Lawsuit filed against St. Paul for alleged violation of Data Practices Act

A lawsuit filed by two groups on Tuesday alleges that the City of St. Paul violated the Minnesota Data Practices Act in relation to the proposed Summit Avenue bike trail.

The attorney representing SOS (Save Our Street) and SARPA (Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association) said the lawsuit was filed to get the city to “disclose critical information” before upcoming public hearings.

According to the official complaint, there are delays and unfulfilled requests of up to eight months in the city’s response to provide information on the proposed Summit Avenue regional bike trail and potential alternatives.

Members of the SOS group have said that the process has been rushed, and the public has not been given enough time to get their questions answered or provide input.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to the City of St. Paul for comment on Tuesday night but has yet to hear back.

Bob Cattanach, the plaintiff in the case who formally requested the documents, said, “I begged the city to give us documents it was withholding so SOS and SARPA could participate in the upcoming hearings the City has scheduled, or at least work with us to put the hearings off until they could get us documents […] but so far they’ve flatly refused, and now won’t even give us the information we need to present our case at the hearings.”

SOS has been pushing for the improvement and safety of the Summit Avenue bike lanes while preserving the area’s natural and historical elements.

A hearing has been scheduled in Ramsey County court for Friday, March 31, at 1:30 p.m.