As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many of us are naturally wondering what the future looks like for the Met Council budget, our staffing, and the services we provide. This is a challenging time for everyone, and while we don’t know exactly what will come, we do recognize that the impacts to our organization are going to be lasting.

At this point, it is too early to tell what lies ahead, but we are developing budget plans to address our funding and any adjustments we will need to make to our services and operations.

This crisis underscores more than ever the important work Met Council employees do for our region and our state. For now, the best thing we can all do is continue to work hard and provide the services on which our neighbors depend.

We heard last week that our state’s budget and economic outlook has significantly worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Projected revenues, primarily income and sales taxes, fell dramatically ($3.6 billion), while claims for unemployment benefits continue at unprecedented pace.

Our Met Council budget has not been spared from the impacts of COVID-19. The downturn in the state forecast weighs heavily on our services and programs. Our Parks and Trails passthrough funding relies on sales taxes. Motor Vehicle Sales Taxes have declined significantly, and the virus impacts on our ridership and fare collection have upended our transit service as we know it. Our customers, too, are experiencing economic hardship that likely will impact our operations.

While our budget impacts are significant, we entered this situation in a healthy state with “rainy day” reserves available in our operating funds. Federal CARES Act funding for Transit ($226 million) and Housing ($1 million) help to fill gaps and give us time to develop plans for our future. While we are currently under a soft hiring freeze, I want to be clear, at this point, we have no plans to reduce our workforce through layoffs.

Our recovery will not be a quick flip of a switch; it will be a prolonged transition out of the pandemic and in to a new normal. As the Governor makes decisions to reopen, businesses will make decisions that fit for their workforce, and we will adapt our services to meet the needs for the region.

From the state, Minnesota has worked hard to build a $2.4 billion budget reserve to lessen impacts from this economic downturn. The Governor's thoughtful leadership and smart, transparent decision-making based on data and expert input has reassured Minnesotans that he is making the best possible decisions for the state.

The Met Council as well has prudent financial practices in place that will help us weather this storm. We will continue to adapt by using available data to model our future and keep you informed as we continue to address the various impacts from this crisis. Thank you for all you do to continue our critical work for the region.

The new homepage is the result of work began last year and ramped up more seriously in January. It updates a homepage most recently redone in 2012 (“the old days,” digitally speaking).

A key goal of the new layout is to immediately “set the scene” and quickly define who we are and what we do, said Web and Social Media Editor Crystal Mulry, who initiated the project and helped guide its implementation.

There was a desire to streamline and focus the homepage on a few key messages that represent the whole agency in a few seconds, especially for first-time or infrequent visitors. Every word on the page was carefully considered and debated.

Check it out at MetroCouncil.org.

“We knew from research and input over many years that the landing page was not everything it could and should be,” she said.

“After we studied best practices and took a close look at several more effective sites, we developed our own solution about how we wanted to present the Met Council.”

Other key contributors to the work were Graphic Designer Shawn Jacobson, who created the design and layout; Applications Developer Jim Dudley, who handled technical development; Multimedia Manager Ed Lube, who was project manager; and Principal Communications Specialist Jeanne Landkamer, who wrote and edited the text. Several more Communications staff added critical input as reviewers during the development process. “It truly was a joint effort, and everyone’s input was critical,” Mulry said.

The big image that leads the homepage was made by photographer Jeff Syme in Forest Lake a few years ago. The photo will be refreshed over time, perhaps seasonally; other photos are in the queue.

Mulry said the top image and brief text provide essential cues about our core mission: "Planning for a thriving Twin Cities region.” A second deck of information describes “Our Impact: Long-range planning and essential services create the foundation of a thriving region.” Toward the bottom are links to news and upcoming Council meetings.

Later this year, staff will begin taking a closer look at webpages linked from the homepage, with an eye toward making the information and layout more user-friendly.

Staff who have an opinion to share about the new homepage can email Crystal.Mulry@metc.state.mn.us.

Two posts are like lightning on Facebook, Twitter

Two stories covering innovative transportation services during the pandemic have garnered high interest on our social media accounts – both stories toting up 400-500% more interest on Facebook than usual for one of our news stories:

• Metro Mobility transporting healthcare workers (on Facebook, on Twitter)
• Metro Mobility delivering groceries and home supplies (on Facebook, on Twitter)

Other above-average posts included one about reduced traffic during the quarantine and multiple posts on “What Not to Flush” and keeping sewer pipes free from clogging – a strong showing for Environmental Services.

Web and Social Media Editor Crystal Mulry said the increased numbers confirm a strong ongoing public interest in the Met Council. “The numbers show that what we’re doing during the lockdown, and how we’re helping support the community at large, has a lot of interest and people are excited about helping share our good news,” she said.

The Met Council joined the Twittersphere in 2010 and has 10,000 followers; we joined Facebook in 2012 and have 6,300 followers.

Web traffic strong as ever

“Website traffic has been surprisingly high since the lockdown began, and much higher than I would have expected, all things considered,” said Multimedia Manager Ed Lube, who oversees the Met Council website and monitors digital statistics and trends.

Lube said there were more than 45,000 unique visitors to our website in April, consistent with increased visitor counts since 2019. While some of the visits reveal an increased interest in online committee meetings, that accounts for only a portion of the activity, Lube said.

As usual, online visitors fanned out to every area of the Met Council from transportation to housing to parks to Metro Mobility to research. “Every page is important to the person seeking information there,” Lube said, noting that the number of unique website visitors increased by about 40% early in 2019 and has remained strong.

As with Facebook and Twitter, two web stories drew the lion’s share of readers in April, both attracting 4-5 times the interest of other popular stories in April: Metro Mobility transporting healthcare workers and Metro Mobility delivering groceries and food supplies.

Not surprisingly, Met Council webpages devoted to employment, contract opportunities, and Metro Mobility were down 30-40% from earlier months.

“Our employment and Metro Mobility web pages, in particular, are reliably strong almost every month, and have been for years,” Lube said, noting that a soft hiring freeze at the Met Council and a greatly pared-back summer internship program, along with reduced Metro Mobility ridership, explains the lower numbers. On the flip side, Southwest LRT web pages remain as busy as ever, he added.

Interim Budget Projection reveals weakened state outlook

Last week Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) released an interim budget projection for the current biennium (FY2020-21), which shows that Minnesota’s budget and economic outlook has worsened significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The May 2020 Interim Budget Projection is not a full state budget forecast like the November and February forecasts, but a more limited budget projection produced at the direction of Gov. Tim Walz to take into account current economic conditions and provide lawmakers timely information before the end of the 2020 regular legislative session.

A deficit of $2.43 billion is now projected for the FY20-21 biennium. That represents a nearly $4 billion negative change compared to the February forecast, which projected a $1.5 billion surplus.

Revenues are expected to be $3.61 billion lower, and spending is expected to be $391 million higher. The state’s existing budget reserve is $2.36 billion and will be available to mitigate some of the budgetary impacts of the crisis, though it is likely that lawmakers will need to adjust the budget several times throughout the course of the biennium.

MMB Commissioner Myron Frans and State Economist Laura Kalambokidis stressed that given the great deal of uncertainty about the path of the pandemic, the economic outlook will remain volatile for some time.

Final week of 2020 regular session is here

Just six days remain until the legislature reaches the constitutional adjournment deadline of May 18 for the 2020 regular session. Legislators have been following physical distancing guidelines as they work, so the final week of session will be busy with Zoom committee meetings and floor sessions where legislators vote in shifts and telephonically.

Key topics of discussion in the remaining days of the session will include the state's COVID-19 response, economic recovery, and a bonding bill to fund public projects.

Watch The Wire for a legislative summary later this month.

Most of the employees featured below already knew their way around a sewing machine, but not all did. Account Specialist Lynne Lindholm said her role was mostly tracing, cutting, and ironing patterns for a neighbor to sew – but her work combined toward 110 masks with the neighbor, which "feels great.” (That's Lynne's husband, John, a mail carrier, at right. See their story below.)

Graphic Designer Linda White sewed a bunch of masks – but said you don’t necessarily need to be a seamstress to participate. “There are also many ways to make masks without sewing them,” she said. “It seems that masks are becoming a new fashion statement these days.” How to make a no-sew face mask.

Still, if you want to sew, help is here. Applications Developer Ying Lan said she didn’t know how to make a mask before now but found a lot of help online, including patterns and even video instruction. “I like this pattern (below) because it is easy to put a filter in the middle of the mask, like a coffee filter or other materials that can help prevent viruses,” she said. “It’s not that difficult.”

North Memorial: Homemade healthcare mask pattern
North Memorial: Homemade mask instruction (video on Facebook)
Another popular and simple pattern

MASK MAKERS SHARE THEIR STORIES

SAMANTHA BEAN
BUSINESS ANALYST
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

I started sewing masks when the CDC first released its recommendation that all Americans wear face coverings in public, and I’ve been donating a lot of them. I dropped off 25 masks at my local fire department during the Governor’s MinneSEWta mask drive. And the quilt shop near me is a drop-off location for Allina, so I’ve taken some there. I’ve given the rest to friends and family. Some of my masks are on their way to Germany!

At a time when it’s easy to feel powerless, it’s great be able to help out. And that I can contribute while also pursuing my hobby (crafting) is a bonus. I’ve really enjoyed making them. And It’s great to hear about colleagues who are also putting their sewing machines to work to help in the pandemic!

JULIE MELVILLE
DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR
INFORMATION SERVICES

I had bought a sewing machine last summer with the intent to rekindle a teenage hobby, but hadn’t picked it up until one of the owners on my condo’s Facebook page, who is the chief of police at a municipal police force, put out a message asking for hand-sewn masks for her officers. I’m not a prolific mask maker but I found some donated thread from another condo owner and an unused king size, 100% cotton sheet, and found I had the raw materials to make a mask for 20 officers on the force and still had 9 more.

Since then, I’ve also sewn masks for friends and neighbors who are immune-compromised, and/or caregivers; that totals around 15 more masks. I may sew more for a community shelter or other entity as I hear about the need. As a bonus, I’ve regained my former sewing skills! It’s been a great way for me to honor my mom, who was so patient teaching me all those years ago.

Read more testimonials on MetNet.