Observer Corps Report - 1/24/2019 Dakota County Planning Commission Meeting

Observer Corps reports are submitted by LWV Dakota County members that volunteer their time to observe and take notes at government meetings of interest to Dakota County residents. While we strive for accuracy, these observations may be incomplete or inaccurate in some respects.

Meeting Agenda and Materials Meeting Minutes (not available yet)

Additional Meeting Materials Meeting Summary: Item VIII. During discussion of the 2019 Work Program for the Commission questions still remained from a long discussion regarding "what are we here for" and "what do County Commissioners expect from us" which carried over from the November and December 2018 meetings. There were discussions related to bylaws and how to interact with the Physical Development Committee.

Item IX. Presentation related to 2018 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) accomplishments and 2019 Adopted CIP and Carryover Projects.

Item X. Valerie Grover provided an overview of the Dakota County Groundwater Plan process. Dakota County is uniquely reliant on groundwater compared to other counties within the metro area.

Item XI. Upcoming Public Meetings: Vermillion River Greenway Master Plan (Hastings) - open house sometime in March. Time and location TBD.

Start by Believing: A Panel Discussion Regarding Community Responses to Sexual Assault

LWV St. Paul and LWV Dakota County co-hosted a moderated panel discussion regarding how to improve community responses to sexual assault on January 22, 2019, at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) television studio.

The discussion was moderated by Mary Rice, President of LWV Bloomington. The panelists included Jennifer Bjorhus, one of the lead journalists who worked on the Star Tribune's Denied Justice series, Nicole Matthews, Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Woman’s Sexual Assault Coalition, John Choi, Ramsey County Attorney, Paul Schnell, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Sarah Colford, a survivor and Board Member with Break the Silence. Both Ms. Matthews and Commissioner Schnell sat on the sexual assault task force convened by Attorney General Lori Swanson which issued a report in December 2018 with recommendations for the state legislature, law enforcement, county attorneys, and the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.

Observer Corps Report - 1/17/2019 Cliff Road Study Open House

Observer Corps reports are submitted by LWV Dakota County members that volunteer their time to observe and take notes at government meetings of interest to Dakota County residents. While we strive for accuracy, these observations may be incomplete or inaccurate in some respects.

Meeting Agenda

Meeting Materials

Meeting Summary: The Cliff Road study will examine the segment between Lexington Ave and Highway 3. Maps showed current and forecasted traffic. Visuals of potential roadway and intersection improvements were presented. Trail maps were also made available displaying topographic challenges. The open house introduced the study to the community. Goals, issues, and opportunities were part of the visual display boards. Dakota County Transportation, the City of Eagan, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Bolton & Menk were available for conversation.

The next public open house will be scheduled in April or May to review potential improvements. You can share your opinion with the project team and public here. You can sign up for email updates regarding the project here.