History of the District Council
The City of Saint Paul officially established a citywide Citizen Participation Process by Council Resolution in October 1975. Seventeen (17) Citizen Participation Districts were created. A task force made up of community residents was charged with drawing the boundaries, with an emphasis on neighborhoods, not population. Current district populations range from 4,300 to 27,000. Each District had its own neighborhood councils, which is an established 501.C3 nonprofit corporation. The size of the organization and method of operations varies according to its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. District Council members volunteer their time, and the average size of a Council Board is fifteen (15).
District Councils plan and advise the City on the physical, economic, and social development of their area, as well as on citywide issues. In addition, Councils identify neighborhood needs, initiate community programs, and recruit volunteers. Citizen Participation District Councils are a vital part of the city's communication network. Each neighborhood office serves as an information and referral resource. District Councils inform residents through community newspapers, neighborhood newsletters, flyers, and community events.
Also established by Resolution was an Early Notification System (ENS). This mechanism requires city departments and agencies to notify district councils, neighborhood organizations, and individual residents of pending city actions that will affect them. An ENS list is maintained by City staff, and updated semi-annually.
As an independent organization, each District Councils hires their own staff members, including an executive directors and/or community organizer, clerical assistance, and a crime prevention coordinator. District Council employees are not city employees. The amounts the City provides the District Councils are calculated on a formula which includes a base amount of $30,000 per district, and is then adjusted for population and percent of poverty. Individual allocations average in the range from $33,000-$44,000. A formal City/Agency agreement is required, which includes goals and objectives, work plans, and an evaluation components. City provided dollars typically help finance staff, office space, supplies, and communications. Citizen participation financing is provided from City General Funds, and the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
Most District Councils are active fund raisers, with many receiving substantial foundation and corporate support. In addition, some organizations receive additional City support for neighborhood development activities through citywide competitive processes.
The City of Saint Paul Citizen Participation Process mission statement is “to facilitate effective, informed and representative participation of citizens in government and self-help initiatives and to provide a channel for communication among citizens, elected officials, City department staff, and other relevant agency representatives. The Saint Paul City Council adopted the following policy statement in 1975: "Citizen Participation is a process, not a structure. The City has a responsibility to develop a process that will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to communicate with city government, and further, that everyone is assured that they will be heard. This process cannot guarantee that there will always be agreement nor is it a substitution of one level of government for another or any other transfer of power."
Timeline:
1972-73
Committee on Citizen Participation prepared recommendations in a report called "Making Democracy Work"
Nov. 22, 1974
City Council Committee decided to set up citizen meetings open to anyone who wanted to attend, to prepare recommendations on citizen participation.
Jan. - Apr., 1975
Four meetings of Citizen Participation Forum and eight meetings on committees on: function of citizen participation; structure and process; number, size and boundaries; staffing and financing.
May 1, 1975
Due date for submission of recommendations to City Council
Oct. 9, 1975
City Council passed Resolution 266178 establishing the citizen participation process for the City of Saint Paul. City Council passed Resolution 266179 establishing the steps for recognition to be followed by the District Councils.
April 1976-December 1979
District Councils followed steps to recognition and were then officially designated by a City Council resolution as the District Council for a specific area.
Aug 14, 1979
City Council passed Resolution 273465 establishing the Early Notification System. It was revised by Resolution 891219 in July, 1989
1980
District Council funding was put on a formula basis. Previously CDBG eligible areas were better funded because most of the funding was through CDBG monies.
Evaluation of the Saint Paul process
Through the years several studies have been done by outside organizations. Saint Paul has been repeatedly cited as having the best process in the United States.
See the Civic Renewal Movement St. Paul Participation page for more information.
History of St. Anthony Park
Settlement of the St. Anthony Park area began around the year 1850. Before that, the region had been a rolling, wooded wilderness crossed by several trails used by Native Americans and pioneers. Much of the land in St. Anthony Park was first owned by William R. Marshall, who was Governor of Minnesota with the intention of developing a suburban community. In 1873, Horace S. Cleveland designed a plan for a “suburban addition to St. Paul and Minneapolis of large, country estates and winding streets that followed the topography of the area. Today, the size of the lots is considerable smaller than in Cleveland's design, but the hills and curving streets remain one of the unique features of St. Anthony park.
For an extensive review of the history of the area, please consider buying St. Anthony Park Portrait of a Community by David Lanegran available at Macawber's Book Store, http://www.micawbers.com/ for $14.95 or view David Lanegran's web slide show based on the book.