Hennepin County — Transcript
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Story
Hennepin County appoints new administrator, approves $7.78M security contract
National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Awards
Mung Community Explore Your Parks Day
HHS Capital Budget Amendment for Medical Equipment
35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Public Hearing for HUD Grants
Labor Agreement with Sheriff's Deputies Association
FHPAP Grant Amendment for Homeless Prevention
Security Staffing Agreement with Unparalleled Security LLC
Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Insurance Benefits
457B Deferred Compensation Plan Administrator
Appointment of New County Administrator and Deputies
Regional Rail Authority Lease Amendment (43 Hoops LLC)
Regional Rail Authority Easement Agreement (Met Council)
Votes (15)
Amendment to Agreement with Miller and Chevalier Chartered for Legal Services
Dissent: One commissioner opposed (name not specified).
Moved by Commissioner Anderson [1:58:38] · Seconded by Commissioner Connley [1:58:39]
The item extends the end date of an agreement with Miller and Chevalier Chartered to June 30, 2026, and increases the not-to-exceed amount by $150,000. This outside counsel provides legal services related to a United States Department of Justice investigation. The amendment is to continue this advice and representation.
Substitute Motion to Amend 2025 Capital Budget for HHS Medical Equipment
Dissent: Commissioner Lundy.
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [1:59:43] · Seconded by Commissioner Anderson [1:59:44]
This item involved a substitute motion to amend the 2025 capital budget, increasing HHS asset preservation by $15 million for critical medical equipment purchases. The funds would come from two projects in the current Capital Improvement Program (new inpatient bed tower and mental health facility). The county sought to be directly involved in the purchasing process with its Purchasing and Contract Services Department and Office of Budget and Finance collaborating with the hospital. Commissioner Lundy expressed concerns about the urgency of hospital requests and the need for better budget synchronization, while Commissioner Eden supported it due to the county's liability for the hospital's equipment.
Recognizing the 35-Year Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Moved by Commissioner Connley [2:04:47] · Seconded by Unknown [2:04:49]
Commissioner Connley moved a commendation co-authored with Commissioner Gotel, highlighting the ADA's impact as the first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. The commendation detailed Henipin County's efforts to advance accessibility, particularly in transportation infrastructure (curb ramps, traffic signals) and digital services, aiming to reduce disparities and promote an equitable experience for all residents.
Establish Public Hearing for Program Year 2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report
Moved by Commissioner Lundy [2:08:44] · Seconded by Commissioner Anderson [2:08:45]
The board established a public hearing for Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 1:30 PM, to gather comments on the county's performance report related to HUD's Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs in suburban Henipin County.
Labor Agreement with Hennepin County Sheriff's Deputies Association
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:09:50] · Seconded by Commissioner Lundy [2:09:51]
The agreement covers the period January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027. Mr. Huff noted it meets the previously established pattern for collective bargaining agreements, with one change resulting from an arbitration: a shift to a 5% merit increase, which adds approximately $130,000 to the sheriff's office budget.
Amend Agreement with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for FHPAP Grant
Moved by Commissioner Lundy [2:11:03] · Seconded by Commissioner Eden [2:11:04]
The amendment shifts over $830,000 from rapid rehousing to homeless prevention services within the Family Homeless Prevention Assistance Program (FHPAP). David Hwitt, Director of Housing Stability, explained that this reallocation ensures full expenditure of funds by addressing underspending in rapid rehousing (due to variables in housing placement and staffing) and efficiently utilizes funds for immediate, one-time homeless prevention needs, aligning with the county's goal to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Agreement with Unparalleled Security LLC for Security Staffing
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:13:58] · Seconded by Commissioner Connley [2:13:59]
The agreement, with a not-to-exceed amount of $7.78 million, provides security staffing for county facilities from July 29, 2025, to July 28, 2027. Mr. Huff detailed the county's shift to 70% internal security while still relying on outside contractors. Commissioner Connley raised questions about evaluating contractor records for prevailing wage, labor practices, and the process for contract termination in case of non-compliance. Mr. Huff assured that prevailing wage is required and enforced by the County Attorney's Office, with a history of enforcement.
Approve Agreement to Purchase Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Insurance Benefits
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:20:47] · Seconded by Commissioner Anderson [2:20:48]
The board approved an agreement with Metlife to administer PFML insurance, opting out of the state plan. Mr. Huff explained that Metlife offered a 10% premium savings (0.79% vs. 0.88% state premium), saving approximately $800,000 annually for employees and the county, with costs split 50/50. The decision leverages a procurement process led by Sourcewell and aims to provide excellent service and potential future savings through bundling other insurance products.
Negotiate Agreement with Nationwide to Administer 457B Deferred Compensation Plan
Moved by Commissioner Anderson [2:23:44] · Seconded by Commissioner Green [2:23:45]
The board authorized the county administrator to negotiate with Nationwide for the 457B deferred compensation plan, rescinding prior resolutions for Voya and Fidelity. Nationwide's proposal was significantly more competitive, offering substantial savings of an estimated $370,000 annually in recordkeeping fees and nearly $800,000 more in interest per year for employees. Mr. Huff emphasized Nationwide's strong reputation, experience with many counties, and the goal of encouraging more employee participation.
Appointment of Jody Wentland as County Administrator
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:36:20] · Seconded by Commissioner Lundy [2:36:23]
Chair Fernando announced the appointment of Jody Wentland as the ninth County Administrator, effective August 1, 2025. The decision followed an internal process, prioritizing continuity of services, investment in the workforce, and a person-centered vision. The interview panel, including Commissioners Connley and Gotel, recommended Wentland due to her qualifications, compassion, and readiness to lead. Wentland expressed gratitude, committed to honoring the legacy of outgoing administrator David Huff, and emphasized the importance of the county's employees.
Organizational Structure Changes
Moved by Commissioner Anderson [2:40:48] · Seconded by Unknown [2:40:49]
Following the appointment of the new County Administrator, Commissioner Anderson broadly supported the 'improvements' and 'steps of trying to find ways of making things that are good better' in the new organizational structure, indicating general approval for the changes being implemented, under which the deputy administrator appointments would fall.
Confirmation of Appointment of Daniel Rogan as Deputy County Administrator
Moved by Commissioner Green [2:41:04] · Seconded by Commissioner Eden [2:41:05]
Jody Wentland recommended Daniel Rogan for Deputy County Administrator, highlighting his consistent leadership and experience, including work on child protection and COVID-19 response. Rogan expressed gratitude for the appointment, acknowledging David Huff as a mentor and committing to serving the board and residents by prioritizing 'People first. People are our purpose.' and fighting for justice.
Confirmation of Appointment of Kareem Murphy as Deputy County Administrator
Moved by Commissioner Anderson [2:46:17] · Seconded by Commissioner Connley [2:46:18]
Jody Wentland recommended Kareem Murphy as the second Deputy County Administrator, citing his extensive experience in health and human services, leadership in disparity elimination, and expertise in financing policy. Murphy expressed gratitude, acknowledged David Huff's mentorship, and connected his service to a three-generation family history in county government, committing to leveraging the county's influence to address racial disparities and promote health and wellness.
Amendment to Lease Agreement with 43 Hoops LLC (Regional Rail Authority)
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:57:38] · Seconded by Commissioner Anderson [2:57:39]
The Regional Rail Authority approved extending a lease with 43 Hoops LLC for property in Hopkins through April 30, 2027, with a receivable of $165,000. The amendment also reduces the termination notice period from 180 to 120 days. Jessica Glatz confirmed 43 Hoops remains responsible for maintenance.
Negotiate Easement Agreement with Met Council for Sanitary Sewer (Regional Rail Authority)
Moved by Irene Fernando/Chair [2:59:04] · Seconded by Commissioner Lundy [2:59:05]
The Regional Rail Authority authorized negotiating a 20-foot-wide permanent easement with Metropolitan Council for sanitary sewer purposes on the Dakota Rail Corridor in Orono, with a receivable of $627,000. It also includes a temporary construction easement from January 2026 to December 2027. Met Council will be required to seek approval for future modifications and repair any damage to the Dakota Rail Trail.
Notable Quotes (20)
What we're doing here today is we're uh modifying a current capital improvement program. a couple projects that you've previously approved. They're in the current CIP. Uh equipment purchases are uh permitted under the CIP. Uh these are funds that had uh will be dedicated to preservation at the hospital.
I will not be supporting this motion. I understand the urgency, but it seems like everything from the hospital is always urgent. um when we should be having discussions which we've asked for repeatedly. These are millions of dollars of taxpayers money um which I'm grateful that it's not a loan because it frankly they wouldn't be able to pay it back.
I support this uh because the hospital is under our purview to an extent. We have a liability to make sure that that hospital has working equipment and I think that's a duty um as commissioner. So, thank you. I'll be supporting it.
The draft ADA transition plan proposes a goal to make 100% of pedestrian curb ramps fully compliant by 2040. As of 2023, we are more than halfway to our goal.
This action is necessary to transfer 830,000 a little bit more uh from rapid rehousing to be used for homeless prevention programming instead and I'll I'll explain why. Uh rapid rehousing is delivered by contracted nonprofit providers and their spending to date and their projections for the time remaining show they will not fully spend down the allocated funding by October one and this is a scenario we prepared for.
It used to be that Henipin County was extremely dependent upon outside security. 10 years ago approximately 70% of the security work was performed by outside service providers contractors. We are now internal 70% with a a utilization of about 30% of our security services with outside contractors.
Given the RFP processes though, I'm I'm wondering how we weigh um a contractor's record with prevailing wage and experience on things like large contracts, labor practices, benefits, things like that. How are we um weighing that or evaluating that?
It's happened probably three times in in the last 35 years. Uh relative to contract uh vendors we have terminated relationships been sued. Uh so I mean it it uh is infrequent for the number of contracts we actually uh execute and the amount of money is going out.
One of the things that uh we found ve very beneficial here was that Metife came in with a 10% premium savings over what the state would offer. In other words, about 79% which results in a significant savings approximately $800,000 to our employees and uh us the county as an employer.
Nationwide's relationship partnership with the National Association of Counties as well as with the Association of Minnesota Counties. Uh Nationwide has an excellent reputation and administration directed that we receive a proposal from Nationwide that came in and was extremely competitive. In fact, uh 20 uh% of one of the vendors, in other words, 80% less than a fees our employees are currently uh paying.
I know in times of really kind of uh a lot of uncertainty about the future and especially uh among workforce, I think it's really important to be looking at our benefits package where we can to make sure that we're setting up all of our employees for a stable future and investment uh portfolios.
So with with changing this I mean changing this is it while it is is I'm glad that their savings 800,000 is good. That's not that's nothing to buck at. But um it's always challenging for employees to navigate calling and make any changes like this. How are we making it easier for all of the 30 to 45% of the employees that have participate?
We are very thrilled uh that to move 13A, the appointment of Jod Wetland as county administrator effective August 1, 2025.
You are qualified, you are compassionate, you are ready to lead. you demonstrated that you've demonstrated that in your decades of public service and you've certainly demonstrated that in the interview process.
This is an organization that cares about our residents. This is an organization that wants to do the right thing and will lead and has lead and will continue to lead. I'm in delivering services.
Really also appreciate the the improvements, right? the the steps of trying to find ways of making things that are good better. Uh this is like foundational to who we are, right? We know that we are doing great work and we know that we can always strive to do better until we can hopefully get it right.
Mr. Rogan's consistent leadership is a significant asset to Henipin County and will serve well in his role as a deputy county administrator.
Serving our residents across all lines of business. It's why we're here. People first. People are our purpose. Residents are the center of everything we do. We have the privilege to do the right thing, to fight for justice, to keep serving the public, to keep serving the public at the center of every single thing that we do.
His extensive experience in health and human services, his leadership role in the new disparity elimination line of business brings a phenomenal level of expertise in financing policy. Mr. Kareem Murphy brings a compassion to the work commitment for our residents and our staff.
We are the Sorry, David. We are the 34th largest county in the nation. And you're asking me to help ensure that we continue to punch above our weight. With your actions today, you've now asked me to ensure that we continue to lead this nation in providing health and wellness, a vibrant social safety net, and tackling what writer James Wallace called America's original sin, our racial disparities.
Ordinances & Resolutions (19)
Long-standing collaboration between Henipin County and the University of Minnesota.
Agreement facilitating faster project initiation and tracking for the Henipin University Partnership.
Awards received by Henipin County at the National Association of Counties conference.
County budget amended to increase HHS asset preservation.
World's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities, signed July 26, 1990.
Henipin County policy aimed at making transportation more accessible.
Draft plan to make 100% of pedestrian curb ramps fully compliant by 2040.
Report related to US Housing and Urban Development grant programs.
US Housing and Urban Development program for community development.
US Housing and Urban Development program for affordable housing.
US Housing and Urban Development program for homeless services.
Collective bargaining agreement for the period Jan 1, 2025 to Dec 31, 2027.
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency grant program for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing.
State law allowing workers job and benefits protection and wage replacement for extended time off.
Voluntary employee benefit plan for deferred compensation.
Prior board action to complete negotiations with Voya, rescinded by the current motion.
Prior board action to complete negotiations with Fidelity, rescinded by the current motion.
Light Rail Transit corridor adjacent to rail authority property in Hopkins.
Rail authority property in Orono where Met Council seeks an easement for a sanitary sewer.