>> Eric: NOW WHEN THE ALMANAC PRODUCERS OPENED UP THE ST.

PAUL PIONEER PRESS WEBSITE THIS MORNING THERE WERE NO FEWER THAN FIVE STORIES WITH THE SAME REPORTER BYLINE AND THAT DOESN'T COUNT ANYTHING THAT WAS POSTED AFTER 1:00 THIS AFTERNOON.

I THINK YOU HAD ONE AFTER 1.

>> I SWEAR I DID NOT USE CHATGPT OR AI OR NYTHING.

[ LAUGHTER ] IT'S TIME TO BRING BACK OUR FAVORITE ST.

PAUL REPORTER BACK TO ALMANAC, FRED MELO, YOU'VE BEEN BUSY THIS WEEK.

>> I HAVE.

>> Eric: THE NEW MAYOR-ELECT I WONDER, WHAT IS SHE FOCUSING ON?

>> SHE'S FOCUSING ON TRANSITION RIGHT NOW WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

SHE HAS A TRANSITION TEAM, ERICA SCHOMACKER WHO USED TO WORK FOR CHRIS COLEMAN WHEN HE WAS MAYOR IS COCHAIR OF THAT AND CAMPAIGN COCHAIR IS THE OTHER COCHAIR.

SO SHE'S BRINGING IN A MIX OF FORMER CITY HALL STAFF, FORMER STATE CAPITOL WORKERS, AND CAMPAIGN STAFF.

SO SOME OF HER LOYALISTS AND SOME FOLKS WHO ARE JUST KIND OF FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRITORY.

SO SHE'LL BE CHOOSING NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS, FIGURING OUT THE LAY OF THE LAND, MAYBE WE'LL SEE SOME TURNOVER AT CITY HALL.

>> Cathy: SHE'S NOT A NEWBIE BECAUSE SHE SERVED IN THAT OFFICE BEFORE UNDER MAYOR CARTER SO IT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY FOR HER?

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER EASY WHEN YOU HAVE A TRANSITION BECAUSE THERE'S MAJOR POSITIONS LIKE HEAD OF PUBLIC WORKS IN A CITY THAT HAS NOTORIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS AND SNOWPLOWING CHALLENGES.

THERE'S BEEN ISSUES WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND FIRE CHIEF, THEY TOOK PAY CUTS TO TAKE THEIR JOBS, THEY WEREN'T GETTING MORE AS UNIONIZED COMMANDERS.

THEY TOOK LIKE 25% PAY CUTS TO STEP DOWN.

IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO, IT WOULD BE NOW.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE DISCUSSION.

SO I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE EASY BUT SHE'LL HAVE MORE FAMILIARITY THAN SOME.

>> Eric: SHE ALREADY SPOKE AT A VIGIL THAT CAME AFTER THE I.C.E.

RAID IN ST.

PAUL SO SHE'S HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IN THAT RESPECT.

>> YEAH, THERE WERE 14 PEOPLE THAT WERE SCOOPED UP.

AND SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE ONE OF THEM HAD A PREVIOUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE AND ONE OF THEM HAD RE-ENTERED THE COUNTRY WHICH IS A FELONY CHARGE ACCORDING HOMELAND SECURITY.

THE OTHER 12 MAYBE WERE JUST THERE.

YOU CALL THAT A COLLATERAL ARREST WHEN YOU JUST SCOOP UP EVERYBODY, EVEN PEOPLE JUST MINDING THEIR BUSINESS AND SORT IT OUT LATER.

AND IT COULD BE CIVIL INFRACTIONS, COULD BE SOMEONE WHO'S OVERSTAYED THEIR VISA AND MAYBE IS IN THE PIPELINE TO GET A NEW VISA.

WE DON'T KNOW.

CONGRESSWOMAN BETTY MCCOLLUM, THEY'RE ALL SPEAKING OUT.

>> Cathy: IS SHE WORKING ON THE URBAN WEALTH FUND CONCEPT THAT SHE FLOATED DURING THE CAMPAIGN?

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I HAVEN'T ASKED THIS WEEK.

CERTAINLY THAT WAS ONE OF HER BIGGER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IDEAS.

IT SEEMED A LITTLE I DON'T WANT TO SAY FUZZY BUT WHEN I TALKED TO HER ABOUT IT SHE SAID I'M LOOKING AT DIFFERENT MODELS AND THERE'S POPULATIONS WHERE IT'S WORKED, AND PLACES WHERE IT HASN'T WORKED BUT BASICALLY CREATING SOME KIND OF ENTITY THAT WOULD HELP ACQUIRE AND CONTROL VACANT LOTS OR UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES.

>> Cathy: FOR UTILITIES, RIGHT?

>> WELL, FOR ANYTHING, REALLY.

THEY COULD RENT THEM OUT, THEY COULD SELL THEM.

THEY COULD USE THEM FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSE TEMPORARILY UNTIL THE ECONOMY HEATS UP AND THAT EIGHBORHOOD HEATS UP AND SOMEBODY WANTS TO BUY IT.

>> Eric: IT'S BUDGET TIME IN CITY GOVERNMENT.

SHE'S NOT AKEN OFFICE YET BUT DOES SHE HAVE SOME UNOFFICIAL INPUT INTO BUDGET PROCEEDINGS?

>> NOT REALLY.

SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S IN THE HANDS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

THERE'S A TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING TUESDAY.

SO I THINK WE'LL KIND OF KNOW MORE IN JANUARY WHERE SHE'S LEANING IN TERMS OF NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS.

>> Eric: BECAUSE THAT TAX, CITY TAX SITUATION IN ST.

PAUL IS PRETTY DAUNTING.

>> PRETTY DAUNTING.

YOU KNOW, 5.4% I THINK IS WHAT'S ON THE TAX LEVY WHICH ISN'T THAT BAD COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES RIGHT NOW BUT FOR RAMSEY COUNTY THEY'RE LOOKING AT JUST ABOUT 10% INCREASE IN THEIR LEVY.

WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOING TO GET HIT HARD.

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

ERIC AND I WERE REMEMBERING WHEN COLEMAN AND RYBAK TOOK OFFICE, THEY MET AT DEGIDIO'S AND HAD LASAGNA.

TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD THEY WORKED TOGETHER.

I WONDER IF MAYOR-ELECT HER WILL BE MEETING WITH MAYOR FREY AT ALL.

>> I KNOW THAT HODGES DID THAT TOO.

I DON'T THINK HODGES REALIZED SHE WOULD BE SURROUNDED BY MEDIA AND THAT DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS LOOK WHEN WE'RE ALL KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE THE MAYOR, YOU'RE THE MAYOR.

I ASSUME THINGS LIKE THAT WILL CONTINUE, I CAN'T IMAGINE HER BREAKING CONNECTIONS.

>> Eric: IS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT LEAVING FOR GREENER PASTURES >> WELL, SHE HAS NOT ANNOUNCED ACTUALLY.

THIS WAS A PRIVATE LETTER TO HER CONSTITUENTS THAT I SNIFFED OUT, SHE SAID, LOOK, I'M RUN FOGGER THE DISTRICT 5 SEAT ON COUNTY BOARD.

THAT DISTRICT SEAT IS HELD BY ORTEGA, SHE'S BEEN THERE SINCE 1994.

IF HE WERE TO RUN AGAIN IN NOVEMBER AND WIN, THAT WOULD BE OVER 40 YEARS IN OFFICE.

DISTRICT 5 INCLUDES WEST SEVENTH STREET WHERE THE COUNTY WAS WORKING FIRST STREET CAR, DID NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING, OAD CONSTRUCTION THAT NEVER HAPPENED, TREES TAKEN OFF AND NO ONE REPLANTED BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING FOR STUFF THAT'S COMING IN THE PIPE PIPELINE THAT'S NEVER COME.

SO, EAH, THERE'S ISSUES THERE.

AND WE MISS LUND'S DOWNTOWN, THERE'S NO GROCERIES DOWNTOWN.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU SNIFFING AROUND, IS ANYTHING COMING?

>> THERE'S SO MANY RUMORS, ALDI'S, THERE WAS A RUMOR ABOUT A GUY IN STILLWATER HAVING N IDEA -- I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.

>> Eric: HAMM'S, THE BEER REFRESHER.

>> YEAH, I TOOK A TOUR OF PROPERTIES THAT WERE GOING BACK TO THE 1880s THAT ARE GOING TO BE ART LOFTS AND I ON REALLY HOPE THEY KEEP THE GRAFFITI, IF IT'S AN ART LOFT IT'S FOR ARTISTS ANYWAY AND SOME OF THAT GRAFFITI IS AMAZING.

THE HAMM'S BEAR LIVES ON AS GRAFFITI INSIDE AN 1880s.

>> Cathy: THAT WILL BE HOUSING AND OTHER MIXED DEVELOPMENT?

>> YEAH, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET INDOOR TWO AND A HALF STORY, INDOOR SHOPPING, MARKETPLACE BAZAAR.

THERE'S A LOT OF HMONG AND IMMIGRANT ENERGY ON THE EAST SIDE.

>> Eric: THEY GIVE YOU THANKSGIVING WEEK OFF?

>> THE WEEK?

NO, JUST THE DAY.

>> Eric: HARDEST WORKING MAN IN SHOW USINESS.

>>