Reading the Highland Villager #241

[A Villager on a patio.]

[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: Organized trash placed on ballot; St. Paul voters will decide future of program Nov. 5
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A judge ruled that a petition challenging the city's organized trash policy is valid, and that there will be a referendum this fall. Mayor Carter is quoted saying that if it passes, property taxes will go way up. Trash people don't like that idea. [Seems to me that the five-year contract is probably solid, and that St. Paul taxpayers will pay it either way. So the real question is: do you want Waste Management and other companies to get paid by the city to pick up your trash, or do you want Waste Management and other companies to get paid to NOT pick up your trash? This referendum is the dumbest thing that's happened in St. Paul in my time living here, and that, my friends, is saying a lot. I am optimistic that common sense will prevail and the tiny minority of garbage people are indeed a tiny minority.] Article recaps the legal arguments from both sides.


Headline: Mayor wants to reduce Ayd Mill Road to two lanes; Plan would come with new bike and pedestrian lanes
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Mayor included a reduction for Ayd Mill Road in his budget address, citing the costs of repaving it. The revised plan would cost more, $5.2 million [though only in the short term; in the long term it would save the city money]. Engineering for the new proposal is underway. Neighbors wanted to see more than the simple repaving in the city's work plan. The city spends $250K each year to fill potholes as is. CM Noecker does not have a stance on the change, cut CM Thao is not in favor of the reduction, quoted saying "you cannot force traffic onto residential neighborhoods. It's already too dangerous to cross Snelling, Lexington and Dale Street. It's already too dangerous with cars zooming through our residential neighborhoods." [Um, Dale, Lexington and Snelling are NOT residential streets, really. They are the arterial streets. CM Thao does not appear to make much sense here with his 'we can't calm streets because the streets are too dangerous' argument.] CM Tolbert is quoted waffling on the issue, citing "spillover traffic." [I doubt very much that there would be much spillover traffic. AMR will still be faster and more convenient than Lexington Parkway.] Carter is quoted saying "no street has represented our struggle with our streets more than Ayd Mill Road." [Needless to say, I am extremely pleased with this change from the Public Works department and the Carter administration. This is the first good news about Ayd Mill Road since 1962. See also, every thing I have written about Ayd Mill Road.] Article includes some brief history of the curséd freeway.


Headline: City alley plowing gets cool reception
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The city did a study about plowing the alleys that included a survey and people seemed not to like the idea. There were about 7,000 surveys. [I wonder what the race/class/housing/geography breakdown of that survey was?] Quote from article: "those without alley plowing arrangements were more included to support a city-run program." [I see this happening in about five years, once regular civilized things like city-run trash and composting become a common place part of people's lives. Remember when the new roll-out recycling bins were a disaster and everyone hated them? Yeah me neither.]


Headline: Public hearing continues on Ford redevelopment impacts
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There was a meeting about a study that's part of the Ford site redevelopment, an old factory that is getting housing and commercial buildings on it. The study is looking at ways to "mitigate the impact" of the development. [The traffic study is very conventional with its assumptions about VMT, LOS, and driving growth over the next twenty years.]


Headline: Historical survey of Ford site sought
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The state historic preservation office wants to "scrutinize" the Ford site for "any remaining artifacts of Old Rum Town." [I am 1000% behind rebranding "Highland Village" into "New Old Rum Town."] A local historian does not think the Ford site and Old Rum Town had any overlap. [I hope they find an ancient village here, do archaeology around it, and discover the first documented complaints about too much density and traffic scrawled in an old fur trader's journal from the 1830s. Just kidding because old fur traders loved traffic. It was lonely as an old fur trader or refugee from the Selkirk colony.] Quote from the City staff: "due to the highly disturbed nature of the site, no archaeological resources are anticipated." [There, it's a fact: the status of the Ford site is "highly disturbed."]


Headline: St. Paul creates division to enforce sick time regs, new minimum wage
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Council passed a policy to create people to enact and enforce the city's new labor standards. They will hire people to make sure the rules are followed. They will also make motivational posters.  A worker at a Taco Bell on Snelling was required to show up to work and prove he was sick. [This is by the way the notorious drive-thru Taco Bell that predates any drive-thru regulations and can stay open forever if it wants.]


Headline: Mayor Carter eyes 1.6% increase in city spending in 2020; Carter proposes 4% hike in library budget
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The Mayor released his budget and things have gotten more expenses though there are also cuts. The flower basket fund, pavement marking budget, and the ice rink lighting fund have been cut. [Maybe start charging for parking in more places?]


Headline: Corps questioning future use of St. Anthony Falls lock and dam
Author: Roger Barr

Short short version: There was a meeting in Minneapolis about what to do with the lock and dam downtown. Article includes history of the lock and dam. Some people want to make it look more like it looked a hundred years ago. Others want the government to stay in charge. Neighbors are concerned about fish traffic.