A thought for the day…
May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung, and may you stay forever young.
– Bob Dylan (80 years old on May 24!) Legendary recording artist and Minnesota native
(From his song "Forever Young")
 IN THIS ISSUE
Guest notes from Emmett Mullin
Manager, Regional Parks and Natural Resources
For the second time during this pandemic, we’re rounding the corner of spring and embracing the opportunity to spend more and more time outdoors. And with vaccination rates increasing and many COVID-19 restrictions ending, this summer is shaping up to be even more active than the last – when we saw the greatest use ever for our regional parks system.
With many of us looking to make the most of the warm weather and jump into all sorts of outdoor activities, we invite you to make our regional parks and trails part of your summer recreation.
Regional parks and trails provide a wide array of opportunities for play, physical challenge, family and cultural gatherings, and solitude. The parks system also protects valuable natural resources and wildlife habitats, helps address climate change, and provides health and happiness for our communities, now and into the future.
With 56 parks and park reserves, more than 400 miles of interconnected trails, and much more, our regional parks system is an incredible resource for the Twin Cities. Especially during the pandemic, outdoor spaces were critical to supporting our health and well-being. But our parks team has heard many times that not all people feel welcome in the regional parks, publicity is primarily word of mouth, and one of the biggest barriers to the system is lack of awareness.
The Met Council has a unique role to play in highlighting the value of the regional parks system, and we are looking for ways to come together with our regional park agency partners to tell the story of this amazing system so all residents of the region feel welcome and share in these opportunities.
One strategy we are exploring this summer is whether we should create a unique, regional identity and communication strategy for our system. This examination will help shape what a regional brand might be, as well as create something that could potentially be owned and managed in a collaborative way with the regional park implementing agencies.
The Met Council is facilitating this process, but we know this is not a decision for us to make independently from the local implementing agencies.
We also recognize that our analysis might reveal there is not a need for a regional parks identity. Our goal with this effort is to ensure we are asking the right questions and convening stakeholders around the topic to get a better sense of needs, expectations, and opportunities. Even if we don’t create a regional parks identity, we’re excited to explore this topic with our partners, knowing there is a shared desire for greater awareness.
In order to welcome new users to this amazing system, we need to find creative ways to invite people in. We have a lot of hopes for this effort, and I look forward to keeping Met Council staff updated on this project moving forward.
Enjoy your summer, and we’ll see you outside!
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Reaching the constitutional adjournment deadline at midnight last night (May 17), the House and Senate concluded the 2021 regular legislative session with much work left to be completed to enact the state budget.
Leaders did not reach an agreement on global budget targets until Tuesday morning, so a special session will need to be called in June to pass the negotiated budget bills.
In the meantime, legislators have budget targets for each major area and will be busy in coming weeks negotiating the details of budget and policy items to be included in the omnibus bills.
House and Senate members will meet in working groups to compile the omnibus finance bills. Leaders have set deadlines of May 28 for the working groups to agree to budget items and June 4 to finalize bill language.
Watch your local media for the latest updates. The Wire will include a follow up in the next edition, due out June 1.
Questions? Email Brooke Bordson in Government Affairs at Brooke.Bordson@metc.state.mn.us.
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) and the Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) $5.2 million and 74 new vouchers to promote increased housing choices and opportunities among low-income families.
The two agencies partnered to apply for and participate in the federal Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Program. Both agencies allocate housing choice vouchers, providing federal rent assistance to low-income families to help them find housing stability and all the benefits of having a safe home environment.
The Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Program supports selected housing authorities to offer services that help families with children move to areas in the city and suburban areas that can provide more opportunities.
“We’re extremely grateful for this award of funds and to our MPHA partner,” said Metro HRA Director Terri Smith. “This award will allow us to build upon the work we’re doing to help families live in places where they want to live – areas where there is less poverty, improved access to jobs, high-performing schools, and more opportunity overall.
“Opportunity means different things to each family. The program goal is to help families identify what opportunity means to them and provide support to help them achieve success and improved outcomes,” Smith said.
Read more on MetroCouncil.org.
A Met Council pilot program to offer technical assistance to residential property owners who want to install solar panels on their buildings and reduce their energy costs has been expanded. In addition to properties in the Metro HRA service area, properties in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are now eligible. Service by Xcel Energy is no longer required for participation.
In exchange for the technical assistance, property owners agree to rent, at market rates, a small share of their units to Section 8 Housing Choice voucher holders for five years.
Property owners avoid lengthy process of finding developers, negotiating prices
Under the new program, the Met Council facilitates the process of solar panel installation by assembling a committed group of property owners and connecting them with solar developers. With many property owners participating, solar developers can install panels at competitive group prices.
The Met Council selects solar developers through a Request for Qualifications process. Property owners avoid the lengthy process of finding developers, evaluating the quality of their work, and negotiating competitive prices.
Clean Energy Resource Teams is partnering with the Met Council to offer program participants free technical assistance including the educational workshop, advice about successful site visits, evaluating solar develop proposals and contracts, financial calculators to determine savings, and more.
For more information, email Senior Planner Cameran Bailey in Community Development at Cameran.Bailey@metc.state.mn.us.
The following news briefs provide a summary of important information you need to know related to the Met Council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The newest and most complete information is available in the COVID-19 update emailed to all staff on Thursdays. (Read the most recent bulletin, May 13.)
Minnesota ends statewide mask mandate
There is no longer a statewide requirement to wear face coverings in most settings. However, other federal, state, or local laws may require face coverings in some settings, and businesses may set their own requirements. Additionally, Minnesota's Safe Learning Plan, along with the existing face covering guidance for schools and child care settings, remain in effect through the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
Review the updated face covering recommendations for full information.
CDC updates outdoor mask guidelines for those fully vaccinated
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance on outdoor mask use for fully vaccinated Americans. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive their final vaccine dose.
Review the full guidance on the CDC's website.
Note that local jurisdictions and entities may continue to have their own masking requirements.
Pfizer vaccine approved for use in children 12 to 15 years old
Following the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, Minnesota began vaccinating this age group last week. Parent or guardian consent is required for COVID-19 vaccination for people younger than 18 years old. Learn more about Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for People Under 18 Years Old (PDF).
Tools to help you find vaccine appointments:
Many sites are now offering walk-in appointments.
If you still need a vaccine appointment, please email Lisa Belland at Lisa.Belland@metc.state.mn.us so we can make sure you receive notifications for available vaccine appointments through our state and county partners.
Remember, 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 and practice social distancing as recommended by public health officials, practice safe hygiene, delay travel, and get tested if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
COVID-19 testing:
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In order to better serve the organization, the Communications department has implemented a new project management solution called Workfront, replacing the old MetNet service request form and allowing for more transparency on projects. Communications is providing the same service as before; the only change for clients is filling out the new form for all service requests.
This new platform provides one point of entry for project requests, gathers consistent information from clients from the start, and tracks projects throughout their lifecycle, letting clients see every step of the process.
You can submit a request for communications assistance by visiting the Communications and Marketing Service Request page on MetNet and filling out the linked form.
The Communications department is here to help you with a wide variety of needs, such as: communications strategy and planning, design, writing and editing, photography, website and social media, videography and animation, media relations, Council member and Chair support, library services, outreach and events, and internal promotion.
Not sure if it requires Communications support or if it’s something we can help with? Submit it and we’ll let you know!
Review the Workfront requests job aid linked on the MetNet page above for instructions and tips on navigating Workfront, submitting a request, and checking the status of the project.
For most projects, after the request is received and reviewed, Communications staff will host a kickoff meeting with you to discuss the request and strategy. During this meeting, we’ll review whether the requested services are the best means of meeting your goals, define service deliverables, finalize staff assignments, confirm or adjust project deadlines, and discuss next steps. Check out the Communications MetNet site for more on how we can support your work.
Questions about the Workfront request form? Please email Caroline Griepentrog at Caroline.Griepentrog@metc.state.mn.us.
The Met Council is changing the way external partners access data shared through OneDrive and SharePoint. The following changes will go into effect starting Monday, May 24:
- External collaborators will be required to accept Terms of Use.
- External collaborators will be required to set up and use Multifactor Authentication to access our resources.
- External collaborators will be signed out of SharePoint daily and required to re-log in to access the content.
We will notify external users later this week about the upcoming changes. If you work with external partners and they have questions about these new requirements, please direct them to ECM@metc.state.mn.us. If the external partner is having technical challenges logging in, please forward their email requesting assistance to the Service Desk.
Please review the Met Council’s guidance on external data sharing to ensure the data shared falls within the guidelines. This guidance is available on MetNet under Councilwide Services > Enterprise Content Management > Sharing Data Externally.
Contact Enterprise Content Management at ECM@metc.state.mn.us if you have any questions.
Creating Joy
IS employee is a ‘master armorer’ of medieval helmets, swords, shields
And now for something completely different, meet Warren Barrows: By day, a super-helpful, smart, and patient Technical Support Specialist on the IS Service Desk. But after work … ah, that’s where his passion lies.
Over many years, Barrows has become a “master armorer” in 14th century combat warfare – real “Knights of the Roundtable” stuff from the Arthurian legends of old (or, okay, real “Monty Python” stuff from the ‘70s). Among his wares are impressive metal helmets, chain mail body armor, shields, swords, studded gloves, shin plates, and more.
By eliminating an hour-long commute from Albertville the past year, he’s had extra time to dig deeper into his art, read more, teach more, and connect with an online community of fellow medieval enthusiasts.
“The pandemic has obviously been painful for all of us in so many ways,” Barrows said. “But on the upside, I turned a lemon into lemonade by creating art, digging deeper into history, and sharing my experience with others. In the long run, I think I’ll be better, stronger, and more resilient in the future.”
Working under his persona as “Master Frederick de Fulbert,” Barrows participates as a combat toolmaker or armorer in an international association of Middle Ages enthusiasts who collectively are known as the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). The society calls itself “an immersive history group where you can experience tournaments, royal courts, feasts, and dancing, and learn how to recreate crafts and skills of the pre-17th century world.”
The group places an emphasis on active participation, education, realism, competition, and just plain fun. (Check out the SCA Newcomer's Portal.)
Read the full story on MetNet.
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Share your stories of 'creating joy'
It's been more than a 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've been 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.
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 central office staff (Robert Street and Jackson Street) 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.
Cameran Bailey
Pronouns: he/him
Senior Planner
Community Development
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
I spend NO time travelling to and from work and meetings! This has freed up my schedule and workload in a way I wasn’t even aware was possible. I’ve backfilled that commute time and energy by cooking and eating lunch with my wife every day, and going on regular and multiple daily walks in our beautiful neighborhood. On the other hand, I do miss those great serendipitous chats with my colleagues.
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
I feel I can’t fully answer that until we have some distance from this experience. For context, I live with my wife, my sister-in-law, and my best friend. Four adults working from home full-time who are all between 26 and 32 years old. So, in this moment I would say it is like … my experience in college where all the roommates were home trying to study at the same time. Same task, different subjects, and different study styles, all under one roof. That setup helps counterbalance the relative isolation and recharge from the collective social fatigue and anxiety of the world.
How has your life changed outside of work?
I’m walking, shopping, and biking in my neighborhood more often because we’re all at home so much more often! I’m using the parks and natural spaces in my neighborhood to commune with the friends who I live close to more often. I’ve surprisingly done more domestic travel by using extended-stay lodging to work from home across the country in different natural areas. I’m able to attend to my volunteer duties and hobbies more consistently and with more physical and mental energy. I’m more intentional in the time I spend socially distanced or over the phone with family and friends. Simply put, I’ve been able to better prioritize and live out the elements of “Community Development” that we promote at the Council in my own life.
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George Henry
Pronouns: he/him
Associate General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
Most of my work has readily adjusted to a work-from-home setting. An important aspect of my job, though, is building strong relationships within the Council and that is more difficult in serial Teams calls than it would be in person. I also miss being able to simply stick my head out of my door to see which of my colleagues might be available to talk through a particularly sticky legal issue.
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
There have been a lot of technical challenges to doing legal work remotely. In particular, having virtual court and arbitration hearings present a variety of issues with having people testify and observe hearings remotely while trying to maintain as much of the communication flow that would typically come from being in the same location. An in-person hearing requires a lot of mental multi-tasking already (the flow of questions, the reactions from the witness, the demeanor of the arbitrator, potential legal objections, information from other witnesses, etc.), and adding the technology is just one more piece to keep track of. In-person hearings are thankfully starting to slowly return.
How has your life changed outside of work?
I find that I have been keeping up with a smaller group of friends through the pandemic, and I look forward to restoring some of those other connections. A lot of my social contact has shifted to a virtual biking team. I race twice a week with a group from all over the world on Zwift, an online biking platform. Many evenings after we put the kids to bed, I disappear to train or race on a stationary bike in our basement. The consistent exercise and team camaraderie have been a huge boost to my mental state during the pandemic.
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Sharing personal pronouns with colleagues
You may have noticed that in today's issue, the employees in our four staff features have included their pronouns along with their Q&As. We want to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of using a colleague's pronouns correctly to help create a respectful and inclusive workplace. When a person shares their pronouns, they are designating the pronouns they want others to use when referring to them in the third person.
Moving forward, when we have staff features like these in The Wire, we will be providing the option for employees to share their personal pronouns. Earlier this year, pronouns were also added as an optional field in the Met Council's email signature templates.
You can learn more about the different sets of pronouns and their usage at MyPronouns.org.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day event and challenge
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is coming up on May 20! Join state employees for the “Accessible Meetings for All” session on May 20 from 1 to 2 p.m. Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility will a host an informal, relaxed session to help state employees learn key steps and best practices to organize and run meetings that are inclusive for all.
Challenge your colleagues to experience the need to incorporate digital accessibility into virtual meetings first-hand with the No-Mouse Challenge!
For more information, email Guthrie Byard in the Office of Equal Opportunity at Guthrie.Byard@metc.state.mn.us.
Reminder: Earn $40 by completing health assessment by May 31
Eligible employees can earn a $40 gift card by completing an online health assessment by May 31. The assessment from HealthPartners poses questions about nutrition, exercise, emotional health, life satisfaction, and sleep, and generates customized recommendations based on your results. Responses to the assessment are confidential and are only shared back with the Met Council as combined data for the organization.
All employees who have HealthPartners medical or dental coverage through the Met Council are invited to participate in the assessment and will receive a $40 gift card for completing it before May 31. To complete the assessment and access HealthPartners programs, visit healthpartners.com/wellbeing and log in with your HealthPartners account. For assistance, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052.
Reminder: New login process for the Learn system
Last week we rolled out a new login screen for the Learn system, slightly changing the process for users. When accessing Learn, the new login screen asks if you are an employee with or without a Council-issued email address. Select the button that best describes you and sign in accordingly:
- Employees without Council-issued email addresses log in with their five-digit employee ID and Learn password.
- Employees with Council-issued email addresses log in using their network account.
Check the box for “Remember my selection” before clicking the button if you want to bypass this page in the future.
For staff who need to access Learn using a direct link, as opposed to clicking the Learn icon on the Talent Hub MetNet page, the web address has changed to https://metc.sumtotal.host. Please email Learn@metc.state.mn.us if you have questions.
County seeking public comment on Rush Line BRT to White Bear Lake
Ramsey County is seeking public comment on the environmental assessment for the proposed Rush Line bus rapid transit project. The 15-mile route has 21 planned stations between downtown Saint Paul and White Bear Lake. Attend a virtual or in-person open house in June and comment through June 25. Learn more details here.
Sand Creek newsletter is full of helpful stories
Many employees have now spent more than a year working remotely, and in-person meetings with your team are on the horizon. So what did you learn about each other’s work style? What feedback can you give each other? What new communication issues became obvious among the group?
The May edition of the Sand Creek newsletter features the following topics:
- Your first back-to-work team meeting
- Do you have "Smiling Depression"?
- Is absenteeism a symptom?
- Be a self-starter to attract more opportunity
- Stop procrastinating with the five-second rule
Frontline Employee May newsletter (PDF)
May newsletter in Spanish (PDF)
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Alexandra 'Zandy' Iverson
Pronouns: she/her
Principal Financial Analyst
Community Development & Transportation
Primary duties
I am primarily focusing on operating budget development and financial monitoring.
Started
April 5
How does it feel to start a new job when everyone is working from home?
It feels strange, but less strange than I thought it would. My team has done a good job connecting with me virtually. I miss not being able to have lunches with new co-workers and ask quick questions in the hallway, but appreciate the one-on-one time getting to know them on Teams.
Hometown
Saint Paul
Current residence
Minneapolis
Family
I have a husband, a 7-year-old son, two dogs, and a cat.
Education
I have an undergraduate degree in history from Northwestern University and a Master of Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.
Experience
Before starting at the Metropolitan Council, I worked for fifteen years in various financial analyst roles. Most recently, I worked at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Medicine. Before that, I worked for the Saint Paul City Council, Hennepin County, and the state.
Other interests
I enjoy spending time with my family, trying new restaurants (previously in person, now via carryout), trivia with friends, and exploring local parks and trails.
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Laine McNamara
Pronouns: they/them
Business Systems Analyst II
Community Development
Primary duties
I work with data and systems, manage projects, and function as a liaison between IS and Research.
Started
April 12
How does it feel to start a new job when everyone is working from home?
A little weird! But it’s not my first time – I moved back to Minnesota last summer after living in Massachusetts for more than a decade, and in the interim I worked a temporary job for six months where I was entirely remote the whole time. That was definitely weirder than knowing I’ll meet at least some people in offline life eventually!
Hometown
Northeastern Minneapolis
Current residence
Saint Paul
Family
Some local, some further-flung
Education
BA in physics from Mount Holyoke College and MS in library science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Experience
I’ve worked mostly in libraries, including as a subject librarian for urban studies and planning, and solo librarian at a botanic garden! I don’t know a lot about plants, though – just books about them.
Other interests
Reading (mostly science fiction and fantasy), jigsaw puzzles, and trying to keep my houseplants alive.
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 Another Day Done, by David Vessel
It turns out that sometimes the best photos are really early or really late. “This image was taken at 5:30 a.m. at the rustic campground on Silver Island Lake, on a ‘bikepacking’ trip to the Superior National Forest a few years ago,” said Senior Transportation Planner David Vessel. “There is a small dock at the campground and I took this image on the dock using my Canon 5D Mark II (on a tripod) facing east. I distinctly remember taking the image because I was looking at 65-80 miles of gravel biking and it was so inspiring to think about the other amazing things I would see that day. I was the designated photographer on a friend’s submission to a contest in Bikepacking magazine (we won third place), so it was a thrill to get that image ‘in the can.’”
The Wire is published every two weeks for employees of the Met Council. Everyone is invited to submit comments and story ideas. Contact the editor at thewire@metc.state.mn.us.
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