 Greetings!
I hope you are enjoying the start to the summer. This season brings with it so much joy from picnics to rec leagues and more. If you're looking for ways to reconnect with nature this summer, consider putting our Ramsey County parks and trails to use. I am looking forward to the Juneteenth celebrations coming up this weekend. I'm hoping you will find time to participate and reflect on these events. Please click here to read our Ramsey County Board's Juneteenth Proclamation.
I'm honored to be presenting the Pride Month proclamation at our Board Meeting next week. This month is a reminder of the importance of being an inclusive, equitable, and just community. The LGBTQ2S community is a vital part of and contributes to a stronger Ramsey County.
Summer is also bringing us dangerously high temperatures. As we continue to experience a number of days over 90 degrees this week, please spread the word about Ramsey County's public cooling spaces for those who do not have access to air conditioning and may have prolonged exposure to the heat.
Ramsey County is holding both virtual and in-person meetings. Our board meetings are taking place in the County Board offices in the Ramsey County Courthouse. My office continues to serve constituent needs via phone (651-266-8359) or email (caitlyn.duin@ramseycounty.us).
Sincerely,
Mary Jo
Board Acknowledgements/Declarations
- Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
- Juneteenth
- Pride Month
Ramsey County Board Disavows Racial Covenants
This week, our County Board disavowed racial covenants on property records and voted to join the Just Deeds coalition. The goal? We hope to highlight the importance of discharging and releasing historical racial covenants on property records. Historical racial covenants are racist restrictions on who can buy a piece of property based on the color of their skin. These covenants were and are all too widespread in our communities. They were a part of discriminatory housing practices that deeply affected the ability of families of color to purchase property and build wealth. While these racial covenants are no longer legal and actionable, we hope to help remove them entirely from our communities.
We also approved an action to exempt residents from paying a filing fee in order to discharge, or get rid of, a restrictive covenant, as stated in Minnesota Statute § 507.18, subd.5. The fee will be covered by the county, using sufficient county funds, to help property owners.
How to discharge any covenants on your property:
An application form will be available in July for property owners seeking assistance through Just Deeds with discharging a racial covenant from their property. Please check back soon.
In the meantime before this application form becomes available, please contact the Recorder's Office at 651-266-2050 to learn more about the steps to discharge a racial covenant.
County Board Workshops
Most weeks, our County Board meets to discuss specific policy issues and receive updates from County Departments and Service Teams in our Board Workshops.
Workshops and discussions and held on Tuesdays and are open to the public. These take place at the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse in Suite 220 (2nd floor). You can find the schedule for all upcoming board meetings, workshops, and discussions sessions here.
Recent workshops include:
- Information and Public Records Committee of the Whole: Property Valuation and Regressivity
- Advisory Boards Update
- Safety and Justice Service Team Committee of the Whole: (Re)imagining Justice for Youth
- River Balcony - Schematic Design Update
- Recycling & Energy: Joint Activities Budget
You can access video recordings of the meetings as well as the materials shared by clicking here.
You can watch upcoming workshops live by clicking here.
Apply for Ramsey County Advisory Boards!
The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners is currently seeking individuals to serve on the following advisory councils:
- Capital Improvement Program Advisory Committee.
- Capitol Region Watershed District.
- Community Health Services Advisory Committee (Joint)
- Corrections Advisory Board
- Disabled Veterans Rest Camp Board
Details about these opportunities are listed below. Interested applicants may apply online. View more information and access online application.
Applications close Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 11:59pm CST.
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Seeking Community Input on Opioid Settlement
The Minnesota's Attorney General's Office was recently part of the National Opioid Settlement, a successful $26 billion multi-state lawsuit against opioid pharmaceutical companies and an opioid manufacturer.
Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health is seeking community input about to how to use the settlement money to help people affected by opioids get resources they need and provide education to reduce addictions/overdoses in the future.
Ramsey County residents and community partners providing services in the county are invited to provide feedback and help determine how resources could be used over time. All surveys completed by June 30, 2022, will be eligible to receive a one-time $25 gift card. Gift cards are available first come, first serve; limited quantities are available.
The survey will close on July 31, 2022.
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Food Donations Needed!
Food shelves across the country are struggling with low supplies as the need for food support increases. Our community is no different. In April 2021, Keystone Community Services food shelf supported 1,100 households with food support and in the April of 2022, they served 2,600 households.
Everyone deserves to live without fear of hunger. You can help support Keystone Community Services, a local organization doing this important work, by holding a food drive, dropping off items, and more. Click here for more information on how to help!
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Taste of Rosefest
The Taste of Rosefest community festival will be held June 23 this year. Food, wine, and beer sampling at the festival helps the Roseville Rotary Club give back to our community. More information can be found here.
Funds raised by this event support SPARK S.T.E.A.M. educational lab at Central Park High School, Roseville Area Senior Program, Rotary Woods in Central Park, AVID – a mentoring and scholarship program for high school seniors, Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, and more.
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Free Household Waste Drop Off
Free household hazardous waste collection is available at 1725 Kent Street in Roseville on Fridays and Saturdays throughout June.
The site is open Fridays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. More information can be found here.
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Upcoming Events in the District:
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