St. Louis Park council approves first reading to remove school-board-appointed voting seats on four commissions, sets second reading July 21

The St. Louis Park City Council unanimously approved on first reading amendments to Chapter 2 of the city code that remove school-board-appointed regular voting members from four city boards and commissions and convert those positions into nonvoting, agenda-based liaisons. The council set the ordinance’s second reading for July 21, 2025, and directed staff to resolve several consistency issues in the code language before that vote.

Pat Coleman, the city’s community engagement coordinator, told the council the change responds to a request from school district leadership to move from designated, voting seats appointed by the school board to a liaison model. Coleman said the change would remove the school district’s appointment power and make those seats city council appointments going forward. He said the proposal affects four bodies that historically included school-appointed representatives: the Human Rights Commission, the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission, the Communications Technology…