FYI – February 20, 2026
Upcoming Meetings
February 23
Work Session 6:15 PM
- Street Improvement Assessment Rates (Steve L)
- Battle Creek-St. Croix River Regional Trail Long Range Plan (Steve L)
City Council Meeting -- 7 PM
March 9
Work Session - TBD
- Business Impacts – Operation Metro Surge (tentative)
- Ramsey County Property – South of the Waldo
- Habitat for Humanity – Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) Funds
City Council Meeting -- 7 PM
Upcoming Events:
- State of the City – Tuesday, March 10, 9 – 10:30 AM, Maplewood YMCA Community Center
- Rice & Larpenteur Community Gathering, March 5, 5:30 -- 7:30 PM
- The Waldo Grand Opening, March 12, 3pm-5pm, 1880 English Street N
- Egg Hunt, Saturday April 4, Edgerton Park (Sessions start at 9:30 and 10:30 AM)
- Maplewood 2026 Spring Clean Up – Saturday, April 25, 8 AM – 1 PM, Aldrich Arena
Administration Updates
Maplewood Community Center- Upcoming Community Engagement Opportunities
The City of Maplewood is pleased to announce two upcoming community engagement events regarding the Maplewood Community Center (MCC) project:
March 2
- 2:00–4:00 PM
- 6:00–7:30 PM
March 16
- 2:00–4:00 PM
- 6:00–7:30 PM
LSE will coordinate both events and will be seeking community input on concept designs, potential future uses, and the overall layout of the facility. Community feedback will play an important role in shaping the final recommendations for the project.
Additional engagement opportunities will be developed over the next two months. These will include options for remote participation, as well as opportunities to provide feedback through surveys and other input methods.
LSE will return to update the City Council in March, with final recommendations anticipated in April.
We encourage all community members to participate and share their input.
Cities for Safe and Stable Communities
The Coalition of Cities for Safe and Stable Communities, of which Maplewood was an original member, has increased to 22 Member Cities.
Besides meeting with key stakeholders at the federal and state level, we will be gathering data from the business community on the impacts of Operation Metro Surge on businesses in Maplewood. In addition, we’re gathering internal data to quantify the impacts, if any (i.e. PD Overtime, lost permit revenue, etc…) to better advocate for more resources from the State.
City Welcomes Student Intern
The City of Maplewood is pleased to welcome Luke Lindemer, a senior at Hill-Murray School, who will be joining as an unpaid student intern beginning February 23.
Luke has a strong interest in finance and will be working closely with the City’s Finance and HR Departments throughout his internship this spring. During his time with us, he will assist with a variety of projects, including:
- Reviewing the City’s Financial and HR Policies
- Creating fee schedules
- Drafting financial charts and supporting documents
As part of the internship program, students will journal their experiences and compile a final portfolio of their work, which will be presented in May. We are excited to support Luke’s professional development and look forward to his contributions to the City this spring.
Community Development
St John’s Hospital/MHealth Fairview – 1575 Beam Ave East
An application was received this week for a proposed expansion at St John’s Hospital. The 189,600-square-foot expansion is proposed to be integrated with the existing 370,000-square-foot hospital. The expansion includes a four-story addition that connects to the existing hospital through multiple points. During construction, both the main entrance and emergency department entrance will be temporarily relocated to maintain patient and visitor access. This project is scheduled to go before the CDRB and Planning Commission on March 17, with a City Council review to follow.
The Waldo Grand Opening – 1880 English Street North
Thursday, March 12th
3 – 5 p.m.
JB Vang staff has invited Councilmembers and staff to participate in the upcoming grand opening of the new 56 unit, one through four-bedroom multi-family development. An electronic invite was sent to all Councilmembers with the request that RSVP’s be received by March 6th.
Please let Danette or Joe know if you have any questions.
Finance
Workers’ Compensation Audit
The City will receive a premium refund of $28,493 for 7/1/2024-6/30/2025 audit. The initial premium was based on the estimated payroll. The audit was computed using the actual payroll figures, resulting in a refund.
Information Technology
Staff Transition and Upcoming Recruitment
Today is Mike Renner’s final day with the City of Maplewood after more than 10 years of service in the IT Department. For much of his time with the City, Mike supported Public Safety and recently transitioned to working with staff across all departments contributing to the day-to-day operations that keep our systems running. His departure marks the first time in over nine years that the IT Department will be recruiting to fill a position, reflecting a long period of team stability. Staff is excited to be posting the position next week and beginning the hiring process shortly thereafter.
Parks and Natural Resources
Deer Management
The City has partnered with Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul to hire USDA Wildlife Service for deer management. This year, USDA staff will take deer at Carver Preserve in south Maplewood starting on February 24th. Carver Preserve will be closed to the public. They may also be removing deer in Applewood Preserve. Sharp shooting is effective in deer management. It helps maintain wildlife balance in urban areas, as it reduces deer densities and minimizes public risks.
Public Works
2026 Street Improvements – Neighborhood Meeting Update
More than 20 people came out for the street improvements neighborhood meeting Wednesday night. We presented the project improvements, timeline, financing, and assessments.
The Q and A focused on:
- Access to properties during construction
- General questions on assessments
- Drainage concerns
- Impacts on test-drives from Maplewood Toyota using Beam Avenue and Walter Street
The Public Hearing for this project will be held at the Council meeting next Monday.
White Bear Avenue – Mill and Overlay
Ramsey County Transportation notified the City of Maplewood that it will be conducting a mill-and-overlay project on White Bear Avenue this year. It was initially scheduled for 2027. Stay tuned for a construction update.
Public Safety
KARE 11 highlights Maplewood officer
Officer Julius Leonard was selected as a recipient of the Burnsville Memorial Scholarship, administered through Heroes Helping Heroes (H3MN). The scholarship honors the lives and service of Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth, who were killed in the line of duty.
Officer Leonard received the scholarship in December 2024 in the amount of $4,500 and applied it toward tuition at Hennepin Technical College. Before joining Maplewood, Officer Julius Leonard was a Dakota County 911 dispatcher at the time of the tragedy.
Watch the full story: Marking 2 years since Burnsville first responder shooting | kare11.com
2025 Fire/EMS Statistics
The Fire/EMS Department met its Response Goal – 92.8% within 8 minutes. 2025 calls for service increased 3.79%. Notably, the department’s EMS mutual aid utilization from neighboring communities has improved dramatically with a 31% reduction in 2025.
Fire Department Transitions to New Records Management System
As part of a national initiative, the Fire/EMS Department recently transitioned to the National Emergency Reporting Information System (NERIS). This transition will improve tracking of individual response time elements, incident types and actions taken. The application will improve the department’s ability to identify community risk trends and will aid in data driven decision making.
The implementation of NERIS was a coordinated, multi-month process which required cross departmental collaboration. Several agencies in the region have experienced challenges during this transition, the success of this project is a testament to careful planning, hard work and cross departmental communication. A special thank you to Mychal Fowlds and the IT staff for their teamwork on this initiative.