An
agreement has been made between Twin Cities transit planners and Twin Cities
& Western Railroad. This was the last obstacle the Light-Rail had to get through in order to start the final stages of planning. The agreement
will allow light rail and freight trains to share part of the nearly 15-mile
corridor between downtown and Eden Prairie.
Progress on the project had stalled due in part to the disagreement
between TC&W and the Met Council. The conflict centered on ownership and
operational issues along the part of the route where LRT and freight trains run
alongside each other. The agreement gave
the Light-Rail transit planners site control along the railway, set perimeters
on both construction procedures and operation procedures. The Southwest LRT is scheduled to open and
operate by 2023.
On Tuesday, July 24th, the Hennepin
County board voted to move forward a plan to build its own mental health
facility. The board unanimously approved
a study to find the feasibility of converting an abandoned building at the
workhouse in Plymouth. The short-term facility would house residents or inmates
who couldn’t find a secure bed at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center,
are ready to leave the county jail or are temporarily at Hennepin Healthcare. They
hope the study will be completed by October. “The mental health system is
jammed up, and this is the county stepping up to deal with a chronic problem,”
said Commissioner Peter McLaughlin. Right now, inmates at the county jail are
staying longer than their sentence time waiting for a bed at Anoka. The board cited a recent case of a man with
mental illness who was held in jail for three months even though misdemeanor
charges against him were quickly dropped after his arrest. Besides the possibility
of a new mental health facility, the county is working with community
organizations and Hennepin Healthcare on a multiyear project to create a mental
health and substance abuse residential treatment program at a county-owned
building at 1800 Chicago Av. S. in Minneapolis.
Beginning Monday, August 27th, Hosmer
Library will be closed for renovations.
The library is scheduled to reopen by the end of spring 2019. The
building’s historic character will be carefully retained through the renovation,
as the library has received historic designation from the City of Minneapolis
Heritage Preservation Commission. Repairs and preservation work will address
the building exterior, including the large skylight and refurbishment of
historic wood windows. Inside, patrons
will find library spaces updated for increased flexibility and improved access
to library services. The renovated entry will increase connectivity between the
library’s main floor and the lower level, and meeting spaces of various sizes
will be available on both floors. Areas for children and teens will be located
to the front of the building and designed to support the activity level of
youth programs, with the back of the building offering quieter computer use and
seating. Restrooms will be upgraded for ADA compliance, new energy-efficient
LED lighting will be installed, and wireless connectivity will be improved
throughout the building. During the
closure, patrons are invited to use other Hennepin County libraries:
- East
Lake Library, 2727 E Lake Street, Minneapolis
- Nokomis Library,
5100 34th Ave South, Minneapolis
- Washburn Library,
5244 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis
Join
us for the 36th Annual Minneapolis National Night Out on Tuesday,
August 7th. National Night
Out is about getting to know your neighbors and having a good time in the
process. There will be numerous block
parties throughout the city celebrating so be sure the check out the list to
see what’s going on near you and I hope to see you out!
Don’t
forget to take part in the midterm elections this year. Absentee voting has
already started and will run until August 13th at 5pm. The Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August
14th followed by the General Election Day which occurs on November 6th. Make sure to get out and vote to exercise
your constitutional right. Be sure to check this link to show where you are registered to vote.
Hennepin County is hosting free movie nights this summer at Target Field Station in partnership with the Minneapolis downtown council and the Minnesota Twins. Residents can bring a lawn chair or blankets, find a spot on the grass outside the ballpark and watch movies on the video board. The digital screen at Target Field Station allows for movies to be shown in crisp quality and before dusk, making the events ideal for all ages. All movies begin Thursdays at 7pm.
Movie Showtime's for August:
- Wednesday, August 8: "Coco"
- Wednesday, August 22: "Mary Poppins"
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.
Thursday, August 9:
- 9:30am-10:30am: Protected bikeways on county roads
Thursday, August 23:
- 9:30am-11:30am: Board & Authority proceedings/2020 Census
Contact us
Peter McLaughlin
Commissioner, 4th District
612-348-7884
Brian Shekleton
Principal Aide
612-348-5204
Dorothy Rucker
Scheduling
612-348-3204
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