Item Description:
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Hennepin County Youth Activities Grants (HCYAG) Program - Spring 2026 Play Area Grants, Equipment Grants, Lifeguard Services Grants, and Arts & Music Grants totaling $1,286,919
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, after consideration of recommendations, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners selects 3 play area grants totaling $900,000, 11 equipment grants totaling $101,901, 3 lifeguard services grants totaling $139,000, and 9 arts & music grants totaling $146,018 to receive grant funding from the HCYAG program as follows:
Play Area Grants:
• PRXXXXXXXX with Brooklyn Center Community Schools ISD 286, not to exceed $300,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Maple Grove, not to exceed $300,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $300,000
Equipment Grants:
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Bloomington, not to exceed $10,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Bloomington, not to exceed $10,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Eden Prairie, not to exceed $9,616
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Minnetonka, not to exceed $9,770
• PRXXXXXXXX with Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270, not to exceed $5,655
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, not to exceed $9,775
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $9,800
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minnetonka Public Schools ISD 276, not to exceed $9,985
• PRXXXXXXXX with Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD 281, not to exceed $10,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with St. Anthony-New Brighton ISD 282, not to exceed $7,300
• PRXXXXXXXX with St. Louis Park Public Schools ISD 283, not to exceed $10,000
Lifeguard Services Grants:
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Bloomington, not to exceed $50,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Crystal, not to exceed $40,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with Three Rivers Park District, not to exceed $49,000
Arts & Music Grants:
• PRXXXXXXXX with Bloomington Public Schools ISD 271, not to exceed $25,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Edina, not to exceed $7,750
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Maple Grove, not to exceed $5,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with City of Robbinsdale, not to exceed $4,500
• PRXXXXXXXX with Edina Public Schools ISD 273, not to exceed $10,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $25,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1, not to exceed $18,768
• PRXXXXXXXX with Perpich Center for Arts Education, not to exceed $25,000
• PRXXXXXXXX with Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD 281, 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 regularly offers play area, equipment, lifeguard services, and arts & music grants to Local Government Units (LGUs), as well as swim lesson grants to qualified local providers. The Spring 2026 Request for Applications (RFA) opened March 30, 2026, and closed May 7, 2026. The HCYAG program received a total of 82 applications during this RFA: 24 applications for play areas totaling $ $5,034,053, 32 applications for equipment totaling $ $297,263, 7 applications for lifeguard services totaling $339,000, and 19 applications for arts & music totaling $382,225.
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:
• Brooklyn Center Community Schools ISD 286 ($300,000) - accessible playground
• City of Maple Grove ($300,000) - aquatic play structure
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($300,000) - digital scoreboards for 7 high schools
The review panel recommends the following equipment grant applications for award:
• City of Bloomington ($10,000) - soccer equipment
• City of Bloomington ($10,000) - safety pole pads
• City of Eden Prairie ($9,616) - 2 all-terrain wheelchairs
• City of Minnetonka ($9,770) - inflatable waterpark elements
• Hopkins Public Schools ISD 270 ($5,655) - early childhood recreation equipment
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ($9,775) - adaptive water recreation equipment
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($9,800) - volleyball nets
• Minnetonka Public Schools ISD 276 ($9,985) - archery equipment
• Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD 281 ($10,000) - various sporting equipment
• St. Anthony-New Brighton ISD 282 ($7,300) - pole vaulting equipment
• St. Louis Park Public Schools ISD 283 ($10,000) - soccer equipment
The review panel recommends the following lifeguard services grant applications for award:
• City of Bloomington ($50,000) - lifeguard training
• City of Crystal ($40,000) - lifeguard training & certification
• Three Rivers Park District ($49,000) - lifeguard training, certification & retention efforts
The review panel recommends the following arts & music grant applications for award:
• Bloomington Public Schools ISD 271 ($25,000) - equipment to enable gymnasium’s use as performance space
• City of Edina ($7,750) - reduced-fee First Saturday Art Lab
• City of Maple Grove ($5,000) - weekly Teen Art Club
• City of Robbinsdale ($4,500) - Robbinsdale Rhythm concert series
• Edina Public Schools ISD 273 ($10,000) - instrument purchase and maintenance
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($25,000) - literacy-focused theater residency
• Minneapolis Public Schools SSD 1 ($18,768) - expand existing arts residency program
• Perpich Center for Arts Education ($25,000) - reduced-barriers to Summer Arts Program
• Robbinsdale Area Schools ISD 281 ($25,000) - after-school theater workshops
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval