I look forward to serving the people of District 3 in 2021
Thank you for your support in 2020. In spite of the difficulties of the year, I worked to insure that county continued to serve the needs of the people in the most efficient and cost effective way. I care about the people in my district and Olmsted County. I work to maintain the trust you have placed in me.
I Have Kept You Informed
To keep you informed in 2020 I made 51 posts to my website with about 174 items of interest and updates on county projects. I also included about 20 videos. I will continue to update the people of District 3 in 2021.
Highlights of 2020
Here is a partial list of the highlights of 2020. 2020 was dominated by COVID so it is with pleasure that we all can say good-bye to 2020 and look forward to a better 2021.
January
- Fisherman’s Inn was purchased to create a larger Park and public boat ramp
- Olmsted County received $2.135 million grant to enlarge the Nature Center at Oxbow Park
- County Elections Department began accepting absentee ballots for the Presidential Primary
February
- Public Health gives first report on COVID-19
- Farmers Market votes to move to Graham Park
- County Road 101 was moved to top of list for reconstruction
- Olmsted HRA purchases Center Street Village Apartments to preserve low-income housing
March
- Zollman Zoo’s baby cougar gets its own place at the zoo
- Olmsted Public Health, Mayo, and Olmsted Medical Group hold press conference to address the rising COVID-19 threat
- First Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Olmsted County (March 11)
- County Road 9 reconstruction begins
- Olmsted County video on Community Corrections (Probation) spread nation-wide
- Construction on the replacement for the last timber bridge in Olmsted County began
- Olmsted County Declared a Medical Emergency and closed all face to face areas
- Public Health starts COVID-19 contact tracing
- Five cases of COVID confirmed (March 17)
- County Board had its first meeting by distance technology
- COVID-19 testing site at Graham Park opens (March 24)
- COVID-19 cases increase to 21 in Olmsted and 287 in Minnesota (March 26)
- Governor issue first “Stay at Home” order
- 156 people were tested for COVID-19 (March 30)
- Court Services were suspended
April
- Property Tax late fee for first half of property was extended
- Goats were dispatched at Chesterwoods Park to control invasive plant species
- Governor Walz highlighted Olmsted County for its care of the homeless.
- Olmsted Housing and Redevelopment Authority announces plan to build a 48 unit project on Mayowood Road
May
- Public Boat Launch is opened at Fisherman’s Inn site
- Olmsted HRA approved $1 million in emergency funding for temporary rental assistance to assist low-income families that have lost jobs due to COVID-19
- Olmsted County Youth Commission begins a tutoring service
- An online check-in service for licenses and passports starts to eliminate lines and waiting
- New Bridges at Chesterwoods Park installed
June
- County Elections office prepares to send out absentee ballot application for the August 11 Primary
- Construction on the Southeast Regional Crisis Center begins
- HRA leases 30 apartments in two building to house the homeless
- County Board votes to increase the number of Human Service workers that will work with the Sheriff and Rochester Police departments
- County Board votes to start a diversity and inclusion plan called “One Olmsted”
- Face Masks are required in public spaced in all Olmsted County Buildings
July
- Property tax late fees were extended to December 15
- Olmsted County named Best Employer by Workforce
- COVID-19 cases see huge increase; Governor declares that masks will be required in Minnesota
- Olmsted County provides $5million in relief funds to small business and non-profits to mitigate effects of COVID-19
- County Board passes resolution recognizing racial inequities in Healthcare
- Olmsted County Public Health Services Advisory Board and Olmsted County Human Rights Commission vote to jointly study the issue of health disparities associated with race.
- “Energy Parkway” became the new name of the road that goes to the recycling center
- 16,300 ballots were cast by absentee in the August primary
- County Board votes to approve a 10 acre solar energy field on county owned land
September
- County Board votes to preliminary set the 2021 property tax levy at 0%
- Olmsted receives a grant to improve the Cascade Creek watershed to reduce sediment
October
- Olmsted receives top credit rating from Moody’s and Standard and Poor
- Olmsted housed 108 formerly homeless people since March
- County Board votes to refinance General Obligation bonds sold in 2011 saving the county about $400,000.
November
- The second round of COVID relief money (part of $5million that was provided by the county) was awarded to small businesses.
- Construction for low-income senior citizens and supportive housing began
- HRA and Olmsted County doubled the space of the warming shelter
- Reconstruction of 55thStreet was completed
- Design phase for County 101 was begun
- “Lake Zumbro Park” became the new name of county park at the former Fisherman’s Inn site
- Olmsted HRA receives a Commendation from the State Commissioner of Human Services
- 87% of eligible voters cast ballots in the November election and the majority of ballots were absentee.
December
- Demolition of the Seneca site began
- Census count is over and Minnesota had the highest self-response rate at 75.1%; Olmsted County had an even higher self-response rate of 78%
- Property tax late penalty fee extended to December 31
- Entrance fees for all Olmsted County Parks were suspended until April 30, 2021
- www.olmstedcounty.govwas launched
- The year ended with 5,323 Minnesota deaths due to Covid-19, a total of 415,302 positive cases, and 3 million people who took a Covid-19 test. In Olmsted there were 8968 confirmed Covid-19 cases. Sadly, there were 59 people who died from Covid-19 in Olmsted County.
Everyone ended the year looking forward to 2021 and leaving behind the Year of Covid-19
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