May 8th | 7:30 - 9:00 am | Zoom Virtual Meeting
Our May member meeting will be a virtual roundtable discussion providing an opportunity for RCLLG members to share with and learn from other members how the COVID-19 response is impacting their organizations, communities and future plans. Due to the virtual platform, an R.S.V.P. is required. Please R.S.V.P. by emailing
RCLLG@mngts.org.
All RCLLG Members are invited! Free to attend
Monthly Members Meetings are open to all elected and appointed officials and administrative/staff leadership of RCLLG organizations. Registration is not required and there is no cost to attend.
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Ramsey County Community Updates
The third of bi-weekly newsletters detailing how different communities in Ramsey County are handling the Pandemic.
Haven't read our other newsletter? Find them
here
.
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Ramsey County COVID Policy Action
Group (PAG)Updates
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Debrief
The 12-member
Policy Action Group (PAG)
, formed to manage policy issues and ensure rapid and long-term response in Ramsey County, has been operating for over a month now. Read more about them in our
first newsletter
.
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Click
here
for the 4/28 Ramsey County COVID-19 Board update.
Clic
k
here
for the Ramsey County COVID-19 Service Delivery Design Summary, which shows
specific updates on service delivery design.
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Current Happenings
New Items/New Subcommittees
- The Waivers for Services subcommittee is tasked to respond to waivers and other related upcoming issues.
- A subcommittee on Food Security and Basic Needs has created Data, Engagement, and Distribution sub teams. They are currently establishing policy directions.
- Local Government and Financial Implications was also a topic discussed at the latest meeting. The goal is to identify funding needs that have changed since the start of COVID-19, analyze how available revenue streams are meeting needs, and determine the remaining gaps.
Updates
- The temporary facility for unsheltered adults, Mary Hall, continues to operate, as Boys Totem Town prepares to open. The subcommittee on homelessness and respite care is focusing on outreach and engagement to impacted individuals. They are looking for guidance from federal agencies on efforts and looking to state requests for support
- The Evictions subcommittee is monitoring state and federal guidance for moratoriums.
- The Property Taxes committee has analyzed impacted areas and looked into payment delay/deferment options and State and federal impacts. After discussion with AMC and regional partners, there was Board action taken on April 21 to postpone payments until 7/15.
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New initiatives are posted on Ramsey County's
website
. PAG plays a role in many of the articles you see here.
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Ramsey County Local Community Updates
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Face Mask Drive a Success! | Sat, April 25
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On
Saturday, April 25
, Gov. Walz encouraged Minnesotans to donate cloth face masks to their local fire stations. Over
7,300 masks
were donated in St. Paul alone! First responders and volunteers boxed up these masks, which have gone/will go to health care workers, other first responders and those living in congregate care facilities. It was a beautiful day in #MinneSEWta!
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(Above)
Vadnais Heights
Fire Department collected almost 1,000 masks on Saturday. They will be donated to senior care facilities.
(Right) Volunteers in
Roseville
saw over 2,400 masks donated. This sidewalk message, written by a resident, is a testament of their gratitude.
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High School Feature
Trading Robotics for Face Shields:
The KnightKrawler Robotics team from Irondale High School was quick to respond when the need for protective equipment became apparent. After their robotics season had been cancelled, they realized they had the necessary skills and resources to create face shields. Their goal is 1000 shields per week. Shields have been donated to various health care providers and local police stations. Watch the news story
here
.
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Ensuring Food Accessibility
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Bix Produce Provides:
Little Canada fruit and vegetable distributor Bix Produce provided free produce to those in need earlier this month. According to Bix CEO Alejandro Montoya, Bix Produce was looking for local organizations to donate produce due to an 85% downturn in business related to COVID-19. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department reported that traffic was lined up from the Bix Produce facility on Centerville Road to Little Canada Road. While this did cause a disruption to local traffic, their efforts to help those in need speak volumes about the core values of Bix Produce.
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Ralph Reeder Food Shelf:
Lake Johanna Fire Dept has taken over the Ralph Reeder food shelf. Residents can make an appointment to use the drive-thru service and receive pre-packaged bags of food.
Consider Donating!
Cash and check
donations
are used to purchase meats and milk and to replenish their shelves. A small donation can make a BIG impact when food shelves stretch their dollars by purchasing through their local food banks and vendors. For every $1.00 they can purchase up to $8.00 worth of food.
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"Little Free Food Shelf"
North St. Paul Resident Rachel Thompson set up a Little Free Food Shelf to help those in need who were impacted by the outbreak. The shelf is
usually out between 9 a.m. and 7:30-8:00 p.m, and there has been a sign out front saying, "Take what you need, leave what you can." Thompson said the response has been great, getting about five to ten visits per day. Neighbors have also been dropping off donations.
Watch the video on Rachel's inspiration and story
here
.
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(Above)
Police/Fire Birthday Parades:
60+ birthday parades to date have been hosted, each complete with a giant card signed by our very own Mayor Furlong.
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Arbor Day: We deliver!
In celebration of
Arbor Day
, the City of North St. Paul gave away a variety of complimentary trees (4-6 feet tall) to the first 50 homeowners who registered. In the past, homeowners picked up their tree, but because of COVID-19 our staff delivered all 50 trees to homeowners.
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COVID-Friendly Outdoor Activity:
The City of North St. Paul Parks department invited residents to "Bushwacking through the Woods" at
Southwood Nature preserve
. This outdoor activity was easily adapted for social distancing, and residents worked to pull invasive garlic mustard plants from the preserve.
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Innovative Disinfecting:
Inspired by the Tulsa Fire Dept, St. Anthony Fire Dept members learned how to use a
pressurized paint sprayer to
disinfect their gear, trucks and fire station with. After reviewing the information, they decided to create one for each City department. Read more about this
story here
.
Pictured: Fire Chief Sitarz demonstrating how the disinfecting gear is worn
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City Council Records Messages to Residents:
Mayor Randy Stille & City Council members have
recorded messages
and letters to the residents of St. Anthony to let them know we are all in this together. Some of the topics have been:
· Details of Governor Walz’s Stay at Home order
·
The importance of social distancing and staying at home
·
Updates on City operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Pictured: St. Anthony City Council, 2020.
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Local Restaurant Finder:
While all restaurants in Minnesota are closed to dine-in customers, most in St. Anthony are still open for delivery, carryout or drive-through service. Residents can use their
restaurant finder
to find what restaurants are open for business. "If you’re looking for some good food, you can certainly still find it here in St. Anthony. This is your chance to support local businesses, friends and neighbors in this time of uncertainty."
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April 2020 newsletter: COVID-19 update, 2020 census,...
Ramsey County government remains open and we are committed to providing services throughout the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak while protecting the health of residents and our staff. County services have been redesigned to drastically reduce...
Read more
content.govdelivery.com
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Wondering how you can volunteer during this crisis? Here's some ideas:
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We want to hear from you!
Have a story? Find out what your community is doing to handle the COVID-19 Pandemic and let us know.
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(Above) Daisy Troop 58029 donated Cookies to North St. Paul Police and Fire Departments. Pictured is a troop member holding a message signed by all members saying "Thanks for Keeping Us Safe!"
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If you have any questions about RCLLG, your membership, or news listed above, please email
RCLLG@mngts.org
.
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Visit the RCLLG website and follow us on social media!
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Ramsey County League of Local Governments | www.mngts.org/rcllg
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