County commissioner advances plan for annual 'Heart of Hennepin' service awards

Commissioner Heather Edelson proposed creating an annual “Heart of Hennepin” service award to recognize individuals, organizations and neighbors for sustained community service, and asked the committee to advance the proposal to the full board.

Edelson said the program would use a rubric — examples she offered included building connections, reducing isolation and advancing equitable outcomes — and suggested roughly two awards per district, yielding seven to 14 recognitions each year. “It happens when people are checking on seniors in their neighborhood, volunteering and mentoring youth … people quietly stepping up to support others,” Edelson said.

Commissioners welcomed the idea but pressed for clarity on administrative support and cost. Commissioner Anderson asked how much staff time the award would require; Edelson said her office would project-manage the program and that a communications lead and minimal budget would be needed, similar to the art contest the county previously ran. Commissioner Green asked whether the program was modeled on another jurisdiction; Edelson said the idea came from her office’s existing practice of sending congratulatory letters.

Commissioner Fernando and others urged flexibility on timing and nomination mechanics and recommended that details — including eligibility, nomination rules (Edelson said nominations would not be self-nominations) and distribution across districts — be worked out with staff before final approval. Edelson agreed to refine the rubric and incorporate feedback offline.

The committee voted to progress the item to the board agenda next week so commissioners and staff could finalize operational details before a final vote.