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Jan Callison
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Dave Nuckols
Principal Aide
612-348-6885
Cassi Holmstrom Administrative Assistant & Scheduling
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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Understanding your property tax
Hennepin County is the first local government in Minnesota to offer grants to businesses to improve recycling. The business sector generates more than half of the total waste in Hennepin County, and nearly two-thirds of waste created by businesses is recyclable.
Hennepin County has staff to answer questions about the grant application, review project ideas, evaluate potential costs and savings, and offer resources to start and improve recycling and organics programs.
Click on more information, and to apply, visit here.
For assistance, contact Andre Xiong at andre.x.xiong@co.hennepin.mn.us or call 612-543-1316.
 Discontinuation of Passport Services at Service Centers
Effective November 1, 2013 Hennepin County will no longer offer passport appication services. The Brookdale, Maple Grove, Southdale, and Ridgedale service centers will be affected.
The U.S. State Department established a new rule effective May 1, 2013 requiring the county's service centers to physically separate passport services from "identification functions" and "birth record functions."
The discontinuation of passport application services allows these centers to once again accept applications for first time driver's licenses, state identification cards and instruction permits.
Service Centers Now Accept VISA Credit Cards
After VISA changed its policy nationally, Hennepin County Service Centers will now accept VISA credit cards as a payment option for all service center transactions.
If you use a VISA, Master Card or Discover Card for payment, you will incur a 2.45% convenience fee on the total amount charged.
 Hennepin County Library to Add Open Hours in 2014
Hennepin County Libraries will add 249 open hours per week to most of its 41-library system beginning in January 2014.
The additional hours are part of a new framework that will create four library groups based on patron use trends and assign a set of open hours to each group.
The Hennepin County LIbrary system serves 1.2 million county residents with almost 70 percent of those residents active library card holders.
Read the news release for more information and check out a map of the location of libraries in the proposed four groups.
Retirees to the Rescue
Retirees to the Rescue (RTR) is a program that allows retired Hennepin County property owners to work off their property tax by working for the county on a temporary basis. This year marks the program’s 10-year anniversary.
The RTR program allows Hennepin County departments to hire retirees for up to six months at a time to help with short- or long-term projects.
The program provides a great service to both the county and the community by allowing capable retirees to put their skills to use in the workplace again.
Contact the Human Resources Service Center at 612-348-7855 or HR.ServiceCenter@co.hennepin.mn.us.
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Greetings,
I hope you are enjoying my electronic newsletters, and find them interesting and informative about county activities. 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
September 12, 2013
Board Approves Agreement for Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program
An agreement with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) to provide funds for homeless prevention and Rapid - Exit services from county paid shelters was approved. The County will accept $4,004,500 to fund services for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015.
FHPAP services are aimed at preventing homelessness and quickly re-housing people who become homeless. These include financial assistance to pay rent; legal services to negotiate tenancy and eviction issues; Rapid- Exit services to resettle homeless families and singles staying in county-paid shelters; youth services to reunify families or stabilize youth housing; and transitional housing for families at high risk of homelessness recidivism.
An outcome report is completed annually in November and copies are provided to the board.
Purchasing Agreement among Metropolitan Counties Approved
A resolution was adopted that establishes a cooperative purchasing agreement among metropolitan counties. The County will enter into a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) that authorizes member counties' representatives to share their purchasing powers.
A JPA helps secure the most favorable terms and conditions on the purchase of equipment, materials, supplies and services commonly purchased by counties that support areas such as community corrections, libraries and law enforcement.
2014 Proposed Budget Accepted and Maximum PropertyTax Levy Set
The Board approved a 2014 maximum property tax levy of $681,253,275 and a proposed budget of $1,776,494,744. A budget hearing schedule was approved, a public hearing for public input and a date for final approval of the 2014 budget and levy adoption were set.
A public hearing commonly referred to as Truth-in-Taxation was scheduled for Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. to obtain public comment on the 2014 budget and levy; free parking will be provided to residents testifying at this hearing who park in the Government Center ramp after 5:00 p.m.
A meeting for the final 2014 budget and levy adoption has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The final tax levy adopted in December may be lower than the approved maximum but the final tax levy cannot be set higher than the maximum that was adopted.
2014 Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority Property Tax Levy Set
The Board acting as the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) set a maximum HCHRA property tax levy of $7.9 million.
2014 Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority Property Tax Levy Set
The Board acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) set a maximum HCHRRA property tax levy of $24 million.
Agendas and 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 Board Action.
September 24, 2013
Board Appoints Two Members to Nine-Mile Creek Watershed District Board
The Board re-appointed Steven Kloiber and welcomed Louise Segreto to the watershed district board. The five member board is responsible for the development of and ongoing updates to the district's water management plan.
County Pedestrian Plan Approved
The 2030 Hennepin County Transportation Systems Plan, approved in 2011, recommends the county develop a pedestrian systems plan.
The Pedestrian Plan recommendations include the following strategies and targets:
- Integrate pedestrian crossing improvements into projects to reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes by 50% and reduce pedestrian fatalities to zero
- Strategically expand the county's sidewalk and trail network along at least 74% of Hennepin County Roads to increase the percentage of Hennepin County residents who walk to a destination at least once a week to 78%
- Continuously review policy and process improvements associated with the goals identified in the Pedestrian Plan
Luce Line Trail Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Planned
An agreement with Three Rivers Park District for construction and maintenance of the bridge was approved. The Luce Line Trail bridge will provide a safer way to cross Xenium Lane in Plymouth. Three Rivers Park District will retain ownership and be responsible for any subsequent maintenance, repair or replacement.
Agendas and 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 Board Action.
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 Boardroom on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center and are open to the public.
Sept. 19, 2013
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Hennepin County Library Open Hours recommendation—Library staff has been working to standardize hours among the 41 libraries in the Hennepin County system. Their proposal places libraries into four groups and provides consistent library hours within each group. Overall, the proposal adds 249 hours across the system, makes Ask Us and Help Desk available during all open hours, and creates four sets of open hours instead of the current 15. While most libraries will be open more hours, four libraries (Champlin, Oxboro, Westonka and Maple Plain) will be open slightly fewer hours and three libraries (Roosevelt, Southeast and Webber Park) will see no change in the number of hours. All of this is accomplished with existing funds.
Board and Committee Meetings Cancelled
- The committee meeting scheduled for October 15 and the board meeting scheduled for October 22 have been cancelled.
Public Hearings
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A public hearing on the county's 2014-2018 Capital Improvement Program will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. in the Hennepin County Board Room;
- A public hearing to consider fee changes by various departments will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Property Taxes are Due October 15
Make it easy on yourself to pay current or prior year tax payments. Payments are much more convenient with our automated online services:
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E-check — one-time payment of taxes directly from your checking or savings account
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Direct Debit — deduct current taxes from your bank account automatically, on time for every installment, on a recurring basis
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Credit or Debit Card — pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover
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In person — pay with cash or check at any Hennepin County Service Center or on the sixth floor of the Hennepin County Government Center. MapIt!
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Mail — payment must be postmarked on or before due date; otherwise penalties will apply. Make your checks payable to the Hennepin County Treasurer and mail to:Hennepin County Treasurer, A-600 Government Center, 300 S 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487
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Escrow — property taxes may be included as part of your mortgage payment. We send payment information to your mortgage company/lending institution and a copy to you. Contact your mortgage company or lending institution with questions about escrow.
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