News from Hennepin County

Commissioner_Marion_Greene

October 2014


IN THIS ISSUE


CONTACT US

Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883

Ray Hoover
Principal Aide
612-348-7125

Pam Fahlstrom
Administrative Assistant
612-348-0863


ABOUT THE DISTRICT

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

3rd District map

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GET INVOLVED

Business Recycling Grants

The commercial sector generates more than half of the total waste in Hennepin County, and nearly two-thirds of the waste created at businesses and non-profits is recyclable. Grants of up to $50,000 are available to help businesses and organizations start or improve programs to divert recyclables and organics from the trash. Grant applications are due October 15th- click here to learn more and visit the website here.

Property Taxes Due

Second half property taxes are due on October 15th, 2014. When the date falls on a weekend or holiday, the taxes are due the next business day.

For more information, click here.

Hennepin County Library Launches Redesigned Website

Hennepin County Library has upgraded its website in response to new technology and changing patron needs. It is part of a broader effort by Hennepin County to make sure county websites are accessible and easy to use. Check it out here.


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


E-NEWS ARCHIVE

July

August

September

Greetings!

We hope our newsletter serves as a resource for connecting to Hennepin County activities and staying updated on county news and services. 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. 

Best regards,

Marion


News

hennepin

Hennepin County positions for the future with 2015 proposed budget

Hennepin County Administrator David Hough proposed the 2015 budget to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners on September 9. The 2015 recommendation is $1.8 billion -- an increase of $4.9 million, or 0.27 percent, from the adjusted 2014 budget.

The proposed 2015 budget covers the equivalent of 7,656 full-time employees with the addition of 120 employees. The new positions are targeted to address emerging needs and critical staffing shortages. Although these numbers are up from 2014, it is still fewer employees than the county had in 2008. During the same period the county experienced caseload increases of nearly 50 percent.

Click here for more detail on the proposed budget.

Maximum tax levy set

The Board of Commissioners set a maximum property tax levy for 2015 of 2.75 percent on September 11. 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 we cannot set it higher.

The impact of the proposed maximum property tax levy, along with the proposed property tax levies for the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, is an approximate increase in property taxes of $36 or 3.8 percent for a median-valued home of $219,600.

Including 2015, Hennepin County’s property tax levy has increased by an average of just 0.19 percent per year over the past four years. In the meantime, changes in state and federal funding have made the county more reliant on the property tax levy to fund programs.

board

Budget public hearings and meetings

The board will hold a series of public meetings and hearings on the proposed 2015 budget beginning Thursday, Oct. 9, at 9:30 am. All budget meetings are held in the Board Room on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. Sixth St. in downtown Minneapolis, and are open to the public. For a schedule of public hearings and meetings, click here.

All the meetings can be viewed live on Metro Cable Network/Channel 6, with replay on Fridays at 8 p.m. and can be live streamed and on demand on the Hennepin County website at Board Meeting Videos here.

marion outside

YouthLink holds Night of Hope to support homeless youth

On the evening of Sunday, September 28, I joined Twin Cities business leaders and public officials for YouthLink's first ever Night of Hope. Modeled after a similar program in New York City, I slept outside with 50 business and community leaders to honor, raise awareness and raise money to support homeless youth. YouthLink MN's first Night of Hope was an amazing night, full of moments of reflection, and connections with YouthLink's Ambassadors and others.

Last year, YouthLink helped more than 2,300 young adults get access to basic needs, like a place to sleep, clothes, food, and medical attention. Check out YouthLink's website here.

railvolution

Rail-Volution showcases Minnesota transit success

Along with a national audience of 1,400 urban planners and transit enthusiasts, my staff and I were excited to attend Rail-Volution, a conference through which communities, organizations, and individuals share best practices for using transit and related development to strengthen regions and communities. Hennepin County was one sponsor of the conference.

Minnesota leaders told the story of how the Twin Cities metropolitan area was transformed into a community that invests in livability and mass transit, including light rail. During the five-day conference, attendees toured the recently completed Green Line and attended dozens of workshops on topics ranging from street walkability to bus-rapid transit to the use of mobile phones to enhance bus service. 

This was the first time the annual conference has been held in the Twin Cities. Next year it will be in Dallas. For more information, visit the website here.

 

5k

Hennepin County 5K

The District 3 team participated in the annual Hennepin 5K in September. This was the largest 5K to date, with 449 Hennepin County and Hennepin County Medical Center employees, friends, and family participating.

This is the third year the county has put on this event, one way Hennepin County works to enhance the health and well-being of our employees. 19 different departments signed up for the walk or run. They were held at various times during the day to accommodate as many schedules as we could.

In addition to encouraging employees to be healthy and enjoy some camaraderie, money was raised for the Special Gift Fund. This is a fund dedicated to our neediest clients – with 100% of those donations going to the people we serve. This year, some of the money raised will buy pack-n-plays for hospitals and for social workers to bring to homes so babies will have a safe place to sleep.

vote

Absentee voting

Absentee voting for the 2014 general election began on Friday, September 19 and will run through Monday, November 3. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.

This year Minnesotans will elect a U.S. senator, U.S. representatives, the governor and a wide variety of state, county, city and school district offices. In Hennepin County, residents will elect three commissioners, the sheriff and the county attorney.

Any eligible voter may vote by absentee ballot for any reason, and absentee ballots can be cast by mail, in person, or by having someone you know pick up and deliver the ballot.

For more information about voting and elections, click here or call the Hennepin County at 612-348-5151.

How healthy are we?

Over the next several months, people in 60,000 households in the Twin Cities metropolitan area will be asked to provide information about their health in the Metro SHAPE survey. Eight public health departments serving all cities in six counties are conducting a voluntary, confidential survey as part of ongoing efforts to determine the health status and needs of the community.

During the past 15 years, the health departments have conducted similar surveys to identify local health issues.

For more information about the Metro SHAPE 2014 survey visit www.metroshape.us.

transit

Metro Transit receives federal grant for bus shelter improvements

Metro Transit will receive $3.26 million dollars in a grant from the Federal Transit Administration to improve, replace, and construct bus facilities, particularly focused on areas of high poverty and high dependence on transit. The focus will be on bus stop improvements to ensure safe, quality facilities in disadvantaged areas. Metro Transit expects to install 150 new shelters, replace between 75 and 100 shelters and enhance 75 existing shelters with amenities like light, heat and more transit information. In addition, partnerships with local schools and training centers will better connect residents to education and employment opportunities.

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County Profile

To learn more about the work of Hennepin County, we've started a profile series with county employees who live in District 3. Each month will spotlight a person from varying departments and occupations.

rosemary Lavin

Rosemary Lavin

Rosemary is the Assistant Director of Environmental Protective Services. She is a resident of the Whittier neighborhood, and has been with the county for more than 26 years. Click here to learn more about how Rosemary makes Hennepin County tick.

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Board meeting highlights

September 11

Board adopts maximum property tax levy, sets public hearings about levy and budget

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved a maximum property-tax levy for 2015 of $699.9 million, 2.75 percent higher than the 2014 levy. The impact of the proposed maximum property tax levy, along with the proposed property tax levies for the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, results in an approximate increase in property taxes of $36 or 3.8 percent for a median valued home. Read more

Board accepts additional funding for redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes

The board approved an agreement for an additional $600,000 in funding from Minnesota Housing and Finance for redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes in the City of Brooklyn Park. The funds are part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1. 

September 30

County receives additional funding for environmental cleanup

The board approved two agreements that would provide additional funding for clean-up efforts on contaminated lands, also known as brownfields. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided $450,000 in additional brownfields revolving loan funds to the county making the new total $1.95 million. This will allow the county to make an existing $1 million available to municipalities and developers for the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites through September 30, 2019. The county also received two grants totaling $400,000 to assess eligible brownfield project sites for potential hazardous substance and petroleum contamination located along six transit corridors.

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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 30

Child Protection

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