Latest news with #SeanKershaw
CBS News
27-06-2025
- CBS News
Vandals in St. Paul repeatedly tossing sewer grates in storm drains, public works department says
The St. Paul Public Works Department says vandals have been picking up sewer grates and tossing them down storm drains, leaving open holes in the street. More than 150 catch basins across St. Paul have been affected since the beginning of the month in acts of vandalism the city is calling "unusual." Several neighborhoods have been targeted in the vandalism, including West Side, Frogtown, Summit Hill, Downtown and the East Side. The St. Paul Public Works Department says the grates weigh over 150 pounds and removing them is illegal. "This malicious behavior is unacceptable and extremely dangerous to everyone, including drivers, walkers, and bikers," St. Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said. The St. Paul Public Works Department has received multiple reports of storm drain sewer grates being removed and then dropped the into the storm drains. St. Paul Public Works Department The public is being asked to keep an eye on neighborhood storm drains this summer. To report missing grates or other storm drain damage, people can call Public Works Sewer Maintenance at 651-266-9850 during weekday business hours. After hours or on the weekends, people are asked to call 651-266-9700 and leave a detailed message about the location. Residents who have a missing or damaged storm drain in their neighborhood are encouraged to check any security camera footage to see if they caught the individuals removing the grates, and provide the footage to the police department if they do. Anyone who sees someone actively removing a storm drain gate should call 911 to report the incident to the police department. The public works department says it is working to replace storm drains as quickly as possible.
Axios
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
St. Paul launches trial that could change the snow emergency forever
St. Paul is launching a limited experiment with one-sided street parking this weekend. Why it matters: If the experiment works, it could lead to big changes in the Capital City's approach to clearing streets during snow emergencies. But residents will also have to move their cars to the opposite curb every weekend, even when it's not snowing. The big picture: St. Paul's idea has the potential to end the game of "musical cars" that generations of Minnesotans have endured during snow emergencies. The parking rules are designed to open streets to plows after winter storms. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said he thinks this model is overdue for a refresh, given that it comes with costly overtime spikes for the city and burdensome tickets and tows for residents. The intrigue: Public works officials think crews could clear the city's 550 miles of residential streets faster if one curb is always free of cars and they don't have to wait for the declaration of an emergency to roll the plows. Catch up quick: St. Paul's regular snow emergency rules require some drivers to move their cars twice so plows can get to each side of the street. How it works: The pilot project begins Sunday in two zones: roughly 1.5 square miles of both the Highland Park and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. The first week, the city will limit parking to the even side of the street. The following week, cars must move to the odd side of the street. Drivers will have from 3-9pm every Sunday to complete the move. The experiment runs through April 12 — and if a winter storm hits, people properly parked in the zones don't need to move their cars as the city's regular rules don't apply. Zoom in: Workers will initially leave flyers on vehicles that don't follow the temporary rules — but starting Feb. 17, they will start ticketing and towing cars. Accessible parking spaces will pose a challenge. During the pilot, the city plans to place temporary signs on the opposite curb. Stunning stat: City officials say Duluth already follows similar rules and issued just 150 parking tickets in 2022-23, the state's third-snowiest winter on record. Compare that with St. Paul, which issued more than 20,000 snow emergency tickets that season. Friction point: Certain neighborhoods already have a reputation as being difficult for parking, even with both sides of the street open. However, after polling plow drivers, public works director Sean Kershaw told reporters in April that "there really weren't that many [areas] that had not enough parking. We can solve for those." What we're watching: Whether St. Paul gets any snow to test this new approach before spring. So far, we haven't had much.
