First Post: Inaugural CRC Public Forum

Welcome to The Skyway INSIDEr! My name is Andy Flamm, and I am the owner of Cedar Printing in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. I currently serve on the CapitolRiver Council (CRC) board of directors and am chair of the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee (SGAC), which I represent on the Skyway Vitality Work Group (SVWG). More on those organizations in a bit.

The purpose of The Skyway INSIDEr is to bring together news and views regarding the Saint Paul skyway system so that downtown residents, property and business owners, employees, visitors and others can keep up with skyway-related issues and how they are being addressed, as well as to give readers a voice in resolving those issues.

For example, the CRC hosted the first of a series of quarterly public forums called Downtown Live on June 26 in the Jerome Hill Theater at 180 E Fifth St. Moderated by Twin Cities Public Television personality David Gillette, this inaugural forum focused on "The State of the Skyways" and featured panelists representing the City Council, Saint Paul Police, the Department of Safety and Inspections, the Building Owners and Managers Association and myself. 

After a half-hour of informative comments by the panelists, the floor was opened up to questions and comments from an audience of around 120 people, mostly downtown residents. Some of the most common concerns included:

-Feeling unsafe in certain areas, mainly near Central Station
-Ugly, smelly messes left by "sleepers"
-Street access doors locked in early evening

Councilmember Rebecca Noecker explained that revised skyway ordinance language, including an updated code of conduct, is being finalized and should be ready for Council approval in August. The new regulations will allow Police to better manage unruly people in the skyways as well as ensure that all skyway doors are locked at closing time. Community organizations that work with homeless individuals are being consulted regarding humane treatment for those ejected from the skyways for sleeping. While buildings cannot be required to keep doors unlocked after business hours, attempts will be made to ensure that skyway access is available as widely as possible during open hours.

Speaking of skyway hours, which are currently 6AM to 2AM, most of the attendees indicated they like the hours as they are, while some said closing at midnight would be a good idea. Most were against closing earlier than midnight, while a small number made a pitch for the skyways to be open 24/7.

You can watch video of the event here. The next Downtown Live public forum will be announced soon and posted on the CRC website.

Now, about those organizations I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Cedar Printing is a 34-year-old digital printshop on the skyway level of the Securian 401 Building at 401 N. Robert St.; we emphasize friendly, knowledgeable service coupled with fast, high-quality printing at competitive prices. The CapitolRiver Council is one of 17 district councils in Saint Paul and includes the downtown area; the CRC represents all stakeholders and advises the City Council on issues from development plans to community events. The Skyway Governance Advisory Committee was created by the City Council to advise on skyway-related issues such as permitting, hours and special events; the eight-member committee is appointed by the CRC board for two-year terms.

The Skyway Vitality Work Group is a bit different, having been established early this year by Councilmember Noecker and Deputy Mayor Kristin Beckmann as a way to bring together city departments, building owners and community organizations to coordinate solutions to skyway issues. The efforts of this group will pay off in the coming months as the skyway ordinance is updated, new maps are installed throughout the system and maintenance issues are addressed (including public toilets!). 

The Saint Paul skyway system is a remarkable asset to the city, but it is also surprisingly complex to administer due to its public/private nature (more on that later). After years of neglect, however, our community is pulling together to spiff up the system and meet the challenges it faces after 40 years of service. Please consider joining us in that effort.