Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Meeting - August 11, 2026

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on August 11, 2026, at 9:03 a.m. in Council Chambers, Courthouse Room 300. Present: Commissioners Jebens-Singh, McGuire, Miller, Moran, Ortega (Chair), and Xiong (arrived at 9:04 a.m.). McMurtrey was excused. The meeting included approval of the agenda and minutes, unanimous approval of several administrative items, a detailed policy presentation on House Resolution 1 implementation, and brief reports from the County Manager and Commissioners. The meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m., followed by a closed meeting concerning the potential sale of 97 Moore Street.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda and Minutes: The agenda of August 11, 2026, and the minutes from August 4, 2026, were approved unanimously (Motion by Moran, seconded by Miller).
• Administrative Items (Items 3–7): Commissioner Miller moved approval of Items 3 through 7 as a block. The motion passed unanimously.
  • Item 3: Appointment of Samantha Wicks to the Personnel Review Board for a four-year term (August 11, 2026 – August 1, 2030). (Resolution B2026-106)
  • Item 4: Appointment of Hawona Sullivan Janzen, Joseph P. Collins, and Rick Sanders (all incumbents) to the Capitol Region Watershed District Board of Managers for terms October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2029. (Resolution B2026-107)
  • Item 5: Appointment of Niko Le Mieux, Clarence Patterson, and Mazel McCoy-Anderson (all incumbents) to the Capital Improvement Program Advisory Committee for terms August 30, 2026 – August 30, 2028. (Resolution B2026-108)
  • Item 6: Rescinded Resolution 99-250 and amended Resolution 90-191 to increase the Parks and Recreation Commission from seven to nine at-large members with three-year staggered terms. (Resolution B2026-109)
  • Item 7: Approved the project budget and financing plan for the Arden Hills Subsurface Drain Restoration project up to $2,400,000; authorized transfers of $1,300,000 from Property Management fund balance and $1,100,000 from county bond interest. (Resolution B2026-110)
• Item 8 (Pulled for Separate Vote): Appointment of Kendall Bobula as Ramsey County Director of Emergency Management, effective August 11, 2026. Presented by County Manager Ling Becker. Motion by Miller, seconded by Jebens-Singh, passed unanimously. (Resolution B2026-111) Bobula addressed the board, highlighting her background in state and local emergency management and her commitment to stewardship and regional partnerships.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Policy Item 9 – House Resolution 1 Implementation: Director Ali Ali of Financial Assistance Services presented on operational readiness, service delivery, and staffing needs resulting from federal House Resolution 1 (HR1). Key points:
  • The county serves about 150,000–160,000 residents; Financial Assistance Services has approximately 465 employees.
  • HR1 imposes new eligibility reviews, verification, and work requirements on SNAP and Medical Assistance (MA). MA renewals will shift from every 12 months to every 6 months, doubling the workload.
  • The department has already made improvements: reduced turnover from 21% to 17%, trained 170 staff in customer service, and deployed a new digital quality assurance tool.
  • Despite improvements, current staffing cannot absorb the added workload. The county requests 17.5 additional FTEs (16.5 eligibility specialists and 1 supervisor) at an estimated $1.8 million net of anticipated federal reimbursement. The cost would add 0.25% to the property tax levy.
  • Hiring must begin immediately because eligibility specialists require 6–9 months of training. The county now has three certified internal trainers, allowing accelerated onboarding starting October 2026.
  • Commissioners expressed concern about the burden on residents, potential loss of coverage if staffing is insufficient, and the need for state and federal advocacy. County Manager Becker noted that HR1 impacts to the 2027 budget include this FTE request plus additional SNAP and long-term care cost shifts totaling roughly $19 million in potential exposure by 2028.
  • No vote was taken; this was an informational presentation. Formal board approval is requested at the August 18, 2026 meeting.
• County Connections: County Manager Becker announced a redesigned employee recognition program, including Values in Action Awards, Shining Star Awards (quarterly), High Five peer recognition, and a One Ramsey County Award. A formal ceremony will be held in April 2027.
• Board Member Reports: Commissioners shared activities including National Night Out, attendance at the Wall That Heals memorial, the East Metro Mental Health Roundtable, League of Women Voters events, and various community festivals.
• Election Day Reminder: The County Manager reminded the public that the state primary was held on August 11, 2026 (polls open 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.), and encouraged voting.

Key Outcomes

• All consent and administrative items approved unanimously (6-0, McMurtrey excused).
• Parks and Recreation Commission membership increased from 7 to 9 at-large members with staggered three-year terms.
• Arden Hills Subsurface Drain Restoration project funded at $2.4 million.
• Kendall Bobula officially appointed as Emergency Management Director.
• No formal decision on the HR1 staffing request; additional discussion and a vote will occur on August 18, 2026.
• Following adjournment at 10:40 a.m., a closed meeting under Minnesota Statutes 13D.05 was held from 10:50–11:28 a.m. to discuss the sale of 97 Moore Street, St. Paul. The board authorized staff to proceed as discussed (Motion by Moran, seconded by Jebens-Singh; Resolution B2026-112, 6-0).