Public Involvement / Meetings

Public Open House Information from
January 26, 2010 Meeting.
Read more.

Public Open House Information from
July 22, 2009 Meeting.
Read more.

Various stakeholders, ranging from permitting agencies (such as the DNR and Watershed Districts) to residents and property owners living or working along or near the roadway, have an interest in the development of the roadway project. The county recognizes that these interests vary in perspective. The county will use information provided by the various stakeholders when making its decision on the final improvements. There are a number of activities which will occur throughout the design process that will allow for input from the various stakeholders. Agency and public involvement activities will include:

Technical Advisory Committee Meetings
(technical staff from the county and the cities)
Agency Coordination Meetings (technical staff from local, regional, state and federal agencies)
Presentations at City Council Meetings
(elected officials from the two cities)
Public Information Meetings
(residents and property owners)
Public Hearing (residents and property owners)
Website Updates

These activities will be scheduled throughout the project’s development. More information regarding the various activities are included below:

Technical Advisory Committee Meetings
The county has assembled a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide input and feedback on the proposed project. Members of the TAC include staff from Anoka County, the City of Blaine, the City of Ham Lake, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and WSB & Associates, Inc. (the consultant conducting the environmental study for this project). The TAC meets monthly to discuss various aspects of this project. The TAC members exchange technical and political information on the project between the governmental stakeholders for this project. The TAC members report information to their various councils and/or boards and provide directives for action during this project’s development.

Agency Coordination Meetings
Throughout the project development process various agencies will have concerns regarding resources that may be impacted due to the project. The county and the cities will meet with the individual agencies throughout the project development to gain an understanding of their concerns and work through possible mitigation strategies or design improvements necessary to reach consensus.

Presentations at Council Meetings
Anoka County staff will present project information at city council meetings and/or workshops to educate and solicit input from elected officials about the proposed project.

Public Information Meetings
Anoka County will provide informational materials and maps at Public Information Meetings that will be held throughout the course of the project. The County will inform the surrounding landowners of the upcoming meetings by mailing out individual meeting notices to property owners and residents within a half a mile of the corridor. In addition, this website will also contain announcements of the upcoming meetings. The meetings will be an open house style format where county and city staff will interact with the public answering questions and providing information as they look at various boards and maps of the proposed project. Comment cards will be provided to the public to use for written comments and can be completed either at the meeting or at home. Verbal and written comments gathered at the meetings will be summarized and published on the website for public viewing.

Public Hearing
A public hearing will be conducted after the Environmental Assessment (EA) is completed and published for the public to review. At the public hearing, the public will be allowed to provide comments regarding the content provided in the EA. Comments received at the public hearing will be transcribed and recorded in a Findings of Fact and Conclusion document. Written comments will also be provided in this document.