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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It's June and summer has officially begun! As the weather heats up and schedules shift for the season, take a look at all the county library system has to offer for residents of all ages.
Also in this newsletter:
- Highlight of the Rise on 7 affordable housing development opening in St. Louis Park
- A welcome to Commissioner Heather Edelson
- An overview of the NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center expansion
- Features from the Elevate Hennepin small business support program
- County climate change response and resilience efforts updates, and;
- Coverage on the county's Fix-It Clinics
My best,
I was delighted to join government and community partners at a celebration for the new Rise on 7 affordable housing development in St. Louis Park!
The 120-unit project features a childcare center on its first floor and other educational and family resources on site — the first-of-its kind project in Minnesota.
Hennepin County supported Rise on 7 in several ways, including through construction funding, a 30% AMI rental unit subsidy, and ongoing funding to help people transition out of homelessness.
I want to offer a warm welcome to Commissioner Heather Edelson (standing to my left) of District 6! Commissioner Edelson was elected on Tuesday, May 14, and sworn-in on Tuesday, June 4. I look forward to working together!
NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center commemorated the completion of its $90 million expansion with a ribbon-cutting event and open house celebration on May 18. Community members, employees, elected officials, and other partners gathered at the new campus in North Minneapolis to witness the snip of a ribbon, marking the long-awaited completion of the project.
Speakers including NorthPoint and Hennepin County leaders and partners as well as elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels shared messages of partnership, gratitude, and pride.
NorthPoint’s current CEO Stella Whitney-West also spoke about her upcoming retirement on June 30 and welcomed current COO and incoming CEO Kimberly Spates into the role.
After the 30-month campus expansion project, NorthPoint now has:
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Increased access to quality and innovative health and wellness services.
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Expanded campus for clinics and programs.
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More employment and economic development opportunities.
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Greater conservation impact with infiltration gardens (with the support of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization).
Features of the completed campus also now include:
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Dental specialty services
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Food Shelf distribution operations
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Child Wellness Center
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Spirituality, Healing and Wellness Center
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Café and teaching kitchen
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Community courtyard
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And more!
Junita Flowers, founder of Junita's Jar, and Heidi Mueller, founder of Excelsior Candle Co., were recognized by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners on April 16 for their hard work building successful businesses in Hennepin County. Both Junita and Heidi leaned on Elevate Hennepin resources to transform their business for the better.
Over the past two years, we've listened closely to feedback from business owners, advisors, and our various partners in the business community. With that feedback, we were able to develop a new Elevate Hennepin website that is engaging, easy to navigate, and packed with resources business owners and entrepreneurs can use to move their businesses forward.
What's new?
- Clear and simple navigation: We've streamlined the layout and menus, making it easier than ever to find what we offer, as well as state, federal and local resources.
- Accessibility for all: The site is designed to be inclusive, regardless of technical skills or ability.
- Engaging design: We've incorporated vibrant visuals and storytelling to celebrate the diverse and talented business community here in Hennepin County.
In support of this launch, we'd love for you to share this with those side hustlers and resourceful entrepreneurs in your lives.
If you haven't already, please like and follow Elevate Hennepin from your personal and organizational accounts:
Learning for fun through the summer is important! There are many ways youth and their caregivers can participate in summer learning at Hennepin County Library. There are opportunities for youth on summer break, as well as those enrolled in summer school or other structured learning programs. Visit Summer Programming at Hennepin County Libraries for details and event listings.
Practice reading skills this summer with Let's Read tutors
K-5 students can get free support in developing their reading skills at some Hennepin County Library locations this summer. Students and trained volunteer tutors meet weekly one-on-one to work on grade level reading skills.
Let's Read is intended for students:
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In grades K-5
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Reading below grade level
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Able to meet with their tutor every week on the same day and at the same time
Learn more about Let’s Read at Hennepin County Library or see a list of Let's Read locations. Sessions are scheduled in advance by appointment only. To schedule a session, please speak with staff at any Let's Read location or email LetsRead@hclib.org.
 Hennepin County has adopted ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction goals to reflect that need. These goals position Hennepin County as a leader on addressing climate change in the upper Midwest.
Net zero carbon emissions is achieved by “balancing” a limited amount of carbon released with offsets that remove carbon from the atmosphere. These emission reduction targets apply to both the geographic area of the county and county operations.
2024 Legislative Highlights
Through legislative advocacy, Hennepin County seeks to advance policy that protects the environment. Each year, the county adopts a legislative platform to prioritize policy initiatives. With the 2024 legislative session wrapped up, here’s a look at the county’s priorities and highlights from this year.
Highest priority zero-waste policy – Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act – passed
The Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act is landmark legislation that will require producers of packaging to take responsibility for that packaging all the way from design to recycling or safe disposal. This was the county’s highest priority zero-waste policy action, and puts Minnesota at the forefront of this issue nationally. I am proud of Hennepin County’s leadership role to get this important legislation passed.
Packaging that is problematic for the recycling and composting systems is increasingly prevalent. Additionally, many items are disposable, and residents and businesses need more options for reusable, recyclable, or compostable alternatives.
This legislation lays the groundwork for a well-designed extended producer responsibility system that will build on Minnesota’s existing recycling infrastructure, ensure sustainable funding to offset the cost of collection, expand end markets, incentivize the redesign of packaging and paper products, and shift producers to more reusable and sustainable packaging.
Responsibly managing waste
The county is aggressively pursuing zero-waste policies, programming, and infrastructure. This includes supporting its partner organization the Partnership on Waste and Energy’s 2024 legislative platform.
2024 highlights
- Extended producer responsibility for boat wrap was passed to keep this plastic out of landfills.
- Grants were allocated for composting at multifamily properties.
- A hierarchy of how to manage wasted food was established.
- Routine waste characterization studies at waste facilities across the state were required to ensure current and updated data is available.
Protecting natural resources
The county supports policies and funding to protect and enhance the tree canopy, preserve habitat, and protect water quality.
2024 legislative highlights
- $5 million was allocated for tree planting through the ReLeaf program, with a priority on planting trees in environmental justice areas of the state.
- Several new studies were commissioned, including:
- A salt purchasing report to understand use of deicing salts by agencies (excluding MnDOT) and set a goal to reduce salt use by 25% by 2030.
- A nitrogen fertilizer report to understand of use of nitrogen fertilizer by agencies and set a goal to reduce their use by 25% by 2030.
- A soil health report to illustrate the impacts of money appropriated for soil health activities.
Taking action on climate change
The county supports policies that align with the county’s Climate Action Plan.
2024 legislative highlights
- Rebates for electrification of lawn and snow removal equipment were established.
- A resiliency study was commissioned, updates to the resilient communities program were made, and $5 million was allocated to climate resiliency water infrastructure grants.
Environmental Education Network meeting: Integrating weather in environmental education
Tuesday, June 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In person at the Hennepin County Public Works Facility, 1600 Prairie Drive, Medina
Join others interested in environmental education and engagement and get a behind-the-scenes view from Hennepin County Emergency Management about how weather plays into their work and tools they use for education and engagement.
There will also be time to share weather education resources, curriculum, and activities, and learn from other network educators. The meeting will conclude with an optional outdoor tour of an on-site Mesonet Station to learn about the equipment and see real-time sensors.
The environmental education network is open to anyone working to engage their community in learning about and taking action to protect the environment.
Lunch will be provided for RSVPs received by Tuesday, June 4. Register here.
 Meet the "Fixers" who volunteer to help repair appliances, clothing, and more.
Hennepin County holds monthly Fix-It Clinics where residents get paired up with enthusiastic volunteers to repair household items. Residents work alongside the volunteers to they learn how to fix things themselves. Some fixes come down to basic maintenance, such as cleaning the item, while others require a bit more troubleshooting and problem solving to identify the issue. Fix-It Clinics are always fun and a great opportunity for kids to learn and explore. Hear more about the Fix-It Clinic experience on KFAI.
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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