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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
November 14, 2017
Programs will help adults, youth, and dislocated workers gain employment
The board approved an agreement to help job seekers of all
ages access employment, education, training and support through 2022. Programs
will serve adults who have been unemployed for a substantial period of
time or who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. These
services, which align with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act, will also serve economically disadvantaged and disabled youth. The
county will receive funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and
Economic Development for these initiatives.
Read more about this agreement.
Read more about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act.
County to develop program evaluation framework
The board directed staff to create a strategy to provide more
consistent evaluation of county programs. This strategy will measure program
results and continue to ensure effective
use of taxpayer dollars.
Staff will develop a strategic framework and report back to the board.
Read more about this action.
Board recognizes National Adoption Day
The board joined communities across the nation in declaring
Saturday, November 18, as National Adoption Day. Hennepin County also
observed National Adoption Month this past November, an extra opportunity to
recognize adoptive families for their contributions to the community and the
lives of young people. By the end of 2017, it is estimated that at least 89
families will adopt 124 teens, children and infants in Hennepin County.
Read more about this observance.
View a video about our adoptive families below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAEvmTWWa7I
November 28, 2017
Funding will continue providing youth water safety lessons
The board voted to continue a partnership with the USA Swimming
Foundation to connect underserved youth with water safety lessons. During its
first grant cycle in April, the partnership awarded $35,000 to eight swimming
lesson providers. These organizations will serve about 1,000 youth through the
end of 2017. Tuesday's action will fund an additional $35,000 grant cycle in
2018. Hennepin County's Youth Sports Program, funded with proceeds from the
Twins ballpark sales tax, provides financial support for this project.
Read more about this action.
Learn more about this partnership.
Learn more about the Youth Sports Program.
Board adopts plan to reach goal of zero waste to landfills
The board adopted the Hennepin County Solid Waste Management
Master Plan for 2018 - 2023. State statute requires metro counties to prepare
master plans every six years that identify strategies to meet the state’s goal
of zero waste landfilled by 2030. The county has made steady progress toward
these goals and diverted 82 percent of waste from landfills in 2016, a rate on
par with national leaders. A primary focus of the plan is diverting organics
from the trash by proposing requirements for cities and certain businesses,
increasing local capacity to manage organics and working to prevent food waste.
Read more about this action.
Read more about solid waste planning in Hennepin County.
Plan focuses on new partnerships with corrections clients and community
The board approved the Department of Community Corrections and
Rehabilitation's two-year comprehensive plan, which outlines the department’s
core services, as well as the way those services are delivered, balancing
accountability and treatment. The department’s upcoming work will rely on
evidence-based practices and partnerships with the community and elevate a
focus on racial disparity. These strategies align with Hennepin County's focus
on reducing disparities among all residents.
Learn more about this action.
Board votes to change name of Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska
The board voted 4 - 3 to change the name of Lake Calhoun to Bde
Maka Ska, a Dakota name, which means White Earth Lake. The four Commissioners who voted for the name change were Commissioners Higgins, Greene, Goettel, and McLaughlin. The three Commissioners who voted against the name change were Commissioners Opat, Johnson, and I.
I offered an amendment to give the lake the name of Lake Calhoun-Bde Maka Ska. The amendment failed on a vote of 3-4. Below is the statement that I released explaining my decision:
"Based upon everything that I have heard and read, I believe
that the best solution is to retain the name of Lake Calhoun and add the name
Bde Maka Ska, as the Park Board originally proposed, so that the lake would be
called Lake Calhoun-Bde Maka Ska. This compromise honors the history of
both communities. It doesn’t force us to pick winners and losers, to
judge which name for Lake Calhoun is more valid or, as some folks have
suggested, to compare the virtues/vices of one group to another. It is
respectful of the complications that history often forces us to confront."
In order to
become official, the name change needs approval from the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources and then the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Minnesota Statute requires the county to respond to a petition of 15 registered Hennepin County voters, which includes holding a public hearing and conducting a vote.
Registered voters in Hennepin County brought forth to the county
board three different petitions to rename the lake to Bde Maka Ska, Lake Maka
Ska and Lake Wellstone.
The board received extensive public comment on this topic and
hosted a public hearing Tuesday, October 17, to discuss and receive testimony
on the petitions.
December 5, 2017
Learn self-defense
Learn to defend your body, identify and avoid potential threats, and gain a set of useful skills to be more confident.
When: Tuesday, December 5, 5:30
to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hopkins Library, 22 11th Avenue North
Learn
more about this wellness activity.
December 6, 2017
Committee meeting date change
Committee and Housing and
Redevelopment Authority meetings originally scheduled for Thursday,
December 7, will now take place Wednesday, December 6, at 9:30 a.m.
January 2, 2018
Hennepin County Board/RRA organizational meeting
State Statute requires that the county board meets for their organizational meeting on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in January.
The county board and the regional railroad authority (RRA) will be meeting at 1:30 pm on January 2nd to set their organizational structure for 2018.
More than 230 youth secure housing during 100-day homelessness challenge
During Hennepin County’s 100-Day Challenge on Youth
Homelessness, the community exceeded its goal of assisting 150 youth in finding
housing, with 236 youth obtaining safe, stable homes.
Between July 31 – November 8, Hennepin County joined four other
U.S. communities in this challenge to combat homelessness among youth ages 16 –
24.
In addition to surpassing its housing goal, the community made
steady progress on its goal of assisting youth in finding employment and
continuing education. At the end of the challenge, 135 youth (57 percent of
youth housed) had obtained a job or paid internship, training or credentialing,
GED or diploma or post-secondary education. The goal was to assist 75 percent
of the youth to find employment or advance their education.
Other strategies and successes
During the challenge, about 35 percent of the 236 youth exited
homelessness by reuniting with their families, thanks in part to family mediation.
The team plans to expand on efforts like this by implementing homelessness
diversion and prevention into the coordinated entry system, the county’s
approach to organizing and providing housing services for people experiencing
homelessness.
Another strategy involved proposed changes to the county’s
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Employment and Training Program. In
addition, the City of Minneapolis prioritized its workforce programming for
youth experiencing homelessness.
How you can help
The team will continue recruiting and providing support to
employers and property owners interested in supporting youth in their
transition out of homelessness.
Find out more at www.hennepin.us/100-day-challenge or by
contacting Casey Schleisman at casey.schleisman@hennepin.us or 612-756-2277.
Busy transportation construction and maintenance season drawing to a close
During 2017, Hennepin County worked on several road and bridge
reconstruction projects, as well as repaving projects, bridge inspections and
improvements, traffic signal system upgrades and accessibility upgrades.
As this construction season winds down, we thank county residents for their
patience with construction and for being safe around work zones and crew
members.
As a resident signed up to receive updates about Hennepin's county roads, we
wanted to share this summary of work completed in 2017.
Several large
projects are done or nearly done
Many of our large projects take a significant amount of time to complete
because they involve intensive activities, like removing and replacing
utilities buried deep in the ground, correcting water runoff issues and
replacing bad soil that undermines the longevity of the road replacement. The
end result however is much improved roads, new features and a future of fewer
needs for repairs.
- Washington
Avenue reconstruction (County Road 152 in Minneapolis), a two-year
project, finished about a month earlier than anticipated. The project
included new pavement, new curbs and medians throughout the corridor, as
well as dedicated turn lanes at key intersections and more space for
people walking around the area. With this project, there are now dedicated
bike lanes on Washington Avenue from I-35W to Plymouth Avenue.
- Douglas
Drive reconstruction (County Road 102 in Golden Valley), another
two-year project, is nearly done with major construction activity. Douglas
Drive now has new improvements at intersections, better stormwater
management, a new culvert, new streetlights and traffic signals, as well
as updated landscaping. There are also new features for people walking,
biking or needing accessibility features.
- Bottineau
Boulevard reconstruction (County Road 81 in Brooklyn Park), a two-year
project reconstructing the road between 63rd and West Broadway avenues,
finished major work earlier this fall. It is part of a broader effort to
make upgrades on Bottineau from Robbinsdale to Osseo. Upgrades including
new traffic signal systems and improved stormwater management were completed.
This project also includes new features for people walking, biking or
needing accessibility features. The intersection with I-94/I-694 was also
improved as part of this project.
- Pinto
Drive reconstruction (County Roads 115 and 116 in Medina) will wrap up
major construction activity soon. Late this summer, the project replaced
an aging railroad signal and traffic signal system and made improvements
to better accommodate increased traffic, as well as provide better access
and safety for people walking or biking.
- East
46th Street Bridge (County Road 46 over the Godfrey Parkway in
Minneapolis) will fully reopen soon. This intensive project was
completed in one season, and replaces a bridge built in 1926 that is part
of a key connection in getting people across the Mississippi River. The
new bridge will be better able to accommodate all users.
- Brown
Road Bridge reconstruction (County Road 146 in Orono) was also
completed in one season. This project is a continuation of efforts to
replace older bridges around the county.
- County
Road 24 reconstruction, a partner project led by the City of Plymouth,
was completed in one season. It included adding a traffic lane, adding a
trail, improving sight-lines and visibility, as well as replacing an aging
watermain.
- Portland
and Cedar avenue bridges over the Midtown Greenway (County Roads 35 and
152 in Minneapolis) will both reopen to traffic in the coming weeks.
The century-old bridges are being replaced before major work on MnDOT’s
35W@94 project begins next year.
Major progress on
new large projects
Earlier this year, Hennepin County started work on some major reconstruction
projects.
- 66th Street
reconstruction (County Road 53 in Richfield) stretches from Xerxes
Avenue (County Road 31) to just west of Cedar Avenue (Highway 77). The
project includes replacing utilities buried under the ground and making
several upgrades for people walking or using bicycles. Prior to work in
the area, there had been significant pavement deterioration, as well as
utility and drainage concerns. Crews were able to complete major work for
the westernmost and easternmost thirds of the project. Next year,
attention will shift to the middle segment.
- Wayzata
Boulevard reconstruction (County Road 112 in Long Lake and Orono) is
making improvements to a former state highway that runs through a business
district and along a lake. During 2017, crews made significant progress on
the first phase of reconstruction activity, which stretches from Wolf
Pointe Trial to Willow Drive. Crews have updated the lane configuration
and enhanced the experience for people walking or biking, as well as
removed and replaced culverts and utilities.
- Normandale
Road (County Road 34), a partner project led by the City of
Bloomington that includes reconstructing almost a mile of road with
several safety improvements, made significant progress this year.
Even though these roads remain under construction into 2018, county snow and ice removal teams will
maintain them through the construction areas throughout the winter.
Maintenance and
system upgrades this year
In addition to major construction projects, the county has completed dozens
of other maintenance and system-upgrade projects. Accomplishments
include:
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Repaving: More than 127 lane miles of roadway repaved in 24
locations across the county to provide a smoother ride for drivers.
-
Bridges: Inspecting and repairing bridges to keep them safe,
including the Lake Street Bridge (County Road 3) over the Mississippi
River
-
Improving intersections: Making changes for
safety and modern uses at intersections, including the Franklin, Cedar and
Minnehaha avenues intersection in Minneapolis and County Roads 10 and 50
intersection in Corcoran.
-
Accessibility improvements: Upgrading curb ramps to
be ADA compliant. To date, about half of all ramps that the county is
responsible for have been upgraded.
-
Energy efficiency: Updating traffic signals to light emitting diodes
(LEDs). At this point, the county has converted 550 of its 800 traffic
signals to LED. This offers significant cost savings for operations and
maintenance/replacement.
-
School safety: Testing of all pedestrian push buttons at 50 signals
near schools.
-
Traffic signal upgrades: Continuing to
synchronize to improve efficiency of travel through targeted corridors and
adding video detection for traffic signals installed at an additional 20
intersections.
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Resident requests: Responding to more than 2,200 service requests from
residents regarding potholes, burnt-out traffic signal lights and other
issues on county
owned and operated roads.
Ridgedale library construction update
Ridgedale Library is closed as construction progresses, but
other Hennepin County offices remain open for business as usual. Ridgedale Library
patrons can pick up reserved materials on the second floor, and drop off
materials at a free-standing book return near the front door. Neighborhood
patrons also are invited to explore other nearby
Hennepin County libraries. This winter, workers will continue to work on
the library interior. The committee that is responsible for choosing public art
for the facility have narrowed the field to three artists. The finalists will
tour the site and present scale versions of the artwork they propose, which
then will go back to the committee for a vote.
Learn
more about the project goals at hclib.org.
Minneapolis City Hall / Courthouse bells under construction work
On November 27th, the bells at the Minneapolis City Hall/Hennepin County Courthouse stopped ringing so crews can reinforce the bell support system. The work will last approximately three weeks.
The support system, which is as old as the building itself, holds the tower’s 15-bell set. The bells vary in weight from 300 to 7,300 pounds. Renovations will address concerns over the support of the largest bell, where the steel plate between the bell and supporting timber has deteriorated significantly.
The Municipal Building Commission Historic Preservation Fund, which receives funds from private building events, such as weddings, will cover the costs of the $130,000 project.
The Municipal Building Commission has served as the steward for the historic City Hall/Courthouse building since 1904. Free tours are available every third Wednesday of the month at noon. For more information, visit www.municipalbuildingcommission.org.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is recruiting
volunteers for 24 citizen advisory board positions through its annual open
appointment process.
Each fall, the board appoints residents to volunteer service
positions on advisory boards, commissions, councils and special task forces.
Appointees advise commissioners and help set policy on a variety of
topics.
Current openings
- Adult Mental Health Advisory
Council – five vacancies
- Capital Budgeting Task Force –
two vacancies
- City of Minneapolis Planning
Commission – one vacancy
- County Extension Committee
(University of Minnesota Extension) – one vacancy
- Human Resources Board – two
vacancies
- Library Board – three vacancies
- Lower Minnesota Watershed
District Board – one vacancy
- Mental Commitment Attorney
Panel Advisory Board – two vacancies
- Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act Board – seven vacancies
Application process
- Interested citizens can apply
online at www.hennepin.us/advisoryboards.
- Hennepin County will accept
applications through December 29, 2017.
- The board will conduct
interviews beginning in January 2018.
Commissioner amendments
Wednesday, December 6, 1 - 4 p.m.
County Board vote on 2018 budget and levy
Tuesday, December 12, 1:30 p.m.
 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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