A thought for the day…
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist
 IN THIS ISSUE
Guest Notes From Terri Dresen
Communications Director
I’ve been Communications Director at the Metropolitan Council for exactly nine months, and it seems like years ago, given all we’ve been going through these past months. I’m learning that I’m a newbie here and I will be for awhile. People have often joked to me that they’ve only been here 10 years and they have a while to go before they’re not considered new staff anymore.
Longevity. Institutional Knowledge. Dedication. Persistence. Service.
Today, I want to honor one woman who truly lives all these values. After 30 years of service to the Met Council and the people we serve throughout the region, Jan Price, our beloved librarian, will be officially retiring at the end of the year.
Jan is truly the definition of “institutional knowledge.” As our organization’s librarian, she has been the “repository” of data and information needed to run the Met Council. From organizing and housing historical documents, to tracking and preserving crucial plans and reports, to ordering books needed for education and research, Jan has been a lifeline for crucial information. It’s truly a passion for Jan, and her tremendous work speaks for itself.
We’re all asking the same question – what will we do without Jan? She has such an amazing track-record as a committed public servant who works doggedly to tackle any challenge colleagues send her way. No request is too small, no person unimportant. She treats everyone with the respect and humanity all people deserve.
As a department, we recently celebrated Jan – remotely given the times we’re in – and that gave us the opportunity to welcome guests near and far to sing her praises. One colleague noted the quote from the great Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Jan makes each of us feel special, remembering details about our family, our family pets, and treating each request with just as much care and attention as she does for all.
As you can imagine, the past 30 years have brought many changes that Jan helped us navigate, and as she prepares to officially leave the Met Council at the end of 2020, she’ll help us transition the library to accommodate the changing, long-term information needs for the organization.
Within the last month, each division has identified a “Library Ambassador” to help with library resource requests. Please contact your assigned ambassador for any questions and/or requests for resource materials.
- Kris Hess – Environmental Services
- Sandi Dingle – Community Development
- Jerome Benner – Local Planning Assistance, Community Development
- Jenna Ernst – Metropolitan Transportation Services
- Liz Maday – Metro Transit
- Caroline Griepentrog – Communications, Regional Administration
My thanks to each of these folks for stepping up and helping us figure out what the next phase looks like.
Through December, Jan will be working with the ambassadors to provide the tools needed to support your library requests. Once that is complete, we will be transitioning the library to a “Resource Center.” All the current books and important documents will be cataloged to ensure access when needed.
While Jan may be leaving to start new and well-deserved adventures, her contribution to this organization – and to each of us – will last for years to come. Please take a moment to congratulate Jan and thank her for all she’s done for this organization.
If you have any questions regarding the ambassador program, feel free to contact me directly.
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ES acclaimed for being forward-thinking and innovative
In the land of 10,000 lakes, where water flows abundantly from faucets and hoses, it can be easy to take our precious resources for granted.
A coalition of national water advocates, however, reminds us to recognize the good work that goes into keeping our water safe and protecting public health and the environment.
The Utility of the Future Today is a joint initiative of clean water agencies that is honoring Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) for being forward-thinking and innovative, and adding valuable service to communities.
MCES is among 65 entities recognized this year for stewardship, resource recovery, partnership, and engagement. It marks the second year MCES has received commendation for “Transformational Programming.”
“This is well-deserved recognition for the work that our Environmental Services division performs around-the-clock, 365 days a year,” said Chair Charlie Zelle. “MCES is nationally known for its excellent service at rates 40% below the national average for agencies of similar size.”
MCES General Manager Leisa Thompson credited the agency and her staff for the acheivement. “The work we do, in partnership with local, state, and federal governments, is critical to the region’s quality of life and our ability to sustain prosperity for our children and their children,” she said. “I’m so proud of the agency and our staff for their commitment and ability to be nimble and innovative for the betterment of the region.”
About the commendation
The Utility of the Future Today recognition program celebrates the achievements of water utilities that transform from a traditional wastewater treatment system to a resource recovery center and leader in the overall sustainability and resilience of the communities they serve.
Utility of the Future Today was launched in 2016 by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the WateReuse Association, with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Utility of the Future concept is being promoted as water systems around the world are transforming operations through innovation and technology. The 65 utilities recognized this year are recovering resources from wastewater, leading community engagement, forming unique partnerships, and building an internal culture of innovation.
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When it arrives, start looking it over and think about your options. Then make your selections during the Open Enrollment period – starting Nov. 2 through Nov. 20. Keep in mind that:
- You can choose to keep your current medical or vision plan or choose another.
- You can add or subtract yourself or family members from the medical, dental and vision plans.
- You can enroll in one or more flexible spending accounts (FSAs) with pre-tax dollars – for health care that’s not covered by your plan, dependent care, and work-related parking costs.
The health care selections you made for 2020 will roll forward to 2021 if you make no changes to them. But if you want a Flexible Spending Account for 2021, you must enroll during this year’s Open Enrollment period.
Enroll online at metcouncilbenefits.hrintouch.com starting Nov. 2.
Due to COVID-19, Benefits staff will be offering online information sessions and will be available for phone calls. There will not be in-person/face-to-face benefits fairs this year.
The Council-wide campaign kickoff event will be held Friday, Oct. 23, 10:00-11:00 a.m. and noon-1:00 p.m. The kickoff will be an online Webex event launching the charitable-giving period.
This year’s campaign includes putting together a Met Council e-cookbook and holding a drop-off food drive.
All employees are invited to submit recipes through Friday, Oct. 23, using the online template. Submissions will be put together into a PDF cookbook and sent to employees when they email the committee a receipt confirming their campaign donation.
The food drive runs from Friday, Oct. 23, through Saturday, Oct. 31. Go to the food drive page on MetNet for specific days that various Council locations will accept donations.
Visit the Charitable Giving MetNet page for more information about this year’s campaign.
The fifth special session of 2020 convened on Monday, Oct. 12, after Gov. Walz extended the peacetime emergency declaration through November 12 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate voted 36-31 approving a resolution that would have ended the peacetime emergency. The House debated, but did not take up, a similar resolution.
The fifth special session will be a multi-day session as legislators continue to negotiate a bonding and supplemental budget bill. The House and Senate have released bonding packages that may come up for action in the coming days. The bills would authorize $1.36 billion in General Obligation bonds, $300 million in Trunk Highway bonds, and $100 million in Housing Infrastructure bonds.
Related to the Council, the House and Senate bills include:
- $55 million for the Busway Capital Improvement Program to fund the D Line and B Line
- $5 million for the Regional Parks and Trails Grant Program
- $5 million for the Inflow & Infiltration Mitigation Grant Program
- $28.5 million in pass-through grants to specific regional parks projects
The House could take up their proposal on the floor on Wednesday after passing their bill out of the Ways & Means Committee Monday night. The Senate has adjourned until Thursday, October 15. If the House passes a bonding bill, it would then be sent to the Senate floor for action. Bonding bills require a three-fifths majority to pass.
An extension of the peacetime emergency in November would trigger another special session.
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One-stop shop for policies and procedures
Yesterday the Metropolitan Council launched Policy Central, a new tool to help manage our library of Council-wide policies and procedures. Policy Central makes it easy for employees to search, browse, or "favorite" Met Council policies and procedures.
With the new tool, you will also notice a new template for all policy and procedure documents. Each document has a standard format, with a history of updates, and a contact identified if you have questions.
Easily update policies and notify people
Policy Central gives us the ability to streamline and centralize a process to update, review, approve, and publish all policies and procedures. With this new tool, when a policy or procedure gets updated, we can send an email to staff – whether it’s all employees or a certain department or type of position – alerting them to the new version. We can also require that employees go into the system to read and acknowledge the updated policy.
Easy to access
To get to Policy Central, use direct hyperlink, or you can navigate to there from the Council Info tab at the top of the Metnet menu. Policy Central is simple to use, and to help you get started, we have created a 5-minute tutorial to show you the basics.
Incentive to check it out
The Policy and Procedures Team has committed to donating $100 to one of the Met Council’s annual Charitable Giving Campaign. Correctly complete this scavenger hunt in the new Policy Central library and complete the answers at the survey link for a chance to choose your favorite nonprofit to receive the funds.
Scavenger Hunt Questions
- How many policies are in the Human Resources category?
- Who is the contact for the policy OEO 3-1?
- What is the number for the E-Discovery Software Procedure?
- What policy lists which of the 2 of the 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations in the seven-county metro? And what are they?
- How many results do you get when you search the word “charitable?"
Gov. Tim Walz specifically reiterated his support for light rail transit and the Blue Line Extension Project while meeting with the Blue Line Corridor Management Committee (CMC) last week. It was the first time a sitting governor has attended a CMC meeting.
Walz later said, “Our opportunity with the Blue Line Extension allows us to address equity, economic development, sustainable transportation and affordable housing choices that will make a difference in our communities and for our neighbors. With that in mind, it is time for this project to begin writing its next chapter. It is too important for the people served by this line to wait any longer.”
Together with its project partners (Hennepin County, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley and Minneapolis) the Metropolitan Council will begin the process of assessing potential alignments for the Blue Line Extension in early 2021 with an eye toward equity, economic development, and affordable housing choices.
The CMC advises the Metropolitan Council on all issues related to the design and construction of the METRO Blue Line Extension Project.
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Learn how you can protect your home and office computer system by tuning into one of the Webex information sessions listed below.
The Met Council’s Information Systems Department is holding the sessions in recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, October 2020.
According to a national firm, 90% of security professionals reported a higher volume of cyberattacks since people moved their work to home because of COVID-19.
- Thu., Oct. 15, 1:00 p.m. – Metro Transit
- Tue., Oct. 20, 1:00 p.m. – Environmental Services
- Thu., Oct. 22, 1:00 p.m. – Regional Administration
- Thu., Oct. 29, 8:00 p.m. – Session for employees who can’t attend a division session
Employees who plan on attending their respective session will receive a Webex invitation in their email. To accept, click on the link in the invitation to join.
If you have questions, contact HumanFirewallTeam@metc.state.mn.us.
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Employees across the organization are doing their part to keep Met Council services and programs running at full steam despite the coronavirus and state lockdown. But we’re all in this together. To help share a little virtual camaraderie, we’re asking staff how their work has changed and what it’s like to serve during a pandemic. To share your story or suggest someone who is doing outstanding work, please email thewire@metc.state.mn.us.
Diana O'Donnell
Application Developer IV
Information Services
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
I’m in Information Systems and I support PeopleSoft HR/Payroll/Benefits. My day-to-day work has not changed. My interactions with co-workers has changed to phone calls, Teams meetings, Teams chats and e-mails entirely instead of face-to-face interactions. I do miss visiting with co-workers who I don’t actively work with and catching up. I’ve visited my cubicle one time since the pandemic started about a month ago to grab some notes. It was surreal. The office was dark and empty, my calendar was open to March and I had left a glass of water on my desk. I suppose I thought I’d be back soon.
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
I’m grateful to be employed and have a job that allows me to work remotely. I ended up purchasing a desk early on, as working in the kitchen full time made me too available to everyone in my household. I don’t have a designated office so I tucked myself into the sun room. I see my teenagers more, as they are both home remote learning. It never fails that my dog barks when I’m on a conference call or my cat steps on my keyboard when I’m in the middle of something important.
How has your life changed outside of work?
I’ve been doing a lot more cooking. It seems that while the gas and clothing bills have gone down, the grocery bill has more than made up for them. My husband and I celebrated our 20-year wedding anniversary with our favorite Thai food in our home in April, instead of our planned trip to Costa Rica. Hopefully, that trip will happen one day! I’m grateful that we have a cabin and could get out of Minneapolis several times this summer. Now that summer has ended, I’ll have to find new ways to break up the monotony, probably with lots of home projects! My dog has been on 10,000 walks/runs with me and will probably be on 10,000 more before the pandemic is over.
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After a delayed start due to the pandemic, a small cohort of college students was brought on staff in June for the Met Council's summer intern program. They are now deeply engaged in work across the agency. Here we're introducing students to share their Met Council experience.
Zack Chuah
Bridge Intern, SWLRT Field Office
Metro Transit
What is your current job assignment?
I am the bridge intern working in the Southwest LRT field office. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Civil Engineering. At work, I assist with construction observation and documenting construction activities for future records.
What are you learning?
During my internship, I have been exposed to bridge-construction engineering and practices, including post-tensioned bridge construction, and freight bridge relocation.
What are the favorite and least favorite aspects of your job?
The favorite part of my job is being able to go out on site and witness every aspect of the bridge construction. The least favorite part of my job is having to work on the computer for so long at times, since I am more of a hands-on person. So whenever I feel tired working in front of the computer, I will go on-site to reenergize and keep myself productive at work.
What 2 or 3 experiences or new skills will you take forward?
New skills that I will take forward are better communication and interpersonal skills.
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Robert Street chief security guard Joseph Hill readied the U.S. and state flag for posting on the new flagpole outside Robert Street last week.
With the flagpole now installed, the entire plaza and sidewalk upgrade around Robert Street is complete, said Senior Project Administrator Dan Hoff of Robert & Jackson Street Facilities
“The main goals of the project were to replace the badly deteriorating concrete plaza deck and the water proofing under the deck,” Hoff said.
“The whole plaza area was deteriorating and allowing it to ‘rain’ in the parking garage and in other areas of the Lower Level that are under the plaza and under the sidewalks surrounding the building whenever we had significant moisture.”
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Read on for updates on some of the recent and upcoming changes and trainings for Microsoft 365. If you have any questions about these or other Microsoft products, please email Enterprise Content Management (ECM).
Read full announcements for these and more on the MetNet announcements page.
Microsoft Lists for Teams
Microsoft Lists for Microsoft Teams has been activated and available for use. Lists in Teams allows you to create custom lists, lists from a template, or a list from an Excel file within a Team Channel. To learn more about using Microsoft Lists in Teams, check out this how-to guide.
New Graphic Resources Page on MetNet
ECM and the Communications Department created a resource on MetNet where you can download Council-provided custom backgrounds to use in Teams Meetings. Backgrounds include current initiatives like Breast Cancer Awareness. More backgrounds will be added soon.
Join the Microsoft 365 Champions Team!
Enterprise Content Management has created an open Microsoft Team that anyone can join. This Team is a place where you can ask questions about the Microsoft productivity suite, share your knowledge with others, get tips and tricks, and learn more about the tools we have to help you reach more productive and successful outcomes. Join the Microsoft 365 Champions Team!
Live training sessions are available in October and November!
Check out the available Microsoft training webinars on the ECM Microsoft Training Calendar. Trainings available include Introduction to Teams, Teams Meetings, Teams Live Events, Apps Integration (Forms, Planner, Stream, List), Best Practices for Team Owners, OneDrive & SharePoint with Teams, and Introduction to Stream.
You can also learn more about these tools and watch recorded training on the Enterprise Content Management site.
Check out the Microsoft 365 roadmap on MetNet
Check out the Microsoft 365 roadmap to learn more about what features are available or are coming soon. Access the road map here,
In memoriam
Make a plan to vote this fall
As the pandemic continues, it’s important to make a plan to vote. This year, citizens can vote in person at a polling place either before or on Election Day (Nov. 3), or vote by mail. To register, check the status of your registration, or apply for an absentee ballot to vote by mail, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. If voting by mail, make sure to plan ahead and read the instructions carefully to successfully submit your ballot. In-person early voting is open now through 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2. Check with your city clerk's office for more information. As a Council employee, voting leave time is permitted on the day of an election with your supervisor's approval. For complete information about how to prepare to vote this year, visit mnvotes.org.
Review COVID-19 FAQ for ongoing information
All employees – whether you're working on-site or remotely – can find a great deal of helpful information related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the employee FAQ page on MetNet. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been maintaining a wide range of relevant information for Met Council employees on MetNet, covering topics such as COVID-19 testing, benefits changes, our COVID-19 Leave Policy, technology support for virtual meetings and telework, changes to on-site guidance and protocol, health and wellness resources, and more. Information is added and updated as we have new details to share. In addition, some individual divisions and departments have also been sharing specific information related to the pandemic on their MetNet sites.
Review the employee FAQ on MetNet for resources and information related to the pandemic.
30th anniversary of the ADA and 75th of NDEAM; online event is Oct. 26
This year is the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and October is the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). To celebrate, the ADA 30th Anniversary planning committee is pleased to announce a virtual event on Monday, October 26, at 1 p.m. This free, 90-minute, online event will feature informative presentations, artistic performances, and more. Register for this event today.
METRO Gold Line virtual open house is Oct. 13
The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project seeks community input on Tuesday, Oct.13, 5:30-7:00 p.m. The east metro BRT line's design is 60% complete and remains on schedule to open in 2024. The line connects Saint Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale, and Woodbury with frequent bus service, operating in mostly dedicated lanes. Register online or take the survey at the Gold Line Project page.
Position Information Session for MCES Contract Administrator on Oct. 21 and 27
Environmental Services and Human Resources are once again partnering to host two virtual position information sessions. The upcoming position information sessions will be for the MCES Contract Administrator. Please join the hiring manager, Jim Sailer, Manager Construction, and Robin Lee, Human Resources Talent Acquisition Specialist, to hear about the position and participate in a Q&A. The deadline to apply is Thursday, Oct. 29.
Session 1: Wed., October 21
Time: 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
Where: via WebEx Events (contact Kristi Goble or Suidi Hashi for a link to the event)
OR dial in over the phone (1-415-655-0003; Access Code: 146 750 3420)
Session 2: Tues., October 27
Time: 6:30 – 7:15 p.m.
Where: via WebEx Events (contact Kristi Goble or Suidi Hashi for a link to the event)
OR dial in over the phone (1-415-655-0003; Access Code: 146 728 5872)
 Cascade Falls, by Greg Schuck
Well, they don't call it Cascade Falls for nothing, as shown here by Greg Schuck, Metro Mobility project administrator, after his annual trip to the North Shore in August. “It’s a very cool place to visit… it’s memorable every time I go, and that’s almost every year,” he said. “Cascade River State Park is especially cool because there is a series of five small waterfalls in short succession along a trail going up the hillside. Each one is different, but all are fantastic and really, really loud when you get up close. Pretty sure I’ll be back on the North Shore next summer; even after many visits, there are still a lot of places I’d still to see and photograph.”
The Wire is published every two weeks for employees of the Metropolitan Council. Everyone is invited to submit comments and story ideas. Contact the editor at thewire@metc.state.mn.us
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