Accord shields St. Paul from costs linked to GOP convention

01/09/2007

St. Paul officials reached an agreement with the host committee to offer services for the 2008 Republican National Convention.


By Myron P. Medcalf,
Star Tribune
Last update: January 08, 2007 – 10:30 PM


St. Paul taxpayers won't have to foot any of the bill to host the 2008 Republican National Convention, according to a city service agreement formalized between the city and the event's host committee.

The St. Paul City Council will vote on the agreement at its meeting Wednesday.

The federal government dished out $50 million to New York City and Boston when those cities hosted the political conventions in 2004, and officials here expect the same.

But if the federal funding doesn't arrive, the host committee -- the local nonprofit group serving as the liaison between the Republican National Committee (RNC) and local officials -- has agreed to reimburse the city for security costs and up to $300,000 for non-security-related expenses incurred during the convention.

"We don't have to make a general fund appropriation for this event," said City Attorney John Choi.

Past host cities have had to rely on local tax dollars, Choi said.

However, St. Paul will use its own resources to promote the convention that opens on Sept. 1, said Anne Mulholland, chief of staff for Mayor Chris Coleman.

"We would be remiss if we didn't put our effort into taking full advantage of this [event] in our own back yard," she said.

The host committee has agreed to purchase multimillion-dollar liability insurance to protect St. Paul from the kind of police brutality lawsuits filed against cities after past conventions, Choi said.

The city will provide 24-hour security and medical and fire services for delegates and convention officials, according to the city service agreement.

But once the convention is declared a National Security Special Event, the U.S. Secret Service will play the major role in setting up security standards.

The service agreement includes a promise to provide space around the Xcel Energy Center for more than 300 buses, and to reimburse private parking operators who lose revenue because of security restrictions or convention business.

Officials from the RNC were in town last week to meet with the host committee and city officials before the city service agreement was reached Friday. The host committee expects to reach similar agreements with Minneapolis and Bloomington before completing a contract with the RNC.

With more than 19 Fortune 500 companies in the metro area, the host committee hopes to meet its fundraising goal -- between $50 million and $60 million -- by tapping into local resources and then looking elsewhere, said Jeff Larson, the host committee's acting executive director.

Coleman will go to Washington on Jan. 18 to complete the agreement to host the convention in St. Paul.