Hennepin County — Transcript
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Watershed Flood Risk Management and Urban Ecology
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Regional Plan
Hennepin County Investment Strategy
Domestic Violence Prevention and Response Strategies
Opioid Settlement Fund Allocation and Coding
Implementation of African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act
Jail Management System Modernization
Inter-County Shared Services (Title Examination)
Public Works Infrastructure Projects
Environmental Cleanup and Material Reuse Initiatives
State Legislative Priorities and Platform (Draft Discussion)
Votes (16)
Presentation: Building a Balanced Urban Ecology
James Wiskerchen from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District presented on their comprehensive strategies to combat climate change impacts and manage flood risk. He detailed their 10-year plan, climate action framework, and an integrated system for both short-term flood prediction (weather forecasts, real-time measurements, water level sensors) and long-term risk modeling (surface water, groundwater, storm sewers). The model integrates data from 29 cities, two counties, and MnDOT, representing a significant technical achievement. Commissioners expressed strong support, highlighting the model's value for long-term planning, regional collaboration, and replicability for other jurisdictions. Concerns were raised about the disparity of infrastructure data and the need for standardized, shared resources across cities.
Approval and submission of the updated Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act regional plan
Moved by Commissioner Fernando [0:24:28] · Seconded by Unknown [0:24:30]
Noula Slatyer Johnson from Workforce Solutions presented the updated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) regional plan, emphasizing its collaborative nature across six workforce development areas in the metropolitan region. The plan aims to connect education and training to employment, meet employer needs, and create career pathways, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity across the diverse workforce.
Amendment to agreement with Kutak Rock LLP for legal services related to renewable energy
Moved by Chair Gotel [0:24:54] · Seconded by Unknown [0:24:55]
This item sought to extend the agreement term to December 31, 2027, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by $100,000 for a new total of $200,000 for legal services related to renewable energy. No further information or discussion was requested by the commissioners.
Negotiate two agreements for lead education and grant recruitment services
Moved by Unknown [0:25:29] · Seconded by Unknown [0:25:30]
This item authorized the negotiation of two agreements for lead education and grant recruitment services for the period of November 15, 2026, to November 14, 2029, with a total combined not-to-exceed amount of $560,000. No further information or discussion was requested.
Authorize investment officer to use additional statutory investment authority
Moved by Unknown [0:30:08] · Seconded by Unknown [0:30:09]
Fran Killian from the Office of Budget and Finance presented the annual request to authorize the county's investment officer to use additional statutory authority for repurchase agreements (repos) and reverse repos beyond the standard 90-day term. She explained this ensures safety and liquidity, with an internal limit more conservative than state statute. The county's fixed-income portfolio is risk-averse, with a short duration, positioned for market changes. Commissioners inquired about market risks and the necessity of longer-term agreements, receiving assurances about the portfolio's stability and flexibility.
Direct the county administrator to implement strategies that prevent, reduce, and mitigate the impact of domestic violence
Moved by Commissioner Fernando [0:44:03] · Seconded by Unknown [0:44:05]
Commissioners Fernando and Conley co-authored a resolution to direct the county administrator to implement domestic violence strategies based on a prior inventory report. Key components include establishing a victim-survivor advisory committee, addressing recommendations, and integrating efforts within Public Health's Safe Communities. Discussion highlighted the public health implications of domestic violence, disparities in how cities handle cases, and the need for standardized victim support. Commissioners emphasized leveraging lived experience, addressing resource gaps, and advocating for legislative changes to ensure consistent services across Hennepin County. The item was moved to be progressed to a future board meeting for further consideration and refinement.
Amend a second amendment with an agreement with Kotiviti Inc. for audit software services
Moved by Unknown [0:46:17] · Seconded by Unknown [0:46:20]
This item involved amending an agreement with Kotiviti Inc. to extend the end date to December 31, 2029, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by over $410,000, bringing the new total to over $1.2 million for heat as audit software services. The committee passed the item without requesting further review or discussion.
Authorize the use of opioid settlement special revenues for the 2026 budget
Moved by Unknown [0:47:33] · Seconded by Unknown [0:47:35]
Director Lolita Eulola presented this item as a clerical authorization to assign strategies and codes for opioid settlement dollars as required by the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), clarifying that it does not change the overall budget authorization. Commissioner Green inquired about the ability of community organizations to secure longer-term contracts. Director Eulola confirmed that, after initial 2-year contracts, they are working towards extending contracts through 2027 and beyond, based on community feedback, to allow for better long-term planning.
Human Services and Public Health resolution & Joint powers agreement for Next Generation Employment Services Grant
Moved by Unknown [0:52:45] · Seconded by Unknown [0:52:46]
Item 2A involved a routine Human Services and Public Health resolution for contracts and amendments, with more details in Board Report 2614. Item 2B was a joint powers agreement with Isanti and Sherburne counties to launch the 'Together We Thrive' pilot program, receiving $558,235.29 for next generation employment services. Both items were considered routine and approved without further discussion.
Amendment to agreement with Minnesota Department of Human Services for African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act
Moved by Unknown [0:53:32] · Seconded by Unknown [0:53:35]
Kwesi Booker, Chief Children and Family Services Officer, presented an amendment to extend the funding period for the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act through December 31, 2026. The $2.5 million in received funds cover staffing, active efforts, family group decision-making, increased family services, and required 100% case reviews. Commissioners confirmed future funding for 2027 and expressed strong support for the program's objectives despite the amendment being a 'bookkeeping' item.
Agreement with CornerHouse Interagency Child Abuse Evaluation Center
Moved by Unknown [0:58:34] · Seconded by Unknown [0:58:35]
This item involved an agreement with the CornerHouse Interagency Child Abuse Evaluation Center to conduct interviews of children and vulnerable adults involved in or witnessing abuse or maltreatment. The agreement was extended to December 31, 2028, with a modest increase of $4,000 to the not-to-exceed amount, totaling $44,662. The item was approved without further discussion.
Arms Part 2, Incorporated to provide a jail management system for the Hennepin County Jail
Moved by Unknown [0:59:22] · Seconded by Unknown [0:59:24]
Jail Administrator Joel Field presented an amendment to extend the agreement with ARMS Purchaseco Incorporated for the ATMS jail management system through December 31, 2029, increasing the not-to-exceed amount by over $1.3 million. Field emphasized the system's criticality for jail operations. Commissioner Lundy inquired about integrating the system with city jails for intake efficiency, suggesting cities could invest in the software for a seamless transfer process. Field acknowledged previous discussions and an openness to exploring efficiencies while noting challenges related to data integrity. Commissioners expressed enthusiasm for such inter-jurisdictional collaboration.
Authorization to negotiate an agreement between Hennepin County and Clay County to provide title examination services
Moved by Unknown [1:06:58] · Seconded by Unknown [1:07:00]
This item authorized Hennepin County to negotiate an agreement to provide specialized title examination services to Clay County at no cost to Hennepin County, on a fee-for-service basis. Dan Rogan and Allison Shubring explained this groundbreaking partnership, noting it’s the first such inter-county service for Hennepin, with potential for future collaborations due to the scarcity of experienced attorneys in smaller counties. Commissioners enthusiastically supported the initiative, viewing it as a model for streamlining government services, sharing resources, and reducing duplication across counties, despite minor technological differences between county systems.
Contracts for construction and cost participation and other road projects (Block 2A-2J)
Moved by Unknown [1:15:23] · Seconded by Unknown [1:15:24]
The Public Works Committee reviewed and approved a block of ten routine items pertaining to various road projects across Hennepin County. These included agreements for stabilization improvements, jurisdictional transfers, routine maintenance, pedestrian safety enhancements, and multiple professional services contracts for preliminary and final design engineering for road reconstructions. Additionally, authorization was granted to apply for state discretionary grant funding for a road rehabilitation project. Commissioners expressed appreciation for the extensive work undertaken by staff to maintain and improve county roadways.
Environmental cleanup and material reuse services (Block 2K-2M)
Moved by Unknown [1:17:34] · Seconded by Unknown [1:17:39]
This block of items included negotiating a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Agreement with Trellis Company for cleanup at the Cheatham Apartments property, negotiating various agreements for building material reuse services, and an Environmental Response Fund (ERF) grant agreement with the city of Rogers. Commissioner Conley inquired about the distinction between the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund and the ERF. Mary Finch clarified that both are funding mechanisms for cleanup, with the RLF being EPA-sourced and a long-standing program, and staff working closely with developers to determine the best-fitting program.
State Legislative Priorities and Platform Draft (Discussion)
Dissent: Commissioner Edelson expressed opposition to repurposing bonding for geothermal conversion, advocating for resident-focused investments.
Moved by Unknown [1:25:22] · Seconded by Unknown [1:25:23]
The Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) team presented the draft 2027 state legislative priorities and platform. Priorities include maintaining focus on service delivery funding, increasing state investment, and advancing county-wide initiatives like disparity elimination and climate resiliency. Discussion on the platform centered on a proposed repurposing of $26 million in bonding from a failed recycling facility project to geothermal conversion for county buildings; Commissioner Edelson dissented, arguing for direct resident impact. The platform also outlined climate and energy goals, including support for material bans at landfills, and general government issues like election law modernization and prevailing wage compliance. The priorities and platform were progressed for further review.
Notable Quotes (32)
Today, I'm here to talk about flooding and the changing risks that we're facing across the watershed and how our partnership with cities, Hennepin County, and others are helping us prepare for both short-term and long-term flood risk.
Through this partnership, we've developed an integrated system that connects three essential pieces of information: weather forecasts, weather measurement, and the Watershed's response to that weather.
Our teams use scripts and semi-automated data processing so that our new model has now taken storm sewer data, ingested it from 29 different cities, two counties, and MnDOT, and normalized that into one model-ready format that anybody can use, resulting in a standardized pipe network across the whole watershed.
This model gives us one universal language in which we can engage 29 different cities that are making really important local decisions about infrastructure, but are part of this much broader connected system. Connected across water, connected across land, and connected across communities.
I was just curious and if if that kind of discovery as you add more sensors, if you discovered assumptions that you would have always thought, this is how it works and then the sensors like, wait a minute, it's not working that way.
I think that's where this could really go and our team's been working on the the process for that for years and so we'd love to be able to hand that off and and teach others how to use it.
The decisions that we make collectively about workforce investments, employer engagement and career pathways have implications well beyond any county or city. And while our region is home to a significant share of Minnesota's workforce and economic opportunity, access to that opportunity is not equal for every resident. This is where intentional regional strategies matter...
This is uh each year under the Minnesota statute 118A .07, we come to you with a request for approval for the additional investment authority. It's being used as part of our regular investment strategy to ensure the safety and liquidity of the county's funds.
We're under 2 years, so we we're very flexible, and about 64% of our portfolio will mature or roll over in the next year. Yeah, so it's it's a it's a shorter one, and we're we're very very risk-averse, so
Um the second resolving clause uh really is about again extending the actual recommendations that were within the report. Uh the third resolving clause um expresses that the establishment of this domestic violence victim survivor advisory committee is kind of seen as the county's official body.
So, you have survivors who um are in a safe space now, who may have heart attacks because this long long-term uh and and and um I'm I'm also going to add that many survivors of intimate partner violence specifically are in those situations for a very long time. So, imagine what that increased cortisol over long periods of time does. So, once a survivor is now safe, once they are in a place where they feel comfortable with their kids or just wherever uh they found safety, maybe they found resources from the county, they still are at risk of health problems.
There are not the same policies where you are a victim in Hennepin matters on what services how it's prosecuted, the evidence that's gathered whether you have a police department that has a staff person who's been trained on evidence and how to help victims, whether they have a partner organization which is usually paid out of local taxes to do that. They are the cities are not the same.
You know, also noting, you know, I think Commissioner Conley, you mentioned like we're creating the county's role in this um in a place that we don't currently have a like a named role and so um I I think I would be um I just want to acknowledge that the moment that we are in right now in federal disinvestment in so many other things are creating a strain on our ability and our staff's ability to do a lot of the work that we are currently expected to do.
The bar before you is a clerical note on authorization of assigning codes per the memorandum of agreement um for use of opioid settlement dollars. Your budget authorization for the opioid settlement funds does not change.
Because we were in a more precarious year this year, we um actually, and you'll see this in uh early December, we amended some of the contracts that we currently have to take us through 2027. Through our POLE groups that we have through opioids, and we also have leadership meetings with all the directors of the contracted agencies that we have in the community, they have also given us feedback about wanting to extend their contracts longer than a year, and it makes sense.
Um the phasing program was from January 1st to December 31st, January 1st, 2025 to December 31st, 2026. Um per statute, the funds were to be spent by June 30th, 2026. However, last legislative session, there was an amendment extending the date to December 31st, 2026.
And these funds are being utilized to cover the cost of associated with the phase-in program such as staffing, um provision of active efforts, uh increased use of family group decision-making, increase increased services for families, and to cover the cost of the 100 the 100% case reviews that are required for this act.
The jail management system, ATMS, is critical to the continuity of operations to the Adult Detention Center. ATMS provides continuous support including new builds with increased functionality and emergency support to ensure continuity of operations and efficient system operation.
I think what they were hoping for is uh a commitment. I think that we've done that many times just to say can we eliminate any unnecessary steps? I know that when they're intake we have our own evaluation process that we do but can it be additive and not you're going to start over with A to Z.
Um certainly I'm happy to to consider that in any way, shape, or form we can. Obviously always looking for efficiencies and workflows. Um we have had some conversations about this um already up to date um and and the I guess the challenge is always data integrity for us...
I just love everything you just said and I agree with that and I think that would solve a lot of our problems. Can we force our lovely cities to to do that?
Uh this would be the first time that the uh examiner of titles for Hennepin County would be performing this uh service for another county, but we're hopeful that it won't be the last.
I think I think there is the possibility. I've been approached um by one other county for some preliminary discussions about this. Um I think it's difficult for counties that don't have a lot of torrents property to find practicing attorneys who are experienced in this area.
I just really love the intersection of brilliance and kind of boring that you have. That for what twice in one year and this is incredible. In addition to appreciating our Clay County colleagues who have been able to partner with a couple other times, this is such a specific and precise service and we do need to streamline residents' experiences and our service levels while while not sacrificing service levels and hopefully decreasing overall financial expense.
I think if we really want people to think outside the silos, we should be highlighting this partnership between two counties because then I think you'll get other counties to wonder are there other things cuz I do think all levels of government have got to find a way to stop having we each have our own toy when we could just share the one...
Yeah, thank you Commissioner Anderson. It does matter. They actually use a different property recording software than we use in Hennepin County. So it's not a statewide software. We're just talking about software. It'd be wonderful if all all counties use the same software, but they they use a different recording software.
Environmental Response Fund, I know is a program we've talked about a lot this year, and that is just one of our funding mechanisms. So, the other mechanism is this revolving loan fund. It is sourced by dollars from the EPA, and this is actually a program we've had for I think about 20 years, and we intermittently will get another amount of funding for that, and it can be used for any kind of cleanup similar to ERF.
You, the board, the Office of Budget and Finance, and County Administration have been clear about the budget pressures facing the county, and IGR is prepared to be laser-focused to right-size the funding we are allocated compared to the mandated services the county provides.
Um so as you know, the solid waste team, some of whom were just in here, have been working on a feasibility study related to a potential recycling and recovery facility. Um that research indicated that there is a greater need for stronger end markets for the materials that would be pulled from that facility before it can be a really viable project. So, rather than, um, you know, risk wasting precious state dollars, staff does recommend a change in our reallocation request related to potential, uh, to geothermal conversion to help decarbonize the county's energy footprint, um, in downtown Minneapolis.
If we're going to be going for a bonding request, I want it to impact the people.
Part of that legislation removed our um, standard as a renewable energy source for the HERC, for the waste energy facility downtown. Waste energy under state law is considered a renewable energy source. That particular bill removed only the HERC as a renewable energy source. No other waste energy facilities in the state were impacted by that. They targeted us.
Colleagues, this is super important. There was a really good article in the Streub uh just last week about food waste and how much of it there actually is. And um they the article called out that Minnesota is missing this law that bans um certain materials from landfills and that there's other states that have it. And this And if we had it, um we would see massive improvement in the amount and like in the amount of food that goes into landfills or or the amount of methane-producing materials.
Ordinances & Resolutions (20)
Founding principles for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's vision for a balanced urban ecology.
Outline for building on lessons learned and focusing on sub-watershed planning, land/water partnership, flood management, and success measurement.
Developed by the board to understand and adapt to changing climate conditions and flood risks.
Adopted in 2025 with partners to anticipate storms and support local community response.
A first-of-its-kind watershed scale integrated model combining surface water, groundwater, and storm sewer data to predict future flood risk.
State legislative funding through the Legislative-Citizens Commission for Minnesota Resources that funded the flood risk model.
Long-term planning discussion for Hennepin County, including water resources.
An updated plan for the Metropolitan Regional Workforce Development Area, guiding workforce investments.
Statutory investment authority allowing use of repurchase agreements beyond standard terms.
Reference to the standard 90-day term for repurchase agreements.
A report previously received by the County Board, informing the proposed board action on domestic violence strategies.
Governs the use of opioid settlement dollars, requiring assignment of strategies and codes.
Contains more information regarding Human Services and Public Health resolution and contracts.
Funding source for the Together We Thrive pilot program collaboration.
State act being implemented with funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to address child welfare disproportionality.
The $26 million cash appropriation originally for an anaerobic digester, now proposed for repurposing for geothermal conversion.
Legislation passed in 2023 that impacted HERC's status as a renewable energy source, leading to negotiations for the $26 million appropriation.
Recommendations for sensitive wildlife habitat restoration projects, receiving a favorable $3.9 million recommendation for state legislative platform.
Draft legislative agenda for Hennepin County's advocacy at the state legislature.
MnDOT grant funding for which Hennepin County is authorized to apply for the CSAH 50 rehabilitation project.