Mike Opat
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph Opat is an American politician from the U.S. state
of Minnesota
. He serves as the Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, the governing body for the largest county in Minnesota, with more than 1.1 million residents and an annual budget of $1.7 billion. Opat represents District 1 (out of 7 districts), an area that includes more than 160,000 residents and encompasses six suburban cities: Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park
, Crystal
, New Hope
, Osseo
, and Robbinsdale, as well as North Minneapolis. In his time on the County Board, Opat has led, among other initiatives, policy and governance changes at Hennepin County Medical Center
, numerous advancements in public infrastructure including the revitalization of the Humboldt Greenway, reconstruction of Highway 100 in the northern suburbs, construction of the new Brookdale
library, the construction of Target Field
and expansion of the Twin Cities area transit network, including the Bottineau line along County Road 81 through the northern part of the county.
Opat has been described as one of the "most aggressive local government leaders", and has said he is considering a bid for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
(DFL) nomination for governor of Minnesota.
, and coaching basketball
. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in business in 1983, but continued on at the workhouse as a shift supervisor. In 1987, Opat was awarded the Minnesota Correctional Officer of the Year award by the Minnesota Corrections Association, which he says motivated him to apply to the Harvard University
Kennedy School of Government. After gaining his Masters of Public Policy from Harvard in 1989, Opat spent three more years at the workhouse before running for public office in 1992.
Opat was elected as the Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in January 2009, replacing Randy Johnson, a Republican who had been the board's chair since 2004.
He endorsed then Senator
Barack Obama
via a letter to the Star Tribune
in January 2008, saying the election was "the most important" in his lifetime. He cited the importance of Obama's domestic agenda to improve our infrastructure through road and transit initiatives, as well as the prospects of reasonable immigration policy. Opat's district includes more Liberian immigrants than anywhere in Minnesota.
Opat led the adoption of a task force's proposal to transfer day-to-day management of the hospital from the County Board to Hennepin Healthcare Systems Inc., a nonprofit governing board composed of doctors, local professionals, health-care executives and two county commissioners (Opat and Randy Johnson). Opat, in advocating the new arrangement said that it would "...let the hospital manage its labor costs more efficiently, move more nimbly in a competitive health care market, raise money for crucial capital investments and even seek out profitable new lines of business to subsidize its public mission." The Board adopted the proposal, and retained the power to review the hospital's operating mission every year. In addition, Hennepin County remains the ultimate financial backstop for the hospital and underwrites its "uncompensated care"
losses.
The Minneapolis Star Tribunes editorial board called the new governance proposal "...a serious effort to solve a problem that no one else wants to acknowledge." The change went into effect in January 2007, and has proven effective. HCMC has a national reputation as a Level 1 Trauma Center, teaching, and safety-net hospital. In addition it has been recognized in excellency for oncology, pregnancies, burn treatment, hyperbaric medicine and obstetrics, and has consistently earned a spot on U.S. News and World Reports list of best hospitals.
The number of births to teenage mothers in northwestern Hennepin County has increased sharply - from an average of 270 births in 1995-2003, to over 310 births in both 2004 and 2005.
In May 2003, for his efforts in preventing teen pregnancy, Opat was awarded "Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting" (MOAPPP)'s Policymaker of the Year award.
Board of Directors. "We have to announce when help for the mentally ill or chronically homeless is threatened," he added "Our obligation is to minimize our clients’ pain and preserve their independence and dignity as best we can."
Bottineau Boulevard, also known as County Road 81, is a transit
corridor
that extends between Downtown Minneapolis and North Minneapolis through the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities
including; Crystal
, Robbinsdale, Osseo
, Brooklyn Park
and Maple Grove
. In addition, Bottineau extends through the rapidly growing communities of Dayton
, Rogers
, and Hassan Township. The corridor has been continuously growing in traffic and population, with predictions showing a 30% increase in population between 2000 and 2025.
Home to a major hospital (North Memorial), North Hennepin Community College
, Hennepin Technical College
, a railway, two lakes, three creeks, and a major regional park, Bottineau was chosen in the "Metropolitan Council 2030 Transportation Policy Plan" as a corridor to advance for development as a busway.
However, due to the success of the Hiawatha Line
and lobbying by Opat, as well as the evolution of land use on the corridor, the mode choice is currently being re-evaluated by an Alternatives Analysis study. The study should be completed in the summer of 2009, and will result in a recommendation for either bus rapid transit
or light rail transit
, as well as a preferred route alignment and station locations. The Alternatives Analysis study is also one of the first steps towards acquiring federal New Starts funding.
, and Ramsey County
to form the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB). These counties adopted a 0.25% sales tax
that is used to fund expansion of metropolitan transit projects, including light rail
and commuter rail. The board named Opat and Commissioner Peter McLaughlin as Hennepin County's representatives on CTIB. On the same day, Opat offered two amendments to the board, acting as the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority (HCRRA), one of which named the Bottineau, Central
, and Southwest corridors as "priority transit corridors" for Hennepin County. The other directed a property tax cut of more than 50% subsequent to the enactment of the sales tax.
Guided by the legislatively created Victory Memorial Drive Task Force, which is co-chaired by Opat and Commissioner Mark Stenglein, and the principles of the Park Board’s Victory Memorial Drive 2005 Master Plan, Hennepin County has programmed $3.5 million in its capital budget toward:
In 2009, the Minnesota State Legislature awarded $1 million in the Omnibus Bonding Bill for the project, as well as $40,000 in the "Omnibus Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Bill" for parks and trails.
and public art
.
and Lind-Bohanon neighborhoods by changing the character of Humboldt Avenue North to a landscaped greenway. Opat is credited for leading the revitalization for the avenue in the mid-1990s. Opat insisted the new neighborhood should offer home buyers a variety of housing that would be affordable to middle-class residents, provide enhanced views of Shingle Creek, and fit into the scale of homes found on Victory Memorial Drive. In 2000, work began to remove about 212 dilapidated housing units and replace them with about 270 new single family homes and townhomes, building value and enhancing the existing tax base through investment in parks and improved infrastructure. “I think the results are great, especially the public open spaces,” Opat has said. “Humboldt Avenue is terrific, after we gave it a curving look, streetscaping and bike paths. There’s better storm water runoff, too. We’ve even gotten the railroad to clean up its part of the area.”
In 2002, Commonbond Communities opened the first of 235 housing units, named Shingle Creek Commons. The Commons is a 75-unit retirement living community, which addressed the needed supply in the area for senior rental housing.
In 2008, Kingsley Commons was completed on the Greenway, featuring 25 units, and becoming one of the nation's first apartment buildings designed to provide independent living to people with multiple sclerosis.
In his 2009 State of the County address, Opat proposed an initiative to form a crime lab work group to examine crime lab
services, such as DNA
analysis and identification in Hennepin County, and make recommendations for the efficiencies of the services of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department and the City of Minneapolis Police Department.
In 2006, Commissioner Opat led the effort with the Minnesota Twins
to finance and build the new outdoor ballpark in downtown Minneapolis. It will open in April 2010.
Carlson School of Management
. Noting the "bleak times" for public institutions like Hennepin County with many low-income residents, Opat stated that "the state of Hennepin County is challenged, but not imperiled," and he urged the County to lead new innovations and public investments.
Opat proposed three new initiatives:
A local blogger said the address as demonstrated "a progressive in command of his message and in sync with his constituents."
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He serves as the Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, the governing body for the largest county in Minnesota, with more than 1.1 million residents and an annual budget of $1.7 billion. Opat represents District 1 (out of 7 districts), an area that includes more than 160,000 residents and encompasses six suburban cities: Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, Crystal
Crystal, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,698 people, 9,389 households, and 6,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.3 people per square mile . There were 9,481 housing units at an average density of 1,641.3 per square mile...
, New Hope
New Hope, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,873 people, 8,665 households, and 5,268 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,098.6 people per square mile . There were 8,746 housing units at an average density of 1,717.4 per square mile...
, Osseo
Osseo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 1,035 households, and 606 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,179.7 people per square mile . There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 1,384.7 per square mile...
, and Robbinsdale, as well as North Minneapolis. In his time on the County Board, Opat has led, among other initiatives, policy and governance changes at Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center is a Level I trauma center based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the county seat of Hennepin County. The primary 422-bed facility is located on five city blocks across the street from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, with satellite clinics in Minneapolis, Brooklyn...
, numerous advancements in public infrastructure including the revitalization of the Humboldt Greenway, reconstruction of Highway 100 in the northern suburbs, construction of the new Brookdale
Hennepin County Library
Hennepin County Library is a library system serving the entire population of Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA. The Minneapolis Public Library, a separate system for Minneapolis, existed from its founding by T. B. Walker in 1885 until January 2008...
library, the construction of Target Field
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball...
and expansion of the Twin Cities area transit network, including the Bottineau line along County Road 81 through the northern part of the county.
Opat has been described as one of the "most aggressive local government leaders", and has said he is considering a bid for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
(DFL) nomination for governor of Minnesota.
Early life, education, and dareer
Opat was born on March 25, 1961 in North Minneapolis to mother Joan and father Harold Opat, a steelworker. Opat attended the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities while working full time at the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility, also known as the county workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, and coaching basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in business in 1983, but continued on at the workhouse as a shift supervisor. In 1987, Opat was awarded the Minnesota Correctional Officer of the Year award by the Minnesota Corrections Association, which he says motivated him to apply to the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Kennedy School of Government. After gaining his Masters of Public Policy from Harvard in 1989, Opat spent three more years at the workhouse before running for public office in 1992.
1992 election
Branded a "political novice," Opat decided to run for Hennepin County Commissioner in 1992, declaring that the incumbent, John Derus, was motivated by self-interest. Derus, one of Minneapolis's most durable politicians of the time, crushed Opat at the DFL nominating convention. But Opat emerged from the fall primary trailing Derus by only 173 votes, out of nearly 19,000 cast. Opat won the general election, and Derus graciously conceded. Opat credited that first victory to fortuitous timing and a team of about 200 volunteers who did it "because they wanted to, not because they had to."Opat was elected as the Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in January 2009, replacing Randy Johnson, a Republican who had been the board's chair since 2004.
2010 gubernatorial election
Saying that the 2010 gubernatorial election "will be won or lost in the suburbs," Opat, whose Hennepin district is 90 percent suburban, has said he is considering entering the race. Arguing that DFLers in the Legislature had “missed the point” in 2009, Opat has argued for pragmatism in electing a Democrat governor, saying that candidates at either end of the political spectrum aren't likely to be particularly effective at building consensus and governing. And the DFL needs to widen its base, he said. "We need to connect; we have to have a clear message about the DFL philosophy in 2009. Given the economic crisis, our neighbors are hurting, regardless of their political views."Policies and priorities
Opat describes himself as a "lifelong Democrat," and is a member of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.He endorsed then Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
via a letter to the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
in January 2008, saying the election was "the most important" in his lifetime. He cited the importance of Obama's domestic agenda to improve our infrastructure through road and transit initiatives, as well as the prospects of reasonable immigration policy. Opat's district includes more Liberian immigrants than anywhere in Minnesota.
HCMC and Governance
Between 1997 and 2003, HCMC lost about $17 million annually in federal and state support and was unable to continue making significant investments in new technology, facilities maintenance and employee compensation. In addition, uncompensated care cases were increasing, putting more demand on HCMC's services. In 2004, Opat led the charge for a change in the governing structure of HCMC, which, as Hennepin County's hospital, was governed by the County Board.Opat led the adoption of a task force's proposal to transfer day-to-day management of the hospital from the County Board to Hennepin Healthcare Systems Inc., a nonprofit governing board composed of doctors, local professionals, health-care executives and two county commissioners (Opat and Randy Johnson). Opat, in advocating the new arrangement said that it would "...let the hospital manage its labor costs more efficiently, move more nimbly in a competitive health care market, raise money for crucial capital investments and even seek out profitable new lines of business to subsidize its public mission." The Board adopted the proposal, and retained the power to review the hospital's operating mission every year. In addition, Hennepin County remains the ultimate financial backstop for the hospital and underwrites its "uncompensated care"
Charity care
In the United States, charity care is health care provided for free or at reduced prices to low income patients. The percentage of doctors providing charity care dropped from 76% in 1996-97 to 68% in 2004-2005. Potential reasons for the decline include changes in physician practice patterns and...
losses.
The Minneapolis Star Tribunes editorial board called the new governance proposal "...a serious effort to solve a problem that no one else wants to acknowledge." The change went into effect in January 2007, and has proven effective. HCMC has a national reputation as a Level 1 Trauma Center, teaching, and safety-net hospital. In addition it has been recognized in excellency for oncology, pregnancies, burn treatment, hyperbaric medicine and obstetrics, and has consistently earned a spot on U.S. News and World Reports list of best hospitals.
Teen pregnancy prevention
Opat has said that preventing teen pregnancy "should be the county's first priority," and he has been an advocate for county funding of public school health and sex-education teachers who teach comprehensive pregnancy prevention. In defending the county spending, he has cited the 1,200 teen pregnancies a year in Hennepin County, and how they result in more expensive county services.The number of births to teenage mothers in northwestern Hennepin County has increased sharply - from an average of 270 births in 1995-2003, to over 310 births in both 2004 and 2005.
In May 2003, for his efforts in preventing teen pregnancy, Opat was awarded "Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting" (MOAPPP)'s Policymaker of the Year award.
Developmental disabilities
In his 2009 State of the County address, Opat said that Hennepin County can never forget that it must be the face and the voice of the most vulnerable people — the poor, sick, aged, developmentally disabled, blind, deaf and hard-of-hearing. Opat is the legal guardian of his brother, who is developmentally disabled, and has served on the Minnesota Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
Board of Directors. "We have to announce when help for the mentally ill or chronically homeless is threatened," he added "Our obligation is to minimize our clients’ pain and preserve their independence and dignity as best we can."
Bottineau Boulevard Transit
- see also Bottineau Boulevard Transitway
Bottineau Boulevard, also known as County Road 81, is a transit
Transit
-Transportation:* Ford Transit, a van made by the Ford Motor Company* Mass transit, public transport systems in which passengers are carried in large numbers* Navigational transit, when a navigator observes two fixed reference points in line...
corridor
Transport corridor
A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...
that extends between Downtown Minneapolis and North Minneapolis through the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
including; Crystal
Crystal, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,698 people, 9,389 households, and 6,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.3 people per square mile . There were 9,481 housing units at an average density of 1,641.3 per square mile...
, Robbinsdale, Osseo
Osseo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 1,035 households, and 606 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,179.7 people per square mile . There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 1,384.7 per square mile...
, Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
and Maple Grove
Maple Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,365 people , 17,532 households, and 13,955 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,532.3 people per square mile . There were 17,745 housing units at an average density of 539.9 per square mile...
. In addition, Bottineau extends through the rapidly growing communities of Dayton
Dayton, Minnesota
Dayton is a city in Hennepin and Wright counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. Dayton is mainly in Hennepin County, but a part of the city extends into Wright County as well. It is the northernmost city in Hennepin County.The city of Dayton, platted...
, Rogers
Rogers, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,588 people, 1,195 households, and 982 families residing in the city. The population density was 715.1 people per square mile . There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of 248.1 per square mile...
, and Hassan Township. The corridor has been continuously growing in traffic and population, with predictions showing a 30% increase in population between 2000 and 2025.
Home to a major hospital (North Memorial), North Hennepin Community College
North Hennepin Community College
North Hennepin Community College is a two-year college located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, primarily serving the communities of the northwestern portion of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Established in 1966 as North Hennepin State Junior College with 414 students , the college...
, Hennepin Technical College
Hennepin Technical College
Founded in 1972, Hennepin Technical College is a public technical school, with two campuses in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal rated the school as one of the state's top 10 colleges in their July 2009 edition....
, a railway, two lakes, three creeks, and a major regional park, Bottineau was chosen in the "Metropolitan Council 2030 Transportation Policy Plan" as a corridor to advance for development as a busway.
However, due to the success of the Hiawatha Line
Hiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
and lobbying by Opat, as well as the evolution of land use on the corridor, the mode choice is currently being re-evaluated by an Alternatives Analysis study. The study should be completed in the summer of 2009, and will result in a recommendation for either bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
or light rail transit
Light Rail Transit
The name Light Rail Transit is used to refer to several light rail systems, as an official name or otherwise:* Please see List of tram and light-rail transit systems.-See also:* Light Rapid Transit * Light railway* Light rail...
, as well as a preferred route alignment and station locations. The Alternatives Analysis study is also one of the first steps towards acquiring federal New Starts funding.
CTIB
In April 2008, the Hennepin County Board voted to enter into a joint powers agreement with Anoka County, Dakota CountyDakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County is the third most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east. Dakota County comprises the southeast portion of seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul, the thirteenth...
, and Ramsey County
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
to form the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB). These counties adopted a 0.25% sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
that is used to fund expansion of metropolitan transit projects, including light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
and commuter rail. The board named Opat and Commissioner Peter McLaughlin as Hennepin County's representatives on CTIB. On the same day, Opat offered two amendments to the board, acting as the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority (HCRRA), one of which named the Bottineau, Central
Central Corridor (Minnesota)
The Central Corridor is a light rail line under construction that is to cover the stretch between the downtown regions of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota...
, and Southwest corridors as "priority transit corridors" for Hennepin County. The other directed a property tax cut of more than 50% subsequent to the enactment of the sales tax.
Victory Memorial Drive
- Restoring the historic street grid and parkway, and extending the green space.
- Revitalizing the flagpole plaza.
- Adding historic gateway monuments and entrances to the parkway at Humboldt Avenue North on the east, and Lowry Avenue North on the south.
- Removing or replanting elm trees, using multiple species that are resistant to Dutch Elm disease, and restoring the rank-and-file grid that is at the heart of the memorial.
In 2009, the Minnesota State Legislature awarded $1 million in the Omnibus Bonding Bill for the project, as well as $40,000 in the "Omnibus Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Bill" for parks and trails.
REPP
Opat also launched the Roadside Enhancement Partnership Program, designed to beautify the pedestrian areas near roadways, including streetscapes, sidewalks, landscaping, masonryMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
and public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
.
Humboldt Greenway/Shingle Creek Parkway
The Humboldt Greenway project is the revitalization of the Shingle CreekShingle Creek
Shingle Creek may refer to:United States*Shingle Creek , a stream in Central Florida*Shingle Creek, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a neighborhoodCanada*Shingle Creek , a stream in the Okanagan Valley...
and Lind-Bohanon neighborhoods by changing the character of Humboldt Avenue North to a landscaped greenway. Opat is credited for leading the revitalization for the avenue in the mid-1990s. Opat insisted the new neighborhood should offer home buyers a variety of housing that would be affordable to middle-class residents, provide enhanced views of Shingle Creek, and fit into the scale of homes found on Victory Memorial Drive. In 2000, work began to remove about 212 dilapidated housing units and replace them with about 270 new single family homes and townhomes, building value and enhancing the existing tax base through investment in parks and improved infrastructure. “I think the results are great, especially the public open spaces,” Opat has said. “Humboldt Avenue is terrific, after we gave it a curving look, streetscaping and bike paths. There’s better storm water runoff, too. We’ve even gotten the railroad to clean up its part of the area.”
In 2002, Commonbond Communities opened the first of 235 housing units, named Shingle Creek Commons. The Commons is a 75-unit retirement living community, which addressed the needed supply in the area for senior rental housing.
In 2008, Kingsley Commons was completed on the Greenway, featuring 25 units, and becoming one of the nation's first apartment buildings designed to provide independent living to people with multiple sclerosis.
Productive Day
In 1994 Opat launched the "Productive Day" initiative which required inmates serving longer than a 15-day sentence at the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility to work or go to school for at least 8 hours per day. More than 100 employees participated in planning and implementing the change into one that emphasized work and education, rather than just "doing time." Opat cited the need to "motivate residents to develop skills, habits and abilities necessary to successfully integrate into the community and...gain economic self-sufficiency upon release" as a driving principle behind this initiative.Crime
In November 2007, while outside his home in Robbinsdale, Opat was attacked by two assailants, one of whom wielded a sawed off shotgun. He was hit with the butt of the gun, then knocked down, kicked, and punched. While lying in the alley, Opat grabbed the gun barrel and broke free, running to safety. He lost his vehicle, his wallet, and his cellphone, but escaped with only minor injuries. The car was recovered, but the assailants have not been identified.In his 2009 State of the County address, Opat proposed an initiative to form a crime lab work group to examine crime lab
Crime Lab
A crime laboratory - often shortened to crime lab - is a scientific laboratory, using primarily forensic science for the purpose of examining evidence from criminal cases.- Lab personnel :A typical crime lab has two sets of personnel:...
services, such as DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analysis and identification in Hennepin County, and make recommendations for the efficiencies of the services of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department and the City of Minneapolis Police Department.
Minnesota Twins ballpark
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
to finance and build the new outdoor ballpark in downtown Minneapolis. It will open in April 2010.
Construction
“I am proud that we are building this important public amenity at a time when jobs are crucial,” Opat has said “It’s the first of many investments on the new edge of downtown Minneapolis, and will pay many dividends into the future.”Chairmanships
Mark Stenglein, commissioner of District Two, voted to elect Opat chairman, and has commented that "he does his homework. He keeps up on everything that's going on. He's very much a workhorse.2001-2003
Since his election, Opat was a frequent critic of Chairman Randy Johnson, and was a behind the scenes competitor for the chairmanship four times between 1992 and 2000. Opat did eventually unseat him as Board Chairman in 2001, following a 5-2 board vote.2009-present
The board unanimously elected Opat chairman once more in January 2009, and he currently holds the position.2009 State of the County Address
In April 2009, in what was called a "powerful performance by an unlikely star in Minnesota politics," Opat gave the "2009 State of Hennepin County Address" at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Carlson School of Management
Carlson School of Management
The school offers a bachelor's, MBA, and doctoral degrees, as well as executive education programs hosted domestically and abroad . Dual-degree programs include a JD/MBA, MD/MBA, MHA/MBA, and a MPP/MBA...
. Noting the "bleak times" for public institutions like Hennepin County with many low-income residents, Opat stated that "the state of Hennepin County is challenged, but not imperiled," and he urged the County to lead new innovations and public investments.
Opat proposed three new initiatives:
- A framework for the county to award up to $2 million each year in capital grants for youth activities in Hennepin, as part of the ballpark project.
- An Urban Lakes Initiative that would address the water quality of badly impaired lakes in the county's inner-ring suburbs. Opat cited recent water-quality tests that gave either a "D" or "F" to 25 lakes in the county, and proposed partnering with cities and water management groups to seek grants to make major improvements.
- A crime lab workgroup composed of public safety experts to examine crime lab services in the county and study options for combining the crime labs of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minneapolis Police DepartmentMinneapolis Police DepartmentThe Minneapolis Police Department is the police department for the city of Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Formed in 1867, it is the second oldest police department in the state of Minnesota, after the Saint Paul Police Department . A short-lived Board of Police Commissioners existed...
and make recommendations this fall to the Hennepin County Board.
A local blogger said the address as demonstrated "a progressive in command of his message and in sync with his constituents."