Sponsor: County Manager's Office
Title
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Personnel Complement Increase to Support Violence Prevention Initiatives Through the American Rescue Plan Act
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Recommendation
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1. Approve an increase in the personnel complement for Social Services by 20.0 Full-Time Equivalent Social Work III and by 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Mental Health Supervisor.
2. Approve an increase in the personnel complement for Emergency Communications by 8.0 Full-Time Equivalent 9-1-1 Telecommunicator and 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Emergency Communications Shift Supervisor.
3. Approve an increase in the personnel complement for Public Health by 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Violence Prevention Coordinator, 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent Community Health Responder, 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Planning Specialist I and 4.0 Full-Time Equivalent Community Mediator.
4. Approve and increase in the personnel complement for the County Manager Office by 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent Planning Specialist I.
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Background and Rationale
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On November 16, 2021, the Ramsey County Board approved (Resolution B2021-251) allocation up to $16 million of the American Rescue Plan Act funds to support Violence Prevention Initiatives through 2024. The County Manager is requesting board approval to increase the personnel complement by 40 additional Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) to support the Violence Prevention Initiatives. The personnel increase will support the effort to create and deliver a proactive community driven response that shifts the responsibility for violence prevention and safety from being primarily the responsibility of law enforcement to a partnership involving those who are most impacted by violence in the community.
Flexible resources are imperative to the success of these initiatives due to their original and innovative service approaches. The commitment to a formative and summative program and process level evaluation requires the agility to respond to changing scope and strategy, which may require movement of FTEs across departments to increase effectiveness. Social Services, Emergency Communications, Public Health and the County Manager’s Office require the following staff to be phased in over the next three years to expand existing services or invest in new service models that support community-based emergency response and violence prevention.
|
Department |
Classification |
FTE |
Yearly Cost |
|
Social Services |
Social Worker III |
20 |
$ $2,265,297 |
|
Social Services |
Mental Health Supervisor |
1 |
$ 129,999 |
|
Emergency Communications |
9-1-1 Telecommunicator |
8 |
$ 572,298 |
|
Emergency Communications |
Emer. Comm. Shift Supervisor |
1 |
$ 131,329 |
|
Public Health |
Violence Prevention Coordinator |
1 |
$ 125,772 |
|
Public Health |
Community Health Responder |
2 |
$ 209,146 |
|
Public Health |
Community Mediator |
4 |
$ 358,706 |
|
Public Health |
Planning Specialist I |
1 |
$ 124,406 |
|
County Manager Office |
Planning Specialist I |
2 |
$ 244,926 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
|
40 |
$ 4,161,879 |
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
In Ramsey County, Black and American Indian populations continue to be burdened by the most significant disparities across life outcomes. The pandemic only exacerbated those disparities, manifesting in circumstances, behaviors, and needs which have been approached with public safety system responses. More appropriate investments are required to support the development of systemically disinvested communities. These investments should support the wellness of communities, offer options that do not utilize harmful punishment mechanisms, and prevent engagement with the public safety system. The investment areas proposed as part of these violence prevention initiatives will divert people away from the criminal justice system by providing alternative responses to 9-1-1 calls for assistance and will also increase the capacity of Healing Streets to bring a public health approach to interrupting the cycle of group and gun violence.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The personnel increase will directly support community violence intervention programs. These programs will work to address disparities within the county and develop a community response capability that will empower communities to have a larger role in keeping their neighborhoods safe.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The Ramsey County Board approved up to $16 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support Violence Prevention Initiatives through 2024.These funds will be used to cover the estimated $4,161,879 per year for the Violence Prevention personnel complement. For 2025 and beyond, staff will evaluate the level of resources needed to support the violence prevention initiatives into the future based on evaluation of the work done in 2022-2024.
County Manager Comments
No additional comments.
Last Previous Action
On November 16, 2021, the Ramsey County Board allocated up to $16 million of the American Rescue Plan Act funds for Violence Prevention initiatives (Resolution B2021-251).
On November 9, 2021, a Ramsey County Board workshop was held on Violence Prevention Initiatives.
On October 12, 2021, a Violence Prevention Initiatives policy discussion was held with the Ramsey County Board.
Attachments
None.