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Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
@MarionGreene
Pam Fahlstrom
Administrative Assistant
612-348-0863
The 3rd District serves
the city of St.
Louis Park, and parts of west and downtown Minneapolis.
 View larger map
Budget hearings and other dates set
The board scheduled public hearings for adoption of the 2017
budget and levy, and set a schedule for the Budget and Capital Investment
Committee to consider the proposed 2017 budget. The meetings will proceed as
follows:
County administrator presents proposed 2017 budget to County
Board
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 1:30 p.m.
County Board vote on 2017 maximum tax levy and budget
Tuesday, September 20, 2016, 1:30 p.m.
Public safety
Thursday, September 22, 2016, 1 – 4 p.m.
Library/Operations
Monday, September 26, 2016, 1 – 4 p.m.
Health
Tuesday, September 27, 2016, 9 a.m. – noon
Human Services and Public Health
Thursday, September 29, 2016, 1 – 4 p.m.
Public Works
Friday, September 30, 2016, 1 – 4 p.m..
Human Services and Public Health
Thursday, October 6, 2016, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (follow-up, if
needed)
Capital Budgeting Task Force and fees
Thursday, October 20, 2016 – 9 a.m. – noon
Truth-in-Taxation public meeting
Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 6 p.m. Participants can park
for free after 5 p.m. in the Government Center ramp. Enter on 3rd Avenue.
Administrator amendments
Wednesday, December 7, 2016, during Budget and Capital
Investment Committee meeting
Commissioner amendments
Monday, December 12, 2016, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
County Board vote on 2017 budget and levy
Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 1:30 p.m.
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
Here's a quick look at the last 6 months. To see more, check my website under "Stay Connected."
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Welcome to this month’s District 3 newsletter. Wishing
you a happy and safe Independence Day!
Hennepin County to help preserve affordable homes for
residents
On June 14, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners,
voting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, agreed to invest $3 million
in a fund that will be used to finance the purchase of about 530 units of
existing affordable housing in the county.
The county's investment is part of a $25 million metro-area
initiative by the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, to acquire these units to
keep them affordable. The program will target rental properties that are
at risk of being converted to higher rents, and where low- and moderate-income
residents are at risk of being displaced. In Hennepin County, housing
costs for 150,000 families consume more than 30 percent of their gross
incomes; for about 60,000 households, rent is in excess of 50 percent of their
incomes.
In this housing market, nonprofit and socially minded
developers cannot compete with investors who are ready to purchase properties
with cash on hand, ready to renovate and raise the rent.
The balance of the initial $25 million invested in this project
is expected to come from institutional, philanthropic and socially conscious
investors.
Learn more about the fund
Update on Hennepin County's No Wrong Door Initiative
Following the passage of the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Youth Law in July of 2011, Hennepin County developed its No Wrong Door Initiative to prevent the sexual exploitation of youth.
Accomplishments to-date (highlights):
- Contracted with trauma-informed, evidence-based and victim-centered programs
- Secured funding from Women’s Foundation for Sheriff’s Office Criminal Information Sharing Analyst
- Created report, “Voice of Safe Harbor: Survivor and Youth Input for Minnesota’s Model Protocol on Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Youth” (report found here)
- Initiated formation of committee to address sex trafficking during Super Bowl 2018
2016-17 strategies highlights:
- Create and implement plan for Super Bowl 2018
- Develop on-going staff training
- Strengthen community partnerships, particularly with educators
 Hennepin County receives Bicycle Friendly Business award
Earlier this month, Hennepin
County received a silver-level "Bicycle
Friendly Business" award from the League of American
Bicyclists. This designation recognizes the county's efforts in creating a
more welcoming atmosphere for employees who bike to work. The county provides a
variety of resources for employees who bike to work, including secured bike
parking, reimbursement for biking expenses and education and encouragement
events like Bike to Work Day, bike maintenance and winter biking classes. Read
more about the bike commuting resources Hennepin County provides here.
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 Southdale Service Center Opens
On June 13, Hennepin County opened a service center in Southdale Mall as part of an ongoing effort to increase services to residents where they live. To learn more about Service Centers and to see what services the Southdale Site offers, click here.
 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.
Markus Klimenko
Markus Klimenko is a resident of the Tangletown neighborhood in south Minneapolis, and is the Program Manager of Housing and Homeless Initiatives in the Human Services and Public Health department.
Click here to find out how Markus makes Hennepin County tick.
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Additional staff to meet new state requirements for Medical
Assistance
The Hennepin County Board approved a Human Services increase of 54 staff to
manage new state-imposed Medical Assistance eligibility review requirements and
the transfer of 41,000 clients’ records to a new management system. The county
does not control and cannot modify the state imposed system and processes.
Human Services estimates that the additional workload eventually could require
110 to 120 additional full-time positions. The positions will increase the
department’s labor costs by $2.7 million annually; the federal government is
expected to reimburse $1.5 million through Medicaid, and state Department of
Human Services has allocated $352,000 toward the county’s additional staff
costs. Human Services leadership will assess operations in the second half of
2016 to determine if more staffing is needed in 2017.
Learn more about the additional staffing need
Back to top
 Funding extension approved for Southwest Light Rail
project
Voting as the Regional Railroad Authority, the board voted to
continue funding project development on the Southwest Light Rail from downtown
to Eden Prairie, also known as the Green Line Extension. Initially,
funding was set to end July 1; the
funding is not increased, but is now is extended through September. The measure was necessary because
expected state funding for the project was not approved during the State
Legislature's 2016 session. No new funds were
allocated.
Learn more about the extension
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Washington Avenue Bridge will be repaired
after fire
The board approved a $98,000 plan to repair damage on the
Washington Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River, from a fire last January.
The fire occurred under the Minneapolis bridge in an area for maintaining
utility facilities. The fire and subsequent abatement operation resulted in
distortion of bridge structural steel beams. Transportation department staff
has inspected the structure and verified that the bridge may remain open to
traffic; however, it is necessary to repair the damage.
Learn more about the the repair plan
 Carl Michaud appointed to lead Public Works
The board appointed Carl Michaud as assistant county administrator
for Public Works. Michaud has been serving in an interim role for the past
several months. Before his interim appointment, he was director of the
Environment and Energy Department since 2007. In 29 years at Hennepin County,
including 9 years as director of the Environmental Services Department, he
worked on municipal solid waste management, hazardous waste management, energy
issues and natural resources protection.
Read more about the appointment
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Public hearing: Proposed property transfer at
Penn and Plymouth avenues
The board voted to establish a hearing on the proposed transfer
of property at the southeast and southwest corners of Penn and Plymouth Avenues North in Minneapolis. A proposed plan is to use the parcels for a mixed use
development that will include an expansion of the NorthPoint Health &
Wellness Center, and related parking facilities on the southeast corner, and a
relocated Estes Funeral Chapel on the southwest corner. The hearing will be
held Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.
Learn more about the NorthPoint Helath & Wellness
expansion plan
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. Call my office to confirm briefing time and location.
July 14 Mental Health Needs
July 28 Mental Health Needs
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