Sherburne County officials note leadership transitions, staffing shortages and planned safety drill

Department updates covered several personnel and operations items. Court administration noted that Judge Stacy St. George will replace Judge Walter Kaminsky in November 2026 upon his retirement. Separately, the Sheriff’s Office reported that Sheriff Joel Brott intends to retire in October 2026; the office is working on jail improvements and nearing full implementation of the RAVE emergency-communication application. A RAVE-based active-shooter drill was scheduled for July 9.

Health & Human Services (HHS) reported an ongoing hiring freeze and 14 open positions; HHS staff also noted increased data requests that have required redactions. Rivers of Hope leadership said the nonprofit is conducting strategic planning to strengthen criminal-justice and education partnerships as client numbers rise; the organization’s building lease expires in under a year and leadership is exploring relocation options.

Commissioner Andrew Hulse briefed the Advisory Board on Board of Commissioners business: three commissioners face upcoming elections (two unopposed, one advancing to the primary), and the Board decided to split the Auditor-Treasurer role into an elected Auditor and an appointed Treasurer. These items were presented as departmental updates or administrative notes; no formal board actions on these topics were taken at the meeting.