15 West Kellogg Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55102

651-266-9200

Board of Commissioners

Agenda

December 16, 2025 - 9 a.m.

Council Chambers - Courthouse Room 300

ROLL CALL

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2025-532

2025-533

Agenda of December 16, 2025 is Presented for Approval

Sponsors: County Manager's Office

Approve the agenda of December 16, 2025.

Minutes from December 2, 2025 are Presented for Approval

Sponsors: County Manager's Office

Approve the December 2, 2025 Minutes.

ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS

2025-390

Agreement with the City of Saint Paul for Recording, Cablecasting and

Webstreaming Services

Sponsors: County Manager's Office

1. Approve the agreement with the city of Saint Paul for recording, cablecasting, and

webstreaming services for the period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027

with the option to renew for one additional two-year periods in accordance with the rates

established in the agreement.

2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the agreement.

3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to

agreements in accordance with the terms with the county’s procurement procedures,

provided the amounts are within available funding.

2025-505

Cancellation of the December 23, 2025 Board Meeting

Sponsors: Board of Commissioners

Cancel the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners meeting of December 23, 2025.

Benefits Policies Update

2025-484

Sponsors: Human Resources

Approve updates to Employee Benefits Policies to comply with legislative changes and to clarify

existing policies and practices.

Consistently throughout document, spelled out “Minnesota Statute” versus abbreviation.

Consistently throughout document, updated any language identifying other sections in the

document to the appropriate section and paragraph.

Section 2 Definitions

Added clarification that all mention of “Director” in the Benefits Policies means Human

Resources Director.

Section 6 Observed County Holidays

Updated the title of the section from Holidays to Observed County Holidays.

Clarified that holiday pay requires the employee to be on paid status for the full

scheduled workday before and the full scheduled workday after the holiday. Reduces

employee confusion.

Remove any mention of Floating Holiday and move to its own section to help reduce

confusion.

Section 7 Floating Holiday

New section to clarify floating holidays.

Reworked the description of 7.1 Floating Holiday for Full-Time Employees to remove

mention of floating holiday for part-time employees and migrate the details on part-time

employees to 7.2 Floating Holidays for Part-Time Employees.

Section 8 Vacation

Renamed from Section 7 to Section 8.

Modified 8.3 (formerly 7.3) Adjustments to Initial Vacation Accrual, deleting the

paragraph that provides an exception for current employees within 120 calendar days

from the approval of the policy, which lapsed on April 16, 2025.

8.4 Loss of Accrual: Updated exceptions to reference Sections 12.3 (g) Military Leave

and (l) Leaves for Political Office.

8.8 Accumulation of Vacation: Removed “Effective January 1, 2022” from the language

and struck duplicate word “twice.”

Added section 8.9 Use of Vacation to clarify that the use of vacation hours is subject to

department approval. Moved the first sentence from 8.10 Advance of Vacation to 8.9

Use of Vacation (“Eligible employees wishing to use vacation must obtain advance

permission from their appointing officer.”).

Remove 8.13 (formerly 7.13), which refers to the procedure for vacation in lieu of salary.

The section is based on Minnesota Statute 43A.17 Subd. 9 which was repealed.

Add 8.15 Vacation Donation, which removes the policy from the Administrative Policy

Manual and places it with similar policies that govern sick and vacation leave benefits.

Simplified the policy language to focus on the recipient and the donor. Updated the

language to comply with Minnesota Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST), Minnesota

Statutes 181.9445-181.9448.

Section 9 Sick Leave with Pay

Renamed from Section 8 to Section 9.

Added “accrual” to the title of Section 9.1, Eligibility for Sick Leave Accrual.

Strike ”Effective January 1, 2024” from 9.1 (C).

9.2 Loss of Accrual: Updated exceptions to reference Sections 12.3 (g) Military leave

and (l) Leaves for Political Office.

Combined 9.3 (formerly 8.3) Accumulation of Sick Leave and 9.4 (formerly 8.4)

Accumulation for Provisional Employees.

Modified 9.4 (formerly 8.4) Transfer of Leave Accumulation to limit sick leave credit to

forty (40) hours when an employee is transferred from another merit system, as clarified

by the Director of HR on 4/15/2024.

Moved 9.10 (formerly 8.10) Requirement to Exhaust Paid Sick Time to 9.5 and renamed

Required Use of Sick Leave. Added clarification that accrued sick leave must be used

when the absence is for a qualifying reason, with exception for paid family medical

leave.

Updated 9.6 (formerly 8.6) Qualified Reasons for the Use of Sick Leave:

Renamed from Use of Sick Leave.

Updated all qualified reasons to comply with Minnesota Statutes 181.9445-

181.9448 (Earned Sick and Safe Time).

Deleted 9.6 (E) sick leave for a household member, as the use of paid sick time

for care of a non-family member is covered under Minnesota Statutes 181.9445-

181.9448 (Earned Sick and Safe Time) and the previous policy is no longer

necessary or compliant.

Updated 9.6 (F) Bonding to allow employees to use up to 160 hours of sick leave

for bonding, to match the use of paid sick leave as agreed upon in all collective

bargaining agreements.

Updated 9.6 (H) Bereavement to explain that an employee is entitled to use up

to 80 hours of paid sick leave for bereavement. The department can agree to

allow the use of additional sick leave beyond 80 hours for bereavement, and that

any paid time used for bereavement is protected under Minnesota Statutes

181.9445-181.9448 (Earned Sick and Safe Time).

Updated 9.7 (B) to match the updated statutory language which allows an employer to

require reasonable notice for unforeseeable absences, pursuant to Minnesota Statute

181.9447.

In 9.8 (B), changed the requirement of reasonable documentation to support a sick

leave absence from 3 workdays to 2 workdays, pursuant to Minnesota Statute

181.9447.

Added language to 9.10 Advance of Sick Leave to clarify that any advanced sick hours

are treated as regular paid sick leave and receive all of the same protections under

Earned Sick and Safe Time law. Also added paragraph (b) to clarify that an employee

cannot request another advance until the original advanced hours are repaid.

Added language to 9.11 Use of Other Paid Time for Sick Leave Purposes to clarify that

any paid time used for a qualifying reason are treated as regular paid sick leave and

receive all of the same protections under Earned Sick and Safe Time law.

Reworded 9.16 Appointment to a County Position Outside the Personnel System to

improve employee understanding.

Modified 9.17 Loss of Earned Sick Leave to reference new Section 13, Pay Upon

Separation.

Added 9.18 Earned Sick Leave Upon Separation to mirror the language about vacation

payout upon separation, and referenced Section 13.1 Sick Leave Separation Pay.

Section 10 Sick Leave without Pay

Renamed from Section 9 to Section 10.

Modified 10.1 Eligibility for Sick Leave Without Pay to clarify that sick leave without pay

may be available for any reason covered under Section 9.6 (Qualified Reasons for the

Use of Sick Leave), and added language to explain that employees who have

exhausted paid sick leave are not entitled to be absent from work unless granted an

authorized leave of absence.

Moved all information about medical leave of absence and reinstatement from medical

leave to Section 12 Leave of Absence.

Added 10.2 Approved Use of Sick Leave Without Pay to clarify that an employee must

be approved for leave under Ramsey County policy or state or federal law in order to

access unpaid sick time.

Added 10.3 Unauthorized Leave and referenced Personnel Rule 34.2 Presumed

Resignation, which states that an employee on unauthorized leave of three days or

more may be presumed to have resigned their position.

Section 11 Workers’ Compensation

Deleted 11.3 Leave of Absence Due to Work-Related Injury, which created a limit of 2

-year medical leave for employees on leave for workers’ compensation. The policy is not

in practice, as workers’ compensation statute governs the terms of the workers’

compensation leave.

Section 12 Leaves of Absence

Renamed from Section 10 to Section 12.

Added 12.1 General Provisions to explain that a leave of absence must be authorized.

Added 12.2 Requesting a Leave of Absence to explain the general procedure for

obtaining approval for a leave of absence.

Renamed 12.3 from “Mandated Leaves of Absence With Pay” to “Protected Leaves of

Absence” and moved all job-protected leaves under this section:

Paid Family Medical Leave: created new section and new policy in accordance

with Minnesota Statutes Chater 268B, outlining benefit premiums, notice

requirements, access to intermittent leave, and other terms and conditions of

paid leave under the law.

(b) Family Medical Leave: created new section for the FMLA. Previously, FMLA

was not mentioned in the Benefits Policies.

the job protections of medical leave provided by Ramsey County run

concurrently with other job protections under applicable state or federal law.

Moved

(d) Parental Leave for Child Bonding: renamed and consolidated all parental

leave as governed by Ramsey policy and state/federal law.

(e) Unpaid Leave for Child School Function: moved next to bonding leave and

added statutory language.

(f) Bone Marrow and Organ Donation: clarified the right to leave for bone marrow

donation or organ donation as governed by Minnesota Statutes 181.945 and

181.9456.

(g) Military Leave: clarified benefits available to employees under Military Leave

as governed by United States Code Chapter 43 and Minnesota Statutes Chapter

192.

(h) Jury Duty: clarified the right to jury duty leave with and without pay as

governed by Minnesota Statute 593.50.

(j) PERA Duty Disability Leave: Added the word Leave to clarify that the leave is

separate from the benefit paid by PERA.

(l) Leave for Political: added language from Minnesota Statutes 3.088,

Subdivision 2.

Moved 12.5 (formerly 11.5) Cancellation of Discretionary Leaves of Absence to its own

paragraph in 12.4 Discretionary Leaves of Absence (d).

Added Section 12.5 Unauthorized Leave of Absence to reference Personnel Rule 34.2

Presumed Resignation.

Renamed 12.7 Effects of Leave of Absence Without Pay (previously worded as Effects

of Leave of Absence on Salary and Benefit Accrual). Clarified that benefit accrual,

salary, and service hour credit does not apply to unpaid leaves of absence except for

12.3 (g) Military Leave, 12.3 (k) Leave to Accept an Unclassified Position, and 12.3 (l)

Leave for Political Office.

Renamed 12.9 Return from Leave and Reinstatement (formerly Reinstatement Rights)

to cover the right to reinstatement for employees returning from paid and unpaid leaves

of absence, including military leave, protected leaves, and discretionary leaves.

Added 12.10 Evidence of Ability to Work, migrated from Section 10 Sick Without Pay to

the Leaves of Absence section.

Added 12.11 Inability to Return to Work due to Medical Condition Affecting Fitness for

Work, migrated from Section 10 Sick Without Pay to the Leaves of Absence section.

Section 13 Pay Upon Separation

Created a new section to clarify eligibility for pay upon separation. The language was

previously in various sections, including Special Pay, and caused confusion for

everyone.

Section 13.1 (formerly 12.9) Sick Leave Separation Pay:

Updated title (was Separation Pay).

Moved sentence about seasonal, intermittent and temporary employees above

the table to reduce confusion.

Renamed table from “Option A Accruals” to “Unused Sick Leave Accrual

Amount” since there was no “option B.”

Added Section 13.3 Vacation Upon Separation, which explains that unused accrued

vacation leave is paid out as a lump sum at termination, and that it may be paid out to

the Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP) based on the employee’s date of hire and salary

plan.

Created Section 13.4 Other Accrued Paid Leave to explain the payout of floating

holiday, comp time, and holiday reserve.

Added Section 13.5 Payout to Health Care Savings Plan with all language that is

currently on RamseyNet to explain the payout of sick leave and vacation leave to the

HCSP based on date of hire and salary schedule.

Section 14 Special Allowances

Renamed from Section 12 to Section 14.

Removed 14.9 (formerly 12.9) Separation Pay and moved to its own section, Section 13

Pay Upon Separation.

Revised 14.11 (formerly 12.12) Paid Parental Leave to state that the program sunset on

12/31/2025 and was replaced by Paid Family Medical Leave effective 1/1/2026.

2025-539

Settlement Agreement in Ellen Kirchman v. Ramsey County (Court File No.

62-CV-25-1495)

Sponsors: Board of Commissioners

1. Approve the settlement agreement with Ellen Kirchman in Ellen Kirchman v. Ramsey

County (Court File No. 62-CV-25-1495), totaling $95,000.

2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the settlement agreement.

2025-517

Gift From Ramsey County Library Friends to the Ramsey County Library

Sponsors: Library

Accept the gift of $20,000 from the Ramsey County Friends to the Ramsey County Library.

2025-531

Gift from Ramsey County Library Friends to the Ramsey County Library

Sponsors: Library

1. Accept the gift of $250,000 from the Ramsey County Library Friends to the Ramsey

County Library.

2. Authorize the County Manager to establish a project budget of $250,000 for the Project

Design and Ideation of the Mounds View Library in the Library Department budget.

2025-540

Grant Agreement with the City of Saint Paul for Familiar Families Pilot

Program

Sponsors: Housing Stability

1. Accept a grant award and approve a grant agreement with the City of Saint Paul for the

period of December 20, 2025 through December 19, 2026 through in the amount of

$500,000.00.

2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreement.

3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to

agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures,

provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.

4. Authorize the County Manager to submit future grant applications and accept future

grant funding to support program operations and sustainability, in a form approved by

the County Attorney’s Office.

2025-515

10.

Lease Agreement with Northern States Power Company for Space at 360

Wabasha Street North

Sponsors: Property Management

1. Approve the lease agreement with Northern States Power Company, 414 Nicollet Mall,

6th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401, for 236.5 square feet of useable space at 360

Wabasha Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55102, for the period of January 1, 2026,

through December 31, 2030, in the total amount of $18,024.

2. Authorize the Chair to execute the lease agreement.

3. Authorize the County Manager to execute future amendments to the lease agreement

that do not have a financial impact.

2025-516

11.

Lease Agreement with Minnesota Board of Public Defense for Office

Space

Sponsors: Property Management

1. Approve the lease agreement with Minnesota Board of Public Defense, 331 Second

Avenue South, Suite 900, Minneapolis, MN 55401, for office space in the Juvenile and

Family Justice Center, 25 7th Street West, Saint Paul, MN 55201, the Law Enforcement

Center, 425 Grove Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101, and the Suburban Courts facility,

2050 White Bear Avenue North, Maplewood, MN 55109, for the period of January 1,

2026, through June 30, 2030, for a rental rate equal to the county’s blended rate.

2. Authorize the Chair to execute the lease agreement.

3. Authorize the County Manager to execute future amendments to the lease agreement

that do not have a financial impact.

2025-521

12.

Lease Agreement with MSP/Beam, LLC, for space at 1850 Beam Avenue,

Maplewood, MN

Sponsors: Property Management, Public Health

1. Approve the lease agreement with MSP/Beam, LLC, for 20,900 square feet of space at

1850 Beam Avenue, Maplewood, MN 55109, for a period from lease commencement

through 180 months, with one ten-year renewal option at market rate.

2. Authorize the County Manager to account for the 2025 Public Health Clinic project as a

project budget in the Property Management budget.

3. Accept and approve the project budget and financing plan for the 2025 Public Health

Clinic project in an amount of $1,500,000.

4. Authorize the County Manager to transfer up to $340,000 from the 2015 Public Health

Clinical Facility project to the 2025 Public Health Clinic project budget for project

activities.

5. Authorize the County Manager to transfer up to $1,160,000 from various county capital

fund balances, as determined by the Finance Department and approved by the Capital

Investment Program Advisory Committee as necessary, to the 2025 Public Health Clinic

project budget for one-time project costs.

6. Authorize the Chair to execute the lease agreement.

7. Authorize the County Manager to execute future amendments to the lease agreement

that do not have a financial impact.

2025-495

13.

Financial Assistance Services Annual Authority for Procurement Requests

Sponsors: Financial Assistance Services

1. Authorize the County Manager, subject to review by the County Attorney’s Office and

Finance to do the following:

A. Enter into the following expenditure agreements without solicitation through

December 31, 2026, and execute future amendments to the agreements in

accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the

amounts are within the budget for the services listed below:

B. Contracts in which the county currently provides services and receives payments

from external sources, such as health plans, the Courts, other counties, and

other parties, including payments for services already provided.

C. Community support programs, culturally specific African American community

support programs and culturally specific American Indian / Indigenous

community support programs if there is an urgent need for specific services for a

target population that was not previously identified through a prior competitive

solicitation process.

D. Providers when the Minnesota Department of Human Services or the Minnesota

Department of Children, Youth and Families has issued the solicitation for an

existing service in the county and selected the contractor or when the Minnesota

Department of Human Services has approved the contractor through a

certification process.

2. Approve actions deemed necessary for the orderly administration of expenditure

agreements through December 31, 2026:

A. Acceptance of supplementary awards or rate adjustments the county may receive from

funding sources other than county levy; and approve related county budget adjustments

and execute amendments with funders and contractors.

2025-475

14.

Community Corrections Department Annual Authority for Procurement

Requests

Sponsors: Community Corrections

Authorize the County Manager, subject to review by the County Attorney’s Office and the

Finance Department, to do the following:

1. Enter into the following expenditure agreements without solicitation through December

31, 2026, and execute future amendments to the agreements and contracts in

accordance with the county's procurement policies and procedures, provided the

amounts are within the budget for the services listed below:

A. Contracts in which the county currently provides services and receives payments

from external sources, such as health plans, the Courts, other counties, and

other parties, including payments for services already provided.

B. Community support programs, culturally specific African American community

support programs and culturally specific American Indian / Indigenous

community support programs if there is an urgent need for specific services for a

target population that was not previously identified through a prior competitive

solicitation process.

C. Providers of psychiatric, psychosexual, and psychological services; to conduct

evaluations, consultations, therapy, and treatment, as long as the need exceeds

the supply of providers, and the providers are registered or licensed.

2. Approve actions deemed necessary for the orderly administration of expenditure

agreements through December 31, 2026.

A. Acceptance of supplementary awards or rate adjustments the county may receive from

funding sources other than county levy; and approve related county budget adjustments

and execute amendments with funders and contractors.

2025-481

15.

Social Services Department Annual Authority for Procurement Requests

Sponsors: Social Services

Authorize the County Manager, subject to review by the County Attorney’s Office and Finance

to do the following:

1. Enter into the following expenditure agreements without solicitation through

December 31, 2026, and execute future amendments to the agreements in

accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the

amounts are within the budget for the services listed below:

A. Contracts in which the county currently provides services and receives

payments from external sources, such as health plans, the Courts, other

counties, and other parties, including payments for services already provided.

B. Community support programs, culturally specific African American

community support programs and culturally specific American Indian /

Indigenous community support programs if there is an urgent need for

specific services for a target population that was not previously identified

through a prior competitive solicitation process.

C. Providers of psychiatric, psychosexual, and psychological services; to

conduct

evaluations, consultations, therapy and treatment, as long as funds are

available, the need exceeds the supply of providers, and the providers are

registered or licensed.

D. Providers when the Minnesota Department of Human Services or the

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families has issued the

solicitation for an existing service in the county and selected the contractor or

when the Minnesota Department of Human Services has approved the

contractor through a certification process.

E. Providers of foster care emergency shelter, respite care, and emergency

shelter; as long as funds are available, the need exceeds the supply of

providers, and the providers are registered or licensed.

F. Providers of adult day services, individualized home support services,

prevocational services, day support services, employment services, and

semi- independent living skills services, when that service has been selected

by the consumer, or his or her guardian, in accordance with Minnesota

Statutes, section 256B.49.

G. Providers of out-of-state residential treatment for children, as long as funds

are available, no in- state treatment provider can be identified that meets the

needs of the children to be placed, the selected provider is licensed by a

state authority and accredited by the Joint Commission, the Commission on

Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, or the Council on Accreditation.

H. Medical directors for Social Services detoxification services, the Mental

Health Center, and for Social Services in county correctional programs, as

long as funds are available, the need exceeds the supply of providers, and

the providers are licensed.

I. Providers of intensive residential treatment services when the Minnesota

Department of Human Services has approved the contractor through a

certification process.

J. Providers of accreditation training services for mental health professionals in

accordance with Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic requirements.

K. Culturally specific liaisons to prevent education neglect and child protection

involvement, culturally specific services for American Indian families involved

in child protection, culturally specific services to prevent out of home

placement, culturally specific guardianship and culturally specific parent

mentoring by peers if there is an urgent need for specific services for a target

population that was not previously identified through a prior competitive

solicitation process.

2. Approve actions deemed necessary for the orderly administration of expenditure

agreements through December 31, 2026:

A. Acceptance of supplementary awards or rate adjustments the county may receive

from funding sources other than county levy; and approve related county budget

adjustments and execute amendments with funders and contractors.

2025-513

16.

2026 Salary Rate for the Ramsey County Attorney

Sponsors: County Attorney's Office

1. Set the annual salary for the elected Ramsey County Attorney at $231,768 to be

effective the first full pay period following January 1, 2026.

2. Authorize the continuation of the contribution to deferred compensation for the elected

County Attorney consistent with the American Federation of State, County and

Municipal Employees Local 8 Assistant County Attorneys agreement.

3. Authorize the continuation of the administrative allowance of $110 per month.

4. Authorize the continuation of the transportation allowance of $150 per month.

5. Authorize the continuation of the cell phone/wireless service allowance of $55 per

month.

POLICY ITEM

17. Approval of the 2026 Tax Levy

2025-512

Sponsors: Finance

Approve the 2026 Tax Levy:

1. Approve the 2026 total tax levy of $428,627,201 an 8.25% increase over the 2025 tax

levy. Tax levy statement attached.

2. Adopt a countywide levy on all taxable property of $411,139,562 and a suburban-only

levy for Libraries of $17,487,639 on all taxable property in Ramsey County outside of

the city of Saint Paul, to be levied in the year 2025 and to be collected in the year 2026.

3. Approve the 2026 tax levy of $17,487,639 on suburban properties for libraries to be a

separate line on the property tax statement.

2025-514

18.

Approval of the 2026-2027 Operating Budget

Sponsors: Finance

Approve the 2026-2027 Ramsey County Operating Budget:

1. Approve the 2026 budget of $924,063,479 and the 2027 budget of $962,473,868 with

all the changes noted in the attached budget addenda.

2. Approve the 2026-2027 Fee Schedule, as amended.

3. Authorize the County Manager to continue to fund the Internal Service Fund for

Employee Health and Dental Insurance to account for health and dental premiums.

4. Authorize the County Manager to move, transfer, or reallocate existing Full Time

Equivalents and budget resources within and between the service teams and

departments to support the service teams in their ability to achieve and implement the

Ramsey County Board' s vision, mission, goals and strategic plan.

5. Authorize the County Manager to make all necessary budget adjustments, including

transfers and increasing estimated revenues and expenditures to implement the

Ramsey County Board's vision, mission, goals and strategic plan along with Requests

for Board Actions that have been approved by the Ramsey County Board of

Commissioners.

2025-511

19.

Approval of the 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Program and the

2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program Plan

Sponsors: Finance

1. Approve the 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Program Budget, the 2026-2031 Capital

Improvement Program Plan, and 2026 Capital Improvement Program Financing.

2. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and contracts and execute

amendments to agreements and contracts in accordance with the county's procurement

policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the Capital

Improvement Program funding.

COUNTY CONNECTIONS

OUTSIDE BOARD AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

BOARD CHAIR UPDATE

ADJOURNMENT

Following County Board Meeting:

10:00 a.m. (est.) Regional Railroad Authority Meeting, Council Chambers – Courthouse Room 300

10:15 a.m. (est.) Housing Redevelopment Authority Meeting, Council Chambers – Courthouse Room

300

Advance Notice:

Dec. 23, 2025 No county board meeting – No Meeting

Dec. 30, 2025

No county board meeting – 5th Tuesday