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Welcome to the December newsletter! We are keeping it short
and sweet this month, as in two weeks you’ll hear from me again with message of
what to look forward to in 2018. (The board votes on our final 2018 budget on
December 12.)
My very best,
The county board voted 4 - 3 to send the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board's (MPRB) recommendation to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) that Lake Calhoun's name be restored to Bde Maka Ska, a Dakota name, which means White Earth Lake.
This action follows a public engagement process and unanimous vote by the MPRB in May to restore the original name of the landmark. In order to become official, the name change needs approval from the MNDNR and then the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
The county board received extensive public comment on this topic and hosted a public hearing Tuesday, October 17, to discuss and receive testimony on the petitions.
 During Hennepin County’s 100-Day Challenge on Youth
Homelessness, our community exceeded our goal of assisting 150 youth in finding
housing, with 236 obtaining safe, stable homes.
Between July and November, Hennepin County joined four other
U.S. communities in this challenge to combat homelessness among youth ages 16 –
24.
We also made steady progress on our 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. Our goal
was to assist 75 percent of the youth to find employment or advance their
education.
Learn more about this county initiative here.
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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.
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.
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
Learn more about Citizen Advisory Boards and the application process here.
You're invited. In addition to our regularly scheduled board meetings, the County Board often meets for updates on Thursday mornings. These are informal opportunities to discuss emerging issues. No decisions are made, and topics are subject to change. Board briefings occur in the board room on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center and are open to the public. Call my office to confirm briefing time and location.
Mapping Prejudice: Tracing the History of Racist Real Estate Covenants in Minneapolis
Saturday, December 2, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Washburn Library, 5244 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis
Mapping Prejudice is a team of activists and scholars who show how the city's contemporary urban geography has been shaped by historic restrictions on property ownership. Using digital technology, they are assembling the first-ever map of racial covenants for an American city. Discover the hidden history of race in Minneapolis and learn how you can contribute to the research behind the Mapping Prejudice project.
Learn more about the Mapping Prejudice program.
Take a trip to paradise: your local library
When cabin fever strikes, take a break at the library.
You’ll find books to take you anywhere in space and time, music and movies to
bring you together at home. Explore library activities on BiblioEvents, our
interactive event calendar. Browse to www.hclib.org
and click on the Events tab. In the left-hand column, you can filter by date,
library location and event type to find just the event your family will love.
Seniors bond at book clubs
Hennepin County Library is helping to increase social
interaction among older adults by helping them develop and maintain social book
clubs. Visit a book club in Eden Prairie and learn more about clubs at senior
residences.
Read
more about the library’s outreach with older adults in our community.
Be a smart consumer: The library can help
Consumers’ Checkbook is a great resource for reviews of
local businesses and service providers. Originally only available in libraries,
now you can access Consumers’
Checkbook from your computer or mobile device. Just enter your library card
number, whether accessing Consumers' Checkbook in the library or elsewhere, and
set up an account upon entering the first time. With an account, you will be
able to write your own reviews, greatly adding value to this local resource.
Learn
about other consumer resources available with your library card.
Contact us
Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
Elie Farhat
Principal Aide
612-348-7125
Nancy
Asan
Administrative Assistant
612-348-0863
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