Um we were with you exactly about a year ago and um at our last meeting, we spent some time reflecting on what are some things we heard from you as a board a year ago. What were some questions you asked and some things you wanted us to follow up on?

So I think that's a a real success. um organics. Uh I know this board has been talked been thinking a lot about solid waste and organics and and our group as well. And we've uh talked about where else could we uh expand our drop-out sites and you know we've now have a site here on the government center campus just in the parking lot on the south side of the building here for organics pickup and um perhaps during the course we can provide some information on how that program is going.

But our goal is compliance. When we do um receive a complaint after it's been investigated, we want we want the owners to to or property owners businesses to get into compliance. We're not we're not out first off the bat with a citation.

it's always surprising to me when violation occurs how long is this to correct. I'm thinking of that one on 13 across from it's just out just out of no it's just out of prior lake it's slightly it's I guess I'll land marked whether trouble would win this place across the road uh you know where there's probably 100 cars they're stored next to a big wetland that's still probably not solved I'm guessing

But sitting cars do leech toxins into the environment into the ground and especially if it's near a marsh that we could go out and declare this a public health nuisance. Um and then be able to do it in charge of that. It says it right in the organiz.

uh the emergency management area has a really broad uh task uh basically functioning a prevention uh preventative and a uh response capability that receive some federal funding that's passed down through the state but it's uh insufficient to uh maintain the program long term.

I thought it was quite valuable. I'm just suggesting that if going forward are we getting into a less hazardous environment? No, I think we're getting to more hazard environment. So to reup that and have that meet I think would be good.

So, just to kind of recap, I got two other points we'll make and then um things that the board needs to be aware of is some of the federal changes that are coming to FEMA are going to have a significant impact upon us if they're implemented. So the redesign of FEMA uh largely is saying that number one we've been relying on a 70% match for federal declared disasters um in the past for 75%. So if we get a disaster FEMA and we get over a dollar threshold at the state and the county level FEMA kicks in 75% and the state through the state DACA program kicks in the other 25%. We've been able to um survive off that for a while. Part of the redesigning FEMA concept is that uh that threshold um that reimbursement threshold may drop to 50%. Or 60% depending on um who you're listening to at any given point in time. But the real thing that's going to change is they're talking about our indicator, the amount of money that we have to document damages potentially going up four times.

Uh we also it feels like it feels like last year but it does fall in this year. even we settled all our 10 labor agreements which in addition to getting that off my personal plate does sort of set expectations for salary growth in the county through 2028 that is relevant and I'll get to a relevant point later on as I speak right that create that creates a situation where we are a leader uh in market personnel as we move into the next period as opposed to being a lagger uh when I was when we bargained these contracts in 25 people had not settled their contracts through 27 or 28 so we were sort of setting what that is. Many of our comparator counties uh are using our pattern to try to base their own settlements.

Uh year to date, we have approximately 100% more leaves. That's year to date. Uh we so we fully expect to be close to 120 130% more leaves. those leaves on not as an average but as a general outlier have moved from about 12 weeks under the FMLA and under relevant Minnesota statute to 20 uh with MPL and the addition and the ability to combine need types bonding leave personal leave medical leave in addition right the the number of intermittent leaves has increased that has added to the complexity of administering intermittent leaves that has also added to the stress crunch all of you have felt and I've heard some of you talk about about a number of vacancies about resources right that in that creates stress that creates interpersonal conflict

from a public health perspective, there is a lot of evidence about the ripple effect of the longer the paid maternity leave, aka bonding leave. There's direct connection with improved educational outcomes for children as well as a reduction in the need for upstream interventions like corrections, child protection.

That is a new grant that we received from the department of egg to help us enforce the noxious weeds um rules and that came out again in 2027 and we have reapplied so hopefully we get that grant again. That is a very limited amount of funding, $5,000. So if we do receive it, step will just focus on meeting the state's requirement of enforcing noxious less. That's about how much money that's going to give us.

I love the examples of like you did something that saved somebody from having to key in a thousand postcards. These are things that um and I unfortunately my colleague who likes these things most isn't here. Like this is a list of things to highlight. Like we did something that kept an employee from having to do that and then we I think what's helpful then is I'm sure Kate didn't go lay off a half-time employee or something. Instead it's like what else is happening because of that? You know I think that's a wonderful example to be able to show where sometimes people I'm pointing at him. people in general or taxpayers maybe don't think we're getting more efficient and we're doing more and that's a a perfect example about what that saved in hours and what it's going to you know and then what somebody was able to do instead of keying in postcard data so

I just want to highlight Perry's good work makes that possible. He was the original fiber project manager. He's been involved in this work since 2008. And we have a viper network that's reliable and essential infrastructure not just for the county but for schools for cities for SMS for private businesses um for the state of Minnesota for the University of Minnesota. um he's done an awesome job with that

In 2022, the board challenged us to um have fiber pay for itself and be self- sustaining. We were able to do that um through um some lease agreements with providers who are interested in utilizing our fiber, which was exciting. Um and so we're in a really good position budget-wise, and I won't delay that.

And so we thought there has to be a better way to do this. And we we came on board and um it was estimated there's probably between 2,000 to 3,000 um records per year that they would have to handp into the system which took our staff a lot of time to do that every January, February at the end of the year. Um the new process we built them a data collection solution. Uh we we replace the paper entirely. Um basically what that allows us to do is collect the data in real time.

API integration. So API, when I talk about APIs, I talk about it a lot. protocol for software systems to talk to each other and pass data back and forth. So we integrated with the city view API to make sure that the data is automatically pushed when it's collected. So there's no human intervention whatsoever. So a process that was uh paperbased labor intensive is now machine driven as they enter the data and updated in real time in the systems it needs to be.

um we're a smaller GS department in the metro and we're we don't anticipate having to increase that um like our FTEES at all because we can make up the difference with technology um especially AI that we use as kind of a digital assistant

We had our online licensing portable go live at the end of the year so that these businesses when it's time to relic, they went onto the county website, they renewed their license, they paid and they were good to go. So now businesses don't have to go back and forth mailing with staff. Staff mails them the report. They fill out the report. They mail it back. We then get that information. We enter the information. We then mail them an invoice. They then mail us a check. We then get the check. We then mail them their license. That kind of back and forth nonsense is over. It has been a huge time savings.

but since we now have online licensing um and staff have now have more time available because of that online app and because we have things like the pod portal our number of inspections in 2026 have jumped up well I think that says 15 but we're already at like 40. So, we're already back on track for getting out back out in the field and working with those businesses. We're already seeing the the the return on becoming more um technology advance that people can use our program.

So, if you recall when Danny went over the fund balances has about $2.7 million right now in that downtown landfill restricted fund and that's um money that comes in based on the amount of construction and industrial debris that goes into that landfill. they pay a certain amount that's set by the state and since what the 1970s or 80s we've been accumulating this money and it's at 2.7 million. This is money that originally was intended to use if there was some type of incident at the landfill or some type of cleanup need. But we're learning now more and more that the state has some other funding and some other programs to help in those situations. And so we may not need to use all of that money.

And I think you know Brad mentions you know the 2.7 and there's an ongoing stream but when you take a look at right here just in those four years of levy the projection should be $1.8 million. That is a one-time major source of funding. However, you'd want to increase when you do it. So, I still think the message here on the state and their investment investment in these mandated services and the use of the score which you have as a legislative priority I think is really still very critical in this discussion.

Yeah, Richard, on this um page, it talks about 75% of um participants live in Stat County and 25% outside the county. But like on our weekly reports, it that doesn't match with what we're getting weekly because weekly like it'll show one or two people, you know, like a 3% living out of the county. So where where did that data point come from?

Our new pl new new platted lots uh have been up since the low point in 2024. Um, and what we've seen is uh industrial developments um taking taking shape throughout the throughout the county. Uh, we just had one that was premed for Lydia uh area and the township is very excited and happy about that. And um I think in meeting with all the townships over the last few months, they all see that industrial developments or commercial developments or whatever it is in the townships the way to generate tax tax base for them um because of the cost that they also have increasing as well.

Yep. So we have as part of our outreach with the townships. Uh this that was the subject was data centers, battery storage, solar. Um so we just had the conversation townships last week and that was the topic that was yesterday and then Wednesday as well. So we're we're expressing our our opinion right now on that. We're not jumping to a moratorum at this point and and I think they're they're comfortable with that.

he also delivers mail um to all of our um buildings outside of the government center. Um so that is something that he also delivers. And then in May he actually started delivering um the meals for the JAF. The Jaff has a new u meal provider through the Jordan schools. And so we were able to collaborate with them. And so when he's in Jordan at the library, he buzzes up to the high school and he grabs the meals and four days a week he drops those meals off um at the Jaff for the kids for their um their meals. So couple of things where I thought this was just a really nice collaboration. Um it doesn't cost the Jaff they probably would have had to pay for that transportation um and or have their own staff off the floor um when um their work is better working with the kids. So, we were able to to do that piece and it's worked out quite well, I think.

just when I look at the data and um compared our door locks or our unlocks I should call them um if I looked at the September um January through September 25 versus um January through September and 26 we're up about 76% in those um um unlocked doors during that extended access. So again just really highlights the popularity of that service and our residents wanting to be able to use that community space when it works for them. Um that was a risk that we took five six years ago and I would say that it is one of the most popular things that we we do in the library.

So the bulk of these things are just are mandated. A couple of them are uniquely county assigned. So aquatic invasive species and groundwater planning only counties have those authorities in the state of Minnesota at local government level. So that's where you know that piece comes in and the amount of effort is more of a local decision you know between all the local entities how much work you do for AIS the state dumps a bunch of money in our direction and we have to figure out what to do with it.

So, uh for example, you know, we know there's a shortage of AI funding. So, we pulled together an AIS convene group of just residents and uh individuals and state everybody just to kind of start brainstorming what would we do when this this funding drops away, right? and started coming up with a great list of, you know, how could we maybe supplement this funding because at this point it's looking a little bit dire.

But how would we be able to consider establishing an environmental fund um using money from large water users um that are coming into the into the community to pay for things like AIS and other like if you're water bott

and in these rural single lane to single lane county roads, these proactive investments are really helping. And it isn't because we've had a lot of fatal crashes or we have this unsafe intersection. We're taking some proactive steps as areas develop out there to make sure they continue to operate safely.

So Tony and Adam, the state awards a grant to the township and promises that they can use it for a rail crossing and then later realizes, oh, rail crossings aren't eligible eventhough it was clear. So these guys have to spend hours now working with state aid and not clear that up so that we can shift some funding from the 282 and 9 project that would be eligible to be able to use some sales tax down on that rail crossing. And so kudos to these guys for coming up with the solution and working with state aid to get that done. So that only helps our community even more.

Greenhouse gas law that has gone in effect over the last couple years. Um, you know, that's that's going to really, uh, have a big impact on any kind of expansion projects on trunk highways, whether that's a grade separation or or lane ads. Um, the delivery of those projects is going to be more expensive and in some cases not possible uh, based on that law. So, I think that's something that we want to continue to be looked at and and um see if that can be uh adjusted to to be more realistic.

Um, so this cost center, what you're seeing here are the recycling programs uh that we have here at the county. Um, this is the direct expense of those programs. There's an NFT in recycling management. Um, I I just want to say we're doing we're doing a lot in recycling management and recycling programs. Um, we're doing a lot of great work besides just the existing programs that we do every year.

And the city of Belain helped us with that. They're going to instead of having a hall truck go and pick up that small load of organics, um Monarch Ventures asked us, 'Well, can we just compost it like you can if you can get a license from um the city of Bell Plane?' So, um staff worked at the city of Bell Plane kind of explained the problem like we really wanted to encourage organic collection plane, but we can't get a hauler to come down at an affordable rate um to that site. So they'd like to just compost on site and so Bell Plane worked with Monarch Check Ventures and they got a license to compost on site.

But do all those programs need to stay status quo? I mean, I think about some of them have been going on for a long time and we haven't moved the dial. So, as much as I love climb theater, is it influencing our recycling rate? I mean, I I don't know that we should just say status quo and then new programs.

The biggest one that's how we recognized by almost every state agency for accolades was our outreach and engagement uh activities and how we really brought in the residents and the townships and the cities as developing the plan and that role and that level involvement. And the benefit was shown in the number of comments we got which was actually incredibly low. And that's because every step of the way we were checking in with them. we were getting that but we're making sure they weren't getting blindsided by information.

Um the other one is probably a little bit tied to grant funding just being a little bit more thoughtful. Our grant become more and more ownorous to manage and apply for. are we making sure that we're getting the best bang for our buck? Uh we do have to have grants to get the work that we do and we're really good at getting them, but we have to be really thoughtful if the administration for those grants is just really ownorous or some of the requirements. You may have to have a 30-year easement or maintenance agreement for a device that really should only be 15 years, you know, and why are you it's not worth the grant to to have to own and maintain something for 30 years that really should expire at this game.

For accomplishments, I just want to like piggyback off of what Matt said. um making it so that pumpers could directly enter uh those pump permits into the county website so staff don't have to do it has been a huge help which goes back to our efficiency now is staff can get back into the field in the other program areas um and do some good in making sure that people are staying in compliance.

This is a new one. It's an important one because the state the state statute or code says anytime a compliance inspection has been required regardless of how it was triggered either by the county requiring it or a mortgage company requiring it or the homeowner just decided that they wanted to do one. It has to go to the county to be reviewed to see if it's complete and then if it fails, the county is required to make sure that septic system is replaced. I'm just bringing bringing like light to this because I want to be careful. There is a an enormous amount of staff time that goes into these compliance inspections that get turned in. If it's passing, great. It takes only a few minutes to see the information's there. Put it in the put it in the file and away we go. If that septic system fails, we will have we don't track the hours. We should protracking the hours. We will probably spend years with this compliance inspection until it gets to the end and that homeowner replaces it.