Metro briefs: Bloomington, Minnetonka roll out ranked-choice voting

Bloomington and Minnetonka will be among five Minnesota cities using ranked-choice voting when they implement it for the first time in the November election.

The west metro cities join Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Louis Park, which have already implemented the system that allows voters to rank multiple candidates instead of choosing just one.

Minneapolis and St. Paul have used the system for years, while St. Louis Park adopted ranked-choice voting in 2018.

St. Paul and Bloomington allow voters to rank up to six candidates for each office, while Minneapolis, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park allow voters to rank up to three choices.

The five cities represent 16% of votes in the state, according to the organization FairVote Minnesota.

Kim Hyatt

Nearly all of Hennepin County's libraries will expand their hours starting Oct. 24, in an effort to restore service to pre-pandemic levels and better meet patron needs.

The system's largest libraries will have the greatest increase, with 20 hours per week added at Minneapolis Central, Brookdale, Brooklyn Park, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Ridgedale and Southdale.

Most other libraries will have an increase of eight hours per week.

Several libraries are also bringing back in-person storytelling events.

The Osseo and St. Bonifacius libraries are only accepting returns; reopening dates haven't been determined.

Visitors are required to wear face masks. To find new library hours, visit hclib.org.

DAVID CHANEN

District 196 is proposing changes to attendance area boundaries to improve crowded conditions at Rosemount High School and Rosemount Middle School by making better use of space at other schools.

Rosemount High is over capacity by 400 students while Rosemount Middle has 40 more students than it was designed to serve.

There are four proposed changes at each level. If approved, all students living in the city of Rosemount would stay in the Rosemount High attendance area. Six hundred students in the outermost parts of the Rosemount High attendance area would go to three other high schools — Apple Valley, Eagan and Eastview.

Some students in the Rosemount Middle attendance area would go to Dakota Hills and Scott Highlands, and parts of the Scott Highlands attendance area would shift to Falcon Ridge and Valley middle schools.

The phased changes would begin next year. Students could choose to start at their new school right away or finish middle or high school where they are.

Three informational meetings will be held this week: Monday at Rosemount High School's performing arts center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and at Scott Highlands Middle School's cafeteria from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. On Tuesday, a meeting is planned at Rosemount Middle School's cafeteria from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Families can provide input on the recommendations at District196.org/Attendance­Input through Oct. 22.

Erin Adler