District 3 October Newsletter

Hennepin County, Minnesota sent this bulletin at 10/04/2018 09:43 AM CDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Commissioner Marion Greene - News from District 3

October 2018

Greetings! We hope our newsletter serves as a resource for staying connected to Hennepin County activities and staying updated on county news and services.

As always, please reach out with questions, comments, or to learn more about how to get involved.

My best,

Hiawatha Encampment Update

I want to open this newsletter with an update on the Franklin Ave/Hiawatha encampment and Hennepin County Government’s role in the response efforts.

To start, I want to acknowledge that this encampment is the result of systemic failures to adequately address housing availability, housing stability, and addiction in our community. The intergenerational, cultural trauma endured by many of those staying at the camp only adds to the complicated nature of the situation.

Hennepin County, in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis, the State of Minnesota, tribal leaders, and community partners, is working to ensure that camp residents are safe and that immediate needs are being met while at the same time providing access to more stable housing and needed social services. This has meant deep involvement on the part of county staff since day one: staff from the Office to End Homelessness, the Housing Stability department, income assistance staff, chemical and mental health case managers, Health Care for the Homeless program staff, child welfare staff, and staff from facilities and property management. A variety of these supports are at the encampment on a daily basis, working to engage residents and link them to the services they need.The county is collaborating with the American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) Kola Program to create a short-term housing facility with a focus on harm reduction for those suffering from addiction. Hennepin County is also operating a Navigation Center on site.

The Navigation Center is a temporary safe place for those at the encampment to stay short term while we work with them to create personalized housing plans. This center will combine a short-term stay with intensive services and supports to eliminate barriers to shelter and/or long term housing and provide access to health and recovery services as needs are identified. Our role is to support residents working towards self-sufficiency and stable housing longer term. The county is heavily focused on housing supports, income assistance, healthcare, chemical and mental health, and child and family welfare services. We are grateful to our community providers who are on site daily providing many of these critical services alongside Hennepin County.

Every day, we are doing our best to not only provide these services, but also re-evaluate the effectiveness of our response and strategize about where we can improve. It is “all-hands-on-deck,” and I am grateful for the enormous assistance coming from community members and organizations.

If you are looking for a way to help, Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID) has established a donation page to coordinate assistance for those staying at the encampment. Monetary donation and assistance is needed and welcomed. Coordination with community partners is requested in order to ensure the safety of the site and related interventions for all involved.

News

County Administrator Proposes 2019 Budget

On Tuesday, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough proposed a 2019 budget of $2.4 billion to the Hennepin County Board.

The operating portion of this budget totals $1.9 billion, a decrease of $61.8 million from the adjusted 2018 budget. The capital portion totals $475 million dollars, an increase of $38 million or 8.7 percent over the adjusted 2018 amount.

The proposed net property tax levy is $831.9 million, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to last year. Property tax covers 34.7 percent of the overall county budget. State and federal sources, fees and services, and other revenues fund the remainder of the budget.

Continued commitment to reducing disparities

The county will continue its commitment to reducing disparities that impact many residents in the areas of education, employment, health, housing, income, justice and transportation.

“Disparities drive our business and drive the cost of that business,” Hough said. “Our determination in reducing disparities is critical to maintain a sustainable fiscal stance and to best position Hennepin County for the future.”

Investments in child well-being

The proposed budget supports continued work to flip the child welfare system to a child well-being model.

“We are proactively revisioning the system to a child well-being model, where we seek to improve children’s quality of life, particularly those children at risk, to prevent the need for child protection,” Hough said. “This opens up opportunities for creating systems that support healthy children and stable families.”

Budget hearing schedule

View the schedule of public meetings at hennepin.us/budgets.

Property values

Property tax valuations impact the property tax portion of the budget. The Hennepin County Assessor's Office assesses a property and estimates the value it would likely sell for on the open market, which is one factor used in determining property taxes. Other factors include property tax levies set by the school districts, city, county or special taxing districts that the property is in.

Find out more about property values.

Board Approves Maximum Tax Levies for 2019

State law requires the board to adopt a maximum property tax levy in September. The 2019 maximum property tax levy represents a 5.25 percent increase from 2018.

Next steps

The property tax levy that commissioners ultimately approve in December may be lower than the approved maximum, but it cannot exceed the adopted maximum levy. In November, property owners will receive a notice that shows the impact of the county’s maximum levy on their properties, as well as the impact of those taxes proposed by other local units of government, such as cities and school districts.

$2 Million in Transportation Safety Projects will Respond to Community Concerns

Hennepin County is investing $2 million to address transportation safety concerns voiced by residents of communities across the county.

The Hennepin County Board approved various agreements to deliver these improvements. A team of county transportation staff reviewed crash data; pedestrian, bicycle and motorist safety factors; resident feedback; and construction timeframe to prioritize this year’s safety projects.

Hennepin County will dedicate $1.5 million to 12 identified county and city safety improvement projects. The county will use the remaining $500,000 for various operational safety improvements that include pedestrian ramps for accessibility needs, flashing beacons at pedestrian crossings and accessible pedestrian signals.

Projects Include:

Bicycle lanes

Hennepin and First avenues (County Road 52), Minneapolis
Minnetonka Boulevard (County Road 5), Saint Louis Park

Dedicated turn lanes

Excelsior Boulevard (County Road 3) at Fairview Avenue, Minnetonka

Pedestrian and bicycle crossings

France Avenue (County Road 17) and 38th Street, St. Louis Park, city will lead project
Lake Street (County Road 3) at Hiawatha Avenue, Minneapolis
Penn Avenue (County Road 2) at 33rd and 34th avenues, Minneapolis

The county also makes safety improvements as part of larger capital road, bridge and traffic projects, as well as ongoing system maintenance work.

County Takes First Step to Define Relationship with ICE

As reported on by the Star Tribune, the Hennepin County board took the first step in exploring the relationship between Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their activity on county property. I voted to support the exploration, but have concerns that the resolution offered by my colleagues does not extend far enough to protect residents from ICE who are seeking county services, fulfilling probation requirements, or reporting crimes.

The current proposal will try to understand the impact of requiring federal immigration agents to identify themselves while on Hennepin County property.

The resolution calls for a policy directing how federal immigration agents should behave while on county property, such as the Hennepin County Government Center.

It could also include asking federal agents to notify county officials of their presence and identify themselves as they make an arrest.

Read the full article here.

District 3 Profile

Margo Geffen

Director • Facility Services

Kingfield, Minneapolis

Describe your work.

The Facility Services Department oversees all aspects of the county’s 130 buildings - approximately six million square feet of space and three million square feet of parking. Specifically, Facility Services:

Manages, operates, and maintains the day-to-day operations of the properties.
Manages the planning, design, construction, energy conservation, and engineering for new construction and remodeling projects.
Provides a safe and secure environment for all employees and customers at every county facility.

What part of your job do you find most challenging?

Facility Services is responsible for a vast and diverse set of buildings, ranging from one room libraries, to downtown office high rises, to state of the art 911 facilities. This requires Facility Services to have an in-depth understanding of a wide array of county functions. While this is challenging, it is also a unique and rewarding role to play in Hennepin County.

What do you find most enjoyable?

I love the synergy within Facility Services and between county departments. For instance, security works with planning to design a new library, facility management works with engineering to reduce energy costs at the Government Center, and construction works with forestry on tree restoration at the new Medical Examiner site.

What is one thing everyone should know about the work you do?

When you walk into a county building, there is a team of creative, dedicated individuals making it work.

Congratulations, Margo, on your new position!

Board Briefings

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.

Thursday, October 18

9:30am-10:30am: Comprehensive Plan- Public Input
10:30am-11:30am: Legislative Platform

County calendar

Hennepin County Yearbook Collection

This collection includes Minneapolis high school yearbooks, 1890-1977. The scope of the collection is expanding to include educational institutions in Hennepin County.

Check out the yearbook collection.

October is Pride History Month

Here are some staff-recommended titles on local and national LGBTQIA+ historical events and important people.

Find resources to learn more about Pride History Month.

October is Teen Read Month

Learn how to make the most of your library with a new card, find book recommendations and more for teens.

Find out more about Teen Read Month.

Get a free library card.

Native American Cultural Awareness

Three Mondays in October, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

St. Louis Park Library, 3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park

Join us for this series about Native American Cultural Awareness, presented by Dr. Elizabeth Rowan Keith, professor of Native American Studies.