Council deletes vacant‑building assessment after owners request help; agrees to staff follow‑up

The Saint Paul City Council voted on Nov. 6 to delete a $5,075 special tax assessment tied to a vacant‑building registration for a property with a backyard house on Sherburne Avenue after hearing from the owner and community partners about substantial repairs and financial constraints.

Staff (Marsha Moorman) had outlined that the property had been registered vacant in 2013 and the current owner purchased it from Twin Cities Land Bank on Dec. 29, 2020; the assessment before the council covered the period March 2024 through March 2025 and totaled $5,075. Staff recommended ratifying the assessment but offered flexibility on payment timing; the owners testified they had substantially gutted and begun repairs but lacked funds to finish and requested the council's assistance.

Council member Buoy moved to delete the assessment and stated council would work with community partners, citing NeighborhoodWorks and Rondo Land Trust as possible supports. The council adopted the deletion by voice vote (motion recorded as carried by the chair: '7 in favor, no 1 opposed'). Council members emphasized connecting the owners to financing and nonprofit resources so the property could be brought to code rather than demolished.

The council also adopted the broader legislative hearing consent agenda (items 50–80) as amended. Staff noted the vacancy registration will be revisited by the department if compliance steps continue and that code‑inspection and certificate‑of‑occupancy steps remain the mechanism to exit the vacant‑building program.

Votes and next steps: Council voted to delete the special assessment and asked staff and council offices to coordinate with community preservation partners to support rehabilitation and to ensure the property can obtain a certificate of occupancy if work is completed.