Council affirms mayoral extension of local emergency tied to garbage collection

The St. Paul City Council voted to affirm an extension of a local emergency declared by Mayor Melvin Carter, effective April 1, 2025, related to the city's solid waste collection operations.

The suspension of rules to consider Resolution 25-559 passed unanimously. Councilmember Yang said she would be supporting the extension, and Council President Naker also indicated support. In remarks recorded during discussion, Council President Naker said the vote was necessary to ensure the city meets its obligation to collect trash even though the underlying situation arose because the city’s contractor had outstanding permits and regulatory approvals.

Councilmember Naker said, “we need to meet our obligations to our residents,” and also noted the vote was not intended to undercut prior council positions about the siting of contractor facilities. The mayor’s declaration as presented in the packet covers only a short statutory window and the council’s affirmation extends the emergency under the municipal procedures described in the meeting packet.

The council adopted Resolution 25-559 by roll call with six votes in favor and no opposition recorded in the roll call. Councilmembers asked whether staff or the contractor would appear; no additional staff were present at the dais for this item. Councilmembers noted multiple outstanding state permits that the contractor still needed to obtain.

The resolution record indicates the emergency extension will allow the city to continue short-term operations while staff and council seek longer-term solutions or alternate locations for contracted operations.