# Planning and Economic Development *Department of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota, whose estimate of May 2020 civil-unrest losses appears in the Ramsey County at-issue record.* Planning and Economic Development (PED) is a department of the City of Saint Paul, [[Minnesota]].[^1] As reported, PED presented the city council with an estimate of losses from civil unrest in Saint Paul in May 2020. The estimate puts the losses at $82 million: $73 million in property damage and $8.8 million in inventory. The losses are spread across roughly 330 buildings, most of them along University Avenue.[^1] The figure is the city's own. It was prepared by a city department and presented to the city's own council.[^1] The Ramsey County record sets this figure beside the charging and sentencing record for the same unrest. That record shows 17 federal charges across the metro area, involving 11 buildings. Ramsey County charged 48 felonies and Hennepin County charged 33. Hennepin County dismissed 520 of 612 misdemeanor citations.[^2] Among the federal outcomes is the sentencing of a Rochester man for arson of multiple buildings in St. Paul, announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota.[^3] ## Who PED is a department of the City of Saint Paul.[^1] Its estimate of the May 2020 losses was presented to the Saint Paul city council.[^1] The record does not name the PED officials who prepared or presented the estimate. ## What PED's estimate itemizes the losses from the May 2020 civil unrest into property damage and inventory.[^1] ## When The losses arose from civil unrest in Saint Paul in May 2020.[^1] The record does not give the date on which the estimate was presented to the council. ## Where The estimate covers buildings in Saint Paul, most of them along University Avenue.[^1] ## How much PED puts total losses at $82 million.[^1] That total comprises $73 million in property damage and $8.8 million in inventory.[^1] ## How many The estimate counts roughly 330 buildings.[^1] ## In the at-issue record At-issue pair AI-Ramsey-087 sits in Tier VI of the Ramsey County package, *The City, the Schools, and 2020*. It sets PED's $82 million estimate against the record of prosecutions for the same events.[^1] The record of prosecutions gives several counts: - **Federal charges:** 17 federal charges across the metro area, involving 11 buildings.[^2] - **County felony charges:** 48 felonies charged in Ramsey County, against 33 in Hennepin County.[^2] - **Hennepin County misdemeanors:** 520 of 612 misdemeanor citations dismissed.[^2] A Saint Paul Police Department commander is reported as saying, "We as a department didn't really have the ability" (the quotation is truncated in the record).[^2] The convictions recorded from court records include two sentences: - 78 months, with $39,028 in restitution.[^3] - 27 months, with $33,826.64 in restitution.[^3] The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota announced the sentencing of a Rochester man for arson of multiple buildings in St. Paul.[^3] The record states these figures and their sources. It does not establish why the Ramsey and Hennepin charging counts differ. Nor does it establish any relationship between PED's loss estimate and the number of charges filed.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: *Star Tribune*, *Civil unrest damage in St. Paul totals $82 million* (undated in the record) — reports the St. Paul PED estimate presented to the city council: $82 million total loss ($73 million property, $8.8 million inventory) across roughly 330 buildings, most along University Avenue. https://www.startribune.com/civil-unrest-damage-in-st-paul-totals-82-million/572092302 [^2]: *Minnesota Reformer*, *One year later, few charges for the arson and destruction* (May 27, 2021) — 17 federal charges across the metro, 11 buildings; Ramsey 48 felonies vs. Hennepin 33; Hennepin dismissed 520 of 612 misdemeanor citations; SPPD commander's statement. https://minnesotareformer.com/2021/05/27/one-year-later-few-charges-for-the-arson-and-destruction/ [^3]: United States Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, *press release on the sentencing of a Rochester man for arson of multiple buildings in St. Paul* (undated in the record) — federal sentencing for arson of St. Paul buildings during the May 2020 unrest. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/rochester-man-sentenced-65-years-prison-arson-multiple-buildings-st-paul