Community Health Needs Assessment

Olmsted County completed the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment.  The report is available at 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment.  The report identified three priorities:  Mental health, access to care, and food security.

 

Lake Zumbro Park

On October 15, Rochester Public Utilities began to lower Zumbro Lake by six feet.  This will allow the DNR to improve the boat launch and recovery facility and to complete work on the shoreline along the Zumbro Lake Park.  When the work is complete the boat launch and recovery facility will reopen and stay open until the lake begins to freeze.

The parking lot is also in the process of being reconstructed.  The construction of this phase of the park improvement is expected to be completed before Memorial Day, 2026.

 

Measles

Olmsted County Public Health confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated child residing in the county.  The child is under the age of five.  (Measles is a highly contagious illness and can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.  Measles spreads easily by coughing, sneezing or even being in the same room with someone who is infected.  The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.)

 

Food Security/SNAP

Due to the Federal Shutdown and actions of Congress, SNAP benefits will cease.  (SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program used to be called Food Stamps.)  SNAP is not an Olmsted County program, it is a Federal Program.  Olmsted County does not receive money for the SNAP program.  Recipients who qualify for the SNAP program receive money through the Federal Government.  The shutdown is also expected to end aid to the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program.  In addition to encouraging breastfeeding, WIC assists low-income families with baby formula.

With the Federal Government shutdown families that qualify for SNAP will not receive any money for food.  About 6,000 families in Olmsted County qualify for SNAP.  The government shutdown has created a crises for these families.  Channel One Food Bank (a food provider for low-income residents, estimates that it will take about $400,000/month to close the food gap created by the loss of SNAP benefits.  In response, Olmsted County voted to use $200,000 of the County’s money to donate to Channel One Food Bank to buy food for November.  This would account for ½ of the need for November.  The Board then challenged the community to donate the other half.  The county’s donation is to be used to purchase food and infant formula for families that qualify for SNAP and WIC.  I voted with the Board to donate county money; I am hopeful that the Federal Shutdown will end soon and the SNAP benefits will be restored.