Commission appoints Home Rule charter committee members and adopts public‑comment policy

Ramsey County commissioners appointed five county residents to serve on a new Home Rule Charter Committee and adopted a written public‑comment policy clarifying how residents may speak at meetings.

The commission appointed Adam Lippon, Shane Hamre, Brandon Padilla, Nina Nijus and Corey Wass after accepting letters of interest. Daniel, the county attorney, explained the next steps: the committee will select a chair, and the commission may decide on compensation or assistance the committee needs. The county attorney noted that a charter question could appear on the ballot at a primary or general election once the committee completes drafting and that the commission appointed the minimum five members to meet the 60‑day appointment deadline.

On public comment, the board adopted a policy that requires members of the public to notify the commission in advance if they wish to speak and provides a mechanism for submitting written comments for commissioners’ review. The county attorney said the policy is not required by statute but provides a formal procedure and a way to manage in‑person attendance and written submissions.

Why it matters: the Home Rule Committee will draft possible changes to the county charter, a process that could lead to a ballot question. The public‑comment policy formalizes procedures for citizen remarks and aims to keep meetings orderly.

Ending: Commissioners named a commissioner point of contact for committee communications and directed staff to contact the appointees; they also directed staff to post the public‑comment policy on the county website.