Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community development director outlines 2025 achievements and 2026 priorities for North Saint Paul
Summary
Ken Roberts, the city’s new community development director, summarized 2025 accomplishments—including a mobile food vendor licensing ordinance, code cleanup removing redundant contractor licenses, 818 building permits valued at nearly $11 million, a $47,684 SCORE grant, and a record cleanup event—and previewed 2026 projects and grant timelines.
Ken Roberts, who began as the city’s community development director on April 28, 2025, gave a department-level review of 2025 and a forward look at priorities for 2026, covering parks and recreation, planning and zoning, economic development, permitting and licensing, and community services.
Roberts listed several 2025 accomplishments: the mobile food vendor ordinance adopted in early 2025; removal of redundant city mechanical and contractor licenses after reviewing state licensing; and an updated city fees and charges schedule implemented for 2026. He reported the department processed 818 building permits in 2025 with a combined valuation of nearly $11,000,000 and permit revenue of $238,755.
Roberts highlighted programmatic successes and community events supported by department staff: the city’s SCORE grant from Ramsey County totaled $47,684 in 2025 and funded activities including a citywide cleanup event on May 10 that saw 313 vehicles participate (a record). The department supported the arts, parks and rec, and economic development authority and managed initiatives such as utility-box wrapping, art nights and the autumn arts festival.
Looking ahead, Roberts said the department submitted a preliminary DNR review for a Casey Lake Park hockey rink grant and must respond to comments and resubmit by March 28; if funded, construction could occur in 2027. Staff are reviewing seven solid-waste RFP proposals with a May recommendation to council and a June 1 contract target; the current contract expires in August. Roberts also described planned updates to the landscape escrow process for incomplete development site work, a comprehensive plan update to meet a September 2028 Met Council deadline, design work for McKnight athletic fields, a potential 'trash-to-treasure' reuse event, and continued GreenSteps program reporting to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Council members asked follow-up questions about coordinating the proposed trash-to-treasure event with garage-sale dates and requested rental percentage data for parks facilities; Roberts said he would provide that information.
