Welcome to the winter 2024 Dakota County Plus. Combined with two Dakota County Newsletters and the summer Plus, we’re bringing you county news and information four times a year.
What to do with holiday trash
During the holiday season, there’s a 25-percent increase of trash per household from gift wrap, packaging, decorations and more. If you can’t reuse it, here’s how to get rid of it:
Trash
• Garland and tinsel
• Glitter or foil wrapping paper and tissue paper
• Ribbons and bows
Recycling
• Cardboard and paper boxes, flatten
• Cards and envelopes
• Plain wrapping paper
Lights & Cords
Keep holiday string lights and extension cords out of your home recycling cart. Instead, bring them to a seasonal collection site through Jan. 31, 2025.
Check location hours and look for labeled collection bins near building entrances.
• Apple Valley — Western Service Center
• Eagan — Lebanon Hills Visitor Center, The Recycling Zone
• Farmington — City Hall, all liquor stores
• Hastings — Administration Center, Hastings Parks & Rec Office
• Lakeville — City Hall, all liquor stores
• Mendota Heights — City Hall
• Rosemount — Steeple Center
• South St. Paul — City Hall
• West St. Paul — Northern Service Center, City Hall
Find drop-off locations and recycling options for more items at www.dakotacounty.us, search recycling guide.
Park events light the way
Flickering candles will welcome visitors to two special events this winter at Dakota County Parks.
Festivities kick off with the annual New Year’s Eve Party at Lebanon Hills Visitor Center. Parks staff and volunteers pull out all the stops for a memorable, family-friendly evening. Under ideal conditions, attendees will enjoy a candle-lit ice rink, s’mores, sledding, hot cocoa and warm bonfires.
The New Year’s Eve Party runs from 5–8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, and concludes with a ball-drop at 7:59 p.m.
The frozen fun continues in January and February with Trails by Candlelight. Eventgoers will enjoy
walking or snowshoeing along trails illuminated with hundreds of candles. They can stay warm with crackling fires and hot cocoa.
The first Trails by Candlelight event is Jan. 24 at Thompson County Park. The second event is Feb. 7 at Spring Lake Park Reserve, where cross-country skiing will also be available. Both events run 6–9 p.m.
Visit www.dakotacounty.us/parks, search special events for more on the New Year’s Eve Party and Trails by Candlelight. Both events include food trucks. Tickets can be purchased online.
Year-round access
Dakota County Parks keeps its paved greenways open and plowed throughout the winter.
Visit www.dakotacounty.us/parks and search trail conditions before heading out.
Greenway renamed
There’s a new name for a greenway that will connect the River to River Greenway with Lebanon Hills Regional Park.
The Dakota County Board of Commissioners in September approved renaming the 8.5-mile stretch the Lebanon Hills Greenway. The project was previously known as the
Mendota-Lebanon Hills Greenway. The renaming effort involved input from the public and key stakeholders.
The greenway will pass through Mendota Heights, Inver Grove Heights and Eagan. Construction on various segments of the Lebanon Hills Greenway is expected to begin in 2025.
Lebanon Hills Greenway
Prevent food waste during the holidays
Food makes up the largest part of our trash in Minnesota.
Most people don’t realize how much food they throw away — from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. By taking one or more of these steps this holiday season, you can prevent food waste and save money and time:
• Freeze leftovers or send guests home with them.
• Find online recipes that use leftover ingredients.
• Plan holiday meals before grocery shopping.
• Prepare just enough food for you and your guests.
Dakota County has tools to help you shop, prep and store food to prevent unnecessary waste.
Residents can use organics dropoff sites across Dakota County throughout the winter.
Dropping off food scraps is a free and easy way to reduce your trash. Collected organics become compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
To participate in the organics dropoff program, sign up to receive a welcome kit and complete list of accepted materials. This will help keep drop-off locations running smoothly. You will receive a free container label, compostable bags
and details on how to drop-off your food scraps.
To sign up, visit www.dakotacounty.us, search organics.
Join the more than 11,000 residents already signed up.
Library app’s
a snap
Countless library resources are available at your fingertips.
Use the Dakota County Library mobile app to browse the library’s collections, place and manage holds, and renew materials using your mobile device.
Right time to test for radon
Winter is the best time to test your home for radon. Dakota County has radon test kits available at no charge to county residents. Kits can be picked up from Public Health at:
• Northern Service Center 1 Mendota Road W. West St. Paul – fourth floor
Using the app, you can link several accounts and view them all at once. Use the scannable app at selfcheckout stations and leave your library card at home.
Go to your app store to download the Dakota County Library app free of charge.
Naloxone available
Dakota County offers free naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips to the community.
Naloxone is used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, such as from heroin, oxycodone or fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips can detect the presence of fentanyl in other drugs. Naloxone kits are available at county locations. No insurance or personal information is required.
• Western Service Center 14955 Galaxie Ave. Apple Valley – second floor
For additional information, call 952-891-7500.
Dakota County pick-up locations: Public Health offices
• Northern Service Center, West St. Paul
• Western Service Center, Apple Valley Library locations
• Burnhaven Library, Burnsville
• Farmington Library
• Kaposia Library, South St. Paul
• Pleasant Hill Library, Hastings
• Wentworth Library, West St. Paul
For more information, visit www.dakotacounty.us and search free naloxone.
NALOXONE
County board members re-elected
Dakota County voters turned out in big numbers in the 2024 general election.
There were 261,161 ballots cast in the Nov. 5 election. Votes were counted in county races in addition to presidential, federal, legislative and other races.
Voting highlights
Turnout among Dakota County voters was 83 percent. Statewide turnout was 76 percent.
County race results
County Commissioner District 4
Bill Droste (unopposed) — 23,509
County Commissioner District 5
Liz Workman — 18,348
Yusuf Haji — 7,746
County Commissioner District 7
Mary Hamann-Roland (unopposed) — 23,567
For detailed election results, go to MNvotes.org.
Total Dakota County voters 261,161 County voter turnout 83 percent
Budgeting for growing needs
Dakota County plans to boost public safety staff and programs for vulnerable residents in response to increased service demands.
The Dakota County Board of Commissioners will vote on the 2025 budget and property tax levy Dec. 17. The board approved a preliminary levy increase of 9.92 percent in September, but the final levy may be lower.
The proposed budget includes new staff for the Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney’s Office, high-demand community service programs and other areas. A levy increase would fund new positions for child protection, assistance for lowincome residents and improved accessibility of county buildings and services.
Dakota County’s population is nearly 450,000 residents. It is the third-largest county in Minnesota. It also had the largest population increase last year — 4,100 people.
To learn more about the county budget, visit www.dakotacounty.us, search budget.
Plan for camp
Registration for Dakota County Parks youth summer camps opens Feb. 1. Check it out now >
