The St. Louis Park City Council is a seven-member elected body — a mayor, two at-large members, and four ward representatives — that sets local policy, adopts ordinances, and approves the city budget. It meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:15 p.m. at City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., and residents can participate by speaking during public comment, emailing written input, contacting individual members, or serving on a volunteer commission.
Who Sits on the Council
The council has seven seats: a mayor, two at-large members elected by the whole city, and four members who each represent a specific ward. Every seat carries a four-year term.1St. Louis Park, MN. City Council Elections are nonpartisan, so candidates appear on the ballot without a party label.
The council sets policy and overall direction for the city. It then appoints a professional city manager who runs daily operations, supervises staff, and carries out council decisions. Final policy authority rests with the council, but the city manager typically develops and brings forward the proposals that council members vote on.2St. Louis Park, MN. Government
Current contact information for the mayor and each council member is posted on the city’s website, including direct email addresses.1St. Louis Park, MN. City Council
When and Where the Council Meets
Regular council meetings happen on the first and third Mondays of each month, starting at 6:15 p.m. Study sessions, where members discuss complex issues without taking formal votes, are held on the second and fourth Mondays at 6:00 p.m.3St. Louis Park, MN. City Council Meetings Meetings can be canceled or rescheduled, but the council must meet at least once per month.4St. Louis Park, MN. Agendas and Minutes
Meetings are held at St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416. Regular meetings use the Council Chambers on the third floor; some sessions take place in the first-floor Community Room.5St. Louis Park, MN. City Hall4St. Louis Park, MN. Agendas and Minutes If you need an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as a sign language interpreter, contact the city clerk’s office before the meeting.6ADA.gov. State and Local Governments
Can’t make it in person? Meetings air live on ParkTV, HD Channel 798 and SD Channel 14 through local cable, and are livestreamed online. Past meetings are available on demand.7St. Louis Park, MN. ParkTV Agendas, staff reports, and minutes are posted ahead of each meeting through the city’s online portal, which is the best place to check what’s coming up for a vote.4St. Louis Park, MN. Agendas and Minutes
How to Speak or Submit Comments
At regular council meetings, any resident may comment on items that appear on the agenda. Each speaker gets three minutes.1St. Louis Park, MN. City Council To submit written comments instead, email info@stlouisparkmn.gov by noon on the day of the meeting.4St. Louis Park, MN. Agendas and Minutes Study sessions generally do not include a public comment period.
Formal public hearings follow a stricter sequence. Staff presents a report, members of the public offer testimony, the council closes the hearing, and then members deliberate before voting. Hearings on zoning changes, land-use decisions, and certain budget matters are where individual voices carry the most weight, because state law requires the council to consider public testimony before acting.
One thing to know about your rights at the microphone. The First Amendment protects your right to criticize government officials during a public comment period. Time limits and topic restrictions are allowed, but shutting down a speaker because the content is critical of officials is not. Comments described as “disrespectful” are still protected speech if the real objection is viewpoint.
How to Reach Council Members Between Meetings
For general questions that don’t require a specific elected official, the city clerk’s office can be reached at 952-928-2840.1St. Louis Park, MN. City Council Individual council member emails are listed on the city website.
Before you write, know that your message is likely a public record. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act presumes government data is public and available to anyone who asks, regardless of why they want it.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 – Government Data Practices If you email a council member about a zoning dispute, a neighbor can request a copy. That’s how the transparency rules are supposed to work, but it’s worth knowing before you hit send.
Serving on a Board or Commission
Volunteer advisory bodies shape policy before it reaches a formal council vote, and the city has roughly a dozen of them. Current boards and commissions include:9St. Louis Park, MN. Boards and Commissions
- Planning Commission, which reviews development proposals and land-use changes
- Board of Zoning Appeals, which hears variance requests
- Environment and Sustainability Commission
- Human Rights Commission
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
- Housing Authority Board, which oversees affordable housing programs
- Police Advisory Commission
- Charter Commission
- Community Technology Advisory Commission
- Economic Development Authority
- Fire Civil Service Commission
- Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission
Openings are advertised through the city’s website, and interested residents can apply there.
What the Council Decides
The council adopts the budget for the following year each December.10St. Louis Park, MN. City Budget The 2026 adopted budget totals roughly $117.6 million across all city funds, covering police and fire services, parks, utilities, and capital projects.11OpenGov. Budget-in-Brief Study sessions in the months before adoption cover revenue projections and department requests, the council sets the property tax levy during this period, and public hearings give residents a chance to weigh in before the final vote.
St. Louis Park operates as a home rule charter city under a charter first adopted in 1954, which gives the council broader flexibility than cities operating under the default state framework, as long as its actions don’t conflict with Minnesota law.2St. Louis Park, MN. Government One boundary on what council members themselves can do: Minnesota Statutes Section 471.87 generally bars a council member from having a personal financial interest in a contract that comes before the council for approval. The Minnesota State Auditor publishes guidance on when narrow exceptions apply and how violations are enforced.12Minnesota State Auditor. Contracts and Conflicts of Interest