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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you've been able to enjoy the summer weather and spend some extra time outdoors. After an absolutely dynamite legislative session at the State Capitol (see our legislative priority wins below!), I know many of us feel so much enthusiasm for the future of our state and region and we all deserve to slow down and enjoy the major accomplishments before digging into implementation.
Before checking out the rest of the newsletter, I want to highlight the open position for District 3 on the Hennepin County Race Equity Advisory Council. Learn more below and feel free to email the listed contact with questions or to let us know you're interested! You'll also find:
- Information on 50th Street (County Road 21) between France and Lyndale avenues in Minneapolis improvements
- The Go Outside with Hennepin County summer event series
- Summer events at Hennepin County Libraries
- The schedule for Northpoint's Fresh Food Fridays; and
- Grants for community-based opioid services
- A summer road construction and maintenance schedule and overview
As always, please be in touch with questions, comments, suggestions, and feedback.
My best,
Due to the political alignment in St. Paul, urgent and transformational change for our region and state was possible. Since the start of the year I prioritized working with constituents, stakeholders, allies, and legislators to achieve the seismic changes passed at the State Capitol this 2022-2023 session.
As Chair of the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA), my particular area of influence was in achieving the region’s first-ever long-term sustainable dedicated transit funding. I want to thank my colleagues on the county board for their unanimous support of transit funding, which gave me a clear mandate in my activities at the legislature. Thank you to Hennepin County’s partners in regional leadership at the legislature, who advanced transformative, visionary legislation. Thank you also to neighbors, residents, constituents, for making your voices heard.
As well as transit funding, it was tremendously rewarding to testify and advocate in support of reproductive freedom, drivers licenses for all, clean energy, a ban on the harmful and quack practice of conversion therapy (among other protections for trans community members), and for safe and stable housing for all. The metro region and Minnesota have a thriving and inclusive future ahead, and I am beyond thrilled.
A special thank you to constituents who contacted my office in favor of these wins. I look forward to maximizing the new opportunities made possible by this legislative session to improve the lives of all Hennepin County residents.
Read MPR News legislative highlights here.
Hennepin County will be working on 50th Street (County Road 21) between France and Lyndale avenues in Minneapolis. Crews will make accessibility updates and then repave the roadway. This project will extend the life of the roadway, enhance the ride quality and improve accessibility for all people.
Crews will be onsite first to work on the ADA ramps to improve accessibility for all people. Then, crews will come back to repave and stripe the roadway. There will be some shifts in traffic for people walking, biking, rolling and driving to move them away from crews working.
With the county’s repaving projects, we coordinate with city staff throughout the project, sharing the project scope and timing.
Outside of this project, but in advance of the work, county and city staff heard from residents regarding traffic speeds along the corridor. In response, changes to the striping will include narrower traffic lanes and wider shoulders to enhance safety. The county is also collaborating with the city on the use of a dynamic speed message sign, which is currently in place on 50th Street.
When all this work is done, people using the corridor should noticed an enhanced experience whether they are walking, biking, rolling, driving or using transit.
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Hennepin County is focused on intentionally confronting and overcoming barriers that impact many residents, disproportionately residents of color. Hennepin County has established a Race Equity Advisory Council which is comprised of residents with lived experiences, to collaborate with county employees around disparity reduction topics, issues and strategies. The mission of the Race Equity Advisory Council is to strengthen the county’s goal of disparity reduction and to advise the county board and county administration on the county's vision and strategy focused on reducing racial disparities and advancing racial equity throughout Hennepin County. The council identifies issues and reports recommendations regarding strategies and ideas targeting reducing racial disparities for the residents annually to the county board. Read the Race Equity Advisory Council Charter here.
Learn more and/or let us know you're interested in the position by emailing District 3 staff, Elie Farhat at elie.farhat@hennepin.us.
Go Outside with Hennepin County
Join the fun at events running June – August in Downtown Minneapolis as part of the Go Outside with Hennepin County event series!
New this year: Summer Sessions at the Government Center
Bring your lunch to the South Plaza and enjoy some live music along with some local vendors giving away a treat to finish off your lunch break.
Favorite events returning to Target Field Station
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Fitness classes
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Family Fun Day, August 19
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Summer is the perfect time to visit your Hennepin County Library. Find great books, connect with a community book club, and attend library programs for children and adults. Looking to explore? There are 41 great libraries throughout Hennepin County; beat the heat and find a new favorite this summer. For events and more, visit www.hclib.org/summer.
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NorthPoint is excited to bring back Free Fresh Food Fridays for 2023! Tons of fresh fruits, vegetables, and community resources will be set up on each date, all summer long – rain or shine! Everyone in the community is welcome at this event.
Dates: 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month, May through September
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June 9 & 23
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July 14 & 28
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August 11 & 25
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September 8 & 22
Time: 9:30 a.m. until supplies run out
Location: Parking lot at Plymouth Ave N & Oliver Ave N
Hennepin County will be accepting proposals for contracts with community-based organizations to prevent, respond and/or treat opioid use disorder. The proposals should emphasize disparity reduction with a focus on the most impacted communities, American Indian, African American, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Hennepin County. Application is open.
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Friday, July 7, 2023, 2:00pm: RFP closes
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Contracts will be for two years (January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2025).
These contracts are funded through the national Opioid Settlement Funds distributed to Hennepin County. Contracts will be awarded for proposals that focus on prevention, response, and/or treatment.
There is an upcoming meetings to learn more about the RFP application process. These meetings are open to all interested organizations. No registration required.
Additionally, all interested applicants are asked to register in the Hennepin County Supplier Portal as soon as possible. RFP materials are viewable from the Supplier Portal without registration, but organizations must be registered within the Supplier Portal in order to submit a proposal.
The 2023 road construction and maintenance season is here and there’s a resource to help you understand what to expect in your community.
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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