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Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
@MarionGreene
Ray Hoover
Principal Aide
612-348-7125
Pam Fahlstrom
Administrative Assistant
612-348-0863
OFFICE HOURS
Join me in my effort to expand awareness of and involvement with Hennepin County! I'm holding office hours across the district each month. Come with questions, come with opinions, or just come to say hi.
This month's I'll be at Butter in south Minneapolis on September 18th from 2-4 PM. 3700 Nicollet Ave S.
The 3rd District serves the city of St. Louis Park, and parts of west and downtown Minneapolis.
View larger map
Get Choose to Reuse coupons on the go
Hennepin County’s annual Choose to Reuse coupon books are now available through Oct. 31, 2015. The coupons are free and feature deals from 54 Twin Cities retailers. Choose to Reuse coupons are available on mobile devices by downloading the free Chinook Book app in the iTunes or Google Play stores. You can also pick up a coupon book at participating retail locations, Hennepin County service centers, Hennepin County libraries and all Three Rivers Park District locations.
For more information, click here or call 612-348-3777.
2016 Budget Schedule
Hennepin County has an annual budget in excess of $1.8 billion dollars. Find out how the 2016 budget is built here. For more information on where the money comes from and where it goes, click here.
County departments, agencies & other entities
Hennepin County libraries
Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin volunteers
Online services
Phone directory
Service Center information
Southwest Light Rail
Understanding your property tax
City of Minneapolis
City of St. Louis Park
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Greetings!
I hope you enjoy this month's District 3 newsletter. Visit our website to find more ways to connect with the county.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I value your opinions.
My best,
Walker Library honored
Library Journal announced last week that the Walker Library won an honorable mention in the New Landmark Library 2015 competition. The competition honors public libraries completed between 2010 and 2014.
11 winners and 11 honorable mentions were selected from more than 80 entries by a panel of judges. This is further affirmation that the building meets the vision of the Walker Library Community Advisory Committee, which envisioned “A landmark public building that is easily identifiable as Uptown’s library with a strong daytime and nighttime street presence.
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Ribbon Cutting at MLK Park
I was on hand with a happy crowd of children, community members and civil rights activists at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park August 22 to celebrate the opening of a new civil rights-themed playground funded through the Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant Program. Numerous speakers, music and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting helped dedicate the unique and inspiring play area. For more information, click here.
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Joint Public Hearing held with the Met Council on SWLRT
The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council held a joint public hearing on the physical design components of the revised preliminary design plans for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project on Thursday, August 27th. Residents gathered to give their opinions on the line during the event as a precursor to the municipal consent process beginning in September.
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To share more about the work of Hennepin County, we profile a county employee who lives in District 3. Each month spotlights a person from varying departments and occupations.
Kathie Doty
Kathie Doty is a resident of the Linden Hills neighborhood, and is the Program Director of the Hennepin / University Partnership.
Click here to find out how Kathie Doty makes Hennepin County tick.
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Board approves design for relocated jury assembly room
The board approved the schematic design for a relocated jury assembly room on the 24th floor of the Courts Tower of the Hennepin County Government Center. The new facility would take up 6,400 square feet of available space in an area that currently is part of the Hennepin County Law Library. Unlike the current space, on the below-ground A-Level, the proposed new location will be inside the security boundaries of the Courts Tower. The project also will bring together the jury pool and the court’s scheduling unit. The objectives of the project are to improve court operations, enhanced protection and better proximity to court functions.
Foundation grant will enable health care reforms
The board voted to accept a grant from the KRESGE Foundation for the Emerging Leaders participants to apply the findings from a Public Health Resource Action Learning Project. The goal of the program is to position participants' agencies to thrive as health care reform and market forces transform the way public health agencies provide services and impact population health. The Hennepin County Public Health team worked to strengthen and centralize primary care and behavioral health resources along Hennepin County’s health care line of business, including Hennepin Health, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Metropolitan Health Plan, Hennepin County Medical Center and the Medical Examiner’s Office. The Public Health Department intends to use these funds to build a framework to determine if public health interventions and services contribute to local health system cost control.
Federal grant to expand teen pregnancy prevention work
The board voted to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue to fund the county’s teen pregnancy prevention efforts, through the Better Together Hennepin program. The county’s teen birth rate is half the rate it was when Better Together Hennepin launched in 2007. Better Together Hennepin brought together the county, schools, parents, faith communities, libraries, and community organizations together to provide four key elements that all young people need to delay parenthood until they become adults—healthy youth development programs, open and consistent communication with parents about sex and relationships, responsible sex education, and accessible reproductive health services. New programming will enable the county to target services in five Hennepin County cities with the highest birth rates.
Negotiations will proceed for Blue Line extension design
The County Board voted to authorize negotiations with Kimley-Horn and Associates regarding a contract to provide design services for the reconstruction of West Broadway Avenue and 93rd Avenue North in Brooklyn Park. The reconstruction project is to include new multiuse trails on each side improving the bicycle and pedestrian experience, boulevards for landscaping, and curb and gutter to route and treat stormwater. Construction is anticipated to occur between 2018 and 2020.
Listening sessions, other channels produce ideas for efficiency
The board approved the use of funds designated for innovation projects to reduce costs and improve collaboration and efficiency. As the result of administration listening sessions, an online form and email submissions, county employees generated 260 ideas. From that list, ideas were chosen based on how easy to implement the idea is, what the impact of the idea is and how sustainable the result will be. Six ideas will be funded as projects and include new ways to offer taxpayers customer service via text and chat, new volunteer programs, and communication kits for county employees holding public meetings.
Ordinance change will include fiber optic projects in some utility project proposals along county roads
The County Board approved a change to county ordinance to allow an expansion of fiber optic infrastructure as part of utility construction projects on county rights of way. The permits office typically issues 860 utility permits on an annual basis to public, private and nonprofit entities. Hennepin County Ordinance 22 governs the placement and maintenance of critical utilities, including electricity, natural gas, water, sewage, rainwater, telecommunications and cable and other services. Following the change, the county will be able to require contractors on targeted projects to include the fiber optic work, at the county’s expense. The change will allow the county to expand its fiber infrastructure at a lower cost and minimize construction disturbances, such as lane closures, detours and construction noise.
New categories for Youth Sports grants
The County Board amended the criteria for the Hennepin Youth Sports Program, which provides grants to local units of government to build, repair and renovate sports facilities, and to purchase sports equipment or small capital assets for use at sports facilities. The County Board also created a new grant category for playground purchases and enhancements, and reserved funding for a potential swimming lesson pilot project. Since the program began in 2009, 94 facilities grants have been awarded totaling more than $14.4 million, and 154 equipment and small asset grants have been awarded totaling more than $1 million. Applications will be available via the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. The deadline for submission is November 2.
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Paint to be included among household hazardous waste disposal options
The County Board approved an amendment to the State of Minnesota joint powers agreement for the operation of a household waste management program to handle disposal of architectural paint, which is interior and exterior coatings sold in containers of five gallons or less. The state will reimburse the county for expenses related to managing paint collected at the drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park and at seasonal household hazardous waste collection events. For more information, click here.
Amendment clarifies stance on e-cigarettes
The County Board agreed on an amendment to clarify that e-cigarettes are covered under the Tobacco Free Property Policy. Use of these electronic delivery devices on county-owned and leased property, including grounds, structures, parking ramps, parking lots, and equipment is prohibited.
HCRRA will support Met Council's capital grant application for transit
The County board, voting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, agreed to support the Metropolitan Council’s 2016 capital grant application to the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) for project development and engineering activities for the Bottineau Light Rail Transit (METRO Blue Line Extension); engineering, land acquisition, and construction activities for Southwest Light Rail Transit (METRO Green Line Extension); project development, engineering, and land acquisition activities for METRO Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit; and Mall of America Transit Station improvements. The program requires formal support from host counties for grant projects located within those counties.
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You're invited! In addition to our regularly scheduled board meetings, the County Board often meets for updates on Thursday mornings. These are informal opportunities to discuss emerging issues. No decisions are made, and the topics are subject to change. Board briefings occur in the board room on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center and are open to the public.
September 17
County role in emergency/disaster response
Child Protection –actions/improvements to date
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