Notes from Mary Bogie 

Acting Regional Administrator

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about working for the Met Council is that we take the long-term and comprehensive perspective because of our role in regional planning. And so many of us work here because we believe in that regional, long-term viewpoint, and how it positively shapes the services we plan for and provide to communities in the seven-county metro area.

Good planning is in our DNA, and it’s how we’re going to come through this pandemic stronger. And each of you makes an important contribution to this work. Your flexibility, resilience, and patience in the past 13 months show how strong and deep our values of service and servant leadership really are.

We’re starting to get a clearer picture of this next phase in our pandemic response – soon we will start bringing some teleworking staff back to onsite work, to join those who have been faithfully coming in each day. And the broader availability of the COVID-19 vaccine supports our hopeful expectations that we may be rounding the proverbial corner soon.

But we haven’t quite rounded the corner yet. We’re still in the midst of an active pandemic, and we need you to be vigilant and cautious for a little while longer.

As an organization, we’ve been carefully planning for this next phase of our response. In the coming weeks, we’ll be making some important shifts for you to be aware of.

• We are planning to offer vaccination opportunities for our employees at Met Council facilities sometime this month. We will be communicating appointment availability through our emergency notification system. Make sure your contact information in Employee Self Service is up to date.
• If you have access to another vaccine appointment, we encourage you to take that opportunity. Supplies are still somewhat limited, and our primary concern for you is that you be vaccinated when you can.
• As Gov. Tim Walz has loosened restrictions on important parts of daily life, the State of Minnesota still recommends social distancing, wearing masks, limiting interactions with different households, staying home when you’re ill, and good hand-washing hygiene. This is especially important as different variants of the COVID-19 virus persist. It’s also important to maintain these practices even if you have been vaccinated, at least until we start to control the virus in our communities.
• We will continue to require masks in our facilities and on our transit vehicles, and encourage social distancing. As we plan to bring teleworking employees back onsite, we will only do so where we can maintain safe distances among onsite workers.
• We encourage teleworking employees to discuss your workload, personal concerns, and work environment needs with your supervisor as we put more tangible plans in place to bring teleworking employees back onsite.
• Though we encourage you to get vaccinated, the Met Council will not be requiring vaccination. There are a number of reasons for this, namely that the state guidance is to not require the vaccine. In addition, federal requirements related to distribution of vaccines under emergency authorization suggest workplaces may not be able to mandate vaccination. The State of Minnesota also recommends that workplaces accommodate social distancing and continue to require that employees wear masks. We are confident that these safety measures, paired with a significant number of employees choosing vaccination, will ensure a safe work environment.

This experience has taught us so much about what we’re capable of and when we need to slow down and prioritize our families and ourselves. These lessons will also influence our work in the months to come. I encourage you to reflect on these experiences and how those things might change our work. And as you evaluate your work goals this year, let’s challenge ourselves by letting these experiences fuel innovation.

I know many of us find joy, energy, and respite in the wonderful outdoor spaces we have in Minnesota, and particularly in the region. Please take advantage of this beautiful, early spring we’re having. It’s a wonderful reminder that sun will eventually break through even the darkest days we experience in the winter, and soon we will also emerge from this pandemic.

Thank you for your persistence and flexibility. The light is getting brighter at the end of that tunnel, and I’m looking forward to seeing you in person again soon.

All Minnesotans 16 and older now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

Though the State of Minnesota has opened up eligibility for everyone 16 years of age or older to receive the vaccine, vaccine supplies continue to be somewhat limited and the state is still distributing vaccines according to priority designations. As a result, frontline workers, including food processing workers and transit employees, are still receiving priority.

Update your ESS contact information to get vaccine notifications

Plans are in place to offer COVID-19 vaccination at two Met Council facilities sometime in April. As soon as we receive confirmation from the State of Minnesota regarding doses and timing, we will use the Met Council’s emergency notification system to offer you an opportunity to schedule an appointment. We also use this notification system when partners contact the Met Council letting us know about extra doses they have of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The system uses contact information from Employee Self Service (ESS), so it’s very important that your contact information there is up to date. Review the full information about these notifications on MetNet.

Tools to help you find vaccine appointments:

• Sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get updates on vaccine opportunities and be entered into the random selection process for the state's Community Vaccination Program sites.
• Contact your healthcare provider, local pharmacy, or use the Vaccine Locator Map to search for vaccine providers in your area.
• If you have a HealthPartners medical plan, make sure your contact information in your account is up to date. HealthPartners is contacting eligible patients to schedule a vaccination when they have appointments available. Learn more on the HealthPartners COVID-19 site.
• As part of M Health Fairview’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Efforts, they are prioritizing communities of color and indigenous communities that have experienced disproportionately high rates of COVID-19. For an appointment, register through their COVID-19 Vaccine Screener.
• Make sure you're reading the weekly all-staff COVID-19 email to get the latest on vaccination opportunities, guidelines, and more.
• For more information about the vaccine and how to find an appointment, visit the Minnesota Department of Health vaccine site.

You do not have to wait for information from the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector or the Met Council's emergency notification system before getting your shot. If your health care provider contacts you about making an appointment, or if you have another opportunity to get vaccinated, you can and should do that.

Reminders:

• Employees may use COVID-19 Leave if they have a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine and need to take time off, but only if they have Emergency Sick Pay time available. Employees may not use COVID-19 Leave to get a vaccine. If additional leave is necessary, employees can use accrued annual or sick leave. Read more in a recent all-staff COVID-19 email.
• COVID-19 Leave may not be used for days on which the school or childcare provider is closed for reasons other than COVID-19. For full information on the policy, review the COVID-19 Leave Policy (updated Jan. 1, 2021) on MetNet.
• Met Council employees who can work from home will continue to do so at least through the end of the school year in June and, for many, through Labor Day. Review the full message in a recent all-staff COVID-19 email.
• It takes at least two weeks from the final vaccine dose to develop immunity. Even after you are fully vaccinated, you should continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, delay travel, and get tested if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.

COVID-19 testing:

• Free COVID-19 community testing locations throughout the state: Make an appointment and learn more on the Minnesota Department of Health website.
• At-home test kits offered by the state for all Minnesotans, free of charge: Learn more about the process.
• HealthPartners testing for Met Council employees who have a HealthPartners medical plan: COVID-19 care and testing information is at HealthPartners.com/COVID-19.

Topping their priority list, legislators will be busy working on finance bills to pass the state’s next biennial budget. Dozens of omnibus bills will be taken up by committees this week ahead of the deadline Friday, April 9, for major appropriations bills.

The state’s February Budget & Economic Forecast projected a $1.6 billion surplus – a vast improvement over previous projections – but the House and Senate have come forward with different priorities for targeting investments and setting the state’s budget.

The Legislature must also come to agreement with Gov. Walz, who revised his budget recommendations in March.

Sustainability in transportation. Just before the spring break, the House Transportation Finance & Policy Committee heard a proposal that includes a number of provisions focusing on sustainability in transportation, including goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled and to develop electric vehicle infrastructure. Related to transit, the bill would require the Met Council to develop and maintain a zero-emission transit vehicle transition plan with a goal of reaching zero-emission vehicles in 100% of the Met Council’s transit fleet by 2040. The bill was held over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus transportation bill.

Metro Mobility funding. Another bill heard in March would make Metro Mobility a forecasted program in the state’s budget. As a forecasted program, anticipated state General Fund spending in each budget forecast would include the amount needed to cover Metro Mobility costs. Dakota County Commissioner Mary Liz Holberg testified in support of the bill in her role as Chair of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee, which had recently studied the effectiveness of delivery of regional transit services. Establishing Metro Mobility as a forecasted program was one of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s recommendations. The bill was held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus transportation bill.

Audio conferencing added to Microsoft Teams

The Collaborative Business Solutions team in Information Services is pleased to announce audio conferencing is now available in Microsoft Teams for Met Council employees. Audio conferencing adds a local phone number for attendees – internal or external to the Met Council – to call into a Teams meeting from a telephone.

To learn more and request this capability for your account, please visit the Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing page on MetNet.

Please note, to be responsible stewards of taxpayer funding, we will remove the audio-conferencing feature from your account if you do not use it for 60 consecutive days.

New Met Council login screen for Office 365

Due to some security updates, the Met Council’s login screen for Office 365 is changing. This update is planned to roll out on April 8. This will not affect the experience of logging into your Met Council computer itself.

• New process: Staff will no longer be asked to select Met Council or Metro Transit Police Department on the login screen. The new process will be the same for all Met Council employees.
• New look: The new login screen will have a dark blue background for all staff. This will replace the old backgrounds: the faded primary color background for Police Department employees, and the background photo of a waterfall for all other Met Council employees.

An example of the new login screen is included at right.

If you have any issues logging in, please contact the Service Desk by emailing ServiceDesk@metc.state.mn.us or calling 651-602-1498.

Have you noticed the new accessibility prompt above the "Send" button in your emails lately?

This is a new feature to further support Microsoft Outlook users in making their emails more digitally accessible. When you click on the hyperlink, the accessibility checker pops up. Typical issues include lack of proper color contrast and missing alt text for images. Please make it a practice to review accessibility issues before sending your email.

If you have any questions about digital accessibility in your work or are looking for other resources, contact Guthrie Byard, ADA & Title VI administrator, at Guthrie.Byard@metc.state.mn.us.

Twenty years ago, Marissa Higgins got a round-trip plane ticket to Minneapolis hoping to access the resources she was seeking to become her true self.

Higgins found what she was looking for and, with help from the University of Minnesota’s Gender Care program, completed her transition five years ago.

The move from Missouri to Minnesota also led Higgins to Metro Transit, where she has served as an operator since 2018.

To commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), Higgins shared her story and offered some advice for those who want to be supportive allies. 

Read Marissa's full story in Insights.

Case in point: Planning Analyst Patrick Boylan, who said the past year has changed everything.

“In light of the pandemic, I started a ‘What I am thankful for’ exercise each morning where I write down what I am thankful for and what I will do that day,” he said. “It’s pretty simple stuff but it feels good.

“Most entries are: ‘I will be supportive today’ (because I know I’m helping my mom with something or helping a co-worker on a project). I may write a general, ‘Thankful for a healthy life,’ or more specifically, ‘I’m thankful for a good start to my new volunteer gig and meeting new people.’ Or some entries are, ‘Thankful for Rose’ (my dog). It’s fast and easy, and I’m not allowed any coffee or morning papers until I write an entry,” Boylan said.

“Most of all, the pandemic has brought into a new, clear focus for me that time with my kids and wife is the greatest blessing I’ve received because of shelter-in-place and all that’s gone on this past year. I have a much greater awareness and gratitude for all I have.”

But it didn’t stop there. Boylan also has a new appreciation for other aspects of his life.

Spirit of giving. “I’ve been donating whole blood since the Friday after Sept. 11, 2001. My wife, Marcy, works in a hospital and knew full well the need for whole blood as hospitals were filling up last spring. So she and I and our two sons donated whole blood four times (so far) to the American Red Cross since the pandemic began. So… four people, four times at one pint per person per visit equals 16 units of blood. That’s two gallons of the red stuff! It brings me joy to give back,” he said.

New skill, more giving. “I learned how to sew during the pandemic and made myself some pajamas. My kids even wanted some. I also made masks for my wife’s hospital, probably about 100 including 50 for children, which I gave away to friends and co-workers with kids. (My dog Rose was a cooperative helper.) It was fun and rewarding,” he said.

Personal growth. “In February, I skied the American Birkebeiner with my wife and sons, and I loved it. We combined for 87 kilometers of competitive Nordic skiing, and that’s after many hours skiing over winter to prepare. (I even lifted weights to increase my poling power, and ice skated as alternative training.) ‘Slow Dad’ loved the north woods of Wisconsin,” he said.

Bonus family time. “My oldest son moved home from college, and the four of us had six months together. His moving into the dorms in fall 2019 was heartbreaking because we’ve really enjoyed having him home the past 18 years. Bittersweet to be sure. But with the pandemic, I was joyful and so very thankful I had an ‘extra’ six months with both of my sons!”

Share your stories of 'creating joy'

March marked one year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and Minnesota began its lockdown. We've all had to adapt at work, at home, and socially. Starting with the March 9 issue of The Wire, we are happy to share some stories of Met Council employees who found creative, interesting ways to find joy, build connection, or make the most out of an otherwise dark year. If you have a story to share, or know a colleague with a good story, please email thewire@metc.state.mn.us.

Mark Linnell

Manager

Information Services

How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?

A lot has changed since the pandemic. I was accustomed to the daily drive from Savage to Saint Paul, meeting in conference rooms, and listening to the conversations around me. I am honestly still getting used to the silence that comes with working at home. I am thankful for my cell phone and video conferencing to connect with people. I enjoy interacting with people and miss the in-person conversations.

What’s it like working through a pandemic?

The ease and convenience of working from home is nice. I go through my daily routine of getting ready for the work day and simply walk to my home office space and begin my work day. I often think about people working in the office, those supporting the office employees, and the teams that are engaged with keeping everyone informed and safe. I appreciate the Council’s efforts to communicate with people, keep everyone safe, and meet their technology needs. On the downside, it has been a challenge to visit my in-laws, who live nearby in a senior care facility. Considering their age and vulnerability, we’ve wanted to help them a lot more than we’ve been able to.

How has your life changed outside of work?

My wife, Lisa, and I spend a lot more time together. We take our dog, Megan, out for a walk at one of the nearby parks almost every day. In December, our family moved to a different home in a nearby neighborhood. The move experience was a welcome diversion, and we are still settling into our new home. My wife and I celebrate our 25th anniversary in May and will be enjoying this milestone in Hawaii.

Heather Giesel

Grants Manager
Community Development & Transportation

How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?

Most of my day-to-day work has stayed the same throughout the pandemic. My unit has, however, been impacted pretty heavily by the additional federal funds we’ve received through the CARES Act and subsequent relief bills. This has meant quickly learning and understanding the funding requirements so both the Council and our external transit partners can utilize the money efficiently and in compliance with rules and regulations. My team also adapted quickly to using several features in Teams; we now do most of our collaboration through chat, shared documents, targeted channels, and boards.

What’s it like working through a pandemic?

The scenery is a bit monotonous at times, and I miss seeing co-workers (who aren’t my husband or dog) by the microwave and in the collaboration space for events. I also really miss all the food in the office! I do appreciate being able to work on my porch when it’s nice outside or get out for a run in the middle of the day. It was strange and scary at first, but we’ve adapted so well to the virtual environment that by now it just seems natural. I’ve also enjoyed being part of a group that is interested in trying out new technology and seeing how we can use this situation to improve our processes moving forward.

How has your life changed outside of work?

Our son Jack was born in June of 2019 and was just starting to crawl when the pandemic started. Now he’s almost two, talking and running all over the place! I also joined the sourdough craze at the beginning of the pandemic and have managed to keep my starter alive for almost a year. We’ve missed seeing family and friends, especially over the holidays, and have had to cancel a couple of vacations. Now that it’s getting nice again and people are getting vaccinated, we’ve been finding creative ways to spend time with family and keep our little guy entertained. Overall, we’ve been very fortunate.

(In the photo, Heather and Jack, at right, play with Heather's mom and nephew this month.)

'Stop the stress before it starts'

None of us were well equipped to deal with the myriad pressures of life that came with the pandemic and lockdown. By all accounts, we're doing well. But we all can learn and benefit by hearing from experts in the field. This month's newsletter from Sand Creek, the Met Council's employee assistance program, includes several articles of interest:

• Do I need professional counseling?
• Dozing at your desk?
• Helping first responders: Peer influence and suicide prevention
• Stop the stress before it starts
• Coping with next-day anxiety

Read the newsletter (PDF).

Read the newsletter in Spanish (PDF).

Anthonia Kum

Database Administrator

Information Services

Primary duties
Designing, managing, and maintaining a variety of databases to meet business needs, including installing and upgrading many applications. I meticulously monitor the performance of these databases for the smoothest front-end experience. I also develop processes to ensure database security while implementing solutions to meet both back-end and front-end user needs.

Started
December 14

How does it feel to start a new job when everyone is working from home?
Weird. Onboarding has been somewhat tough. One of the biggest aspects of starting a new job is always meeting the team and getting acquainted with the environment and work culture. Working remotely, this has been an interesting challenge, but I can’t complain. The Data Management team has been exceptional in getting me onboard.

Hometown
Central West Africa. A girl from the tropics! I moved to the U.S. at age 24 to join my husband here in Minnesota, and have lived here ever since. I have never been this cold in my life, but I love “Minnesota Nice."

Current residence
Saint Paul

Family
My husband and three children

Education
B.S. in medical technology from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Experience
I am well-experienced in multiple Oracle database versions in large enterprise environments. I have worked across several OS platforms including Linux, Windows, Unix, and Solaris in development, testing, and production. I am OCA certified and am honing my expertise in data management. I am also currently pursuing certification in cybersecurity, as information technology shifts to cloud computing with growing security concerns.

Other interests
I love traveling and embracing different cultures. I also love volunteering, helping those in need, and making a difference in people’s lives.

Jessie Aljets

Technical Support Specialist

Information Services

Primary duties
I deploy new computers and monitors all over the Council.

Started
I began December 28 but have been a contractor for two years.

How does it feel to start a new job when everyone is working from home?
Before the pandemic, I would meet tons of people everyday while deploying equipment. During the pandemic, I haven't had as many interactions, and it saddens me. I really miss getting to meet people and having conversations.

Hometown
Farmington

Current residence
Eagan

Family
My girlfriend, Sophia

Experience
I started working at a helpdesk for a few years, and after working in the IT field realized that I wanted to continue to pursue this career path. I continued to choose jobs that would provide me with more IT experience and was glad to get a position with the Council.

Other interests
I enjoy riding my motorcycle, detailing cars (mostly my family's), and gaming with friends and family.