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As we step into the new year, I extend greetings of warm wishes to each of you. Together, let us embark on a journey of collaboration, advocacy, and progress in 2024. This year, my focus remains steadfast on amplifying the voices of my constituents, addressing community concerns, and fostering a sense of unity that defines the vibrant tapestry of Ramsey County District 4.
In my newsletter I will continue to provide updates on key initiatives, upcoming community events, and opportunities for engagement. It is my commitment to transparency and open communication that drives the content of this newsletter, ensuring you are well-informed about the decisions impacting our district. As we navigate the challenges and celebrate the triumphs ahead, I look forward to working hand in hand with each of you to create a stronger, more inclusive future for Ramsey County District 4 Residents. Together, let us make 2024 a year of positive change, along with shared responsibilities and accomplishments.
I'm here to support our community. If you have any upcoming events or announcements, I am offering to include them in my newsletter as a courtesy. Your contributions help make our community stronger. Please feel free to share the details, and let's celebrate and promote together.
Rena
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 are 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 below.
Recent workshops include: look up all of workshops and place here:
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.
Building a Beloved Community: Unite, Serve, Transform on MLK Day
Let's honor Dr. King's legacy by working toward a more just and equitable society, where everyone is valued and respected, regardless of their race, ability, religion, or background. By participating in service projects, we can bridge divides, heal wounds, and create lasting change that will benefit our communities for years to come.
About MLK Day
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. During the last quarter-century, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.
The town hall engaged stakeholders and community to reimagine the bail and pre-trial system and create innovative ways to enhance community safety and well-being.
The goal is to eliminate the harm to communities caused by the for-profit cash bail system while improving public safety and court appearances by:
- Transitioning from a system based on wealth to one based on risk.
- Reducing the reliance on the cash bail system.
- Ensuring no one is held because of an inability to pay.
- Reducing the jail population.
- Increasing court appearance rate.
- Engaging community members to develop and be part of system alternatives including, but not limited to, a pretrial assessment tool.
- Orienting systems around promoting community safety and wellbeing.
Sequential bail review is the process of reviewing the status of pretrial detained defendants held in-custody on a regular and ongoing basis. The purpose of this review is to determine if there have been any changes in eligibility for release options or other circumstances that might enable the conditional release of the defendants. A regularly scheduled ongoing and consistent review of individuals in-custody helps to control the jail population and results in better outcomes across the justice system.
I extend heartfelt thanks to my esteemed colleagues on the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners for their unwavering support and valuable guidance throughout my inaugural year in office. Their collaborative spirit has been instrumental in achieving positive outcomes and notable achievements, laying a strong foundation for continued success.
I attended the Youth Lens 360 graduation ceremony, witnessing the remarkable achievements of the E3L cohort. The energy in the room was inspiring. The young individuals, in collaboration with Youth Lens 360, celebrated their accomplishments surrounded by proud family members. The event was a testament to the power of youth empowerment and community collaboration, highlighting the positive impact that dedicated efforts can have on the lives of our future leaders. Congratulations to the graduates, and may their journey ahead be filled with continued success and meaningful contributions to our community.
E3L Cohort members develop additional video content and gain professional skills along the way. In addition, Cohort Members receive networking opportunities as well as mental health support like meditation sessions and therapy for personal growth.
Here’s a video they just made of Judge JaPaul Harris: https://f.io/_TvMDrqK Enjoy!
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RAMSEY COUNTY LEADERSHIP POSITION OPEN
The position of Deputy County Manager of Safety and Justice is currently live and posted. We are looking for a transformative systems leader to lead this unique service team – please promote with your colleagues, community, networks and social media outlets.
This position requires an individual with a unique blend of leadership skills, strategic and analytical thinking, superior communication skills, and an ability to foster positive relationships with leaders of all levels, elected officials and community to:
- Assist the County Manager in managing and administering the operational and service delivery affairs of the county and carrying out the policies of the County Board.
- Provide executive leadership across the organization and oversight in the strategic priorities, planning, development, management, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of multiple complex functions of one of four service teams of the county organization.
- Ensure service teams have effective leadership, understand the strategic direction within and between the county service teams, and achieve countywide board goals.
- Improve county service alignment and performance through innovation and process improvement and through building effective cross departmental and interagency work teams.
- Champion the County’s mission, vision, goals, and uphold the core values of our organization.
Full details of the posting included in the hyperlink above. Applicants should respond promptly as initial screening of resumes will begin on or around January 22, 2024. Initial interviews of the best qualified candidates are anticipated to begin in February 2024. For questions regarding this posting, please contact Talent Acquisition Supervisor Jessica Damm at jessica.damm@co.ramsey.mn.us.
Did you upgrade your phone, computer or TV over the holidays? Keep toxic metals out of the environment by recycling your old electronics for free through our partnership with Repowered. Learn more at ramseycounty.us/Electronics
 Ramsey County Winter Warming Spaces are now open. If you need or would like to refer someone to a place to warm-up during the cold winter months, call 651-266-1050. Ramsey County staff are available from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Learn more at: ramseycounty.us/WarmingSpaces
 Ramsey County Parks and Recreation
Avoid the cold temps and come into the TCO fieldhouse to walk on the turf! Join us from from 7-8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through end of April. The fieldhouse is kept at 55 degrees throughout the season so dress accordingly. Admission is free. Find more information at ramseycounty.us/Fieldhouse.
 Ramsey County Parks and Recreation
Looking for something to do that's free, family friendly, and fun? Join us at open ice skating! Harding Arena is open for ice skating on Jan. 10 from 3:15-4:30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Find more info and additional dates and locations on our events calendar: bit.ly/RamseyCountyRec
 Start the new year with a new career! Enroll in a Learn and Earn program for career advancement, paid training, support and more. Find out which programs are currently recruiting for January. Ramseycounty.us/LearnandEarn
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