District 1 Updates from Commissioner Frethem

Ramsey County, Minnesota sent this bulletin at 03/24/2020 02:08 PM CDT

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Serving the communities of Arden Hills, Gem Lake, North Oaks, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Township, and parts of Mounds View, Spring Lake Park and Blaine.

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March 24,  2020

Commissioner Nicole Frethem

Contact

Nicole Frethem
Commissioner, District 1
651-266-8362 or 651-425-9580 
Email

Sheena Denny
Principal Aide                          651-266-8355                            Email

Nancy Larson
Administrative Assistant

Picture of Facebook image announcing to follow Commissioner online

Follow on Facebook

Commissioner Frethem is sharing information and access to resources in real time on Facebook. Follow us there for more COVID-19 and other county content.

Commissioner Frethem sitting at her desk

Virtually meet with Commissioner Frethem at Office Hours in District 1

We will be attempting a virtual chat and check in via Zoom on Wednesday, March 25 at 9am.

Learn more at the Facebook Event Invite or join in by clicking the link https://zoom.us/j/4574765166 and entering the Meeting ID: 457 476 5166 at 9am on Wednesday, March 25.

Frethem Family at Oath of Office includes Nicole, Signe, Margit, and Stephen

 

Reflection on the first few months in office

This was not what I was expecting or hoping for in my first few months as a county commissioner. the COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to find new ways of living and working. This isn't easy. In many ways, we're living out a real life trolley problem. Unfortunately, though we know without action that many, many people will die or be put in terrible risk, we know that the actions we're taking right now are also putting people at risk of economic harm, mental health issues, and other collateral consequences.

We continue to do our best to ensure that we can do the essential work of supporting our residents while taking care that our employees are not exposed to unacceptable risks. We continue to learn and improve our processes and procedures to make sure no one falls through the cracks and that our safety mechanisms are ideal. It will take time and dedication. I appreciate all who have reached out to me in the interim with both concerns and gratitude for this work. Please continue to let me know how things are going and what information I can elevate to those in leadership.
Ramsey County Board of Commissioners 2020 group portrait

Board of Commissioners moving to "virtual" meetings

Today the board met to approve Requests for Board Action and receive updates on the COVID 19 pandemic. In accordance with CDC/MDH best practices to avoid disease transmission and allowed by the emergency actions approved last week, many of the board members met by phone (myself included). You can hear our discussion and watch the board meeting on Ramsey County's website.

Stay home

Stay up-to-date on COVID 19

Ramsey County continues to provide information and updates via our website at https://www.ramseycounty.us/coronavirus. The best actions to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe are still:

  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes
  • Stay home when you are sick

Ramsey County Service Delivery Redesign

Ramsey County

Ramsey County has begun to implement a new service delivery model to continue providing services during the COVID-19 outbreak while ensuring Ramsey County staff are able to follow appropriate safety guidelines. For more on how service delivery has changed, visit https://www.ramseycounty.us/covid-19-info/coronavirus-impacts-county-services.

If you need help or more information, you can contact Ramsey County's Customer Contact Center at 651-266-8500.

Ramsey County’s office phone lines are open during regular hours. If you receive a busy signal or message when calling, it’s because of the heavy cell phone call volume in the Twin Cities metro area.
food

 

Meals for Students

All Minnesota schools are closed until March 27, but they are still providing school meals for students. Here is a list of resources for District 42B families:

Roseville Area Schools is offering two meals per day, with curbside pick-up available from 10:30am-12:30pm each weekday. All children age 18 and under are eligible. Meal delivery options for people who aren’t able to pick up meals and more details are available here.

White Bear Lake Area Schools is offering meal pick-up at select locations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. More information and a request form can be accessed here. White Bear Lake Area Schools have also set up a Support Hub with information about crisis services, basic needs, mental health and well-being, and more. The Support Hub is available here.

Mounds View Public Schools is offering meals with curbside pick-up, available from 10am-1pm every weekday. Locations and more information for those who don’t have regular transportation is available here.

If these options don’t work for you and/or you need help accessing food during this time, please contact me at 651-425-9580 or nicole.frethem@co.ramsey.mn.us.

Special thank you to State Representative Jamie Becker-Finn who compiled these resources. You can view her full newsletter update here.