West metro news briefs: Hennepin County Board reappoints Jan Callison as chairwoman

The Hennepin County Board last week unanimously voted to reappoint Commissioner Jan Callison as board chairwoman for the fourth straight year.

"Continued collaboration with my colleagues, staff and other partners will be essential as we work to provide county services efficiently and cost-effectively," she said, "as well as position Hennepin County for the future."

Callison, a former Minnetonka City Council member and mayor, was first appointed board chairwoman in late 2014.

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, she has been a centrist board member since 2008.

The board chair works closely with the county's professional staff, organizes meetings and sets topics or agendas for briefings.

Commissioner Linda Higgins was re-elected to serve as the board's vice chairwoman. The board also selected committee chairs: Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, for the County Administration Committee; Commissioner Marion Greene, for Health; Commissioner Debbie Goettel, for Human Services; Linda Higgins, for Operations and Libraries; Commissioner Mike Opat, for Public Works; and Commissioner Jeff Johnson, for Public Safety.

McLaughlin and Opat were also re-elected as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Regional Railroad Authority.

Hennepin Health, the health care provider for county residents enrolled in a Minnesota health care program, is temporarily relocating its walk-in service center from downtown Minneapolis from January 22 through February 5 so members can easily receive services in the two weeks before the Super Bowl.

Because Hennepin County Medical Center is across the street from U.S. Bank Stadium, and because streets near the stadium will be closed for days before the game, officials have decided to make staffers available at more easily accessible locations in Brooklyn Center (Brookdale Regional Center, 6125 Shingle Creek Pkwy.) and south Minneapolis (Chemical and Mental Health Service, 1800 Chicago Av.).

At the Chicago Avenue location, members can receive chemical and behavioral health services by appointment; at the Brookdale location, members can receive human services as well as food nutrition and child protection services.

Those who qualify for a bus pass can get one either by stopping at one of the temporary sites or reloading their pass over the phone. Suggested buses for Brookdale are Numbers 19 and 22, and for Chicago Avenue, Numbers 2 and 14.

For more information on the temporary sites, call Hennepin Health Member Services at 612-596-1036.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has awarded $1.5 million to Carver County to help reconstruct the Hwy. 18 (Lyman Boulevard)-Hwy. 41 intersection in Chaska.

Plans for the $4.1 million project include a roundabout to allow vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to safely pass through the intersection.

The intersection currently is controlled by a temporary traffic signal, which county officials said made it dangerous and overburdened. Traffic volumes are expected to grow there as nearby businesses expand.

For more information, visit MnDOT's website at mndot.gov/funding/ted/index.html/.

LIZ SAWYER

The master plan, expected to be completed by this spring, aims to identify gaps and recommend improvements in the current pedestrian and bicycle network while also promoting the health benefits of an active lifestyle.

"Some of the improvements that come from this master plan might not be fully seen for another decade," said Parks and Recreation Manager Greg Boatman, "but it's important to start thinking now about what those changes could be."

Parks and Recreation staffers will hold an open house for the public from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center, 13550 Dakota Av. S. Suggestions can also be submitted online at www.cityofsavage.com or called into the Parks and Recreation Department at 952-224-3423.

Residents have until Jan. 31 to submit their ideas.

"Input from residents and surrounding communities is critical to evaluate the best ways to link people to where they want to go," Boatman said in a statement.

An exhibit of sculptures designed to highlight the importance of water in our lives will be on display at the Hennepin Gallery in downtown Minneapolis through Jan. 17.

"Water Connects Us All" features puppets from In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre that elaborate on several themes, including how much water we need and use; water as a right or a privilege; our relationship to surrounding watersheds; and where water comes from, and where it goes.

The exhibit is curated by Sandy Spieler, founder and artistic leader at In the Heart of the Beast, and founder and director of the annual May Day parade and ceremony. It's supported by the Hennepin County Multicultural Arts Committee, created by the Hennepin County Board in 1995 to sponsor displays and performances that represent the county's diversity.

The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week at the Hennepin County Government Center, A-level, 300. S. 6th St., Minneapolis. The exhibit is sponsored by Forecast Public Art and the Hennepin County Multicultural Arts Committee.