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Hennepin Happenings
Welcome to the District 5 October newsletter! This month, we have two library events in District 5 where you can learn about some of the creepy/crawly/scary stories from Minnesota. Residents should also take note of the complete closure of 35W for the next two weekends and our upcoming District 5 Open House on October 19. Scroll down to read more about...
 Hennepin County Government Center
300 S 6th St, A-2400; Minneapolis
Thursday, October 19, 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Please join us for an
open house with Commissioner Debbie Goettel featuring local art and a newly
renovated District 5 office. Guests are welcome. Light food and refreshments are provided. Please RSVP to casey.krolczyk@hennepin.us or call 612-348-7885.
Jill Joseph: front row, second from left
I depend on trusted appointees for their time, talent, and good judgement to better serve Hennepin County's residents. I cannot thank them enough for their service, and occasionally we will publish these highlights to recognize the phenomenal work they do.
Jill Joseph currently serves on the Capital Budget Task Force, but she has an extensive history of service on the Hennepin County Library Board.
Jill, what
are your greatest passions in life?
My primary passion is my relationship with my
husband and family. My husband and I have lived in Southwest Eden Prairie for
over thirty years. We raised our two sons in District 5, enjoying all that the
local community has to offer.
My second greatest passion is service to my
community. For the last nine years until
January 2017, I served on the Hennepin County Library Board. I will always be committed to the library’s mission of lifelong learning,
enriching minds, and building community. Now, as a member of the Capital
Budgeting Task Force, I am strongly committed to the principal of fiscal
responsibility in government and open communication between government and
citizens.
What is
your professional background?
My educational background includes two
Master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota- a Master’s Degree in
Business and a Master’s Degree in Education. I also hold a Bachelor of Science
degree from the University of Minnesota in Food Science. I have worked for several
companies in the Twin Cities area and I have taught Business classes at Eden
Prairie High School.
Briefly
describe the duties of the position you were appointed to. What impact doe this
have on the county?
As a member of the Capital Budgeting Task
Force, it is my duty to read, study, explore and discuss in detail all aspects of
the Hennepin County Capital Budget. This involves about twelve four-hour meetings over the course of the budget cycle. Presentations are
made from all of the requesting departments detailing the budget requests. In addition,
the Task Force visits a number of sites where capital spending is needed.
Finally, we have several meetings in which the budget is discussed in detail
and we come to consensus on our recommendations. A final presentation is made
to the Hennepin County Board in early November.
What is
your favorites thing to do in District 5?
Currently, my favorite thing to do in District
5 is to golf with my husband and friends at Olympic Hills Golf Club. The
passing of good times and the communication with friends over the course of the
game is actually what I enjoy even more than the game itself. Secondly, I enjoy
reading books and subsequently discussing them with my friends in the two book
clubs of which I am a member.
Zero-waste
strategies: the County needs feedback!
Hennepin County is working to reduce waste output in the
coming years, and we need your input to do that. We are currently seeking
citizen comments on the Solid Waste Management Master Plan draft. Businesses,
residents, haulers, city staff… all are invited to fill out a survey and submit
comments on the County website (just click on “Solid waste management master
plan”).
Thrivent Financial
I voted with majority of the Board to approve the County’s
purchase of the Thrivent Financial building in downtown Minneapolis for $55
million. This was a rare opportunity to consolidate several county facilities
into a single location, and it will immediately save $23 million from
operations and management costs of properties we can now close. The continual
creep of lease payments and buying space under duress would be even more costly
in the long run.
In addition to money we save from facilities management, a
cohesive downtown campus and a high quality work environment will help attract
and retain better talent for Hennepin County. This will lower staff turnover,
increase worker productivity, and improve service quality to residents for
decades to come.
County raises levy
4.95%
In September, the Board voted to approve a $796.9 million
maximum property tax levy increase, a 4.95% increase from 2017. The increase is
mostly due to modest increases in staff salaries and health costs as well as
significant cuts to health and human services program from the State, totaling
about $60 million. It is my job to be a responsible steward of public resources
for our community, and I determined that this increase was necessary to
maintain an acceptable level of service to Hennepin residents.
I invite anyone wishing to join the conversation around the 2018 budget to
attend the Truth-in-Taxation public meeting:
Tuesday, November 28 at 6pm
Hennepin County Government Center (300 S 6th St, Minneapolis)
24th floor of the Administration Tower (A-side)
Participants can park for free after 5pm in the parking ramp
beneath the Government Center.
Since our last newsletter in September, here are a few of the highlights from Commissioner Goettel's work...
- Discussed the 2018 legislative platform with Intergovernmental Relations staff
- Met with Bloomington Schools Superintendent Les Fujitake to discuss collaboration between the County and schools to support vulnerable children
- Attended a monthly Metropolitan Emergency Services Board meeting
- Received a debrief from Jill Joseph regarding her work on the Capital Budget Task Force.
 Attended a community meeting at the Eden Prairie Library discussing its upcoming renovation.
 Joined Bloomington residents at Oxboro Library for a community meeting discussing its upcoming renovation.
- Attended board meetings for the Hennepin County Library, Hennepin History Museum, and Community Action Partnership - Hennepin County (CAP-HC)
 Exhibit opening: A Look at Glen Lake Tuberculosis Sanatorium
1-4pm on Sunday, October 1st | 2303 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis
Please join us for the opening reception for "A Look at Glen Lake Tuberculosis Sanatorium", an exhibit presented in partnership with the Hopkins Historical Society and based upon the work of Glen Lake historian Mary Krugerud. Visitors will gain a glimpse into what life was like for the patients and staff at one of the nation's most progressive sanatoriums and learn more about history and treatment of tuberculosis, a the disease that is still with us today.
At 2 pm Mary Krugerud will discuss her newly published book, "Interrupted Lives: Tuberculosis in Minnesota and at Glen Lake Sanatorium." Books will be available for sale and the author will for signing.
This event is free and open to the public. Please note that visiting the museum at this time does require the use of stairs.
Minnesota's Most Haunted Locations
Learn about some of the most haunted places in Minnesota with Chad Lewis, paranormal researcher and author. Photos, eyewitness accounts, ghost lore and directions will encourage you to find your own ghost story.
Sunday, October 15, 3 to 4 p.m., Hennepin County Library—Augsburg Park, 7100 Nicollet Avenue, Richfield
Saturday, October 28, 10 to 11 a.m., Hennepin County Library—Penn Lake, 8800 Penn Avenue South, Bloomington
Register and learn more about these events.
Engaging Young Learners
Hennepin County Library has spaces for children and families
to play and learn together.
Learn
more about Play and Learn areas at our libraries.
Yes, you can write a novel
November is National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. If you think you have a novel in you, our writing classes in October can get you ready to start writing.
See the catalogue of classes related to NaNoWriMo.
See a listing of all of our writing classes.
Learn more about your family history
Saturday, October 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
The Family History Fair will connect the curious with expert genealogists who will talk about how to use state, local and library resources; to identify clues to family history; find out how to use and evaluate DNA for family connections, and more.
Register and learn more about the Family History Fair.
ATTENTION: 35W will be closed in both directions between Highway 62 and downtown Minneapolis from 10 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday for two consecutive weekends (September 29 – October 2 and October 6-9). Please plan ahead and expect traffic delays. View detour map.
For more information about the project and future 35W construction, please visit MNDOT’s website.
66th Street in Richfield and Bloomington's Normandale Boulevard are in the midst of major construction projects. Skip the traffic jams and sign up for updates on the projects impacting your commute.
You can also visit the Hennepin County website for updates on road maintenance projects and all other road construction.
Housing crises, energy assistance, child protection, emergency situations; we are here to advocate for you when it comes to navigating local and county services, and we want to help. Please call our office at 612-348-7885 with any questions or for assistance.
Contact
Commissioner Debbie Goettel
Hennepin County District 5
Bloomington | Eden Prairie | Richfield
612-348-7885 | debbie.goettel@hennepin.us
Casey Krolczyk
Principle Aide
612-596-7078 | casey.krolczyk@hennepin.us
Michael Ohama
Policy Director
612-348-7885 | michael.ohama@hennepin.us
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