Thank you. The clerk will take the role. >> Commissioner Heinrich >> here. >> Commissioner Brassad >> here. >> Commissioner Gomesh >> here. >> Commissioner Jeepson >> here. >> And four are here today. [laughter] Um, all right. We'll move on down to item number four is to consider accepting the regular claims paid over $500 and the purchase card claims paid for the period ending October 31st, 2025. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> So moved by Commissioner Brad, second by Commissioner Jeepson. Any questions, comments? Hearing none. Um this a roll call vote. >> Commissioner Brastead >> I. >> Commissioner Gamash >> I. >> Commissioner Jeepson. >> Hi. >> Commissioner Heinrich. >> Hi. And that passes unanimously. Item uh number five is the approval of minutes from our October 28th, 2025 county board meeting. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Been moved by Commissioner Jeepson. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Commissioner Brastead. Any questions, changes? See? None. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Opposed. Hearing none. It is approved. Moving down to chair's remarks. Item number six. Um, this is to consider resolution 2025119 proclaiming November as adoption awareness month in Enoka County. We have one item under the our chair's remarks today. And in in addition to recognizing November as adoption awareness month, I'd also like to bring awareness to and highlight National Adoption Day, which is coming up Saturday, November 22nd at the In Noa County Courthouse. Anoka County affirms that every child deserves a permanent loving family. And of the 30 children who are state wards of the count in the county, seven are still waiting to be matched with adoptive parents. In 2024, Anoka County finalized the adoption of 12 children, providing them with the stability and care of permanent homes. At National Adoption Day, we will be celebrating the adoption of 10 children into into five families. Many children in Oka County are still waiting to be adopted. Every child deserves love, support, and the security of a caring adult committed to their well-being. Now, I'd like to have George Burrell, our department, our department director of social service, tell us a little bit about the adoption day and the event that's coming up in Inoka County. Welcome, George. >> Thank you, Chair Kamash. Commissioners, um, thank you for the support for adoption awareness month and honoring the families who have opened their homes and hearts to the children that we serve. Um, National Adoption Day is a collective grassroots effort to raise awareness of more than of the more than 100,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States. [snorts] Since launched in 1999 by a coalition of national partners, National Adoption Day has celebrated the adoption of more than 90,000 children from foster care to permanent families. Um we are very excited for the 22nd. Um we will be spending all morning down in the courts. Um, I believe we've got at least a couple of commissioners that will be down there um to be able to represent the board at this event. A number of our staff, the judges, court administration is very excited um to be able to do this. Um it's something that our staff really look forward to every year and so we're just very pleased for your support and dedication to this effort. >> Thank you, George. Uh yes, a number of years ago, I can't remember how many may have been three or four, I was there for the event and uh you I don't think you see more smiling faces at those events uh that everything going on. Um so it's very it's very uplifting and just a fantastic event. Um any from the other team? Uh Commissioner Breasted? >> Yes, Commissioner Gomesh. I I agree. It's always been one of the favorite events of the year for me when I am able to attend. It is so heartwarming and touching and just to see the happiness that's made that day, you know, people really stepping out in tough situations and these kids getting their forever homes. It's it's pretty amazing. So, thank you guys for all the good work that you do. >> Thank you. Absolutely, Commissioner Jeffson. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, just very excited um that oftent times these courtrooms are not full of joy and excitement and happy tears. So um this is a day that that you know is definitely a formality, definitely a legal step, but um really good support for these families and these kids who are finding their forever home and forever family. So looking forward to attending the 22nd and and seeing those happy happy tears. >> Yes. Uh thank you for that, Commissioner Jeepson. It is Saturday, November 22nd. Uh National Adoption Day has recognized more than 75,000 children moving from foster care to a permanent family. During this annual event, social services courts and organizations in more than 400 communities across the country will open their doors on or around that Saturday before uh Thanksgiving to finalize and celebrate adoptions for foster care from foster care. Anoka County believes every child deserves a family and we are honored to support this important event and recognize November as adoption awareness month. At this time, I'd like to ask my fellow commissioners to please join me in supporting resolution 2025 1119 proclaiming November 20 November 2025 is adoption awareness month in Anoka County. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I opposed hearing none. It passes unanimously. Thank you, George. And thank you to your staff as well for all the hard work. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And now we'll move on to our um reports uh committees of a whole. Uh we have uh three different committees this morning. The first one is management and commissioner Meisner is the lead there and she is not with us today. Um, all we had wasformational items um considering the employment agreement with Kate Hefernon and uh that uh was the first thing and and we got that taken care of and we're all very excited for Kate in her new role and um otherwise that was um uh we did have a presentation which I I thought was very um informational and good to hear about the NOA County onboarding for new hires and how we're working with uh workday and taking that on. So, I thought that was that was very well done and I appreciated that as well. Anybody else have anything from management? Okay, we'll now move down to government ops and uh the lead for government ops is Commissioner Reiner and he's not here today either. Um and we had one item that was to approve the 2026 Inoga County legislative platform items and uh we that we passed that on to for approval. So, uh, do I have a motion on that? >> It's moved. >> Moved by Commissioner, um, Jeep, uh, by Commissioner Brasset and seconded by Commissioner Heinrich. Any discussion? Okay, this is a consent. I got I have this under consent, but is this a roll? This doesn't need to be roll call. No, I didn't think so. All right. All in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. Hearing none, it passes unanimously. All right. That's enough of having me run these things. We'll move down to transportation and it's Commissioner Jeepson. >> Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, for uh for transportation, we had a combined transportation and parks department um which we met on November 4 at 1 p.m. at the transportation division facility. Uh there were no members of the public who attended to give public comment, but I did read a statement from Blaine City Council member Tom Nulan in which he um thanked the county and the county workers uh for the work that was done on 109th Avenue in the city of Blaine. Uh there are five items on today's consent agenda for transportation. The first is resolution 2025 TR45 accepting donations for the purpose of funding the annual MedLink volunteer driver appreciation lunch. Uh this was held on September 30th and always gives me a sense of awe, thanks and appreciation for the many, many hours, many, many miles um that these volunteers give of their valuable time so that members of our community can be driven in dignity to their medical appointments. Uh the total amount donated was $2,500 and came from eight various veterans organizations throughout the county. The second item on the consent agenda is resolution 2025 TR46, which approves the purchase of a vacant parcel of land on the border of Blaine and Ham Lake. Uh the acquisition of this property, which will cost $350,000 plus closing costs, uh will provide opportunities to construct a frontage road along Trunk Highway 65 for the future interchange improvements at Trunk Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard. The third resolution is 2025 TR47. This resolution accepts the donation of 4,000 trash bags from Kexus uh for the use in the In Noa County Highway Department's Adopt a Highway program. Uh we've been accepting this donation since 2006 uh and the VA and the value of this donation is approximately $5,000. The next resolution is 2025 TR48 uh which designates a segment of Ash Street between Centerville Road and Otter Lake Road in the cities of Lino Lakes, White Bear Township, and North Oaks as a county state aid highway. Currently the portion of the road located in Ramsey County has that designation but because the side of the road located in Anoka County doesn't uh there are limits to the funding opportunities available uh to facilitate this jurisdictional transfer. In Noa County will dedicate.19 miles of Ash Street and Ramsey County will dedicate. 2 miles following the passing of this resolution today. This segment of Ash Street will also then be known as a county road as county state 8 highway 32. The final resolution for my report is resolution 2025 TR49. Uh this resolution supports Blaine and Ham Lake in their local road improvement program grant funding. This grant funded by MDOT will provide financial assistance for the support of constructing a new frontage road uh as part of the broader trunk highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard interchange. Uh the resolution is being offered as a show of support to show regional collaboration and alignment with county priorities. So with that, Mr. Chair, I conclude the introduction of my of the transportation consent items. >> All right. Um then we will move down. Um any first of all is there anybody? Well, we'll wait till we get through transfer or parks. Uh we'll move down to the parks uh part of the meeting. And again, Commissioner Reiner not here tonight or today, so I will take over. Um so I apologize for that. Here we go. Uh the first item is Okay, get down here. Here we go. Resolution 2025 TR42, a resolution authorizing the approval and adoption of the Rice Creek North Regional Trail Long Range Plan 2025. That is the the plan. Um the um what do they what do they call it again now? It's the unfinished part. Uh >> Mr. Chair, >> the missing link. Thank you. Uh and that we've been working on for several years now. Uh trying to get bonding uh in the bonding bill for that and this is um once again our attempt to do that. and to uh try to get that those dollars that we will need for that as well. Um and I know that um Commissioner Reinard has been working very hard on this as it goes through his district and uh so that's been um one of the main things that he has been looking at. It includes a circle the cities of Circle Pines and Lannel Lakes and they have both approved um a resolution in support of that plan. Um, I don't know. We have Jeff Perry here with us and I know he doesn't get up to talk as much as he uh has in the past. So, I'd be happy to uh have him up here again to um rescue me uh so that he can talk a little bit more about this just uh for the public's knowledge. Thank you, Jeff. >> Yeah. Uh good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the board. Jeff Perry, park director for Noa County. So, um, as the chair stated, uh, very important, uh, trail segment out in the LO Lake, Circle Pines area, very heavily used trail, and there's about 1.5 mile trail gap. So, we're in pursuit of state bonding dollars um to to get that financed along with some other um grant programs that are available to us. So, we are poised and and ready to uh implement this plan over the next uh 25 plus years. And um it's it's truly a a great trail um because it goes through such a high quality natural area along the Rice Creek in in the southeast section of Anoka County. So, uh, again, we're, um, appreciate your support of adopting this resolution and, um, we're ready to to implement the plan. >> Thank you, Jeff. And stay right where you are because we'll just have you talk about the rest of them as well. The next item is to consider recommending approval of resolution 2025, TR43, a resolution supporting the approval and adoption of the Lake George Regional Park Long Range Plan, which is pretty exciting, uh, this long range plan. And I will turn it over to Jeff Perry. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners, uh Lake George Regional Park. It's um the second heaviest used park uh across the NOA County system uh has beautiful water quality, beach trails, um a very uh unique trail system uh through this uh 400 plus acre park. And uh one of the immediate things as part of this master plan is to get a safe road crossing uh across 221st to connect uh to the north into um the city of Oak Groves uh park system and and the neighborhoods to the north. So again, this is uh a number of items included in this uh future uh long range plan that include uh building out some programming facilities for um our our day camps and week-long summer camps um to better serve the geographic area on the north end of the county. And uh again, there's a very heavily used boat launch uh in this park as well. And um yeah, we're just uh poised and ready to um you know, continue uh with this long range plan and serving the residents in northern and noa county. >> Yes. And I know it's going to be um there's a lot of people up in the Oakro area, St. Francis area now than area that is plus people coming from all over county and and beyond because it is such a beautiful park and it's got such a beautiful lake uh there and the beach just fantastic. So the some of the upgrades are needed in some areas, but as you said, it's a long range plan. Nothing right overnight, but uh we want to move forward with that as well. Um the next item, item number eight is resolution 2025 TR44, a resolution authorizing certain existing grant amendments along with a new grant agreement with the Metropolitan Council. Mr. Perry. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners. Uh this is kind of a a three-part uh resolution. Uh the the first part is uh to extend uh one of the tree planting grants for one year to um effectively um get the grant money spent uh primarily in the spring and summer of next year and that is to uh reforest the areas that have been devastated by the emerald ashbor. The second part is an amendment um to a an existing grant that uh we had some cost savings. So those dollars will be um transferred to another trail project in Rice Creek, Chain of Lakes. So it um the second amendment will lower the grant amount by $200,000. And then lastly, the final amendment is to uh reallocate the savings um of a trail project in the city of Ramsey and transfer that out to uh Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. Excellent. Item number nine is a contract C 0011989 in the amount of 161,363 to Hoffman and McNamera Company for the planting of trees in the Mississippi West regional park, Rapids Dam Regional Park, and Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Reserve and Regional uh Riverfront Regional Park. I know we talked a little bit in the last um resolution on item eight about uh the um money for the trees, the uh ash trees that we've lost and for many people who have seen that um even playing golf at uh at Shaman Golf Course, how many trees we've lost in the woods up there. These are different. These are similar. Uh this is kind of tied in a little bit with that because it's going to replace some of that. And maybe you want to talk about a couple of those types of trees we're looking at. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair, commissioners. Uh this grant will uh purchase and plant 443 uh native hardwood tree species to replace the trees lost uh due to emerald ashbor across the those four regional parks. And uh there's 25 different uh native species that'll be planted. A lot of different uh types of oaks, uh hickories, river birch, hackberry, Kentucky coffee trees, etc. So we're diversifying um the reforestation effort as as part of this grant and again u the benefit will be these four regional parks where uh we have lost a very high density of of the ash trees and hopefully we're on the downside of of the ash mortality but um again just looking forward to the future composition of our forest here in ana county and and this is uh one step in the right direction. Thank you. Uh the next item, item number 10 is contract C 0011985, C 0011986 and C 0011 987 and sorry C 0011993 in the total amount of $124,825 with Kexus Energy to replace lighting associated with the bunker redevelopment project. And I know we're going to get um replacements and also I think a few new lights are being added. Can you uh give us an update on that, Jeff? Thanks. >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair and commissioners. Um 14 uh lights. Seven of those lights are existing lights along our uh roadways and parking lots and trails at uh Bunker Hills Regional Park. And then um so there'll be seven new lights and seven replacement lights. Uh there is a um 25 year maintenance agreement associated with these uh new LED lights. So, it will definitely contribute to um um keeping our roadways, parks, and and um trail system uh safe, especially this time of year when it's uh gets dark at uh 4:30, 55 5:00 p.m. So, some very good improvements here at Bunker Hills Regional Park. And um yeah, we're looking forward to uh just keeping the facility um safe and well lit. >> Yeah. And I think we're adding a couple uh near where we expanded parking. uh for Bunker Beach. >> Correct. Yeah, that's [clears throat] good. >> Yeah. Uh Mr. Chair, we did add uh approximately 90 new spaces at Bunker Beach to uh meet the demand for capacity and uh a few of the new street lights will will help in that area as well. >> Excellent. Um so those are all of the items on um the consent item. Is there anything anyone wishes to remove from the consent item to vote separately? Seeing none, uh, this is a roll call vote. >> I believe we need a motion. >> Oh, we do need a motion. That's right. Okay. >> So, moves. >> Thank you. And do I have a second? >> And it's been seconded as well. Uh, and that cover all of them, right? Okay. We're good. We're set then. Um, roll call vote. >> Commissioner Kamash. >> Hi. >> Commissioner Jeepson. >> Hi. >> Commissioner Heinrich. >> Hi. >> Commissioner Brassad. >> I. >> That passes unanimously. We'll move to theformational items and I'll ask Jeep Commissioner Jeepson if she has any um updates. >> Yeah. Uh just two quick um things, a couple things just to quickly comment on. Um we authorized the county engineer to advertise for bids for the reconstruction of Bow Street uh between 181st Avenue and Viking Boulevard. Uh additionally, we um authorized the county engineer to advertise for bids for intersection improvements at Cross Town Boulevard and 161st Avenue and Constance Boulevard. Um, and one other comment I'd like to make is to let the community know that um that Mandot is starting to host someformational meetings regarding trunk highway 65 construction. Um, and so the first couple of openhouse styleformational meetings are Tuesday, November 18 or Wednesday, November 19 from 3 to 7 p.m. with presentations scheduled scheduled at 3:30 and 5:30 uh located in the Clover Leaf Conference Room at Blaine City Hall. So with that, Mr. Chair, that finishes the transportation report. >> Thank you, M Commissioner Jeepson. Uh from the parks, uh we had a couple different things there. Uh committee authorized the parks department director to reject all submitted bids for the Rice Creek West Regional Trail and Banville House Foundation reconstruction project. The prices were much uh higher than expected. Um and we're going to look for um other options uh moving forward on taking care of the foundation at Banville. Um the also we want to talk a little bit about the uh we discussed the centerpoint energy's proposal to locate a new gas main pipeline and regulatory building at the riverfront regional park and I694 in Fidley. Uh we are looking at something a little bit different than we originally had heard uh from them that they were coming be coming across um uh an island and in the river. Now I think they're looking at more towards the bridge area which was I think something we'd actually brought up to them. as a as an option and now they're looking at that. So, um it's a little bit of a different part of our park that they'll be coming across. Um but we have to do some um uh I think there are some legal things that we have to look at as to ownership of all the land near that and what's might be Mindad and what might be the the counties. So, we will be looking at that as well. But, it was good. I thought it was good news um that they're looking at coming across uh perhaps on the bridge of on 694 and not going through the river. Um, and I think that pretty much covers uh theformational items that we had for parks. So, I'm glad we have finished it. And let me go back to the agenda and I think that's all we have on our agenda. Now, let me just double check. So, that was kind of a quick meeting. We're done before 10 o'clock. Um, is there anything else to come before the county board today? Seeing nothing, we are adjourned and we will check on the