July 2016 E-Newsletter

Jan Callison banner 2016

Serving Deephaven, northern Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Long Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, northern Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and Woodland.


July 2016


CONTACT INFO

Jan Callison
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886 

Allyson Lueneburg
Principal Aide
612-348-6885

Christine Hoyles
Administrative Assistant
612-348-3168


ABOUT THE 6th DISTRICT

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.

View map enlargement

Callison 2013 district map

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Find past issues of my monthly newsletter.


MORE COUNTY INFO

County departments, agencies & other entities

Elected & appointed officials

Hennepin County libraries

Hennepin County Medical Center

Hennepin volunteers

Online services

Phone directory

Service Center information

Southwest light rail

Understanding your property tax


Registration for the Fall Citizens Academy is open

Have you ever wanted to learn more about how county government works or to visit county facilities?

Hennepin County offers a seven-week series where you learn about how county government works by meeting with county leaders and learning about all of the services that the county provides.

The weekly sessions are held at various facilities across the county.

The academy is free to the public but participants must be at least 18 years of age.

To learn more about the Hennepin County Citizens Academy and to register, please visit the webpage.


Needles and sharps now accepted for disposal at county drop-off facilities

needles

Hennepin County’s drop-off facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington now accept needles and sharps, at no charge to residential consumers. It is important to manage and dispose of needles, lancets and syringes safely to prevent injury and disease transmission. Locate a drop-off facility

This program is available to residential customers only. County facilities will not accept waste from healthcare facilities, pharmacies, pharmaceutical representatives, doctors’ offices and veterinary clinics.

Note: Unused medicines contained in sharps, such as EpiPens, should not be brought to the county drop-off facilities. Find guidelines for storage and disposal options on the county’s Green Disposal Guide.

For more information about the drop-off program, call Hennepin County Environment and Energy department, 612-348-3777 or email environment@hennepin.us.


Southdale Service Center Grand Opening

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On June 13th I had the honor of celebrating the opening of our eighth Hennepin County Service Center located in Southdale Center. I was joined by my colleagues on the County Board, County staff and city partners from Edina, Richfield and Bloomington. Hennepin County is changing the way in which we serve our residents by developing a more modern, accessible and community-centered approach to our service centers. More information regarding our service centers and their locations can be found here: http://www.hennepin.us/your-government/…/service-center-info.


Online maps show places to escape the heat

Hennepin County Public Health has created an interactive map to help residents who don't have air conditioning at home or work to find public places to escape the summer heat. Young children, senior citizens and people who are sick or overweight are most vulnerable.

Maps are available for desktop and mobile devices.

The project is a collaboration between Hennepin County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Hennepin County Public Health. 

Find a way to keep cool

To assist in escaping the heat, a link to our mobile mapping application shows cool options throughout Hennepin County including locations to Salvation Army buildings, libraries, recreation centers, movie theaters, and shopping malls. 

People can make the map close and personal by zooming in on a specific neighborhood; users then can click on individual cooling locations for an address, days and hours of operation, contact information and a website link, when possible. 


Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page

Greetings,

I hope you are enjoying my electronic newsletters, and find them interesting and informative about county activities. In addition to my monthly newsletter, the county sends various newsletters and notifications available by email or text message. To explore the many opportunities to subscribe or to change your preferences, visit the subscription webpage.

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


Board meetings

June 21, 2016

Hennepin County to help preserve affordable homes for residents

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. 

Read the news release

Gap funding approved for Southwest Light Rail project

SWLRT

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 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. The measure was approved in the hope that Southwest Light Rail funding is approved in a special session. No new funds were allocated. 

Learn more about the extension

Funding OK'd to add East Bush Lake Road on-ramp to westbound 494

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The board approved the county’s $8.5 million share of a five-year plan to make improvements to East Bush Lake Road at Interstate 494 in Bloomington. The project will result in a new entrance ramp to westbound I-494, to relieve traffic on Normandale Boulevard/84th Street at Bush Lake Road. Bloomington is responsible for delivery of the project and anticipates construction may begin as early as 2017.

Read more about the Bush Lake Road plan


Agendas and minutes of 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 news releases.


Board briefings

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 board room on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center and are open to the public.

June 9, 2016

Communications (messaging/branding)

Communications staff has been working to update Hennepin County’s branding, particularly to unify the messages that are contained in the various documents that they produce.  They presented examples of how the County’s messaging may change and asked for feedback from the County Board.

June 23, 2016

HIV Strategy

Hennepin County Public Health has developed a coordinated HIV/AIDS Strategy in support of the National HIV Strategy.  This local strategy, which was presented to the County Board for its input, includes two operating principles:  (1) “Reduce health disparities and promote health equity” and (2) “Achieve a fully integrated public and private response to the HIV epidemic.”  Its goals are threefold: to “decrease new HIV infections, ensure access to and retention in care for people living with HIV, and engage and facilitate the empowerment of communities disproportionately affected by HIV to stop new infections and eliminate disparities.”

Sexually Exploited Youth, Hennepin County No Wrong Door Initiative

This initiative was adopted by the County Board approximately two years ago as a strategy for focusing and coordinating the response to youth who are being sexually exploited.  The purpose of this briefing was to provide an update on this initiative, share 2017 strategies and provide an opportunity for discussion of the work that is being done in this area. 


County calendar

2016 Election Calendar

Absentee voting has already begun for the 2016 primary election.  The primary election is held on August 9, 2016

To find out more about the 2016 election, please visit the Hennepin County Elections webpage.

July 5, 2016

CR 101

Starting Tuesday, July 5, County Road 101 will close to all traffic between County Road 62 and Covington Terrace. The closure begins at 1 a.m. Tuesday, July 5 and is expected to last until mid-August.

During the closure, crews will replace a culvert (drainage structure under the road) at Purgatory Creek and Metropolitan Council's sewer, as well as reconstruct both sides of the road. The culvert and sewer span the entire width of the road and crews will need to excavate up to 20 feet below the surface of the road.

Residents living within the closure limits will continue to have access during this closure.

All through traffic should follow the signed detour using Townline Road/West 62nd Street (County Road 62), Eden Prairie Road (County Road 4) and Excelsior Boulevard (County Road 3).

For more information:

Hotline: 866-518-3188

Email: countyroad101@hennepin.us

Website: www.hennepin.us/101minnetonka

Twitter: @safer_101

See active projects on our interactive road construction map.

July 19, 2016

Public hearing: Proposed property transfer at Penn and Plymouth avenues

A proposed plan is to use the parcels at the southeast and southwest corners of Penn and Plymouth avenues north in Minneapolis 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.

When: Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.

Where: A-2400 Hennepin County Government Center, Minneapolis

Learn more about the NorthPoint Helath & Wellness expansion plan

2017 Budget and Levy schedule

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 Road 101 (Bushaway Road) in Minnetonka, Wayzata and Woodland update

Pile driving in the railroad corridor

PD

Pile driving is complete for the retaining walls located along the southern abutment of the bridge in the railroad corridor. Each pile was driven approximately 50 feet into the ground. Crews have started forming and pouring the southern footing of the bridge.

Construction activity throughout the work zone

Causeway to Eastman/McGinty

A variety of activities are taking place along the causeway and immediate surrounding area.  Please remember, there is no through traffic in this area at this time.

crane

North of the causeway, concrete pouring and forming of retaining wall F will take approximately one more week. Crews finished adding two more layers of pavement to the road, and continue constructing the bike trail. Soil, sod, grass seed and fertilizer are also being moved into place.

concrete

 

Breezy Point Curve to Gray's Bay

Crews continue excavating and removing excess material, as well as smoothing, grading and placing the initial gravel layers of the roadway.  Next up, workers will be installing 172 feet of sanitary sewer pipe, working east from Mackenzie Point Road along Bushaway Road (County Road 101).

Minnetonka Boulevard to Blaine Avenue

Driveway paving is finished and mailboxes are installed.  This section of the road is nearly complete, except for a final layer of pavement to be installed later this summer.

Wayzata Boulevard

Crews are pouring curbs and gutters and grading the concrete walkways.

For more information:

Hotline: 866-981-1101 

Email: countyroad101@hennepin.us

Website: www.hennepin.us/countyroad101       

Twitter: @hennepinCR101