Sponsor: Human Resources
Title
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Sole Source Agreement with the Metropolitan Council for Employee Metropass
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the selection of and sole source agreement with the Metropolitan Council, 570 Sixth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411 for Metropass License for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030 in accordance with the rates established in the agreement.
2. Approve fully subsidized employer funding commitment for one year from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
3. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the Agreement.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to
5. agreements and contracts in accordance with the County’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the available funds.
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Background and Rationale
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Metropass is a monthly transit pass that is valid on all regional transit system routes, including the light rail. The Metropass Program promotes environmentally friendly transportation alternatives to employees and helps to reduce traffic congestions while also addressing the rising costs of urban commuting. Ramsey County has participated in a bus pass program for nearly 24 years. Metro Transit is the sole provider for purchasing Metropass cards and has been approved by Procurement as the sole source vendor. Participation in this program is consistent with the county’s stated commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by incentivizing transportation alternatives and supporting efforts to mitigate climate change. Previous agreements included a 50/50 cost share between Ramsey County and employees, and the county moved to fully subsidized Metro Transit bus passes in May 2023. The current cost is $83 per month per eligible employee who requests a pass. Prior to 2020 and the temporary shift to remote work, the average monthly enrollment was 270 employees. This fell as low as 7 members during the pandemic and slowly rose in 2022 and 2023 to an average of 67 employees until May of 2023 where ridership has grown to the average of today. In 2025, the county funds and average of 180 passes per month for monthly cost of about $15,000 per month or $180,000 per year. Human Resources deactivates bus passes that aren’t used at least once every 60 days based on a report from Metro Transit.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Services under this license agreement will help employees of all backgrounds with transportation needs and encourages and supports diversity and inclusion both for the staff of Ramsey County and the communities served.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The community is informed of this action through board documents published on the
county’s website at
https://www.ramseycounty.us/your-government/leadership/boardcommissioners/board-meetings-information <https://www.ramseycounty.us/your-government/leadership/board-commissioners/board-meetings-information>.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Sufficient funds are included in the Human Resources budget from July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Funding has been proposed in the 2026-2027 budget to maintain the county contribution of $83.00 per participating employee at an average of 200 passes per month. Funding for remaining years of this license agreement will be at the discretion of the County Manager and addressed in subsequent budgets. Ramsey County will exercise the 30-day cancellation option if it is decided that this is not an affordable benefit.
Last Previous Action
On June 16, 2020, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved Sole Source Agreement with the Metropolitan Council for Metropass License (Resolution B2020-123).
Attachments
1. Ramsey County Metropolitan Council/Metro Transit 5-Year License Agreement