St. Paul reparations commission details work plan, harm‑report RFP and funding needs

Miss Burt, staff to the city's Recovery Act and Community Reparations Commission, briefed the Saint Paul City Council Policy Committee on the commission's founding, current activities and next steps, including preparing a request for proposals for a "harm report." The update took place during the committee's public agenda item on the commission.

Burt summarized the commission's purpose and origins, saying reparations are "a form of compensation provided to those who have suffered wrongdoings or to their descendants," and outlining the commission's advisory role under the city's administrative code. She told the committee the commission was formed from an initial Reparations Legislative Advisory Committee (January 2021) and was enacted in January 2023; the first 11 commissioners were appointed in June 2023. The commission has adopted bylaws, a monthly meeting schedule (fourth Wednesday) and an annual work plan.

The commission requested $500,000 from the city for 2025; Burt said the council approved $250,000 of that request. She described internal committees the commission has formed, including a Repertory Justice Fund and Slavery Disclosure/Redress Ordinance committee, a community listening session committee, a harm‑report committee and a legal research committee. Burt said the commission has hired two staff members (including Janie Vang) and elected officers: Chair Traheren Crews and Vice Chair Cooley Pringle; the most recent commissioner appointment she named was Marquita Kamen.

Burt told the committee the commission had approved preparations for an RFP to produce a harm report. She described the harm report as "essentially documentation to quantify the historical as well as the ongoing injustices in order to have a basis, you know, for reparations, type of policy platform or programmatic platform." She said the commission is seeking consultants to help draft and carry out the report and expects to circulate an initial RFP draft to council members for feedback.

Council members asked how the commission would manage potential outside donations and how council members could give input. Council Member Bui asked whether the commission had an established infrastructure to receive donations; Burt said discussions with Unity Church about a possible contribution were ongoing and the commission was "experimenting" with how to accept and manage donations. Council Member Johnson asked how council members could provide feedback on the harm report RFP; Burt said the harm‑report committee had produced a skeletal draft and staff would circulate a more structured initial draft to council members for comment.

Members of the committee and Burt also discussed listening sessions: Burt said the commission plans a series of ward‑level listening sessions (the first, she said, was being held in Ward 7 in collaboration with the Ward 7 council member) and that the commission had done door‑to‑door outreach and flyering in advance.

Burt described outreach the commission has undertaken to build expertise and networks, including guest speakers on genealogy and city budgeting, a presentation by staff from Evanston, Ill., about that city's reparations program, and participation in national conferences and symposia. She said the commission is separating its work from other city initiatives (she cited the Rondo Inheritance Fund as a distinct mayoral initiative) to clarify roles for the public.

The committee did not take a formal vote during the update. Members thanked the commission for its work and signaled willingness to assist with listening sessions and to review the RFP draft when circulated.

Looking ahead, Burt said the commission planned to finalize additional commissioner appointments, update its remaining 2025 work plan, circulate the harm‑report RFP draft for council feedback and continue to explore potential philanthropic partnerships.

Ending: The council thanked the commission for the update and asked staff to circulate materials and follow up. Council members said they would help coordinate listening sessions in their wards and expected the commission to return with further drafts and updates.