City Manager Brian Frandell briefed the North Saint Paul City Council on departmental work during the Jan. 1 meeting, reporting routine winter maintenance, audit scheduling, recreational ice-rink operations and staffing activity in public safety.

Frandell said the electric department is doing line clearance, cutting trees away from lines and conducting pole inspections, and that crews have identified about a dozen poles that may need replacement. Finance is hosting auditors who will be back on consecutive periods; Frandell said auditors will return the next Monday and Tuesday (dates not specified in open remarks), and that electric inventory work is scheduled for Feb. 10–12 and March 12–14.

Public works has opened outdoor rinks at Northwood, Casey and Colby Hills; Frandell said rink lights are on from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and crews continue to remove ash trees in the city, with current work near Casey Lake. Frandell also reported the fire department is awaiting a new engine now under chassis work in Wisconsin and that staff expect to see the completed truck in mid-summer (June–July timeframe). Police Department activity for the prior year totaled just over 7,000 calls; the department is conducting interviews to restore staffing levels.

Frandell closed by noting that green-development staff are providing new cannabis-registration information tied to recent law changes, and that the EDA will revert to quarterly meetings with the first meeting expected in March unless special items require earlier attention.

Council members did not take new policy action based solely on these updates; the report was informational and staff follow-up will occur through usual departmental channels.