Resolutions of the 2003 DFL City Convention

The following resolutions have been adopted by the 2003 St. Paul DFL City Convention. A total of 182 ballots were cast, making adoption equal to 110 positive votes.

Labor and Employment

1. The Metropolitan Airports commissioner appointed by the Mayor support an ordinance allowing taxi drivers to use an airport restroom without losing their position in the taxi line for pickup of new fares.

Government

1. Encourage local government to resist and not accept unfunded mandates.

3. The City Planning Commission must include one member from each of the district council service areas.

7. The City of St. Paul privatize city services only as a last resort and then only for non-essential services, and only with the public consent by initiative

Health and Human Services

1. Enact an ordinance to prohibit smoking in all work sites and public spaces.

2. Support a woman’s right to choose her own reproductive options and oppose any restrictions on abortion including a mandatory waiting period.

3. Support giving the same privileges to domestic partners as to married couples.

4. Endorse candidates that will protect services to the most vulnerable in our community including the disabled, elderly, the very young and women in need.

5. All essential city services be preserved (i.e., libraries, recreation centers, etc.)

6. Levy taxes to maintain essential city services including recreation and libraries.

7. The City of St. Paul continue to fund programs and agencies that help coordinate services which assist seniors to stay in their own homes.

8. The City of St. Paul support the full range of medical services offered by the Family Tree Clinic.

9. The City of St. Paul with the Minnesota Legislature restore funds to the 100% level for the WIC (women, infant and children) program.

Housing

1. Affordable housing is one of the city’s highest priorities; and the DFL reaffirms is commitment to support a net increase of 5,000 affordable housing units, distributed throughout the city by January 2006. Encourage all city government units, non government organizations and private individuals to coordinate efforts to identify building lots, obtain financing and obtain necessary variances and permits to achieve this goal.

2. The city maintain the current level of funding for the preservation and maintenance of existing housing stock.

Transportation

1. The City of St. Paul continue to explore light rail transit and city bus service instead of the expansion of highways.

2. The City of Saint Paul advocate for transit to the Metropolitan Council and State Legislature and to provide funding for improvements to city bus service.

4. The proposed reduction of present transit services to Cottage Grove, Saint Paul Park, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Bayport, and other suburban destinations be reconsidered.

Business and Community Development

2. The City of St. Paul the DFL strongly support renewable resources such as geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass.

3. Any new Farmers’ Market that is built in the City of Saint Paul be affordable to the family farmers and they have input into the design and construction plans.

4. Public spaces be preserved in spite of privatization pressures.

Party Issues

1. The St. Paul DFL provide unbiased interpreters for each precinct of the precinct caucuses, each Ward Convention, and at the City Convention. Interpreters should be provided in a parallel system to the system that provides interpreters for citizens with disabilities

Public safety / crime prevention

2. Essential services such as fire and police be spared from further funding cuts to the extent that it is possible.

3. The City of St. Paul oppose any legislation to permit conceal/carry of handguns in the city and any weakening of the discretion of peace officers to determine who shall be issued a permit to carry a concealed handgun.

4. If concealed hand gun legislation be enacted by the State of Minnesota, the City of Saint Paul shall forbid concealed carry handguns in all City buildings.

Education / Youth Programs

2. The City of Saint Paul and the St. Paul School Board support school readiness programs.

3. The City of St. Paul continue to allocate resources for community after school programs and locations.

4. Voting education continues to be incorporated as a standard of learning for K-12 grades.

5. The City of Saint Paul support continued education, English language learning, and adult literacy programming for all residents.

6. The City of Saint Paul support continued funding of the Saint Paul Library branch at the West Seventh Community Center.

7. The City of St. Paul preserve programs that focus on high-risk youth.

8. The St. Paul Board of Education to make school district athletic fields, including high school football fields, available for youth soccer program.

Historic

1. The historic Highland Theater be retained as a movie theater.