Frequently Asked Questions

Most permit applications list fees. Some residential building project valuations are based on square footage. Many permits are based on a flat fee effective January 1, 2018.  ePermits are now available for flat fee permits.

Yes, the City requires a fence permit for any new fences that are installed or if fence sections are being replaced. This permit helps ensure that the fence meets zoning requirements, such as where it can be located on the property, maximum height requirements, and type of fencing material.

A copy of the fence permit can be found here: Fence Permit Application

Some of the fence requirements to be aware of:

• Property lines must always be confirmed by the property owner prior to the installation of a fence. 
  • The City does not have service for finding your property pins. This can be done by the homeowner with the use of a metal detector. If you are unable to find your property pins, you will need to obtain a notarized consent form that is signed by your neighbors stating that they are ok with where you are placing your fence or have a survey of your property done.
• Fence Height Maximums
  • Front Yard
    • Fences made of wood or other materials that are not 50% see through- 3.5 feet maximum height.
    • Fences made of chain link, picket, wrought iron or another approved material that is 50% see through - 4 feet maximum height.
  • Rear Yard
    • Rear yard fences can be up to 6 feet in height regardless of the material.
• Corner lot properties cannot place a fence within the visibility triangle area. This applies to corner lots that abutt an intersection or an alley that goes onto the main road. Please contact the Community Development Department (651-554-3270) with questions about this.

Before installing a fence, constructing new buildings, or doing landscaping, it is important to know where your property ends and your neighbor's property begins. Existing fences or trees are not an accurate way to gauge where a property line is.

There are a few ways to find your property lines:

1) Locate Your Property Markers Using a Metal Detector

If the property has previously been surveyed, homeowners can use a metal detector to locate the iron monuments that were placed at each corner of the property by the surveyor. Stringing a line between corners establishes the property line. Specific instructions on how to locate property markers can be found here.

2) Hire a Licensed Professional Surveyor 

Licensed surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries. In addition to finding property markers, surveyors are able to replace property markers if they have moved from their correct position. For an additional charge, a licensed surveyor can create a certificate of survey for your property which is a detailed map of your property which the licensed surveyor has signed to attest to its accuracy. A certificate of survey is a legal document that can be useful if you are engaged in a property line dispute. Hiring a licensed surveyor is an easy and highly accurate way to determine where a property line is.  The Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors has a list of surveyors that work in Dakota County. You can access this list here. After opening the page, please select "Dakota" in the list of counties served to find surveyors that work in South St. Paul.

If there is a dispute about property lines, homeowners are advised to obtain a legal survey by hiring a professional surveyor. Unfortunately, the City is not able to help resolve property line disputes.

Yes, the City requires a fence permit for any new fence that is installed and for an existing fence that is being replaced. This permit ensures that any fence put up in South St. Paul meets the fence height, location, and material requirements found in Section 118-199 of the City Code.

Fence permit application can be found here: Fence Permit Application

Residents should be aware of the following fence requirements:

• Property lines must always be confirmed by the property owner prior to the installation of a fence. 
  • The City does not have service for finding your property pins. This can be done by the homeowner with the use of a metal detector. If you are unable to find your property pins, you will need to obtain a notarized consent form that is signed by your neighbors stating that they are ok with where you are placing your fence or have a survey of your property done.
• Fence Height Maximums
  • Front Yard
    • Fences made of wood or another approved material that is not 50% see-through- 3.5 feet maximum height.
    • Fences made of chain link, picket, wrought iron or another approved material that is 50% see-through - 4 feet maximum height.
  • Rear Yard
    • Rear yard fences can be up to 6 feet in height regardless of the material.
• Corner lots may have additional fence height restrictions. Please contact the Community Development Department  (651-554-3270) with questions about corner lots.
• Corner lot properties cannot place a fence within the visibility triangle area.  This applies to corner lots that abut an intersection or an alley that goes onto the main road. Please contact the Community Development Department (651-554-3270) with questions about visibility triangles.

The adjacent property owner is responsible for clearing the sidewalk of snow and ice within 12 hours after a snowfall. Please call the Code Enforcement Officer to report a complaint about sidewalk shoveling at 651-554-3216.

Billings are based on actual water consumed. It is possible that you may have a leak or other unintended use (toilet running, water softener continuously cycling, etc.). Meters cannot run fast; when a meter malfunctions it does not record the water flowing through it. 

The City does not set up formal payment arrangements. Partial payments and pre-payments are accepted at any time. Any balance remaining after the due date will be assessed a penalty of 5% .

Car seat inspections are conducted once a month. You may contact the Police Department at (651) 554-3300 for the exact date and to schedule an appointment.

To check out a business, you can call the Better Business Bureau.

Yes. All rental properties must be inspected by a licensed Housing Evaluator. Rental inspections are valid for a period of three years. The City will also accept a Time-Of-Sale Inspection report in lieu of a rental inspection but must be dated one year from the date of the rental license application. A listing of Housing Evaluator can be found on the Rental Housing Licensing page.

You must contact your garbage hauler to obtain a bin; haulers provide bins for their residential and commercial customers.

You can register for Parks & Recreation in person at 125 3rd Avenue North in South St. Paul. We accept cash, check, Visa, Discover, American Express or MasterCard. Some program registrations can be mailed with check payment to the Parks & Recreation Department. Online registration is also available and is a convenient way to register for programs. VISA, Discover, American Express and MasterCard are accepted. Click on the Online Registration tab on the Parks & Recreation Department home page for instructions. You may need to contact our office for your household information, please call 651-366-6200.

You can either call us at 651-554-3350, or you can use the "Noise Complaint" button at the bottom of our webpage.  This button will direct you to a form that you can fill out.  It will then be sent to airport management staff.  If you want to be contacted, please ensure that you fill out your contact information.

Our Hours of operation are:

Monday - Friday -- 0800 - 1630 (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM)

Saturday -- 1100 - 1830 (11:00 AM - 6:30 PM)

Sunday --  0900 - 1530 (9:00 AM - 3:30 PM)

Hours subject to change

Our fuel is Self Serve.  The fuel points are open 24/7/365.  We have credit card readers at the fuel point.  We accept most major credit cards.  

The Commemorative Air Force Museum is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 1000 - 1600 (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM). their website is: Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing

They are usually in June and September.  Please go to the Commemorative Air Force Website, or call them at 651-455-6942,  for more information.

At the current time we do not have any open City owned T-Hangars.  We have a wait list that you can add your name to.  We cannot forecast the length of time you will be on the list before you get a call.  We can take your contact information and pass it along to the hangar owners on the airfield.  One of them might be able to rent you a spot in their hangar.  If you think you would like to do that, please use the contact form.  Ensure that you have your name, phone number, email address, and type of aircraft (high or low wing).

If you need an access card, please come to the airport office located at 1725 henry Ave, South St. Paul, MN 55075 during normal business hours.  We will be more that happy to get you a gate card.  The fee for a card is $21.43 (tax included).  If you only want to walk out and see some aircraft, you can come to the office and walk out onto the ramp area.

The City’s tree ordinance was last updated in 1969 as part of the City’s effort to address Dutch elm disease. Many of the policies that were enacted in 1969 are outdated and do not align with modern forestry practices. For example, the previous ordinance stated that only ash trees and maple trees could be planted in a boulevard, which does not promote tree species diversity. Diversity within tree species, genus, and family is crucial to protecting the community from a major tree loss due to an invasive insect or disease that wipes out one type of tree. Additionally, the previous tree ordinance did not include boulevard width standards which led to large shade trees being planted in small boulevards where they outgrew the space in which they were planted and damaged the sidewalk, curb, and underground utilities. 

Approximately 90-95% of tree roots exist in the top 3 feet of soil, and more than half are within the top 1 foot of soil.  From a tree’s perspective, small boulevards lack adequate soil volume and this requires tree roots to grow into any nearby crevice with soil and oxygen. Boulevard trees with roots that encroach a sidewalk or street are more susceptible to root cutting during infrastructure work which leads to reduced health, reduced anchoring ability, and windthrow (where a tree is uprooted and tipped over by wind). 

• Clarifies that trees are allowed in a boulevard if the boulevard has at least 5 feet of width. 
• Updates standards for boulevard trees including species, size, and spacing requirements from curbs, sidewalks, crosswalks, and intersections. 
• Creates a residential boulevard tree work permit that residents of South St. Paul can get if they want to plant, prune, or otherwise maintain a boulevard tree. 
• Makes it clear that the City will only get involved in a tree dispute on private property if the diseased, damaged, or dead tree is a public nuisance that poses a threat to a public space such as a street, public sidewalk, public park, or public trail.

The new tree ordinance was the result of nearly two years of study with input from the Planning, Engineering, and Public Works departments and a careful analysis of South St. Paul’s existing built environment.  The City does not have a forester on staff and contracted with consultant group WSB to secure a forester who is also an ISA-certified arborist to assist with the ordinance update. The forester has brought a wealth of experience and knowledge about how other communities have handled this issue as well as the most recent research from the University of Minnesota.

Shade trees grow best in boulevards at least 8 feet wide where there is adequate soil volume. In boulevards that have less than 8 feet of width, there is not enough soil volume to support a healthy mature tree. Tree roots continue to grow beyond the small space and push into adjacent sidewalks, curbs, sewer and water lines. Unfortunately, very few streets in South St. Paul have boulevards that are at least 8 feet wide. Most of South St. Paul’s boulevards are 7 feet or less in width and many boulevards are only 3 feet in width.

Boulevard trees are an important part of South St. Paul’s community character and the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan calls for trees along all residential streets where boulevard widths allow. Based on tree root research, there are several small and medium tree species that grow well in a boulevard as narrow as 5 feet. Unfortunately, these trees need more soil volume than a 3- or 4-foot boulevard can provide over their life span. There simply is not enough room for their root systems, and there will be conflicts with infrastructure.

 As trees grow and their root systems expand, the City’s curb and gutter, sidewalk, and underground utilities are damaged, and tree root systems are damaged in the process of repairing them, making the trees more susceptible to being tipped over by wind. The City is required to ensure sidewalks are accessible to all users and estimates approximately $1,000,000 in infrastructure improvements are needed due to existing tree root conflict in boulevards less than 5 feet.

Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to the 5-foot greenspace requirement for boulevard trees on residential streets. Commercial streets such as Southview Boulevard which have boulevard trees in planters, grates, or other types of special installations that control their root growth may be granted exceptions by the City Engineer on a “case by case” basis.

For streets with narrow boulevards that cannot accommodate a shade tree, the City does still want to provide residents with options for beautifying their street. As part of the ordinance update, the City expanded the list of alternative plantings that are legally allowed in City boulevards in addition to grass. The City now officially allows plantings and landscaping materials in the boulevard as long as they do not exceed 3 feet in height and do not overhang the sidewalk, street, or alley. Fences, berms, boulders, and retaining walls are not allowed in boulevards and plantings that are close to an intersection, alley, driveway, or public utility fixture need to be kept at 18 inches of height or less.

Residents are always welcome to plant trees on their private property. When planted in a front yard, private shade trees provide many (if not more) of the same benefits as boulevard trees.  Trees planted in private yards instead of boulevards tend to live longer after reaching maturity and this provides greater ecosystem benefits to the community. No permit is required to plant a tree on private property, but residents should call 811 for utility locates before digging in their yard. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and University of Minnesota offer good resources on tree selection. 

Long term, each neighborhood can work with the City to bring back their boulevard trees. Residential streets are reconstructed roughly once every 50 – 70 years. Before a reconstruction project begins, the City will host meetings with the neighborhood to determine how the new street will be designed. The City generally tries to ensure that all new residential streets have at least 5-foot-wide boulevards if conditions allow. The City encourages residents to get involved in the design process to ensure that boulevards are sized appropriately for the type of trees that they would like to see on their street.

If there is a pink “X” on the tree in front of your house or in your boulevard, that means it has been recognized as a publicly owned diseased or dying tree. It will be removed by the City as funding and staff time permits, often within the next year or two. Due to EAB, over 800 trees must be removed from South St. Paul’s boulevards. Tree work is handled by the Streets Department, which is a part of the Public Works Department. They are also responsible for road maintenance, plowing, street sweeping, sidewalk inspections, and other street maintenance needs. The Streets Department handles a significant amount of tree removal and stump grinding “in-house” with its own staff and equipment but there is also an annual budget to hire third party contractors to assist with tree removal and stump grinding. 

The Streets Department is working hard to complete ash tree removals whenever possible but there is limited staff available, and it is very time-consuming to complete these removals. The Streets Department prioritizes the removal of boulevard trees that are at the greatest risk of falling. These high priority trees are the ones where the bark has fallen off completely and smaller twigs are falling on sidewalks and streets. 

The City has a budget for tree work and that budget is currently dedicated to the removal of dead and dying trees in parks and boulevards. In September 2017, the City completed a tree inventory of its parks and boulevards and determined that it owned 1,724 ash trees which are now all either dead or dying due to emerald ash borer. These publicly owned ash trees are a total loss and are in the process of being removed. The removal effort was originally on schedule to be completed sometime in 2026 or 2027 but ash trees are dying very rapidly and becoming hazardous so the City is exploring what the cost would be to hire additional 3^rd party contractors to speed up the work. 

The City has successfully obtained two grants from the DNR to help with the removal and replacement of some trees that were killed by emerald ash borer. Kaposia Landing, Kaposia Park, Lorraine Park, Northview, and parts of the 7^th Avenue boulevard have received new trees through the DNR grant program. Currently, City replanting projects are completely reliant upon grant dollars since the budget for tree work is entirely dedicated to tree removal.

When a residential street is reconstructed, part of the project budget goes towards planting new trees in the boulevard. Street reconstruction projects are funded through a combination of general fund dollars and assessments against benefitting properties. The City has a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) which lays out a roadmap for which streets need to be reconstructed in upcoming years.

If your boulevard is at least 5 feet wide, you do not need to wait for the City to plant a boulevard tree. You can download the “Boulevard Tree Work Permit” application and apply for FREE permit to plant your own tree in the boulevard. The City must approve your tree variety and tree location to make sure that your new tree will adhere to the ordinance and will not conflict with infrastructure. The City will not approve any boulevard tree work permits for boulevards that are less than 5 feet in width. Residents can download the permit application at here. Please read thoroughly before submitting.

For more information, visit our trees section or call 651-554-3225.

The Parks Master Plan is a high-level plan for the parks system that is updated every 10-20 years. It is not a final construction plan for each park, it is a framework for making improvements to each park as funding is available. It may be possible to implement a small project using just the Parks Master Plan but almost all large projects will require additional design work and construction planning. Very large projects (i.e.  a new public pool) may require more public engagement in addition to design work and construction planning.

The City is hoping to pay for many park improvement projects with the help of grant funding. Most grant-making organizations are not willing to fund projects that are not “fully baked” with clearly demonstrated community support. Having an up-to-date parks master plan is very important if the City wants its grant applications to be taken seriously. 

Landscape architecture is a specialized profession that involves specific training. The City does not have any landscape architects on staff and there are no “in-house” City employees who have the right qualifications to oversee the technical aspects of updating the Parks Master Plan. Because of this, the update is being handled by a project team that includes City Staff and a qualified consultant group that was selected via an open Request for Proposal (RFP) process. 

The City received three proposals in response to the RFP. A selection committee advised the City Council to go with a proposal from consultant group HKGI. The HKGI proposal was impressive and had the lowest total cost of the three proposals. The City Council approved a contract with HKGI at their June 5, 2023, meeting to update the Parks Master Plan. The not-to-exceed cost for the contract is $69,600 and there is also an $800 budget for reimbursable expenses. 

The updated Parks Master Plan was prepared over the course of a full year with careful analysis, discussions with the City Council and advisory commissions, and robust community engagement. The community engagement included online and mailed surveys, in-person engagement at community events, an open house at the new library, and interactive online maps. A full draft of the proposed plan was released on the City’s website on August 5, 2024 and the community has been invited to review the plan and provide feedback. The plan is now being brought to the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, and the Sustainability Task Force. Each group will be invited to provide feedback before the plan is brought to the City Council for final review.

The community’s ballfields are fully utilized during peak times. Reducing the number of ballfields would have a tangible impact on local ball teams.

The City maintains eleven (11) playgrounds in city parks throughout the community. Nine (9) of the playgrounds were built in the early 1990’s using funding that was approved in a parks referendum that passed in 1990. The average useful life of a playground is roughly 20 years so all nine (9) of these playgrounds are at the end of their useful life. Replacement pieces are no longer being made for 30-year-old playground equipment which means that play structures often must be blocked off if something breaks. The City has plans to replace all nine (9) of the worn-out playgrounds in the coming years and the Preliminary 2025 Budget and Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) call for replacing several playgrounds in 2025.

Many Minnesota communities built outdoor swimming pools during the 1930’s through the 1960’s. The Northview Pool in South St. Paul was constructed in 1956. Even with proper maintenance, outdoor swimming pools do not last forever. Almost all the pools that were built in Minnesota during the 1930’s through the 1960’s have reached the end of their useful lives and have either failed or are currently failing. Some communities have demolished their old pools without rebuilding them. Other communities have decided to rebuild or replace their failing pools which comes at a significant cost. The City of Apple Valley is moving forward with replacing its failing outdoor swimming pool, which is 9 years younger than the Northview Pool, at a cost of about $6.5 million. The City of Crystal is moving forward with overhauling its outdoor swimming pool, which is 12 years younger than the Northview Pool, at a cost of about $5.35 million.

Historically, the South St. Paul community has been very focused on maintaining the “status quo” when it comes to aquatics. The voters have sent clear signals to the City Council over the years that they want the Northview Pool kept operational using short-term solutions (AKA band-aid solutions). The voters have rejected previous attempts at big picture solutions that came with a higher price tag. Here is a timeline of important milestones with the existing aquatics program:

• In 1955, the City Council called for a referendum to fund the construction of the Northview Pool. Voters approved the referendum and $85,000 worth of bonds were issued to fund the construction of the pool.
• The last time the voters agreed to make a significant investment in the community’s aquatics program was in 1990. Voters passed a referendum which authorized a $975,000 bond measure to replace playgrounds citywide and build the Splash Pool at Lorraine Park. 
• The City did extensive planning for the future of the aquatics program in the late 1990’s. In 2001, the voters rejected a two-part referendum that would have done two things:
  • Spent $3.3 million to build a new full-size pool at Lorraine Park to replace McLain Pool which broke down in 1999 and was beyond repair. McLain Pool had been built in the 1930’s.
  • Spent $1.1 million to renovate the Northview Pool.
• The City held a parks referendum in 2014 to fund big-ticket items from the 2005 Parks Master Plan. The City hired a professional consulting firm to conduct a survey of the community to determine which big-ticket items had community support and should be included in the referendum. Many voters indicated in the survey that they would “vote no” if the outdoor pools were part of the referendum so the pools were not included. Part of the problem was that voters did not agree what should happen next with the aquatics program. Many voters disagreed with the 2005 Parks Master Plan’s call for closing the Northview Pool and building a new aquatic center at Lorraine Park.
• The Northview Pool was constructed in 1956 and is still operating with its original mechanical equipment which is now almost 70 years old. The mechanical equipment is past the end of its useful life and could fail at any time. If that happens, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will require the pool to shut down. MDH already required the old kiddie pool at Northview Park to be shut down in 2009 and it was demolished shortly thereafter. 
• The Northview Pool’s shell is still original and is in poor condition. The pool leaked roughly 12,000 gallons of water each day in 2023 but most of the leaking was temporarily resolved prior to the start of the 2024 pool season with the patching of surface cracks. 

The City’s current parks master plan, which was approved almost 20 years ago in 2005, calls for closing Northview Pool and building a new aquatic center at Lorraine Park. Obviously, that never moved forward, and Northview Pool has continued to operate. The proposed 2024 Parks Master Plan avoids taking a stand on whether the City should consolidate aquatic facilities or continue to operate a split system where one pool is at Lorraine and one pool is at Northview. Instead, it lays out two different alternatives that the City could pursue:

ALTERNATIVE 1:  The City maintains the “status quo” by demolishing the Northview Pool and rebuilding a new full-sized swimming pool in the same location. When the splash pool at Lorraine Park reaches the end of its useful life, the City will demolish the splash pool and rebuild a new splash pool at Lorraine Park.

ALTERNATIVE 2: The City consolidates the aquatics program at Lorraine Park and builds a new full-sized swimming pool next to the splash pool. The City demolishes the Northview Pool and replaces it with a new set of park amenities. In the draft concept plan, Northview Park would receive a splash pad or similar water feature that would be shallow enough that it would not need to be staffed with lifeguards.   

To determine which of the two alternatives moves forward, City will undertake a Pool Feasibility and Design Study which will launch in Fall of 2024. The City will need to partner with a consultant group that has extensive knowledge of pool construction and design. The City put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) earlier this summer and five (5) proposals were received by the August 27^th submittal deadline.

The City wants to do at least three things as part of the Pool Feasibility and Design Study:

1. Analyze and refine the two concept plan alternatives for aquatic facilities at Northview Park and Lorraine Park that are presented in the 2024 Parks Master Plan. Provide capital and operating cost estimates and revenue generation assumptions for each of the two alternatives.

2. After the cost estimates and revenue generation assumptions are prepared, conduct community engagement to reach consensus about which of the two concept plan alternatives voters prefer and are willing to financially support. Determine what level of overall financial support voters are willing to provide.

After documenting the community’s consensus, the consultant team will give a recommendation regarding which alternative should move forward and provide an implementation strategy. The recommendation should include information that will help local leaders understand the service area of the pools, potential users, an appropriate fee schedule, economic development/business partnerships, and any other revenue opportunities or other opportunities that may help offset the cost of investing in new aquatics facilities.

Representative Rick Hansen attempted to secure $500,000 from the State Legislature during the 2024 session for the City of South St. Paul to fully design a new pool to replace the Northview Pool. Unfortunately, the Legislature adjourned without passing a bonding bill and many communities had their funding goals frustrated.

The consultant team that is selected to assist the City with the upcoming Pool Feasibility and Design Study will be asked to provide an implementation strategy for funding a new pool in South St. Paul. That will include advising the City Council about any outside funding sources that may be available to defray the cost of constructing a new pool.

It is unusual and expensive for a small suburban community to operate two full-sized swimming pools at separate locations with separate mechanical systems, bathhouse buildings, concessions, and lifeguards. Public outdoor pools in Minnesota are a great amenity but they lose money, they do not make money. Revenue from admissions and concessions can help with operating costs but generally will not touch the capital costs of constructing the pool in the first place. In recent years, there have been labor shortages which have made it more difficult and expensive to find qualified lifeguards. This makes it even more challenging to operate two separate public pools that each need a team of lifeguards.

The City understands that many residents love the “status quo” which is why it is being included as one of the alternatives. Preserving the status quo is going to be more expensive than consolidating aquatics facilities at Lorraine Park. The Pool Feasibility and Design Study will identify how expensive each alternative will be so that voters can make an informed choice about whether the added costs are worth it to preserve the “status quo.” Northview Park is significantly smaller than Lorraine Park which limits which types of pool design can be implemented. This will also be explored further in the Pool Feasibility and Design Study.

Communities do sometimes get lucky and find a wealthy donor or grantmaking organization that is willing to fund or partially fund a big-ticket item in a public park. Some communities have also had success getting the State Legislature to assist with funding a recreational facility if it is a regional facility that serves many non-local users. The City of Crystal was successful in convincing the State Legislature that their outdoor pool serves many different communities and the State Legislature agreed to pay almost half of the $5.35 million cost of renovating their pool.

If the City of South St. Paul does not receive a windfall in the form of “free” money provided by the State Legislature or a private donor, there are essentially only two ways to fund a big-ticket item. Smaller big-ticket items like playgrounds can be built into the annual budget and CIP if the City does just a few projects each year. A small playground typically costs at least $125,000 while a larger playground will cost upwards of $200,000. Very large big-ticket items like an outdoor swimming pool can generally only be afforded with borrowed money (i.e. bonding) and this would require a voter-approved referendum.

Many people believe that a referendum is the fairest way to fund a large big-ticket recreational amenity like a swimming pool because the residents who vote for the referendum will get to use the new swimming pool while they are paying for it through increased property taxes. If residents do not want the big-ticket item and do not believe that it is worth the tax increase, they can vote down the referendum. It is worth noting that Northview Pool’s initial construction was paid for via a voter-approved referendum in 1955.

Some community members have suggested during public engagement that the City should have raised taxes decades ago to establish a special fund that could be used now to build a new pool with cash and without a referendum. That type of approach is generally not politically feasible because it means that the people paying for the new pool may never even get to use it. It would be very unusual for elected officials to raise taxes on current residents to establish a fund to pay for future recreational amenities that will exclusively benefit future residents. 

Kaposia Park is mostly comprised of wooded areas but there is a small open space on Conver Avenue that currently hosts two tennis courts. The soil in this area is unstable which means that the tennis courts have cracked and fallen into disrepair much more quickly than anticipated. The Parks Department has observed that the two tennis courts get little use and they do not believe that it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds to restore the two tennis courts when they will just fall into disrepair again soon because of the unstable soils. 

A “food forest” of fruit trees was viewed as a fun, low-cost, and low-impact way to utilize this existing open space in a manner that will work with its unstable soils. The City was surprised to receive feedback from residents living on Conver Avenue who stated that they like having the tennis courts in their neighborhood and want them restored so that they will be playable again. Some residents also expressed concern that a large food forest would become a community destination that would drive traffic to the neighborhood. Considering the feedback, the proposed Parks Master Plan has been amended with a compromise solution. The plan proposes installing one (1) tension-reinforced tennis court which will be more expensive to construct than a standard tennis court but should hold up and remain playable for many years even with the poor soil conditions. Fruit trees will be planted on the remainder of the site as a fun and low-cost way to use the existing open space. 

The proposed picnic shelter will be completely open-sided so that it does not disrupt views and it can be given an elegant design that will complement the aesthetics of the area. The final location of the shelter is ultimately up to the City Council, but City Staff feels strongly that shelter should be in the north end of the park so that it can provide shade to families that are using the playground that is located on the north end of the park. Grandview Park is likely going to see a large uptick in usage because there is new residential development on Concord Exchange, and Grandview is the closest park with a playground. Grandview Park needs to have appropriate amenities that will support families using the park and it will become an even more attractive destination after its very old playground is replaced in 2025.

No, the City is not planning to sell off any of its parkland. It is unclear exactly where this rumor started but City Staff wants to assure the public that there have been no discussions of selling off parkland for real estate development. Due to the way that it was acquired, some of the City’s parkland is subject to deed restrictions that require the land to continue to be used as a public park into perpetuity. 

In 2021, the City purchased a 6.41-acre property next to Jefferson Park from the South St. Paul Public School District for $1 million. The 6.41-acre property was the former site of Jefferson School which was demolished in 2016. There were some discussions in 2020 and 2021 about what the “highest and best use” of the 6.41-acre property might be and there was some talk about housing development at that time. The City purchased the property from the School District with the primary goal of expanding Jefferson Park and the proposed Parks Master Plan calls for all of the 6.41-acre property to be officially added to Jefferson Park. The proposed plan does not call for any of this land to be sold off for real estate development.

It is unusual and expensive for a small suburban community to operate two large swimming pools at two separate locations which each have their own mechanical systems, bathhouse buildings, concessions, and lifeguards. Public outdoor pools in Minnesota are a great amenity but they lose money, they do not make money. Revenue from admissions and concessions can help with operating costs but generally will not touch the capital costs of constructing the pool in the first place. In recent years, there have been labor shortages which have made it more difficult and expensive to find qualified lifeguards. This makes it even more challenging to operate two separate public pools that each need a team of lifeguards.

Currently, families with young children generally go to Lorraine Splash Pool and families with older children generally go to Northview Pool. Neither existing pool facility has the right design features to entertain a family with children of all ages, and this has a very real and very negative impact on total attendance numbers. JLG Architects has advised that the City should see a significant increase in total attendance numbers if it builds a “fun for the whole family” aquatics facility that includes both a full-sized swimming pool and a spray feature for young children. This will help the aquatics program bring in more revenue to offset operating expenses.

The proposed aquatics center would be designed to have pool options for children of all ages since it would be replacing both existing pools-Lorraine Splash Pool and Northview Pool. The $8.55 million estimated price tag includes the cost of building a new program pool that is like Northview Pool except that it would have a zero-depth beach entry and waterslides AND the cost of building a young children’s play area with a spray feature. The price tag would also include the cost of replacing/upgrading the parking lot and constructing a new support building with restrooms, changing rooms, and concessions.

It would likely cost almost as much if not more money to renovate the existing pools as it would to construct a new aquatics facility. It is difficult to control the budget of a pool renovation project because you might encounter issues you were not expecting once you start taking the pool apart. A new pool will last much longer than a renovated pool and building a new aquatics facility is the most cost-effective option for South St. Paul taxpayers.

JLG Architects has prepared some very preliminary estimates of operating costs. An outdoor aquatics center would cost between $250,000-$350,0000 annually to operate. An indoor aquatics center would cost between $1.1 million- $1.3 million annually to operate.

Northview Pool has a $116,547 budget for 2025. The Lorraine Park Splash Pool has a budget of $99,149 for 2025. However, both pools are at the end of their useful lives and require substantial “above and beyond” emergency investments each year to keep them operating which makes the facilities difficult to budget for. The Northview Pool went over budget by almost $28,000 in 2024 and the Lorraine Splash Pool went over budget by almost $20,000 in 2024.

Public pools and community centers do not make money. In addition to paying the capital costs to build the facility in the first place, local taxpayers in many communities must contribute an annual operating subsidy because these types of facilities often do not generate enough revenue to fully cover their annual operating expenses.   Public pools and community centers are an amenity, and they should be primarily tailored towards local needs since it is the local taxpayers who will be responsible for covering the annual operating subsidy if one is needed. That being said, making the facility inviting enough to attract non-residents can bring in additional revenue to help offset operating costs and reduce the size of the annual subsidy.

The City will try to get State funding and private donor funding to help bring down the cost of building a new aquatics facility. The State Legislature recently agreed to pay for almost half of the $5.35 million cost of renovating the City of Crystal’s swimming pool, but Crystal operates a regional pool that serves many non-residents. The City of South St. Paul was not successful in its efforts to get bonding dollars for the aquatics program during the Minnesota Legislature’s 2025 session. The City will try again during the 2026 Legislative Session.

 The State Legislature imposed a two-year moratorium on new local sales taxes during their 2023 session and they will not consider allowing any cities to implement a local sales tax until 2026 at the earliest. The City of South St. Paul did study this issue several years ago and it was determined that relatively few non-residents shop and dine in South St. Paul so a local sales tax would primarily affect existing city residents.

 Some community members have suggested during public engagement that the City should have raised taxes decades ago to establish a special fund that could be used now to build a new pool with cash and without borrowing money. That type of approach is generally not politically feasible because it means that the people paying for the new pool may never even get to use it. It would be very unusual for elected officials to raise taxes on current residents to establish a fund to pay for future recreational amenities that will exclusively benefit future residents.

Members of the pool feasibility study team had meetings with South St. Paul School District Leadership to discuss the potential for collaboration. An outdoor swimming pool, which was identified as the overwhelming preference by community members through the City’s public engagement process, does not meet the School District’s needs. Many school districts welcome ownership of an indoor swimming pool but that was not within the scope of this project.

The project team has determined that it would cost roughly $11 million to build an indoor aquatics center in South St. Paul but this type of facility would only be large enough to accommodate the community’s recreational needs. The aquatics center would need to be much larger to accommodate a large enough lap pool to support the competitive swimming and the cost would likely increase by at least $8 million for a total project cost of $19-$21 million, substantially increasing the financial impact of the project on local residents and businesses. The School District’s swim team program is currently very small and has a small number of participants. The School District also uses their existing indoor pool for gym classes and swimming lessons in addition to offering some community open swim time.

The project team has heard feedback from many community members that the School District’s indoor pool at Central Square is kept at a low temperature to make it better suited for competitive swimming. The colder water makes the facility less pleasant for recreational users. There would be some logistical challenges such as water temperature to be worked through if the City and the School District wanted to collaborate on an indoor aquatics center at some point in the future when the Central Square pool is at the end of its useful life.

There are already many indoor and outdoor regional pools in the area that can be easily reached by any SSP resident who has access to a car. Community members have consistently expressed that one of the main reasons why they love the Northview Pool is that it is a rite-of-passage for middle school students and teenagers to go to the pool by themselves by walking or riding their bike. Northview Pool is a community pool that is easily accessed by community members. It is very unlikely that a regional pool would be built in South St. Paul due to space constraints so any new regional pool in Dakota County would likely require a car trip and would not be that much more convenient than existing regional pools. Ramsey County and Anoka County both operate large regional pools, but they built their pools at large County-owned regional parks.

JLG Architects has warned against pursuing this type of project. There is no cost-effective way to seasonally enclose an outdoor swimming pool with a proven technology. A retractable roof system that has enough insulation to allow year-round swimming would be enormously expensive and would be financially out of reach for South St. Paul. Baldwin, Wisconsin launched a project in 2021 to build an outdoor pool that can be enclosed during the winter with an inflatable sports dome. This is not a proven technology, and there are enough downsides to this approach that it is not recommended at this time. There are substantial labor costs and logistical challenges involved with erecting, taking down, and storing the dome each year. The dome itself has a limited lifespan and will need to be replaced periodically with a substantial cost.

Section 58-103 of the City Code states that the City Council can establish a permit parking zone if they adopt a finding that the occupants of dwellings in a residential area do not have adequate on-street parking. The City Code does not set any objective criteria for making this determination and leaves the decision completely up to the City Council on a case-by-case basis. The City currently has three permit parking zones: 

1. The permit parking zone by McMorrow Field was established sometime in 1984 or 1985 but the records are unclear about the exact date of implementation.

2. The permit parking zone on 6^th Avenue North was established in July of 1993 by City Council vote. The zone was expanded in November of 1993 which set its current boundaries.

3. The permit parking zone by McGuire Field at Lorraine Park was established on March 20, 1995  by City Council vote. The zone was expanded on June 5, 1995, which set its current boundaries. This permit parking zone has unique signage stating that a permit is only required during ballgames.

The City’s permit parking program operates in a very informal manner. There is a roll of parking permit stickers at the front counter at City Hall. Anyone who can prove that they live in one of the 3 permit parking zones is given up to 4 parking permit stickers for free to do whatever they want with. They can stick the permits in their own car’s window or give them to a friend to stick in their car’s window as guest parking. Parking permit stickers do not expire, so any car with an SSP parking permit in its window can park in all 3 zones for life, even if the resident no longer lives in a permit parking zone.

All records related to parking permits are handwritten and kept in a 3-ring binder that appears to be several decades old. Because parking permits are issued for life and do not require annual renewal, it is impossible for City Staff to know which properties have active parking permits and which properties do not since residents move and/or replace cars without informing the City.

City Staff visited the permit parking zone near the high school and the permit parking zone near McMorrow field on different days in 2024, both on school days and on non-school days. None of the cars parked in the permit zone near McMorrow Field were displaying a permit. Less than half of cars parked in the permit zone by the high school were displaying a permit on the days that Staff visited. 

The permit requirement near McGuire Field is only in effect during ballgames. The permit parking signs near McGuire Field result in ballgame attendees parking in front of houses just outside of the permit parking zone instead of parking within the zone. This is causing frustration for some residents who live just outside of the permit parking zone, and they have complained about this being unfair.

Very few communities in the Twin Cities metro operate on-street permit parking programs in residential areas. Residential permit parking programs are generally a “big city” solution for managing parking conflicts. Most cities with large permit parking programs charge an annual fee to cover the administrative costs of issuing and tracking parking permits. Minneapolis and Saint Paul each have a large number of permit parking zones and both cities charge $25 per year for each car that needs a parking permit. Residents living in permit parking zones in Minneapolis and Saint Paul must also purchase additional parking permits each year if they want their guests to be able to park on the street. 

Most suburbs in the Twin Cities use restricted parking signage to regulate the areas near their high schools instead of operating a permit parking program. Some examples of signs that communities put up along residential streets near their high schools include:

West Saint Paul: “No Parking 8 AM-2 PM. Local Residents Exempt”

 North Saint Paul: “Resident Parking Only This Block on School Days 7 AM to 3 PM”

Cottage Grove: "Resident Parking Only- 7 AM to 2:30 PM, Mon thru Fri, During School"

South St. Paul’s permit parking program is proposed to be retired this year for three main reasons: 

1. Most of the permit parking signs in SSP are decades old, badly faded, and in need of replacement. This is a good time to reevaluate the permit parking program before the City incurs the expense of fabricating and installing new signs.

2. Two of SSP’s three permit parking zones were established in the 1980’s and 1990’s in response to very specific conditions in neighborhoods that were next to busy city parks. Both parks have different usage conditions today and both parks have had their parking lots expanded in the years since the permit parking zones were created. In the case of McGuire Field, the permit parking signs are causing unintended problems. The signs are pushing ballgame attendees to park just outside the permit parking zone and walk to McGuire Field which is causing neighbors to complain about unfairness since some blocks have permit parking signs and others do not. 

3. Regarding the high school area, most of the same benefits of permit parking can be achieved by putting signs up along 6^th Avenue North that restrict parking to block residents during school hours. This type of signage can be enforced by the Police Department in response to complaints, so nothing will really change from the status quo. Most high schoolers do not want to get a parking ticket and will respond to restricted parking signs in the same manner as they would respond to permit parking signs.

The permit parking rules are enforced by the South St. Paul Police Department, but these rules are only enforced in response to complaints. Police Departments are not staffed to proactively monitor permit parking zones and most residential permit parking zones in the Twin Cities operate largely on the honor system with enforcement only done in response to complaints. Even Minneapolis and Saint Paul’s residential permit parking programs do not bring in nearly enough money with their $25 annual fees to cover the cost of proactive enforcement. 

McMorrow Field was redone following the 2014 parks referendum and now has much more off-street parking and no longer has softball facilities. The McGuire Field parking lot at Lorraine Park was expanded to add an additional 30 stalls in 1995 and now features 62 stalls total. This expansion took place three months after the permit parking zone was initially established. 

The City Council will vote on whether to de-establish the three permit parking zones at an upcoming meeting this spring or summer. If the three zones are officially de-established, Public Works will remove the existing signs and install new restricted parking signs near the high school.

Permit parking programs can be appropriate in residential areas with a severe parking shortage but there is no such parking shortage in any of SSP’s three permit parking zones. Even in areas where permit parking does make sense, this type of program benefits specific households at the expense of other households, and it requires City resources to manage. At a minimum, a permit parking program really does need to cover its own administrative costs (street sign replacement, permit printing and issuance, tracking of permits, etc.). If residents feel strongly that the permit parking program needs to be continued, City Staff can explore what it would take to overhaul the program and make it cover its own costs. Most likely, that would mean at least a $25 annual fee for each car that needs a permit and additional charges for guest parking permits. This could be a financial burden for some households and could be hard to justify when there is not a documented parking shortage in any of SSP’s three permit parking zones and high school parking issues can easily be addressed with signage. 

Here are the 3 steps taken by customers: 

1. Customer accesses account via the City of South St. Paul website by clicking on the “Online Payments” button. 
2. Customer locates and views bill and either enters payment information for a one-time payment or registers to schedule a payment. 
3. Customer receives an email confirmation with their payment amount and payment process date.

By registering, you have access to all of the features of the payment portal. These features include the ability to view all current bills, see previous bills and payment dates, access the online customer service system, go paperless, schedule payments for a specific dates, and sign up for Auto-Pay. You also avoid having to enter your payment information each time you pay a bill.

Go to the City of South St. Paul website, click on Online Payments then View or Pay Bill Now. On the customer portal screen, click the Register Now button. Enter your customer and account numbers as they appear on your utility bill and click Submit. On the next screen, select the invoice by clicking the box to the left and click on Register Selected Invoices. You will be prompted to enter your email address and a password.

The eUtility Billing screen gives instructions on where to find your customer number and account number on your utility bill.

The eUtility Billing screen gives instructions on where to find your customer number and account number on your utility bill.

You can link accounts by clicking Manage My Accounts in your customer portal. See the video on your account home screen under Support.

You should view “Forgotten Password?” at the bottom of the login screen. You will need your customer account number and email address to retrieve your password. If you are unable to locate this information, you may call the City of South St. Paul, and they can provide you with the information.

You will have 24/7 access to your account to review your bill, schedule a payment, and view your payment history.

Going paperless is a two-step process, after you select paperless billing within your account, you will receive a paperless registration email. You must go to the Confirm button in the email to complete the process. You will get one reminder email; if you don’t complete the registration at that time the paperless enrollment will be canceled.

If you did not intend to register for paperless bills, do not complete the registration as required in the email notification. Alternatively, you can sign into your account change the paperless billing by going to My Profile, Paperless Options and click the No button.

No. You can make a one-time payment by entering your customer and account numbers, selecting the bill you want to pay and entering your payment information.

Yes, each bill is presented in PDF and HTML format. Electronic storage is recommended because it saves paper and has a beneficial impact on our environment.

Yes, you can print your bill and send your payment to the City. You can also pay your bill by cash, check, or credit card at City Hall or call 1-855-985-1090 to pay by phone

There are no signup costs, subscription fees or transaction fees for online or phone payments.

Yes, an email address is required for payment confirmation. A payment receipt is sent via email.

You will need to enter your credit card or bank account information to make a payment. If you registered your account, you can save this information for future use. If you make a one-time payment, you will need to enter your credit card or bank account information as well as your customer and account numbers.

You can pay by credit or debit card (the City accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover) or you may pay by electronic check from your bank account (checking or savings).

You can make payment or review your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is always a good idea to pay or schedule a payment at least few days before the due date to allow for processing time 

Yes, the City of South St. Paul allows partial payments.

Yes, the City of South St. Paul accepts prepayments on account; however you must register your account to do so. You cannot make a one-time payment on your account if there is no balance due.

Under “How would you like to pay” go to the drop-down box and choose EFT Check.

Yes, you may use one payment method for part of your bill and another payment method for the remainder of your bill. You must enter each payment as a separate transaction for each payment type.

After you submit your payment, you will see a payment confirmation screen. The payment confirmation message will contain an approved number for credit cards or a processed number for electronic check. You will also receive a confirmation email. The email will include your customer and account number, invoice number, amount paid, and confirmation message. 

Credit card transactions typically take 48 hours to settle. An authorization is issued immediately; however, it takes 48 hours for the money to be transferred.

EFT transactions typically take 48 – 72 hours to settle.

To verify that your payment has posted to your account, log into your account and select “View paid or closed invoices”. If you made a one-time payment, enter your customer and account number as if you were making a payment. You will see that the balance due on the invoice you selected will reflect the payment you made.

Auto-Pay means that your bill will be paid automatically on the due date using your default credit card or bank account. This will avoid any late fees and free you from having to remember when to pay.

Yes, log into your account; under My Profile, select AutoPay. Click the Edit icon under Options on the right side of the screen. In the Edit AutoPay Setup window, click the No button and save. You can also cancel AutoPay by deleting all accounts and credit cards under Payment Methods.

Under My Profile, Payment Methods, Select the Edit icon to the right of the payment option you would like to be your default and click the Default box in the pop-up window, then click Save.

The Auto Pay date will not appear under scheduled payments. Auto Pay will be debited from the customer’s account on the due date.

Auto-pay is an automated process which pays your balance in full each billing cycle on the due date; scheduled payments are manually entered by you for the date and amount you choose. You can also set up recurring scheduled payments.

Yes, as long as it is changed before the date it was scheduled to be paid.

You can continue to pay your bill through your bank. If you want to manage your payments through this portal, you will need to contact your bank and cancel your automated or scheduled payment before the payment is due (typically payments are made a couple days in advance of the due date, so don’t wait until the last minute).

You and City of South St. Paul authorized staff. No one will have access to your financial information as all check routing numbers and credit card numbers are truncated, so you never have to worry about security. As a security precaution, we don’t even show your full financial information back to you.

Your information is secure at all times. All of your financial information is Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliant. This includes truncating (abbreviating) account numbers so that even the City of South St. Paul does not see your complete account information.

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry and compliance with the industry standards is a requirement for those that accept the major credit cards and for software providers who have applications which involve the transmission and/or storage of credit card information. If breaches are found on systems that are not PCI compliant, the major credit card companies have the ability to levy significant fines on the offending parties.

If you are unable to find the information you need in your online payment history or open bills, please call the City of South St. Paul Utility Billing Customer Service at (651) 554-3209.

Please call the City of South St. Paul Utility Billing Customer Service at (651) 554-3209.

To prevent unauthorized access to customer accounts (and as required for Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance), an escalating timeout and lockout procedure is in place. This security feature is triggered by repeated failed logins. If you get a lockout message while attempting to login, you should contact the City of South St. Paul Utility Billing Customer Service at (651) 554-3209.

Check your spam folder on your email account. To ensure delivery of account related email notifications, you will need to add no-reply@invoicecloud.net to your safe senders list.

November 16th, 2025.

The yard waste site sits on land needed for two major City projects: the extension of Verderosa Avenue and the construction of a new Public Works facility. These projects begin in spring 2026. Rebuilding and operating the site would be costly, and the service can be replaced by nearby private options.

Residents have several options:

• Gertens Yard Waste Facility in Inver Grove Heights – accepts yard waste, brush, and tree debris; open 7 days a week, year-round
  • Gertans Bag - $0.75
  • Bag - $1.25
• Davey Tree Service on Hardman Avenue – accepts tree debris and brush
  • Vehicle and small trailer - $15
  • Dump trailer - $50
• Curbside collection – offered by most licensed waste haulers in South St. Paul

No. South St. Paul has been the only city in Dakota County running a municipal yard waste drop-off. Most cities rely on private facilities and curbside service.

Yes. The City will not reopen a municipal yard waste site after construction. Residents will continue to have convenient private and curbside options.

It captures license plates and vehicle details. It does not capture faces or identify who is driving.

It helps locate stolen vehicles, find wanted individuals and support investigations by giving staff a way to review plate reads tied to reported crimes.

Only trained personnel with approved permissions. The system uses role-based access to maintain security.

No. ALPR data remains within the department and Axon’s secure system.

No. The system captures plate reads when a patrol vehicle encounters them. It does not track individuals or provide continuous location history.

Plate read and hotlist hits are retained for 60 days. 

You can review our ALPR policies and usage statistics on our transparency dashboard.

They capture still images of license plates and general vehicle details as vehicles pass through public spaces. They do not identify drivers or passengers.

It helps us identify stolen vehicles, locate wanted vehicles and support investigations. Real-time alerts help officers respond quickly. Reviewing past vehicle sightings helps us follow up on reported crimes.

No. The cameras capture a vehicle only when it passes a fixed camera location. The system does not follow vehicles or monitor continuous movement.

We maintain captured images and associated data for 30 days. 

Only trained personnel with the proper permissions. Access is role-based, and each user’s activity is logged.

No. We do not sell or share Flock Safety data with third parties. The information is used only for law-enforcement purposes that follow department policy.

No. Flock cameras capture still images, not video footage.

Our full policy and system usage information are available on our transparency dashboard.