Welcome to August in District 7!
As summer winds down, back-to-school season is officially here: a time of fresh starts and new routines for families across our communities. In this month’s newsletter, we’re highlighting local business development efforts that are strengthening our local economy, and diving into the Ramsey County budget process to ensure residents understand how decisions are made and how to get involved.
August is also a great time to enjoy what’s left of summer from neighborhood events to local farmers markets and county parks. Thanks for staying connected and engaged. There’s a lot happening, and I’m grateful to be working alongside you to shape a stronger future for District 7.
 P.S. My office is always available to answer your questions, navigate county services, or help us all foster connections to make our cities even better places to live, work and play.
Please feel free to reach out via email at Kelly.Miller@co.ramsey.mn.us.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please sign up here!
And don't forget to visit your favorite businesses! Kelly shown here at Borchert's Meat Market on Frost Avenue in Maplewood.
In this Issue:
- Workforce Innovation Board & Economic Development Update
- CEO Next Seeking Applicants
- Small Business Opportunity
- BizRecycling - Food Recovery Grant
- Budget Information
- Response to State & Federal Changes
- County Budget Process
- Public Works & Park Projects
- Meet the Commissioner In-District Office Hours
- For Your Information
- Kelly in the Community
- Upcoming Events
 Investing in People, Jobs and Local Business Growth
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As your Ramsey County Commissioner, I’m committed to building a community where everyone can thrive—starting with strong jobs and a strong economy. I serve on the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board, where we’re helping over 3,000 residents each year access careers in high-demand fields like healthcare, clean energy, and manufacturing. At the same time, Ramsey County is launching a new Economic Development Authority to better support small businesses and entrepreneurs—without raising taxes. Together, these efforts are creating real opportunity for our residents and local economy.
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Click here for county resources on
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CEO Next Business Institute is accepting applicants for its upcoming cohort. The no-cost program supports second-stage companies, those with 10–99 employees and over $1 million in annual revenue.
Participants gain access to expert guidance, confidential peer roundtables and up to 30 hours of advanced technical research. The program is a partnership between Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota and Scott counties, designed to help businesses scale regionally and nationally.
Find additional information and apply at ramseycounty.us/ceonext
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Small business opportunity...
 Business Succession Planning
Aug. 12, 2-3 p.m.
The is an opportunity for small business owners to have a conversation with business experts and their peers. Learn from the following experts as they each give a presentation regarding business succession planning.
- Katie Heppner, MPA, Regional Director, North Central SBDC.
- Mike Paulus, Executive Director, Cass County Economic Development Corp.
- Michael Darger, Extension Specialist, University of Minnesota Extension.
- Kirsten Hagen-Kennedy, Executive Director, MN Center for Employee Ownership.
Attendees can submit a question ahead of time by emailing smallbusiness@state.mn.us.
Join the Zoom conversation
The Food Recovery Grant supports programs that recover surplus, edible food from businesses, organizations and/or farmer’s markets for distribution to people in need. Recovery Grants are open to businesses (food donors, including food producers, distributors, grocers and cafeterias), nonprofit organizations and college food shelves in Ramsey and Washington counties. BizRecycling is a public program of Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E).
Apply here. Grant awards are up to $20,000.
Applications Due: Friday, August 15, 2025.
Ramsey County uses its two-year (biennial) operating budget to monitor revenue and expenses, and to improve financial management and strategic planning. The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is used to fund projects such as major equipment purchases and construction or renovation of facilities. Annual financial reports present the county's financial position, along with historical trend data and demographic information.
Explore current budget revenues and expenditures
Ramsey County’s 2026-2027 budget process advances the vision, mission and goals established by the Board of Commissioners and the strategic priorities outlined in the County's strategic plan.
Budget proposals from service teams will include and focus on the following:
- Prioritizing County responsible services
- Operating as One Ramsey County
- Investing in organizational excellence
- Advancing partnerships
- Supporting long-term fiscal health
For key dates and how to participate, go to our Budget & Finance page.
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We understand that many residents and partners have questions regarding memorandums, proclamations and executive orders issued by the White House and their potential impacts to local government.
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We remain committed to transparency, continued service delivery and protecting the well-being of our residents. The county is actively engaging with local, state and federal partners to minimize disruptions and advocate for our community’s needs.
Ramsey County is closely monitoring proposed changes to federal and state budgets, including potential changes to grants and shifts in policy priorities. These changes could impact the essential services and supports that thousands of residents rely on every day — such as public health, housing, workforce development and infrastructure.
To stay ahead of these challenges, the county is:
- Strengthening internal coordination.
- Analyzing potential budget impacts to guide long-term planning.
- Assessing potential service and staffing implications across departments.
- Engaging with policymakers to advocate for local needs.
- Connecting with other government organizations and partners.
- Providing transparent information and updates to stakeholders and community.
More information
Ramsey County is continually planning and implementing construction projects to improve our parks and way of life. Most projects are weather-dependent and dates are subject to change.
Construction projects
For more information
Join us in August at the Ramsey County Libraries in the district to meet directly with Commissioner Miller. Come by to let us know of an issue you'd like to bring to our attention or just stop in to say hello and meet Kelly.
Monday, August 11 10:30 am - 12:00 noon
North Saint Paul Library
2300 N. St. Paul Drive in North St. Paul
Monday, August 18 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Maplewood Library
3025 Southlawn Drive in Maplewood
Please let us know you're coming!
All residents of District 7 are welcome to come to any of these "office hours" regardless of which city you live in. Please RSVP if you know which one works for you in case we need to let you know of any last-minute scheduling changes.
Can't make it in August?
We will be offering more dates during the month of September as we work on the county budget. Tentative dates are:
Monday, September 15
9 to 10:30 am in Maplewood & 5:30 to 7pm in White Bear Lake
Wednesday, September 17
5:00 to 6:30 in North St. Paul
Watch for details on locations in our September newsletter.
The White Bear Area Food Shelf is looking for volunteers to assist with preparing our markets or assisting neighbors during our food distribution hours. Markets are open weekdays, and volunteer shifts are during the day, with evening hours on Monday/Tuesday. Help is needed at both locations. Learn More.
Location A: food shelf at 1884 Whitaker Street.
Location B: Community Market at 2446 County Road F East.
For more information, contact Carol at carol@whitebearfoodshelf.org or 651.433.7286
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We encourage you to prepare for an electric outage by keeping phones and other devices charged and building an outage kit with items that do not require electricity, including:
- Battery-powered radio
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Backup phone chargers
- A phone that does not require electricity
- Non-electric alarm clock
- Bottled water and non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Extension cords (for partial outages)
- Manufacturer’s instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g. garage doors)
- Xcel Energy phone numbers – (800) 895-1999 for residential or (800) 481-4700 for business
More tips for how to prepare for an outage are available here.
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Summer brings more opportunities for outdoor fun — but also more ticks and mosquitoes. Protect yourself and your family with these tips:
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Wear protective clothing: Long sleeves, long pants and closed shoes help prevent bites. Light-colored clothes make it easier to spot ticks.
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Use insect repellent: Use EPA-registered products with DEET, picaridin, permethrin or IR3535.
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Perform tick checks: After outdoor activities, check your body and your children’s for ticks. Remove ticks right away with fine-tipped tweezers.
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Maintain your yard: Keep grass trimmed, dump standing water from containers, remove leaf litter and create tick-safe zones with wood chips or gravel.
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Protect your pets: Use veterinarian-recommended tick and flea preventatives.
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Be prepared for peak activity: Ticks are most active in spring and summer, mosquitoes at dawn and dusk hours. Take extra precautions during these times.
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“Picture an African elephant standing about every 90 feet along a busy highway,” says Hailey Sauer, a postdoctoral researcher with the St.Croix Watershed Research Station. “That’s the average amount of salt applied to Minnesota roads each year.”
In the Twin Cities metro alone, an estimated 365,000 tons of road salt are applied to roads each winter. Of this, 78% is transported to groundwater or remains in local lakes and wetlands. Chloride is toxic to freshwater organisms like fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates and also alters lakes’ internal chemistry, causing a cascade of unexpected impacts.
One surprising impact of chloride relates to “turn-over,” a natural process that happens in lakes during the spring and fall. When temperatures cool in the fall, deep, cold water at the bottom of a lake will begin to mix with warmer surface water until eventually, the entire lake is uniformly cold. When lake ice melts in the spring, the process happens in reverse. This periodic mixing helps to distribute oxygen and nutrients needed by fish and aquatic organisms.
When salt accumulates in a lake, however, it tends to settle at the bottom, creating a heavy layer of saltwater that never recirculates. As a result, bottom-dwelling fish don’t get the oxygen they need to survive, aquatic plants die, decompose, and release methane, and nutrients are released from the lake bottom sediment, contributing to blue-green algae blooms during the summer.
“We need both safe roads and clean water,” says Mark Edlund, a senior scientist with the SCWRS. “But all the salt that’s getting into lakes is really starting to mess things up.”
Unlike other types of water pollution, which can often be minimized by restoring shoreline habitat, planting raingardens, or establishing erosion-control measures, chloride pollution can really only be stopped by using less salt for winter roads and water softening. Once salt is in a lake or stream, it is considered a permanent pollutant because we don’t have practical or affordable technology to remove it from the water.
Are you a property manager or commercial property owner?
Free SMART Salt training
Tuesday, August 19, 9am-1:30pm (online)
Learn strategies for reducing winter salt use and saving money, without impacting public safety.
After attending a similar training, the City of Cottage Grove was able to reduce its winter salt use by 694 tons and save $40,000 dollars, and Joe’s Lawn and Snow, a small Twin Cities based company, reduced its salt use by 50% and saved $770.
Register at www.mnwcd.org/events.
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Monday July 7
The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners was honored to contribute to the advancement of affordable homeownership by volunteering alongside Hennepin County Commissioners, and with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity at The Heights development for County Build Day.
The Heights represents a transformative investment in Saint Paul's Greater East Side—expanding Ramsey County’s tax base and marking the largest development in Twin Cities Habitat’s history. Habitat for Humanity is in charge of developing 147 homeownership units. However, once completed, the full project has the potential to deliver 1,000 new housing units for residents across all income levels, create 1,000 living-wage jobs, incorporate a sustainable geothermal energy system, and introduce new parks and green spaces to the community.
Learn more about this project
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Several Ramsey County Commissioners, including Commissioner Miller, recently attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference. The event offers county leaders the chance to help shape NACo’s direction through leadership elections and committee votes that influence the 2026–2027 legislative platform.
Throughout the conference, attendees explored pressing federal policy issues, engaged in workshops on county best practices, and participated in informative mobile tours hosted by the local jurisdiction.
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Commissioner Miller attended the Advocating Change Together (ACT) 3rd Annual Disability Pride Events at the State Capitol on Thursday, July 17th. Shown here with Maplewood City Councilmember Nikki Villavicencio and State Representative Peter Fischer.
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As part of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District board, Commissioner Miller represents Ramsey County along with Commissioners Rena Moran and Garrison McMurtrey. Shown here with other board members and a helicopter used to apply mosquito mitigation strategies in the metro area.
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Community Dental is largest provider of dental care serving people on public programs in Ramsey County. Commissioner Miller attended ribbon cutting and grand opening of their newest facility at 600 Carlton Street North in Maplewood on Friday, July 25th.
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Commissioner Miller, along with Commissioner Tara Jebens-Singh attended the grand re-opening of Solid Ground's East Metro Place on Thursday, July 24th. They were able to see firsthand the safe and welcoming environment for East Metro families and staff to thrive.
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 Commissioner Miller has been a part of the Women Empowering Women for Indigenous Nations (WEWIN) Conference for many years. Shown here in July with the largest Minnesota delegation yet at the national conference in Chandler, AZ.
“Twin Cities Imagery” Exhibit at Maplewood Mall
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, August 8–10
Explore art installations and local creativity at Maplewood Mall
Book Club at Bruentrup Heritage Farm
Thursday, August 14, The Tall Pine Polka
Join us in our new program, The Great Minnesota Book Club for 25 in 2025! We will be featuring "The Tall Pine Polka" by Lorna Landvick at 6:30 pm at the Maplewood Area Historical Society.
Thursday, August 28, In the Lake of the Woods
Enjoy a cozy reading night under the oak trees. We will be featuring In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien at 6:30 pm at the Maplewood Area Historical Society.
Bruentrup Heritage Farm
2170 County Rd D East, Maplewood, MN
Click here for more info
Bruce Vento Regional Trail
As summer still shines, it’s a perfect time to bike or walk the 7‑mile trail stretching through Maplewood into Saint Paul.
History Cruzers
Every Friday night until September 19
All along 7th Avenue in Downtown North St. Paul
Bands playing include:
Hacklewrappers, Forrest Miller and The Lodge Boys, Something 70’s, Boomerz, Smooth Sensation, Bad Apple
Bands perform by Sidewinders and the River of God Church
For a complete list of events and bands, go to:
https://www.historycruzer.com/calendar.htm
Outdoor Movie Night at Hause Park
Friday, August 15 & Thursday, August 21
Bring a blanket to North St. Paul for screenings:
On August 15, we'll be watching Top Gun: Maverick
And on August 21, we'll be watching The Emperor’s New Groove
Movie time starts around 8:00 pm
For more information
Free Yoga at Hause Park
Wednesday, August 20
Wind down your day with a gentle outdoor yoga session,
Wednesday, August 20 from 5–6 PM in North St. Paul
More info here
 Downtown White Bear Lake Farmers’ Market
On Clark between 2nd and 3rd Streets
Every Friday 8am to noon through October 24th
Downtown Customer Appreciation Day
Sat, Aug 9, 10am-5pm
Downtown White Bear Lake is set to host a Customer Appreciation Day on August 9th, 2025. This event will feature a variety of activities and promotions aimed at thanking the community for their support. Here are some of the highlights:
Dining Specials: Enjoy discounted meals at local restaurants.
Sidewalk Sales: Take advantage of special deals on various items.
In-Store Promotions: Participating businesses will offer special discounts and promotions.
New Items: Check out what's new in-store and online.
And Bingo!
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White Bear Area Resource Network meeting
Thursday, August 14, 2025, 9:00 – 10:00 am
Community Market, 2446 County Rd F East, White Bear Lake
Questions and to RSVP by Monday, August 11, 2025:
Alicia Gatto Petersen (she/her), (651) 433-7341 or alicia@whitebearfoodshelf.org
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If you know of events happening in Maplewood, North Saint Paul or White Bear Lake, please let us help you share the information! Send details and any graphics to Kathleen HERE.
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