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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,
Proposed Changes to Tobacco Sales Ordinance
The board will hold a public hearing to hear feedback on proposed changes to the county's tobacco sales ordinance. Proposals aim to protect residents from the health effects associated with tobacco use.
Proposed changes include
- Raising the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products from 18 to 21
- Requiring that employees must be 18 years old to sell licensed tobacco products
- Restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products to adult-only tobacco stores
- Prohibiting the sale of cigars that cost less than $3 each
Changes would geographically affect Greenfield, Mound, Rockford, Rogers, St. Bonifacius, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.
Share your feedback
- Attend a public hearing: Tuesday, June 11, 1:30 p.m. at the Hennepin County Government Center
- View other options for providing feedback: hennepin.us/proposed-ordinance-21
The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) adopted a new client-based Housing program. The objective is to advance the development of supportive housing by enabling more intentional and proactive county investment. The county will identify housing gaps, recruit and partner with supportive housing developers and providers, and provide early-in funding for projects that meet county objectives.
Community Works partnered with staff from Health and Human Services to develop draft guidelines, criteria, and evaluation processes, incorporating input from the HCHRA Board’s 2018 discussion. All funding awards will require Board approval after joint review and recommendation by Health and Human Services, Community Works, and other impacted departments. Proposed selection criteria include:
- Alignment with county-identified population need
- Project feasibility and cost reasonableness
- Commitment to long-term affordability in a leased-based housing setting
- Anticipated impact on service outcomes
Priority consideration will be given for projects that maximize support service leverage, demonstrate integration and choice for people with disabilities and practices that reduce housing disparities for people of color and people with extremely low incomes.
Read more here.
The county is designating funds to help build 20 housing, development and infrastructure projects throughout the county, including along major transit corridors.
Acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the county board awarded financing from the Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF), and from the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) program.
Together, these awards will fund the creation or preservation of 733 new affordable units of housing.
AHIF — 10 affordable housing projects
A total of 438 units of affordable housing will be supported through AHIF in 2019, including:
- 79 units for people experiencing homelessness
- 71 units set aside for households with income less than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI)
- 246 units with rental assistance, making rents affordable to households below 30% AMI
- 38 units for people with a disability
- 53 units for large families
- 15 units for extended foster care youth
- 31 units for county Health and Human Services clients
The Affordable Housing Incentive Fund is a program unique to Hennepin County that supports the development and preservation of long-term affordable housing for low- and very-low income households. The program is funded through a countywide property tax levy.
Since 2000, about $66 million has been committed to affordable housing projects through AHIF, supporting 8,300 units of affordable housing.
Read more about 2019 AHIF projects and awards.
TOD —10 transit oriented development projects
A total of 501 housing units, 295 of which are affordable, and 200,000 square feet of commercial space will be supported through the TOD program in 2019, including:
- Four housing and mixed-use projects
- Two commercial projects
- Four infrastructure projects
Together, TOD funded projects will contribute to:
- 187 new or retained jobs
- Improved connections to transit
The Transit Oriented Development program supports redevelopment projects that increase housing choices and jobs accessible by transit to grow a more sustainable and economically competitive region.
Since 2003, the TOD program has generated more than 7,000 new or retained housing units, including 3,300 affordable units, more than 2,500 jobs, and more than 2 million square feet of commercial and office space.
Read more about the projects and awards.
The 2019 Youth Sports Grants have been allocated. Awards across District 3 include:
- Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board for PA system output, amplifier, multi-sport scoreboard & timer at Whittier Community Center
- Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board for Tip and Role Bleachers at Martin Luther King Jr. Park
- Minneapolis Public Schools for soccer goals, softball pitching machine, machine balls, Baseball Diamond D1 Pro/DBP Practice, Football pads, football belt, power tanker with cart at Southwest
- St. Louis Park High School for two-man football blocking sled at St. Louis Park High School and Central Community Center, Aquagrip pool timing touchpads, and gymnastics safety practice mats
St. Louis Park has been chosen along with two other cities to receive grant money to expand recycling efforts.
Funds will be used to purchase 48 containers to increase intake capacity of recycling and organics at the Westwood Hills Nature Center, Municipal Service Center, and the Rec Center.
The East Isles Farmers Market will open its second season in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on Thursday, June 13th. The market will be open from 4pm-8pm on the Mall in Uptown (behind Walker Library) between Humboldt and Irving Avenues.
Run, walk, bike, or skateboard over to the park for locally sourced produce from 20+ vendors, rotating food trucks, live music, special events and fun.
Find the East Isles Farmers Market on Facebook and Instagram @eastislesfarmersmarket
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Kyle Samejima
Minneapolis Climate Action Exeuctive Director
Hennepin County Green Partners Grow Organics Recycling Grant Recipient
Lyndale, Minneapolis
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Describe your work and the county grant you are working on.
I am the executive director of Minneapolis Climate Action, a nonprofit focused on innovative climate action at the individual, neighborhood and city level through behavior change, culture shift, policy and law. We work to empower all Minneapolis residents to make our city a model for sustainability. The grant from Hennepin County that we are working on right now is to educate and engage residents on organics recycling. The goals of the grant are getting residents to sign up, learn more about what can and can’t be composted, and understand how organics recycling is a critical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change, while creating compost, a valuable resource. We are particularly excited about working with ESL classes in the Lyndale Neighborhood and Spanish speaking churches in the Kingfield neighborhood.
What do you find most enjoyable about the work?
The personal relationships built through this work that result in the lightbulb going off over people’s heads and their hearts lighting up when they see their actions count and make a difference. Our incredible planet that leaves me awestruck everyday is also deeply and profoundly inspiring.
What is the most challenging part of the work?
There are so many areas to address when it comes to climate change, that people get overwhelmed and even depressed. The challenge is to help people see that there is no one perfect solution or step, only taking bold steps in ways that inspire you, with the added benefit of building community. Climate change is also embedded in systems that have contributed to racial inequity and environmental injustice, so it is imperative that we work to shift those systems to not only address climate change, but to create equitable society and economic system.
What is one thing everyone should know about the work you do?
Everyone should know that every action we take to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce waste, be more energy efficient, create healthy soil, reduce chemical use, and connect to nature and our neighbors truly has an impact. We cannot always see immediate results, but we have to trust that our actions ripple out to others in our circles. We really appreciate the commitment that Hennepin County has made to waste reduction, recycling and other crucial environmental initiatives.
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, June 6
- 9:00am-10:00am: Post-Session Legislative Update
Thursday, June 20
- 9:00am-11:00am: Jail Population Review/Corrections Advisory Board
Outdoor movies at Target Field Station
Attend family-friendly activities this summer for no cost as part of the Go Outside with Hennepin County summer event series.
Mondays at 7 p.m.
- June 10; Angels in the Outfield
- June 24: TBD
- July 8: Mary Poppins Returns
- July 15: Spaceballs
- July 29: Moana
Other events include farmers market, trivia nights
- Learn more at com/gooutside/
- Follow along on social media using #mymplsdt
Contact us
Marion Greene
Commissioner, 3rd District
612-348-7883
Elie Farhat
Principal Aide
612-348-7125
Laura Hoffman
District Aide
612-348-0863
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