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November 2017
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
October 10, 2017
Action continues plan to pay off Target Field debt decade early
The board approved an action that will keep the county on track
to pay off Target Field debt by 2027, a decade earlier than anticipated.
The county invested $350 million in the construction of Target
Field with proceeds from three bonds. Those bonds are payable solely from the
0.15 percent ballpark sales tax imposed in 2006. To date, the county has paid
off $79.2 million of the bonds early. Favorable interest rates, as well as the
early payments and shortening the debt, have resulted in over $150 million of
savings.
The sales tax also funds extended library hours and the county’s
Youth Sports Program. Since 2009, $19.6 million of youth sports grants have
helped fund 373 projects to build or improve sports facilities and playgrounds.
In addition, funds provide sports equipment and improved access to swimming
lessons throughout the county.
Read more about this action.
Read more about Hennepin County Youth Sports.
County to sell property near U.S. Bank Stadium to affordable housing developer
The board, voting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad
Authority, authorized the
negotiation of a $2.45
million purchase agreement to sell surplus property next to U.S. Bank Stadium
to affordable housing developer AEON. Located at 301 10th Avenue South, the
25,000-square-foot property was formerly part of the
Dome Spur railroad corridor. The railroad authority purchased the corridor from Soo
Line Railroad Company in 1991 and later transferred the corridor to the
Metropolitan Council for the METRO
Blue Line (Hiawatha), with the exception of this parcel. In August, the railroad authority issued a request for proposals for purchase of
this property. AEON's proposal to develop affordable housing was selected.
Read more about this transaction.
Program continues helping young parents reach educational goals
The board accepted renewed grant funding from the Minnesota
Department of Human Services that will help more than 120 young parents with
low incomes continue their education and prepare for careers. The program
engages and supports young people who receive cash and food assistance to
complete their high school diploma or GED and begin college or
post-secondary career training. Hennepin County contracts with the
MVNA, a subsidiary of Hennepin Healthcare System, and HIRED, a community
non-profit organization, to operate the program.
Read more about the grant funding.
Read more about the Pathways Program.
October 24, 2017
Design begins for regional medical examiner's facility
The board approved a contract for initial design of a new
regional medical examiner’s facility, anticipated to open as early as 2020 in
Minnetonka.
At 69,000 square feet, the proposed facility would be
considerably larger than the current building, located in downtown Minneapolis
near the Hennepin County Medical Center. It would be located on county property
next to the County Home School and near Interstate 494 and County Road 62.
A larger, improved facility would equip staff to handle growing
case volumes and help train, recruit and retain the most qualified forensic
science professionals. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is the
largest in the state, providing services for deaths that occur in Hennepin,
Dakota and Scott counties.
Hennepin County is seeking $26.2 million in state bonding for
the $57.8 million project, which may begin construction as early as
August 2019. Hennepin County will enter into a $755,498 contract with Leo
A Daly Company to complete this first phase of design work.
Read more about this project.
Read more about this action.
Agreement will support commercial clean energy projects
The board approved an agreement with the St. Paul Port Authority
that will advance commercial and industrial energy efficiency and renewable
energy projects throughout the county. On
behalf of cities and to assist property owners, Hennepin County will apply
property tax assessments on commercial properties that participate in Property
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. Facilitated by the Port Authority, this
program helps commercial properties overcome financial challenges to making
energy-saving and clean energy upgrades.This
agreement allows financing to remain in place following property sales,
ensuring property owners pay for the portion of projects from which they
benefit.
Read more about this agreement.
Medical examiner's office recognized for identifying powerful new opioid
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office recently received
national recognition for identifying a powerful opioid, carfentanil, as the
cause of multiple overdose-related deaths. Assistant Hennepin County Medical
Examiner Dr. Rebecca Wilcoxon accepted the Susan P. Baker Public Health Impact
Award last week at the National Association of Medical Examiner’s annual
scientific meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. Earlier this year, the Medical
Examiner's Office identified the drug as the cause of 11 overdose-related
deaths — and worked with agencies at all levels to organize a public health
response. Carfentanil, a drug 100 times more potent than the already dangerous
fentanyl, cannot yet be detected using routine toxicology tests.
Funding will continue connecting clients at county jail to recovery services
The board accepted renewed grant funding to help link people who
are at high risk to return to jail with services in the community. This action
will continue to fund a position for the integrated access team, a group that
works with people who have significant mental health and chemical dependency
issues. This multidisciplinary group of social workers, chemical health
counselors, housing specialists and community health staff work with Hennepin
County Sheriff’s Office staff and medical staff at the jail.
Learn more about the county's justice behavioral health
initiatives.
Learn more about this action.
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.
October 5, 2017
Public Works transportation updates
This briefing discussed revisions to Ordinance 22 (county road right-of-way use) and small cell wireless technologies, the county's jurisdictional transfer policy, safety and operations requests, advanced transportation management system, and connected and autonomous vehicles.
October 19, 2017
Legislative platform
Intergovernmental Relations staff presented the proposed 2018 State Legislative Platform. This briefing gave Commissioners the opportunity to make revisions and additions and have a discussion around county priorities before the legislative platform comes back before the Board for approval. Platform Priorities include: securing bonding money for our Regional Medical Examiner's Facility, child protection, mental health, IT systems modernization, and safety-net health services.
November 6, 2017
Job Fair
Come connect with more than 40 employers at a free job fair.
Monday, November 6, 2017
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center, room 200D
November 7, 2017
Election day
With election day just around the corner, take a moment to make sure that you are prepared. The following link offers information for voters, candidates, and clerks: http://www.hennepin.us/residents#elections.
November 18, 2017
International Games Day celebration
Enjoy an afternoon of playing board games and card games
together and with other families. Drop in or stay the entire time.
Saturday, November 18
1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina
Thank an adoptive family
November is National Adoption Month, when we take time to
celebrate adoptive families, whose love and kindness make our community a
better place. As of mid-October in Hennepin County, 111 children have been adopted
into 77 families this year. We expect that 12 more families will finalize
adoptions with another 13 children by the end of the year. We also salute our
private partners, Ampersand Families, Kindred Family Focus, North Homes and
Children’s Home Society and Lutheran Social Services, who work tirelessly with
us to make sure every child and teen has the best possible start. If you know
an adoptive family, please take a moment to thank them for bringing more
kindness to our community.
Adopt-A-Highway
Groups can now Adopt-A-Highway online
Hennepin
County’s new online
Adopt-A-Highway system allows users to navigate to an exact road and
segment and know right away if it is available to adopt. People interested can
adopt and later report back on a segment with just a few clicks.
The
county created this new system based on user feedback for a simpler process to
adopt a segment, report pickups and update user profiles.
Launched
in 1991 as a way to involve the community in roadside beautification,
Adopt-A-Highway is a popular countywide program. Every year roughly 1,000
program volunteers collect around 30,000 pounds of trash. The effort annually
saves the county about $125,000.
Individuals,
companies, clubs, families and other groups pick up litter along approximately
a two mile segment twice a year. In return, Hennepin County places signs at the
ends of the segments to recognize and thank the volunteer groups for their
efforts.
The
map and additional information is available at www.hennepin.us/adoptahighway.
Hennepin County voters to check-in using iPads on Election Day
Elections officials will check-in voters using a secure e-poll
book system in all Hennepin County cities that have elections.
This is the first year that the city of Minneapolis will use
e-poll book iPads to check-in voters.
In the 2016 election, more than 356,000 Hennepin County voters
successfully checked-in using e-poll books in 44 Hennepin County cities.
With the new e-poll book system, voters can choose any line to
check-in. They no longer need to find the specific line designated by their
last name.
Paper records will be available at all polling places as
back-up, and election judges will use the paper back-ups in the case of
technical difficulties, to ensure voting continues.
The voter registration information in the e-poll books is never
connected to the ballot counting machines or results reporting process. The two
systems function independently and never transfer information among each other.
To check if there is an election in their area and to find the
appropriate polling place, voters can view a sample ballot from the Secretary
of State’s website. View sample ballot.
For more information
about elections in Hennepin County, visit www.hennepin.us/elections.
With winter approaching, learn about snow and ice removal
Hennepin County plow drivers maintain more than 2,200 lane miles of county roads. Our drivers are ready to keep county roads in shape and safe. Learn about Hennepin County's snow and ice removal process for county roads, including the clean-up process and materials used.
http://www.hennepin.us/plowing
Capital budgeting task force and fees
Thursday, November 2, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Public safety
Tuesday, November 21, 9 a.m. to noon
Truth-in-taxation public meeting
Tuesday, November 28, 6 p.m. Participants can park for free
after 5 p.m. in the Government Center ramp. Enter on 3rd Avenue.
Commissioner amendments
Thursday, November 30, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Commissioner amendments
Wednesday, December 6, 1 - 4 p.m.
County board vote on 2018 budget and levy
Tuesday, December 12, 1:30 p.m.
New
curbs were poured along the northern half between creek crossing and Mill
Street.
First year of construction nearing end
Over
the next month, crews will begin wrapping up the first year of the Wayzata
Boulevard (County Road 112) reconstruction.
Crews
will continue to work hard to have Wayzata Boulevard fully
reopened between Willow Drive and Mill Street. The goal is to have it
opened by late November.
Between
Mill Street and Wolf Pointe Trail, crews will work along Long Lake,
including placing structural walls and additional erosion control measures
along the shoreline to keep the road stable and the lake clean.
At
this point in the construction season, crews are always eager to get as much
work done as possible. However, weather becomes a challenge and activity will
need to draw to a close.
Final paving begins first week of November
Starting
the first week of November, weather permitting, crews will begin
paving the final layer of asphalt, or wear course, on Wayzata Boulevard
between Willow Drive and Mill Street. Paving is expected to take up to a
week.
Expect delays
The
paving will be completed under traffic. This means crews will be working alongside
traffic. Lane restrictions, including intermittent intersection
access delays, and traffic configuration changes will occur during the
paving process.
During
this time, it is important to follow the speed limits
and signs, and stay alert in this area. Traffic changes, construction
crews and equipment on the roadway will require your extra attention.
Expect noise and vibrations
Residents
and businesses in the area should be aware that this work will be noisy and
there will be vibrations. Paving is loud and involves a lot of truck
operations. The vibrating roller used to smooth out and compact the pavement
often shakes the ground.
Additional work to follow
Once
the wear course is paved, additional work needs to be completed
before Wazyata Boulevard can safely reopen all lanes, including:
- Striping, pavement markings and
signage
- Pouring sidewalks downtown
- Installing traffic and street
lights
Current construction activities
Willow Drive to Brown Road
Sidewalk work
continues
With
a majority of the concrete work completed and the first two layers of
asphalt paved on the southern half of Wayzata Boulevard (County Road 112),
crews began forming and pouring sidewalks just west of Brown Road
(County Road 146) this week.
We anticipate
completing concrete work in two weeks before opening it up for people
to use.
Brown Road to Mill
Street
Concrete work underway
Last week, crews began concrete work by pouring new curbs and
gutters along the northern half between the creek crossing and Mill Street.
Weather permitting, this work is expected to be completed this week.
When
crews finish pouring curbs and gutters, new sidewalks and aprons
through driveway entrances will be poured. First, forms will be constructed to
outline where the sidewalks and aprons will be poured. Then, crews will pour
the concrete and let it cure.
Concrete
work is expected to take around three weeks to complete.
Paving
Weather permitting, the first two layers of asphalt will
be paved along the northern half of Wayzata Boulevard between the creek
crossing and Mill Street this week.
Side street access and driveways to close
intermittently
During
paving operations, access to Lake and Mill streets and business
driveways along the northern half will intermittently close.
Crews
will keep at least one of the side streets open to ensure people have
access to businesses and their homes during this time.
Upcoming construction activities
For
the next few weeks, crews will complete numerous roadway and utility
activities.
The
following is a brief overview for the next few weeks.
Willow Drive to Mill Street
- Placing topsoil along the
boulevards
- Installing street lights
- Activating new traffic signals
Mill Street to Wolf
Pointe Trail
- Excavating along the Long Lake
shoreline
-
Placing structural walls and soil slopes for
shoreline erosion control
Contact
hennepin.us/countyroad112
612-543-4275
countyroad112@hennepin.us
 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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Jan Callison
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Allyson Sellwood
Policy Aide
612-348-6885
Christine Hoyles
Administrative Assistant
612-348-3168
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