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That is a good looking lunch crew at Ole Piper last week! See you next month !

Thank you to City Administrator, Justin Miller, and County Commissioner, Mary Liz Holberg, for sharing details on the City and County budgets. You can access each of their PowerPoint slides below. In addition, Commissioner Holberg shared this Demographic and Economic Trends report. 

Access & Issues Group is the 2^nd Friday of each month at 8am, via Zoom. It is open to all members and you can actively participate in discussion, or just listen to our topics and around the horn updates from local and elected officials. If you would like to be added to our monthly reminder, email me.  

Pop over this afternoon to welcome Emily and her team!

The 2024 legislative session started Monday. Below are the dates and deadlines related to this election year. In addition, if you would like to get on the communication list for our Lakeville delegation, you can click below to subscribe to their newsletters and updates.

FIRST date coming up: PRECINCT CAUCUSES

The 2024 precinct caucuses are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. They will take place at locations set by the parties. (see M.S. 202A.14) Voters can find the caucus location for their address with the Caucus Finder tool.

WHAT IS A PRECINCT CAUCUS?

Precinct caucuses are meetings run by Minnesota’s political parties. They are the first in a series of meetings where parties may endorse candidates, select delegates, and set goals and values (called party platforms).

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CAUCUS?

Each political party runs their caucus meetings a little differently. Check with your political party if you have specific questions. Generally, there are three main activities at a caucus:

1. Choose volunteers who will organize political activities in the precinct. This could include maintaining contact lists, holding political meetings, and helping with campaign efforts.
2. Discuss issues and ideas for the party to support. You can present an issue or idea for the party to support, called a resolution. If you convince other attendees to support your resolution, it will be taken to the next political convention. Eventually, your resolution could become part of the official party platform.
3. Choose delegates who will endorse candidates at future conventions. At future conventions, party delegates will endorse state and federal candidates, including for Governor. Political parties have different ways of choosing delegates at the precinct level caucus—contact your party for more information.

Dakota County had strong chamber representation at the Minnesota Chamber’s annual Session Priorities event and dinner at the St. Paul RiverCentre. We heard updates and session projections from Governor Walz, MN Chamber President, Doug Loon, and the House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders. Watch for session updates in the e-blast.

Thank you to our Lakeville members who joined me at our table (LtR): Representative Jeff Witte, Access & Issues Chair Phil Raines (Prevailing Wisdom), Councilmember (and Hy-Vee Representative) Dan Wolter, Board Chair Brady Folkestad (Lakeview Bank), Mayor Luke Hellier, Met Council Representative Wendy Wulff, Senator Zach Duckworth, Anita Drentlaw (New Market Bank), and Bob Vogel (New Market Bank). Many other members were there sitting at other tables, including Representative Jon Koznick - who visited with us ahead of time.

Lakeville Chamber awarded grant as Minnesota Chamber Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way partner on career pathways.

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation and Greater Twin Cities United Way (United Way) have joined forces to amplify quality work experience for youth across Minnesota through career pathways.

United Way’s Future Ready Workforce Fund invests in partnerships focused on expanding the number of high-quality work experiences and the quality of pathways-aligned work experiences for young people.

The Minnesota Chamber Foundation Business Education Network partners (BEN), led by local chambers of commerce across the state, are well positioned to lead local efforts. BEN partners are the linchpin between local employers and students and are active across Minnesota, providing statewide reach. This powerful partnership between the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way and local chambers of commerce seeks to bridge the gap between public education and employment systems, ensuring that all Minnesota students have access to wealth-building and purpose-driven careers.

“We value this opportunity to build on the work already underway at the Lakeville Chamber,” said Krista Jech, President, Lakeville Chamber of Commerce & Visit Lakeville. “This is a win-win. Employers can showcase career pathways, and students have the opportunity for hands-on experience to explore future careers.”

“No organization is better positioned to connect students to local employers than the Minnesota Chamber Foundation through our local chamber of commerce partners,” said Jennifer Byers, Executive Director of the Minnesota Chamber Foundation. “Leveraging the expertise and resources of Greater Twin Cities United Way will help elevate the work already underway in local communities and provide students an opportunity to explore high-demand careers.” 

“Greater Twin Cities United Way has been working in career pathways since 2015, and we’re thrilled to expand our reach into Greater Minnesota and welcome more chambers and employers into our Career Academies community,” said Liz Williams, senior program officer for Career Academies at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Through this partnership with the Minnesota Chamber Foundation and with a focus on equity, these innovative partnerships represent the future of education and are a tangible solution to strengthening our workforce.”

The grant recipients include the following local chambers of commerce:

• Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce
• Burnsville Chamber of Commerce
• Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism
• Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Mankato Growth
• Lakeville Chamber of Commerce

• MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce
• Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce
• Redwood Area Chamber and Tourism
• Shakopee Chamber of Commerce
• Winona Area Chamber of Commerce

The program will run through 2024.

Experience the perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and convenience this Presidents Day. Whether you're seeking a romantic retreat, a family getaway, or a solo adventure, we have everything you need for a memorable staycation close to home.

Thank you for your support!