Active Living, Local Compost and Community Connections in Ramsey County - Nine North

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Active Living, Local Compost and Community Connections in Ramsey County

Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo Mcguire, joined us on our podcast to talk about community connectivity, food security in schools and ways to make Ramsey County greener. 

 

Mcguire represents district two which includes the cities of Lauderdale, Little Canada, New Brighton, Roseville, precinct four of Mounds View and a portion of St. Anthony. 

 

Mcguire describes Ramsey County’s work during this pandemic and how the county is managing to work together despite the challenges. 

 

“It’s just really, really for all of us [to be] working together,” Mcguire said. 

 

With meeting every three months, the county is able to talk with people from the cities and school districts. These meetings help update the county officials and produce connectivity throughout the entire county. 

 

This is how Ramsey County is able to give to its cities such as providing its students with food security and working with cities to improve affordable housing. 

 

The county is also able to connect with the cities on another level through recycling and energy companies. This way the county is able to oversee everything from garbage to yard waste.

 

A new program that Ramsey County has started is the inclusion of blue compostable bags that will go out to families. Families can then put their organic waste into these blue bags that are separated from the garbage at a processing plant. This system will hopefully increase the amount of compost that is produced.  

 

Not only is Ramsey County working on connections at the city level they are working on those connections at the interpersonal level. 

 

Mcguire shares about the active living coalition that she is a part of and its goals for the cities. 

 

“It’s a great combination of public health and public works. And that’s what active living really is, is to really see how we bring these areas together and work for the benefit of all of our people,” Mcguire said.