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 Dear neighbors,
I am excited to welcome in a new year with you, the residents of the Fifth District communities of Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie, and southwest Minneapolis. Thank you for subscribing and receiving these updates.
You may have seen that I was sworn in and took my oath of office earlier this month, commencing a new four-year term following the 2024 election. I am eager to get to work in deep partnership you, our partners, and our residents.
The Hennepin County Board and our amazing staff will continue to deploy and improve upon our innovative work and programming. We strive towards the seamless delivery of essential, safety net services to all residents, and are adjusting and creating new policies to shrink the disparities we continue to see across education, employment, income, health, housing, justice, and transportation within our diverse communities.
As we start the new year, this is an invitation for you to engage my office with any issues you may be experiencing regarding county services, to share questions, or to provide any thoughts and ideas on how to make the county run better.
In partnership,
Debbie Goettel
What's happening at Hennepin County, and across the district:
Make sure to follow me on Twitter! @HennepinDebbie
Hennepin County offers grants for multifamily properties to start or improve recycling or organics recycling, reduce contamination, prevent waste, and educate their residents on recycling and waste prevention. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until Monday, November 10, 2025, or until the annual program budget is exhausted, whichever occurs first.
Recycling grants
Areas of focus can include purchasing bins and compostable bags, paying for hauling costs, constructing waste enclosures or chutes, managing or preventing the waste of bulky items, and educating residents. Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 for bins and compostable bags and up to $20,000 for all other categories combined. Review the 2025 Multifamily recycling grant guidelines (PDF) and grant flyer (PDF) to learn more.
To receive application materials, submit a multifamily recycling grant inquiry form.
If you have questions about grants, contact the apartment recycling program coordinator at apartmentrecycling@hennepin.us or visit the apartment recycling webpage.
Grants are available for schools to start or improve programs to reduce waste and keep recycling and organic materials, including food and non-recyclable paper, out of the trash. Eligible organizations include preschools, K-12 schools, colleges and universities in Hennepin County.
Grant funding can be used to fund staff time for project implementation as well as to purchase equipment and supplies including recycling and organics recycling containers, sorting stations, reusable food service ware, and bulk condiment dispensers. Review the grant flyer (PDF) and the grant guidelines (PDF) for more information about the program.
Application timeline
The first round of funding will be available to two-year colleges, Head Start, and preschools and K-12 schools with at least 50% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 27. Schools may apply for up to $20,000 in the first round.
Applications of up to $15,000 from any K-12 school, preschool, college, or university in the county will be accepted in the second round from March 18 through October 15, or until available funds are depleted.
Learn more
Visit the school recycling web page to learn more and apply.
With so many single-use plastic items in our lives, avoiding them may feel overwhelming! Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to help create a world with less plastic. Are you up for the challenge? Join the Plastic-Free Challenge to explore what’s possible.
During the one-month challenge, you can focus on learning about plastic recycling, making plastic-free swaps, and advocating for changes in your community. As part of a community acting together, see how our individual actions add up to a big impact!
About the challenge
The Plastic-Free Challenge is a month-long effort starting February 1 to reduce how many plastics you use in your life, in ways that fit best in your lifestyle and have the most impact on reducing your footprint.
The challenge has over 80 actions to choose from in eight categories. Once you sign up and create your profile, you can browse the categories and actions, check off the things you already do, and select up to five one-time actions and five daily actions to try during the challenge.
Learn more, sign up, and get ready to kickstart your plastic-free journey at tcplasticfree.ecochallenge.org.
Check out what’s happening across the county or zoom into your district to see what’s happening closer to you. To learn more about each project, just click on the line or dot on the map.
2024 Transportation Activities Webmap
2024-2028 Transportation Capital Projects Webmap
Other resources:
Metropolitan Council weekly construction update
MnDOT- Metro Area State highway and bridge projects
Go ice-skating this winter! Rinks open at the end of December and stay open through February (weather permitting). The following Richfield parks have rinks and warming houses; lights stay on until 9 p.m.
- Christian Park
- Donaldson Park:
- Augsburg Park:
The following parks all have pleasure rinks only, and no warming houses:
- Fremont Park; 7445 Fremont Avenue
- Jefferson Park; 6700 Thomas Avenue
- Madison Park; 6244 Knox Avenue
See more details here.
Beginners or first-timers, come to East Bush Lake Park, 9140 East Bush Lake Road, to try snowshoeing with Bloomington Parks and Recreation! Experience this FREE family-friendly event that offers a great way to learn a new winter activity.
See more details here.
A FREE Eden Prairie winter community event celebrating outdoor recreation!
Cross-country skis (youth and adult), kicksleds and snowshoes are available to check out for free, dependent on weather. On snowless days, enjoy alternative naturalist-led activities like scavenger hunts and fire-building.
Learn more at edenprairie.org/ParkAndPlay.
Saturdays from 1–3 p.m.
No need to register, just drop in for fun!
See more details here.
Hennepin History Museum is excited to announce we are partnering with Preserve Minneapolis as part of the museum’s new Program Partners initiative. This lecture is part of Preserve Minneapolis’s Minneapolis History Lecture Series. Click here for information about future topics.
Augsburg University Campus has been in Minneapolis since 1872 and has evolved over the past 150 years. From Old Main (National Registry of Historic Places) to the Christensen Center, James G. Lindell Library, Sverdrup Hall and more, it’s a fascinating look at preservation and loss and what the future holds for this beautiful campus.
Kristin Anderson is a Professor Emerita of Art & Design at Augsburg University. Kristin serves on the Minnesota State Review Board for National Registry of History Places and Designations and is past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.
This lecture will be presented on Zoom only. Click here to register.
Hennepin History Museum is partnering with Preserve Minneapolis to present this program.
Learn more here.
Check out events happening at a Hennepin County library near you. Filter for specific geographic areas, age groups, and different types of events to find something unique 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 or contact us to seek assistance or ask a question.
Contact
Commissioner Debbie Goettel
Hennepin County District 5
Bloomington | Eden Prairie | Richfield | SW Minneapolis
612-348-7885
Graham Faulkner
Policy Director
612-596-7078
Kate Nelson
District Director
612-348-7885
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