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Dear District 6 neighbors,
I hope everyone has been staying cool in these last days of August! It’s hard to believe that school has started for some of our kids, and that the State Fair is already in full swing. My family and I enjoyed our annual trip to the Great Minnesota Get-Together where my sons Sam and Caleb got to participate in the Governor’s Fire Prevention Day with the Minneapolis Fire Department’s Fire Explorer Program! I hope everyone who wants to is able to make it out to the Fair still! The turkey legs are a must!
Looking towards September, I want to remind everyone that my office will be hosting our inaugural District 6 Community Coffee event on September 28th at the Ridgedale Library. This event will be an opportunity for you to share with me any thoughts or concerns you have about issues that are important to you. My plan is to host Community Coffee events around the district in the coming months, so if you can’t make it to this one, don’t worry! Look for more Community Coffees to be announced soon.
Happy Back-to-School for all District 6 students! Whether you started this week or you start after Labor Day - I hope your kids have a great year learning! Thank you to our educators, paras, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, social workers and school leadership for ensuring our next generation of leaders have a great school year!
It was our Summer intern Anushka’s last day this past week! She played an important role in our office’s communications this Summer, and helped research countless topics. Thank you for spending the past few months with us!
Interested in an internship with our office? Look for more opportunities soon!
Thank you to constituents Gabe and Joe for bringing us out on Lake Minnetonka to talk about aquatic invasive species (AIS). This is an issue all throughout our lakes in Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota, and I plan to look at what else the County can be doing to protect our water.
I appreciate the collaboration with my former colleagues and current constituents, State Reps, Engineers and City Council Members - together we can work to address aquatic invasive species!
Upcoming Ridgedale Library Programming
Ridgedale Library has some fun family events coming up in September!
Tuesday, August 27th and September 24th, 2024 5:00PM – 5:30PM
Striving for Resilience: Stories at the Minnetonka Farmers Market
Drop in for stories at the Minnetonka Farmers Market! Librarians from Ridgedale Library will share stories about the natural world, and the city’s Natural Resources team will offer fun activities related to each month’s theme.
Themes:
August 27: Birds
September 24: Getting Ready for Winter
Thursday, September 26, 2024 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Striving for Resilience: Urban Habitat Workshop
Join staff from the City of Minnetonka's Natural Resource Division to learn about urban habitats. Urban areas have plenty of “habitat” for people: homes, shops and restaurants, recreational activities, cultural centers and more. But increasingly, there is less healthy habitat for wild nature. Join us to learn how your property, whether large or small, can become an inviting, productive space that supports diverse vegetation, pollinators, songbirds and other wildlife. Participants will try out strategies for mapping habitat, have access to plant lists for different growing conditions, and more. Collaborator: City of Minnetonka's Natural Resource Division.
Fall Youth Activities Grants Open Now
The Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants (HCYAG) program is combining Facility and Playground grant opportunities into one application this fall. This combined grant opportunity will be called the Play Area grant.
Applications accepted August 1 - October 1, 2024. Apply now on the Hennepin County Supplier Portal
- Play Area grants: awards up to $300,000
- Equipment grants: awards up to $10,000
Pre-Application Conference August 21, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Link and access information in the Request for Applications (RFA) on the Supplier portal.
Questions? Need technical assistance? Contact Sarah Breyette, Grant Coordinator, at youth.grants@hennepin.us or 612-348-8172.
17 Healthy Tree Canopy grants awarded
Hennepin County recently awarded 17 Healthy Tree Canopy grants totaling nearly $434,000. Grant projects will take place in eight cities, on two affordable housing properties, at three schools, and through five nonprofit organizations, including congregations and neighborhood associations. Congrats to D6 cities Eden Prairie, Excelsior, and Minnetonka!
Grant funding will be used for a variety of activities, including conducting tree inventories, expanding the capacity of city forestry teams, treating and replacing or replanting ash trees, and educating residents on the benefits of trees and engaging them in tree planting efforts. More than 920 trees will be planted or treated through the grant projects.
The grants will improve livability and reduce disparities by planting trees in areas experiencing disproportionate amounts of economic, environmental, and health inequities. The grants will also protect people and increase the county’s resilience to climate change by increasing the benefits that trees provide.
Learn about the grants awarded. For more information, contact trees@hennepin.us.
Vaccine awareness campaign and immunization clinics
Hennepin County Public Health is continuing to hold free childhood vaccination clinics for community members. These clinics have been on-going since this past spring and are scheduled until October. With the current measles outbreak, there may be more being added. Find the up-to-date list of clinics at hennepin.us/immunizations.
We are also in the middle of a paid campaign promoting these clinics and the MMR vaccine which prevents measles. Our campaign consists of radio ads hosted by multi-lingual radio stations, web and social media advertisements, flyers and more. All of our advertisements are in English, Spanish and Somali. Attached are some of the graphics and flyers we have created for our Facebook, and promotion of our clinics.
Join the Zero Waste Challenge
Many of us intend to take action on issues we care about but struggle to figure out which changes or new habits fit into our busy lives. If you’ve ever wanted to reduce the amount of waste you create, the Zero Waste Challenge is a great opportunity to learn more and get personalized help.
Apply to join the challenge
Throughout the eight-month challenge, participating households develop a personalized waste reduction plan, receive one-on-one coaching and support, attend educational workshops, receive waste reduction tips, get access to supplies and educational materials, and connect with other households.
The upcoming Zero Waste Challenge will run from September 2024 through April 2025. You must be a Hennepin County resident to participate. Complete the online application by Saturday, August 31.
Learn how to compost in your backyard
Start recycling your food scraps and yard waste into compost—right in your own backyard. About 25 percent of what we throw away is organic materials like food, napkins and paper towels that could be put to better use as compost. Hennepin County offers free online webinars to help you get started.
Upcoming webinars
Learn how to set up your compost pile, what materials you can compost, how to get the mix right, and more. There is no charge to sign up, but registration is required.
- Friday, September 13 from noon to 1 p.m. Virtual on Zoom. Register.
Tuesday, September 24 from 7 to 8 p.m. Virtual on Zoom. Register.
Stay Informed About Power Outages
Since we’ve been experiencing some Summer storms lately, I thought I’d pass along some information from Xcel Energy about what to do during outages, and other ways to stay safe:
When outages occur, it’s important for customers to have access to the most recent updates about their power restoration. Customers can stay informed by using the My Xcel Energy mobile app or by visiting the Xcel Energy website. The website hosts an outage map that displays information on the number of customers out and anticipated time for restoration when available.
Other ways customers can prepare and stay safe ahead of future storms
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Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume an electric line, even one that is on or near the ground, is energized and therefore dangerous. Never, under any circumstance, touch or move a downed power line. If you come across a downed power line, leave the area and report it immediately by calling 1-800-895-1999.
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Build a home emergency kit. Xcel Energy recommends assembling an easily accessible kit that can be used in the event of a power outage. Useful items may include:
- Xcel Energy phone numbers - 1-800-895-1999for residential or 1-800-481-4700 for business
- Battery-powered radio or television
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Back up phone chargers
- A phone that does not require electricity
- Non-electric alarm clock
- Bottled water and nonperishable food
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Extension cords (for partial outages)
- Manufacturer's instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g., garage doors)
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Observe food safety. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food safety is directly related to the temperature of the food. To maintain refrigerator and freezer temperatures, keep doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for approximately two days and a half-full freezer approximately one day. Visit the USDA website for more information.
Additional tips are available on our Outage Checklist.
We want to ensure that our residents are as informed as they can be with County business. To that end, you can view our County Board and Committee meetings here, as well as view past meetings. Please reach out if you have any questions about viewing meetings online or in-person. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me with any other questions or feedback you’d like to share at heather.edelson@hennepin.us or 612-348-6885. You can also follow me on my official Facebook page for updates.
Sincerely,
Heather Edelson
County Commissioner - District 6
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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Heather Edelson
Commissioner
6th District
Daniel Dodge
Sr. Policy Aide
612-348-3168
Cole Roepke
Jr. Policy Aide & Scheduler
612-348-6885
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