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FOUNDATION

Ramsey County is centrally located in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region and is home to striking landscapes, a diverse population, and is the heart of Minnesota's state government. The county is the densest and second-most populated county in the state. 18 cities and 1 township comprise the county. Saint Paul is the largest city and is known for its walkable neighborhoods, the state capitol, and expansive views of the Mississippi River Valley. The city is a hub for transportation, health care, education and government. The 17 suburban municipalities to the north are nestled amongst lakes and wetlands. Regionally important colleges, retail hubs and corporate campuses help define suburban Ramsey County. The diversity of Ramsey County's landscape and population is one of the region's greatest strengths.

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A VISION FOR THE FUTURE:

RAMSEY COUNTY 2040

The 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update, Ramsey County 2040, describes the county’s unique role in addressing regional prosperity, equity, livability, stewardship and sustainability over the next 20 years. Prepared in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 473.851 through 473.871 under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act, this plan establishes the county’s role in regional planning. Ramsey County 2040 is an official document and will be adopted by the County Board and approved by the Metropolitan Council. The plan will present the current efforts of Ramsey County to address regional goals, as well as introduce broader themes that reflect the population and employment projections provided by the Metropolitan Council.

In 2015 the Metropolitan Council issued a “System Statement” for Ramsey County laying out the requirements for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update. Ramsey County 2040 will go above and beyond the requirements and include the following topics:

Each chapter will use the Metropolitan Council’s projections for Ramsey County to develop key themes for the future. Ramsey County expects substantial growth to occur in Ramsey County between 2018 and 2040.

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Each chapter of the comprehensive plan update was written with three important lenses in mind:

• Health in All Policies
• Resiliency
• Racial Equity

In some chapters where the lenses are not called out specifically, work is needed to embed these concepts into all county operations.

Health in All Policies

Ramsey County believes that the health and wellbeing of its residents should be considered in all policies, programs, projects and planning processes. Health is a lens that each chapter of the comprehensive plan can be viewed through. Active Living Ramsey County and the All Abilities Transportation Network are important programs and policies that will connect health to infrastructure planning.

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Resiliency

Ramsey County defines resiliency as the capacity to respond, adapt, and thrive under changing conditions. As the county's climate becomes more and more unpredictable and changes are amplified by a fully urbanized land use pattern each county department will need to consider how this affects operations and vulnerable populations.

Racial Equity

Ramsey County has large disparities by race. This limits the prosperity of the entire population and creates barriers to achieving our countywide goals. Substantial work to integrate racial equity into county operations has begun, but every department will need to embed this lens into their daily work and the countywide budget. The Metropolitan Council’s study on Areas of Concentrated Poverty provides a foundational framework for the geographic distribution of inequity.

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COUNTYWIDE GOALS

These Ramsey County 2040-specific lenses align with the countywide vision, mission and goals that were adopted by the Board of Commissioners in 2015. These goals drive the county’s budget, planning and operations.

VISION A vibrant community where all are valued and thrive.

MISSION A county of excellence working with you to enhance our quality of life.

COUNTYWIDE GOALS

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WELL-BEING Strengthen individual, family and community health, safety and well-being through effective safety-net services, innovative programming, prevention and early intervention, and environmental stewardship.

PROSPERITY Cultivate economic prosperity and invest in neighborhoods with concentrated financial poverty through proactive leadership and inclusive initiatives that engage all communities in decisions about our future.

OPPORTUNITY Enhance access to opportunity and mobility for all residents and businesses through connections to education, employment and economic development throughout our region.

ACCOUNTABILITY Model forward-thinking investment, fiscal accountability and transparency through professional operational and financial management.

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COUNTY ROLE

County governments do not have jurisdiction over land use and zoning, instead county governments provide essential social services to their residents. In Ramsey County services are arranged under four service teams; Health and Wellness, Economic Growth and Community Investment, Safety and Justice, and Information and Public Records. The county’s scope of services is expansive and immersive. Most of the required topics in Ramsey County 2040 are administered within the Economic Growth and Community Investment service team.

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THE CREATION OF THE PLAN

Ramsey County’s Policy & Planning Division within the County Manager’s Office coordinated Ramsey County 2040. An interdepartmental workgroup comprised of 11 county departments was created to write chapter content. Each chapter was assigned a lead author who was responsible for meeting the Metropolitan Council’s requirements, incorporating feedback from the required public comment period and editing the document. Many chapters were influenced by previous county planning processes and community outreach and engagement, such as the Parks System Plan, the Community Health Assessment and the Active Living Plan.

Public Comment Period

The draft version of Ramsey County 2040 was released online in May 2018 for the required six-month public comment period. Over this period the county sought public comments via an interactive online comment box, a variety of social media outlets, conversations with local community groups, held a required public hearing, and partnered with two community partners, Move Minnesota and the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center, to engage with communities underrepresented in the planning process. The draft plan was also sent to each municipality, school district, and watershed district within Ramsey County and each county and city that adjoins Ramsey County. Feedback was shared.

DURING THIS PERIOD RAMSEY COUNTY RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING NUMBER OF COMMENTS:

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• 22 comments from the online comment box
• 3 comments and 227 interactions from social media
• 8 community conversations with:
  • District One Community Council
  • Westside Community Organization (WSCO)
  • St. Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission
  • St. Paul-Ramsey County Health Services Commission
  • MN350
  • Center for Economic Inclusion
  • Heading Home Ramsey
  • Minnesota Climate Adaptation Conference
• 2 contracts with community engagement partners

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Community Engagement Partners

In late 2018 Ramsey County contracted with two community engagement partners, Move Minnesota and the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center to intentionally incorporate voices that were underrepresented in the creation of the draft plan. Move Minnesota focused on highlighting the community engagement findings of previous planning processes, including FESTAC and engagement from Riverview Corridor planning. With a targeted focus on Saint Paul’s Eastside Move MN also subcontracted with another community group called Horn of Africa. Horn of Africa hosted 2 community sessions in the predominately East African communities of the Battle Creek/Highwood Hills neighborhood of Saint Paul. The team provided recommendations on how Ramsey County could improve community engagement practices, the overall planning process and the transportation chapter.

Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (KAYSC), a program within the Science Museum of Minnesota, focused their engagement efforts on incorporating youth voices into the plan. By 2040, today’s youth will be adults and living with the impact of this generation’s decisions. KAYSC first focused on building a foundational base of knowledge on the role of the county government and its service. This included a tour of county facilities where youth were introduced to staff and their work. Workshops were held with you to dig deeper into the issues presented in Ramsey County 2040. The youth focused on Parks, Housing and Economic Competitiveness. Recommendations included improvements to the planning process, the desire to include social justice concepts into the plan, and youth-specific feedback on their chapters.

The Board of Commissioners had the opportunity to hear directly from the engagement partners and youth on their findings during two workshops. Many of the recommendations highlighted topics that Ramsey County plans to improve, but have not operationalized yet. Staff have incorporated feedback from the community partners and public comment period into the final version of Ramsey County 2040.

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Ramsey County commissioner’s, staff and youth from Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center and Move MN.