News from District 3

Commissioner_Marion_Greene

October 2015

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IN THIS ISSUE


CONTACT US

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

Unfortunately, there will not be office hours in October. I’ll be attending Railvolution, a conference that showcases the link between land use, transportation and development. Office hours will continue in November, but in the meantime If you'd like to meet with me, use the contact information above. For more information on Railvolution, click here.


ABOUT THE DISTRICT

The 3rd District serves the city of St. Louis Park, and parts of west and downtown Minneapolis.

3rd District map

View larger map


GET INVOLVED

2016 Budget Hearing Schedule

In September, the board is held a series of public hearings on the proposed 2016 budget. The process continues in November.

Monday, November 2 
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Capital Budgeting Task Force (CBTF) Report/Capital Presentation/Fees

Tuesday, December 1 
6 p.m.
Board holds Truth-in-Taxation public meeting

Thursday, December 10 
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Budget Amendments

Friday, December 11 
10 a.m. to noon
Budget Amendments

Friday, December 11 
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (if needed).
Budget Amendments

Tuesday, December 15 
1:30 p.m.

County Board approves the 2016 budget and levy at its regularly scheduled board meeting.

All meetings happen in the County Board Room of the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.


COUNTY RESOURCES

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,

sig

News

naco

Hennepin County programs get recognition from national association

The National Association of Counties recently gave top honors to 10 innovative county programs, and during our meeting on September 22, we presented those awards to staff. Here I am with Kelly Clausen, who organized GEO:CODE, the county's first code-a-thon. For details and a full list of awards, click here.

Child Protection Oversight Committee appointed

The County Board authorized creation of the Child Protection Oversight committee in July to provide direction and oversight for implementation of improvements in the Child Protection system in Hennepin County. These system changes are the result of recommendations from the Casey Family Programs study of county practices and new requirements issued by the state legislature and Department of Human Services. Committee members will include:

  • Ann Ahlstrom, Hennepin County Human Services (co-chair)
  • Mike Opat, Hennepin County Commissioner (co-chair)
  • Janis Callison, Hennepin County Board chair
  • Craig Enevoldsen, Brooklyn Park Police Chief
  • Eric Fenner, Casey Family Programs
  • Anne Gearity, University of Minnesota School of Social Work
  • Jim Koppel, Minnesota Department of Human Services, Children and Family Services
  • Judge Anne McKeig, Fourth Judicial District Court
  • Dr. Alice Swenson, Children's Hospital and Clinics 
  • Darrell Thompson, Bolder Options youth development
  • Noya Woodrich, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches
  • Tim Zuell, Hennepin County Attorney's Office

To help describe all that the Oversight Committee has been tasked with, here is my statement from the time of its creationAs chair of the Board’s Health and Human Services committee, I look forward to the short and long-term recommendations generated by the Oversight Committee.

greenway

Pilot connects Midtown Greenway and nearby destinations

Colorful signage and other temporary design experiments have been attracting the attention of bicyclists and pedestrians at four key access points on the Midtown Greenway.

Developed by the urban design team at the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with staff from Hennepin County, the Midtown Greenway Coalition and the Lake Street Council, the pop-up improvements include creative wayfinding signage on fences and bridges over the greenway, painted icons and other designs on the pavement, bike racks, and a variety of seating and games.

The installations, which went up in August and September, are designed to point greenway users to destinations along Lake Street and in nearby neighborhoods. The main goal is to build on the success of the Greenway, which has more than 1.5 million users annually, in order to enhance and strengthen nearby residential and business communities. 

yl

YouthLink holds Night of Hope to support homeless youth

On the evening of Sunday, September 27, I joined Twin Cities business leaders and public officials for YouthLink's Night of Hope. I slept outside to honor, raise awareness and raise money to support homeless youth. 

The next night I was able to return to my bed at home, and felt in a deeper way how lucky I am to have one.

Last year, YouthLink helped thousands of young adults get access to basic needs, like a place to sleep, clothes, food, and medical attention. Check out YouthLink's website here.

In January 2016 the State Office to End Homelessness will announce a plan to end youth homelessness in Minnesota. I look forward to being a strong partner in that plan for Hennepin County.

marion visit

Juvenile Service Center tour

This week I had the opportunity to tour Juvenile Services Centers in Hastings and Red Wing. Seeing the facilities was important to me as it relates to my work on Hennepin County's No Wrong Door initiative, as well as my interest in Hennepin County's Girls Continuum of Care, which ensures that young women receive services that are female and culturally responsive, trauma-informed and trauma recovery focused in order to lead successful lives. 

Marion Joyce

Joyce Preschool visit

In September I had the opportunity to read to children at Joyce Preschool. Joyce operates a Spanish-English dual immersion program to prepare children for kindergarten, and maintains a balance of children from Spanish and English speaking families. I was excited to visit because of my own interest in early childhood development. Investing in children in their earliest years gives them the best chance at success in later life. To learn more about Joyce, click here.


Hennepin County Profile

joe

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.

Joe Scala

Joe Scala is a resident of the Loring Park neighborhood, and is a Planning Analyst in the Community Works Department

Click here to find out how Joe makes Hennepin County tick.

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Board meeting highlights

2016 draft budget includes child protection system changes, election upgrades

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a draft budget that would improve the safety of children, modernize the county’s elections system and support self-sufficiency and workforce initiatives.

This budget reflects county administration recommendations. The board will finalize the budget and levy, after consideration and amendments, on December 15. The maximum property tax levy represents an increase of $31.2 million or 4.48 percent from last year’s adjusted levy.

The board is required by state law to adopt a maximum property tax levy in September. Commissioners may later approve a property tax levy that is lower than the approved maximum, but they cannot set it higher than the maximum adopted the September 10 meeting. In November, property owners will receive a notice that shows the impact of the county maximum levy on their properties, as well as the impact of taxes proposed by other local units of government, such as cities and school districts. The full budget is up for approval December 15.

Some elements of the proposed 2016 budget include:

Child protection
A plan to improve the safety of children in the county includes increasing critical staff and reexamining current work practices.

Elections
In preparation for national and local elections in 2016, the county is updating voting equipment. 

Self-sufficiency and workforce initiatives
As Baby Boomer employees retire, the Career Connections program identifies, trains and hires qualified candidates for gateway county positions with opportunities for additional education and advancement. 

Board approves preliminary design plans for Green Line Extension project

The Hennepin County Board voted to approve the revised preliminary design plans for the Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) project. The vote follows a joint public hearing held by the Metropolitan Council, the Hennepin County Board and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) on August 27 to receive public comment.

The revised plans were approved by the Metropolitan Council in July. They reduce the estimated cost of the project by approximately $250 million and include design changes in several areas along the proposed LRT route. The Metropolitan Council has received municipal consent from the cities along the route.

Pilot youth sports program fund to improve access to swimming lessons

The board approved a proposal to dedicate $35,000 of the 2016 Youth Sports Program funding for a pilot project to improve access to swimming lessons for youth and communities who are underserved in Hennepin County. The resolution noted that during the first eight months of 2015, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 11 drownings and 16 near-drownings, and that nationwide, drowning rates for African American children are triple the rate for white children in the same age range. The Youth Sports Program is an initiative that awards grants to improve youth sports and recreation facilities in Hennepin County. 


Board briefings

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.

October 8
Vendor Compliance

October 22
Trail and Excess Land Review

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