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For release: April 22, 2014

Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Public Affairs, 612-348-5969

News release

County board actions for April 22

New access set for I-35W North at 3rd and 4th Streets South

The Board approved agreements and cost sharing with MnDOT and the City of Minneapolis to award a contract and oversee construction of access to northbound I-35W at 3rd and 4th Streets South. The access will help reduce afternoon traffic congestion along Washington Avenue in the vicinity of I-35W and the University of Minnesota West Bank.  

Job fairs target racial, employment disparities

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to fund at least five industry-specific and geographically-targeted job fairs in 2014.  The funds are administered through the Hennepin-Carver Workforce Investment Board (WIB), and the job fairs will be managed by the City of Minneapolis Employment and Training Program (METP). The events will target low income and unemployed residents of Minneapolis and neighboring suburbs, particularly those in geographic areas with concentrated racial and employment disparities. Organizers anticipate 100 employers and 2,000 attendees.

Research on managing contaminated soil at cleanup sites

The Board approved an agreement to fund Minnesota Brownfields to continue its administration of the Environmental Response Fund (ERF) Brownfields Gap Financing program which provides timely small brownfields assessment and cleanup grants to municipalities and non-profit organizations.  The agreement also provides funding for Minnesota Brownfields to implement the recommendations of the draft Soil Reuse Study report, which will seek to facilitate policy and legislative changes to enable more cost-effective and sustainable practices for the management of marginally-contaminated soil from brownfields redevelopment projects.

Support for prohibiting e-cigarettes under the Clean Indoor Air Act 

The board voted to support the definition of "smoke" and its delivery to include electronic delivery systems under the Clean Indoor Air Act (Senate File 2087). The provision prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in schools, permits municipalities to regulate the use of e-cigarettes and tobacco in the same manner, bans the self-sale/vending machine sale of e-cigarettes, and allows for fines for e-cigarette sales to teens. 

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Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.