Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting

That's exciting. That's the hook? Good

morning. I'd like to call to order the Ramsey County Water Commissioners. Roll call, please.

Jevin Singh? Here. McGuire?

Here.

McMurtry? Here. Miller is excused. Moran?

Here.

Zhang?

Here.

And Ortega?

Aye. Can we stand for the pledge of allegiance?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And then the acknowledgement commissioner of mercury.

Thank you, mister chair. Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will. Some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land since time immemorial. Truth and acknowledgement are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference.

We are standing on the central lands of the Dakota people. We want to acknowledge the Ojibwe, the Ho Chunk, and the other nations of people who also call this place home. We pay respects to their elders, past and present. Please take a moment to consider the treaties that treaties made by the tribal nations that entitle non native people to live and work on traditional native lands. Consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.

Thank you. I'll entertain a motion on the agenda of 05/05/2026.

So moved. Second.

Seeing no discussion, roll call.

McBarty. Aye. Miller Xiexie with Moran? Aye. Zhang? Aye. Jevan Singh?

Aye. McGuire? Aye.

And Ortega?

Aye. I'll entertain a motion on the minutes of 04/26/2026.

So moved. Second.

Seeing no discussion, roll call.

McMurtry? Aye. Mayor is excused. Moran? Aye. Zhang? Aye. Jevin Singh?

Aye.

McGuire?

Aye.

And Ortega?

Aye. We now have a proclamation for American Indian month, commissioner McMillan tree.

Thank you, mister chair. With today's proclamation, Ramsey County recognizes May as as American Indian month. A time to reflect, celebrate, acknowledge with the American Indian community we serve. It is a time to remember where we've been and where we are committed to going and the shared work to required to get there. Over the past year, Ramsey County has partnered with the American Indian community on efforts such as the second judicial district's tribal flag installation, community centered employee learning opportunities, and increased participation in community events.

These actions reflect our commitment to being a consistent ally using the tools of government to support the well-being of American Indian families. Ramsey County remains dedicated to strengthening partnerships with community, recognizing that this work is ongoing and essential to supporting the health, prosperity, and future of the American Indian community. And I was I wanna give a quick shout out. She she's not here today, but our colleague our trailblazing colleague, Commissioner Miller, want to send her best regards. She wished she could be here as well, but she is taking a a much needed time away with her family.

So, I know that she wishes she could be here. I will go ahead and read the proclamation and then hand it over to whoever wants to give remarks. And then, we'll do pictures and introductions. Whereas, American Indian month is celebrated every year in the month of May, to recognize as an important time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, and to acknowledge the important contributions of the American Indian people. And whereas, throughout May, American Indian organizations and tribal urban offices opened their doors to community and to community and allies, offering meaningful opportunities to highlight the strength, resilience, and contributions of American Indian families while fostering connection across generations.

And whereas it is also an opportune time to educate the general public about its vibrant urban community and tribes, raise a general awareness about the unique challenges American Indian people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal nations and citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. And whereas, Ramsey County continues its unwavering support and commitment to reducing barriers experienced by our American Indian families and the responsibilities associated with this work through the permanent placement of a dedicated staff liaison, the American Indian Relations Administrator. And whereas the name Ramsey County uncovers the truths and longstanding impact, harm, genocide, and racism at the direction of Governor Ramsey to forcefully remove the areas of American Indian residents from their homelands, including the declaration that Sioux Indians of Minnesota must be exterminated or driven forever beyond the borders of the state, which led to the lynching of 38 Dakota men in Mankato on 12/26/1862. And whereas, leaders from our American Indian community and Ramsey County will participate in a collaborative learning cohort in 2026, to focus on shared learning, strategy development, and goal alignment to strengthen our collective impact and further our work as partners for the betterment of American Indian families and children.

And whereas the land in present day known as Ramsey County is located on the ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota Oyate and has been home to the American Indian people of Turtle Island since time of memorial, and without whom the building of this county would not have been possible and holds great historical, spiritual, and personal significance for its original stewards. And whereas we recognize and honor the treaties made over a century ago by tribal nations and the United States government that entitled non native people to live and work on traditional native lands. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners declares May 2026 as American as American Indian month in Ramsey County in order to promote appreciation, healing, reconciliation, understanding, friendship, and continued partnership with the American Indian community. And be it further proclaimed, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners encourages all residents in the community to honor and celebrate the many American Indian Minnesotans and Ramsey County residents that remind us daily of our rich American Indian history. Thank you.

Good morning, commissioners, county manager, and community.

My name is Dakota.

I'm a black and native young person. I'm also a two spirit, and I wanna thank you not just for the invitation, but for making space for this conversation. Because for me, this isn't just about recognition. It is about responsibility. Right now, being native, especially as a young person, means caring a lot.

We're living in a time where identity where our identities, our histories, and even our right to exist can feel politicized, debated, and dismissed. And as a two spirit person, I feel that pressure even more. There's a constant way of knowing that I have to protect my community, protect our culture, protect who we are. Not just in big visible ways, but in everyday moments, and how we show up, and how we speak, and how we refuse to disappear. Because the truth is, our communities have always had a fight to be seen, to be heard, and to survive the systems that were never built for us.

But survival is not the goal, and it shouldn't be the expectation we place on our youth. Our native youth deserve more than survival mode. They deserve to build their lives on solid ground, where they can dream, create, lead, and exist fully as themselves without carrying the constant burden of proving their worth or defending their identity. And that's where I want to speak directly to this room. We have a shared obligation, not just to recognize native communities during this month, but to actively create the conditions where our young people can thrive.

And that starts with listening to our youth, not as future leaders, but as leaders right now. Because we already are navigating these systems. We are already seeing where they fall short, and we are already holding solutions, solutions rooted in lived experience, culture, and community. When youth voices are missing from decision making spaces, the policies created often miss the reality on the ground. But when you bring us in, not just to speak, but to shape, you create something stronger, something more honest, something that actually works.

So my ask is this, make space for native youth voices consistently, not just today. Invest in our communities in ways that honor our leadership, our culture, and our lived experience. And recognize that protecting native youth means creating a future where they don't have to fight to just exist. Because my community carries this responsibility with us every single day. But it shouldn't be ours to carry alone. We all have a role in building a world where native youth can stand on solid ground, not survive alone. And I believe that that world is possible if we choose to build it together. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you, Chair, Board of Commissioners, and county manager Lynn Becker. I first want to express my thanks to our young person and their very powerful words. But I also want to acknowledge who's not here today, and that's Lavaughn. Lavaughn was scheduled to speak today, so she did send forward some words. Good morning, Commissioners.

My name is Lavaughn Lee, longtime community member. It is a good day to honor relationship between the American Indian community and Ramsey County. When our community began celebrating our culture and contributions with American Indian day, then American Indian week, and now American Indian Month. We celebrated humbly across organizations, honoring and celebrating our culture. Today, we celebrate the relationship between the American Indian community and Ramsey County. Our community is

honored honored

to be recognized in the presentation of official proclamation acknowledging American Indian month and our presence and place in St. Paul. Today's proclamation affirms the strong relationship between Ramsey County and the American Indian community, working in partnership to address the disparities, the impact in community. Thank you and we encourage you to take advantage of many educational, cultural, and special events taking place across the Twin Cities. And, if I may, I will read mine.

First, I want to recognize Saint over here, she's wearing red. So, this day also recognizes the National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two Spirit Boys. So, I just want to take a moment to recognize that. And most of our families are deeply impacted by those losses. Relatives, good morning.

For the opportunity to be here today and to stand in space in recognition of American Indian month. I want to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on Dakota homelands, this place known as Ramsey County and the city of Saint Paul holds deep meaning. This is not just where we are, it is a part of the Dakota creation story that truth matters. It grounds us in understanding responsibility and relationship. American Indian month is a time of recognition, but also a reminder.

A reminder that our people are still here. A reminder that our cultures, languages and traditions were never lost, only fought for, protected and carried forward. And, a reminder that the work in front of us is not just about acknowledgement, but about action. We come from generations of resilience, despite policies meant to erase us. Our communities continue to rise strong, rooted, and guided by teachings.

Today, young people are learning their languages. They are reclaiming their ceremony. They are stepping into leadership. And yet, too often their voices are still missing from the very spaces where decisions are being made about our lives, their lives. That is why it is so important that we not only recognize this month, but that we create space for native youth and young adults to be seen, to be heard, and to lead.

Through Saint Paul Indians in Action, we are working to build spaces, grounded in culture, relationship and healing. Spaces where young people can thrive in safety and wholeness. We are also grateful for the partnership and support of Ramsey County Leadership, that of County Manager Link Becker, and walking alongside community in this work and supporting initiatives that move us forward, better outcomes for our people. This moment, this recognition matters. But, what matters even more is what comes next.

How do we continue to show up? How we listen? How we invest in community led solutions? How we honor not only our presence, but our inherent right to thrive? Miigwech for being here, Miigwech for your commitment, And Miigwech for walking with us in this work.

All right. If we can I don't know if any other commissioners had any words to share, but we can do a picture and then have folks do some questions? Sure.

Just quickly, just thank you so much for all of the work you do. I see faces up here today who are impacting our community in so many different ways, and also informing the work that we do every day at the county. It's important that you're here day in and day out, and that your voices are heard. And every it's about a year and a quarter that some of us have been sitting here, and the fact that your faces are so familiar is a testament to your tenacious professionalism to be here and to show up every day to make sure that your community's voices are centered. So thank you so much.

Thank you. My son.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And overall, thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you to especially the leadership that has brought the county and held the county accountable and working so much more deeply with the community and holding us at both accountability and grace of working together, what it really means, especially with the work in St.

Paul Indians in Action. I see the work expanding outside of the circle here, too, that it's a living document that's being embedded into the Met Council, too. I'm on the Transportation Advisory Board, and we are actively seeing the work that you are all doing. It's reflected in that. And even in the transportation plans overall of how are we working with our indigenous communities in making sure that they're active participants and actively shaping their lives. So thank you all for that work.

Lena? Good morning. It is so good to see you all here this morning and to just take a moment, you know, because this moment is not just about this moment. There's a moment of history that goes way back and that go back way too long of trying to just make our indigenous community distinct, invisible. But I wanna say Dakota, we heard you.

We heard the words that come from our young people that we have to honor and allow our young people to lead and to be at the table when we're making decisions. The vision that you have, the vision that is needed, needs to come directly from those, our young people and those who have been impacted. I So just want to say thank you for your leadership, thank you for your wisdom, thank you for just standing. Just thank you for allowing Ramsey County to have a partnership with you and your community and your youth and the elders. And, yes, keep us connected, keep us focused, continue to bring the vision that is needed in the way that it needs to be, because only you can do that in a way that's going to elevate and lift up the indigenous community, not only in Ramsey County, but across the state.

So we appreciate you. We see you. And thank you for the partnership.

Thank you. I'd like to thank you all for being here. I've worked with many of you in the past. John and I go back to when I was the CEO at Clues. And Lavon Lee, I give her my regards. I was here six months when I first met Lavon Lee, and we've been friends ever since when I was going to grad school. But I gotta say, we've been working with you folks, with the community for a good twenty years. And I am personally proud to say we now have a Native American County Commissioner completing the diversity of this board. So thank you for all you've done, and we will continue the partnership.

I forgot to announce my name. Nandana Sikwe, member of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe, Sherry Reimers, chair of Saint Paul Indians in Action. Thank you.

Again, my name is Dakota. I'm with Minnesota Commission for the Homeless Policy Fellow, and the Burmese County Youth Advisory Board for heading on Burmese.

Good morning. John Day. I'm a community member.

Hanawash Day. Tara Bruning with American Indian Family and Children's Services.

Sadie Hart with Anda Young Center.

Kristin Kinney, the Executive Director at the American Indian Families Center in St. Paul, and the Vice Chair of SEA. So, good morning.

I am the American Indian relations specialist here at Ramsey County and I also co lead our employee resource group.

My name my name is Melissa Perez, and the spirits know me as Little Bear. I'm from the Bear Clan and Leach Lake Band of Ojibwe. I said hello to all my relatives. And I'm part of the Mawandubiwag ERG and I also work at the Ramsey County Correctional Facility as a health education program assistant.

Hi, I'm Tony McGurr. I'm with the Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul's Department of Indian Work, program manager for youth enrichment and the economic mobility hub. Thank you.

Nicole Dean, American Indian Relations oh my gosh, my title, American Indian Relations Administrator with Ramsey County. And then I just want to thank everyone for allowing us to be here. And then Elder Pupart said everyone knows who he is. So, shout out to that

Bujoo, I'm Monica Roth Day. I'm a community member and I'm social work faculty at Metro State.

Bonjour, I'm Carol LaFleur and some of you already know me. I'm with Metro Transit Police Department. I'm our American Indian liaison, but I'm also a descendant of Mille Lacs, so thank you for having us all today.

Thank you. Now we'll have a proclamation for Correctional Officers' Week, Commissioner Moran.

We have a few more coming. All right. Welcome. This week, we recognize the dedication and professionalism of correctional officers and staff across the country, including those serving right here in Ramsey County at the sheriff's office and community correction department. It is a time for appreciation, awareness, and respect for the profession that often works behind the scenes, but is essential to the safety and well-being of our community.

Correctional officers and staff are on the front line of public safety, working in one of the most challenging and demanding environments in public service. Effective correctional services not only ensures safety with facilities, but also reduces recidivism through rehabilitation, education, and programs. Correctional professionals are a vital part of the broader criminal justice system, contributing every day to safer communities, both inside and outside facilities' walls. As we observed this week, we recognize that this commitment to public safety is foundational to our justice system. So let's take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude for the service, professionalism, and sacrifice of our correctional officers and employees.

I'm gonna go on to read the proclamation. Do we have it

here? And

so There we go. Okay. So whereas, since 1984, The United States has recognized the first four week in May as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, and whereas Ramsey County employs over 304 time intermittent correctional officers and other employees who work in the correctional field serving through both the sheriff's office and community corrections department. Whereas, Ramsey County correctional officers and employees serve as essential professionals who remain who maintain safety, security, and order within the adult attention center in the Ramsey County Correctional Facility twenty four hours a day, three sixty five days per year, often performing their duties under challenging and demanding circumstances. And whereas these dedicated individuals demonstrate integrity, professionalism, and commitment in protecting the public, supporting rehabilitation, and ensuring the humane treatment of those in the county custody and care.

And whereas their work is often unseen by the public, yet it is vital to the effective operation of the justice system and the safety of our community. And whereas it is fitting to recognize and honor the contribution of correctional officers and employees whose dedication and service uphold the values of justice, safety, and respect. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners declared the week of May 3 through the ninth twenty twenty six as correctional officers and employees week in Ramsey County, and be it further proclaimed that the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners encourage all Ramsey County residents in expressing gratitude and appreciation for their essential and invaluable public service. Can we recognize them? So we have two proclamations here to give out to can we open the floor to you?

Go ahead, Ashley.

Good morning. I'm Ashley Bryant, under sheriff of detention services for the adult detention center. Mister chair, commissioners, county manager Becker, I also want to extend a thank you to RCCF for their strong collaboration and their commitment with Project Bridge. And Project Bridge is housing ADC inmates with the at the RCCF facility. That partnership has been essential to us maintaining stability and safety across our system, just being able to take some of the high population out of our facility.

We're also working on further collaboration to extend that project bridge further in the future. At the adult detention center, we continue to modernize and innovate. We have implemented tablets for those in custody, introduced no cost telephone calling, no cost video visitation. We've negotiated new food contracts and commissary contracts. We have continued the installation of the suicide prevention barriers.

We are currently working on medical unit upgrades, and we are replacing critical infrastructure like elevators. All this work happens in real time alongside constant change where operations do not pause. We integrate these improvements while continuing to run a facility 20 fourseven. And at the center of all of this are our correctional officers. They implement the new initiatives, adapt to constant change, and maintain order and professionalism in conditions where no day is truly positive.

It is their presence that brings stability, consistency, and moments of humanity to individuals experiencing some of the most difficult times of their lives. They are not responsible for the challenges of the environment. They are the ones who manage it, stabilize it, and move it forward every single day. And unlike many professions today, this is work that cannot be done remotely. It cannot be delayed. It cannot be paused. The door is still open. The calls still come. The responsibility remains every hour of every day. In times when demands are high, that often means that fewer opportunities are available for them to step away and spend more time with their families and friends.

That it's spent ensuring that the operations continue safely for everyone inside. What that highlights is the level of commitment that these professionals bring. It reinforces the importance of supporting them in ways that allow them to sustain the work over time so they can be present with their families when it matters, recover when needed, and return ready to perform at the level this profession requires. Because when we support them, they continue to show up at their best for the facility, for the community, and for each other. Our correctional officers are essential.

Investing in them is necessary. And today, I ask that we keep them front and center, recognizing their impact, valuing their work, and continuing to support the people who carry this responsibility every single day. Thank

you. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair Ortega, County Manager Becker, and members of the board. My name is Jamie Brish and I'm serving as the Deputy Director of Facilities for Ramsey County Community Corrections. What's written in this proclamation reflects what our staff live every day. Correctional officers are responsible not just for security, but for managing individuals facing mental health crises, medical needs, and unpredictable situations, all in a high risk environment. The work they do inside our facilities directly impacts the safety of our communities.

It's demanding and at times dangerous work. But, our staff continue to show up, act professionally, and treat people with dignity. We appreciate this recognition and we ask for your continued support for the people doing this critical work. Thank you for your time. Okay.

So I think we'll take a photo, and then each one of you can

introduce yourself. Oh,

Oh, we have a question.

Oh, so sorry. I just wanted to say, there had been a couple remarks that were regarding the difficult challenges that you all are facing every day. And I just wanted to say thank you. As somebody who is a strong mental health advocate, it is refreshing to me how each and every one of the officers that I've talked to in the short time that I've been here has put at the forefront the professionalism, the concern over the care and custody of individuals living with substance use disorder or severe mental health issues that are under your care and custody, that sense of care, responsibility, and wanting to make sure you have the tools to be able to handle that, to make sure that we are figuring out systemically how to have folks move to the places that they're going to receive care, because a jail cell is not where folks need to get care. And you all carry that burden every day.

I also think that leadership is thinking about your health and well-being, and the health and well-being of your families. And so we continue to listen and to learn and how best to resource the places and spaces that you are at so that we can best serve community and do that responsibly to make sure that you are supported as well. So just thank you. Thank you for everything that you do every day.

Thank you. Oh, Mai Chung.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also just want to really echo those sentiments. Thank you, Commissioner Jevonsing, for saying that already.

In addition to that, I want to also thank all of the correctional officers who are working there as well. I know that it's a really hard job and that you're there with folks who are there at one of their lowest points in times of their lives, too. And so treating them with dignity and respect and care goes a long way already, too, even in hard situations. Thank you for doing that. I also want to thank both Undersheriff Bryant, Director Long, and Deputy Director Brish for working together.

This is what one Ramsey County looks like. We absolutely have to work with each other to solve challenges that face us as a county in meeting both state and federal mandates. It's not finger pointing about who's doing what wrong, but it's really coming together to solve solutions. And I've just seen that incredible work through the Project Bridge. So thank you so much for that leadership. And then also thank you to our correctional officers for working through that as we are making those changes and also helping us make that process move. So thank you, and happy correctional officers' recognition.

Thank you.

I didn't prepare a speech or anything today, so please understand. No. My name is McKay Lewis Frost, correctional officer, former mayor candidate and organization of provider here in Saint Paul. At one time, I founded the truth center, eight eighteen truth center, and I'm just glad to be a part of the correction of family now. Thanks so much. Good

morning. My name is Kylan Saffold. I've been in Ramsey County for about nine months now, so I want thank you guys for having us here just for your support. Thank you.

My name is Sabrina Scott. I've been a correctional officer for ten years now. I'm also a member of our honor guard, so you might see me out and about in the community. Thank you for having us here.

Hello. My name is Michael Krunz. I've been with the county for about nine years, and now I'm working in the training unit at the ADC.

Hello. I'm here. I'm working with the correction of Ramsey County with about a year and five months now.

Welcome.

Mike Johnson. I've been with the sheriff's office for twenty three years. Thank you.

Good morning. Gloria Ray is deputy county manager for the safety and justice service team, and I am so proud to work alongside these fine correctional officers beside behind me. Good

morning. My name is Alexis Cuello. I'm with RCCF. Been there for three years and hopefully some more. Thank you, guys.

Good morning. Kit Rocco, RCCF. Been there almost a

year. Good

morning. My name is Devon Tremble. Been with Ramsey County for about a year and five months. Thanks for having me.

Morning chair, commissioners, county manager, Nadir Abdi, deputy county manager, health and wellness service team. Thank you for having us today.

Correction officer Jonathan Dodds. She went eleven, nine years. Hello.

My name is Sanchez Brown. I've been with the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center for about five years. Been a union steward for about four. Thank you. How are you guys doing? I'm Markine Bradford, correctional officer for six years. Good morning. Brett Borowski. You've been with Ramsey County for fifteen years. Thank you.

Hi. Michelle Landers, RCCF. Been with the county for twenty one years.

Good morning, everybody. Nate Landers, 18 at Ramsey County. I'm a lieutenant at RCCF. Hi. Good morning. Steve Horgan. Been with the county thirty three years. I'm the assistant superintendent at the Ramsey County Correctional Facility.

Good morning. Kyle Shu. I'm a lieutenant with RCCF, and I've been there for about ten years.

Good morning. Very proud to be here and proud of all of them. Tim Vasquez, I started as an officer at RCF in 1998 and I'm currently the superintendent. Good morning. Brad Davis, RCF correcting things since 2005.

Good morning. Monica Long, the director of community corrections. I

want to thank all our commissioner officers and staff for the work that you do, the sacrifices that you make. And the one thing that stood out to me, when I heard that the hard work you do and the commitment you have, but no day is really a happy day. Alright, so thank you for sticking in there for doing your work, thank you for your leadership, and we appreciate you all. Thank you.

Administrative item boards, Commissioner McMurtry.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move the following items. Item number five, third amendment to single source agreement with environmental systems, research institute for enterprise license agreement.

Can you pull that?

That was number six.

Item number five. Item number six, 2026 special board of appeal and equalization. Item number seven, local option disaster tax abatement. Item number eight, property tax abatements.

Do I hear a second? Second.

Any further discussion? Roll call.

McMurtry? Aye. Miller Zukski Moran? Aye. Zhang? Aye. Jebin Singh?

Aye. McGuire? Aye.

And Ortega.

Aye. Item number five, Commissioner Singh.

I'd like to move item number five, the third amendment to single source agreement with Environmental Systems Research Institute. And I guess had a question or a clarification on the uses and application of this agreement. I'd just learn a more little about that, and then some of the explanation of the contract updates.

Yeah. Thanks, Commissioner Jevonseng. I have our COO, Alex Kutz, and also someone from IAS here as well. Excellent. Yeah, thank you.

I was like looking around.

Yeah, think Matt's here. Yeah, thought I saw Matt.

Awesome. Great. I'll just quickly introduce and then pass it on. Thank you for the question. I did spend a little time learning more about this, and I think it's a pretty interesting contract of how we do our work first starting with partnering with the state and then moving on to do our own work and how we've expanded this kind of how we use this contract to do different things. And then I'll hand it over.

Morning. Matt Koppel. I'm the enterprise platform manager and IS for Ramsey County. So, thank you for the question, commissioner, chair, county manager. Specifically, you were asking about the can you

Oh, sure, sure. Just the uses and applications Yeah. Of the data that's in this agreement. Not everybody is in your technical world. Sure. And so, enlighten us as to what it that we are discussing today. Sure.

So, GIS is geographic information systems. What we're looking here today is the infrastructure that manages our mapping software. So any sort of spatial analysis, map making, aerial imagery, our assessors use it extensively. Pat is here for another reason, but it's the tools that bring together map, aerial imagery, geographics, geospatial data, so we can do things like analyze where to put the next healthcare facility to serve our residents, where there may be high need, maybe a farther distance for them to travel. So we can kind of do some network analysis on streets, things like that.

The data is used a lot by our assessors to look at changes in structures that we can see from aerial imagery, allowing them to stay in the office instead of going out and do remote work. So it's a much more efficient way of doing that type of work. It's used by our sheriffs in looking ahead to see we're going to a site. Let's pull it up as we're moving there and see entrances and exits, kind of get an idea of where they are. We're also using it to partner with our communities.

Our fire chiefs are using it to throughout the county to assemble pre fire planning options so they can look at buildings and and know where are the dangerous chemicals, where are the electrical accesses, where is the hydrants, things like that. So it what we're getting here today is the infrastructure to support all those various uses throughout the county.

Thank you for that explanation. I had a sense of some of ways we were applying it, but that is a much more robust understanding. And also highlights the number of partners and other groups that may be participating in this. And so my follow-up question to that is just some of the contract updates. You know, whenever we as a board are doing our piece of the puzzle of moving forward with the business, and some of that is this contract approval.

We have to look at things like, you know, data security, the NDAs, the AI using some of the sharing tools. I'm just highlighting some of the changes, and I'm sure they're just updates as time has moved on, and the contracts have to reflect the new realities of data and data sharing and data security. And I'm just wondering if you can maybe give us a sense of what some of those updates are and if there's any policy considerations we should be considering at the board level on that.

The software itself certainly allows us to maintain appropriate data security. It's and we take great care, I'd say, in ensuring that when we work with our partners, I'm trying to think through my head right now, I don't believe we have any truly non public data. We have some sensitive data and we do a lot of things with stripping out that before the data comes with us, things like the safe at home that so data never comes to the GIS side. But there are technically, we certainly keep on top, I'd say, of security. I don't know if the GIS itself has specific I'm trying to think of specific security concerns that aren't more general IT concerns, and we maintain those through our security areas in that way, I'd say, is to make sure our databases are secure, our infrastructure is secure that way.

And the bulk of the data you're talking about is public data. So it's even though it's extensive

with our partners. Yes. In fact, several years ago, we went ahead with a GIS initiative that the board approved for free and open data. I'm a strong proponent of saying all public data needs to be freely open and available. And so we practice that fully.

And my last thing is just is there any additional benefits to that free and open data to the business community, to school groups, anything like that as they're preparing for future development in the area, or other kind of considerations? How would people access that if that's something

We that would be helpful for have multiple ways to make that available. The most common is the Minnesota GeoCommons, which is a statewide repository where different organizations submit data in a freely interchangeable format. And so we participate fully by putting most, almost all our data into that system to allow people to access it. And we also have several online x portals where you can go on either through our open data portal and access it that way, or we have some web maps that allow people to directly download aerial imagery that we capture. So we have many different ways that we share, and we hear from people all the time saying, hey, I need data, I'm doing some sort of an analysis, can you get me x y z?

And so we point them to those resources with great regularity. We also have a great partner with Ramsey County GIS user group, which is a non county group. It's made up of all municipalities, watershed districts, a number of other organizations that we meet with. We'll be meeting with them on Thursday where we share data and look to do common work.

Thank you. And thank you for the board for humoring that. Sometimes I just like to be able to show the back of the house, the things that are going on every day that when we say we're data driven and we're trying to do the best work that we can with the tools at our disposal, sometimes this is an opportunity to show some of that work that is otherwise invisible. So thank you for that.

Thank you. Thank you. Do I have a second? Second. Any further discussion? Roll call.

McMurtry? Aye. Miller is excused. Moran? Aye. Zhang? Aye. Jeben Singh?

Aye. McGuire? Aye.

And Ortega.

Aye. Legislative update.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm happy to give the legislative update along with my colleague, commissioner Moran. We we meet weekly with our legislative team. Shout out to Jody Wood and and others on that team. So we're getting into the final weeks of session. The senate continues to work through its omnibus bills. The finance committee is compiling several omnibus bills into one large appropriations bill, except for health and human services will be separate. The house, by contrast, has just a few omnibus bills that they're working through the ways the means committee.

So it remains to be seen what how they're gonna reconcile the ways that both bodies are are doing their work. So we're we're hopeful that some of the that some of the things that we care about will continue to be included in those bills. We, regarding bonding bill, we're not, it's always the we never know if it's for sure gonna happen until the very end when it actually happens. Leadership is being asked to work on on the bonding bills, so there's hope that there's gonna be one. Our issues are continuing to be advocated for.

Our park at River's Edge with all of our legislative colleagues are continuing to talk to legislative leadership and the bonding committee members to make sure that our our priorities are included in the bonding bill. And so we'll we hope that there will be a bonding bill. And and so we we are. We're continuing just to make sure that our issues are continuing to be in these bills. And so with that, Mr. Chair, I wrap up my report.

Thank you, Commissioner Maguire. County Connections?

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Have a few things for you today. Ramsey County was honored with a certificate of appreciation last Friday. Deputy County Manager Reyes and I were able to go to the Metro Transit award ceremony over in Golden Valley where they were honoring various community partners as well as their staff.

We were recognized for our strong partnership in advancing the Safe and Strong partnership, which brings law enforcement and public health responders to provide harm reduction, connect riders to resources, and meet people where they're at with compassionate on the ground support. I want to especially thank our county attorney's office, our public health department, social services, for all of their work. In addition, the Metro Transit Police Department also recognized county attorney John Choi with the chief's award for his, leadership and commitment to, community safety. Tomorrow, Commissioner Ortega and I are going to be over at Union Depot. Some of you know that later on this summer, we're also going to be celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the historic Transit Hub.

But on Thursday, we're going to be celebrating the grand opening of DG Pilot. It's our premier travel lifestyle store. And Commissioner Ortega will be offering some remarks. I wanted to put this in my update because I had a chance to talk to Donnie Gardner, who is a civically engaged entrepreneur. He's a pilot as well as a business owner.

And he serves on the board of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance as well. But he expressed to me his gratitude for working with county staff as well as JLL, which is our partner managing things over at Union Depot. And he expressed how much gratitude he had for our paths of support for him as a small business owner, as well as that he's experienced significant growth since relocating to Union Depot. He moved from the Hamm Building over to Union Depot and said his foot traffic has increased five times since doing that.

I just want to call out, he sells some very unique themed items. He is a leader in Minnesota as well as travel and aviation goods. And so if folks want to go over there and check that out, it's a great business in St. Paul. And then lastly, wanted to call out that next Tuesday, May 12, many of you met Dakota. He's a big part of the lead in working with our Heading Home Ramsey Advisory Board. And they're going to be hosting an event that they've done annually. I think this might be the second one now. Flipping Tables, it's called. It's a youth led event at the Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub in downtown.

The event creates a place for those young people, especially those experiencing housing instability, to share their experiences in the workforce, speak openly about what they need. What makes this really meaningful, it's really led by the youth themselves through our housing stability department. And rather than just being about programs, it's a chance for others to listen, learn, and build better pathways. Last year, they held it at Landmark Center. Was able to go. I would really recommend people to stop by if you can. So thanks to Housing Stability, Workforce Solutions, other community organizations for helping to really listen to young people and to connect them to really people who can help them leverage all that they can offer. So thank you. You

want to begin? Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to announce and share about the Reimagination Resource Center grant. It is $2,000,000 of federal funds that the county had received in direct appropriations a few years ago. And CED just went through a process of identifying those organizations.

And those are grants to help organizations enhance their service and expand their capacity for up to two years. So those include Women Venture, Latino Economic Development Center, Hmong American Partnership, Asian Economic Development Association, the Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers, African American Development Solutions, and Neighborhood Development Center. So I'm just glad that these dollars went out into the community to help support the community based organizations that serve and support small businesses. Next, Ramsey and Washington Recycling and Energy Center just provided their 2025 annual report. I was able to attend the board meeting last week where we got the high level overview of the 2025 annual report.

And again, we saw a big reduction in the number of mattresses that were being thrown into the landfill. And I also believe that that's contributed to so much of the partnerships that we have with our city partners to make sure that we're diverting mattresses out of the landfill. So that's a really big win for us this year. Next, I joined the Red Rock Southeast Corridor board meeting. This is Red Rock was a plan to consider connecting St.

Paul, downtown St. Paul, down along 61 there to the southern portion. And so since then, Washington County and Ramsey County has been working on this along with some of our city partners along the corridor there. We've decided that we'll just meet about just next year, just a few times, because the original plan was to have arterial was to have BRT, but it has changed now more to just bus service for regular service there. So that work has slowed down quite a bit.

And then finally, I just want to mention about some events that are coming up so that folks are aware. Next week, Tuesday, the Payne Phelan District Council will be hosting and having a conversation with Mayor Her about Northern Iron and Machine, as well as other East Side issues that they are concerned with. And so that is available to

the

public who want to discuss issues related to the East Side at the Arlington Hills Community Center on oh, it's not next week, but just announcing it for May 26. So later this month, 6PM to 8PM. Thank you.

Thank you. Mary Jo?

Hey. Thank you. Oh, let me get off mute. Oh, yeah. I'm off mute. Thank you, mister chair. I wanna thank my colleague, Commissioner Jean, for being at the Recycling and Energy Board meeting, and I'll just continue on with some of the things that we learned at that meeting. And thank you for highlighting the annual report. We also heard an update on the feasibility study on the Gerdau site, which is the metal reclamation site that's right next to our recycling and energy center. And we're, then we're pulling together stakeholders to discuss interest in any future development of that site.

So, just on the one more step forward in exploring options for that site and for the waste that we have in our communities. Also, I just want to get this on your radar, the Recycling Energy Center holler and staff appreciation picnic is held on will be held in August 27. Just be aware this is coming up. Everyone's welcome. All of course, the commissioners are are welcome are invited to attend.

Also, their grant you know, they're they're doing a great job applying for grants and getting and getting a number of those, and they're working down at the legislature on some of their platform priorities. You've been hearing about the the infectious waste that we are receiving in our plant from hospitals and medical facilities. And so we're really trying to work hard to to, reduce that, eliminate it. And I know that the legislature has, instead of passing a law that that puts more teeth into the existing law, they're gonna do a study on how it's going. We already know that it's not going very well, but they're gonna do a study because it's cheaper to do a study.

So we're disappointed, but we're grateful that at least the issue is still alive at the legislature, and we hope that that will, will get passed. So at least we'll have it in documented form, the infectious waste that's being put into the main waste stream when it's supposed to be singled out and it's supposed to be handled in a different manner, not just put in with everything else. So so we're grateful for all the work work that they're doing there. Then also, last week, the, environmental center in Roseville continues to host a number of Ramsey County and community events. So we're just so excited that that so many things are happening.

The Plate to Garden event was there. And then on Monday, they hosted an a community event creating a more equitable future for climate action in in Roseville. So, it's just, great to see that space being used. Also, there was a garden tool swap at the at the center. The the next thing I wanna just highlight for all of us is that this Friday, the Ramsey County League of Local Government is doing a session on inside Minnesota's elections.

So we're joining joining Minnesota secretary of state Steve Simon and Ramsey County Elections Manager David Triplett for timely and in-depth look at Minnesota elections. So I don't know if you're seeing me or if you're getting my battery out here. But so that's the so that's the Ramsey County League this Friday at eight in the morning. So we hope that everybody can join us.

Thank you.

Thanks. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Commissioner Singh?

Yes. Just a reminder that May is Mental Health Awareness Month in Minnesota, and just some basic statistics to ground us in this work is that in The U. S, one in five adults experiences mental illness in any given year. And more than one in twenty U. S.

Adults experience a serious mental illness each year. And to put that in perspective, that's over a million individuals in Minnesota who have a mental health condition. That's twice the population of Ramsey County. And I say that because we are still living with a sense of stigma and discrimination and a time when we don't openly talk about mental health in the same way we do about physical health. And that it is so important that we embed this in all of the work that we do. And I just want to remind folks, when we talk about this, this is us. This is our families. This is our coworkers. These are the kids who go to school with our kids. They are our neighbors.

And it is an important thing for us to always keep in the forefront. It impacts the work that we do in all of the work that we do. And I just want to throw out a couple of resources. Ramsey County has their own adult and children's health crisis line. The children's mental health crisis line is (651) 266-7878.

And the adult mental health crisis line is (651) 266-7900. And there are a number of resources along the continuum of care on our website. I also want to encourage folks to engage with NAMI Minnesota and NAMI Ramsey County, who is our local chapter, who provide ongoing education and support all of the time, along with our Ramsey County Children's Mental Health Collaborative, who has a lot of online supports to get people connected to services every day. Along with that, some of the work last week, Wednesday, I was able to attend the Shoreview Business Social. Lovely to see business interacting and getting the strength and support that they need from each other in building our communities.

The Ramsey County Rice Creek Commons JDA met last week. We reviewed our initial draft working budget for the year and our project roadmap. We were able to again reiterate the platinum lead certification that the program or the project has, as well as highlighting it's important in the county's Building Stronger Together initiative with the plans to invest our dollars into the infrastructure, into Rice Creek Boulevard, which will be the spine road that will be one of the first pieces in getting that project up and running in full throttle. And then also that Arden Hills will be celebrating their seventy fifth anniversary, so lifting that up as exciting time for that project. This coming week, 'tis the season for fundraisers and community events to lift up our nonprofit partners.

On Wednesday, there is Solid Grounds Breakfast, the Every Family Needs a Home event. I'm excited to hear more about a site that they are opening in Badness Heights. The Northeast Youth and Family Services lunch is also on Wednesday. And then the International Institute has their big gala event on Wednesday night. And so important with the work they do to make sure that new arrivals who are coming into our communities are supported as they are such a rich part of the tapestry of our communities. And then on Friday, I'll be happy to attend the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island Cultural Celebration at our RCF. It'll be a good day to be there. And also, I believe the plant sale is still going on, so I'm hoping to do a little double duty there. That's all I have.

Thank you. Garrison? Thank

you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to get a quick update. So I sit on the AMC's county and state Medicaid subcommittee just as we start thinking about the implications of HR1 as it's fully put into effect, specifically the Medicaid portion, come January of next year. This group of folks from counties, from DHS, from DCYF come together on a weekly basis to discuss how we as counties can prepare.

One of the things I think that's pretty telling that's coming out of this legislative session is there seems to be a lot of bipartisan support around tech modernization. And so, that is an important piece that we can get across the finish line before the end of this session. The other piece that came out of one of the discussions that we had as a group is how can counties now start preparing for what's to come? And, one of the things, a couple of things they mentioned is just counties taking the steps of staying current on renewals, preparing for increased phone calls, understanding upcoming changes to non citizen guidelines, and of course the work reporting requirements. All these things that we know are going to have significant implications on some of our most vulnerable residents.

So, out how we as a county can prepare and mitigate those challenges as much as we can before HR1 is fully implemented next year. So, more to come as we start to close out this legislative session and as this working group continues to provide recommendations to the state on how we can work together and alleviate some of the pressure from counties. I'll keep the board, of course, updated. Know that Commissioner Zhang sits on the snap version of this committee as well. Yesterday, I also had a chance to attend the Generation Next Leadership Council meeting.

It was a great opportunity to meet with a lot of the folks who do the work around closing the achievement gap and opportunity gap for so many students in our community. We had a chance to welcome Mayor Her, who's the newest member of the board, and recap their annual meeting. And I think one thing that really stood out to me from their meeting was the theme of connection and community. I think especially with what all so many of our kids have been experiencing over the last few months post Operation Metro surge, to see our school districts, our cities really come together and showcase the importance of maintaining that connection and building off that momentum. We know that there's still a number of challenges that will come our way, especially as a result of this administration, and how our schools are stepping up to make sure our students and their families get the resources that they need.

So, great meeting and looking forward to continuing to work with that group. Last night, I also had a chance to speak at the North End Community Council, their annual meeting. They're one of the district councils here in St. Paul. The mayor was there to provide an update on things happening at the city, and I was there to provide updates from the county, as well as answer questions from folks in the community.

And these district councils are just another great opportunity to not only share about the work that we're doing, but to just connect with folks in our neighborhoods. So, for those in St. Paul who may not be aware, definitely get involved with your district councils. It's a great opportunity to see neighbors and to stay connected on how you can do your part in our community. Commissioner Jevonsing mentioned the International Institute and their gala that's coming up tomorrow.

I also want to put a plug in for the St. Paul Downtown Alliance. Their annual meeting is coming up tomorrow as well, and I know that the county will be present and showcasing our work to revitalize downtown St. Paul, and the fact that this is gonna take a coalition of folks to get that done. So, looking forward to that.

And then finally, I just wanted to formally welcome Murray Goff, who is a senior at St. Paul Academy and will be interning with my office for the next month. He is already jumping in, so I don't know if I had a chance already to introduce him to everyone, so I'll be taking him around. Just wanted to formally welcome Murray to the team.

You. Vina?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to open up first with County Manager Becker with an introduction of an honored guest that we have here in Minnesota. I got a phone call last night from a friend of mine, Mohammed Amin Kahin, who stated that we had a distinguished guest here from Kenya. So I just wanted to I said we can't do a proclamation today.

It's a little last minute. We couldn't do anything formal. But I just wanted to mention that because, you know, the work that we do sometimes we see this local work, but it can be a global partnership that we can have and lessons learned of how we can do what we do to make the work that we do here even better. So I just want to recognize our guest, our distinguished guest here today, Ahmed Abdi Jama, who is here today. So, Ahmed is a political consultant, mining sector leader, and social impact entrepreneur with a proven track record in advancing youth empowerment, sustainable development, and responsible resource management across Africa.

He's also the senior political advisor to Doctor. Obu Adinga, who is second in command in the Kenyan government, and also is the advisor to the former Prime Minister of Kenya. He is widely recognized with his ability to mobilize and influence youth movement across the continent, aligning grassroots energy with governance, economic opportunity, long term stability. Just a little bit through his advisory role he bridges communities institutions and investors ensuring inclusive and sustainable development. I want to mention that because that is really a lot of the work we do here at Ramsey County and how we see the work in the world in which we live in.

So, welcome to Minnesota, welcome to Ramsey County, and I hear that they are going to be doing something even bigger for you in Minneapolis on Thursday, But this is our day.

Welcome. Thank you so much.

Okay. Last week I did a few things. I had a meeting with our housing policy with some housing policy statewide partners, Elizabeth Glinton from the Minnesota housing partnership, Kizzy Downey from model city, Sadie Hart from center, and Stephanie Lewis from the greater twin cities united way, all housing community leaders to review a proposed constitution amendment that they are leading aimed at creating a dedicated long term funding source for housing stability across Minnesota. They gave me an overview what they are calling our future stars at home proposal which would generate funding through a small statewide sale tax increase to expand rental assistance, increase access to homeownership and strengthen housing stability efforts. Was able to discuss the current legislative process of proposal that is moving through the House and the Senate, but also looking at the legislative progress of the proposal and how it could potentially complement existing tools like the affordable housing aid LHA, which continue to support housing outcomes in our community.

So this is like really important work for me that we stabilize our community through housing. There are many of us who believe that housing is a human right and that we should all have it. And so I just want to say out loud to this group that I met with all who I know very well and I pushed back a little bit because, yes, we should look at homeownership opportunities, rental assistance to provide rent support and rental homes so more Minnesotans have a safe and stable home, looking at household and community stability funds to support people facing instability and homelessness with healthy and climate resilient homes. And all of those things are important. But I challenge them to look at this work through more of a comprehensive approach because we have never made more investment in housing than we did when COVID hit our homes.

But what we know is that homelessness continues to grow. So there is something else that we need to be doing. Right? We want to equip individuals with the tools they need also so that we stabilize them. We need to also look at the homeless and look at the mental health pieces that are impacting the overall epidemic that we are going through right now.

I think it has to be a really comprehensive piece of what we do and how we do it. And in addition to looking at homeownership, rental opportunities, support for rental housing so that people are not facing, you know, in front of a judge to be evicted. We got to do this better. So I want them to know I believe in this work. I believe that we have to do this work, but we have to do something differently too because otherwise we are investing millions and sometimes billions of dollars.

But what are we doing to stop the crisis that is happening? Right? And so we gotta think about that. We gotta think about, you know, do we do all of this? Do some of this and have a real impact? That is a discussion that we have to have. But it is a good meeting with some great people leading the way and doing great things. They also have 80 other organizations who are supporting this initiative. Nothing will happen this year in the legislature but they will be coming back next year. As they think about that I'm challenging them to think at this work through a more comprehensive way in bringing in those other partners that is not just focused on the housing piece of it.

I had a great opportunity last week to join the Frogtown community for a family spring celebration hosted at St. Paul Parks and Recreation Center at the Frogtown Community Center. It was a great place. It was a little chilly out there and everything was outdoors, but it was a great evening of community just showing up and participating. And I walked into that space and who was there other than our sheriff's department cooking.

Cooking hot dogs and hamburgers and giving out refreshments. So it was just a really great moment of seeing community gathering outside, families gather to celebrate their arrival of spring, connecting with one another and enjoying a welcoming community center environment. And also, Ramsey County had a table there too, so it was great to see Ramsey County there with a table and to meet and gather with Ramsey County staff. This celebration reflected the strength in community in Frog Town bringing people together across generations to connect, share and build relationship in a safe and supportive setting. I just want to end with the recognition of one of our great leaders here in St.

Paul who was raised in St. Paul, is a native of St. Paul, Tony Shannon. Tony has been doing some great, great work here in St. Paul, done an abundance of work on the East Side Of St.

Paul with youth. He showed up big time during the pandemic to really support our youth in the park through, as you can do, our educational front, workforce development. But Tony Sanon was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Tony. Mean, that is an acknowledgement that we need to recognize, and I'm gonna give him a a clap there.

So he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. I want to acknowledge Tony's contribution to early Major League Soccer success and his role as a member of the US S. Men's National Team. His induction as part of the 2026 class reflect both his on field excellence and his lasting impact on the game. I also recognize his continued investment in community through youth development, mentorship, and wellness initiative, demonstrating leadership that extends far beyond the field.

I celebrate this milestone as a reflection of the talent, the resilience, and the leadership rooted in Ramsey County and across Minnesota. Great work great work, Tony, and we appreciate your leadership that has gone well beyond the soccer field right into our community right here in Saint Paul. And that is it for me.

Thank you. I I'll begin by saying today's Cinco de Mayo, but we had a two day celebration on the West Side. We got it was first of all, it has to be the I was I marched with Betty McCollum, and I was telling Betty and I, we were we were both saying how the weather was, like, perfect. Usually, it's cold or it's raining. But it was a perfect day. There were tens of thousands of people out there. It was a huge success. And so congratulations to Franco and all the community organizers. After COVID, the community there was no celebration. Community took over.

So, this is now being run by the community, not a professional outfit. And, it was wildly successful. The other thing is the Science Museum Gala. I attended that, and that had a great turnout. And of course, we have a long history with the Science Museum.

We donated the property that they built the museum on thirty years ago, so twenty five years. And great turnout, and it's important because we want to make sure the science museum stays healthy and stays in St. Paul. The other thing is the Regents Hospital. Yesterday, I attended the ribbon cutting for the expansion of the emergency room.

It is huge. You know, we see over 100,000 people into the ER every year. 100,000 people. And, that given what might happen with HR1, that could become even bigger. So, the fact is they added some thirty five three thousand five hundred square feet more to the emergency room.

The facilities are fantastic. More private for people coming in. So more humane in my mind rather than being we had people lining up in hallways. But it was a great event and a fantastic work on behalf of the hospital staff to get this done in a pretty short order within a couple of years. So, congrats to them.

After following the county board meeting, we have a workshop, and let me get my cheat sheet here, Understanding State Hospital Utilization and Rising Costs by Commissioner Singh. And then a 130 Board Workshops on State Operative Services, Direct care, and treatment by Commissioner Moran Cherry. I guess that's it. We'll take a five minute break then go to the workshop. Thank you. We're adjourned.