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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Hennepin County's Environmental Response Fund (ERF) applications are now open now for the Spring 2021 grant round. These grants are used to fund the assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites in Hennepin County. Applications are due by May 3, 2021 at 3 p.m. Learn more, here.
A few more updates you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:
🏛 County Board Actions: This week the county board took action on a variety of items including funding for services that will increase opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and people of color owned businesses, AIS and Good Steward grants, and more.
✍🏻 My Statement on Increasing Hennepin County Employee Minimum Wage to $20: The Hennepin County board also unanimously adopted a $20 minimum wage for county employees.
🚲 Trail Extension: Hennepin County has approved $100,000 for the City of Minnetonka construction on the multi-use trail on CSAH 3 to improve safety, connectivity, and mobility along Excelsior Boulevard.
ℹ️ Hennepin Waypoint: Hennepin County residents experiencing homelessness or extreme financial hardship can use Waypoint to find free and low-cost community resources.
♻️ Green Disposal Guide: Hennepin County's green disposal guide can help you figure out the best way to recycle, reuse, or dispose of your household items, get answers about common items, and find information about drop-off facilities.
📚 Minnetonka Library Reopens: The Hennepin County-Minnetonka Library at 17524 Excelsior Blvd has officially reopened since March 1 after being closed for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
My office is here to serve you and I encourage you to use my office contact information below to get in touch.
In service,
Chris
This week, the Hennepin County Board approved:
Earlier this week, the Hennepin County board also unanimously adopted a $20 minimum wage for county employees.
Hennepin County Human Resources staff utilize tools such as the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Cost of Living Study to determine a minimum wage. This research informed the minimum hourly wage increase to $20.00 for county jobs. The average family size in Minnesota is three people. In Hennepin County, a married couple with one child, one parent working full-time and one working part-time, the minimum hourly wage to cover their basic-needs cost of living would be $19.98.
We have received input from constituents on this issue and value your thoughts.
This week, the Hennepin County Board approved $100,000 for the City of Minnetonka construction on the multi-use trail on County State Aid Highway System (CSAH) 3. This will improve safety and mobility along Excelsior Boulevard while also connecting the commercial centers near Shady Oak road and Glen Lake. These funds are a great reminder that biking investments are also investments in recreation, transportation, climate action, and health and wellness.
Learn more about the project, here.
Environmental Response Fund (ERF) applications are open now for the Spring 2021 grant round. Applications are due by May 3, 2021 at 3 p.m.
ERF grants are used to fund the assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites in Hennepin County. These grants are awarded on a competitive basis with priority given to:
- Significantly contaminated sites
- Demonstrated project readiness
- Municipal and other public development projects
- Affordable housing projects where contamination issues preclude redevelopment
- Projects that promote economic development
- Infill brownfield properties or orphan sites that contribute to blight
- Other criteria include projects that incorporate sustainable features and activities in the project design, construction, and operation
Application materials will be available through the Supplier Portal. Visit Hennepin.us/brownfields for more information
Hennepin County residents experiencing homelessness or extreme financial hardship can use Waypoint to find free and low-cost community resources. From shelter and housing resources to legal and medical services, learn more here.
Hennepin County's green disposal guide can help you figure out the best way to recycle, reuse, or dispose of your household items, get answers about common items, and find information about drop-off facilities.
For more information, click here.
 Photo by Joshua Yetman, Sun Newspapers
The Hennepin County-Minnetonka Library at 17524 Excelsior Blvd has officially reopened since March 1 after being closed for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For hours of service and more information, visit the Hennepin County Library website, here.
Photo by Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
By David Chanen, Star Tribune
Commissioner Chris LaTondresse said his office has received a few calls that the wage raise is a poor use of taxpayer money, particularly at time when people lost jobs during the pandemic.
"It's a better use of taxpayer dollars to move residents from poverty and public assistance to opportunity and self-sufficiency. That makes all of us stronger," he said. "If every Hennepin County resident made at least $20 per hour we would see a significant reduction to poverty and reliance on costly public assistance programs."
Access the full story, here.
Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune
By Erin Adler, Star Tribune
Officials from metro-area counties are calling the hurried attempt to transition thousands of homeless people into hotel rooms last spring an overwhelming success, though the effort hasn't been without bumps in the road.
Both suburban and urban counties have been using hotels as shelters over the past year because they provide occupants with an isolated living space. Moving people into separate rooms instead of using open, congregate shelters curbed the spread of COVID-19, officials said, and helped hotels stay afloat, too.
Access the full story, here.
 Photo by Joshua Yetman, Sun Newspapers
After being closed since the beginning of the pandemic last March, the Hennepin County-Minnetonka Library, 17524 Excelsior Blvd., officially reopened March 1.
Access the full story, here.
Join me next Saturday, April 6th for an informal virtual conversation over coffee. Starting at 10:00am you can click here to join the virtual meeting.
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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Chris LaTondresse
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Jessica Oaxaca
District Director
612-348-6885
Kyle Olson
Policy Director
612-348-3168
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