Juneteenth Designated County Holiday
The Minnesota Legislature passed a bill designating Juneteenth as an official holiday, which is to go into effect Aug. 1. The board adopted a resolution accepting Juneteenth as a holiday before the actual date (June 19th). Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, marking the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the state of Texas on June 19, 1865. For more information on this item, click HERE.
IT Advisory Company Hired to Provide Interim Leadership
Due to the passing of the county’s Information Technology director and the retirement of another longtime employee, the board approved a contract with Hartman Advisors, not to exceed $288,000, to provide temporary leadership to the county’s IT department, until a new IT can be hired. For more information on this item, click HERE.
Traffic Signal Modifications Planned at Round Lake Blvd., 161st Ave.
The board approved entering into a joint powers agreement with the City of Andover for traffic signal modifications at the intersection of Round Lake Boulevard and 161st Avenue. This action is to accommodate the construction of a dedicated eastbound turn lane on 161st Avenue. To facilitate this improvement, the traffic control system will be modified, and ramp and ADA improvements will be included. For more information on this item, click HERE.
Pavement Surface Improvements Planned on Northdale Blvd.
The board approved entering into a joint powers agreement with the City of Coon Rapids for pavement surface improvements along Northdale Boulevard, from Quince Street to Ilex Street. This segment of Northdale Boulevard has been on Anoka County’s pavement resurfacing project list for the past few years due to deteriorating pavement condition. This project is scheduled for construction from mid-June to August of this year. For more information on this item, click HERE.
License Center Kiosk to be Placed at Riverdale Cub
An Anoka County License Center self-service kiosk will soon be located in the Cub Foods off Riverdale Drive in Coon Rapids, due to the board approving the placement. There is no cost to the county for the installation of the kiosk since this is a state-led initiative. The kiosk will allow for customers to purchase, in a similar fashion to online renewal, and receive license tabs immediately at the time of purchase. The kiosk will be available outside of typical license center business hours. A portion of the filing fees collected the kiosk will be retained to support license center operations. For more information on this item, click HERE.
Donation Accepted for Medlink Program
The Coon Rapids VFW Auxiliary, Post 9625, donated $200 to Anoka County Veteran Services, which will be used to help fund the county’s Medlink program, which organizes volunteers to provide rides to area veterans, seniors and citizens of Anoka County to doctors, dentists and social service appointments. For more information on this item, click HERE.
Deer Management Hunts Planned for Bunker Hills, Coon Rapids Dam, Rice Creek Parks
The board approved controlled archery hunts this fall to manage deer populations in Bunker Hills Regional Park, Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve and Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. The aerial survey conducted in the winter of 2023 determined deer density for Bunker Hills Regional Park at over 39 deer per square mile, Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve at over 22 deer per square mile, and Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park at over 21 deer per square mile. Those who would like to participate in the hunts, which will occur in October, November and December, can visit the Anoka County Parks website, anokacountyparks.com, or stop by Bunker Hills Activity Center to fill out a form. Hunters are selected via random lottery, and each year a hunter applies, their chances of being selected goes up, so a hunter will be selected sometime in a 3-year span, if they apply all three years. For more information on this item, click HERE. To watch the video, click HERE.