Item Description:
title
Delegate authority to Hennepin County Administrator to negotiate contracts, contract amendments and issue purchase orders with selected Minnesota food banks, food shelves and food rescue through 12/31/25, NTE $2,000,000; supp appr to HSPH 2025 department budget
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners delegates authority to the County Administrator to negotiate food security contracts and contract amendments during the period of November 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, with a cumulative not to exceed amount of $2,000,000, be approved; that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of the County; and the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Human Services and Public Health 2025 expenditure budget be increased by $2,000,000 for food security contracts.
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Background:
As the federal shutdown continues, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) federally funded monthly food benefits are set to end on November 1, 2025. This will impact families, seniors and children already experiencing the greatest disparities. In Hennepin County the 110,000 SNAP recipients receive an average of $180 in benefits per month, resulting in a funding shortage of approximately $20,000,000 per month. If the shutdown persists, other programs could be affected, including the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), which provides nutritious food and infant formula for families with very young children. Currently, Hennepin County has about 16,000 people participating in WIC.
As a result, Minnesota food banks, food shelves, and meal programs are preparing for the unprecedented demand for food and will be unprepared to meet the need with current funding. This Resolution will position the county to amend existing agreements and exercise the ability to pay contracted vendors through purchase orders, quickly funding food shelves and meal programs directly allowing them to purchase high demand, culturally relevant and familiar foods for residents. This resolution will also prepare for future demand as additional waves of residents access food supports. The Hennepin County WIC program is anticipating increased referrals and applications as eligible residents seek to find food supports while the program has yet to receive federal fiscal year 2026 funds due to the shutdown. The Public Health Department and the WIC program are preparing to work with childcare providers, schools, local businesses, healthcare providers and trusted messengers to inform and engage the community on the available WIC services and food resources to meet the additional needs of residents.
This action supports the county’s disparity elimination efforts in the health domain by rapidly delivering funding to community partners to feed the most vulnerable populations in Hennepin County.
Budget information
Fund: 20
Dept ID: 536099
Account: 55492
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval