County board actions: levies for water quality projects, funding for Rogers business expansion

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county board actions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969

Special levies will fund water quality projects

The board approved special levies for four watershed management commissions that do not have the ability to levy taxes on their own for water quality improvement projects. Levies will fund the following projects that improve water quality, stream habitat, flood control and pollinator habitat.

Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, $1.4 million

  • Medicine Lake Road and Winnetka Avenue long-term flood mitigation plan implementation, Golden Valley
  • Westwood Lake water quality improvement project, St. Louis Park

Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission, $462,500

  • Stream stabilization projects at three different sites – one along Rush Creek in Maple Grove and two along the main stem of Elm Creek in Plymouth and Champlin
  • Downs Road Trail rain gardens, Champlin

Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission, $479,900

  • Becker Park infiltration project, Crystal
  • Soluble reactive phosphorus reduction project, Crystal and Brooklyn Park

West Mississippi Watershed Management Commission, $53,025

  • Cost-share program for city projects that provide infiltration and water quality treatment

Read more about these special levies.

Funding will support business expansion in Rogers

The board awarded an $836,000 grant to the City of Rogers for a $73.6 million expansion of an existing Graco Minnesota Inc. office, lab, and manufacturing space. This project will double the site's estimated taxable market value by an estimated $13 million, retain 410 jobs and create 54 new jobs within two years of completion. Hennepin County is awarding this grant through its Economic Development Infrastructure Fund, which supports job preservation and creation through targeted business recruitment and expansion investments.

Learn more about this board action.

Funding will expand behavioral health care at NorthPoint clinics

The board accepted a $285,000 federal grant to expand prevention and treatment at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center Clinics for substance use disorder — including opioid use disorder — and mental illness. The county anticipates that it will receive $110,000 of ongoing annual federal funding to continue this work.

Read more about this grant award.

Budget hearing calendar

Below is the schedule of upcoming public hearings for adoption of the county's 2019 budget and levy.

Health

Thursday, November 8, 9 a.m. – noon

Public Safety

Tuesday, November 20, 9 a.m. – noon

Public Works

Tuesday, November 20, 1 – 4:00 p.m.

Truth-in-Taxation public meeting

Tuesday, November 27, 6 p.m.

Administrator and commissioner amendments

Thursday, November 29, 1 – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, December 5, 1 – 4 p.m.

Board vote on 2019 budget and levy

Tuesday, December 11, 1:30 p.m.

Current and archival board meetings, agendas and minutes are available at hennepin.us/boardmeetings.

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.

Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at hennepin.us/stories.