue to lake lap with residents across the ward! We don our masks and socially distance. We have online community office hours and we are always happy to arrange appointments! Email us at Ward5@stpaul.gov or call us 651-266-8650.
Stay in touch, mask up and be safe!
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