A thought for the day …
"If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."
– Seth Godin (born 1960) American author and former business executive
 IN THIS ISSUE
Notes from Mary Bogie
Regional Administrator
We haven’t communicated with staff in a while about the pandemic. While nothing is changing with our policies, we want to touch base with everyone as school starts again and we look ahead to the return of flu season this fall and winter. We know COVID-19 cases might increase in the months ahead and employees’ concerns may grow.
Thank you for continuing to share your questions, concerns, and requests through the feedback form and in emails to leaders. We have been reading all your submissions, and we understand your frustrations as this pandemic drags on and continues to affect the health and wellness of our employees and communities – physically, mentally, and financially.
Managing leave and creating flexibility
One of the things employees have frequently mentioned in their comments is COVID-19 paid leave. We stopped offering COVID-19 paid leave in April, and many of you have asked for it to be reinstated in some form to help those hardest hit by COVID-19-related absences.
We initially decided to keep COVID-19 paid leave even after the federal law expired because vaccines were not widely available yet and we had hardly any other tools to manage illness and absence. Now we have broadly available vaccines and other treatment options.
However, we understand that COVID-19 continues to impact employees and their families. We ask you to do your best managing illness in your homes with your existing leave, teleworking when you can, and creating as much flexibility as possible with your manager to meet business needs and to take care of your health and your family’s health.
We encourage managers and employees to work together to find flexibility where it exists, to adjust shifts or teleworking, to get through difficult periods.
We also encourage you to let us know if you have ideas for how we may be able to address leave concerns, especially for new employees who may not have a lot of annual leave to use. We’ve heard a few examples of some new things other organizations have tried. Please keep those ideas coming – we appreciate the opportunity to learn from your ideas.
Wearing masks onsite
As for onsite safety and concerns, we continue to encourage people who want to wear a mask to do so while onsite. We know employees have varying levels of concern related to COVID-19 right now, and anyone who wants to wear a mask should feel comfortable doing so.
We want to reiterate that no one should ask or tell another person to remove their mask. And to be clear, while presenting, like in public meetings, you can keep your mask on.
Please understand the sensitivities and needs of others on your team and attending your meetings. Signal your comfort level to those around you, and, in turn, support your colleagues. As a courtesy, please always be prepared to put on a mask at any point, in case a coworker asks if you would wear one when around them.
Continuing the discussion and reconnecting
Moving forward, we continue to keep an eye on the data and talk about the evolving situation, on the Met Council executive team and among former leaders of our Incident Command structure. We’re receiving insight from our own wastewater data and monitoring from the Minnesota Department of Health.
This fall, we plan to have a townhall meeting to reconnect, take your questions, and provide insight about how our telework transition is going. We all had some assumptions about what this transition to the “new normal” would be like. Five months in, we’ve learned some things and can discuss ways to improve this new hybrid work environment.
Thank you, all, for everything you do every day for the region and your commitment to your work. And thank you for your passion for not only making our region better but making our organization better for those who work here. We cannot serve the region well if we do not first serve our employees.
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Fall is a busy time of year for annual Councilwide events at the Met Council, so to help you sort through it all, here are some important dates and events to have on your calendar:
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September – October = flu shot clinics onsite; check the clinic schedule (PDF)
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Sept. 16 = deadline for hiring managers to submit requests for interns in 2023 (details in the reminder below)
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Oct. 17 = annual employee recognition event; this year we're returning to the in-person event for award winners and years-of-service honorees (more details to come)
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Oct. 24 – Nov. 11 = annual Charitable Giving Campaign (more details to come)
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Oct. 31 – Nov. 18 = Open Enrollment period (more details to come)
Remember you can always check the Councilwide calendar on MetNet for internal programming and events, as well as Met Council and committee meetings, pay days, and holidays.
Once there, you can also find quick links to other internal calendars on MetNet for program-specific events and trainings, like equity events, Fit For Life wellness events, and Microsoft trainings.
The Office of the Legislative Auditor has released a report capturing the findings of a special, independent review to outline the budget and timeline for the METRO Green Line Extension project, currently under construction between Eden Prairie and downtown Minneapolis. The project will also directly serve the cities of Minnetonka, Hopkins, and St. Louis Park.
The report identifies the main reasons for the increased cost and delay of the 14.5-mile extension of the existing METRO Green Line, which operates between downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis. Specifically, the report captures the construction methods and safety investments that have added cost and time to the project, as well as adjustments in response to local contributions to the project.
“We appreciate the care and detailed work undertaken by the legislative auditor in the review of the project’s timeline and budget,” said Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “We appreciate the professional manner in which the team carefully documented the main drivers of change on the project’s budget and timeline.”
Learn more on our website.
Chair Zelle to testify Sept. 8
Chair Zelle is anticipated to testify regarding the special review at a meeting of the Legislative Audit Commission on Sept. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Tune in Thursday on YouTube.
The following lists provide important vaccination and testing resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccination:
COVID-19 testing:
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If you are teleworking full- or part-time, make sure you know where to get answers to your teleworking and hybrid workplace questions.
- Your permanent spot for teleworking information – including details on computer equipment, hotel cubes, and tips for managers and employees – is the Teleworking Hub.
- Email ServiceDesk@metc.state.mn.us for assistance with technical challenges.
- Share your experience with teleworking or the hybrid workplace and submit questions, concerns, or suggestions in the Teleworking Feedback form.
- Check out these helpful resources for hybrid meetings:
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Once again, the Met Council’s Community Development team is being called out for excellent work. Later this month, the Minnesota chapter of the America Planning Association will honor the Growing Shade project with an Innovation in Planning Award.
Growing Shade is a partnership between the Met Council, The Nature Conservancy, and the Tree Trust to enhance the region’s tree canopy. It’s well documented that good tree cover benefits public health, lessens the impact of extreme heat, and can even boost business.
Tree canopy surveys have also determined that historically red-lined neighborhoods and communities with high percentages of rental housing have more sparse tree coverage, are up to ten degrees hotter in the summer, and have higher instances of negative health outcomes.
This year a team led by Community Development’s Eric Wojchik and Ellen Esch created the Growing Shade tree canopy tool, which helps identify specific areas where it makes sense to plant new trees. The tool enables cities, non-profits, or anyone interested in enhancing tree canopies to evaluate the best places to plant based on criteria like public health, environmental justice, climate change, and natural resources conservation.
Growing Shade is one of the tools the Met Council has developed to support local governments in advancing their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts as directed in Thrive MSP 2040’s Building in Resilience land use policy.
The Growing Shade tool is online and available to anyone.
This is the second time in recent years that Community Development has won honors from the American Planning Association. In 2018, the Met Council received the Silver National Planning Achievement Award for a Best Practice for our work in developing the Local Planning Handbook, which helped cities complete their regional comprehensive planning process. Also in 2018, the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership recognized the Met Council with an award for our suite of climate tools and our efforts to help the region adapt to climate change.
Congratulations to the Growing Shade team!
Photo: Eric Wojchik, center, was interviewed by KARE 11 last October at the Frogtown Green tree planting.
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  Met Council all around the State Fair
Top left: Met Council staff from Community Development and project partners from the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District hosted a booth in the Eco Experience building to showcase the Growing Shade tool and help fairgoers try it out for themselves. Growing Shade was at the fair as a rotating community partner on the first two days of the fair. Senior data scientist Ellen Esch – staffing the booth in the photo above – noted, "it was pretty cool that the Downtown Improvement District acquired a pin oak tree to give away to one lucky grand prize winner at the conclusion of our two days at the fair!"
Top right: On the second day of the State Fair, Regional Parks senior manager Emmett Mullin and Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission Chair Tony Yarusso joined other community leaders for a celebration with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to announce the kickoff of the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. Emmett and Tony – at the far left, respectively, in the photo above – represented the Met Council in support of this initiative, which is being led in part by the Governor’s Youth Council, with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) playing a big role. (Photo credit: DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen)
Bottom left: The Met Council sponsored a booth in the Agriculture Horticulture Building with the University of Minnesota. The exhibit focused on smart irrigation and water lawn efficiency in the Twin Cities, and booth hosts – the Turfgrass Science team from the university and Water Supply Planning staff in Environmental Services – were available to answer fairgoers' lawn questions.
Bottom right: This is the 30th year Metro Transit has served the fair. To commemorate, the Star Tribune featured several employees who have made working at the fair an annual tradition. Read Insights for stats on this year's ridership and fair attendance. Metro Transit also had a booth inside the Grandstand.
The Met Council's Charitable Giving Campaign is held each fall and includes fundraising events, payroll contribution pledges, silent auctions, drawings, and food drives.
This year, we started a little earlier than usual with a brand new fundraiser in August: a drawing to win a pair of tickets to the Minnesota State Fair and a $50 gift card.
Congratulations to the winners – Michelle Fure (Communications), Kathleen Janssen (Risk Management), and Yumi Nagaoka (Metro Transit)!
Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing and donated to the campaign! Look for more information in the next couple months about the full campaign, which will kick off in late October.
In memoriam
We are sad to share that longtime employee Nancy Mastenbrook passed away on Aug. 26 after a short illness. Nancy, age 59, worked at the Met Council for twenty five years.
Her colleagues on the Payroll team and across the organization will always remember her happiness and bright spirit. Her manager, Lindsey Duthoy, noted that Nancy was always willing to help anyone and did everything with a smile. Nancy will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with her.
Nancy had a great love of reading and classical music. In addition to her job with the Met Council, she worked part-time as an usher at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. She was a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Twins and spent many Saturdays at the old Metrodome cheering on her favorite team. She liked crafting, mainly crocheting and card making, and those avocations took her and her friends to craft shows all over Minnesota. She is survived by her brother, niece, nephew, and many cousins.
A visitation and funeral were held last Wednesday in Goodview, Minnesota. For more, read Nancy's full obituary.
As a reminder, free counseling services are available through our employee assistance program, Sand Creek. For more information, call 1-888-243-5744 or visit SandCreekEAP.com (to access online resources, log in with company code: metcouncil).
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 Submit internship requests for 2023 by Sept. 16
Based on feedback from hiring managers and interns, the Met Council will start our 2023 internship hiring process sooner than we have in the past.
Human Resources sent an email to hiring managers last week inviting them to submit requests for interns. Head to the Internships site on MetNet to submit your requests by Sept. 16.
Job postings for summer 2023 will be open Dec. 1 through Dec. 31.
Benefits retirement webinar Sept. 21
The Benefits team is hosting quarterly webinars on specific benefit plans to help keep employees informed. The final event for 2022 is later this month and will teach you more about what to do when planning to retire.
Retirement planning involves your pension plan, any deferred comp or healthcare savings plan you may have, Medicare or other health offers, social security, and government programs. Learn more about retirement on MetNet.
Benefits series: Retirement planning
Sept. 21, 11:30 a.m.
Microsoft Teams
Watch for an Outlook calendar invitation coming soon. These events are open-house style, so join as you can and bring all your questions.
Stay up to date with Metro Update
Looking to hear more about the fantastic work your colleagues are doing in other departments or divisions? Check out the Met Council's monthly external newsletter, Metro Update.
Read these stories and more in the August issue:
- New report documents rising chloride levels in local streams
- Transit service changes reflect our commitment to reliability
- Visits to regional parks continue to climb
- Honoring transit workers who serve members of the disability community
- Apply by Sept. 2 to serve on community and business advisory committees for the Blue Line Extension
From the Chair: Investing in our environmental infrastructure
A new federal law makes a major investment in the fundamental infrastructure of energy and transportation across the U.S., as well as promotes technologies that will ensure homes and businesses run cost effectively and reduce carbon emissions. Ultimately, this investment will help create a more sustainable region.
Read the full August column from Chair Charlie Zelle.
Officials outline actions to enhance monitoring, inspections, and early detection of sewer hazards
The Met Council and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency have expanded monitoring of sanitary sewers in areas of Minneapolis where flammable substances were released on June 30 and Aug. 2. The additional monitoring will alert officials if high levels of flammable substances are detected and allow them to take swift action and reduce the likelihood of evacuations of residents and businesses.
Multiple agencies launched an investigation into the potential source or sources of the flammable materials immediately following the June 30 incident. The Met Council is leading the investigation with our partners to continue to inspect potential sources and monitor in real time for elevated gas or vapor levels present in the sewer systems.
Read more about the investigation and expanded monitoring.
Karah Barr
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Communications Consultant
Communications
Primary duties
The communications consultant role is somewhat new, so I’m excited to help shape what it looks like at the Met Council. I will partner with the Community Development division on communication strategy, lead project management, and measure success of communication initiatives and campaigns. I’m grateful to be at an organization with a lot of great work happening and to offer my expertise in storytelling and communication.
Started
Aug. 22
How does it feel to start a new job when many employees are working from home?
Having coworkers who work from home has become the norm for me. Over the last two and a half years, I have grown accustomed to a completely virtual, and more recently a hybrid, work environment – which to me offers the best of both worlds. In order to do my job effectively, I need to build relationships with the staff I support. At the same time, communication strategy often requires focus, so having minimal disruptions and chatter can help me personally be more productive. So far, I have been able to connect with people I need to and value an organization that encourages work-life balance and flexibility.
Hometown
I grew up on the Door Peninsula in Sturgeon Bay, WI. If you hold up your left-hand, it’s on the thumb. If you haven’t been, it’s a great place to visit and explore – especially if you like kayaking, hiking, bird-watching, and cross-country skiing!
Current residence
Columbia Heights, MN
Family
I am married to my spouse, Matthew Johnson, and we have a 2½-year-old daughter, Georgia, and an 11-year-old corgi-lab mix named Jack Johnson.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in communications, University of Minnesota
MBA, Minnesota School of Business
Experience
Over the last nine years, I worked my way up to marketing manager at Seward Community Co-op in south Minneapolis. I started as the internal communication specialist during the co-op’s expansion project to build a second store, a café, and a commissary production facility. I kept staff informed with project updates and impacts to the work environment. A couple years later, I became the communication specialist, where my focus shifted to external storytelling. As marketing manager, I was responsible for brand development, communication strategy, and organization-wide storytelling.
Other interests
I am very interested in the local food scene here in the Twin Cities. I love to learn about local farmers, cook with fresh ingredients from my CSA and the farmers market, and check out new restaurants. I grew up surrounded by water, so I love to swim in the lakes and go boating whenever I can.
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Years of Service
20 Years
Elias Anthan, Applications Developer 4, Information Services
15 Years
Alex Curtiss, Senior Project Administrator, Metropolitan Transportation Services
Emily Gannon, Database Administrator 2, Information Services
Larry Yarrington, Systems Engineer 3, Information Services
10 Years
Terri Bopp, Benefits Manager, Human Resources
Jen Kostrzewski, Environmental Analyst, Water Resources, Environmental Services
5 Years
Abdullahi Abdullahi, Outreach Coordinator, Metro HRA
Anna Bichler, HRA Coordinator, Metro HRA
New Staff
Russ Kivett, Aug. 29, Project Manager, Information Services
Tou Thao, Aug. 29, Applications Developer 1, Information Services
Departures
David Larrabee, Aug. 10, Manager, Risk Management
Matt Garrett, Aug. 17, Applications Developer 3, Information Services
Retirements
Tim O'Donnell, Aug. 6, Senior Information Coordinator, Administration and Communication, Environmental Services
Spotlight in the woods
This summer, Branden See, senior program supervisor in Environmental Services Training and Program Support, traveled to the North Shore for a camping trip in Tettegouche State Park. On a dusk excursion down 200 stairs to the misleadingly named Two Step Falls, Branden captured this photograph. "Someone’s headlamp turned at this moment to illuminate my son and create this ‘Photoshopped-looking’ moment," Branden said.
Looking for your cool photo!
Do you have photos to share? The Wire is always looking for the next cool photo from staff, from a close-up in your flower garden, to scenic vistas up north, to exotic travel adventures, to more artful fare like reflections and silhouettes. The only criteria is that it's a cool photo! Just email the editor at the address below.
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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