Item Description:
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Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants (HCYAG) Program - Fall 2025 Play Area Grants, Equipment Grants, Lifeguard Services Grants, and Arts & Music Grants totaling $1,301,924
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, after consideration of recommendations, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners selects 4 play area grants totaling $804,640, 10 equipment grants totaling $89,450, 4 lifeguard services grants totaling $200,000, and 9 arts & music grants totaling $207,834 to receive funding from the HCYAG program as follows:
Play Area Grants:
• PR00008029 with City of Greenfield, not to exceed $200,000
• PR00008030 with City of Crystal, not to exceed $200,000
• PR00008031 with City of Excelsior, not to exceed $104,640
• PR00008032 with St. Louis Park Public Schools ISD 283, not to exceed $300,000
Equipment Grants:
• PR00008015 with City of Loretto, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008016 with Robbinsdale Area Public Schools ISD 281, not to exceed $9,950
• PR00008017 with Eden Prairie Schools ISD 272, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008018 with Three Rivers Park District, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008019 with Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008020 with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008021 with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $7,500
• PR00008022 with Three Rivers Park District, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008023 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, not to exceed $10,000
• PR00008024 with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $2,000
Lifeguard Services Grants:
• PR00008025 with Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270, not to exceed $50,000
• PR00008026 with City of Richfield, not to exceed $50,000
• PR00008027 with Robbinsdale Area Public Schools ISD 281, not to exceed $50,000
• PR00008028 with City of Brooklyn Center, not to exceed $50,000
Arts & Music Grants:
• PR00008006 with Minnetonka Public Schools ISD 276, not to exceed $13,375
• PR00008007 with St. Louis Park Public School District ISD 283, not to exceed $25,000
• PR00008008 with Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270, not to exceed $21,139
• PR00008009 with City of Robbinsdale, not to exceed $24,500
• PR00008010 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, not to exceed $23,820
• PR00008011 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, not to exceed $25,000
• PR00008012 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, not to exceed $25,000
• PR00008013 with City of Bloomington, not to exceed $25,000
• PR00008014 with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $25,000
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Background:
The Hennepin County Board adopted Resolution 09-0320R3 establishing the Hennepin County Youth Sports Program (renamed Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants Program with Resolution 23-0153) with ballpark sales tax collections pursuant to Minn. Stat. 473.757, subd. 2. The Hennepin County Board subsequently expanded the program with Resolution 11-0318R1 allowing grants for equipment and small capital assets; Resolution 15-0332R1 allowing grants for playgrounds and swimming lessons; and Resolution 21-0337 allowing grants for arts and music, and lifeguard services. Resolution 23-0087 delegated authority to the Purchasing Director to update grant evaluation criteria, and Resolution 24-0532 delegated authority to the Grants Management & Administration Director to sign HCYAG grant agreements.
The HCYAG program routinely offers play area, equipment, lifeguard services, and arts & music grants to Local Government Units (LGUs), as well as swimming lesson grants to qualified local providers. The Fall 2025 Request for Applications (RFA) opened August 4, 2025, and closed September 30, 2025. The HCYAG program received a total of 90 applications during this RFA: 31 applications for play areas totaling $6,921,590, 29 applications for equipment totaling $265,560, 13 applications for lifeguard services totaling $599,671, and 17 applications for arts & music totaling $378,248.17.
Applications are evaluated by independent review panels made up of County staff from multiple lines of business and community reviewers from the Community Engagement Roster using the following evaluation criteria: degree to which the project ensures accessibility for all populations, number of youths served by the project, degree to which the project demonstrates feasibility, demonstration of community need for the project, degree to which the program is sustainable over time, consideration of geographic distribution of projects, demonstration of financial need for the project, degree to which additional funding or donations have been secured, and partnerships between LGUs and local organizations. To ensure geographic distribution, applications are grouped by Commissioner district and evaluated against other similarly grouped applications.
The review panel recommends the following play area grant applications for award:
• City of Greenfield ($200,000) - Creation of new youth ballfield at Greenfield Central Park
• City of Crystal ($200,000) - Upgrades to play area and shade structure at Forest School Park
• City of Excelsior ($104,640) - Creation of multi-use play area and shade structure at So-Hi Community Park
• St. Louis Park Public Schools ISD 283 ($300,000) - Upgrades to create universally accessible play area at Oak Hill Park
The review panel recommends the following equipment grant applications for award:
• City of Loretto ($10,000) - John Deere Gator 4x4 utility vehicle at Loretto Athletic and Recreation Park
• Robbinsdale Area Public Schools ISD 281 ($9,950) - Variety of sports equipment at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School and Robbinsdale Cooper High School
• Eden Prairie Schools ISD 272 ($10,000) - Volleyball standards at Eden Prairie High School
• Three Rivers Park District ($10,000) - Outdoor winter recreation equipment and adaptive equipment at French Park, Plymouth; Hyland Lake Park, Bloomington; Glen Lake Park, Minnetonka; Elm Creek Park, Maple Grove; and Baker Park, Medina
• Mississippi Watershed Management Organization ($10,000) - Recreation equipment for the Pool to River Kayaking Program at V3 Sports, Camden Lake, and Camden Weber Boat Launch
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($10,000) - Wrestling mat at North High School
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($7,500) - Variety of sports equipment at South High School
• Three Rivers Park District ($10,000) - Water safety gear at French Regional Park, V3 Sports, and other various locations throughout Hennepin County
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ($10,000) - Outdoor winter recreation equipment at Shingle Creek Parkway/Webber Natural Pool Building
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($2,000) - High jump standards at Roosevelt High School
The review panel recommends the following lifeguard services grant applications for award:
• Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270 ($50,000) - Youth lifeguard apprenticeship program at Eisenhower Community Center
• City of Richfield ($50,000) - Youth lifeguard recruitment and retention at Richfield Outdoor Pool
• Robbinsdale Area Public Schools ISD 281 ($50,000) - Youth lifeguard training and hiring at Sandburg Learning Center Pool and Plymouth Middle School Pool
• City of Brooklyn Center ($50,000) - Youth lifeguard recruitment, training, and retention at Brooklyn Center Community Center
The review panel recommends the following arts & music grant applications for award:
• Minnetonka Public Schools ISD 276 ($13,375) - Concert attire, concert technology, and instrumental collaborations at Minnetonka High School
• St. Louis Park Public School District ISD 283 ($25,000) - Theater and music programming at St. Louis Park Public Schools, Central Early Learning, Aquila Elementary, Park Spanish Immersion, Peter Hobart Elementary, Susan Lindgren Elementary, St. Louis Park Middle, St. Louis Park High School, and Lenox Community Center
• Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270 ($21,139) - Drumline equipment at Hopkins High School
• City of Robbinsdale ($24,500) - Theater camp, public performances, visual arts field trips, and pathways to backstage disciplines at Fair Crystal Middle School, Cooper High School Theatre, and Armstrong High School Theatre
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ($23,820) - Free music education and new musical instruments at Whittier and Luxton Recreation Centers
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ($25,000) - Public art installations, floating concert on water, and indigenous art experiences at North Loop Park, Graco Park, and Mississippi Riverfront
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ($25,000) - End-of-year arts, ecology, and place-based learning exhibition and performance at North Mississippi Regional Park
• City of Bloomington ($25,000) - Indigenous Arts Workshops at Bloomington Civic Plaza
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($25,000) - Steel band instruments at Anwatin Middle School
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval