County board actions

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county board actions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969


School-based mental health services

A new project will provide mental health services at school-based locations in North Minneapolis, with a focus on children who are uninsured or underinsured.

The goal is to increase access to effective mental health care and reduce health disparities.

NorthPoint Health and Wellness and Washburn Center for Children have come together on the project, partially funded through the Department of Human Services.

 


Natural resources grants

The board awarded natural resources grants to preserve, protect or improve natural resources and water quality.

Opportunity Grants will go to the following organizations to support larger projects:

  • City of Brooklyn Park, $100,000 to create a stormwater pond, stabilize the banks of the Mississippi River, and improve/create natural prairie habitats
  • Boisclair Corporation (Brook Gardens affordable housing in Brooklyn Center), $75,000 to work with residents to improve green space access/stormwater management, remove and replace ash trees, and create a "nature play” landscape design
  • Nine Mile Creek Watershed District (Edina and Bloomington), $60,000 to install four large rain gardens and one vegetated drainageway to treat runoff from parking lots and sidewalks at five churches

Hennepin County also awarded Good Steward Grants to five organizations for smaller projects.

Learn more about Hennepin County natural resources grant funding.

 


Changes to board meeting open forum

Open forum will now take place at both committee and county board meetings.

During committee meetings, members of the public are invited to attend open forum and address the county board on any topic relevant to Hennepin county. For board meetings, members of the public are invited to address the county board on topics specific to items that appear on the meeting agenda. For both opportunities, remarks are limited to up to three minutes.

These meetings are typically held on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m.

View the board action.

See the upcoming meeting schedule and agendas.


Southwest Light Rail Transit

Continued funding for the project

The board extended the county's grant agreement with the Metropolitan Council that allows previously committed county funding to continue being spent on construction of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project (METRO Green Line Extension) through the end of June, 2020. The action allows the project to progress as planned in advance of a full funding grant agreement expected from the Federal Transit Administration later this spring.

 

Cost participation for Eden Prairie Town Center Station

The board approved an action Tuesday to direct $1.2 million to support the construction of the Eden Prairie Town Center station of the Southwest LRT project. After being removed to cut costs in earlier planning phases, the Town Center Station was added back into the project in 2018 thanks to a federal grant for congestion mitigation and air quality awarded to the city of Eden Prairie. This action accounts for a portion of the local match required by the grant.

 


Testing sexual assault kits

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is working with the Minneapolis Police Department to contract with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to test a backlog of more than 1,500 sexual assault test kits. On Tuesday, the board approved a contract for additional analysts and supplies that will be used to test sexual assault kits.

 


Public hearing

Hennepin County is seeking public feedback on a five-year plan for housing and community development, in addition to a one-year action plan. The county is required to submit these plans to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to be eligible to receive federal housing and community development funds. The public hearing will take place Tuesday, April 14, at 1:30 p.m. in room A-2400 of the Government Center, 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis.

 


Current and archival board meetings, agendas and minutes are available at hennepin.us/boardmeetings.

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.

Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at hennepin.us/stories.