Remarks by Mai Chong Xiong
51 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 3
- Play at 39:24
“Thank you, Madam Chair. First off, I just want to say thank you for selecting these two measures, especially about our impact in the community and then also identifying who or which residents are utilizing the program. That is really the only way that we can build in and make sure that there aren't any racial inequities in access to our programs. I know you mentioned some of this too around the limitations of the program. What is the average number of families that we're helping through these two programs?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 41:01
“And do you also have data on kind of the family size or is that asked?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 41:13
“Okay, yeah, I think it's really important as we talk about and how we invest in our programs and then also just as where we've been talking about how we may have a bigger impact and where is that, Overall, we need more housing units, period, across all the continuum of housing. So that's why if our cities are doing rehab programs, the state has home ownership programs, I don't think it's a bad time for us to consider about our role in supporting the development of more housing units as well as more on the continuum that includes both supportive housing and other types of housing as well. So I…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 2:01:40
“Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I just really want to say the work that your department does is so dynamic in terms of the facilities, the space, and the amount of work. So that's why probably choosing some of the performance measures is difficult too. And I also wanted to say that it's reflective of the work that you are doing in terms of the engagement. and also using that engagement to help inform the programming and the work that you're doing. So I just want to say thank you for doing that. A suggestion I have is I think you're on this track already about the number of specific community…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 2:04:51
“Yes, that's great. And then for the TCO arena or some of our, I don't know if any other big ones, but TCO is the one that comes to my mind. But I know that we have like open skating hours. I think a feedback or like what I've experienced too and also heard is that folks who haven't ice skated, like even though we have ice skate that's free there, folks don't know how to use it. So is there like an intro course or some programming that you can introduce and say this is an intro course or just an hour to learn? basics of how to ice skate as an example.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 2:06:45
“Yes, absolutely. And then my other one is just around kayaks that you had mentioned too. There is a barrier for just to be able to have equipment, right? Like if you have a kayak, you need a big car. You need storage. And so do we have rentals available for kayaks too? And are we looking at our regional lakes and areas where it is accessible or up to the standard that we have in other lakes throughout the county?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 2:08:08
“Okay, yeah, that is great to hear. And then finally, I just want to name that for your culturally specific facilitated programs and services slide here, I just want to highlight and uplift that these are things that you're considering and have been doing too, such as purchasing equipment, program equipment, such as bikes, archery equipment, fishing gear, cross-country skis, to reduce barriers to access. So I think it's just really important that we lift that up and about how you're taking the feedback that you're already hearing from community members and implementing it.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:06:06
“Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a question about the rate of crashes, the county road system, too. Is that data that's available on our website, too? Where may the public access this information?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:06:57
“Okay. And then for the county road pavement condition, do you have a list or an order of priorities for this in the work plan that you have for addressing it?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:08:42
“Okay. Yeah, I'm just trying to tie in also just the performance measure here to not only the Building Stronger Together one that you had identified, but our transportation and transit plan as well that I don't know if we'll get yearly or annual updates on it, but I just wanted to”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:10:00
“Yeah, that's great. And then the last point is just around, I don't know if this would be a measure that you would consider, but just around community engagement around the projects that we're leading. making sure that we are engaging community members that are reflective of the community there, as well as the different types of users on our facilities. I know that, at least for the White Bear Avenue corridor study, I'm seeing good results from that engagement, but I think it's equally important to keep track of as we work to build the plan, but also to secure additional funds that's outside…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:14:31
“yeah okay yeah thank you and then um manager just the last point and also for consideration for um a metric in the next two years for the next supplemental one is um i know that we moved uh some of the contracting um and tracking um who we're uh contracting with um whether that be like the small women minority owned businesses for construction um is that we we should be able to track that as well for our public works department that I would like to see us because it connects in with our other strategies around building intergenerational wealth and it's something that's across departments as…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:15:55
“But when it comes to... My point is we made a slight policy change about best value, right? And we were starting with public works. So that's why I wanted us to start measuring that.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:39:16
“Thank you, Madam Chair. Let's see. I just had first had some question around the first measures, the assessment quality and equity percentage of prioritized compliance measures met. I'm curious, from 2024 to 2025, what helped to make that change to 100%?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:40:19
“Okay, great. And then for the restrictive covenant discharge here, I'm glad to see that that's what you're working towards of canvassing and meeting with all of the property owners there. I think that's a good measure for us to continue to look at. And then the other one for consideration for performance measure is actually the property tax refund, the homestead property tax refund rates. Because we always hear from residents about our property taxes, but it's also a low income household, seniors, and even veterans. would be eligible for it, too. And maybe this is a cross-departmental work…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 3:42:38
“Yeah, okay. Yeah, and I don't know where this lives or which department it lives, but I know that there was an effort by the county a few years ago encouraging residents to utilize a website about where they are owed dollars and actually collecting it, right? So I don't know where that can live or where we can continue to measure that, but that's essentially money that's left on the table that our residents are leaving. So I just want to make sure that we continue to monitor and or find a way to continue to promote that.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 4:56:11
“Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, I had similar questions that Commissioner Miller had just because we are seeing that level of need in all of our public spaces. So I have a question about are we working across different departments? I'm also thinking about our public health, like for our ARI, our public health responders there. Has there been a relationship that has been formalized or what is the cadence of the partnership?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 4:58:10
“Yeah, that's really good to hear because I'm sure you're tracking the conversations in St. Paul about closing a library and really they're trying to make up some of the costs for community safety type personnel for the other libraries too. So those are some of the things that they're balancing. My next question is about the fees for using the community spaces. Do we have fees and are we asking for different fees for nonprofit, for profit partners?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 4:58:56
“If you're a county resident, non-county resident, are we charging fees?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 5:06:44
“We do have a handful of patrons that are homebound.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 18:59
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a question about the $75,000 from Boys Totem Town. What does that mean from that account, or what does that account entail?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 21:03
“Mm-hmm. Well, Mr. Chair, I would just like to say that, you know, of that 75,000, it just seems like, you know, there hasn't been much movement at all since 21, actually, and I didn't even know that there was a budget for it, set aside for it. So that's... obviously before my time, but I think just given that there was a budget set aside that we could have done the engagement that's needed because I'm bombarded with questions about touring it or different ideas about it every single year and monthly right now too. It's a property that the county owns directly. We're not waiting on any other…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 24:07
“I appreciate that. The point I'm also getting to also is that we should be doing the engagement side of it too. Having had this information already that wrapped up last year already, and I just haven't seen a plan to do the engagement or the prioritization of this at all. And also with our Building Stronger Together plan, we literally are using millions each year to just maintain this site. It's well maintained. The neighbors are happy with the county being a neighbor. But I would say that we really are just maintaining the site and it's in the millions.”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 46:20
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question around for this modernization in the JPA. Will there be consideration or conversations about at least the capital improvements, such as I believe in your last budget, You did flag that there are dispatch radio consoles that will need to be upgraded for the next generation, and it's looking upwards of 13.1 million. Is that included in this conversation?”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:35:55
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. So last week has been all about transit for me. So I've been meeting with both residents who live near the bridge at Johnson Parkway and Phelan Boulevard, the real life co-op, as well as residents who want to see us advance transit in Ramsey County. So on top of that, I recently met with the Met Council Transportation Chair, Council Member Reva Chambliss, because she also received a lot of public testimony about this, and she was doing her due diligence as well and meeting with the project team. So I participated in the meeting. And what I learned, and for all of us…”
Board of Commissioners · Sep 1, 2026