Yeah. [Music] [Music] [Music] Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the administration's operations and budget committee of Wednesday October 1st 2025. Five, we start these budget work sessions with open forum and playback. And my understanding is that we have no one for open forum. So, at the end of this budget um uh there's actually going to be two budget presentations today. We'll have call back for folks who would like to comment on that and we'll put that that's part of the script. So, we'll have that and get that done. So, the next item on there is business is uh item two. It's the minutes from the previous meeting of September 29th. Um, do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any corrections, changes? All those in favor signify by I. >> I. >> Everything passes. Great. Um, before we start this, I'll introduce the county administrator submitted her budget to the county board on September 16th. The proposed budget totals $3.09 09 billion and was based on a property tax levy increase of 7.79%. The board adopted a maximum property tax levy increase of 7.79% on September 25th. Today we'll hold hearings on the proposed 2026 budget with presentations from the public works and the law, safety, and justice lines of businesses. These hearings are intended to allow the board members to understand what is included within the proposed budget. Additionally, these hearings provide a forum for gathering public input from the proposed budget. The lines of business budget proposals and the complete 2026 proposed budget and the schedule for all these hearings are available on the county's internet web page which is www.henipin. us/budgets. Again, at the end of today's hearing, we'll provide a call back number and other specific information on how members of the public will be able to submit comments to the budget hearing. I would now like to introduce Henipin County Administrator Jodie Wetland who um will be introducing the hearing. I'm going to go around the room though in the board first and then um I'll let you take it over. So, start with you. >> Tony Wetland, county administrator. Lisa Cerny, assistant county administrator, public works line of business. We'll go around this way. >> Lundy, District 1. Kevin Anderson, District 7. I >> I didn't ignore you this time. >> I appreciate that. >> Debbie Gotel, District 5. Irene Fernando, District 2. >> Angela Connley, District 4. Heather Edson, District 6. >> And Joe Matthews, chief financial officer. >> And we'll go to the back. >> Kate Nelson, District 5. >> Eli, Commissioner of District 3, District 4. Motherland, District One. and welcome everybody. Really pleased to to have everybody. Just one caveat before I hand this over to administrator wetland is that we have two budget hearings. We have three hours at 1:30. We are stopping for a break. I needed a break when we should have done that last time. We will because we have two we will have less time for comments and questions. So I'm going to ask people to to be very conscious of that and limit their comments and questions. So Miss Watlin, please. Thank you. Chair Gotel Commissioners, thank you for joining us today for this budget hearing for the public works and the law, safety, and justice lines of business. You heard from disparity elimination line of business on Monday. And today we will continue the conversation around budgets and the connection to our organizational priorities of disparity elimination and climate action. Our approach to the budget hearings this year is provide a budget overview, review priorities, and allow time for questions and discussion. Chair Gotautel commissioners today we'll be starting with the public works presentation and discussion. Then during the second half of our time we will transition to the law safety and justice presentation and have discussion to follow. With that I would like to turn this over to Lisa Cerny the assistant county administrator for public works. >> Thank you and good afternoon Chair Gatell and commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to present the public works line of business 2026 proposed budget. As administrator Wentland shared today, we will cover how public works serves residents, the public works line of business proposed budget overview, highlight our priorities that connect to expanding strategies within this proposed budget, and have space for discussion. Public works provides strong and resilient infrastructure that serves as a critical foundation for a healthy and thriving community. We connect people to places, protect our land, water and other natural resources and manage water waste responsibly. The leadership team identified on this slide and in this in this room will help address your specific questions following the presentation. I want to quickly thank all of them for their passion, collaboration, innovation through this year's budget process. There are other leaders in the room the room as well that play a key role in the development of the budget, internal and external collaboration and ongoing energy and implementation knowhow to serve the residents of Henipin County. Public works serves residents with transit and transportation systems that are accessible, affordable, and climate ready. We maintain one of the largest roadway systems in the state with 2,200 lane miles. We are modernizing aging roads and bridges using complete and green street design guidelines, making more than 1,000 long-term infrastructure improvements in the past year. This includes 933 new ADA compliant pedestrian curb ramps, 76 intersections with pedestrian signal upgrades, 5 and 1/2 miles of new and improved sidewalks, 7 and 1/2 miles of new bikeways and trails, and 6 and a 6 and 1/2 miles of new transit lanes for bus rapid transit. We also offer residents exceptional service to protect our environment. We served 143,788 residents and collected 7.5 million pounds of household hazardous waste, problem materials, and recycling at county drop facilities and collection events during 2024. We use nature-based solutions to increase the resilience of our community. We are expanding the tree canopy to reduce heat island effects, filter and cool our air and sequester carbon. Since 2020, 5,76 >> 500 >> 500 easy for me to say 5,7 >> 500 >> 500,76 trees have been planted in Henipin County with agencies and city partners. We are more than halfway to our goal of planting 1 million trees by 2030. Now, I will provide a brief overview of the public works budget. Public works programs leverage multiple funds and revenue sources. Across the public works budget, we are absorbing increased costs in construction, materials, services, health care, and personnel expenses resulting from inflation and market forces. The overall operating budget is increasing by $6.9 million with details provided in the executive summary. And I would also like to take a moment to highlight a few of those items. Transit and mobility decreased by $200,000 which is driven by staff expenditures going directly to capital project investments through our subordinate funding agreement with Metroransit. Meaning there is no reduction in service or delivery, just different accounting. With respect to environment and energy and the solid waste fund, which happens to be the main driver of the net change in the public works operating budget, we are planning for a $5.5 million increase to process waste and household hazardous waste. The anticipated expenditure is covered through tip fees and solid waste management revenues. In the internal service funds that public works manages, the energy center is mostly unchanged and fleet services increased by $900,000. This is driven by higher costs for new vehicles, commodities, and vendor labor. 90% of public works 2020 budgeted revenues come from nonpropy tax sources. However, the remaining 10% or roughly 23 million that is funded with property tax is critical for our programs and operations. This represents a 2.2% decrease or reduction of $600,000 in property tax compared to our 2025 adjusted budget. With this reduction, we will continue to take a strategic approach to bidding work and resource management, leveraging available revenue sources and reallocating dollars to the highest priority programs and activities. I want to share there is an error in the total for both the 2025 and 2026 FTE count on this slide. It should be 511 for both. So therefore, the public works public works does not have any position adjustments in our FTE count and that remains at 511. We recognize the connection between transportation and our ability for our residents to access better health care, employment, housing, and education. We continue with our priorities to improve the experience for all users by upgrading accessibility crossings and helping make better connections. We are closing gaps in the transportation system to ensure all people can connect with trans with options like transit with ease. We're also making it safer by traveling by implementing our toward zero deaths plan to reduce serious and fatal injuries. We are committed to a long-term goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on all county roadways by the year 2045. This graph shows the progress needed to achieve this goal. Implementation of our TZD action plan will take funding and resources, partnerships and collaboration. The plan will be our roadmap as we work with our partners and the community to enhance safety for all people along our transportation system. Our residents care deeply about protecting the protecting the environment and we offer countless ways to help people be better stewards of our natural resources. Our priority is advancing equity in environmental quality through our work to protect and restore water resources and natural areas. We re we support redevelopment of contaminated land from past improper practices. We offer grants and technical assistance to support community led efforts to protect the environment and to support counties the county's goal of a healthy and thriving community for current and future generations. With the help of a federal federal forestry grant, foresters are removing 2,250 diseased trees for residents with lower incomes and replacing them at a 2:1 ratio with climate resilient tree species. Expanding resident education and a workforce tree care pathway program. Pictured here is a project working with Emerge and Project Sweetie Pie to build a gravel bed nursery at Pillsbury Urban Farm. Youth learned basic carpentry and became familiar with forestry career options within our own county operations. We're extending the life of our infrastructure with pavement preservation and rehabilitation and continuing to electrify the county's fleet and right sizing our fleet and equipment. 29% of our countywide light duty fleet will be hybrid or electric vehicles by the end of 2025. We are accelerating a zerowaste future. Our formula to achieve this is investing in 12 bold actions in policy, programming, and infrastructure to reinvent our solid waste system to achieve a climate-driven zerowaste goal and ensure every individual has equitable access to zerowaste tools. Priorities include increasing efforts to reduce single-use plastics, provide more drop off options for hardto-recycle items, and expand capacity to increase reuse of building materials. We are increasing access to recycling services with an with an increase in participation rates. 32% of households in the county participate in organics recycling programs. We are also increasing compliance with the county's recycling and food waste recycling requirements and supporting workforce development programs to deliver recycling services and proper management of waste. We measure progress with the zerowaste dashboard tracking the recycling rate, the proportion of the waste that is biogenic and the waste generation rates to ensure we are meeting state law. all while achieving climate and zero waste goals. Like other areas of the county, we are navigating strong headwinds, but we focus on opportunities to meet our challenges. Keeping our transportation system functioning and healthy requires adequate funding for the safety and efficient movement of people, goods, and information. Counties rely heavily on state and federal funding to maintain county roads and bridges. Recent increases in the metro area sales tax provides the opportunity to maximize investments in our transportation system to modernize aging roads and bridges to enhance safety, accessibility, and sustainability of the transportation system. These investments will help the county meet our net zero carbon emission goal by 2050, our towards zero deaths goal by 2045, and increase equity in transportation access. In partnership with Metropolitan Council, we continue to advance our work on the Blue Line Extension LRT project and support other arterial bus rapid transit projects. We are also seeking to gain more momentum to accelerate zero waste actions. Reinventing the solid waste system and accelerating progress towards zero waste goals is only possible with aligned goals, action, and collaboration with partners. We are asking cities to expand access to recycling services and supporting them with funding and technical support. We are aligning with partner agencies and environmental advocates toward the same zerowaste objectives to be most effective in urging lawmakers to adopt zerowaste policies and boost funding for this climate and equity f focused work. Because of the priority placed on accelerating the progress towards zero waste, the budget for the waste reduction and recycling programs are kept whole. This concludes my prepared remarks. Thank you for your time and consideration and we look forward to answering questions you might have. With that, I will turn it back to administrator Wentland to lead us into the discussion. Sherell, commissioners, um I really want to express my appreciation for Lisa and her leadership team. Um in the budget presentation that's brought forward, we were intentional in being brief and giving ample time for conversations around the public works budget. So, thank you. >> So, we have about an hour. Uh, Commissioner Eden, are you prepared to start with remarks or questions? >> Sure. I can start. Um, well, thank you, uh, Lisa. I think you do a really great job and you surprisingly, as much as it's not the largest part of our our county budget, I feel like I talk to you so much because in my district, um, transportation ends up being a really big issue in public works. Um, one of the things that I'm um curious about as we look at at uh this budget. Um a few questions. Oh, thank you. Got to get used to that. Um as we're I guess I'm going to start with recycling and just the idea of closing her and how that looks um and how what initiatives that we're doing. um when I'm thinking about some of the things that we do now and businesses are my understanding are one of the largest contributors to when you break down um who's doing it and we've talked about this last year um but I don't know that we've created any initiatives or maybe that you've thought of it I don't know if we could just come up and talk about some of the what we're doing now I mean we always do this in public policy right what we do at one period of time doesn't work for what we do 5 years later and so it's trying to figure out how we're shifting our mindset on that. And so for businesses like um I think about Inina, we have like the green business uh certificate or something like that. Um where we know that businesses are doing all they can to compost and so that we give them like a certification. I guess I would love to know what the team is talking about and I would love to see next year at this that we've done something that we're rewarding businesses. I think it's hard to add like an extra fee this year when everybody's struggling. Um but some creating some sort of incentive program in Henipin County that we partner with the cities on to get uh businesses to compost more. Um and and and I would love to just hear from the team a little bit more on that. Chair Catel, Commissioner Eden, I would invite Dave McNary to to to come forward and maybe just be very brief in sharing a few examples of things that we do with businesses and then we can put this on our list of questions to follow up with a more comprehensive. >> Dave McNary, you're also one of my favorite people. >> Well, thank you, Commissioner members. So, quickly, staff work with closely with businesses. We provide hundreds of thousands of dollars of grants to work with businesses to improve their existing recycling programs. Add organics. The biggest incentive that businesses have on organics is our subsidy at our transfer station for organics. We charge $35 a ton for organics and $77 a ton for trash. So there's a huge financial incentive for businesses to do the right thing both on recycling and organics. We also provide technical assistance to businesses where we have 20 waste reduction recycling staff that will go out and work with these businesses. They provide um frontline education not only to the employees but also working with multifamily housing schools. So those are some of the programs that we look at and then it's all focused on those four metrics that we developed for the closure of herk. It goes to the recycling rate. We want to achieve a recycling rate of 75%. We want to reduce the per capita waste generation. We want to reduce the amount of biogenic material in the trash. And that's why we're so focused on organics. And then ultimately the last one is we do not want to landfill more than we did in 2022. So everything that we do with staff and our resources are focused on those four metrics to get us to zero waste. >> Um, thank you for that. And I guess the only thing I would say and those are those are good things um but if we still see businesses are still one of the highest waste generators I guess what I would ask the team to do over this next year is just think about other creative ways that we can continue. I mean it's not a a critique on you that you're not doing a good job but sometimes we have to shift how we're doing things if we actually want to see better results. Maybe we're not getting to people in the right way. I mean one of the things I would love us to see us do too is revisit house schools. Um I used to be on PTO. No one would be surprised that other people up here have volunteered for other jobs. Um, but when with PTO, when you look at the janitor going school from classroom to classroom, they usually have a recycling and they have a trash, right? They don't have composting in that even though sometimes they might be having compost. I think re revisiting how we're doing uh outreach with schools as well. um just looking at other ways that again what we're doing now, how do we increase again just a little bit to help us get to a place where we're seeing just more results. But again, I think you do a great job. And then just one other thing and I'll be done. Um is just initiatives that I think a lot of people in my I just came from a community meeting and people are saying, well, what are you doing to that initiatives that you have started that you've realized have not worked? Um because I think a lot of people are are having to not be able to do things because they're having to pay more in property taxes or more in food cost or more in energy cost. And where have you seen maybe something where we've tried something and it wasn't getting the results that we wanted and we've had to stop doing it because we didn't see that the benefit was there. Do you have an example in public works that we've done something like that and you can just come back to me? I think residents are asking me things like that and I think those are good questions. Um, and so if you have something great, if not, circle back with me. >> Chair Gatell, uh, Commissioner Eden, I mean, there's probably 25 different things that I can think of, but rather than try to think of of them, I think it might be best if as a team we I mean, because we are regularly adapting and changing our strategies in neighborhoods, in communities, in urban, rural, suburban settings. And so let us put a little bit of thought and come back to you that um and then you can have information that you can also share with the community. >> Thank you. >> Okay, Commissioner Anderson. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um so obviously, maybe not obviously, but I really appreciate all of the work that goes into it. Um this as was mentioned um the work that you put into keeping the budget within parameters um is not easy and I really appreciate the the work that went into um maintaining the the services. I know we got a lot of new resources from the state to deliver more projects. Those projects take people and so it's like it's a very fine balancing act that that we're trying to um to weigh across all of this. And I just want to express my deep appreciation for the hard work that's going into not only being respectful of the budget constraints that we have, but also delivering the projects that our communities are looking for needing. Um, and so often, as you pointed out, like there there are safety components to most of what we're doing. Um, and so I just wanted to to say that right up front that um I see so much of what public works does as a community safety um component and like building safe infrastructure is so important for each and every one of our communities across Henipin County. um to that safety piece. Um I really, you know, I know we just passed our TZD plan. Um and appreciate the graph here. I know that, uh we have a lot of pieces that we are going to try to implement to try to achieve this. One thing that I'm always looking for is, you know, we try to be data driven and try to make sure that we are uh following data and making sure that we're tracking how we're doing on things and what the improvements are looking and and how it's impacting each community. Uh, and so I know we've talked about this in the past, but I would love to see like some kind of breakdown of the different kinds of improvements and what kind of safety um, or like safety improvements you can expect to see in different contexts. I know like urban and rural and suburban contexts are all very different and uh and so we um I think that helps us especially when we're talking to our individual communities know what is um the best way to influence like our other elected leaders in our local communities to say, "Hey, this solution is better in partnership with public works because I think very often you are working with the staff at a city uh and we deal with uh the electeds in a city and so sometimes we don't all talk the same language. So I think um having that some of those examples would be really helpful. I'm also would be interested to see a little bit further look back because starting in 2020 um like I I view 2020 through 2023 almost as almost impossible information to compare against like the pandemic disrupted so many things across so many different lines of business that comparing before like pre- pandemic to what we're uh trying to get to and what we're trying to deliver, I think is really important in in how we're doing things because we know that traffic speeds spiked and roadway deaths spiked in the aftermath of people going home, right, and staying in in their communities. So, I think having a little bit longer look back would be helpful just to give us a broader context of like what the the data was showing us. Um, really appreciate the the work on our tree planting. I love it. Uh, I actually had my own shirt made of uh like 1 million by 2030. So, like I'm going to try to push that on people later. But um I totally agree with Commissioner Eden on the how do we partner with businesses, restaurants, schools and get our organics programming more integrated into um into different spaces. Uh I think a big piece of trying to do this work is reducing the barriers to do it. Um and uh Dave, thank you for for mentioning the difference in the tipping fees. Um, I think we should be really highlighting that to more of our municipalities so that their businesses can recognize like, hey, you can your businesses can save money by engaging in organics. Um, and who wouldn't want to save money, right? So I think that the more we can get in this and show that there is an not just an incentive uh but we can make it easy for businesses to do it, I think that would be great. Um I also uh am very interested in the uh our fleet modernization um and getting to zero emissions. I think we've talked about this too of not just looking at electrification which or you know hybrid and electrification but some of our heavier duty things uh that we could potentially use uh other zero emission um technologies that are coming online. So and I would love to hear more about that. Chair Gatel, Commissioner Anderson, I think it might be easiest for us to put together some a followup especially related to the various different fleet. We can we can put together a list of of of different places where we are tracking what industry is doing and where they are studying things, how that is working in different places and kind of where we are trying various different um I'm going to say mostly pieces of equipment rather than even just vehicles, >> right? So we we will definitely follow up. We can put that in the memo. >> Thank you. Because I know from having driven an electric vehicle that wintertime is really tough on batteries. So um like I think finding uh technologies that are resilient to our winters uh especially if we wanted to get into a zero emission snowplows like like you know >> oh yeah >> this is dreaming big here and so that's what we do right. Um but I think that's uh that's an important important piece of this. So um the last thing that I'll say is that I would love us to think big about the future of expanding transit uh into areas that currently don't have transit. Um and that is going to take deep partnership with Met Council, with our cities, with uh obviously our staff. Um, and I think that if we want to see a future where uh we can meet the needs of an aging population uh or a transit dependent population uh while meeting our emission goals and the money that we have um where expansion like forever expansion just isn't possible. Um, I think we need to be investing in the induced demand that transit can provide um, as opposed to the induced demand that bigger roads provide. Thank you, >> Commissioner Fernando. >> Yeah, sure. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, as I said a couple days ago, I'm trying to think about this budget by way of policy direction, specifically from a generational perspective and then uh, focused much more on data and funding model. We know that we are uh we are appreciative of the staff's collective effort to uh receive the charge from the county board of managing through attrition, no layoffs, maintaining services while maintaining partnerships. We we acknowledge uh what we've asked you to do by way of policy direction and generational. This is uh very spot-on, which makes sense. This is some of our kind of most multi-year planning areas. So I'll focus a little bit more on data and funding but by topic area and I'm just going to kind of speak uh about a few. So first on transit I'm so grateful for Henipin County's long tradition in supporting transit and nearly being the only leadership it seems for like a couple decades particularly for >> I mean the BRTs weren't up when we started even. I mean it's just like it's really really incredible um what you all uh and we have been able to do just acknowledging much of this predates me >> um and we will remain in yet another year every year we have to like do the same uh advocacy and fighting uh for what I perceive as a fundamental service for residents. So again data and funding model u from a data perspective we've done some of this but how are we going all you know how are we really leading when it comes to the economic power and generational impact of transit that transit oriented development at the time TOC now transit communities now that that investment in downtown Robbinsdale has not only is not only has not only added to Robbinsdale's tax base but will assist with the blue line and perhaps perhaps even an accelerated route 32 from Robbinsdale Transit Center to Rosedale. That's just me, you know, attempting to manifest there. Um what jobs have been there? I mean, just really a different type of analysis. >> Uh so that we are showing the year-to-year impact for the last decades and then projecting that into the future. Um again, back to this gen generational impact perspective. Uh this I think connects a little bit to the concept that of commissioner of what commissioner Lindy continues to raise with respect to youth literacy. If we do not have the jobs now available in a certain area and the transportation options available now and there are no plans. So there's the economic power generational impact and then transit service. Um uh Commissioner Anderson and I were at the 55 BRT. I can't recall which staff were there. There were staff there though. and uh council member Rosenquist said that what she's a Golden Valley city council member who is really really a big supporter of transit and her quote was that there's less transit available in Golden Valley today than when she started. M >> so not just measuring our efforts but but measuring the out the collective outcome even though we are not accountable to the full collective outcome we got to understand what is the collective outcome and that's and for me I needed to say all that to get to funding model um I am just really concerned about how uh funding has occurred in transit and even with this landmark um you know regional tax that was established. There are of course efforts to prohibit that spending towards light rail or towards transit. So this is this is one of those from my perspective where residents believe that we've got this covered. >> We have the funds, we have the plans, we've had the community meetings and yet we know that these multi-deade um you know advocacy campaigns still might not result in the service. Um, so that's uh on the uh that's on transit and transportation. You already heard me talk about cost participation. We have to analyze that. Who's how are our cities cuz it's not like we don't know what their tax base is. You know what I mean? So we can we can be customized about this, but I'm not interested in continuing to subsid sub subsidize um a lack of political will individually. I'm going to move forward. Uh you I'm going to say it three times now. Value capture district. If there's any money in the value capture district, I don't even know how that got formed, but you all shared here that it was for street car like I think that that should move towards transit. We we if if local if public funds were raised towards an outcome, how can we assist in ensuring that the people's money that was raised for that outcome gets spent on that outcome? Next topic, uh climate. Um I climate as it intersects with uh solid waste really and um what we're discussing here. Um I am I remain concerned about the warming. We we know that heat island. Uh what about uh warming and hazardous waste though? You know I am I'm I'm curious around uh with our temperatures. I mean look at this week. It's like super fall, almost too fall brisk in the morning and it's literally very very summertime by the afternoon. So with these really extreme fluctuations, um what what how are we equipping our residents to not store, you know, I mean, how are we how are we looking at that? And I don't know what analysis there is on the on fires. This is actually a question. There's been a few restaurants with fires in the last handful of months in Minneapolis at least >> and sometimes they're not super known or sometimes they say it's because of their waste. So again, I'm not saying that we h we may may or may not have that answer now. But where my concern is is uh those who are looking at that see it as a one-off whereas we uh attempt to see things as trends as an opportunity to consider is there a programmatic um intervention that we might consider or recommend others to consider. So um from a solid waste perspective then this will be my last topic. Um, I uh want to extend what Commissioners Edison and Anderson were sharing about partnering with businesses, but I think it's really partnering with the municipalities. We have to completely shift our conversation about solid waste, it seems. And it's not just us. This is a big topic at Niko. This is a big topic for uh cuz it's once waste is out of my area, I you know, people don't want to think about it. Um, but how are we really making sure that we're partnering with cities, but also uh sharing where we might have recommendations? Not that we're going to ask for others to fund all of it right out of the out of the gate, but we cannot sustain um even what we have agreed to because of the funding strain. I mean, that's such a kind way of saying it. Um, we could not tax our way out of even one line item, right? the the Medicaid alone if that were to prevail like that is greater than our levy. So we this is me in that how are we shifting funding model and the first thing of course is the data but um as we're partnering with municipalities h how how can we ensure that they are working with us towards that outcome and um from a herk perspective just because it was named it is not my position to close the herk it is to conclude burning and I believe that that's the county's position I just want to clarify that because individually I believe that the geography that generates the greatest waste should have a facility local to where the waste is generated. So I do believe in a facility. It uh I I believe that it should not be burning trash and and have the same form today. But just for clarity cuz this is a very uh discussed topic. Um it is the the county's plan and my individual position is that we stay in the solid waste system with a facility and we maintain where haulers get to go and that residents reliability um on uh waste but it's to recycling so that out of our trash we know that 40% of it is is real waste that we want to divert and play a role in that diversion. So, I I uh just want to express that because um the closing piece is one that I agree um my my residents and I don't always align on. Uh but >> excuse me. >> Oh, no, no worries. But regardless of what your position was, it is a hot topic in my um area and I believe in a facility and I want to say that with pride and with gratitude to uh the staff who developed the reinventing solid waste system. That's what I have. Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay, Commissioner Connley. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you uh to everybody involved and I'm going to get that right at some point. Um no, I really appreciate the budget. Uh Miss Ernie, you know that I appreciate all that you all do very much. Um and I'm thinking about uh this conversation around uh city participation and what we're doing with zero waste. So very much I I looked I've got questions in the budget booklet, but one of the things that stood out was that zero waste does not decrease. There's no cuts there. It's going to maintain constant. But but when we talk about this, it's no surprise that I I want to go big or go home. What what does it look like to mandate to make it just a thing that businesses, schools, other organizations in our county have to do, which is participate and utilize all of the really great zerowaste initiatives that are outlined on page seven of this booklet. We want to increase efforts to reduce single-use plastics. We want to increase school waste reduction and recycling programs. We want to increase compliance with those programs. What if we just mandate it? Like I don't have a problem with that. And I really don't. And also like what if um ordinance 10 can we modern modernize that? That's about you know fees and dollar amounts and it's very very technical. Mr. McNary, we can look at each other on that one. But like it's from the 80s. Let's modernize it. Perhaps there's more revenue that can be captured. Right. Uh, but I I again I don't feel like we like mandating participation in something that's good for the earth is a bad thing and good for our county. Um, and Commissioner Anderson, in 2022, Transport Canada tested the world's first 100% electric snowplow and salting robot. So, if you're looking for places to look uh ACA 30, look at Canada uh cuz they're doing it. And I remember like our first year here, it was like, are there electric snow plows? And there were not. But since then, Canada has tested the world's first. And it's uh quiet. It says, it says here, the plows are powered by electricity, producing zero tailpipe emissions and making them both environmentally and community friendly because they're quiet. And I can tell you, I can hear our snow plows. I live between Park and Portland. When they come through, I'm like, "Ah, there they are." Uh but anyway, there's some examples in Canada that we could look at. All right, I'm going to dig into this book just a little bit to get through some questions. I wanted to highlight on page uh 17 just to make sure that we're all clear. It it says on page 17 that under other charges and the explanation of significant changes. Just a clarification that the decrease in budget is primarily due to the onetime grant for our streets at $300,000 which we budgeted for in 2025. I know I authored that. So, I wanted to make sure that that board action was written in a way that if our streets did not get the grant that it would just go back to the fund. So, that did happen. >> Yes. >> Okay. Just making sure. Um, and then there was another piece in here around Glen Lake wetland improvement capital project. I highlighted that because I wanted to get some information on what we're doing there. Um, and it also takes it looks like property tax out of the CIP and switches it to budgeted from here. here and want to know why we're doing that and what is this? What is this capital improvement project? That's on ch page 20 of the budget booklet. It's $700,000. Uh and the next page just explains that the additional 700,000 of capital project funding for the Glen Lake wetland improvement project is proposed to replace the property tax funds in CIP. So then the second part of that question is what happens to the funds in the CIP? Chair Gatel, Commissioner Connley, I will invite Rosemary to to speak to this in general, but um I will start by saying it's a reduction in property tax in the CIP, which you'll see when the capital budget comes before you, and it's an addition of enterprise dollars into that capital, keeping the project whole, and and Rosemary Lavin can share a little bit more about what the project purpose and and what we're doing on that site. >> Welcome, Miss Lav. >> Thank you. Thank you, Chair Gotel, and thank you, Commissioner Connley, for that question. Um, so the the Glen Lake wetland project is a very exciting project. It's at the former county home school site in Minnetonka, >> and there is a significant wetland there that we are working on restoring, and with that restoration, we will be able to create what's called wetland banking credits. um there's really a shortage of wetlands um in the county uh particularly banked credits that can be used when projects impact wetlands and so that will be a nice thing for the county to have as we may impact wetlands with our road projects or for others in the the county that impact wetlands. We are able to then sell those credits um on the market. We are also doing um restoration work on other parts of the site. Uh we've been doing a lot of tree planting at that site to restore some of the tree canopy there and enhance it. Um but also restoring for uh kind of native plantings as well. >> Okay. Thank you. And just a a followup then. Um so it sounds like there's going to be revenue generation through the credits with the wetland. >> Yes. >> Um but why the change in funding streams? Chair Gatell, um, Commissioner Connley, I'll actually allow Joe Matthews to speak to the broader, um, property tax conversation. >> Yep. U, Madame Chair, Commissioner Connley, as we went through the 2026 budget process, we really did try to prioritize our general practice is to use restricted revenues first and identify uh, permissible uses for those. So directing some of the enterprise fund revenue towards this project fits within the purpose of the enterprise fund. We are also looking for opportunities to reduce property tax use in the public works budget. You'll notice from the budget book there's not a lot of property tax in the public works area. This was one area where they could help us contribute to bring down kind of what we were projecting for an overall increase and help us bring in the levy at an amount below 8% or higher than it could have been without that. So, it really was about us trying to allocate revenue um to the appropriate use and then take our more flexible revenues and try to move those to other areas that had significant demands for increased funding. >> Right. Well, thank you both for that. I I appreciate it. And then just uh maybe Mr. Matthews, if you want to give it like a couple of the enterprise fund, I have an idea of what it's for, but you said it's very it's more flexible than property tax. I appreciate taking the flexible approach. Tell me more like just a couple examples of how we use the enterprise fund. >> Yeah, Madam Chair, Commissioner Connley, um I'm going to clarify my comments. So, the enterprise fund uh in some ways is less flexible than the property tax, but it is a it is a fund set up for solid waste. Uh so, Department of Environment and Energy is funded through the enterprise fund for the solid waste fund. And that is uh a fund where they can collect revenues from all of our various solid waste activities and then we can direct those under permissible statutory purposes. So those are restricted for areas that will impact our environment and our um our public infrastructure. And so what we're trying to do here is when we have a restricted revenue for an enterprise fund, we want to make sure that we're leveraging that as much as possible. So funding um a wetland restoration is well within the permissible uses within that fund and then that allows us to take other more flexible revenues and redirect those elsewhere. So I'm sorry if I misspoke in my comments, but that's what we're trying to do is use the restricted funding first and then move through and prioritize. >> Got it. Okay. >> Thank you. That makes sense. Um I have one last thing and that's just um page 25 on the budget booklet looks weird. So I would like uh just to know what's happening with the metro area sales and use tax. Maybe I'm just not understanding. So 2025 2026 are zeros. Is that just because we used it all in 2024? I was under Am I wrong in thinking that metro area sales and use tax is like Yeah. is like something we get every year though. So talk to me through talk me through those zeros. >> Yep. Um Madame Chair, uh Commissioner Connley, actually excellent question. So, uh, we do have a couple of special revenue funds. This is a case where all that occurs in this particular department is we collect the metro area sales tax and then we transfer it out to public works where we're going to actually spend the money. So, what you'll notice is if you look at the top half, you'll see the state revenue line. So, 2024 that fund collected $17.4 million. 2025 we budgeted 41. 2026 we're budgeting a little bit less. If you drop below, you'll see the negative numbers that offset that and you'll notice how it nets to zero. Effectively, the money flows into the fund and then we transfer it out so it can be expended. So, there's no actual expenditures recorded in this area. Think of it as almost like a almost like a savings account. That's where the money flows in and then it's really an accounting action to move that out to where it's going to be spent. >> And where do Thank you. I think there's a >> Go ahead, please. Chair could tell, Commissioner Connley, what I would do is follow up is and say is this where it is spent is in our CIP. And so all of this funding really supports the projects that you see in the transportation, roads, and bridge side of the CIP again, which you'll see later this month. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, >> Commissioner Lundy. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, try to be brief. Um, >> you can put your mic on, please. >> He's got one. >> Oh, there. Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't see it. >> I'll just scream louder. There we go. Um, I I I do want to, you know, pick up the her conversation. I've said this publicly, I'll say it again. that um uh and whether the hurricane is shut down or repurposed um I won't be sporting any plan unless there's a robust plan to have sorting facilities and whether they're Eden Prairie, Edina, Lake Vinnetona, Maple Grove, Plymouth, I think I've offended everybody with that idea. Uh simple fact is um right now there's one sorting facility. It's in Brooklyn Park and I'll be damned if I'm going to support anything that says we're going to shove more trash into one city. If everybody can generate trash, I think everybody can be part of that solution. Uh I'm willing I think the community, Brooklyn Park, we're all willing to have those conversations, but um I don't trust that somehow that we get halfway across the bridge and then oh with funding things slow down and suddenly we end up with one in Minneapolis and one in Bookham Park and that's because I know how these things are built. Um when's the last time we built a sorting facility? A long time ago. So, uh, that's important to me. Uh, it's important with the leaders, uh, the local leaders. We know and as Commissioner Anderson knows, one of the prime spots for trash to go after it goes through sorting is through my district and then through his district. And so, uh, you know, having that trash arrive somewhere, I think is important. I like the conversation about cost. I know, uh, Brooklyn Park won an award number of years ago about educating commercial about the recycling. you can save money on taxes if you put if you recycle more less trash. I think that would be a good exercise to redo again with composting is to say per per load what is it the cost to a commercial so that they see hey you can save money by composting and recycling and not have everything show up in the trash can. So, um I'm also curious about apartments because most apartments have enough troubles getting recycling because they were never built, especially older ones with recycling, composting just makes it compounds the problem there. If um so those kind of things I do I do think when we're talking about the lowhanging fruit, I I believe um that when people have the option to do things, they will. It's just that if you don't have the option, you just everything goes in the trash. uh which is better than on the lawn or on the on the street. So I I think that is important. Um on maintenance, I just want to acknowledge that, you know, our partners are having increasing challenges on maintenance, but something I think that was brought up by a couple cities is beautifification where we do a project and if the city wants to make it be more beautiful, uh we'll we'll let them. I think that we need to flip that. Uh because what we're saying is if a city has enough money, they can have a beautiful road. If they don't have enough money, they get the basics. And so I'm wondering if we need to change our definition of what beautifification is and those kind of things because I know Commissioner Connelly and I have talked about when a road changes, it goes from one city to another and suddenly voila, it looks completely different. Um and it looks, you know, and I think some of that stuff does matter because curb appeal matters. What do people feel like? when we had the mayor of Crystal's been in the news because she goes out every day and picks up trash because it she thinks it reflects on our community. I would never disagree with her. So, nothing for today, but I know it costs money, but I do think it matters. If we're building a road, why should a city not have the same as another city? If it's a county road, it's a county road. Um, and I think we have a role in that. Um, and so other things just um on the deaths, I'm curious about the the traffic deaths, you know, the CO impact that Commissioner Anderson talked about, you know, and as we see uh companies saying that they're calling people back in. And I I I believe I feel like traffic has gone up. >> Um, and I think people feel that. So, I would expect does that reflect in more traffic deaths? I don't know the answer, but I I'd be curious. I know 610 is a parking lot most days. Um and so you know depending on what direction you're going it um it doesn't matter. Other thing is I think on blue line I think we should have a presentation from staff on the value of blue line. We've spent all our time talking about the how do we pay for it all these nuts and bolts which are really important but I think sometimes we lose out why are we doing it and I think you know I try to keep refreshing myself because I forget but I think having this presentation to the board puts it in the public eye about why are we doing blue line and I know some of the value points but I think restating that um is important because now we're so focused on the next step that I think we've lost track of the why part Um and and I'm always trying to restudy because I forget myself as I focus on the next um you know little piece of ladder we're trying to grab on to. Um and then uh just look at my notes. I think that um uh I would as much as I appreciate and uh Commissioner Anderson can validate that I have a map up. As much as I appreciate uh suggestions from the rest of the state on what we should do with our transit money and our traffic money, um I'm going to go through some. I have never told Roso, Pulk, Hubard, Pope, Chipoa, Redwing, Rock, Houston, Lake or Cook County what they should do with their money when it comes to transit roads. And as much as I appreciate the rest of the state giving their advice uh which I respect greatly and I I love listening to it about how we're wasting money in Henipin. Um I don't ever ask why are we building a road for seven users a day. Um, I have always said, you know what, we are all in this together, that people need to be connected no matter where they are in the state. And I think it would behoove us to have more information. And to that point, I'd like to know how much money in county generates for the state. I would like to know the funds like the motor vehicle license sales tax where we contribute, but we are not allowed to get money back from. Um, are there other funds like that? Um, and I think the time has come to say we appreciate your advice, but as long as we're paying for roads elsewhere in the state, then maybe they could lighten up a little bit because I'm not going to start picking up projects in the rest of the state. But I think we should stop sitting there and just taking it. We pay a lot of money. Taxes, our residents, our businesses generate tremendous amount for the state. Uh, I'm not interested in hearing about the feds gave money to the state and they give to Henipin County. That's not state taxes. I get right to the point. Um, if we're going to have an honest conversation, let's have that honest conversation. I would expect every legislator to support that any fund that disallows Henipin to from receiving, but we can contribute that they will of course fix that because in the name of fairness. Um, I did a chat DBT just to show. Um, Glenn, thank you. I I'm using that tag. 2018, this is the last report. It talked about Henipin County generating $6.5 billion in taxes. That includes residents and businesses. Uh we got back 4.3 billion. I doubt that number has gone down. I'll bet it's gone up. And again, I'm not interested in telling other people what to do with the money they receive. I just like people to stop giving us a lecture about stuff when we generate a tremendous amount of money in Henipin County, the state of Minnesota. And I think it's we need those numbers. I can't. Much as I love Chai TBT, I don't trust it. But I also need to know those funds that we're not allowed to to get money from. I think Ramsey is the other county that's not allowed. Why is it that two counties can contribute but not get money? Um, and we should have these honest conversations and stop uh playing with pillows. I think we need to play much more hard stuff. So, thank you. >> You need my soap box. >> I'm off. We are running ahead of time. I have some comments and things, but I'll let everybody go for another round here after I'm done. But I do have quite a few comments. I will try to be brief though. I have I have some really easy questions, too. First of all, really really like the tree planting, too. I'm with you on that. I got to plant trees. I always think that's a fun thing to do. Love doing it. Um really excited about the federal forestry grant and what we've done with the diseased trees and helping residents and lower income and replacing the 2:1 ratio. Is that actually in their residence or is it in the right of way? >> Chel um that >> is in the that is in the residence. >> It is in the res. >> That is so nice to hear because I know there are some of these big beautiful trees in the backyards of people who don't have the dollars to remove them. So that is just stupendous that we are doing that that way. So and I'm glad to hear that. And if I have residents that have that, I will make sure that they know about that. Um, so I'm going to talk about plastics. Ner's still here, right? He didn't leave. So, increasing the efforts to reduce single-use plastics provides more drop off options for hard to recycle items. What where are these new places to drop off harder to recycle? What are these harder to recycle? How do you really ex going to grow this capacity for for that? Um, so I'm just really interested in that particular piece because there's an awful lot of plastics that quite frankly don't recycle. What are we doing, >> Chiratel? I think that would be a great followup just because it's we have quite a robust program as it relates to concepts around plastics and drop off and hazardous materials. Um, I think that would be >> Are we doing anything more now or are we just as in the planning stages? Where are we with that capacity building? >> We're in a a wide range of we are doing some things and we are building some programs and >> I just wonder why I haven't heard about it at all. And I'm I'm wondering we're asking cities to expand more. What does that look like? What is what's the details on that? What does it mean asking cities to expand access to more recycling? What does that mean? Cheratel, I mean, real quick, you know, we're really pushing more work or more opportunities and options, especially in multifamily. And so, thinking about how that works. Um recently we brought forward a board resolution and I cannot remember which city that was for where they put a an organics um we gave them supported them with a grant to put an organics um collection site in a park near multi- family housing. Those are examples of things that we're we're doing. >> Okay. Then when we talk about then some of the hard to recycle stuff other than plastic, what and where are we doing with some of that? I I think about mattresses I find along the road. I think about, you know, white goods. I think about people with old furniture or other things. What are we What are we doing to help residents get rid of that stuff without, you know, breaking the bank? >> Chair Goutell, I'll ask Dave McNary to come. >> Mr. McNary, I knew I could some of those questions around those hard to hard to recycle. >> Madam, chair, commissioners, >> the make sure you're there. There we go. I know. Great question on hard to recycle mattresses. So, we partner with Emerge, which is a nonprofit. The county has given them a million dollars over the past 15 years to build their mattress recycling program. They are the top mattress recycling center in in the state of Minnesota. And so what we do is we collect mattresses at Brooklyn Park, but then the city of Minneapolis has a robust mattress collection program where they spend over a million dollars. Um so mattresses I think are covered. It always amazes me how many mattresses they are. It doesn't ever seem to decrease. Um for hard to recycle items, we are looking at a um furniture recycling program with Emerge. Um that would be in partnership with other metro counties uh specifically Ramsay and Dakota County. So Emerge has a LCMR grant that they will start collecting and repurposing furniture. Um we've done collection programs at multifamily both for mattresses and large furniture. So we are working on a robust program for those hard to recycle items. >> But a lot of people can they just take it then their track mattress to the curb and somebody's just going to pick it up for them or is it a charge or >> It depends on which city. The city of Minneapolis picks it up for free of charge. And then um most of the suburbs it's for your waist hauler and there is a charge for that. You can bring a mattress to us for $15 per carry it there. That's when I think about residents who don't have a lot of money. First of all, then they don't put it out because they can't afford the charge. And then second of all, they ended up dumping it somewhere. And and you see mattresses all the time dumped. >> Yes, you see them. And so how you know I'm just thinking about how do we and and other furnishings and other things like this just dumped. >> So Emerge does have um trucks and they're part of our program. We'll go out and pick up mattresses. You can call Emerge, make a reservation, and they'll come out and get your mattress. There there's a charge for that. >> There's a charge. Okay. I think that's the hard thing is is how do we make this affordable for some of those folks who don't have the dollars to do that? But this is really good. So glad to hear about the furniture recycling. So, and um so I don't know if you still need to be up here. Um I have one more big question. Um plastics is my bane. I mean because that little triangle means nothing, right? It's just it doesn't mean it's recyclable. So just throw the black plastic and the blue dark blue, throw it away cuz you can't recycle it. Um um who who do we have the most angst about trying to get to do recycling? Is there certain industries? Are there certain residential types like large office buildings or something? I don't want to name names, but are there areas where we're just having huge challenges and it's there's just not good solutions yet? Chair Gatel, I'm looking to see if there's a a thought today or that's something we should come back on. >> Okay. >> Right. All right. Okay. No, you can come back to me on that because that's a that's as we move, you know, I sit on the PWE and so we have a lot of questions around these kinds of things and bigger issues and bigger things. Who who are the ones who are struggling the most in it? What is there industry sectors or something like this that we should be you know looking at other solutions somewhere down the road or something because there's a lot of industry that I know are not recycling a lot and I know because I used to work in that world in the industry world and I used to find ways to recycle some of their things that they never thought were feasible >> you know Chiratel as I'm listening to you I'm thinking of something that commissioner Connley stated not too long ago and that that that there is a huge huge opportunity with the most recent extended producer responsibility bill that passed. And so >> really shifting that ownership from those that experience the the waste or the recycling or the whatever material at the end to push that responsibility and maybe that would be a place that I would say is probably one of our biggest challenges is the industry that creates much of this. I have heard from some of the vendors I use that some of this some of the stuff they don't have right now because the actual supply of what they're doing are changing their packaging because they know that they have to because they know they have to be recyclable somewhere down the road by a certain date and so they're already doing it. So just having this looming is making people do that. So I think that's really cool because once you make the change, you're going to change it nationwide, right? You're not going to just do it front. So, these are nationwide companies that are making changes because of our packaging law. Nice work. Um, I wanted um um I wanted to talk about something that Commissioner Lundy brought up about the whole beautifification and that and I think that's a really good piece to have that in and make sure that it is. And I can say that there are some dollars that are put in some projects. Um but one of them that um is is still a bit of an angst is 66th Street in Ridgefield because they had beautifification dollars. They did a beautiful job to try to at least they had a thought of that, but we had failed contractors and the city is now still pulling out the dead trees and the dead plants and it's sad. It it and there was no dollars to fix that. And I don't know how we could get insurance or something to do that when we do these contracts or something, but we do have from time to time. We try to use great small businesses, you know, and I support that. But this was a failed contract and we know it and it was still left on the city and there's still repercussions and it still doesn't look as nice as it should have, you know, because everything died. I I go out there and pull weeds in the middle of the median. So, it's just really sad and nobody's, you know, can care for the trees and they're dying. So, it's it's just it's really sad to see. Um, one of the things that came up just recently, too, and I take public transportation from time to time and I like riding it and just seeing what's going on. Um, but I I take it to St. Paul for a lot of my meetings. But the Blue Line extension, um, I'm just wondering when we think about the design and the future of the Blue Line extension. Right now, we have a downtime for a large maintenance project, right? On our 12 days. Do you know what it's like to take the bus and it like double or triples your time? 12 days. We can design the extension so that when we have large, we know we'll have large maintenance pieces that we don't take down the whole band line. We could do that. So, I just want us to think about that as we move to that. H >> Did you cough? >> Cough. I'm sorry. Is your cough okay? >> That hearing one. So, I just I just want to say that that that really matters to the people who have to use it and and so I'm I'm just really big on how do we how do we manage that differently in the future because maintenance costs are our largest cost on any line, not the actual build. It's the long-term maintenance on this. And so, how do we do this so that we can take down a piece of the line at a time and just run a bus around it, right? That that makes so much more sense to me to to look at it that way. And then I want to talk about towards zero death because this is a this is a really big issue for me when we're looking at this. We're looking at this at the Met Council level. We're looking Mand's looking at this. Cities are looking at everybody's on board with doing this. But you know, I'd like you just to um and I spe I I it might be you or it might be um one of your staff who talked toward your zero death. What are like the top priorities? What are the resources of people and maintenance to actually do this and get this off the ground and have an impact? Can you speak to that? >> Chair Gatell, I will start and I will ask Carlos Stevie to jump in if there are things that I am not thinking of. Um, and so in our plan, we have a I think are we calling it a toolbox or a toolkit? I saw >> which has many different strategies and approaches and those strategies and approaches range from reconstruction projects which are can be our most impactful place where we can really modernize and rethink what our infrastructure looks like. We are also applying that to our rehabilitation or resurfacing projects where we may not be changing the curb line but we can change how vehicles, bikers, pedestrians, and those in wheelchairs are moving through in order to strategically, and I say strategically because we probably can't do something at every crossing, every intersection just because of the the challenges and restrictions on some of the funding. Um, so we are working to implement those in those places. And then throughout our system we are strategically looking to where are we hearing from residents where they have concerns where are we seeing concerns from from our own data and our own observation and how can we implement those. So those are kind of the range of places that we are are seeking to make impact. And I would also say that we are really leveraging partnership with law local law enforcement, local emergency responders, education so that each of us knows how we can make a difference as we are moving through the corridor. And so those are the things that I can kind of think of off the top of my head around that plan. And I'm I'm looking to see further on this, Carla. Um I I would really appreciate you talking about how you're braiding disparities into this. >> Yeah, certainly. Um chair um we so we are looking at our high injury network and we have our high injury network overlaid with um areas of concentrated poverty and so we are looking at how they correlate and uh there is a lot of correlation with our hydra network. So where we're seeing our fatal and most severe crashes. So we are focusing at those on those areas first and we now that we have our plan in place we can also pursue funding for implementation of our plan and so we will be looking to uh address our high injury network first and foremost but also across our system and and using our toolbox like Lisa said. So on that I'm I'm also thinking about upstream. How do we get ahead of this? And so how are we are we looking at any data around near misses or those kinds of things so that we're getting to prevention and changing our design before we get to something that acts in a way that makes more injuries. >> Yes. So um great question. So our our high injury network is more of a reactive approach but we al we also take a proactive approach to safety. So we are looking at locations that have all the characteristics. Um so we know that they the design is can be improved from a proactive standpoint. It maybe isn't seeing maybe it's seeing crashes but maybe they're not the most severe. And so we are we do take a proactive approach to look at those locations as well. And we're also hearing that through our community engagement. >> Oh, you are? Okay. All right. >> And we're going to keep that going um after after we completed our plan. We're keeping the survey open and the interactive map open as well >> because we hear from constituents. I'm sure everybody hears from constituents about areas in their communities that they don't feel safe or aren't quite quite safe. I know I still get calls from constituents of places. they just don't go or can't walk anymore because it's not safe. They just won't do it. Myself included, but others. So, >> and I would just maybe add to that, Cheratel, when you and your colleagues send things to myself or Carla, we are tracking those locations and we are reviewing those and we are analyzing those and and just because we do something doesn't mean it goes away and not on a list. So, um, we continue to, so thank you for sharing that and please keep sharing that so we can continue to gather that. >> You always data. You always get back to me. >> I just, you know, I I always am, I'm super hypervigilant on some of these areas and stuff like this and when I get constituent calls, especially when I think about kids, kids kids crossing and schools and things like that. So, that really matters to me. I just I just want to say thank you for this. This was very robust and I appreciate the presentation. And I'm going to start. Commissioner uh Edison, would do would you have any more questions or comments that you wanted to add now that you've heard other colleagues speak? >> Um, you know, I just Thank you, Madam Chair. I would just say um to Jeff, are you down there? >> There you are. >> You're still there. >> I think it's interesting. I mean um I heard the same thing from one of the group that I was talking to that um your community was not didn't feel like they were informed enough about the idea of of using it. The sorting center and is it Brooklyn Park? Yeah. So I I honestly think it's an interesting idea where we have waste and then that waste has to be resolved within the kind of same district or same community. Um I don't I think that's a it's a challenge, but I think it is honestly if we people thought about it more like that, >> they would actually take a different approach to um where that waste goes. So I just wanted to say that. The only other thing is we've talked about this before. I have no idea um what we're going to do about it, but there's no place to drop off ammunition that you're not going to use in Henipin County. There's just no place. So, I don't know if we work with law enforcement. I'm going to bring it up to the police chiefs I'm meeting with from my district on Friday, but we should have that. We should if people want to unused ammunition, if somebody wants to get rid of it, um Ramsey County has something, but they have to live in Ramsey County. So, we should just think about in Henipin County, how are we going to do that? Uh we don't do it now. I get it, but we should really figure it out because I can't find a police department that takes it. >> Commissioner Conley. >> Um, yeah, you know, I had a couple of other things, Madam Chair, after listening to the discussion. One of them is around tree removal. Um, we have to be very careful when we do that work. Uh, you're familiar with what happened with the parkboard and that's I had happened to me. They came in as soon as I moved into my house and all I saw was big footprints in the snow and the big tree in my backyard had to come out and it was uh the cost was assessed to my mortgage and then uh so to pay overtime. But what uh community organizers found is that was being done in areas in what do we call in the areas high concentration of poverty areas. They were hitting black and brown folks more desperately than they were other folks. And so I ended up getting a refund from how much I had paid over the years and the park board uh swallowed that cost. So I there's lessons to be learned with where that work happens and I don't want us to make like be very careful when we're going and taking out those trees and we're replacing them because that tree was never replaced. I still have that stump in my backyard. Like I have friends that are like you just you drill and you pour something down there and you get rid of the stuff. I don't I don't know what time to get rid of a stump so it's just sitting there. Uh, and then also the last thing I I would just say is this conversation around plastics has always been interesting to me because I would prefer that we just outright ban single-use plastics with exemptions for I know that when I first started talking about this several years ago, folks from the disability uh advocacy community would say, you know, single-use straws are something that we need act like there could be exemptions, right, for for populations, for hospitals, etc. But I'm thinking about preeemption with Minneapolis when they went to try and >> ban singleuse plastic bags. Do you remember that? >> Oh yes. >> Okay. And so now they just charge a fee. There's like a 5 cent bag fee, but like does that still stand? Is preeemption still a thing? Has the state preempted the county from doing anything? >> It's so the former legislator is like, "Yes." So, >> so I I wonder like what what's possible within the framework of of preeemption around specifically single-use plastics which are everywhere which you can't do much about which uh ties into the conversation about those big producers like you I will use Amazon again and again they do not need to send very small items in very large packaging but yet they do and I think the producer responsibility act doesn't go into effect until 2027 or nine 2027 2029. >> So that's still a ways out. Uh so like yeah, what can we do now to really uh go after big producers, but also um how do we work around preeemption too to um make it make a make some progress on plastics? That's all I got. >> Thanks, Commissioner Fett. >> Thanks, Madam Chair. Uh so in our pursuit of equity from a mission perspective, it's important that we look holistically. So I like Commissioner um Lundy's highlighting that the solid the primary solid waste facilities that we're looking at >> happen to be in the area where they're not easily allowing us to build light rail, you know, I mean, so that's it's the it's the compounding impact on residents. >> Oh, yeah. >> So I just want to say that it's the compounding impacts on communities. So in the same area that is managing how much you know of the solid waste we're not even able to get and and has the highest concentration of people who literally don't have cars were like not able to easily get light rail so I so that from an equity perspective it isn't about this line of business um you know so it's looking holistically at impact and then we have to strengthen our muscle and how we share the load and hands make light loads like we don't we have to share the load code and so is it recommendations around hey city X you want to expand your zero waste but you have funded zero dollars for 5 years so how should how can we exercise our muscles in supporting the planning effort and of course the achieving of that planning I had a few uh failed handshakes in my political time so I do like when things are in letter format or at least agenda so we are able to track with agencies or municipalities like what it is we are recommending or suggesting. Um but again equity is not just about the experience of the individuals but who is contributing positively to that experience and because of our role um uh you all might know I uh you know just graduated and a few people here assisted me with that and I ended up having to talk about counties a lot because I was uh my subject area were other women who serve as county officials and the way that I talk about counties now is that we are the caregivers of government and we're also the chores. You know, nobody wants to do chores, but like the dishes have to get done and we all need to have clean clothes. And so sometimes when a sibling isn't as motivated to do their chore, we have to get creative so that we can watch the TV program late, you know, later that night. And I just like I like it. >> We live together. Like these are not just municipalities like, >> you know, on Commissioner Lundy's like Chat GBT list. like these are our we are like co-workers, we're roommates and we are in a tough spot. Um and we will be in a tough spot for at least a couple years financially. Um so I just want to uh share that we from just expanding on equity. I think we've done a great job on innovation. You you all are wonderful at that. I want to talk to you about wetland credits um and what else could qualify for wetland credits. Maybe we can do flood mitigation as a way of restoring wetlands and getting credits. Um, I'm recalling something at the state around greenhouse gas credits. So now any community that wants to grow their roadway, I think they technically need transit to offset that. So I I'm I'm with us on the innovation, but I'm I really and I'm with us on how we look at resident impact. How are we sharing the load? >> Yeah. >> You know, how are we saying, hey, you have that lawn mower. Can I borrow that lawn? Did you all hear what I mean around like how are we sharing the load among local government? At least I hear you on the state piece, but I I'm unable, you know, there's state legislature and then there's state agencies. On the state agency side, I still think let's >> schedule the meetings and really talk about these issues in a way where it is potentially resolvable in 3 to 5 years. >> Too often we're talking to agencies and they're like, great, in 209 we will cover that. And I'm like, and that's I think part of the tension sometimes uh with lawmakers and agency, but we we are we are we are co-living with one another for um for in a tough time period where money is going to be tighter. How what is Henipin's role? What is the county's role in um caregiving and chores? Forgive me. But thank you. >> Thanks, Commissioner Anderson. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll be very brief hopefully. Thanks, Jeeoff. Um the I just wanted to touch the the conversation on the herk was I think great. I do want to just say um I think to your point, Commissioner Lundy, the imperative of managing our waste locally I think is important. I would go so far as to say I would like to see us not send our garbage outside of Henipin County and manage it locally to the extent that we can. Like we don't have landfills. I we all know landfilling is the worst form of waste management. Um there is still some necessity for it even in the incineration you know like the less you know the slightly more ideal obviously but recycling and reuse and diversion is the goal right but I would love to see us really focus on how we manage uh to the point where we don't have to landfill um and not just hold steady with where where our landfill is, I would like us to go that much that much further. Um, and you know, Commissioner Fernando, to your point, like having a sort facility, absolutely, we need that. Um, but I don't think that we can just I don't think we can do one or the other. I think we need to do both. I think the herk still plays an important role in our waste management ecosystem. Um, and we also need to sort our garbage and divert what we can away from it. So, I think it is a both and type conversation. Um, I like the conversation around transportation funding. Would love to get that information. on transit. I do think that one thing that I would love to see, Commissioner Gatell, thank you for bringing this up of how do we make sure that our transit is built in a resilient way so that it like maintenance can be done. I think one area of that is uh looking at building or designing for express right like it takes another track. Um but having that would increase um speed, convenience, reliability uh which then leads to further adoption of transit um at least I believe it would. So um I would like to know more if if it actually does I guess because I'm not an expert in that. um that would be something that I would be interested in um as we're evaluating um what comes next in transit. So um and then just reminding anybody who might be listening, I know we're reviewing or planning to review our cost participation. Mindot is doing that. Um and I know we'll be no doubt doing that as well. So, >> Commissioner Lundy, >> um, >> just, uh, thank everybody for the robust discussion. I do think like Commissioner Anderson talked about is managing our trash. I think, you know, some areas ship their trash on Iowa. I think that's the biggest joke in the planet. Um, but I also think that there's so many ways that I feel strongly that, you know, outsourcing mining to other countries so we can look pure and good. um man outsourcing manufacturing to other places that use coal to generate the electricity makes us all feel good uh like we've done something I think that is also a joke as well that we should do everything to own our footprint um and I think if we did we take different steps in this world and so uh absolutely I I think everything we can do to take care of our trash and we are the biggest producer in the state I talked about the money part well Henipin also has another thing we we produce more trash so we anything we can do will actually help the state hit their goals. >> Thank you. I want to thank all my colleagues. Great discussion again and we have uh another buzz presentation coming up. You have five minutes to take a break while they set up and we change people over. So, thank you very much and I appreciate and welcome to law, safety, and justice. [Applause] All right. Wow. So, sorry. Administrator Wetland, please. Jody Wetland, County Administrator. >> Good afternoon. Chela Guusman Vagert, assistant county administrator, law, safety, justice. >> Dan Rogan, deputy county administrator. >> Jeff Lundy, District 1 County Commissioner Ben Anderson. >> Sorry. Go ahead. >> Judian Fernando, District 2. and who walked in the door, please. >> Okay. And I'm Heather Edison is on her way. Well, welcome everybody. Um, I'll turn this back over to you. >> Thank you, Chair Gotel. Commissioners, our next presentation is for the law, safety, and justice line of business. You'll hear more about the overall budget that is committed budget work, excuse me, that is committed to disparity elimination, and climate action. I would like to note that the county attorney's office and the sheriff's office are part of the law safety and justice line of business, but they have a separate meeting with you scheduled for Monday, October 6. Their budget numbers are included in the big picture overview, but you will have the opportunity to discuss those budgets directly with those offices at our next meeting. I'd like to ask Chella Guzman, assistant county administrator for law, safety, and justice to get this one started. Thank you, Chella. >> Well, thank you. Thank you, Administrator Wetland. Good afternoon, Chair Gatell, commissioners. Uh, I'm Chela Guusman Figert. As I indicated, I'm the assistant county administrator for law, safety, justice, and I want to thank you for the opportunity to present Thank you. the law, safety, justice line of business 2026 proposed budget. So, for today's uh presentation, as administrator Wetland indicated, we're going to focus on the areas and departments that make up the line of business uh the law safety justice line of business. and I will cover the high-level overview of the numbers for the uh county sheriff and county attorney, but we'll be focusing primarily on the law safety justice operations, the department of community corrections and rehabilitation, adult representation services, and the public defenders office today. And we will share how we're serving residents. We'll provide the overview of the law, safety, justice 2026 proposed budget. We'll highlight the priorities and the strategies that advance our disparity elimination efforts and respond to the changing dynamics impacting our community, our residents and our clients. And at the end of the presentation, we will have time for questions and discussion. So this afternoon, uh we are joined by many leaders and partners in the law, safety, justice line of business. Uh the individuals identified on this slide and several others who are in the room will be available to address specific questions that you might have at the end of the presentation. And I want to take this time if I could to extend my sincere thanks to the leadership team to all who have contributed to the development of this budget. I want to thank them for working tirelessly uh and they've been finding efficiencies. They've been leveraging partnerships. They've been aligning services. They've been examining our programming and they're doing that so that we can best serve our residents and the individuals who are most in need often and doing it well. So the work that uh you see today would not be possible without their leadership, without their dedication and without their focus and tenacity. And uh we have countless staff behind us who helped to do that. So I want to thank them. Next slide please. The law safety justice line of business includes departments that provide law enforcement services, criminal and juvenile prosecution, legal representation for clients experiencing poverty, and correctional programming. While each of the departments or offices play a distinct role in a legal system that we often talk about, there's a shared commitment to eliminating disparities and advancing efforts to increase safety, stability, and well-being for all in our communities. So on this slide we highlight some data. Uh adult representation services clientele uh are about 77% people of color a number that has remained steadily uh above 75% over the years and I think it highlights the ongoing racial disparities in the system and adult representation services has seen a 30% increase in their case loads from 2024 to 2025. I think this says a lot about our expanding access to legal services. Since ARS was established by this body about seven years ago, seems like yesterday, but 7 years ago, they've had a 2,000 uh% overall increase in the cases. So in 2028, they had a little over 1,200 cases. And in 2025 they have to date they have three 34,443 cases. And I know when we talk about cases it doesn't always put a face there but there are people who are impacted when they come to ARS and seek their services. And so there are lives being changed. ARS's initial budget in 2018, if we were to hearken back to that time when it first started, was 1.5 million with two employees. And today, we are proposing a $21 million budget with 115 full-time staff in the 2026 proposed budget. This reflects not only the need in our community, but also the county's continued investment in residents. About 50% of the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation clients identify as people of color. The department has seen a 38% increase in the number of clients participating in voluntary pre-trial services. So you might recall we've had discussions at this table and then also in board meetings where we've discussed where there are uh required pre-trial services for adults but there are options now to also have voluntary pre-trial engagement. DOCCCR has expanded voluntary pre-trial services for both our our clients who identify as youth and also adults. uh they focus on achieving pre-trial success where staff connect with clients. They provide voluntary community-based resources that help to aid and improve long-term outcomes and support client well-being and community safety. So, let's begin with a budget overview. The next three slides outline the proposed 2026 operating budget, property tax, and FTEES. In uh 2026, the Law Safety Justice line of business has proposed overall operating budget of $473.6 million. That is an increase of 4.7% from the 2025 adjusted budget. Specific details are outlined within the executive summary. I think it's pink this year it looks like. But I would like to highlight just a few items. The law, safety, justice operations. Uh if you take a look at that line on the slide, this is the assistant county administrators portion of the line of business. It includes in essence the law safety justice IT and law safety justice data analytics and some of the administrative staff. Our 2026 operating budget decreased by $170,000 compared to 2025. And the reason that it decreased, we made some strategic reductions where possible while preserving core services. We reduced our contracted expenditures and uh we removed or decreased by a limited duration FTE all while protecting ex existing priorities and staff. The ARS budget if we were to look at the next uh item on the slide includes an overall increase of 2.4 million or 11.7% from 2025. The primary driver for this increase is the addition of budget authority for seven positions that were added to support immediate increase needs that we saw in early 2025 along with additional costs of salary adjustments, merit increases, and health insurance expenses. To reach a target, you'll notice that the original recommended ARS budget reflects a decrease in numerous contracts. Uh you saw that maybe on page 20 of this document. It includes a $200,000 reduction for deportation defense efforts. However, I want to assure uh the board that the county remains committed to funding these efforts, but it was noted in the book. I wanted to just say that today for clarification. We are committed to continuing to uh support the representation of those in deportation defense. With respect to the DOCCR budget, we are planning for an overall increase of just under 5.8 8 million or a 4% increase compared to 2025. The key the key drivers there include uh personal services and a $ 1.6 million increase in medical related expenditures for our residents or clients who are served in facilities. The public defenders budget, if you'll be patient, I'd like to address in a separate future slide in more detail, but you'll see changes in their budget and I'll discuss those details in just a few minutes. And the county attorney's office proposed budget for 2026 res represents a 4.9 increase over 2025. The sheriff's office proposed budget represents a 7.8% increase. And again, you will hear in more specifics and details from those elected officials on Monday. Next slide. The law safety justice property tax request totals $410.5 million and that's an increase of 38 33.8 million or 9% from the 2025 adjusted budget. This increase in property tax is primarily driven by departmental requests. And so you'll see here it includes uh the sheriff's office has an increase of 18.5 million. Community Corrections has an increase of about 8 million. The County Attorney's Office has an increase of about four million and adult representation services has an increase of about 2.9 million with more modest increases across the other departments that are outlined on this slide. Uh before I move on, I'd like to just make a quick note on the radio communications. You'll see that last line of the slide. And you might recall from previous briefings, radio communications is an internal service fund. and it operates as an enterprise fund. And the revenues that are generated or received by that program cover maintenance. They cover depreciation costs of our radios and mobile data computers. And uh it also covers the use of the Minnesota regional public service communication system. So users include our county departments. They include police, fire, emergency, medical service agencies within the county. It's not supported by property tax. It doesn't have any FTEEs dedicated to the program. It's more like a place where we hold dollars uh dedicated for radio equipment and its repair. And so you're going to see more details about that radio fund. I think the summary this year is included in the sheriff's budget materials and uh because it's managed by the sheriff's office, but I wanted to just call that out on my slide. Next slide, please. Law, safety, justice is the second largest line of business with a little over 2500 proposed FTEES, but I'll count them all, 25,5001.2, and they help to do all the work. This slide uh shows where we propose adding or reallocating staff to meet the needs of the organization and our line of business. From a line of business perspective, the 2026 budget reflects a nearly 1% decrease in FTEES. Uh ARS, as we previously discussed, proposes 115 FTEES, and that's an increase of seven from 2025. All were added and filled. These individuals positions uh were hired and filled in 2025. So this request right sizes the existing budget. The total reduction of FTEES in uh community corrections and rehabilitation is 28.9 and some of the positions uh that we're reducing are vacant of course and others have staff who will be reassigned to new roles within the department and other places. But we are not uh laying off anyone as the commitment was already said from this table. And we are creatively and strategically reducing positions where we can without compromising service delivery. Next slide please. So the public defenders office and I wanted to pull out this slide because there are some significant changes this year. This 2026 proposed budget reflects a new chapter. The board of public defense is assuming its financial responsibility for the fourth district public defender and they're moving away from funding operations within the county's budget. Uh the primary expenses for the county now on the county budget are related to the personnel that remain that are county employees. Those are the cost for the remaining 18 county uh employees within the office. And this change uh will really centralize the operations of the fourth uh public defender office with the state. The primary catalyst for this change was a successful transition of the public defender staff from what was county integrated technology these laptops and the integration. We transitioned that to a stateup supported system so that they could communicate with their other colleagues within the state. It is a state system and that system cut over took place in April of this year. It's uh been successful and I want to thank all of the partners, the county partners, the state partners for that project. It showed uh considerable collaboration but it was effective. Next slide please. The law safety justice line of business is committed to identifying and enacting system changes that seek to eliminate disparities. As I said, through collaboration both with county and external partners, we support a system that is equitable, restorative, and keeps residents safe. We remain committed to integrating explicit considerations of racial equity and decisions made. We are committed to investing in resources to expand access to justice. We are strengthening intervention and prevention strategies and advancing reforms that support the whole person. And we do this work, we try to engage early. We're maximizing internal resources and we want to reduce barriers to stability and success. Next slide, please. So engaging early. When we think about engaging early, it's intervention and prevention. We know that early intervention and prevention strategies are effective tools in improving long-term outcomes and individuals well-being. We provide resources and support to youth and their families early on. We we help them break the cycle and prevent ongoing involvement in the justice system. And DOCCCR through its pre-trial services program is committed to doing that and refining their approach to making the youth and their families whole. ARS ensures equitable outcomes for clients by early and expanded access to holistic legal services. Staff connect with individuals in child protection cases even before court proceedings begin. And they do that to ensure that they have access to legal counsel and resources. A team of behavioral health social workers coordinate services and supports for residents in our county facilities. This includes coordination of care across service areas. It includes timely assessments, facilitating access to services, and developing plans for transition and ongoing support in community following an individual's release. There are five embedded social workers at the adult correctional facility who help connect residents to services and assist with case planning prior to release. There are also four embedded social workers at the juvenile detention center who connect with every youth who remains in the facility following their detention hearing and any youth who experiences safety stabilization periods. The social workers also support youth and their families who request assistance or supportive services to aid in transitioning back into community even beyond their stay at the juvenile detention center. Education. We've heard about education and how it can change the trajectory of one's life. Education looks sometimes a little different in law, safety, justice. Uh, our staff work in close collaboration with community agencies, county departments to expand access to traditional academic attainment and legal knowledge for our clients and the people in our care. Education leads to self-sufficiency, empowerment, uh, and informed, equitable access to justice. So, law, safety, justice departments do this work through a lot of different, uh, venues and forums. They do it in legal clinics. We often provide education in outreach and advocacy events. And we also provide access to tangible materials as outlined on this slide. We reduce barriers to stability and success and that is one of our priorities by providing prevention services. Adult representation services is reducing barriers to stability and success for those experiencing extreme poverty in Henipin County. These services include connecting with clients well before initial court hearings as referenced, assisting clients or individuals to obtain and retain citizenship, assisting clients to modify their child support obligations to align with their ability to pay. We help vulnerable adults gain autonomy through supportive decision-making. And we're working with parents who are at risk for child protection involvement. Over the last seven years, the county has increased its investment in the access to legal representation for residents who are facing, of course, child protection matters, eviction, guardianship, and civil commitment. And we are honoring the right to counsel for those who have been historically deprived or overlooked. We know that having access to representation can significantly change one's life outcomes, one's ability to continue to thrive. Lifting the financial barrier or burden allows clients to direct their money to things that create stability in their lives like rent, transportation, food. With a stable foundation, people can focus on working with, let's say, their probation officers, treatment providers. And so, Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation has been vigilant and committed to reducing and eliminating fees for individuals that we serve. In turn, when we're removing those fee collections from the duties of probation officers, we're also allowing our staff to really focus on helping meet the needs of the individuals they're serving and focusing on the rehabilitative goals while individuals are on probation. Clients have immediate access to probation programs. They don't have to wait get services. There's no delay based on their ability to pay when we reduce the fees or the costs. And lastly, our partners at the public defenders office. There are 220 staff in that office. They're steadfast in their commit commitment to representing individuals who are facing criminal matters, many of whom have more than a number of different uh concerns that they're faced with. And they're leveraging and partnering with the county. They they know and have relationships and we're streamlining access for their clients to also engage in the supports that Henipin County provides. Collectively, that department has handled over 31,000 cases per year. So, like other areas of the county, uh the development of the law, safety, justice 2026 budget really accentuated areas where we had challenges that we're facing, challenges that impact our our our clients, our residents, our staff. And we know that challenges and limited resources can take a toll when we have limited time, money, or people power. It can also exacerbate when people are dealing with increasingly complex needs. So, some of the challenges that we're facing and we took into account when developing this budget. As many uh have already indicated, the reduction in financial assistance, federal and state, does have an impact on our residents. And so sometimes that can impact how they have access to funds for rent. It can impact how they show up in life. And so we take that seriously and we partner with other county uh departments in order to equip our clients in housing court and in other aspects of the law safety justice community. We know that there are limited or long waits for community- based services. We know that many of our clients are ordered sometimes to treatment or to receive certain health supports. This makes it challenging for individuals when there are delays or long waits for a bed or access. But we know that this challenge there can also be an opportunity to collaborate to continue to uh prioritize certain resources for the most marginalized and impacted. As community- based resources become more limited, it puts more stress or onus on our staff. It does to fill gaps in knowledge and expertise regarding mental health, regarding substance use disorder so that we can better serve and meet the basic needs of our residents. And another stressor that or challenge that we experience in this line and you've heard it from many of my colleagues is that we don't often have a level to predict the volume of cases or clients who might come through our door. But we have to be ready and responsive and departments meet that increased need and the volume work with the existing staffing levels that we have. But we also leverage our partnerships. So I don't want to be doomsday. I know that oftent times when when you see law, safety, justice, you're like, uhoh, what's going on? What I will say is that challenges are often catalysts for growth, innovation, and improvement. And we see that here in this line of business and throughout this county. So there are opportunities. So there are opportunities to reduce redundancies by identifying places where many of our residents or clients utilize multiple county services. So we have clients who might be reporting or being ordered that they have to submit to certain testing. That can be for probation. It can be in human services. There are opportunities for us to align and realign those services to ensure that we aren't putting the onus on the resident who's being ordered. And I know that all the partners, all of the the individual departments, we're all looking to find ways to realign and ensure that people are not burdened by this process. We can share our expertise. Uh I provided examples where we are having human services, behavioral health, the experts really do the analysis versus us relying upon our own a probation officer doing the work. it might be better served by a social worker. And that's why we are embedding social workers within our facilities. We want them to be there because they can streamline the access to the services that our residents need. And it helps us to serve our our clients and our residents holistically. As indicated, we can align departmental services and programming where the county can best meet the needs of residents. an example the use of what was uh what's called espert. I know that we had a a uh a reference to it in a recent uh law safety justice committee. So let me tell you a little bit about espert. I'll remind you. So espert is a screening brief intervention referral to treatment. It is a tool. So it's a tool that supports individuals who are facing a DWI offense. You might recall that we used to have the one-day DWI program. >> Okay, I'm seeing head nods. So, >> I know. >> Okay. We used to we used to have a process where an individual who is facing a DWI would be uh subject to doing a one-day DWI program and that was a post I'll say a post sentence requirement. With the partnership of Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation, Behavioral Health and the courts, we have moved away from that one-day DWI post where people would then get the access to an assessment later after that. We are moving to Espert. And Espert is a tool that will be utilized early. It's an early intervention tool and it will be uh assessed by social workers, behavioral health staff who are trained to do that assessment early in the court process and refer individuals to the appropriate level of treatment. Not only is this a better use of resources using and leveraging the expertise internal resources, it also allows us to complete an assessment and provide early intervention so that we can hopefully reduce the number of second and third DWIs. We're able to then calibrate how we're doing that assessment early and not waiting to the end result and hoping. And this oftentimes we're seeing people come back. And so this tool looking at the way we do our current programming and leverage leveraging internal collaborations and partnerships have allowed us now to serve people earlier and I hope more effectively and we'll have more data for you because we've just shifted to this change but we're hopeful. Another example is the collaboration between uh the department of community corrections rehabilitation and safe communities. So you might hearken back before we created safe communities. You all created safe communities with the vision of disparity elimination. Community corrections and rehabilitation had created and developed several prevention programs, several of them in their community- based service array. They had expanded that through the efforts of realignment. We have been successfully transitioning that prevention work where it belongs with safe communities who can coordinate and better support the prevention efforts with a focus on intervening early and disrupting a pattern so that they don't so individuals don't end up in DOCCCR as a client. Another example is immigration legal services. So, county departments can now readily refer noncitizen residents to ARS for immigration services. Any individual who is seeking county support and if they are a non-citizen can be referred to ARS to have questions answered and to get legal advice and representation. Another uh opportunity I think is that we can reimagine programming opportunities offered to our residents. And there was a question I think in the earlier briefing today that talked about are there opportunities where we can examine some of the work or the programming we've been doing for a while and seeing are we getting the outcomes we want or should we reimagine should we evaluate the the efficacy of it and are there ways to do it better are there people who could do it better and so I submit to you with that vision or lens community productive day is one of the items that you'll see in or pink book uh where we are currently looking to reimagine in 2026 and that is because it's currently administrator administrated by DOCCCR and it's only offered to their clients. We know that this is a key disparity elimination initiative and it's ripe for broadening, expanding and and allowing other county residents to participate in this effective program. And so the OCCR and other uh departments along with workforce development are going to reimagine community productive day in 2026. And that is a proposal that we have and that is with an eye toward expanding it to serve more residents countywide in a fiscally responsible way in a way where we can make the biggest impact in people's lives and also do it with people who know how to do workforce development and I think that uh it is another key example of where there are obstacles yes and challenges we can innovate we can uh rise to the occasion and boldly advance other opportunities even when we're lean. So next slide. So with that, Chair Gatell, commissioners, I'd like to thank you for your consideration of the law, safety, justice line of business 2026 proposed budget. I want to thank you for your continued support of this important and crucial work. I want to thank you for your feedback and guidance and your challenge to continue to look and re-evaluate how we're doing things to better serve our residents. And I'll turn this back over to County Administrator Wetland for discussion and questions. >> Thank you, Cher Chair Gotel. Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity um for the law, safety, and justice budget. This is, as I indicated, part one. Um part two will be on Monday. I would like to express my appreciation to the team for not only the very very important hard work that they've done. I shared in my budget um speech a few weeks ago that the budget um that was presented to you for 2026 took a lot of hard work and just as part of the leadership team that did a lot of hard work um to present the budget today um as Miss Guzen indicated we see growth in needs. I don't think that's a surprise to any of us. and then how do we bring together a balanced budget to deliver some of the best services possible for the residents. So I want to say thank you to all of them and I will turn it over to you chair. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Colleagues, I'm going to start with Commissioner Anderson. >> Oh, thank you, Madam Chair. Um I think I'm going to hold most of my comments probably for Monday. Um just because I think that there's going to be a lot of discussion there. However, I want to first express reexpress the gratitude. I think this is the you know, you mentioned this is the second largest line of business in Henipin County. And you know correspondingly I think this is probably the second most difficult part of the conversation in this year's budget because there is always this increasing demand and the pressures the budgetary pressures on both property taxes the cuts in federal spending. I think in um ARS I was looking at uh like increases in property taxes that are the result of less revenue from federal and state grant funding of like 500,000 and 400,000 200,000. you know, it's like it just adds up on all of the things that we had been able to do through other programs that are no longer being funded. Um, and the ability to find ways of maintaining the level of services that we're able to and think creatively about how we might be reimagining some other really essential services, I think is really like hard work. I really appreciate how you're doing this. Um, one thing I do want to I want to hear a little bit more on because I think this is going to be an ongoing piece of discussion not just in law, safety, justice, but in human services and kind of across the organization is where we have contracts with providers who are doing work where we may be adjusting or changing. How do we manage the communication around what's changing not just to our providers but to our community and to our employees who are also doing that work. Um because I think in times of uncertainty and change uh we need to be then doubly careful about how we communicate what those changes are and provide the most amount of clarity of what the change will result in. Um and I think I would love to hear a little bit more about what our strategy is, how we're doing that. And um you know I think I just end with like um an encouragement of doubling down on the intentionality of providing clarity to employees, providers and public >> comments. Tell Commissioner Anderson, I I will start and then I will hand it over um to Chelle and Dan for further um comment. And I'll start on the broader lens and you'll hear about it in future budget briefings. Overall, as we looked at this budget, one of the things that um in OBF and across our lines of business that we were actually quite attentive to was to assure as much as possible stability and funding for our community partners. Um now things do for what I can share with that is it's still challenging times for them. So um stability is not the same at a time when costs are are increasing for them and when they're losing funding from federal and state resources. And so that is the reality of many of our providers. And so that is why with the budget you see in front of you, it's um it's pretty limited where there may be adjustments and typically there's a reason on that. And absolutely communication needs to um be better and also is seeking to understand. One of the conversations we are beginning to have and actually it came in a discussion um earlier this week with Commissioner Connley is looking at you know how do we find other funding other funding partners um to help and so where are those programs that we are funding and right now as a result of all the changes especially the federal many of our providers lost federal funding um who else needs to come to the table because um as Chella outlined these services and programs are hitting critical disparity domains, health, income, housing, and so how do we bring some new partners to the table um around that? Um there are in our housing area, they're having conversations where with our philanthropic community. So, how do we align and partner with our community as well as making sure we're not doing anything that would um compete or harm? So, we're really coming together in in alignment in that way. I'm going to hand it to Chella to speak specific to the law, safety, and justice. I mean, there is a number of contracts, not as many as Chella indicated, a lot more of integration, um, over to the human services side. Yes. Uh, thank you, uh, Chair Gutell, Commissioners, Commissioner Anderson, as uh, Administrator Wetland indicated, we are committed to communicating, and I will indicate at least as it relates to the law, safety, justice contracts, we communicated early and often. And I know that that doesn't necessarily reassure uh many of our providers and partners, but we continued to to reach out to individuals early and often if and when we were seeing that either a contract was coming to its end or there was an opportunity to renegotiate. And those those directions came uh from county administration and the Office of Budget and Finance early on. and and we've been continuing to evaluate, but we try to do it early often and to continue to update uh and there's always opportunities for more and more uh communication, but we will continue to refine our processes. >> Yeah. I think if I may just to that point like um the early and often is good but the clarity around what the future then looks like I think you know telling somebody that we are going to have to make changes you know I think we saw this especially with like the hospital I'm going to pick on them for just a moment um but uh you know They there was communication put out several months ago about challenges, financial challenges. Um and then nothing really happened in the subsequent months, you know, until something did happen, right? And then it was big and everything happened all at once. And I think not having that clarity of where things were going or how things would end up being resolved or what the plan was around it leads to a lot of uncertainty um and a lot of distrust in in the process. And so I think now probably more than ever whatever we can be doing to make sure that we are solidifying that trust that we have been building up is so important. Um, and so that's that's the piece that I would just want to kind of come back to. I know you mentioned like the productive day reimagining. >> I think anytime we are reimagining a program, um, it's going to be really challenging to say like okay, what is the end result look like? Um, and so to the extent that we can say, how are we like taking care of the people that were being served? How are we taking care of our employees, how are we like and how does this benefit the public? Um, I think those are really key components to like how we're going to maintain and and continue that trust that's needed in order to have successful programs. Okay, I'm gonna we have like seven minutes a piece, so please. >> Okay. Yes, me. Thank you, man. Um, uh, thanks to staff and partners, been approaching this budget for myself from a policy direction, generational impact, data and funding model lenses. Um, and so from a policy direction and generational impact, just really want to shout out um, and spend some time on ARS. I'm so so grateful to see the significant um increases that are proposed for uh next year and I and just showing that trend. Um thank you for the some of the numbers from the beginning. uh um Miss Guzman V or uh that this I didn't vote on this budget so I don't remember these numbers but we we did vote on it becoming a department that first year and it was you know a coupleish million eight or so people but a big reason for that for me individually was because I spent a lot of time in housing court that year just devastating just absolutely devastating um there was a great judge or referee at the time she was wonderful and it just still was a devastating experience in there so I just want to call attention to page 18 from the budget book. That's right. So, uh, Chella shared with us it was $1.5 million in 2018 and a couple people just look at how incredible this impact is. Guardianship, conservatorship, mental health commitment, housing representation, child protection, parent representation, service projects, community impact. So I just the this is unfunded non-mandated work that is generationally impactful for the entire region and happens to not only meet our mission but ultimately increase the financial stability of people and households and ultimately the tax base. So I am I just cannot express enough my gratitude for this county's leadership around complimenting the criminal public defense and shout out to chief public defender who's here. um largely a state function for those who are following at home the $5 million is not their whole budget. So for anybody watching at home or four million excuse me so uh yeah that that as I look across to the community and you had mentioned immigration um as I look across the community there is a civil defense that needs to be or or right civil legal guidance um that is in immense need right now. uh people are getting picked up with no data, no warrants, no paperwork, no one knows where to go or who to call. And so I'm not saying we're resolving that. And um however, I am saying that we are uh le leaning uh forward with our residents and with our workforce towards those outcomes. Um going on to the sharing the load piece, as I was expressing earlier, Commissioner Lundy said he wants to track all the dollars that we send over to the state. We could also share where we um partner via uh subsidization such as um court rent. I know it's not all of it, but when you I see court functions on here, this building is a significant court function by way of its physical infrastructure. I am not saying we should take it away, but perhaps that quantification will allow a larger picture for different types of partnership um across aisles or jurisdictions or levels or little cans with ropes. I really don't care. However, Uncle Herz, uh, we got to kind of get there. Um, and and perhaps through that type of data, again, we got to have to get to data and funding model. What is the true cost of a of gun violence of a single gun violence instance? What's the true cost from the hospital to the response to the ambulance to schools? Um I would this reminds me of when we were asking the um medical examiner a couple years ago, hey do you this tracks fatalities? Do you track the right you know those that kind of go to the hospital? So how are we getting the full picture uh of um of what is occurring in our communities. Um I am grateful that I was around when public safety shifted to law safety justice. And on that justice perspective um of course law and safety have independently elected officials and I look forward to talking to them on Monday. From a justice perspective it's because we took a broader lens on justice and looking at disparities. We are in a time period where people who don't look the same as the person or don't look how uh an agency wants them to look and they can get picked up. arrested is a bit generous of a term for some of what I'm observing. Um, what I'm scared about with that is tickets, parking tickets. Like I I mean there's really really offensive justification to the inhumanity that we're seeing um at large. You all know I grew up in Los Angeles County and um you know locally here, but especially from my family um and community there and what they're experiencing. So, from a tickets perspective, I know it sounds odd, um, but I want to look at like impound lot tickets and parking lot tickets, and this is back to the trees. >> Yeah. >> You know, so I've had a really negative experience where I live um where 20 cars all got towed within like 15 minutes of uh the impound lot closing and they put the wrong address on there. So if I'm a person who might um have might not feel comfortable coming to the government, how do I seek justice in that context? And so these are the disparities that I'm interested in. Very last comments and I'll get back to you madam chair would appreciate some uh should there be followup this could be included in that if not just in the future. Um community productive day the numbers over the years I mean really really cool program. I've met some individuals who their entire life has been transformed >> truly transformed. I I met a woman who um became a certified electrician and I just it was a really really moving experience. The other thing I'd like to highlight is on page seven of the budget book um first bullet under the justice section again this is for the highlighting or following up or whatever. If I am recalling my brain correctly, uh the child-friendly visitation program at the ACF is a collaboration between if memory is serving, we are we were one of you know half a dozen grants uh from across the country. We were the only one that was not infrastructure which is cool and what this this is so this is fascinating and incredible. We are assisting and ensuring that those who may find themselves in a detention setting, carceral setting that over time they are not completely losing parental rights and completely losing connection to their children. Um there are another other additional programmatic um aspects of that but this gets back to that generational piece. With that I um thank you madam chair. >> Thank you. Thank you. Great comments commissioner Lundy. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh just a a few comments. Um just uh curious on the BCCR budget on regarding annexing. I know and I appreciate uh them stepping up and taking I know we have done it at no cost because at the end of the day we were going to pay for we pay for it either way. So on paper it may look no cost but we save money somewhere else. So, uh, but I also know, and this will be the question I have for next week as annexing recedes as part of I I would expect to see savings inside the sheriff's department and at DOCCCR. And I I mean that in a good way, like if we have to annex less, we should be having less burden on DCCR or maybe we're just going to continue use that as our primary annexing agent. So I didn't know if that >> uh chair go commissioners commissioner Lundy good question uh yes one would hope that if there is the now that we've seen that the level or the number of individuals that we can serve at the adult detention center has been uh raised by the department of corrections. We should not need to annex beyond the adult correctional facility. And so we are hoping to realize savings. Uh year to date, uh our top expenditures related to annexing at the adult correctional facility, it looks like we have 800,000 uh for medical and that is with a year projection at the end of this year if we continue to have the number of individuals that we are currently annexing and maybe even a slight increase that that projection will be closer to 1.4 million for annex clients. Now, for DOCCCR, that is a 48.2% increase over the same period in 2024. I'll just be honest, because we're seeing higher numbers at the facility. Um, but we continue to forecast and and try to understand the uh the levels that we can support at the facility given the increased staffing that we will need, the medical needs, etc. And so although the numbers initially started slow in annexing at the adult correctional facilities, uh we have seen on average uh about 75 to 80 individuals there and the instit and the facility there I think this morning there were 76 and so uh at the jail population this morning at least the report was 771 individuals. So 695 in our facility downtown, the remaining 76 at the adult correctional facility. No other annexing at a different place, but we continue to uh uh prepare for what it will look like in 2026. And what we will imagine is likely that same number of annexed individuals in addition to moving what what we have identified are individuals facing uh department of correction holds. And so I know we've had some discussions, but I'll just kind of briefly identify there are individuals who have been released from the Department of Corrections uh prison and they're placed on supervision or parole. And when there's an allegation that they've somehow violated the terms of that level of supervision, they oftent times return to custody and they're entitled to have a hearing. Those hearings right now are handled virtually, but the individuals are housed or remain at the adult detention center. In an attempt to move those individuals to the adult correctional facility, we will be opening up beds. You oftent times receive weekly or bi-weekly uh reports. Those numbers are anywhere from 15 to 20 individuals who are awaiting those hearings that often happen on Thursdays. So, we are going to be moving that population, those individuals. They'll be doing those hearings at the adult correctional facilities from now on, and we hope to do that by the end, we're in October, by the end of this month at the latest. We're doing our best to move it. It takes a lot of collaboration with the state. >> Um, and we want to make sure that we do that well. >> Yes, please, >> Mr. Lundy. Um, in addition, one of the things that I have asked OBF to do because annexing sits in more than one budget, we actually um it can be challenging to have sight lines to what the true costs are. So, I have asked I've asked OBF for this next year to actually pull together um an ability to track what our true annexing cost is that are sitting in multiple budgets so that we are actually able to track that and understand our expenditures as a whole because right now you see them in different locations. Well, I think that that's my next question is just I'd rather have the true cost. So if if Wright County is the cheapest, then I want to be $1 less to make us less cheap. But then I also want it to be charged back with the sheriff's budget so that we actually have sightelines. And that's not a negative on the sheriff. That just means I think if we're doing it free now to kind of get through the emergency going forward, we know that population is going to be higher. We know all these things are to be true. just be able to see it so we can say a multitude of things like in that and I think you know to that part. So I would ask for that even if it you know because the true cost is more important than you know internally. Uh the last thing I would just have is it would be interesting if I have a theme today. It's um I think do we do um I'm tired I was tired earlier of it. I'm still tired of people talking about H County using resources. I think we need to quantify where the state has not lived up to their statutory requirements. When they are supposed to take people, how many hours, how many things where we hold on to people that has a cost and >> this budget for this group, it comes from property taxes. And so that means property taxes are subsidizing the state for not doing what they are supposed to be doing. They need to fully staff their facilities that are providing mental health that we are waiting on where they are missing. They have beds but they don't have staff there. We need them to live up to that because it is our property tax. So people like to blame the county and that's fine. Blame away but then let's let's educate let's talk about because these are not happening. We hold on to people we various things. This costs money that gets the retired person in Crystal pays for that inaction at the state and I think that that cost needs to be reflected and to be honest discussions about if they want to save property taxes and it's not just us then why don't the state live up to what the obligations that they've stated that they're supposed to. Um that's all I have. >> Thank you. Commissioner >> Ed one day I'll get one day. >> Sorry. We're a group. >> Um we support each other. >> That's right. So I'm going to go a little personal on this. Um you know law, safety, and justice in this topic is why I ran for office. Um, you know, when we talk about um child friendly visitation programs and we look at district six and you think I live in Edina, my mom was incarcerated when I was a kid. My mom um is an addict and still is today and she struggled through her whole life. Um and so I'm really happy to see that we're doing visitation again um at the adult correctional facility. That for me was very important as you know Chella. Um because when my mom was in jail, I grew up to a single mom. It was really important that I see her. Um so to Commissioner Fernando's point, it does have generational impact. >> Like I grew up on public transportation. It wasn't just like sometimes I took it. That's how we got to the doctor. It's how my mom picked me up. >> It was literally how we lived our life. Um, and so all of these programs that we talk about, I just want to acknowledge the space and the importance that we're making these decisions. Um, my mom still takes the bus today. That's how she gets to places. Um, but the adults, the law, safety, justice space is so important. We have a responsibility to treat people humanely even if they have committed a crime. So, my mom has several felonies and she's an amazing person and um I love that we've done ARS. It was great to meet with them. Thank you for bringing them to my office. I don't know if they're here, but yeah, some of hopefully some of you are. Um I also was somebody that went to the Juvenile Detention Center as a kid. Um and it's really I'm so glad to see how the juvenile detention center has changed and how we've done that. Now, when you go there, it's not full. And when there are people there, it's more serious crimes. When I was a kid and I went there, um, Mary Ellen, you know, I went to the juvenile detention center, I'm like, "Oh, I was here when I was a kid." Um, and some of why I probably have claustrophobia now and became a therapist, just because I was locked into a room all by myself. And so when we talk about these policies, these policies are real people. There are people sitting at sometimes tables that have power and there's sometimes people that have no power at all and we have a responsibility to treat people humanely. Um so thank you for this work. Um uh a few questions for the 11:15 waiver. I think it's really important. Would love an update on that because right now we pay for care when people are in our facilities. people deserve care in our facilities and the best care that we can give them that you could get when you're out. Can you tell me where we are with that? >> Would you like me? Why don't you start first and then Sher? >> Commissioner Ellison, thank you for the question. In regards to 11:15 waiver, um my understanding and we have the human services line of business presentation that will be coming in the next few weeks, but I do not believe that those were able to move forward with the changes that happened at the federal level. >> Okay. Thank you. I didn't think so, but I needed everything. >> Um, >> Dan Rogan, you know this is coming. I'm sure we've he received lots of emails. I had emailed you. I just want to make sure that we have a change in here in this budget that was going to take away services that we are currently providing through a contract on immigration. Um, I just want to make state for the record that we will not be reducing that contract. Is that correct? >> Uh, Madame Chair and Commissioner Alson, that's correct. It's um on page 20 um in the list of reductions um uh a reduction of $200,000 for the MMLA and uh you're correct that that we're going to be working to um find the resources to fund that contract. >> Thank you. That is great news. I think the community will be really um happy to hear that. Um Chella, you had acknowledged um innovation and and um and how you've kind of reimagined things. I think every space we I wish I would love us to do that in budget hearings going forward. Um I asked the same thing of Lisa. Uh what are things that we have done that used to be done one way but in five years we've done it differently because of this. I mean I use the juvenile detention center. I mean you think about rays and how we how rays have been used. Those have changed multiple times. The risk assessments excuse me but you all know your law safety justice people. Um, if you have an example of an initiative that you've seen where it it didn't work or that it has worked, again, if you don't have it right now, I don't care. But I really would love us to talk about that because I think community wants us government, they want us to be real people, too. They want us, they say, "Hey, we tried this and it didn't work and we really thought it was going to." But it's not often times in government where like, "Hey, you know what? It didn't work out. We really tried it. it didn't work. And so I just I think if there's ways that we could be reflective on that because I would like to go to my community. I'm not in elected office because I want to do other anything other than help people. And so I would really love to be able to give my community examples of that. Um so I'll leave >> Chair Gatell, Commissioners, Commissioner Eden, uh I appreciate the question. Uh there are a there are several examples that I can think of. I I tried to highlight a few that brought us here in 2026. I would say that our commitment to looking at the how we are doing the work and how we're impacting the lives caused us to to look at even something that was so cherished as community productive day. When we started seeing a decrease in the participation, we have to evaluate why. And is it just because of certain funding streams? Is it because the individuals who are participating were not meeting the right people to bring them then bring them in? Is it the type of work we're doing? Is it the limitation that it's only uh individuals who are currently on probation and then when they're no longer on probation, it's not something they want to follow up and do in their lives. And so we connected and collaborated with workforce development, the people who know how to do workforce development work. And so we are going and looking at everything that we're doing and saying if it's costing us money and we're not hearing we're hearing one or two individuals saying it's impacting them positively and that's still very good but we can make it bigger and expand it. We should evaluate it. And so that took the leadership of Marie Ellen May and other directors looking we have litz who are part of it facilities other departments who are looking to say we like this program how can we make it bigger so I'm not saying that it's not working but it could work better and that is an example that comes to mind in this very budget please commissioner Eden um Chella thank you I think a few other pieces and I think that is something we can highlight as we move forward. One of the things that in regards to the law, safety and justice budget, Chella highlighted that there are social workers um social workers at the juvenile detention center. Um and actually that one prior um was it a year two years ago they were actually doccr staff >> right and what we found was that was not a good model for a number of reasons because they were sitting within the docr doc does good work by the way so I want but it's not the right place to be doing this type of service um number one secondly it didn't have access to the full continue of services and resources that are available through human services and thirdly we were leaving money on the table we were actually funding a model that was primarily property tax. So what it took and my hope is you see that more in budget briefings there is much more and many of the items she talked about is not just sitting in law safety and justice it is becoming sitting across. We all work together and we utilize our resources the best way and so it moved to human services because of that we have the entire continuum of services now that is available for young people or for adults who are in ACF we are billing and bringing in more than property tax um into that the other piece back to communication about what doesn't work a good proportion of our cont funding budget is also to our community and our community providers and you heard from disparity elimination the work that Rena Boswell does in outreach and community supports, the listening sessions, our purchasing team. So, one of the things that's actually quite important is hearing from our providers who we are providing the funding for services. They have the best ideas and sometimes we come in with we want to pay for this service in this way and then they will say it doesn't work in that way. And there's a lot more shifts that we are doing and how we RFP our programming. And when we send that RFP, that work is not done just in the county. It's actually sitting and listening to community to community providers and to the residents who actually experience the services. We want to make this we want to get to these outcomes. Did we get there? So there are changes that happen through that process. >> Thank you. And I'm done. Good. Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Connley. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I'm going to kind of hone in on this community productive day. It's been mentioned a few times. Um, it is a program that I very much admire and had, um, the opportunity to tour a construction site with Congresswoman Omar a few years ago and heard directly from participants how beneficial it was and still is. And um uh the idea the wish that I heard from participants and like the foreman on site was that ideally they would like the homes that they were rehabbing to be purchased or to be available for purchase for the participants in the program. So you have reduced recidivism. You have a pathway to real good pay in construction. And there's a few other areas that productive day works, right? Um, and the the dream at the time was that these homes that they could rehab and then eventually live in, what does that what does that do? That's not going to bring me back to jail. That's like wealth creation. That's be I put my hands on this and I get to live in it. And so when I think about like dwindling numbers in that program, like why were they dwindling? Did we have our own barriers? Um, what was the eligibility criteria? Could we loosen that up? Could juveniles participate? Like there's a number of different ways that I could see um uh creating and crafting a community productive day program specifically for just as involved individuals that works and is that thrives. The reason that I think it belongs with justice involved individuals is because of the stark disparities of who is justice involved. black young people, um, people of color in general, specifically black, indigenous, and Latino youth. That's who I see at JDC. That's who I see on the productive day sites. And when you have the types of disparities that we have in our justice system that have been there for a very long time, um, you need programs like this to stay whole. So, when I was thinking like, what does reimagine mean in 2026? I'm I was looking up our own workforce pathway programs and we have several, right? We have Henipin County Pathways Building Ops Tech Technician which prepares graduates for a career in residential or commercial building care and maintenance. That's not limited to J to juvenile or not limited to justice involved people. That's everybody, right? Anybody can participate in this. It's eight months. There's several different career fields. We partner with Project for Pride and Living and Minneapolis College, right? So, when I think of opening this up to bring in more people, I think, well, we do that. We have pathway programs that are similar to like the different paths within productive day. So, I'm I'm honing in on this because this is one of those examples that I mentioned during the disparity elimination briefing, and that's that when you have programs so unique like Ignite and Fortify that do very specific things for a part of our community that is deliberately underserved by historical racism in our county, then we have to hold those programs solid so that they do what they're intended to do. get people who have historically uh been discriminated against. Equitable outcomes for health, equitable outcomes to not coming back to jail, equitable outcomes to home ownership and construction and like trades and other ways that that we that people come to us or sometimes involuntarily. Sometimes it's voluntary, but to become whole or to capture onto this dream that they deserve to have. So I so I have pause about what reimagining can be because I think I know for a fact that community productive day is so tailored the way it is because we don't want those young people coming back to us and we want them to leave with skills. So if that means you can still participate after probation is over, what does that look like? So, could we reimagine this in a way that it stays targeted to the individuals that it currently serves? And perhaps we look at our own potential barriers, our own um eligibility criteria. I'll stop there because I see some willingness to want to respond to that. >> Okay, please. >> Chair Gel Commissioner, Commissioner Connley. Yes. Yes. And and so I want to be very clear. We are not trying to somehow dilute this opportunity for DOCCCR individuals who are in law safety justice. We want to ensure that they have options beyond just how we have the program currently. And we do it for county involved individuals. We don't want to disrupt or limit a pathway for individuals who do happen to be DOCCCR clients. They will still participate and have that a active path. But we want to also broaden it. some of the feedback that we received and I can invite Marielleen Hang, director of community corrections and m Jang up to speak if you'd like additional but I think we could probably provide it more in a memo as to where we are taking next steps for this reimagining but it is not to limit the pathway for individuals in community corrections and rehabilitation the youth and or the young adults or the individuals who are in construction or forestry. Instead, it is to broaden what other types of activities they could involve themselves in and continue to do beyond their touch point with probation because sometimes individuals if they're not with probation for a long period of time, we want them to engage on all of these programs and so we want a broader scope of work that they can do for community productive day. >> Okay. >> Thank you. And to follow up, so so yes, I understand that it does say though um beyond justice involved individuals. So are are you saying that like justice involved individuals will have more options for pathways, but also um for community productive day it opens up what am I hearing? Because I'm I'm reading and hearing two different things. >> Let let me see. Commission uh Chair Gatell, Commissioner, Commissioner Connley. So, not only does it include an expansion of opportunities for those who are county involved and connected to Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation, people on probation, think about an individual who might be a parent who comes to court and is in a rears for child support. What if I want to also participate in a community productive day program? That is someone who could also who's county involved, who's receiving representation from adult representation services, who might also want to look at an array or continuum of work where they can build and have training. That's what I mean. That we will expand for others as well who are marginalized, who are coming through a system, but maybe they aren't connected to to corrections, but maybe they're correct. They're connected to a the system that has brought them here, and we want to disrupt that interaction. >> I'm going to have to cut you. >> I I do want to say though that I would love a follow-up memo because I would like to see how that's different than the workforce pathways that we are currently have in place. >> Yeah. and and my my questions actually follow right up on yours because I'm really concerned about the the Pathways program because it's been so successful and we got such great feedback from especially from some of our union folks and everything and I just wanted to say does this mean that we're going to be keeping all the pathway programs? Are we going to be adding pathway programs? And what does that mean? Can you expand on that? >> Chair Gatell Commissioners, good question. As I understand it, we will continue on with the pathways that we have. >> Okay. But we will also have the direction and expertise of workforce development to help to understand how we might better braid funding, how we might better work this program to ensure that we have consistent participation and that the participants who do get involved stay through it and can leverage the skills that they've received after the program. >> Okay. So, we know that there's workforce development cuts to the budget. Is it still feasible to do all this? and Jod do you want? >> Chair Gotel commissioners thank you and I know if I'm looking May's right here so may may I may ask may to assist so I think first of all one piece pathways is a strong commitment in our budget and so May's talked about that actually we've been doing work around how to ensure that those budgets stay and so pathways is continue to be our core priority. One of the differences with productive day um in this and this is actually a work that May's been doing and maybe May would you mind coming to the table and talking about May's been doing an analysis of where we have other workforce strategies and how can we better align to a broader workforce um alignment. So go ahead please welcome >> Catel Commissioner um thank you so much for the question. Earlier this year, workforce development launched a survey across 48 departments identifying workforce strategies that departments might be deploying with or without workforce development in the null. And so across those 48 departments, we were able to identify 28 departments that has existing workforce development strategies. So we have just compiled a summary report. It's not even yet out to release. We have just finalized that draft last week. Comms have just taken a look at it. In that we have identified areas within the county that are deploying workforce services that we can very much reduce duplication align strategies and really re reduce the measure of burden as well because it also talks about contracts and contract management and communications. So that's a big piece. The other piece is that Pathways and the way we have it currently funded right now is mainly through our community based providers. And so we show up very much as a dedicated employer in that space, which is really why we are able to sustain and grow that in ways that we're not jeopardizing the utilization of other funding, you know, resources. To the question about the um the community protective day, one of the things we're looking at is braiding funding. So existing funding, so WOA dollars, looking at SNAP ENT, looking at property tax to to fill those gaps because we know based on criteria, based on some of the requirements that they're asking, it might not be, you know, including everyone. And so that's the analysis that Mary Ellen and we will be working on the different financial models. And part of it is to ensure that these individuals not only get the skills, but they they also get the opportunity to advance their education. That is a big piece of this because the community protective day is also about wages. They are paid. These are work-based learning with paid wages. And so we want to make sure that that continues. We want to make sure that the wages are at a you know our kind of our version of the intern wages and that they are continue to to increase. >> That's that's that's promising. That's good to hear that what we're doing and again that's ways we're saving dollars too, right? Not duplicative services. So I appreciate that. I wanted to I have a question on pre-trial services. Just a little bit more of mine. First of all, um some of this is mandated when we have pre-trial services by the judge, but then some of it is volunteer. I'm really curious, what volunteer services do folks really like and what are they using? >> So, Chair Gatel, I'd like to invite Marielleen Hang to provide some detail as to the voluntary services provided >> and what are the most interested or liked services? >> Yeah. uh shar members commission. Thank you. Um so for the juveniles, yes, they are voluntary. Some of the adult pre-trial services are mandated by the court. Um if it would be all right, I think I would like to sit down with Julie RDE, our area director, and really get a detailed list. She'll have all that information, and we could provide that uh in some detail of what services are offered and what um what are the most beneficial and and most helpful and popular for the youth. um we have that in report and we can provide that. Okay. So, and then I want to just ask a follow-up question on then. So, when somebody has mandated services, but they probably need some other volunteer services every time they come in and have an interaction, do we sit down with them and say we can offer these extra service? I mean, how do we how do we treat that holistically? >> Uh Commissioner Gatell, um yes, our probation officers have those conversations all the time. They they certainly look at what has been required by the court and they work to ensure that our clients are obtaining those services, meeting those requirements, they're successful at those requirements, but they are also having conversations. What else do you need? How else can we help you? And it's not just about them, but it's about the family. We take that holistic approach that that other departments take. And so, we are having those conversations and we are trying to direct them into those spaces as best we can. um and often utilizing our collaboration with behavioral health and safe communities and others for those appropriate. So those conversations happened multiple times a day with our agents all the time. >> Sometimes you have to ask somebody five times before they say yes to the help that they really need. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Okay. Um and and that's what I have on that. I just wanted to I want to do a shout out on the work that we've done on getting all the fees out of our DOCCCR and providing the visitation, providing everything, you know, at a no fee cost. I just I know it's a hit to us, but I also know what that means to some of the folks and, you know, it it was dividing people into have and have nots and I just think that this is such a worthwhile thing. It also helps when we think about the holistic approach when we're talking about integration afterwards. How do we get somebody stabilized in housing? How do we get them stabilized in jobs and and make sure that they're a successful person when they're if they've developed those relationships able to keep them going while they're still incarcerated, then that really helps them. >> So, just wanted to say thank you. So, and any other f final comments because this really concludes our discussion for the day. It's been really robust. My colleagues always ask a lot of my questions, so that's very nice for me. Um, and so we'll move on to item 4 A, which is the old business. I would take a motion to lay over this item until 12:00 p.m. noon on Monday, October 6, when we will reconvene for the budget hearing on the 2026 proposed budget to consider the sheriff's office and the county attorney's presentation. Do I have that motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. I have a quick question for Mr. Matthews. While you're on your phone there, I'm grabbing you. I know. Um, so on on um that October date is at 12:00 noon again. And then will we have budget books? When will we have budget books for those? >> Lindsay, I'm going to I'm going to look at our operating budget coordinator, Lindsay Wilshagger. Do we know when the next round of budget books will be delivered? >> Uh, chair, they're typically uh delivered four days before. So after Monday's hearing next the next Monday the 20th you should expect to have some >> well I mean for yeah >> are you talking about for the elected on Monday so they have presentations that they'll be bringing with to present their budget Monday. >> Oh so so when we will >> so they'll be giving you a presentation Monday of their will >> they give us a head for Monday. We don't. No. >> Well, thank you. Thank you. I guess so. Okay. >> So, they exist. >> I'm sure that they do. I'm sure that they do. >> We love to see them. >> Okay. Okay. All those in favor signify by I. I. Okay. So, that is laid over. And then item five is our open forum. So members of the public watching the budget hearing can call in to leave a recorded comment that will play at the next board budget hearing. If there is uh not enough to play all the comments, the recordings will be sent to the commissioners. Your comments should be related to the specific budget hearing recorded message. I'll also um need uh to meet the following standards. This is the standards for personal comments. Callers need to state their first name and their last name for the record. Where's my second page? Callers will need to adhere to the rules of decorum outlined in the posted guidance. Comments must be 1 to 2 minutes. Comments that are beyond this uh 2 minutes will not be heard. To record a comment, call 612 688 3545. The line will be open for 4 hours at the end of this. I'm going to call it 3:00. So, till 7:00. Um 4 hours. It's Yeah. 3 7. Um, the line will be open until 7:00 a.m. Again, the number is 612-688-3545. If you want to send an email or letter to your commissioner, you can do that as well. To speak to anyone in person at a board meeting, please attend the annual truth and taxation meeting on December 2nd at 6 p.m. 2026. Proposed budget information and hearings is available at www.henipen. us/budgets. I want to thank the staff and everybody who works on these. >> Uh Madam Chair, it was just confirmed they are hot off the press. The budget books for Monday, so they'll be distributed either the today or tomorrow morning. >> All right. Excellent. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Proposed budget information and hearing will be available online. Thank you, Miss Wetland. Thank you, staff. Thank you for all the people behind the scenes who aren't even here today who worked on all of this. We appreciate you. Thanks.