Reading the Highland Villager #236

[A sidewalk Villager.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: District court rules city must put trash collection on ballot
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A judge ruled that a petition to end the city's organized trash ordinance is valid. There is a lawsuit. The City Council thinks there are state statues that defend their position. The ruling states that trash collection must be suspended at the end of June. People upset about trash are happy. There is an appeal. [Thanks, garbage people. This is such a Saint Paul fiasco. Why can't we have nice things?]


Headline: City hearings resolve disputes over unpaid trash service bills 
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: People who did not like or agree with bills they received for trash collection had a change to appeal them. Sometimes these appeals were successful. Article has some stories of people who owed money, including one guy who just didn't like the organized collection because "he handles it himself." Quote from another guy: this whole deal sucks."  The City Council tried to keep people focused on their specific bills rather than general ranting.


Headline: Carter opens city budget process with seven ward meetings
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Mayor Carter has to make a budget and is having meeting about it. Taxes will probably go up. One person is upset that the meeting was in a bar. The mayor's office had "game sheets" for folks to figure out how to set the budget.


Headline: City considering the scope of Ford redevelopment impact study
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There will be an thing called an alternative urban areawide review (AUAR) which looks at development impacts for ford. There will be public comment on it. Quote from developer guy: "we'll have two years of signifiant earthwork to do before reconstruction even starts." [That's a long time!]


Headline: Not practicing what it preaches? City sued for not offering workers sick and safe time
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Some people who work as pool lifeguards are suing the Parks and Rec department for not offering sick time, against city ordinance. [This seems pretty wrong, on the "right and wrong" scale.] Article tells the story of someone who was not given his accrued sick time and who would not let him use his sick time when he was sick. Article includes some info about the city's ordinance. [Yikes.]


Headline: Planning Commission releases design standards for Ford site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There will be rules about what buildings can look like. Public comment is happening now.


Headline: Permit allows reuse of 1905 Ramsey Hill carriage house
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A guy can convert an old carriage house into an apartment. It has been empty since a pipe burst there in 2011.


Headline: $200,000 city loan to help pay Keg an Case project overrun
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city is giving a loan to the Keg & Case people because redevelopment cost a bit more than they thought because of the "high costs of historic rehabilitation and the abatement of hazardous materials." [High cost of pizza slices is more like. $10, folks. For a slice.]


Headline: City considers encouraging an increase in homeless shelters
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The there is a study to think about how to increase homeless shelters. There are more people experiencing homelessness than there used to be.


Headline: City Council lays over vote on right-of-way assessments
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city cannot figure out how to have people pay for streets. Some people got hit with huge bills because the way the assessments work has recently changed to be more expensive. There are lawsuits [of course].


Headline: Corps seeks public comments on master plan for Mississippi
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There is a plan about the river. There's a map online about it at tinyurl.com/y539y5us. A meeting will happen someday, somewhere.


Headline: Friends of river oppose senior housing plan along Lilydale bluffs
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: An old strip mall might become housing for old people in Lilydale / Mendota Heights. A nonprofit doe snot like it because it might affect the view. [Fun fact: the population of Lilydale is 623. Also, I sure wish this group would focus on access to, and appreciation of, the river as well as their #1 job, which should be removing pollution. The eternal discussions of views, as if the city does not exist, is irksome.] 


Headline: Central Baptist to raze two houses for new parking lot
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A church has bought some homes and will tear them down and pour asphalt on the ground and let people put empty cars there. [I hate when this happens. My sense is that condition for the church not protesting the development next door, removing the shared bank-owned lot they used, was that they get to build this new parking lot.] Neighbors are concerned about losing housing. Quote from the board of zoning appeals (BZA) person: "i understand the desire to not lose housing, but there is also a need for parking."


Headline: Commission paves way for apartments on Island Station site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A vacant parcel of land by the river might become a 250-unit apartment building. Neighbors are concerned about making sure they can get to the river, and high rents in general. Some of the apartments might be affordable in some vague way.