October 19–25, 2026
The city settled a Summit Avenue lawsuit, green-lit $200K for a new regional trail, and several small federal and local measures wrapped up; next week brings a Rice Street rezoning and a Smith Avenue bikeway vote.
On Summit Avenue. The city council adopted a settlement with the group Save Our Street, ending the lawsuit over the Historic Summit Avenue streetscape project. St. Paul will make a payment to close the case, which had been blocking work on that corridor. With the legal dispute now resolved, the project can move forward. That resolution is now law.
Around the neighborhood. The council also approved $200,000 in federal funding to build the Point Douglas Regional Trail, giving residents a new place to walk and bike in that part of the city. That grant is now law.
A few federal items. A new federal law (HR 7022) signed this week lets wireless carriers send emergency alerts, like severe weather or public safety warnings, through satellite networks in addition to cell towers. If your carrier opts in, you could receive those alerts even in areas with spotty cell service; you would also have the option to turn off satellite delivery. Separately, clergy and Christian Science practitioners who previously opted out of Social Security have a two-year window to rejoin the program and become eligible for retirement and Medicare benefits under a law (HR 227) that took effect in April. Several other federal bills this week dealt with land and facilities outside Minnesota.
County and city housekeeping. Ramsey County renewed its contract for Laserfiche, the software county departments use to file and retrieve records; that renewal was adopted. The city also approved pay adjustments for two training staff job titles and designated October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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Coming up next week:
Rice Street rezoning. The property at 1201 Rice Street is scheduled for a council floor vote Wednesday, October 28, on whether to shift its zoning from residential to general business. If it passes, the lot could host shops, offices, or restaurants instead of housing. If you live near that block, this changes what gets built next door.
Smith Avenue bikeway and heating pipes. A resolution up for a floor vote Wednesday, October 28 would grant two kinds of access to the Smith Avenue transit ramp: a temporary easement (short-term permission to enter the property) so crews can build part of the Capital City Bikeway, and a permanent right for a district heating company to run water pipes through the ramp to serve the transit center and nearby buildings. Cyclists and transit riders near downtown should watch this one. Now is the moment to contact your council member if you have thoughts on the bikeway route.
Emergency radio agreement. Also on the council's Wednesday, October 28 agenda is a renewal of the agreement that lets St. Paul police and fire share Ramsey County's radio system. Keeping that shared network in place is what allows city and county responders to coordinate during emergencies.
Ramsey County capital bond and job training. The County Board meets Tuesday, October 27 on two items: a public hearing on the county's plan to borrow money for 2027 infrastructure projects like roads and buildings, and an agreement with CareerForce to share funding and facilities for job training programs. Both are scheduled for a floor vote that day.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives