Category: Local Issues

Anoka and Hennepin county sheriff’s offices suspend role in federal task force whose members fatally shot man in Uptown

Star Tribune logo

Camera policy creates rift with agencies. 

Two more Minnesota law enforcement agencies are suspending their participation with the federal task force whose members fatally shot Winston Smith Jr. in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood last week.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will no longer participate until local law enforcement are allowed to wear body cameras while on the task force, Fox 9 reported Tuesday night.

The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office will also suspend its participation, Tierney Peters, community relations coordinator, said in an e-mail on Tuesday. Continue reading.

Hennepin County facility will turn organic waste into biogas

Sun Current Logo

Hennepin County officials are planning to construct a facility that will turn organic waste into usable biogas as part of the county’s ongoing efforts in environmental sustainability.

Approved unanimously by the Board of Hennepin County Commissioners June 1, the anaerobic digestion facility will process household and commercial waste including food scraps, soiled paper and compostable products, which comprise about 30% of the municipal solid waste collected in the county, according to a staff report to the board.

The facility, to be located next to the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station, will be constructed with the county’s current waste collection goals in mind. The county’s Solid Waste Management Plan includes a goal of recycling 75% of waste by 2030, an aspiration that will require organics recycling, the staff report mentions. Continue reading.

HC Commissioner Chris LaTondresse (Dist. 6) Update: June 4, 2021

Commissioner LaTondresse Banner


June 4, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Please join me tomorrow for my monthly ‘Coffee with Chris’ series where we sit down over a cup of coffee for an informal conversation. This Saturday, June 5, you can join me by clicking here.

Updates you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

☕ Coffee with Chris: Tomorrow from 10:00 am- 10:45 am. Join by clicking here.

🏛 Hennepin County Board actions this week: The Board approved funding for Emergency Rental Assistance, Opioid Response Services, and the Vocational Services Program.

Continue reading “HC Commissioner Chris LaTondresse (Dist. 6) Update: June 4, 2021”

HC Commissioner Debbie Goettel (Dist. 5) Update: June 3, 2021

HC Commissioner Goettel Banner

Hennepin Happening

Welcome to the District 5 June newsletter! Scroll down to read more about

Follow me on Facebook.

Continue reading “HC Commissioner Debbie Goettel (Dist. 5) Update: June 3, 2021”

HC Commissioner LaTondresse Update: May 28, 2021

Commissioner LaTondresse Banner


Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With many businesses being impacted by COVID-19, Elevate Business HCbegan as a response to the pandemic by offering businesses in Hennepin County free advising and other resources to help them recover from the pandemic and build for future growth. This collaboration between Hennepin County and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber is providing equitable and inclusive support to meet the unique needs of businesses while driving long-term economic growth for our region. Jessie Baker, owner of Munkabeans Coffeehouse in downtown Hopkins and a recent participant of a facilitated peer roundtable, shared her own  positive experience with Elevate Business HC, watch her testimonial here. More resources and events for small businesses can be found here.

Updates in this week’s newsletter:

Continue reading “HC Commissioner LaTondresse Update: May 28, 2021”

2021 CD3 DFL Virtual Convention Pre-Registration

CD3 DFL Logo


The delegates and alternates elected at the 2020 caucuses to the CD3 DFL convention are also delegates and alternates to this year’s convention. You should have received a postcard notifying you of this year’s convention.

2021 Virtual Convention Date and Time

Wednesday, June 9, 2021, 7:00 PM

Register here: https://forms.gle/XKT6uaagAL9Sg13J9

Virtual Convention Documents

2021 CD3 DFL Virtual Convention Agenda
2021 CD3 DFL Virtual Convention Rules
2021 CD3 DFL Constitution

Commissioner Chris LaTondresse (HC Dist. 6) Update: May 22, 2021

Commissioner LaTondresse Banner


Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved several important actions including establishing Juneteenth as a paid holiday, the Hennepin County Consortium 2021 Action Plan to be submitted to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, enter into a Joint Powers Agreement for the construction, operation, maintenance, and use of the North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility, and allocating up to $15,000,000 in CARES Act funds to Hennepin Healthcare Systems for eligible COVID-19 related expenses. More details on these actions can be found in this newsletter.

Updates in this week’s newsletter:

✍️ My statement on establishing Juneteenth as a paid holiday: Juneteenth falls on Saturday, June 19, in 2021. Therefore, Hennepin County will observe the previous workday, Friday, June 18, as a paid holiday for employees and close county offices.

Continue reading “Commissioner Chris LaTondresse (HC Dist. 6) Update: May 22, 2021”

Hennepin County Board approves a record $17 million for affordable housing projects

Star Tribune logo

It’s the largest amount awarded by the board to support affordability. 

Hennepin County is spending a record $17 million for 27 affordable housing and development projects this year to create nearly 2,300 units and the county’s first low-income rent-reduction subsidy program.

The grants are the largest amount ever awarded by the board at one time to support affordable housing, officials said. The awards represent more than double the funding approved for affordable housing in 2018, and it’s part of the county’s 10-year plan to bolster housing for its poorest families and most vulnerable residents.

The projects are sprinkled throughout the county and will consist of 1,550 new or improved affordable housing units. There will also be another 800 units in major transit corridors with commercial and community space. Nearly 400 units are designated for households with the lowest income of less than 30% of the area median income, or about $31,450 for a four-person household. Continue reading.

Commissioner Kevin Anderson (HC Dist 7) Update: May 20, 2021

Commissioner Anderson Banner


Hello friends and neighbors!

Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. It has been an impactful few weeks with the county board passing the climate action plan, declaring Juneteenth as a county holiday, paving the way for historic investment in affordable housing and helping to fund the North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility in Maple Grove. I have also been out in the community visiting vaccination clinics, talking with small business owners about relief funds available, joining the “Step To It” kick off in Plymouth, and meeting with city leaders about challenges facing your specific communities. With the new guidelines released by the CDC and summer just around the corner, I’m looking forward to partnering with community leaders to set up targeted vaccination clinics so that we can responsibly put away our masks! 

Continue reading “Commissioner Kevin Anderson (HC Dist 7) Update: May 20, 2021”