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Jan Callison
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Allyson Lueneburg
Principal Aide
612-348-6885
Becky Westergren
Administrative Assistant
612-348-3168
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners consists of one commissioner from each of seven districts. I am proud to represent Deephaven, north Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Long Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, northern Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and Woodland.
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Service Center information
Southwest light rail
Understanding your property tax
I am pleased to announce that Becky Westergren has come on board as my administrative assistant. Previously, Becky worked at the County with the Board Clerk's office and the County Auditor's Office..
You can reach Becky at 612.348.3168 or Becky Westergren
The Hennepin County Board voted to accept a grant for $125,000 from the KRESGE
Foundation for the Emerging Leaders to apply the findings from a Public Health
Resource Action Learning Project. In December 2014 Susan Palchick, Hennepin
County Public Health Director, and Stephanie Abel, Manager-Public Health
Integrated Care, were selected to participate. The Hennepin County team was one
of only 12 selected in a nationwide search. The goal of the 16-month 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.
The Child and Teen Checkups program connects children in low-income families to preventive health care. Hennepin County Child and Teen Checkups staff help families find medical care, dental care, or other specialists, and then staff assist with scheduling appointments, transportation, and arranging interpreters if needed.
The participation rate in Hennepin County’s program was 83 percent, the best in the state and two percent higher than the 2013 rate.
This achievement happened at a time when 2,000 more children were added to the pool of eligible clients who are children 0-17 years of age and are receiving Medical Assistance. Hennepin County has an estimated 45,000 families with 112,000 children who are eligible for Child and Teen Checkups.
Program information can be found on the county webpage.
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.
Businesses and organizations in the coupon book offer used goods
for rent, repair, resale, consign, trade or exchange. Why reuse? You save
money, get great stuff, contribute to the local economy and help the
environment. Last year, Hennepin County residents redeemed 28,000 Choose to
Reuse coupons.
For more information, visit www.hennepin.us/choosetoreuse or call
612-348-3777.
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Greetings,
I hope you are enjoying my electronic newsletters, and find them interesting and informative about county activities. In addition to my monthly newsletter, the county sends various
newsletters and notifications available by email or text message. To explore the many opportunities to
subscribe or to change your preferences, visit the subscription webpage.
Please feel free to send me your comments through my feedback form on issues that concern you or you would like covered. I value your opinions.
Warm regards,
Jan Callison
August 11, 2015
Negotiations will proceed for roadway redesign in conjunction with Blue Line extension
The County Board voted to authorize negotiations with
Kimley-Horn and Associates regarding a $2.2 million contract to provide design
services for the reconstruction of West Broadway Avenue and 93rd Avenue North
in Brooklyn Park. The county is seeking design, public involvement, and
coordination expertise for this project while accommodating for future transit
along West Broadway (Metropolitan Council’s Blue Line Extension light rail
transit project). 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.
Negotiations with City of Bloomington OK'd
The county board authorized negotiation of an agreement with the
city of Bloomington to lease space at the city’s civic campus for a relocated
district court facility. The proposed long-term lease would allow the county to
build a two-story, 28,000 square foot addition on the city campus at 1800 West
Old Shakopee Road. Hennepin County and the city will share proportionately
operating and maintenance costs associated with the new facility. The City of
Bloomington will provide property management functions. The next step necessary
to move forward is authorization to negotiate the agreement by the City of
Bloomington.
This action is part of a larger effort to relocate the county’s service center
and district court facilities from the Southdale Regional Center to enable
redevelopment of the site at 7009 York Avenue South in Edina. The service
center will move to space at Southdale Shopping Center; the county will work
with the City of Edina on a mixed use development that will include a new
library.
Listening sessions, other channels produce ideas for efficiency
The board approved the use of $230,000 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.
August 25, 2015
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. The estimated annual reimbursement amount is
$700,000.
Agreement with Carver County moves Flying Cloud Drive project forward
The County Board approved a joint powers agreement with Carver
County for the reconstruction and widening of Flying Cloud Drive (Hennepin
County Road 61) between Carver County Road 101 in Chanhassen and Charlston Road
in Eden Prairie. Carver County will reimburse Hennepin County for project costs
incurred within Carver. The project will include two new bridges, nine
retaining walls and a shared use path. Reconstruction of 3.5 lane miles in both
counties is scheduled to begin in 2017, with completion expected in 2019.
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. The 2016
Hennepin Youth Sports Program grant cycle will total $2.25 million. Of that amount,
$1.8 million will be allocated for facilities grants; $250,000 will allocated
for the purchase of equipment and/or other small capital assets; $125,000
allocated for playground projects; and $35,000 is reserved for swimming
lessons if that pilot project is approved at a future meeting. 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.
Agendas and minutes of action taken by the Hennepin County Board are posted under Hennepin County meetings and agendas. For greater detail on the above agenda items and additional board actions, visit county news releases.
In addition to our regularly scheduled board meetings, the board
often meets on Thursday mornings to receive board briefings. These are
informal opportunities to discuss emerging issues. No decisions are
made. Board briefings occur in the board room on the 24th floor of the
Hennepin County Government Center and are open to the public.
August 13, 2015
Specialty Courts
Four
“adult problem solving courts” operate in Hennepin County: DWI Court, Model Drug Court, Criminal Mental
Health Court and Veterans Court. Two
other specialty courts also operate here for Minneapolis offenders: G.I.F.T. (Gaining Independence for Females in
Transition, i.e. women on probation for prostitution offenses) and HOMES
(Housing Outreach for Minneapolitans Establishing Stability, i.e.
individuals who are homeless or were recently homeless and are in need of
services to remain housed). Judge Meyer
and court staff reviewed various aspects of these court such as admission
criteria, financial and personnel resources, completion rate for participants
and recidivism. They also identified
challenges, including the need for additional resources and, in some instances,
the need for more engagement of suburban prosecutors.
August 27, 2015
Early childhood scholarship funding
In
2014 and 2015, the County Board authorized the investment of additional resources
in early childhood services, particularly in the areas of early screening,
enhanced training for childcare providers and scholarships for early childhood
care and education. Many of these
resources are targeted towards young children in the foster care system or who
are in out-of-home placement. At this
briefing, staff reported on the positive results that they are seeing so far
from these additional resources. They
discussed the expected impact of new state resources that were approved by the
Legislature in 2015 and the growth in need.
September 8, 2015
Housing block grant public hearing
The Public Works, Energy
and Environment Committee will hold a hearing for public comment on the program
year 2014 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report related to the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block
Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs in
suburban Hennepin County. The hearing will be held Tuesday, September 8, 2015
at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be held in Room A-2400 of the Hennepin County
Government Center in the City of Minneapolis. Read the draft report at www.hennepin.us/CAPER
September 10, 2015
Hiawatha Avenue housing project public hearing
The Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 10, 2015, commencing on or after 1:30 p.m. in the Hennepin County Commissioner Board Room (A-2400) at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South Sixth Street, in the City of Minneapolis to consider a housing program for the issuance by the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority of revenue obligations to finance a multifamily housing development located in the City of Minneapolis. The project proposed to be financed under the Housing Program consists of the acquisition,
rehabilitation, redevelopment, and adaptive reuse of an existing industrial building and related
structures located at 4041 Hiawatha Avenue in the City of Minneapolis into an approximately 78-
unit multifamily rental housing development.
October 3, 2015 - November 14, 2015
Wayzata Library to close temporarily for renovation
Hennepin County Library – Wayzata, 620 Rice St., Wayzata, will close for renovation Saturday,
Oct. 3, 5 p.m. The library is scheduled to re-open Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m.
Improvements will include an enhanced children’s area, a redesigned
teen area, and the addition of two small public meeting rooms. The library will
also receive new carpeting and furniture including comfortable seating arranged
in areas that utilize natural daylight. Better access to power outlets will be
provided for patrons.
During the six-week closure, Wayzata Library patrons are encouraged to
visit other Hennepin County libraries: Plymouth Library is
located at 15700 36th Ave. N.; Ridgedale Library is at 12601 Ridgedale Dr. in Minnetonka; and Long Lake Library is
at 1865 Wayzata Blvd. W.
Patrons who face a barrier to using a nearby library may contact the
Library’s At Home Service at 612-543-8850.
Look for more news
on the Hennepin County Library website: http://www.hclib.org/about/news
October 30, 2015
Business District Initiative
Hennepin County is seeking proposals from suburban municipalities for the implementation of strategies to enhance the economic vitality of priority small business districts and main streets.
Proposals will be accepted through October 30, 2015 for funding to be announced in February 2016. For more information visit the business assistance webpage.
November 2, 2015
Youth Sports Program grant application deadline
The facility and fall equipment application deadline is 4:00 PM on Monday, November 2, 2015.
The Hennepin Youth Sports Program makes grants to local governments to improve youth athletic and recreation facilities and to purchase capital equipment. State of Minnesota law authorizing the construction of Target Field allows Hennepin County to use proceeds from the 0.15% sales tax surcharge to award over $2 million each year for sports facilities and equipment. Since 2009 the program has awarded over $15 million to communities throughout Hennepin County. This same amount has been used to keep Hennepin County libraries open on Sundays as well.
For more information please visit the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission.
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