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Record of Proceedings

Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Meeting – May 12, 2026

Board of Commissioners & Authorities — Tuesday, May 12, 2026
BodyRamsey County, Minnesota
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Authorities
DateTuesday, May 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:07:00

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:46

Here.

0:47

McGuire is excused.

0:50

McMurtry.

0:51

Here.

0:51

Miller.

0:52

Here.

0:52

Moran is excused.

0:54

Here.

0:55

And Ortega.

0:56

Hi.

0:56

Can we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance?

1:04

And to the Republic of the United States.

1:07

One nation.

1:08

Under God.

1:10

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:19

Land acknowledgment, Commissioner Miller.

1:21

Yes, thank you, Chair.

1:22

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.

1:32

Some were brought here against their will.

1:34

Some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hopes of a better life.

1:38

And some have lived on this land since time immemorial.

1:42

Truth and acknowledgement are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference.

1:50

We are standing on the ancestral lands of the Dakota people.

1:53

We want to acknowledge the Ojibwe, the Ho Chunk, and the other nations of people who also call this place home.

1:59

We pay respects to their elders, past and present.

2:03

Please take a moment to consider the treaties made by the tribal nations that entitle non-native people to live and work on traditional native lands.

2:11

Consider the mega many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today.

2:19

And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.

2:25

Thank you, Commissioner.

2:27

I'll entertain a motion on the agenda of May twelfth, twenty twenty-six.

2:31

So moved.

2:32

Second.

2:33

See no discussion roll call.

2:36

Miller.

2:36

Aye.

2:37

Moran is excused Zhong.

2:39

Aye.

2:40

Chubbin Singh?

2:41

Aye.

2:41

McGuire's excused McMurtry.

2:43

Aye.

2:44

And Ortega.

2:45

Aye.

2:45

I'll entertain a motion on the minutes of May 5th, 2026.

2:50

So move.

2:51

Second.

2:52

See no discussion roll call.

2:54

Miller.

2:55

Aye.

2:56

Moran is excused.

2:58

Hi.

2:58

Chebin Singh.

2:59

Aye.

3:00

McGuire's excused Commissioner McMurtry.

3:03

Aye.

3:04

And Ortega.

3:06

Hi.

3:06

We now have a proclamation on mental health awareness.

3:12

Commissioner Shao.

3:20

Okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Mental Health Awareness████████████████████████████28%
Public Safety███████████████████████23%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Community Engagement████████8%
Governance Structure█████5%
Voting Rights█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Public Health███3%
Human Services███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Meeting – May 12, 2026

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on May 12, 2026, at 9:02 a.m. in the Council Chambers. Commissioners Jebens-Singh, McMurtrey, Miller, Xiong, and Chair Ortega were present; Commissioners McGuire and Moran were excused. The meeting included two proclamations, discussion and approval of three administrative items, and a closed session on 3M property tax litigation. The open meeting adjourned at 10:08 a.m.

Proclamations

  • Mental Health Awareness Month (presented by Commissioner Xiong): The board declared May 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Ramsey County. Speakers from Public Health (Director Amy Karen, Pam Criggy Santoso) and community partners (Afghan Cultural Society, COPAL, NAMI Minnesota) highlighted the collective trauma from Operation Metro Surge and the need for community-based healing. They stated that recent federal activities caused widespread trauma and that mental health is inseparable from community conditions. Partners expressed gratitude for county support and emphasized that healing begins in community.
  • Police Week (presented by Commissioner Jebens-Singh): The board recognized May 11–16, 2026, as National Police Week. Sheriff Fletcher reported that 363 names are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, including 109 officers who died in 2025. He noted that crime in Ramsey County is dropping and that transit safety has improved. Chief Dotseth and Lieutenant Steiner (Maplewood PD) thanked the board for its support. A candlelight vigil was announced for May 15 at the State Capitol.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the agenda for May 12, 2026 (motion by Miller, seconded by Xiong; passed 5-0).
  • Approval of the minutes from May 5, 2026 (motion by Xiong, seconded by Miller; passed 5-0).

Discussion Items

  • Item 5 – Jurisdictional Transfers of Otter Lake Road and White Bear Parkway: Director Brian Isaacson (Public Works) explained that the swap gives the City of White Bear Lake more local control over White Bear Parkway and aligns with long-term planning. Commissioner Miller asked about operational impacts and consistency with the county’s capital plan. Isaacson noted no change in level of service. The motion (Miller, seconded Xiong) passed unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 6 – Joint Powers Agreement with Maplewood for Mental Health Outreach Team: Commissioner Jebens-Singh highlighted the partnership as an example of integrating mental health and public safety. Lt. Mike Dugas (Maplewood PD) described the program’s evolution over 10 years: specially trained officers and paramedics paired with county social workers to provide crisis response and follow-up services. He stated that the embedded social work model’s greatest impact is connecting people to long-term care. Commissioner Miller, representing Maplewood, expressed pride. The motion (Jebens-Singh, seconded Xiong) passed unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 7 – Single Source Agreement with Regions Hospital for Inpatient Services: The agreement covers inpatient hospital commitment services for three years (May 12, 2026 – May 11, 2029) at a not-to-exceed amount of $998,500 annually, with renewal options totaling up to $4,992,500. The motion (Miller, seconded Xiong) passed without discussion (5-0).

County Connections & Reports

  • County Manager Ling Becker reported: (1) a data practices training session held with regional partners, which waived standard fees and promoted consistent standards; (2) CHRO Patience Ferguson won the Good Leadership HR Thrive Empower Award; (3) the fourth annual Youth Job & Resource Fair will be held May 16 at Maplewood Mall.
  • Commissioners provided updates on community events, including: Xiong’s receipt of the National Head Start Alumni Transformational Impact Award; attendance at the International Institute of Minnesota’s New Americans, New Beginnings event; participation in the Snelling-University Safe Strong Initiative; and upcoming office hours and festivals.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolutions adopted: B2026-057 (Regions Hospital agreement), B2026-058 (Otter Lake/White Bear Parkway transfer), B2026-059 (Maplewood mental health JPA).
  • Proclamations: Both proclamations were officially made.
  • Closed session: The board met in closed session (10:40–11:07 a.m.) under Minn. Stat. § 13D.05, subd. 3(b) to discuss 3M campus property tax litigation. They approved outside valuation experts and the proposed budget (Resolution B2026-060) and authorized the County Manager to transfer funds.

Meeting Transcript

Here. McGuire is excused. McMurtry. Here. Miller. Here. Moran is excused. Here. And Ortega. Hi. Can we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? And to the Republic of the United States. One nation. Under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Land acknowledgment, Commissioner Miller. Yes, thank you, 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 hopes 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 ancestral 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 made by the tribal nations that entitle non-native people to live and work on traditional native lands. Consider the mega 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, Commissioner. I'll entertain a motion on the agenda of May twelfth, twenty twenty-six. So moved. Second. See no discussion roll call. Miller. Aye. Moran is excused Zhong. Aye. Chubbin Singh? Aye. McGuire's excused McMurtry. Aye. And Ortega. Aye. I'll entertain a motion on the minutes of May 5th, 2026. So move. Second. See no discussion roll call. Miller. Aye. Moran is excused.

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