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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
March 13, 2018
Funding will house and support youth currently in or aging out of county services
The board approved $323,500 to provide stable housing and services
for youth ages 18 to 24 involved in or aging out of county services. This
initiative will build on the success of similar county programs working with
segments of the same population.
Read more about this initiative.
Grant to fund study on juvenile justice
assessment tool
The board accepted a $50,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey
Foundation to develop a local assessment tool that considers racial disparities
while improving the accuracy of risk prediction, particularly for those most
disproportionately represented in the Hennepin County juvenile justice system.
This work is part of the county's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, a
partnership working to create a system that produces positive outcomes for
youth, families and the community.
Read the board action.
Learn about opportunities to participate in the
assessment tool project.
Learn more about the Juvenile Detention Alternatives
Initiative.
Grant-funded navigators will help youth
experiencing homelessness
The board accepted a grant to change the county's approach to
assisting minors ages 15 to 17 experiencing homelessness. A Minnesota Department of Human
Services grant will fund the work of two navigators who will help minors exit
homelessness through family reunification and connections to benefits, housing
and supportive services.
Read more about this project.
Candidates appointed to citizen advisory
boards
The board appointed the following candidates:
County Extension Committee (University of Minnesota Extension)
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act Board
March 27, 2018
Funding will help prevent spread of AIS
The board awarded 11 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention
grants totaling $198,175. Organizations will use funding for early detection of
AIS, inspections at public lake accesses, outreach and education, research,
watercraft cleaning facilities and more.
Grant recipients include:
- Bassett Creek Watershed
Management Commission - $20,000 to purchase and install a watercraft
cleaning station at the French Regional Park along the north shore of
Medicine Lake
- CD3 General Benefit Corporation
- $15,000 to build upon a previously funded project that developed a
waterless cleaning station at numerous boat launches last year in the
county
- Christmas Lake Homeowners
Association - $10,000 to assist with watercraft inspections every hour
that Christmas Lake public access is open
- City of Eden Prairie - $9,000
to conduct research on Brittle Naiad, an invasive plant about which very
little is known
- City of Long Lake - $33,675 to
purchase and install a watercraft cleaning station at the public access on
Long Lake
- Fortin Consulting Inc. -
$18,500 to fund early AIS detection efforts throughout the county,
including volunteer assistance and training
- Fortin Consulting Inc. -
$18,000 to survey 12 water bodies lacking any boat access for the presence
of AIS to evaluate possible unidentified pathways for AIS reaching these
waters
- Lake Minnetonka Conservation
District - $10,000 to expand public access inspection times at smaller
accesses around Lake Minnetonka
- Three Rivers Park District -
$20,000 to purchase and install a watercraft cleaning station at Lake
Minnetonka Regional Park
- Three Rivers Park District -
$33,000 to expand inspections at public accesses throughout the county
- Wayzata Sailing Foundation -
$11,000 to engage youth in discovery, monitoring and exploration of AIS in
Lake Minnetonka
Read more about these grant awards.
Read more about how the county is preventing AIS.
Grant will fight opioid abuse among people
experiencing homelessness
The board accepted $85,200 in additional federal grant funds to provide treatment, prevention and awareness of opioid addiction within the Health Care for the Homeless program. This program provides a variety of health and wellness services at several clinics and shelters in Minneapolis. The Federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant will fund a social worker position to educate, assess and refer patients to substance abuse care and services. This effort aligns with the county's overall response to the opioid crisis.
Learn more about this grant funding.
Learn more about Health Care for the Homeless.
Learn more about Hennepin County's response to the opioid crisis.
Candidates appointed to citizen advisory
boards
The board appointed the following candidates:
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Board
- Kurt Rogness - incumbent
- Sherry Davis White - incumbent
Human Resources Board
- Ned Rousmaniere
- Robert Powers - incumbent
- Janet Frisch
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.
March 21, 2018
Transportation briefing
Staff presented a two hour briefing on the county's transportation program. We discussed the capital project prioritization program that staff uses to fairly and responsibly prioritize projects across the county, and then the funding of the recommended projects. Staff also gave on update on safety investments, presented the proposed county jurisdictional transfer policy (transfers of roadways between agencies), addressed revisions to Ordinance 22 (small cell wireless facilities), and finally presented the asset management dashboard for 2017.
April, 2018
National Poetry Month
 During National Poetry Month in April, your library is a center for inspiration and creativity with poetry-themed book lists, online resources and events.
Learn more about National Poetry Month at the library.
Step to it with your community this May
Build
healthy habits by tracking your activity through the Step to it challenge, a
fun, free program that encourages people of all ages and abilities to become
more active.
Join
the challenge this May on behalf of your community, school, workplace or other
group. The challenge is not just about walking; convert a variety of activities
into steps, including running, cycling, dancing, manual wheelchair use and many
others.
Participate
in the challenge for a chance to win Minnesota Twins tickets or other
prizes.
Get
inspired, find more information and register for the challenge by visiting steptoit.org
or calling 612-348-5618.
Get car care information from Hennepin County Libraries
ALLDATA
automotive provides diagnostic and repair information for more than 30,000
vehicles, 1982 and newer. Patrons can access this valuable resource only in a
library building, logging in with your library cardon either a public computer
or your own device.
Learn more about this automotive
resource.
Get your free Hennepin County Library
card online.
New
Library Board members
The Hennepin
County Board has appointed two new members and reappointed a third to the
library’s advisory board. Adja Ann of Maple Grove was reappointed to
another three-year term, along with Sheila Letscher of St. Louis Park and
Rahfat Hussain of Minneapolis. They will replace Sandy Johnson, who reached her
three-term limit, and Barb Fenton, who stepped down from the board after one
term.
Read more about the new members.
Memory Café at Minnetonka Library
Hennepin
County Library is part of a collaboration to create community for people with
dementia and their caregivers. The work is part of the City of Minnetonka’s
efforts to gain designation as a Dementia Friendly Community.
Read more about
the library’s work at Memory Café events.
Career and Internship opportunities at Hennepin County
 Last week, students from the College of Liberal Arts | University of Minnesota visited the Hennepin County Government Center and met with staff from across the county. Students toured various departments and learned more about the work of the county. They also found out about our different internship opportunities.
I had the pleasure of speaking with the students when they visited the government center.
You can find job and internship opportunities athttps://www.hennepin.us/jobs.
You are invited to an open
house on April 3
This
year, Hennepin County, in coordination with the cities of Long Lake and Orono,
is continuing major reconstruction of Wayzata Boulevard (County Road
112).
Construction
activities are expected to begin in mid-April. Work will focus on completing
phase 1 reconstruction between Lake Street and Wolf Pointe Trail, as well as
phase 2 reconstruction between Wolf Pointe Trail and Highway 12.
You
are invited to attend the construction open house to learn about the
construction work, tentative timelines and navigating throughout the
construction zone.
Tuesday, April 3
4 to 6 p.m.
Long Lake Fire Station
340 Willow Drive
There
will be no formal presentation, but county staff will be available to answer
your questions. You are welcome to stop in at any time. If you cannot attend
and have questions - or if you need special accommodations - please contact staff
at 612-543-4275 or countyroad112@hennepin.us.
About this year's
reconstruction
Phases 1 and 2 under
construction
The
reconstruction project is addressing deteriorating pavement, updating utilities
and making improvements for drainage and storm water management.
The
result will be a safer, more livable and welcoming road, with the following
features:
- New pavement for a smoother
ride
- Restored and improved Long Lake
shoreline
- New shared turn lanes to
improve traffic flow
- New street lighting for better
visibility
- New sidewalks and trails with a
boulevard buffer
- Safer pedestrian and trail
crossings
- Improved accessibility for
people with disabilities
Phase 1: Lake Street and
Wolf Pointe Trail
Crews
will be completing work on this segment. Work in this area began early last
year, and crews worked as long as they could into late fall. This
year's construction activities will include:
- Completing restoration of the
Long Lake shoreline
- Reconstructing the roadway
between Martha Lane and Wolf Pointe Trail
- Completing bicycle and
pedestrian features like new sidewalks on Lake Street, new trails along
the northern half of Wayzata Boulevard, and crosswalk with raised medians
connecting the Wayzata Boulevard trail to Long Lake city and Luce Line
trails.
- Installing ornamental railings
on retaining walls downtown
- Installing Long Lake city
monuments at Brown Road (County Road 146) intersection and Martha Lane
Phase 2: Wolf Pointe Trail
and Highway 12
This
segment will be in its first year of reconstruction. Construction activities in
2018 will include:
- Removing and replacing
pavement
- Replacing underlying soils for
better road stability
- Removing and replacing
underground utilities
- Updating curbs and gutters for
better stormwater management
- Installing bicycle and
pedestrian features like new trails along the northern half of Wayzata
Boulevard and trail connections to Luce Line trail
- Installing streetlights at Old
Long Lake Road intersection
Private
utility companies will also be in the area relocating and replacing service
lines.
Access for residents and
businesses
We
will work to keep Wayzata Boulevard open as much as possible during
construction. However, in order to complete construction, short-term full
closures and side street access restrictions will occur.
Access
for local residents in the immediate construction area will remain
open. People will also have access to local businesses they want to
visit in the immediate construction area. Signage will be available to guide
people to their destination.
Expect short-term, full
closures this year
To complete this
year's work, we will need three short-term, full closures of Wayzata Boulevard
along segments between Wolf Pointe Trail and Wayzata Boulevard West. The
closures are needed to safely and efficiently replace major underground utility
lines.
Hennepin Healthcare's new Clinic & Specialty Center opened last week marking a new era of healthcare in downtown Minneapolis.
A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday, March 15 at the new building, which is located just across the street from HCMC's emergency department. It was the first of several events marking the completion of the six-story, 377,000 square foot Center, which is the first new building on the downtown campus in 40 years.
The Clinic & Specialty Center is now the home of more than 25 primary care and specialty clinics as well as same-day surgery, imaging, rehabilitation and other services.
There are 363 exam and procedure rooms for clinical use – about 15% more than Hennepin Healthcare’s previous capacity for the clinics that moved into the building.
More than 530,000 clinic visits are expected in the Clinic & Specialty Center in 2018.
Learn more about the services offered at https://www.hennepinhealthcare.org/…/clinic-and-specialty-…/.
 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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