Committee Structure

The committee meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month during the academic year in 155 Murray-Herrick Campus Center and publishes agendas a week in advance as well as minutes of previous meetings.

All meetings are open to the public. Non-committee members may speak at committee meetings  but cannot vote on issues.  The committee reserves the right in its bylaws to restrict public comment.

Subcommittee Description

Campus Development.  Doug Hennes appointed 2-year term as co-chair, November 2006; Jim Toscano appointed 2-year term as co-chair, November 2007.  The subcommittee typically meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month in 501 Loras Hall.  For confirmation information, contact Doug Hennes at 651-962-6402, dehennes@stthomas.edu.

This subcommittee reviews short-term and long-term plans for buildings on the St. Paul campus. It reviewed site and construction plans for the Child Development Center (opened April 2005) and McNeely Hall (opened September 2006).  It has been reviewing building plans and traffic counts in anticipation of construction of a parking ramp on the UST tennis court site, beginning in May 2008, and is reviewing preliminary plans for the construction of a campus center with an anticipated construction date of May 2010.

Housing. John Hershey appointed 2-year term as co-chair, October 2007. The subcommittee typically meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month in 501 Loras Hall.  For confirmation information, contact John Hershey at 651-962-6123, jwhershey@stthomas.edu. 

The subcommittee advises the university on a CUP provision that requires St. Thomas to purchase 30 student rental houses by August 2016, renovate them and sell them to owner-occupants. They must agree to the terms of a restrictive covenant which prohibits residency by full-time students unless they are directly related to the occupying owner as son/daughter or grandchild.  As of June 2007, St. Thomas has converted five such properties, converted a sixth (which is being rented at this time), is cooperating with a third party on the renovation and a duplex, and hopes to close on another sale-conversion in August. 

Traffic, Parking, Safety and Student Relations. Jim Sachs appointed 2-year term as co-chair, September 2006.  The other co-chair position is vacant.  The subcommittee typically meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month in 152 or 154 Murray-Herrick Campus Center.  For confirmation information, contact Jim Sachs at 651-962-6092, jesachs@stthomas.edu.

In 2006-07, the subcommittee continued to serve as a forum for airing successes and concerns in the ongoing relationships between neighbors and students.  The subcommittee submitted a capital improvement budget request (CIB) proposal to the City of Saint Paul to upgrade Summit Avenue street lighting between Cleveland and Cretin; explored increased student community service in the neighborhood; and discussed existing and potential tools to address "party house" concerns, including UST student discipline, the Zero Adult Providers police initiative, Ramsey County Community Court and student-neighbor relationships.