>> CATHY: WE TURN OUR ATTENTION NOW TO POLITICS CLOSER TO HOME.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE ST. PAUL CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO OVERHAUL ZONING CODES IN THE CITY TO ALLOW MORE HOUSING DENSITY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

FRED MELO COVERS ST. PAUL CITY POLITICS FOR THE "PIONEER PRESS."

HE'S BEEN COVERING THE STORY AND THE UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

WEEKS.WEEKS.

YOU'RE A BUSY GUY.

WHEN I READ THE ARTICLE, I THOUGHT, OKAY, ZONING CHANGES, YAWN.

BUT IT IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL.

>> THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE SINCE 18970 TO REALLY THE LAYOUT OF THE CITY.

IN 1975 FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT RESIDENTS, CITY HALL STAID, HEY, ZONING'S GOING TO REALLY CATER TO SINGLE FAMILY ZONING.

YOU CAN ONLY BUILD SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES ON THESE STREETS.

IT WAS MORE THAN HALF THE CITY.

SO FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 40, 50 YEARS, WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT A ZONING CODE WHERE YOU HAVE TO BEG CITY HALL FOR A VARIANCE, FOR AN EXEMPTION, FOR SOME KIND OF A SPECIAL PERMISSION IF YOU JUST WANT TO BUILD A DU FLEX.

THIS LIFTS ALL THAT.

THERE'S NO STREET IN THE CITY THAT IS JUST ZONED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.

IT MAY NOT BE ALL THAT EASY TO BUILD A DUE DPLERCHL DUE TO ALL THE OTHER RULES, IF THE LOTS BIG ENOUGH, TRIPLEXES, SPHOWR-FLEXES.

>> Cathy: DOESN'T THIS MEAN A LOT OF TEAR-DOWNS POTENTIALLY >> THAT'S THE FEAR.

CHRIS TOLBERT, HE SAID, LOOK, IN MAC-GROVELAND, HIGHLAND PARK, WE HAVE THESE HOUSES THAT WERE 800 SQUARE FEET, 1200 SQUARE FEET, THE STARTER HOMES IN A REALLY NICE AREA.

- AND THOSE HAVE BEEN TORN DOWN BY YEARS SOMETIMES BY OUT OF STATE INVESTORS WHO COME IN, SAY, OH, THAT'S THE CHEAPEST HOUSE ON THE BLOCK, I'LL TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD OMETHING THAT'S BIGGER AND CAN SELL FOR A LOT OF MONEY.

SO I ON'T WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT, SO HE VOTED AGAINST THIS.

AND HE'S NOT EXACTLY A HIGHLY CONSERVATIVE VOICE.

SO THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY A 4 TO 3 VOTE.

IF YOU WANT TO GET TO A SIX-FLEX, LET'S SAY, WHICH IS ALLOWED WITHIN A COUPLE BLOCKS OF MAJOR TRANSIT CORRIDORS, YOU HAVE TO ADD A UNIT OR TWO OF WORKFORCE HOUSING SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

>> Eric: DO YOU HAVE A SIMILAR THING TO MINNEAPOLIS WHERE YOU'VE GOT SOME DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS RUNNING?

GLEFD, I MEAN, THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER 7TH IS GOING TO BE A BIG DAY.

AND I THINK WE HAVE 30 CANDIDATES FOR SEVEN SEATS.

FOUR OF OUR SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO RUN FOR REELECTION.

SO MOST OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO TURN OVER.

SO THE TWIN CITIES D.S.A.

HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL IN ENDORSING CANDIDATES.

THE D.F.L.

HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL.

I'M LOOKERRING AT WARD ONE WHERE THERE WAS NO ENDORSEMENT.

THAT'S FROGTOWN, SUMMIT, UNIVERSITY, PART OF THE NORTH END.

LOTS OF DIFFERENT GROUCHES ARE VYING FOR THAT.

THERE'S EIGHT CANDIDATES THERE.

>> Eric: SALES TAX, 1 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE ON THE BALLOT.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

>> I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BRING SOME PEOPLE OUT TO VOTE.

OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS TEND TO BE SLEEPY.

THIS MIGHT NOT BE SO SLEEPY.

THERE'S A QUESTION THAT SAYS IF YOU VOTE YES, WE WILL INCREASE THE CITY SALES TAX BY A PERCENTAGE POINT.

IT ALREADY WENT UP A PERCENTAGE POINT TO FUND METRO TRANSIT, TRANSIT, AND SOME STATE HOUSING INITIATIVES.

SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER 1%.

THAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ST. PAUL THE PRICEYEST SALES TAX -- >> Eric: CLOSE TO 10%, WOULDN'T IT BE?

>> YEAH, ABOUT 9.75.

BUT THAT WOULD FUND ROAD RECONSTRUCTIONS, OUR ROADS HAVE BEEN A MESS.

I THINK I CAN OBJECTIVELY SAY THAT.

ANYONE WHO'S DRIVEN THROUGH ST. PAUL.

3/4 OF THAT BILLION DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE RAIDED WOULD BE FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

A FOURTH WOULD BE PARKS.

>> Cathy: THAT'S TRUE.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE A NEW COUNCIL, I BET YOU, WILL REVISIT SOME BIG ISSUES.

I BET RENT CONTROL.

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT'S COME UP A LOT.

RENT CONTROL.

IN HIGHLAND PARK, YOU'VE GOT A RACE BETWEEN SARAH JOST, ISAAC JOST I THINK WOULD BE CALL THE FRONT RUNNERS.

THERE'S A 20-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT WENT THROUGH LAST FALL.

HE WOULD EXPAND THAT TO 30 YEARS.

SO THAT'S 30 YEARS WITHOUT RENT CONTROL FOR A BRAND ?EMP BUILDING TO KEEP IN BASE WITH THE MORTGAGE.

>> Eric: AND A QUICK REMINDER, YOU HAVE RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

>> YOU CAN VOTE FOR BOTH OF THEM.

>> AND 22ND SEPTEMBER IS WHEN THE EARLY VOTING STARTS.