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Welcome to the District 5 February newsletter! Scroll down to read more about
Michael, Casey, and I have been fortunate to work as a voice for our suburban communities at Hennepin County, and we'd like to invite you to experience local government as well.
Hayden Bunn - a senior at Eagle Ridge Academy - recently completed an internship in the District 5 office. He staffed me at numerous events and assisted our staff on all kinds of assignments. "I had the
opportunity to learn from experienced staff about the wide-ranging
responsibilities the County has.It was a hands-on approach to learning about
the County which made it an informative and enjoyable experience.”
Hennepin County has a number of internships available, and all of them pay living wages, including those in the District 5 office. Our job postings are updated on a regular basis.
You can contact Casey at 612-596-7078 or email casey.krolczyk@hennepin.us to learn more about interning in the District 5 office.
 2018 looks to be an exciting year for the state legislature, and the county has adopted a platform that will invest in key infrastructure projects. I will be working closely with all members of the Hennepin County legislative delegation to design and pass critical bills addressing a vast number of issues, including
- Simplifying and streamlining program requirements for our Health and Human Services departments and modernizing their technological systems, including METS, MAXIS, SSIS, and MnCHOICES
- Promoting child well-being and achieving positive outcomes for county-involved youth by standardizing practice models, investing upstream in early interventions, and stabilizing the child protection system
- Supporting a comprehensive transportation package that provides new revenue for roads, bridges, and transit.
- Creating a renewable capital investment fund for development of necessary community housing options for vulnerable individuals
- Supporting systems redesign to meet the needs of individuals with mental illness, including expanding supportive housing options and services required for stabilizing individuals in the community
- State bonding for a regional Medical Examiner's facility
- Securing financial vitality for Hennepin County Medical Center by maximizing existing supplemental and Medicaid payments, creating new supplemental payments, and mitigating the impact of revenue assessments on supplemental payments
- Ensuring Hennepin County receives a fair share of revenues from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment.
For facts, statistics, and other information behind the platform, visit the county's page for intergovernmental relations.
 On January 25, my colleagues and I were briefed on the county's 2040 Comprehensive Plan and the changing landscape of our complex county. Several District 5 residents and city staff served on the Plan's Policy Advisory Committee, including John Gibbs (Bloomington, Three Rivers Park District Commissioner), Maureen Scallen Failor (Bloomington), and Steve Devich (Richfield City Planner). Their service was critical to this project. The data are complex, but we solidified a number of important facts.
- Our population is continuing to grow, and we expect to gain another 152,000 people, 113,000 jobs, and 73,000 new households between 2020 and 2040.
- We are becoming more diverse.
- Our aging population will require adjusted services and infrastructure, while simultaneously providing us with a wealth of expertise and knowledge.
- Our climate is changing. We will need to reduce our own carbon footprint and deal with the impact a warmer and more volatile climate will have on our infrastructure and services.
- The economy is becoming more mobile and less centralized.
- Our infrastructure is aging. Investments in maintenance and replacement are needed now, but this is also an opportunity to rethink our systems, incorporating new technology into future projects.
 It's a busy week with the Super Bowl upon us. Check out these resources to plan around the traffic crunches and get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Community Meeting: Oxboro Library Building Project
Thursday, February 1, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Oxboro Library, 8801 Portland Avenue South, Bloomington
Join library staff and project architects for a presentation
to learn more about renovations at Oxboro Library, and preview design
renderings of the renovated library.
Find more
information about the project.
Don’t know much about football history?
Now on view in Special Collections, “Football in Minneapolis
Before the Vikings.” See artifacts from the Minneapolis Marines and the
Minneapolis Red Jackets, the city’s first professional teams dating back to
1920. Special Collections is at Hennepin County Library—Minneapolis Central,
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, fourth floor.
Find hours and
other information.
See
a preview of the display.
Latino Lens: Los 33 / The 33
Saturday, February 17, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Avenue, Richfield
The 33: From Latina director, Patricia Riggen. Based on a
true story about the collapse at the mine in San Jose, Chile that left 33
miners isolated underground for 69 days.
Learn
more about this film screening.
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
Principal Aide
612-596-7078 | casey.krolczyk@hennepin.us
Michael Ohama
Policy Director
612-348-7885 | michael.ohama@hennepin.us
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