Remarks by Irene Fernando
22 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 1:06:38
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, County Attorney, for your presentation. I, too, mostly have comments and express gratitude for your work. Fourth one already, although you were here at the table, you know, my first year, so.”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 1:06:53
“You feel kind of comfortable up here from my perspective. So, for sure, I want to open with gratitude, and as many know, I like to up lift that you have unique authorities as an independent elected, as the two independently elected county-wides are both in the room and want to appreciate that. And so I'm not going to cover as much on the how you do your work. But of course, the seven board members have a unique authority with respect to budget. And in this present year, but really the last few years and going into the next few years, this board has really sought to really deepen our…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 1:59:44
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Sheriff Witt and the entire team. Some of this is a little bit repeat because that's how I try to situate these briefings. Very much grateful for your independent elected authority and how that needs to engage with, of course, the authority of this board from a financial perspective. So first and foremost, thank you for your partnership. The recent financial numbers, of course, you and others know the county board has been seeking to monitor and support this for several years now. And I have to say I was pretty heartened at the last, at the most recent…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:03:39
“So I still feel a little kind of Spider-Man meme going on because we need to fill, we need to staff this position So we want to move, somebody wants to move folks over, a proposal to move folks over, but the vacancies are because we're not hiring fast enough. So then we have to hire. So, yeah, if there's just a sentence on it, and then I can kind of, we can kind of carry on.”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:05:24
“Our vacancies are- I think if that's all right, I'm sensitive to my colleagues being able to speak. I think I'll just ask follow-up for this then. I mean, if I heard you correctly, there's a difference of position and we're not at the end of budget, so this is a perfectly appropriate set of questions. There's differences of perspective on how to fulfill the FTE count. I would love to know more about that and what services are at risk or not at risk. I'm asking for kind of two reasons. One reason is one that I've talked a lot about before. I totally agree that any deputized mandated service to…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:06:43
“Government Accounting Standards Board. Government Accounting Standards Board has a new rule coming forward that will apply to the next calendar year, is my understanding. So it's like layperson to layperson here for those watching at home. And my understanding is that they're going to be a lot stricter on budget allocated versus difference of spend with explanation. I don't know what that looks like in actuality. I don't know what that means. I am not the person. But I'm on a few different audit committees in various forms, and this has been uplifted. And so that's my interest because...…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:10:14
“And Mr. Chair, then the data should, Mr. Chair, totally hear you. And we've heard that also. That should be another thing that we've heard in common as a theme across areas. And then we, that means we need to be analyzing the data that accounts for that. You know, so that's not a counter. That's like, we want to have a full picture and an accurate picture. And it changes daily. So we've got to stay fluid. Thank you, Mr. Chair.”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:24:22
“There's lots of times. I know. I know. I know.”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:52:19
“This could be for follow-up. You said a lot of things that I was curious about. So for the follow-up with the last jail with peace officers, that statement, I've already asked for the staffing there. So I'm interested in understanding more what that means. Again, I've expressed interest in deputized versus civilian staff. Second thing I want to uplift is, and I can't believe I The budget book, so just to make sure I got this right, federal contributions from the federal contribution next year is proposed to be not just barely $300,000. The number of federal requirements, I just, so for those…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 2:53:20
“And the property tax requirement is 180, so that's at least easy math. 10%. So I'm saying this because we're asking these questions from a budget perspective because that is the lens for which we're meant to ask questions. So I'm not insensitive to the pressures that are being faced. And this pressure is just not a sustainable mathematical pressure. And so I wanted to say that out loud. I was also interested when you said 14 commitment beds. That's a lot. Plus 24. I heard somebody say plus 24. I mean, and we all know there are like kind of no state beds. So I, you know, it does seem…”
Committee · Oct 8, 2026
- Play at 1:09
“Another question, just a comment. These are wonderful resources and just as a point of, you know, kind of expression, really great for, like, elderly and those in memory care and children. So I know it's, like, discussed as children, but as individuals age, my experience has been this type of service and resource is really helpful for a much wider range of our neighbors. So I wanted to mention that. Thank you, Madam Chair.”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 13:31
“Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I'm glad everybody's satisfied. We would like it to be bigger, at least the local residents. So I just wanted to express, I know we've talked a lot about libraries over the course of the last six months, but really the last several years. This is just 5,000 square feet, right, if I'm looking at this right?”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 13:51
“Does anybody happen to know a median or average kind of library size? I'm just curious.”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 14:14
“So Madam Chair and colleagues, I'm sure everybody's gotten a lot of library feedback over the last several months because of various reasons. And so what I appreciate is I have a renewed understanding as to how vital certain libraries are, especially when they're the only public space available. So the feedback that I received is even with the satisfaction, folks are wondering, can things be open for longer for communities that don't have a lot of publicly available space? St. Anthony Village is very small and other than their city hall, which we as a county have assisted with doing some…”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 19:00
“THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M ALSO EAGER TO SUPPORT THIS. It says including but not limited to, so there's obviously a lot that could be placed in here. So I appreciate the scope. This is getting at the correctional facilities that would be seen within the county government's responsibility. I see that you're also mentioning the county jail, which of course I share responsibility with the sheriff, and I think Commissioner Lundy, you're getting to that a bit. I think it would be favorable to understand what the changes and expectations have been from a best practice and then from a legal…”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 22:57
“So, colleagues, many of you, we each year have been discussing child well-being because it was a part of a settlement agreement from 2019. And, of course, there's a history that predates that. But our settlement, the Hennepin County settlement agreement was a five-year period, and that concluded in Two years ago. Two years ago. And so this board said, let's monitor for another couple years. And so the Child Well-Being Committee, for which Commissioner Gautel, Commissioner Edelson, and I are currently sitting on, we worked with staff and with providers to say, We appreciate the five years and…”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 29:49
“One, two, three. Madam Chair and Commissioner Green, it says the county administration shall convene a working group comprised, so that looks internal, in order to develop the organizational activities and to develop an approach to membership.”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 30:05
“So the idea would be we want the activities to continue and we know it must be in a different form, but how do we kind of get there? And the intention for that is, but regardless, as you mentioned, this is meant to kind of Codify a whole number of you know spans greater than our time on the board So if you end up coming up with more information what we want counsel and admin to look at this with a fine-tooth comb anyway this will be kind of our action that Places it in the record and for example in the whereas clauses It cites a bar from 2017, 2020, and then the 2015 bar, which, you know,…”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 33:36
“Yeah, ma'am. I'd like to progress it to the next board meeting. I think it'll be easier to come back with edits with an R2.”
Committee · Oct 6, 2026
- Play at 11:26
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I also want to express gratitude for the property tax impact slide, because especially as we enter the fall, that is how residents will be experiencing this. And the numbers here are alarming. I mean, these are five levy points when we think about it as a levy. So thank you for the prioritization here. I wanted to confirm an understanding. So for the grants terminated, Total grant award amount canceled. So we are not factoring in when we, the county, are fighting in court to be able to maintain funds. I just want to make sure I'm accurate.”
Committee · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 12:39
“Yes, Madam Chair, just a comment on that. For those watching at home, there is a larger number that we are seeing reported in the news that is being kind of removed or being placed under threat. And local governments here in Minnesota, in partnership with our state, we are fighting and seeking to protect the various services and the funds. So that's not always as easily seen in public and want to acknowledge our partners with gratitude. Thank you, Chair.”
Committee · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 54:51
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the motion for the amendment. I'll be voting against that. The 4%, Matt, I hear you on the 2% for department goals. My understanding from the administration is that the 4% matches the contract and that the 2% for the 2028 year is 2% because the contract is not in set yet for that year. So that's why I'll be voting against it. Additionally, because there's a block before us The percentage is consistent across the nine positions, three board actions is what I will be voting in favor of. Thank you, Madam Chair.”
Committee · Aug 25, 2026