BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A199996 with the Minnesota Department of Human Services accepting state general obligation bond proceeds in the amount of $15,073,000 to design, construct, furnish and equip the new Medical Examiner Facility (CP #1002306) that will be constructed in the City of Minnetonka be approved; that after review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office and County Administration, the Chair of the County Board be authorized to sign the Agreement and related documents, if any; and that the Controller be authorized to receive and disburse the funds as directed.

The Laws of Minnnesota 2018, Ch. 214, Article 1, Section 18, Subdivision 9 appropriated $15,073,000 to the Commissioner of Human Services  “For a grant to Hennepin County to design, construct, furnish and equip a 67,000 square foot regional, state-of-the-art medical examiner’s facility. The facility shall: (1) provide forensic death investigation and autopsy services for Dakota, Hennepin and Scott Counties with the flexibility to accommodate future partner counties and agencies; (2) serve as a teaching facility for the state, on the science of forensic pathology; and (3) be located in southern Hennepin County at a site that best supports access needs for the three founding counties and reasonable scene response times for the geographic service area.”

Agreement A199996 between the Department of Human Services and Hennepin County will provide $15,073,000 toward the cost of designing, constructing, furnishing and equipping the new medical examiner’s facility to be located on property owned by the county near the Hennepin County Home School in Minnetonka. The new facility will provide space sufficient to support the growing populations of Dakota, Hennepin and Scott counties, as well as provide some capacity to serve other counties and agencies in the future.

The estimated cost of constructing, furnishing and equipping the new facility is $52,840,000. Costs not covered by the state grant will be funded by Dakota, Hennepin and Scott counties in accordance with the 30-year Cooperative Services Agreement for Medical Examiner Services (Resolution 16-0504) which includes capital budget provisions and taxpayer support for the new facility. The cost sharing model, after state bonding support is accounted for, is Hennepin 76%, Dakota 19% and Scott 5%.  Construction bids are being solicited now, with construction slated to be begin next spring.