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Welcome to the District 5 December newsletter!
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Read about what's happening at Hennepin County and across the district:
As we move into 2023, it's important that we look back at 2022 and take a moment to reflect on a few of the county's big wins. A huge thank-you to our staff for all the ways their work has helped improve the lives of those who call Hennepin County home. Among many other things, Hennepin County:
- Responded to infectious diseases, including COVID-19, Monkeypox, influenza and more.
- Adopted a Land and Water Acknowledgement, deepening our relationships with American Indian communities in Hennepin County.
- Created and staffed a new county office focused on closing the digital divide, and established broadband infrastructure.
- Provided more than 7,000 hours of one-on-one academic tutoring, resulting in a 25-point average increase in students’ math and reading assessment scores.
- Launched “Safe Spaces” at key county buildings to connect domestic abuse/human trafficking victims to immediate security services.
- Helped 2,938 homeowning residents save money through the Homestead and Property Tax Refund project.
- Developed the Eviction Reduction Project and exceeded the goal of creating/providing 2,400 affordable housing units.
- Opened a new Medical Examiner Facility in Minnetonka to stabilize forensic death investigation operations and support impacted staff and doctors.
- Assisted 1,640 business owners through our Elevate Business program.
Follow me on Twitter: @HennepinDebbie
Plastics can be a hassle – they create clutter and can be confusing to recycle – plus they contribute to litter, harm water and wildlife, and have largely unknown health impacts for us. Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to help create a plastic-free world, from learning more about plastic waste and recycling to making simple swaps to advocating for changes in your community and sharing your story with others.
Be part of the solution to reduce waste, protect water and wildlife, address climate change, and look after the health of ourselves and future generations by joining the Hennepin County Plastic-Free Challenge. Sign up opens on January 1, and the challenge runs during the month of February 2023.
Learn more, sign up, and get ready to go plastic-free at hennepinplasticfree.ecochallenge.org.
Seeking Plastic-Free Challenge partners
We are seeking partners to help increase promotion, recruitment, and engagement for the challenge.
Partners help:
- Expand our reach by promoting the challenge to their audiences.
- Strengthen engagement in the challenge by creating teams of colleagues, friends, and neighbors who motivate and hold each other accountable.
- Increase our impact by offering educational events on plastic-free topics or discounts on plastic-free goods and services.
See the Plastic-Free Challenge partnership guide (PDF) to learn more, and complete the partnership form to sign up.
The award is the largest single grant that the county has received for lead poisoning prevention
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Hennepin County $6.7 million to help protect families and children from lead-based paint hazards and additional home health hazards. With this funding, Hennepin County will address lead hazards in 300 housing units, providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. Elevated blood lead levels in children cause permanent neurological damage and can lead to learning disabilities.
The county’s lead prevention program was launched in 2004 to combat preventable lead exposures, which disproportionately impact people of color and low-income households.
The program conducts 150 Risk Assessments per year and takes on 125 lead hazard reduction projects per year. Since 2004, the county has completed 5,198 Lead Hazard reductions, including window replacement and paint stabilization.
Read more to learn if you and your family qualify for funding assistance.
And check out the great work of the lead poisoning prevention team with these recent stories on Kare 11 and in the Star Tribune.
With winter upon us, energy costs will be going up for families and residents across the county. There are various assistance programs available from the state, county, and local municipalities so that people can receive financial assistance when energy bills present a financial hardship.
If you are a Bloomington Resident and need help paying your bills, learn more here and apply now.
Hennepin County also partners with Community Action to provide relief. If you are not a Bloomington resident click here.
The City of Eden Prairie provides a broad resource document with various programs and who qualifies. Click here to read more.
Fishing isn’t just a summer activity! Once our lakes freeze over, we can venture out and catch fish through the ice. The City of Bloomington will show you how to use the equipment, understand and find where the fish live in winter, and practice reeling in the different species that call Bush Lake home.
All equipment will be provided.
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Where: Bush Lake Beach
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Dates: January 8, 15, 16, 22, 29. February 5, 12, 19, 20, 26. March 5.
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Times: 1 - 3 p.m. (except January 16, which is 9 - 11 a.m.)
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Fee: $10 per person
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Registration: blm.mn/webtrac
- Maximum of 15 participants per event. Children must have adult supervision.
Presented as part of Winter Fete 2023.
Head out on Wood Lake’s frozen marsh to discover the mysterious lives of muskrats. Learn about the many adaptations these elusive creatures need to survive under the ice in Minnesota. Look for muskrat homes, drill a hole through the ice to see the ice layers, and play hide and seek games in the cattails.
Where: Wood Lake Nature Center
When: Sunday, January 22
Time: 12:30 pm-2:00 pm
$5/person, free for members
Facebook event page
Register and learn more
Join community members at the Eden Prairie Outdoor Center for free family-friendly activities such as hiking, hands-on interactions with live animals, craft projects and more!
An Introduction to Hennepin County
The Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and share the history and stories of Hennepin County. This exhibit serves as a foundation from which guests can learn about Hennepin County and then explore the Museum’s other rotating exhibitions with a better understanding of the people, institutions, and events that have shaped this region. The exhibit consists of six main panels, covering topics from the County’s pre-settlement home to the Dakota, to the establishment of the County in 1852, the rise of local industry, and the diverse immigrant populations that moved here.
Where: Great Room, Hennepin History Museum
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Check out events happening at a library near you. Filter for specific areas, age groups, and different types of event to find something unique and specific to you and your family!
Learn more at Hennepin County Library events.
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Whether it's a housing crisis, energy assistance question, or child protection concern, we are here to help you navigate these and other issues.
Please call our office at 612-348-7885 to seek assistance or ask a question.
Contact
Commissioner Debbie Goettel
Hennepin County District 5
Bloomington | Eden Prairie | Richfield
612-348-7885
Michael Ohama
Policy Director
612-348-7885
Graham Faulkner
Communications Director
612-348-7885
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