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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As the season has changed to autumn, I hope that you all have had a chance to enjoy the cooling weather and changing fall colors. As we head towards seasonal gatherings with friends and family, now is a good time to consider a COVID-19 booster shot for your protection and those around you. Hennepin County is hosting a number of booster and first-time vaccination events details of which can be found below.
In other news from around the county, the board continues to spend federal American Rescue Plan dollars to invest in our community's needs in health and housing. Lake Street is now running without construction interruption, we've spent more time on green infrastructure research, and are hosting an online art gallery.
It's a busy time of the year for all of us but I encourage everyone to stay in touch with our office with questions, comments, or recommendations as we head towards closing out the budget cycle and year.
My best,
Hennepin County is helping to ensure that all people in Hennepin County who want the vaccine can get it.
Booster update
The county is now offering Pfizer booster shots at the events and clinics listed below. See if you're eligible for a booster on the Minnesota Department of Health website.
Who Should Get a Booster Shot?
On October 22, the Governor announced that Minnesota will begin administering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots to eligible individuals in line with federal guidance issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, people who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can now get a booster at least six months after their initial series if they are:
- 65 years and older;
- Age 18 and older and live in long-term care settings;
- Age 18 and older and have underlying medical conditions;
- Age 18 and older and work or live in high-risk settings;
All Minnesotans age 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are recommended to get a booster shot at least 2 months after their initial vaccine.
Officials also authorized 'mixing and matching' COVID-19 vaccine boosters, meaning anybody who is eligible to get a booster shot can get any of the three currently authorized or approved vaccines – Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson – regardless of what product they received for their primary series. Health care providers can answer questions about mixing and matching doses.
View the translated version of the table in the following languages: Español/Spanish, Hmoob/Hmong, and Soomaali/Somali, and view other education materials translated in 16 different languages here.
Vaccine incentives
The county is offering $50 Visa gift cards to community members and employees who receive a first or second vaccine dose at Hennepin County vaccine events or clinics listed below, as supplies last. Booster shots are NOT eligible for an incentive.
Find upcoming vaccine events, as well as incentive and testing information.
The Minnesota Department of Health is also offering vaccination opportunities and incentives. Learn more here.
Vaccines for Kids
This week Governor Tim Walz announced Minnesota's plan to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee voted to recommend the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children 5-11 years old.
Minnesota providers cannot begin vaccinating children until the CDC issues final recommendations, which could come later next week. Once CDC has approved the vaccine for 5-11 and your child is eligible, Minnesota families can:
- Check with their pediatrician or family medicine clinic about appointments;
- Visit mn.gov/vaccine to use the Vaccine Locator Map to locate and contact providers near them;
- Utilize the CDC’s Vaccine Finder at vaccines.gov to find pharmacies offering pediatric vaccinations; or
- Look to local school districts for more information about vaccination opportunities in schools.
County designates federal funding to strengthen public health capacity
The Hennepin County Board has designated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to strengthen public health capacity in Hennepin County to meet the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, and address the ever-present need to prevent, protect and promote the health of all residents.
$10M to enhance public health infrastructure
Recognizing that it is essential to respond to crises like the current pandemic, while also addressing other public health challenges, the county board offered their strong support for enhancing the county’s public health infrastructure.
As I said during the discussion of this initiative, "The pandemic has reinforced the value of public health staff, and the expertise and skills they provide to keep Hennepin County residents healthy and safe. Our public health staff and leaders have been stretched thin and have stepped up in countless ways over the past 20 months. At this critical moment we must continue to invest in them and their crucial work.”
ARPA funds will support hiring up to 30 FTEs to address staffing needs, as well as for community-based grants and tools including technology.
Services residents depend on
In addition to continuing to fight COVID-19, Hennepin County Public Health (HCPH) must provide the routine but vital public health services the residents of Hennepin County depend on. The resources allocated will enhance Hennepin County’s capabilities to address several core public health activities, including to:
- Bolster infectious disease response and coordinate immunization outreach and delivery;
- Strengthen public health emergency response;
- Address the exacerbation of chronic diseases caused by COVID-19;
- Coordinate early childhood development strategies; and
- Expand population-based assessment capacity and increase project management capacity.
Public Health Director Susan Palchick, PhD, MPH, shared: “This funding will be used not only to continue to respond, but also to ensure that Hennepin County has the public health infrastructure required to protect the health of the community now and in the future.”
Continuing to address health disparities while partnering with community
The longstanding and well documented race-based health disparities in Hennepin County add to the urgency of strengthening public health infrastructure. The pandemic contributed to unacceptable health outcomes for residents. In response, the county partnered with many cultural community organizations to share reliable health information, expand testing options, and offer culturally specific testing and vaccination opportunities. Continuing to build relationships with these organizations and engage with them in future public health endeavors is a priority.
The funding allocated also will help ensure that disparity reduction and community engagement activities continue while strengthening public health capacity to serve all residents.
Hennepin County will continue to update hennepin.us with information about how we are allocating ARPA funding.
The board designated federal funds for economic recovery and a new emergency shelter. Funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.
County designates federal funding for equitable economic recovery, new shelter facility
$19M for equitable economic recovery
The county is designating an additional $19 million to aid in equitable economic recovery. This investment will help build wealth in communities hardest hit by the pandemic, as well as help businesses recover and grow into the future. It will support more than 1,300 businesses and nonprofits, and it will stimulate $30 million in investment, positioning Hennepin County businesses and communities for long-term success as we aim to emerge from the pandemic even stronger.
This funding builds on Hennepin County’s strong commitment to supporting businesses through the pandemic. It brings the total funding committed by Hennepin County for small business relief and economic recovery to $93 million.
$8.6M to support small business and nonprofit recovery, resilience, and innovation
- Equitable access to culturally competent expert advising in a wide variety of areas
- Consulting to address technology barriers of nonprofits, disadvantaged businesses, and microbusinesses
- Financial assistance for small businesses, including emerging contractors, to launch, rebuild, and grow
$10M to speed up investment and rebuild more equitable and prosperous communities
- Expand community resources that increase economic opportunity
- Create affordable commercial spaces that build wealth
- Create jobs, business incubation spaces, and ownership opportunities for local entrepreneurs
$400,000 to develop economic mobility and build wealth
- Research ways to connect workers to long-term, family-sustaining jobs in coordination with the Hennepin-University Partnership
Data highlights stark employment disparities
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development:
- As of December 2020, the following demographic groups had, on average, been using unemployment insurance for longer: Black workers, women workers, workers 65 and older, workers who have a high school diploma or less and workers who have a disability.
- People of color continue to experience higher rates of unemployment than white workers. This includes American Indian, Asian, Black, and Hispanic/Latino workers. Black workers have experienced the highest rates of job loss during the pandemic.
- Unemployment rates in Hennepin County have also varied based on geography. Some of the county's most diverse communities show the highest rates of unemployment, while some of the least diverse show the lowest rates of unemployment.
 Now that the 35W@94 project has come to an end, Lake Street is open and ready for business! It is now so easy to access Lake Street by car using the new exit ramp from I-35W directly to Lake Street, by bike with new access from the Midtown Greenway, by transit at the Lake Street Transit Station and by foot with new sidewalks and accessibility improvements.
Lake Street is home to hundreds of small businesses, from restaurants and grocery stores to clothing boutiques and artisan gift shops. Many businesses are owned by Latin American and East African immigrants. The nonprofit Lake Street Council offers online maps and guides to exploring the street at visitlakestreet.com/shop-local.
This year, Minnesotans can get greater financial assistance and protections to keep their homes warm and lights on through Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program and Minnesota’s cold weather rule.
Energy assistance
More Minnesotans qualify for the Energy Assistance Program. The Energy Assistance Program helps Minnesota households pay for current and past-due bills for electricity, gas, oil, biofuel and propane, emergency fuel delivery, and repair/replacement of homeowners’ broken heating systems, and could also cover water and sewer bills.
More than 600,000 Minnesota households are income-eligible for energy assistance. The Federal Department of Commerce raised the income eligibility limit to 60% of Minnesota’s median income levels ($67,765 per year for a family of four) and is significantly increasing benefit amounts to reduce energy burdens more than ever, including up to $1,600 for energy bills plus up to $1,200 for past-due energy bills.
By submitting one application through the Energy Assistance Program, households could qualify for payments to cover both water and energy bills and qualify them for the Minnesota Weatherization Program. Weatherization helps households with home improvements to conserve energy and lower their energy costs permanently.
Apply: Request an application or find your local service provider at mn.gov/energyassistance or call 800-657-3710 and press “1.”
Cold Weather Rule
The cold weather rule goes into effect earlier and lasts later because of concerns that Minnesota’s changing climate was leading to cold spells earlier in fall and later in spring. Minnesota’s cold weather rule now protects residential utility customers from having electric or natural gas service shut off between Oct. 1 and April 30.
For more information or assistance, see the PUC “Shutoff Protection” information or call the PUC’s Consumer Affairs Office at 651-296-0406. To apply, contact your natural gas or electric company and request a cold weather rule payment plan.
Need Help Keeping Your Home?
The Hennepin Homeownership Preservation Program (HHPP) is promoting foreclosure prevention advising to Hennepin County homeowners, and limited financial assistance may be available.
Once eligibility has been confirmed, applicants will be referred to a foreclosure prevention advisor with a Minnesota Homeownership Center network partner. These organizations include Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), LSS Financial Counseling, Neighborhood Development Alliance, NeighborWorks Home Partners, PRG Inc. and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Foreclosure prevention advising is required with any potential financial assistance.
Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis have partnered with Minnesota Homeownership Center to create and administer the program.
Apply for the program online at HennepinHPP.com or by calling 651-236-8952.
 Hennepin County is proposing to build an anaerobic digestion facility adjacent to the county’s Brooklyn Park Transfer Station. The facility would be a way to turn food scraps and other organic materials, which currently make up about 30% of our trash, into clean energy and compost to grow healthy food.
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But what is anaerobic digestion, and how does it work?
Watch our new video (YouTube) to learn about the process of anaerobic digestion and the benefits the facility would provide.
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How anaerobic digestion works
The video explains how organic waste collected from homes, schools, and businesses would be brought to the facility, shredded, and loaded into a digestion tank. In the tanks, microorganisms would work to break the materials into two products:
- Biogas, which can replace fossil fuels for heating or be converted into a vehicle fuel that has the lowest carbon footprint of any vehicle fuel.
- Digestate, which is separated into liquids that can be used to replace fossil-fuel-based fertilizers and solids that become a nutrient-rich compost to help plants grow.
The county's vision for an Eco Center
The video also shares the county's vision to establish an Eco Center that provides educational experiences, houses a green jobs learning center, includes an on-site urban farm and greenhouses, and delivers healthy food to our hunger relief partners.
With adequate funding and community support, these strategies would help advance our climate action, zero waste, and healthy community goals.
For more information, contact Ben Knudson at ben.knudson@hennepin.us.
Hennepin County recently awarded $47,200 to three cities to open a total of seven new organics recycling drop-off sites. The drop-off sites funded by these grants will increase access to organics recycling for all residents, especially those living in multifamily properties without access to city service and those in cities that don’t offer service. Drop offs also help raise awareness about the benefits of organics recycling and build interest in additional programs. About 30% of our trash is food scraps and other organic material, making organics recycling our biggest opportunity to reduce our trash, make progress toward our zero waste goals, and take action on climate change.
Organics recycling drop-off sites coming soon – in fall 2021 or early 2022:
- 5 sites in Minneapolis at the following parks: Holmes, Elliot, Towerside, Stewart, and North Commons
- 1 site in Crystal at the Aquatic Center
- 1 site in Minnetrista at City Hall
Existing options for organics drop-offs
There are currently 28 organics drop-off sites in Hennepin County, including at the county’s drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park and in several other cities. Learn more about drop-off sites.
Organics recycling drop-off locations
Resources available for multifamily recycling and organics
Need help with your recycling program? Free educational materials and on-site assistance are available to property owners and managers.
Order free recycling storage bags, container labels, posters and flyers
- Sign up to receive our free monthly Apartments Recycle newsletter
- Apply for grant funding to start or improve waste reduction, recycling and organics recycling
Multifamily properties are eligible to apply to the county’s business recycling bag and bin program to receive countertop bins and compostable bags for residents participating in organics recycling. Additional funding options for multifamily properties looking to start organics onsite will be available next year.
For more information visit here.
 Early last month, Hennepin Healthcare’s East Lake Clinic officially re-opened its doors to serve patients in a new location at the Hennepin County Government Human Service Center. Thank you to everyone who joined me at the Virtual East Lake Clinic Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting.
Watch the full celebration here.
I wanted to make sure you were aware of the upcoming November 15th deadline for families to sign up for the Child Tax Credit (CTC). According to results from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, three in 10 families that received monthly Advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments spent them on kids’ school expenses, and 1 in 4 families with young children used them to cover child care costs. Learn more at https://childtaxcredit.gov/ and the Spanish CTC Website.
Families, including those who aren’t required to file taxes, can go to GetCTC.org, a tool that is in English and Spanish, and mobile friendly. Most families can complete it within about 15 minutes!
Helpful CTC and Immigration Related FAQs from the IRS:
- 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — Topic N: Commonly Asked Immigration-Related Questions (English)
- Crédito tributario por hijos de 2021 y los pagos por adelantado del Crédito tributario por hijos — Tema N: Preguntas frecuentes relacionadas con la inmigración (Spanish)
- 2021 자녀 세액공제 및 자녀 세액공제 선급금 - 주제 N: 자주 묻는 이민 관련 질문 (Korean)
- Налоговый зачет, выплачиваемый за ребенка и авансовые выплаты по налоговому зачету, выплачиваемому за ребенка, в 2021 году —Тема N: часто задаваемые вопросы, связанные с иммиграцией (Russian)
- Tín thuế trẻ em trả trước và Tín thuế trẻ em năm 2021 – Chủ đề N: Những câu hỏi thường gặp về vấn đề nhập cư (Vietnamese)
- Kredi Enpo pou Timoun 2021 ak Peman Avans Kredi Enpo pou Timoun yo —Sijè N: Kesyon Anpil moun poze sou Imigrasyon (Haitian Creole)
 Artist Kprecia Ambers, credit: Drew Arrieta / Forecast Public Art
‘Make Space’ will feature artists Kprecia Ambers, Philipo Dyauli and Connor Rice
Forecast Public Art and Hennepin County will host an online gallery exhibit highlighting the work of Twin Cities artists Kprecia Ambers, Philipo Dyauli and Connor Rice.
The three artists previously participated in a Hennepin Theatre Trust project with Clear Channel Outdoor. “Art Connects Us” featured their artwork on 60 digital billboards across the region. The project shared messages of hope and gratitude to people working on the front lines of COVID-19.
While their work was seen in highly visible public spaces across the city, “Make Space” gets closer to the details. The artists share what they’ve been working on and how the pandemic has impacted their artistic practice.
Learn more about the project and artists here.
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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