One year ago, tomorrow, on February 26, 2020, Olmsted County Public Health activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a small team of public health and county staff to start discussions regarding the global pandemic, COVID-19. At that time, nobody could have predicted the lasting impact the global pandemic was going to have on our world, country, state and county.
Take the first opportunity to get vaccinated that is offered to you
Navigating when you or a loved one is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can be challenging. Several locations in Olmsted County are offering the vaccine in alignment with state guidelines as vaccine supply becomes available. Minnesota is currently vaccinating remaining health care professionals, persons 65 and over, E-12 educators and support staff, and daycare workers. You may have the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at multiple locations.
The Public Health Services Advisory Board acts as a community based advisory board for both Public Health and the County Health Board on emerging and ongoing public health topics. To apply for a volunteer position on the Public Health Services Advisory Board, please fill out the Volunteer Application Form. If you have any questions, email AdministrationClerical@co.olmsted.mn.us.
Last week, the State of Minnesota expanded the E-12 definition to include all staff, not just student-facing staff. This change adds roughly another 1,800 people in Olmsted County who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Olmsted County Public Health Services is working with school districts and child care providers directly to get E-12 staff vaccinated when vaccine becomes available.
Olmsted County was awarded a $154,679 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to aid in the rapid administration of COVID-19 vaccinations in our area. In total, MDH is allocating $6.9 million to local public health agencies across the state to help with vaccine implementation.
Last week, we communicated that the Olmsted County Community Health Assessment and Planning (CHAP) COVID-19 Impact Survey was being mailed randomly to 2,000 households in Olmsted County. For those who did not receive the paper version of the CHAP COVID-19 Impact Survey by mail who would still like to participate in it, an online version of the survey is now available. The online survey is being offered in three languages: English, Somali, and Spanish. Surveys must be completed by 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 28, 2021.
P-EBT benefits for 2020-2021 school year available starting in late March
More help is on the way for hundreds of thousands of hungry Minnesota children for the 2020-2021 school year. To ensure children receive the food benefits known as Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), families should make sure they are approved for free or reduced-price meals at their school through the National School Lunch Program as soon as possible.
State of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program (CVP)
The State of Minnesota will be opening a new community vaccination site this week in Rochester for a one-day vaccination clinic. The large-scale, semi-permanent site will be the third of its kind, joining vaccination sites in Minneapolis and Duluth that launched last week. The Rochester site will be able to serve approximately 1,500 people. This week’s vaccination clinic will be for people 65 years of age and older.
Local COVID-19 vaccination clinics continue to be scheduled for designated Olmsted County businesses, organizations, and employees following CDC guidelines for prioritization of those most at risk of exposure or complications from COVID-19.
The Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) team within Olmsted County’s Adult and Family Services department has recently been recognized as a nationally certified program by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification. Olmsted County joins only two other programs in the state of Minnesota to have received this high honor.
Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) is collaborating with Olmsted Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, several additional Olmsted County Departments, City of Rochester, Rochester Police Department, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, and Rochester Community and Technical College to vaccinate up to 2,200 individuals in the last priority group, Phase 1A-3. Clinics will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, 2021. This is the first mass vaccination COVID-19 clinic offered by OCPHS.
The Olmsted County Community Health Assessment and Planning (CHAP) COVID-19 Impact Survey will be mailed to 2,000 randomly selected households throughout Olmsted County beginning the week of February 1, 2021. Information gathered from the survey will provide valuable evidence which will help community leaders understand the greater impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Olmsted County residents.
The week of January 25, 2021, Olmsted County Public Health, Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center (OMC) began vaccinating populations in Phase 1a priority 3 groups, including all remaining community health care personnel who cannot work remotely. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals such as dental office staff, hospice staff, optometrists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, morticians, orthopedics and rehabilitation staff, laboratory services staff, and funeral directors.
Olmsted County Public Health continues to prepare for vaccinations to expand into community healthcare organizations and critical infrastructure workers. We encourage businesses, organizations, and agencies in Olmsted County to complete the business vaccination planning form. This form will help identify all the businesses in the county and determine where the business falls within the phases and priorities.
We are excited to announce that there is a new history exhibit at Graham Park thanks to the generosity of Mayo Clinic. The exhibit features the history of the park which originated from a donation made by Dr. Christopher Graham, a Mayo Clinic founding partner, and his wife, Blanche Brackenridge Graham. We encourage you to view the exhibit at Graham Park during scheduled activities.
The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners announced on January 19, 2021 that it is allocating funds to small business relief as part of the State of Minnesota County Relief Funding Program. A total of $3,388,968 in economic support to businesses and non-profit organizations affected by COVID-19 will be distributed.
The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners announced on January 19, 2021 that it is allocating funds to small business relief as part of the State of Minnesota County Relief Funding Program. A total of $3,388,968 in economic support to businesses and non-profit organizations affected by COVID-19 will be distributed.
The Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority is receiving a $1.1 million COVID-19 Emergency Solutions Grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Office of Economic Opportunity. This grant will fully fund operations and staffing from January 2021 through January 2022 at both the Rochester Community Warming Center and The Creek, a short-term shelter in Rochester for people experiencing homelessness.
Effective Monday, January 4, 2021, the Government Center Rotunda doors (Door C) will only be unlocked for meetings after 5 p.m. when public meetings are scheduled or expected to occur after business hours. Specifically, Rotunda doors will be open 15 minutes prior to a scheduled meeting and locked 15 minutes after the meeting’s scheduled start time.
Effective December 29, 2020, anyone needing help from Olmsted County related to vital records (birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses), notary, or ministry credential (ordination) services, should use the Olmsted County Online Check-in System to schedule an arrival time.
After launching a new logo earlier this year, Olmsted County has now unveiled a redesigned website with a new URL that’s easier to remember – www.olmstedcounty.gov.
Earlier this year, Olmsted County received $19.1 million in funds as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Other jurisdictions in the county had approximately $290,000 in unused CARES Act funds that were turned over to the county to be spent on COVID-19-related initiatives. Over the past several months, Olmsted County has used these funds to adapt to providing services in a COVID-19 environment and help individuals and families in our communities facing hardships due to the pandemic.
On December 15, 2020, the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary COVID-19 property tax hardship abatement policy for commercial/industrial property owners. The policy is intended to provide some relief to business owners having difficulty paying their 2020 property taxes due to COVID-19 impacts on their businesses. This will defer payment of some of the taxes and abate some of the penalties and interest to help those businesses recover.
Under Governor Walz’s Executive Order 20-81, masks are required to enter any of our government buildings or when waiting outside to receive services. Further, we ask all visitors to limit the number of people accompanying them.
Commissioners say the practice of conversion therapy is unethical and harmful
News
Dec 15, 2020
The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution today stating that conversion therapy is a discredited practice that is unethical and harmful. The board also indicated support of a statewide ban on the controversial practice.
Olmsted County is excited to share the plans for proposed improvements to county road (CR) 101 (45th St. SE) from the junction of St. Bridget Rd SE to the junction of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 1 (Simpson Rd SE).
Collaboration, innovation, and protecting environmental resources are integral to delivering on Olmsted County’s mission of providing the foundation of a vibrant community. An example of that spirit in action is a new partnership with Cenergy Power (Cenergy) and People’s Energy Cooperative (PEC).
After an extensive search, Vice President of Strategy and Service Development for Nexus Family Healing Margaret Vimont has announced that Nicole Mucheck has been named executive director of the new Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC) in Rochester, Minnesota, opening in the spring of 2021.
It has been more than nine months since leaders in Olmsted County started meeting and discussing plans about COVID-19 response in our community. Much has happened since then, but the one thing that has remained constant is the collaborative planning and implementation amongst community partners including Olmsted County Public Health, Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, the City of Rochester, and others. The arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in our community is another example of the amazing collaboration happening in Olmsted County.
Looking to get more involved in your community? The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners is currently accepting applications for the Olmsted County Human Rights Commission.
Once numbering in the tens of millions before being hunted to near extinction, the American plains bison is making a promising recovery. In Minnesota, this recovery is supported by a long-standing partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Zoological Garden (MZG), which actively manage Minnesota’s Bison Conservation Herd. This year, Olmsted County joined the partnership by establishing a bison population at the county park’s Zollman Zoo.
At yesterday’s Olmsted County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Olmsted County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee (CCC) presented the results of the local community engagement and awareness campaign.
Olmsted County is giving property owners another two weeks to pay their property taxes before receiving any late payment penalties. The deadline by which to pay your full property tax payment for 2020 is now December 31, 2020.
For mental and physical well-being of the community
News
Dec 3, 2020
The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners voted today to temporarily suspend entrance fees at Olmsted County parks from December 4, 2020 until April 30, 2021. This means that visitors can enjoy any Olmsted County park – including Chester Woods – free of charge during this timeframe. The county board made this decision to help benefit the mental and physical well-being of residents in Olmsted County.
The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Awards Committee has selected Olmsted County Commissioner Sheila Kiscaden as a recipient of its 2020 AMC Outstanding Service Award.
Park's master plan shared with board of commissioners
News
Nov 17, 2020
Today the Olmsted County Parks department shared its master plan for Lake Zumbro Park, the new name of the park formerly known as White Bridge Pier and White Bridge Fishing Access.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has selected the Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (OCHRA) as one of the recipients of its Circle of Excellence awards. The Circle of Excellence award recognizes organizations that have partnered with DHS and done an exemplary job of providing food, shelter, and other assistance to Minnesotans in need.
Olmsted County is pleased to announce the recipients of the second round of the Olmsted County Small Business Relief Grant Program. The CARES Act funded grant program was administered by Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. (RAEDI), as was the first round.
Over the past two weeks, Olmsted County has witnessed a rapid increase in our local COVID-19 transmission. We’ve also seen an increased need for testing. Graham Park Collaborative Testing site continues to process 800-1300 vehicles/tests daily. As a result, the lines are longer and waiting times have increased significantly. Please be patient; our staff are working as fast they can, but need to do so safely and effectively. Please plan for additional time when seeking testing.
At today’s Olmsted County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board voted to proceed with Rachel Contracting to handle the demolition of the Seneca Foods canning facility at 1217 3rd Avenue Southeast in Rochester, Minnesota.
Olmsted County 2020 state legislative priorities are faring well with the passage of a statewide bonding bill during the fifth special session. Last week, the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate passed the bill in bipartisan fashion and Governor Walz signed it this week.
Despite economic uncertainties and other challenges due to the pandemic, in 2020, Olmsted County once again received a Aaa/AAA credit rating (with a stable outlook) – the highest possible rating – from both Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.
Olmsted County’s master plan for Graham Park is centered on features to revitalize the gathering space and transform it into more of a regional destination. New and improved facilities, such as a multi-purpose expo center for which the county is seeking state funding to help build, will increase the park’s flexibility to accommodate a wide range of events and gatherings.
To move forward with plans for redevelopment, the former Seneca Foods canning factory adjacent to Graham Park (1217 3rd Avenue Southeast in Rochester, Minnesota) will need to be demolished.
The Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC) Executive Team – with representation from Olmsted and Goodhue counties, Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, the southeast chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and local health care plans – recently cast a unanimous vote to select Nexus Family Healing as the operations partner for the Southeast Regional Crisis Center.
Representatives from many southeastern Minnesota counties, Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, the southeast Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), health plans, as well as Minnesota State Senator Dave Senjem met in Rochester on June 23, 2020 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC).
The construction company selected to build the Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC) – APX Construction out of Mankato, Minnesota – will begin breaking ground on the center on June 15, 2020, and construction is expected to be completed in spring 2021.
Our 2019 year-end video series continues today with a message from Olmsted County Deputy Administrator of Health, Housing and Human Services Paul Fleissner.
New mental health crisis center to be built in Olmsted County
