HF4455

Purpose

This bill updates Ramsey County’s local government human resources structure and terminology, aligns certain staffing classifications with other counties, and makes targeted technical changes to the county’s HR laws. It also repeals obsolete provisions and establishes a framework for rulemaking, collective bargaining, classification and pay practices, and the management of both classified and unclassified positions within the county personnel system.

Main Provisions

• County personnel system definition

  • Defines what counts as the County personnel system (all county-funded employees in county departments or joint city-county agencies), while listing several categories that are excluded (elected officials, certain county entities, and district court-related staff).

• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) role and reporting

  • Establishes a Director/Chief Human Resources Officer who is selected on merit and fitness through a competitive process and who reports directly to the county’s executive director or county manager. This role is part of the county personnel system (classified or unclassified as defined) and is responsible for HR services across county departments.

• Responsibilities and authority

  • CHRO handles personnel management, enforces HR rules, and executes duties described in the HR sections of state law (sections 383A.281 to 383A.301). The CHRO also oversees rulemaking, classification, payment standards, and workforce planning.

• Rulemaking and public process

  • CHRO prepares rules to implement the HR provisions and must obtain county board approval after a public hearing. Rules have the force of law and can be amended or repealed in the same manner as adopted.

• Collective bargaining

  • The CHRO (or county manager) acts as the chief labor negotiator, with the county board giving final approval to all collective bargaining agreements. For employees covered by such agreements, their pay and terms are governed by the agreement and supersede conflicting rules or procedures.

• Payroll certification

  • CHRO or designated officers certify payrolls to ensure payments are for staff appointed and employed under the HR provisions. Payroll items for county staff cannot be paid without proper certification.

• Performance oversight

  • The county board sets performance indicators for the HR system, and the CHRO regularly reviews workforce needs, job classifications, training, and salary structures, reporting findings as requested.

• Appointments and certification

  • Before new appointments to the county personnel system, the CHRO must certify compliance with the relevant HR provisions and rules.

• Classification plan and position classification

  • Maintains and updates a classification and salary plan. Places each position into an appropriate class, consulting with department heads for unique positions, and allowing for creation of new classes when necessary.

• Appeals and reclassification

  • Establishes an appeal process for classification or reclassification decisions, but limits further appeal to the Personnel Review Board in certain cases. Requires a reclassification study within a set timeframe and timely implementation of changes.

• Unclassifying positions

  • Provides a process to transfer employees from unclassified to classified positions with comparable classifications, protecting the employee’s pay to the extent possible and allowing for pay to be frozen until it aligns with the new class.

• Unclassified positions list

  • Enumerates a detailed set of positions that may be placed in the unclassified service (e.g., elected officials and certain staff, senior county executives, court-adjacent roles, public defenders, special officers, judges, and various district office and county-wide leaders). The county board can designate additional positions as unclassified if criteria are met.

• Additional unclassified designations

  • The county board can designate more positions as unclassified if they meet criteria related to department leadership, reporting structure, and significant discretion in policy development and implementation.

• Waiver of competitive examinations

  • Establishes a process to fill routine, unskilled positions without ranking or certification, with qualified applicants referred to the appointing authority.

• Classified managerial positions

  • Creates criteria to designate certain classified positions as managerial if they involve substantial discretion in policy development and implementation. Designated managerial positions are filled through open application and screening, bypassing standard exam/certification processes.

• Eligibles, temporary, and provisional appointments

  • Outlines lists of eligibles, term limits for temporary appointments (up to six months in a 12-month period), and provisions for provisional appointments when no eligible list exists, with criteria for certification of qualified candidates.

• Documents and disciplinary actions

  • Sets procedures for producing documents and testimonies in disciplinary matters, including timelines, court costs, and enforcement options if a party with a document request fails to comply.

• Benefits, layoffs, and other HR matters

  • Grants the CHRO authority to set certain employment benefits (hours, leave, health and life insurance) subject to county board approval and applicable law. It also directs the CHRO to establish rules governing layoffs and reemployment based on seniority.

• Repeals

  • Repeals Minnesota Statutes sections 383A.298 and 383A.301 as part of these updates.

Significant Changes

• Centralizes and formalizes Ramsey County’s HR structure under a new or redefined Chief Human Resources Officer with broad responsibilities for rules, classification, labor relations, payroll certification, and workforce planning.
• Introduces formal rulemaking with public hearings and requires board approval, increasing the formal governance around HR policies.
• Expands the role of collective bargaining within the county, with the county board retaining final approval of agreements.
• Creates a formal process to classify, reclassify, and potentially transfer employees between unclassified and classified status, including a detailed list of unclassified positions and criteria for adding new ones.
• Adds managerial designation criteria for classified positions to ensure roles with significant policy impact can be filled through open competition.
• Establishes procedures for waivers of competitive examinations for certain routine roles and clarifies processes for temporary and provisional appointments.
• Repeals older statutory sections to align with the updated framework.

Effects and Impacts

• Employees: Changes to classification status, potential realignment of duties, and new procedures for promotions, layoffs, and benefits through CHRO oversight. Some staff may move between classified and unclassified status with protections for pay where possible.
• County governance: Creates a more centralized and rule-driven HR system with formal oversight, bargaining, and accountability mechanisms that the county board can influence through policy and hearings.
• Processes: Introduces or standardizes processes for rulemaking, performance evaluation, reclassification studies, and disciplinary proceedings with associated documentation and legal procedures.

Relevant Terms - Ramsey County, county personnel system, CHRO (Director/Chief Human Resources Officer) - Classified service, unclassified service - County board, executive director, county manager - Rulemaking, public hearing - Collective bargaining, chief labor negotiator - Payroll certification, payroll vouchers - Classification plan, classification and salary plan, position classification - Reclassification, appeal, Personnel Review Board - Unclassified positions, enumerated positions - Waiver of competitive examinations - Classified managerial positions - Eligibles, eligible lists - Temporary appointments, provisional appointments - Open application and screening process - Benefits (hours, sick leave, health insurance, life insurance) - Layoffs, reemployment - Production of documents, disciplinary action - Repeal (sections 383A.298 and 383A.301)