City hears Tubman update, asked to renew $20,000 Roseville legal advocacy support

Jennifer Dickinson, a representative of Tubman, told the Roseville City Council on Aug. 11 that Tubman’s legal advocacy program continued to support Roseville residents through criminal- and civil-court processes and other services and asked the city to include $20,000 in the 2026 budget to continue a one-year contract the city approved in 2025.

The request matters because the city provided $20,000 in the 2025 budget and Tubman said that steady funding helps keep an assigned Roseville advocate available for immediate safety planning, court accompaniment and referrals to shelter, clinical services and rental- and lease-relief programs.

Dickinson described Tubman’s legal advocacy work and how it connects to law enforcement and prosecution. “We have a specific intervention line number for law enforcement to call anytime day or night to try to make that immediate contact with the victim,” she said. She explained advocates draft orders for protection and Tubman’s attorneys e-file paperwork and sometimes supply volunteer counsel for contested protective-order and family-law matters. Dickinson also described other services Tubman operates, including a shelter in Maplewood, a Safe Journeys program for youth and a soon-to-open Harriet’s Haven pet shelter for residents in Tubman’s shelter.

Council members asked how Roseville residents access shelter and court services. Dickinson said Tubman can provide transportation, including Lyft rides, to shelter or court when needed. She also reviewed 2024 program statistics specific to Roseville: 87 new criminal cases followed (focused on intimate-partner cases), about 60–70 protective orders statewide handled by the program that year, eight protective orders (Roseville cases explicitly reported), 14 attorney services, 53 law-enforcement calls to Tubman’s intervention line originating from Roseville, 260 safety plans developed, 169 unique advocacy clients in Roseville and 793 total services provided to those clients (an average of roughly five services per client). She said Tubman’s Freedom Fund and other client assistance help with first month’s rent, security deposits and locks when people leave abusive situations.

Dickinson also warned about funding pressures. She said state Office of Justice Program funds that underwrite much of Ramsey County’s legal advocacy program have been flat since 2018 while operating costs have risen, and federal funding uncertainties could further affect attorney services. She relayed a Roseville client story to illustrate how Tubman’s advocacy and volunteer attorneys work together through protection-order filings, criminal-case follow-up and civil divorce representation.

City manager Pat Trojgen confirmed the $20,000 appropriation in the 2025 budget and said staff will consider Tubman’s request as he prepares the city’s budget recommendation later in the month. Council members did not take a formal vote on additional funding at the meeting; the council directed staff to include the request for consideration in the 2026 budget process.

No formal council action was recorded at the meeting beyond the council agreeing to keep Tubman’s funding request in the budget review process. Dickinson and staff said Tubman will continue outreach to neighboring cities and county partners for supplemental support.

The council also thanked Tubman for the update and asked city staff to follow up with additional information and budget materials during the regular budget review timeline.