Board Workshop on All Hands On Deck Update and Downtown Service Center Tour - October 21, 2025
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Board Workshop on All Hands On Deck Update and Downtown Service Center Tour - October 21, 2025
This workshop, held at Metro Square in Saint Paul, featured updates on the All Hands On Deck (AHOD) initiative, which focused on reducing backlogs in financial assistance programs, and a tour of the renovated Downtown Service Center. No votes were taken; the session was informational and focused on progress, next steps, and staff recognition.
Discussion Items
All Hands On Deck Initiative Update
- Launch and Purpose: Launched December 2024 to address persistent backlogs in Medical Assistance and SNAP. Nearly one in three Ramsey County residents rely on Medical Assistance, more than one in ten on SNAP.
- Operational Return Call Pilot: A 90-day pilot used 10 temporary staff to handle routine status checks. Results included nearly 4,000 calls returned within one business day, 5,700 live calls answered, and a 99.6% answer rate. Two-thirds of eligibility specialists reported spending less time on phone calls; over half had more time for casework.
- Backlog Reduction: Application assignment improved to within one week. Over 100 new eligibility specialists hired since November 2024.
- Service Center Wait Times: Average wait downtown under 20 minutes, under 10 minutes at Maplewood and Roseville. New check-in kiosks, digital displays, text alerts, and real-time wait times posted online and onsite.
- Language Translation Device Pilot: Tested but failed for high-demand languages (Somali, Korean). Working with IS on alternative solutions. Language-specific navigators and Language Line remain in use.
- Staff Development: Partnering with Saint Paul College for customer service training; first cohort scheduled November 2025. Leadership training also scheduled.
Next Phase: All Hands On Deck Access and Accuracy
- Phase one (starting October 2025) includes rapid response teams, checklists, and resident guides. Phase two (January 2026) embeds improvements into daily operations, expands call center modernization, virtual services, and customer service training.
- Goal: Deliver the right benefit at the right time every time, with a focus on equity and accuracy.
Metro Square Transformation and Naming Framework
- Renovation Vision: One-door, multi-service location using trauma-informed design. Features include family spaces, improved wayfinding, digital kiosks, and flexible meeting rooms.
- Building Occupancy: Lower level: conference center, wellness/prayer/lactation rooms. First floor: Community Corrections, Met Council. Second floor: Service Center, Workforce Solutions, CareerForce. Third/fourth floors: Financial Assistance, Social Services, IS, Housing Stability. Fifth floor (completing December 2025): Human Resources, Finance, drop-in center.
- Naming Recommendation: Metro Square to be renamed Ramsey County Government Center. Service centers will keep their names: Ramsey County Service Center St. Paul, Maplewood, Roseville. Research included peer jurisdictions and resident input. Timeline: finalize name, update signage, grand opening spring 2026.
- Wayfinding and Accessibility: County working on skyway signage (some owned by City of St. Paul). Commissioners raised concerns about digital kiosks and AI directing residents incorrectly. Staff emphasized multiple access points (libraries, malls, community partners).
Key Outcomes
- Continued Monitoring: County will track return call expectations (three-day goal) and use resident satisfaction surveys (text message survey after visits). Dashboards for public reporting in development.
- Next Steps for Access and Accuracy: Rapid response teams and training programs in progress. Staff will provide further updates on guides and tools.
- Building Renovation: Metro Square fifth floor completion by December 2025; departments will relocate through early 2026.
- Naming Launch: Public grand opening and name launch planned for spring 2026. Signage audit underway.
- Staff Recognition: County Manager and commissioners repeatedly thanked staff for innovation and collaboration, noting that the AHOD framework proved effective for rapid problem-solving.
Meeting Transcript
Presentation there we go. Um today's our workshop will be a presentation on the all hand on deck update followed by the Metro Square Tour. We'll try to keep the presentation uh up until 3 p.m. and then after that will be the tour and folks will be asked to take their belongings with them so that so you don't need this room. Leave your belongings in this room. Again, there are no votes that will be taken during this workshop. Um so with that said, let's start with um introduction of the folks at this table and then into the group here. Um name and enroll. Um so I can start Ramsey County Commissioner, my Tom Shaw, I am chairing this uh workshop. I represent district six. Hi, I'm Rosalind director of the patient and hello coaches. Hi, my name's Jason Buty Director of uh Financial Assistant Services. Karen Francois, Deputy County Manager for the Information and Public Records Service Holly Olive, we're also for National Assistant Services. Jamie Kerber, Director of Property Management. Uh Well May Main, uh managers for navigator services for the system. Rachel Mullinark Navy Manager. Jamie Lady, secondary assistant for health and officer, Steve. Veronica Jackson, Race and Health Equity Administrator. Cindy Robins, and you just forgot. Alexis Carter and Commissioner James. Yes, one. Julia McGarden and He's been community services. Scott Archel is an experience. Sarah Pyot Manager for Valley issues. Christy Pat's planning manager. Christine Weber replacement last year. Social services, deputy director, meeting news services and choices. And the locker social services directly directory. Larry is here, the school directory from the wild. Hi, Mandy May. Okay. Perfect. Well, we've got a big group here. Thank you all for coming. Um I I know that some of the commissioners are making their way here. Um and they are there. So thank you everyone for coming down to Metro Square. Um, I really love this uh conference space. Uh this is my first time here, so kudos to um all the team who made this room look really valuable. Uh we'll be hearing from um about the progress that's being made in a variety of areas to our services and supports to the event. And we will also be celebrating the work that has been accomplished through our all hands-on deck initiative to reduce the backlog with cases and financial assistance, learning about the ongoing transformation of this building, and then touring our people renovated downtown service center. Um I would have um before I turn it off to uh deputy county manager Karen Francis Watson take us off. I'd just like to have our commissioners uh just introduce themselves uh just for the record for the folks who um the commissioners do the scenic way. Yeah, um we have 22 of them. Um very boy commissioner district two we opened it for 20 to the 20 yeah sorry don't don't start in the worker commissioner district three. Sorry, that was actually my coordinator, sorry. Oh and thank you. Um we have a lot of folks. I also heard a community partner that's in the audience and um staff and team from across the agency that are having here today. So I'll hand it off to you.
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