Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Meeting - October 14, 2025

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 9:02 a.m. on October 14, 2025, in Council Chambers, Courthouse Room 300, 15 West Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, MN. Present: Commissioners Jebens-Singh, McGuire, McMurtrey, Miller, Moran, and Chair Ortega. Commissioner Xiong was excused. Also present were County Manager Ling Becker and Jada Lewis, Civil Division Director, Ramsey County Attorney's Office. The meeting was adjourned at 10:13 a.m. All votes were unanimous (6-0, with Commissioner Xiong excused).

Proclamation: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Commissioner Jebens-Singh presented the proclamation declaring October 2025 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Ramsey County. Statistics cited: nearly one in three women and one in four men experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and more than 9,500 domestic-related 911 calls were made in Ramsey County in the past year. Commissioner Jebens-Singh highlighted the county's "Call for All" initiative, which strengthens how 911 callers experiencing domestic violence are connected with advocates and resources.

Multiple community partners and staff spoke in support of the proclamation and the Call for All initiative, including:

• Natalie Simonette (Emergency Communications admin planning assistant) announced that beginning next month, all 911 call takers will be required to offer the resource and send an outbound text message with a link to the website, giving victims and survivors autonomy over which advocacy organization they connect with.
• Rosie Walker (Women's Advocates) noted her organization is the first domestic violence shelter in the nation.
• Ray Black (Tubman shelter community manager, self-identified survivor) expressed gratitude for being part of the project from conception to launch.
• Tara Lewis (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition Board chair) spoke about advocating for Native American women and children.
• Maria Meyer and Shelley Klein (St. Paul Intervention Project/SPIP), Abby Lane (Northeast Youth and Family Services), Jen Paulzin (CEO, Tubman), Shua (Transforming Generations), Gloria Reyes (Deputy County Manager), Nancy Pass (Emergency Communications director), and others expressed support, emphasizing the collaborative, co-created nature of the initiative.

Consent Calendar

All consent items were approved unanimously via a single motion by Commissioner McMurtrey, seconded by Commissioner Miller:

• Agenda of October 14, 2025 approved (Motion by Miller, seconded by McGuire).
• Minutes from October 7, 2025 approved (Motion by McGuire, seconded by Jebens-Singh).
• Item 4 - Donation from Minnesota State Fair (Resolution B2025-187): Retroactive acceptance of a $28,000 donation from the Minnesota State Fair to the Social Services Department in the form of 1,400 State Fair tickets.
• Item 5 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Charges (Resolution B2025-188): Certified a special assessment for 80 West LLC at 80 4th Street W, Saint Paul, PIN 06.28.22.24.0012, for energy efficiency improvements in the amount of $1,530,000.00, at a 7.49% interest rate, with interest starting to accrue June 1, 2027, over a 24-year finance period with first installment payable with 2027 property taxes. The Chief Clerk was directed to send a certified copy to the County Auditor.
• Item 6 - Minnesota Family Investment Program Biennial Service Agreement (Resolution B2025-189): Ratified the submittal of the 2026-2027 County Biennial Service Agreement to the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Family; accepted a TANF Block Grant of $18,534,057 annually for January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027; authorized the Chair, Chief Clerk, and County Manager to execute agreements; and authorized temporary transfers from the General Fund as needed.
• Item 7 - Restore 2024 Information Technology Projects Appropriation (Resolution B2025-190): Authorized the County Manager to transfer up to $3,114,817 from General Fund balance to restore the Information Technology Projects Appropriation closed out to fund balance during the 2024 budget closing process.
• Item 8 - Minnesota Paid Leave Implementation (Resolution B2025-191): Authorized the County Manager to finalize negotiations and execute an agreement with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (200 Park Avenue, New York, NY) for administration of Paid Family Medical Leave insurance coupled with Short- and Long-Term Disability insurances, commencing January 1, 2026, for a term of at least two years.
• Item 9 - Settlement Agreement in John and Amy Waters v. Ramsey County, et al. (Resolution B2025-192): Approved a settlement agreement totaling $875,000 (Court File No. 62-CV-23-4037) and authorized the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute it.

Ordinance Procedures

• Item 10 - 2026 Capital Improvement Program Bond Ordinance (Resolution B2025-193): The board waived the first reading of the proposed 2026 Capital Improvement Program Bond Ordinance and set the public hearing for November 4, 2025, at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers, third floor of Ramsey County Courthouse. Motion by Chair Ortega, seconded by Commissioner McGuire. Passed unanimously.

County Connections - County Manager Update

County Manager Ling Becker provided updates on:

• Windows 10 end-of-support: Microsoft officially ended support of Windows 10 on this date. The Information Services department successfully upgraded 97% of all county computers to Windows 11, avoiding significant costs of extended security support.
• Manufacturing Month (October): Manufacturing contributes over $57 billion to the Minnesota economy, representing 12% of the state's gross domestic product. Average manufacturing wages in Minnesota are $79,000 annually, while Ramsey County manufacturing wages average $95,000—10% higher than the state average. Ramsey County has over 650 manufacturing firms employing more than 29,000 people. Public tours are available, including International Paper, Summit Brewing, Harris Companies, and National Checking Company.
• Federal shutdown: The county was in week three (day 14) of the federal shutdown. Programs monitored include SNAP, Head Start, Early Childhood, TANF/Minnesota Family Investment Program, SAMSA, FEMA, Medicare, and Medicaid. WIC funding in Minnesota is available through the end of October via drawdowns, and the health department and FRAT team are planning for scenario where WIC funds are exhausted before the shutdown ends. Approximately 17,000 federal employees work in Minnesota; an estimated 20-30% of the civilian federal workforce (about 4,000 residents) resides in Ramsey County and may be furloughed or face pay delays.

Outside Board and Committee Reports

• Commissioner Moran: Reported on the Active Living Ramsey Communities hybrid meeting (presentations on bike and walk audits with AARP; introduction of public works senior transportation planners Cody Leesman and Amy Barnesdorf; planning for the Ramsey County 20th anniversary celebration on November 17; Metropolitan Council regional bicycle transportation network proposed changes). Also attended the Roseville Fire Department senior resource fair, State of the Friends event, Roseville Area Schools local government meeting, Ramsey County League of Local Governments meetings (chloride pollution; cybersecurity takeaways from the St. Paul attack), do good Roseville 10th anniversary, and the Large Urban County Caucus in Milwaukee (highlighting Milwaukee's public market, South Shore Park, and a regional sales tax model spanning five counties for their professional baseball stadium).
• Commissioner Jebens-Singh: Thanked labor and trade partners for "Project Heat is On" energy efficiency work, noted the CAPRW partnership for referring homes, reminded residents about energy assistance applications. Recognized John Anderson Day (October 2) in Ramsey County for the retiring White Bear Lake Area Schools community education leader. Attended a landmark place event on redlining history, the Solid Ground gala (low-income and bridge housing), Vadnais Heights Lions Club waffle breakfast (compostable event), Clean Water Action Brunch for Better, NAMI Walk (noting NAMI director Sue Abderholden's retirement), Northeast Youth and Family Services "Pause for Purpose" (noting they have therapist openings), and do good Roseville. Participated in the Byrne Institute trip to Montgomery and Selma with the youth justice transformation group, describing it as personally moving and catalyzing collaboration.
• Commissioner McMurtrey: Welcomed new Ramsey County employees, attended the City of St. Paul's 50th anniversary of district councils, and the AMC (Association of Minnesota Counties) board meeting where the 2026 budget was approved, a new membership database was approved, and legislative priorities were reviewed (with a strategic plan approval goal in January; annual AMC conference December 8-10 in Bloomington). Spoke to the National Association of Retired and Veteran Railroad Employees in Roseville (previewed the budget). Honored the 2026 Family Farm of the Year (Pilgrim Baptist Church community garden). Announced the "Reopen Rice" celebration of phase one completion of Rice Street reconstruction on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rice and Arlington Baseball Field Parking Lot, with phases two and three to follow.
• Commissioner Miller: Attended the Roseville Local Government meeting (updates on the capital project levy for school safety and technology), the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board (MESB) meeting (selected a lobby firm after a second round of interviews; firm name not yet shared publicly), and NACo's EELU committee meeting (Operation Greenlight; data centers and power demand). Participated in the Indigenous People's Day proclamation at American Indian Magnet School, thanking county departments that tabled, and highlighting community engagement (down payment assistance program at the CED table). Upcoming: Vadnais Heights EDC Partners for Good meeting, AMC tribal leaders meeting in Duluth, and the CLUES gala on Friday.
• Chair Ortega: Reflected on the Byrne Institute trip to Montgomery and Selma with colleagues and county staff as a reminder that past laws and policies continue to impact lives today. Attended Fresh Energy's breakfast fundraiser (carbon neutral economy advocacy), met with Joe Munich of Generation Next and Eagle Lab (homelessness issues in downtown), attended the launch party for Keeping Families Connected Minnesota (founder Joanne Whitman; support for families in the child protection system), a Bridging gala (furniture for families transitioning from homelessness; noted Ramsey County's strong relationship with Bridging), and the Hallie Q Brown Community Center fundraiser under new executive director Benny Roberts. Announced that the Rondo Community Library—the busiest library in the City of St. Paul with 250,000 visitors in 2024 and 30,000 visitors in September 2025 alone—will temporarily close by late 2025 for interior renovation. Library services will continue at Hallie Q Brown Community Center during the closure; the exact date will be announced later this month. Also attended the Neighborhood House (Wellstone Center) gala (raised $500,000 that night; $500,000 away from $25 million raised in the past year), the violence reduction leadership group (commending coordinated efforts by St. Paul Police, Metro Transit Police, and Sheriff's Department), the Laborers Union infrastructure summit, and spoke at Ramsey County Correctional Facility for Hispanic Cultural Week.

Key Outcomes

• All ten agenda items were approved unanimously (6-0; Commissioner Xiong excused).
• Resolutions adopted: B2025-187 through B2025-193.
• Public hearing for the 2026 Capital Improvement Program Bond Ordinance set for November 4, 2025, at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers.
• The Call for All initiative will launch next month, with 911 call takers required to offer the advocacy resource and send an outbound text message link to all domestic violence-related calls.
• After the board meeting, a scheduled Board Workshop on County Program Aid and Payment in Lieu of Taxes was held at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Lunch and Learn on Sheriff's Office OT Discussion at 12:00 p.m.
• A closed meeting was held at 1:38 p.m. pursuant to Minnesota Statutes § 13D.05, subd. 3(c)(3) regarding the sale of vacant property at 3329 Rice Street in the City of Shoreview. The board unanimously authorized the County Manager to approve and execute purchase agreements, settlements, closing documents, and related real estate documentation (Resolution B2025-194). The closed meeting adjourned at 1:55 p.m.
• Advance notice was given that no county board meeting will occur on October 28, 2025 (Mpact Transit + Community Conference) or November 11, 2025 (Veterans Day).