Reading the Highland Villager #240

[Villagers find a sunbeam.]

[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: Highland, Mac-Grove committees consider proposed Starbucks; Drive-thru coffee shop planned for corner of Randolph-Hamline
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A chain coffee place wants to make a drive-thru coffee building at the site of a former gas station. There was a public meeting. Article includes a reference to "Carbucks." Neighbors are concerned about traffic and pedestrian safety. Quote from neighbor: "Regardless of what your traffic studies say, it's going to be a mess." It requires a conditional-use permit. Quote from a guy who owns a nearby coffee shop without a drive-thru: "I would guess this is a done deal."


Headline: Coast-to-coast trip is latest in long line of family's bicycling adventures
Author: Anne Murphy

Short short version: A family is bike touring. [They seem nice. Their kids are 13 and 16. Let's make this more normal.]


Headline: St. Paul struggling with street maintenance costs; Public Works study detects $1 billion backlog in upkeep
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Article about how far behind the city is on paying for roads. It should cost $51 million for 20 years to fix all the roads up to where they should be. Article mentions the city-wide PCI. Article mentions how much more money they have for this in Minneapolis. Quote from CM Noecker: "I don't think we can rely on the general fund." Quote from CM Tolbert about a state gas tax increase. [What is needed is a reprioritization across the city away from so much car-first infrastructure, and brainstorming about funding. That means both things like parking meters and not spending millions on projects like Ayd Mill Road or parking ramps or other big projects like that that exacerbate street costs.] Article includes some context about sewer separation and the history of street funding. [Does not include the "terrible twenty" thing with Mayor Coleman, though. Nor does it mention the non-profit maintenance issue.]


Headline: County budgets for improved racial equity
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The County is going to try and send more money on helping address racial equity. Specific ideas include "health service models", changing how the County has its offices, housing, and how it does hiring. They will also close a golf course, future use of the land TBD. [Not subsidizing golf would seem in character with improved equity.] However they are spending millions on other golf courses. [Whoops. Looks like a whole bunch of money for old well-off white people after all.]


Headline: Rail Authority eyes 14% increase in transit levy
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Rail Authority is going to get more money from people's property taxes to fund things like the Gold Line and Riverview streetcar. [One of which is legitimately useful.]


Headline: Speaking of impacts; Highland council raises concerns about the toxins in old Ford dump
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: Neighbors are concerned about what might be down by the river, referred to as "so-called Area C." [I see an X Files episode here.] Quote from developer: "it's an encapsulated dump." ["Encapsulated: 1. to express the essential features of something succinctly; 2. to enclose something in or as if in a capsule." Wait, isn't is what I do every two weeks with the Highland Villager? If so, it's a fitting metaphor!] Article references "paint sludge" and "scrap metal" and a list of chemicals which includes: antinomy, barium, chromium, and cadmium. [Yikes.]


Headline: Police chief takes aim at funding for tracking gunshots in St. Paul
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The SPPD is trying to get money to get technology to detect where guns go off, like they have in Minneapolis. There is . grant from the Feds for this, but Congresswoman McCollum is mad that they used the light rail line to justify the request. [The transit = crime thing does parrot MN GOP talking points, so yeah. Good work Rep. McCollum.]


Headline: Council signs agreement for Midway stormwater district
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The City will allow the soccer team and others to collect and filter stormwater around the stadium site.


PS: There's a lovely profile of local blogger and sci-fi writer Naomi Kritzer as well!