March 11, 2022 | Friday

D10 Meeting Updates

Land Use Committee Meeting - Monday, March 14, 7pm, on Zoom

The D10  Land Use Committee meets next Monday at 7pm on Zoom. We will be discussing the City's Ward Redistricting proposal as well as other Como Land Use and licensing updates. All D10 Como Park meetings are open to the public and have space for community members to bring topics for discussion.

D10 Board Meeting - Tuesday, March 15, 7pm on Zoom

The D10 Board meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7pm. Meetings are open to the public and have space for community members to bring topics for discussion.

Next week we will be welcoming Director Brooke Blakey of the new Office of Neighborhood Safety Office. The office is focused on advancing St. Paul's Community-First Public Safety Framework. Director Blakey, who started last week, will give us a brief introduction and answer questions. The board will also be discussing the 1-4 Housing Study and voting on action items for some of our annual grants and purchasing some technology that will help us move towards hosting hybrid meetings.

Thanks to Como Blood Drive Donors & Volunteers

Thanks to everyone who donated in last week's community blood drive at Como Zoo & Conservatory!

Here are the results:

• 45 Donors
• 12 First Time Donors
• Goal: 40 Units
• Units Collected: 40 - Will help up to 120 people!

Thanks to our wonderful sign-in table volunteers Jessica, Kelly, Betsy, and Lee! The next Zoo donation event is scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 9am-3pm. Check back for a link when the Red Cross opens the event up for donating. In the meantime, you can find other opportunities here on their website.

We have volunteer openings for the sign-in table on the Noon-3pm shift for Tuesday, August 3. Email district10@district10comopark.org if you'd like to sign up.

Get Involved: Join The Board In April

Do you know any Como area renters or youth (age 16-24) who might be interested in getting more involved in the community? Tell them to join the D10 board, we're holding seats for them with our Renter and Youth board seats!

Board seats up for election in April:

• One representative each from the neighborhood's FOUR sub-districts (map)
• Two representatives from the neighborhood at-large
• One renter representative from the neighborhood at-large
• One youth (age 16-24) representative from the neighborhood at-large

To get on the ballot, submit a board member application.

The filing deadline is Sunday April 3. The election is April 19. If you have any questions or would like to know more about being a board member you can reach out to D10 Como Park at district10@district10comopark.org.

Request a Ballot

Ballots for the April election can now be requested on our election page as well (ballots won't be made available until after the candidate filing period has passed).

Review the Como Lakeshore Management Plan

Feedback survey open through March 17

In response to the Como Lake Management Plan (2019), St. Paul Parks and Recreation, Capitol Region Watershed District, St. Paul Public Works, and Ramsey County Public Works are coordinating efforts and sharing resources to protect the ecological health of Como Lake.

An opportunity to get involved: One short-term goal of the Como Lake Management Plan is to create a Como Lakeshore Management Plan. If you would like to comment on the draft Como Lakeshore Management Plan, the public review and comment period is open through March 17th, 2022.

Gabe's New Look!

After a change in management a few months ago, Gabe's By The Park -- now Gabe's Neighborhood Bar & Grill -- got a facelift this past week.

Several new signs are up around the outside of the restaurant and there are a number of new menu items as well. Read more about their recent changes in this January Pioneer Press article.

D10 Subdistrict 4 Board Member Rachel Bowers has yet to share her favorite new menu selection with the D10 office.

Little Free Seed Libraries

The Como Community Seed Library has planted seed envelopes in little free libraries in the Como Neighborhood. There's a variety of tomato seeds, onion seeds, MN native seeds, herb seeds, and more.

You can find seeds in the libraries at:

• 1241 St. Albans
• 900 Montana Ave.
• 962 Como Ave.
• 41 Maywood PL.

For more information, go to www.comoseedlibrary.org or contact Dawn Lamm at DLamm@comoseedlibrary.org. They’re adding more information as they get the chance.

Thanks to the Little Free Library hosts, seed packing volunteers, Minnesota State Horticultural Society, Stephanie Hankerson and all the seed saving neighbors and supporters for making this year’s seeds available.

Como Parks & Rec

North Dale Rec Center (1414 N. St. Albans)

• Magical Pink Unicorn Art ages 4-7 - Sat, Apr 2 - $30*
• Celebrate Spring Event - Sat, April 30, 10:30am-Noon - Free
• Pickleball Lessons Intermediate - Tuesdays starting May 3, 1-2pm - $40*
• Teen Open Dance ages 13-18 - Mondays thru May 2, 6:30-8pm - Free
• NEW Play Date Art ages 2-5 - Tues, May 3, 6-7pm - $20*
• Social Needle Work Time ages 18+ - 2nd Thursdays thru May 12 - Free
• Teen Video Game Night ages 12-18 - Wednesdays thru May 25 - Free

Northwest Como Rec Center (1550 N. Hamline)

• Red Ballers Tennis ages 8-11 - Week of March 15, Tue-Fri, 3:45-4:45 - Free
• April Fools Day Art ages 4-10 - March 25 - $30*
• Conquer Ninja Field Trip ages 7-15 - Mon, Apr 4 - $24*
• Bowling at Flaherty's Field Trip ages 7-12 - Tue, Apr 5 - $20*
• Artist Workshop Spring ages 7-15 - Tuesdays beginning Apr 12 - $60*
• Red Cross Babysitting Training ages 11-18 - Friday, April 15, 9:30am-3:30pm - $60*
• Parents Night Out ages 6-11 - April 22, 6-9pm - $10*
• Basic Fishing Fundamentals ages 7-12 - Week of April 25 - $25*

*Registration Required

Summer Camp & Activity Registration Now Open: This summer, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation is offering a variety of fun, safe, and structured full and half-day camps, including our popular free afternoon Summer Rec Check program. Register for camps and activities including art, dance, sports and fitness, outdoor adventures, nature exploration, games, technology and more! (North Dale, Northwest Como, and Langford Park Summer Camp Flyer - PDF)

Offerings available for tots to teens and prices range from FREE to $275.

St. Paul Parks & Rec Fee Assistance Program

The City of Saint Paul operates a special program that helps families pay for Parks & Recreation youth classes and activities. Fee Assistance can be requested by families who meet program requirements when registering for youth activities. To be eligible for the program, youth must live in Saint Paul, be 18 years old or younger, and qualify for free and reduced lunches.

Fee Assistance can be used toward most recreational sports or activities offered by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. To view the online catalog of all available activities offered, click here.

Note: Although adult programs are also listed, they do not qualify for Fee Assistance credits.

Public Hearing for St. Paul Redistricting March 11 at Rondo Library

The Saint Paul Charter Commission is in the process of redrawing ward boundaries based on the 2020 Census and the State's new legislative and congressional boundaries (called "redistricting"). 

A public hearing is planned for 3pm TODAY, March 11, at Rondo Library, to get feedback from the public on proposed boundary changes. The Charter Commission worked with a consultant to draw proposed maps based on standards that were adopted by the Saint Paul City Council.

There will be one more Public Hearing next Wednesday, March 16, at 3pm in Room 40 at City Hall (15 W. Kellogg Blvd).

The D10 Land Use Committee will also be discussing the changes to our Ward boundaries at our meeting next Monday, March 14, at 7pm on Zoom.

Wards 2, 6 and 7 had the largest increases in population, so those three wards will decrease in size (geographic area) in order to make all of the wards approximately equal in population.

Are there issues with the current boundaries that could be addressed? Are there problems that could be caused by changing the boundaries, and that they should seek to avoid?

A particular challenge that has been discussed by the Charter Commission is how potential boundary changes would affect #3 (e) in the City's redistricting standards:

• Communities of Interest. The location of ward boundaries should attempt to preserve neighborhoods where they exist; recognize new and emerging neighborhoods resulting from development, population growth or demographic changes; and encompass other significant communities of interest in the city, including voters sharing similar social, economic and cultural affinities or characteristics, where it is practicable to do so.   

In other words, if some current residents were to be moved into a different ward, are there communities of interest that could be divided? 

For questions or feedback about potential changes to ward boundaries, please send an email to CharterCommission@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Apply for the City's Chief of Police Examining Committee

The St. Paul City Council is seeking applications for appointment to its Saint Paul Chief of Police Examining Committee to review applications for the Chief of Police vacancy. Applications to serve on the committee will be accepted through March 24, 2022 at 5pm.

The Saint Paul Chief of Police Examining Committee is a limited-term committee which is anticipated to meet from late April 2022 until the time its work is complete. The Committee will be responsible for reviewing applications for the Chief of Police position, conducting interviews, leading community engagement, and ultimately recommending five candidates to the Mayor. The Mayor will then be responsible for appointing a Chief of Police for a 6-year term starting in June 2022.  

Questions can be directed to Council Operations Director Brynn Hausz at Council-Vacancy@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Ramsey County Library Offers One-time Fee Waivers

To support the county’s strategic priority to facilitate access by removing barriers, Ramsey County Library will forgive existing fines and fees on adult patron accounts except for charges related to lost or damaged items. This waive will restore about 13,000 library accounts with blocked privileges due to charges in excess of $10.

At the February Library Board meeting, trustees voted to do a one-time waive of existing charges for patrons to ensure that their Library privileges are intact. This decision follows the elimination of adult late fines implemented on January 1, 2022. These fines were suspended during the pandemic and will now be permanent. This policy change aligns with the 2020 efforts to eliminate late fines on all youth materials.

Patrons checking out library materials will continue to be charged for lost or damaged items, and privileges will be suspended if charges exceed $10. D10 Board Member Mike Ireland is enthusiastic to once again utilize the library using his real name, Mike Van Halen.

1-4 Unit Housing Study Survey

Have you heard about the City of Saint Paul's 1-4 Unit Housing Study?

The City's Planning and Economic Development (PED) department study is evaluating additional zoning flexibility to support greater housing diversity across the city. This includes looking at the potential to allow duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in more places as well as more types of single-family homes, such as cluster developments, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

They'd like hear from community members in a new online survey.

This is your chance to provide input on housing types, where they should be allowed, and possible policy changes to allow more housing. They are hoping to hear from as many residents and stakeholders as possible as part of the community engagement phase of the project.

Learn more about the study

Visit the engagement website for information sheets on neighborhood-scale housing, how the City can add more housing, and housing development considerations. Visit the project website for project background, FAQs, and official memos on the study.

Questions?

Contact 1to4HousingStudy@ci.stpaul.mn.us or City Planner Emma Siegworth at 651-266-6657 with any follow-up questions.

D10 Como Park co-hosted an engagement session with PED and neighboring district councils on February 10. You can view the recording of that session here on the D10 website.