Item Description:
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Neg various grant agmts for Good Steward grant natural resource projects, total combined NTE $61,442
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to negotiate the following grant agreements to provide funding for Good Steward grant natural resources projects during a two-year period beginning on the date of execution:
• PR00007566 with City of Bloomington, with the amount not to exceed $11,502;
• PR00007564 with City of Eden Prairie, with the amount not to exceed $24,940;
• PR00007562 with Somali Community Resettlement Service, with the amount not to exceed $25,000; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the County Administrator be authorized to sign the agreements on behalf of the county; that the County Administrator be authorized to approve one 12-month extension of the agreements; that costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date be eligible for reimbursement upon execution of the agreements; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.
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Background:
Natural Resources grants support Hennepin County partners and residents with the implementation of conservation practices that preserve and restore critical habitats, reduce erosion, protect groundwater, and improve water quality. Eligible applicants include landowners, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. Since 2016, the program has invested more than $2.5 million across the county, leveraging over $14 million in other contributions from applicants and their partners.
Two types of grants are available through the Natural Resource grant program: Good Steward grants and Opportunity grants. Good Steward grants are intended for smaller projects seeking to leverage multiple funding sources to improve water quality or habitat. Applicants are encouraged to use Good Steward grant funds as the required match for other funding sources.
County staff promoted the grant programs through email lists, social media posts, and updates in Environment & Energy’s e-newsletter, Green Notes. A panel comprised of staff from the Environment and Energy Department and three external partners reviewed 35 applications and are recommending 13 projects for Good Steward grant funding.
Board approval for the following three agreements is required because the county has existing agreements with these organizations that exceed $100,000.
• PR00007566 with the City of Bloomington in the amount of $11,502 - The project will make improvements to the native buffer adjacent to an existing pond within Smith Park and provide multiple education and outreach opportunities within an area of concern for environmental justice.
• PR00007564 with the City of Eden Prairie in the amount of $24,940 - The project will restore a 3-acre area within the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area by removing invasive plants and replacing them with native plant species which will improve wetland ecosystems supporting mammals, birds, and pollinators.
• PR00007562 with Somali Community Resettlement Service (Minneapolis) in the amount of $25,000 - The project converts one-quarter of the existing lawn into native prairie gardens that support pollinators within a no-mow education garden. Site improvement will occur with assistance from youth in the county’s Be@School program as well as young adults in the Outdoor Diversity Initiative Conservation Career training program.
In addition to the agreements approved by county board, the following 10 Good Steward grants will be approved through administrative process:
• Bloomington Neighbors Nurturing Nature in the amount of $20,422 - Partnering with Olson Elementary and Middle Schools to restore a degraded 2.5-acre freshwater wetland pond and oak savanna woods on the school’s campus.
• Bloomington Schools (ISD 271) for the Kennedy High School Courtyard Project in the amount of $25,000 - transform an 8,500 square foot entrance courtyard with native plants within an environmental education space.
• Preserve Association (Eden Prairie) in the amount of $25,000 - The project improves shoreline habitat on Neill Lake through restoration of an existing 6,500 square foot berm and shoreline that separates Neill Lake from Neill Lake Marsh.
• Tyler Pieper, Edgewater Park (Mound) in the amount of $5,250 - With support from the City of Mound, the project will add deep-rooted native plants that support pollinators, increase carbon sequestration, improve water quality, and reduce stormwater runoff to a portion of a city-owned park that will be maintained by residents.
• Unitarian Church of Minnetonka in the amount of $25,000 - The project will restore 1.1 acres of woodland, replace invasive plants with native plants, and convert 0.5 acre of turf grass into raingardens that will capture stormwater runoff with native plants that support pollinator habitat.
• Paul and Nina Kleinschmidt (Bloomington) in the amount of $7,500 - The Kleinschmidt's, along with two other adjoining neighboring properties, will eradicate invasive plants and restore woods on 2.5 acres of hillsides that are adjacent to Bush Lake and Walton Pond.
• Waters Edge Homeowners Association (Minnetonka) in the amount of $20,000 - The project will restore 22,000 square feet of shoreline on Shady Oak Lake that has become infested with invasive weeds.
• Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (Minneapolis) in the amount of $25,000 - The project will construct a regional stormwater treatment system in conjunction with the redevelopment of the Upper Harbor Terminal site and will reuse stormwater runoff to supply water to two above ground streams that reduce sediments and nutrients entering the Mississippi River.
• Paul and Elizabeth Erdmann (Bloomington) in the amount of $6,966 - The Erdmann’s will convert 4,000 square feet of conventional lawn to native garden with a swale to provide benefits for water quality, pollinators, and wildlife and restore the understory of a degraded oak savanna woods.
• Harrisons Bay Association (Mound) in the amount of $8,395 - The association will continue improving the shoreline of Lake Minnetonka’s Harrisons Bay through erosion prevention and native plantings of a raingarden at Cardinal Lane. The association was awarded a $25,000 grant in 2023 (Resolution 23-0124) to partially fund three different stormwater management practices, including one on Cardinal Lane. The current grant request provides funding to complete project installation.
Current Request: This request is to authorize the County Administrator to negotiate three agreements to provide funding for Good Steward grant natural resource projects, during periods of two years with an option to extend the agreements by 12 months, with the following organizations:
• PR00007566 with City of Bloomington, with the amount not to exceed $11,502
• PR00007564 with City of Eden Prairie, with the amount not to exceed $24,940
• PR00007562 with Somali Community Resettlement Service, with the amount not to exceed $25,000
This request is also for the approval to reimburse costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date and upon execution of the grant agreements.
These agreements are funded by energy sales revenues received in the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.
Impact/Outcomes: The Good Steward grants will provide funds to protect water quality, enhance natural resources, and mitigate and adapt to climate change countywide.
This action supports the county’s disparity reduction efforts by advancing equity in environmental quality. Four of the 13 projects are in areas of concern for environmental justice. In addition, many of the projects include educational components and increase access to parks, conservation areas, and other public spaces, which make natural areas more inclusive.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval