Jan Callison Commissioner 6th District 612-348-7886
Allyson Lueneburg Policy Aide 612-348-6885
Christine Hoyles Administrative Assistant 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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County departments, agencies & other entities
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Hennepin County libraries
Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin volunteers
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Phone directory
Service Center information
Southwest light rail
Understanding your property tax
The Hennepin County Board voted to approve a $21.4 million plan to refurbish
Hennepin County Library-Ridgedale, in Minnetonka. The interior space of the
library has not been updated since 1999, and many of the major building system
components, such as air handlers, the chiller plant and electrical systems date
from original construction in 1981. Community members were part of the planning
process, and the renovation aims to improve access and efficiency for patrons
and library staff.
Read more about the plan to renovate Ridgedale Library.
On Friday, August 26, 2016, Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin (CAPSH) received Governor Dayton's Assurance Statement, officially recognizing CAPSH as the community action agency for the City of Minneapolis.
In order to make sure the agency is adequately prepared to serve the new area, they are participating in a Community Needs Assessment.
If you would like to participate in the Community Needs Survey, please find it here.
One of the remaining milestones for the project
has been reached! Bushaway Road is open from Minnetonka Boulevard (County
Road 5) to Eastman Lane/McGinty Road.
Work still going on
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to bring
you a new and improved road. We ask that you continue to use extreme caution
when driving through the area as it is still an active work zone.
Crews will continue working on the pedestrian and bike trails,
sidewalks, ornamental railing and other finishing touches for at least a few
more weeks.
And, if using Bushaway Road as a commuter or truck route, please be
aware that the bridge remains closed (details below). For traffic travelling
beyond Wayzata and Minnetonka, it is advised that you continue to use the
official detour route of Minnetonka Boulevard (County Road 5), Interstate 494
and Highway 12. All large trucks should continue to use the official detour
route.
Bridge construction update
Progress continues on the bridge,
which is on-schedule to open November 1.
Now that the concrete pour has had time to cure, crews will be removing
the forms (wooden molding) from the bridge deck. Forming and pouring of
additional segments of the bridge is also underway. Further along the railroad corridor,
workers continue driving sheeting for retaining wall P.
For more information:
Hotline: 866-981-1101
Email: countyroad101@hennepin.us
Website: www.hennepin.us/countyroad101
Twitter: @hennepinCR101
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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
September 8, 2016
Grant connects caregivers to respite opportunities
The board voted to accept an 18-month grant for as much as
$350,000, to connect people with autism spectrum disorder to organizations that
offer culturally competent respite care. The grant from the Minnesota
Department of Human Services will be used to help family caregivers find and
pay for short-term, planned and emergency respite care services to prevent
out-of-home placement, hospitalization, and caregiver stress. In
addition, the funding will provide cultural competence training for 150 respite
workers, with a special focus on additional family members and members of
underserved communities. At least 125 people with autism will receive
services through the grant. In 2014, Hennepin County served approximately 1,520
persons with autism spectrum diagnoses in our waiver and children’s mental
health systems.
Read more.
Southwest Light Rail funding increase helps project move ahead
Hennepin County will increase its funding commitment to the
Southwest Light Rail Transit project, helping to bridge a funding gap left by
the Minnesota Legislature. Acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad
Authority, the Hennepin County Board agreed to increase its share of
the project by $20.5 million, for a total funding commitment of $185 million,
or 10 percent of the project’s capital costs. Combined with a similar increase
from the Counties Transit Improvement Board and a plan by the Metropolitan
Council to raise $103.5 million in Certificates of Participation – a financing
tool used previously by the Met Council and the state – the county’s additional
infusion is helping the project bridge the $144.5 million funding gap left by
the state, and fulfilling the federally mandated local share.
Read the full news release.
Rail authority approves proposed maximum levy
Acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, the
board approved the agency's proposed 2017 maximum property tax levy at $33
million. That property taxpayers' share is only part of the agency's overall
$100.6 million budget.
The proposed 2017 Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
(HCRRA) budget supports the following priority projects:
- $33.99 million for Southwest
Light Rail Transit, as the project completes engineering and moves to
construction
- $44 million for the
Bottineau Light Rail Transit as the project completes the project
development phase and moves toward engineering
- $7.2 million for the Midtown
Greenway Corridor Bridges for project development and construction
- $6.9 million for debt
service
The 2017 HCRRA budget includes $8.6 million for maintenance of
the 55 miles of corridor and staff support for transitways and oversight of
HCRRA's infrastructure assets and operational needs. It is recommended that the
HCRRA levy for 2017 be set at $33 million.
The proposed maximum levy will be discussed at the county's
Truth-in-Taxation hearing, Tuesday, November 29, at 6 p.m. It comes to a vote
on Tuesday, December 13.
Read more about the Railroad Authority's maximum levy.
September 20, 2016
Board approves max tax levy for 2017
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to
approve a $759.4 million maximum property tax levy.
The board is required by state law to adopt a maximum property
tax levy in September. The 2017 maximum property tax levy represents an
increase of $32.6 million, or 4.49 percent from last year’s final levy. Last
Tuesday, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough presented a proposed budget
of $1.9 billion, a reduction of 2.57 percent from the 2016 budget. The board
will vote on a final budget on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.
Top priorities
The 2017 budget reflects onetime and systemic changes with a
goal of improving conditions for some of the county’s most vulnerable
residents, increasing innovation, providing services to residents in
order to promote self-sufficiency, and demonstrating a commitment to
solid fiscal priorities and responsibilities that are reflected by more than
three decades of AAA bond ratings.
The 2017 budget demonstrates a commitment by Hennepin County to
strengthen up-front, strategies that will reduce reliance on government
assistance, reduce costs. This work will improve our community for decades to
come.
Child Wellbeing, which gives children early access
to mental health and chemical health services, in-home visits and education for
their parents, to identify problems and provide early support
Hennepin Health, a holistic approach to health
care for some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, which includes not
only preventive physical and behavioral health care, but connections to social
services to help them access shelter and employment
Hennepin Housing Fund, a program to fund development
and preservation of affordable housing for very low-income adults and families
Hennepin County Career Connections, a
program to provide training and public- and private-sector career
paths for people who face barriers to employment
Transit and transportation, current and future
initiatives to increase all residents’ mobility and access to good jobs and
education
Adult detention Initiative, which provides
alternatives to jail for low-risk offenders who do not need to be detained, but
who may benefit from behavioral health services, or who could be supervised
using a variety of detention and processing strategies
“It just makes good sense to help residents become more
self-sufficient and successful," said County Board Chair Jan Callison.
“Our hope is that today’s investment will lead to a more prosperous future for
everyone."
Next steps
The property tax levy that the commissioners ultimately approve
in December may be lower than the approved maximum, but it cannot exceed the
maximum levy adopted at Tuesday’s meeting. In November, property owners will
receive a notice that shows the impact of the county’s maximum levy on their
properties, as well as the impact of taxes proposed by other local units of
government, such as cities and school districts.
The property tax levy is the segment of the budget that is
covered by property taxes. The balance of the county budget comes from state
and federal aid, as well as from other revenue sources.
Housing and Redevelopment max levy approved
The board also approved a maximum property tax levy of $8.45 million
and proposed 2017 budget of $13.58 million for the county's Housing and
Redevelopment Authority. The budget and levy will be discussed at the
Truth-In-Taxation Hearing, Tuesday, November 29, at 6 p.m.
Read more about the Housing and Redevelopment Authority
maximum levy.
Debit cards will ease reentry for people leaving detention centers
The County Board approved an agreement with Stored Value Cards
to provide prepaid debit cards to people who are transitioning out of county
detention facilities. Residents earn wages through their jobs or may have money
left in their commissary accounts when they finish their sentences.
Cutting checks (some less than a dollar) sometimes cost more than the checks
were worth. Corrections officials have found that paper checks sometimes become
damaged before they can be cashed, and people who do not have bank accounts or
valid identification encounter barriers to redeeming them. In addition, the
county incurs costs for issuance and printing, fraud prevention and lost check
replacement.
Read more about the agreement with Stored Value Cards.
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.
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.
September 15, 2016
Transportation program
Topics discussed included wheelage tax results, utility coordination and proposed changes to permit fees, the Advance Transportation Management System, workforce planning (hiring challenges), road turnback options, and the identification and process for including projects in the capital improvement program. Most discussion related to turnbacks and the capital improvement program and centered on how projects move into these categories and how county board members can be better involved.
September 29, 2016
Recycling Update
Staff presented a series of recommendations intended to
increase organics recycling. This would
include the reallocation of recycling funds to cities based upon organics
recycling and revising Ordinance 13 to require cities to contract for organics
service by January 1, 2021. Business
recycling grants and assistance would continue but Ordinance 13 would also be
altered “to require food waste generators to recycle organics after
January 1, 2021.” Finally, county staff
would like to release a request for proposals for an anaerobic digestion
facility.
2016 general election absentee voting
Avoid lines on Election Day and vote when it’s
convenient. All eligible voters in Hennepin County can vote absentee —
in-person or by mail — beginning Friday, September 23. This is the first
presidential election that voters in Minnesota may vote absentee without any
specific reason.
Vote absentee in person
In-person absentee voting is available through November 7
at most city halls across Hennepin County, and four Minneapolis locations
including the Early Vote Center in downtown Minneapolis, at 217 South Third
Street. Each city location can accommodate voters who live in that particular
city.
Check available locations
Voters who live anywhere in Hennepin County also may vote in
person on the Hennepin County Government Center skyway level, 300 S. Sixth
Street, Minneapolis. Voting is available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, with extended hours the week before Election Day, November 8.
Learn more about absentee voting in person.
Vote absentee by mail
Voters must fill out a paper or online application to get a
ballot. Paper applications are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali,
Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Lao, Oromo, Khmer and Amharic.
Access the application
Absentee voters do not need to be preregistered to apply to
vote. However, you can take steps to make the application process smoother.
Preregister for the general election
Confirm that you are already registered
Cast your vote
Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters within one to two days
of receiving the application.
Completed ballots must be received on or before Election Day,
November 8. Voters can return ballots by mail or in person.
Learn more about absentee voting by mail
Upcoming budget hearings
Human Services and Public Health
Thursday, October 6, 2016, 9:30 – 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.
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