Item Description:
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Neg Amds to Agmts with NextStage; Neg Agmts to provide small business recovery funding
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the Executive Director be authorized to negotiate Amendment 2 to Agreement PR00007976 with NextStage, Inc. (Resolution 26-HCHRA-0008), decreasing the not to exceed amount by $1,496,189, with no change to the contract period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026; that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the Chair be authorized to sign the amendment on behalf of the Authority; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, subject to the approval of Hennepin County and NextStage, Inc., that the Executive Director be authorized to negotiate Amendment 1 to Agreement PR00006316 between Hennepin County and NextStage, Inc., adding the Authority as a party to the Agreement and increasing the not to exceed amount by $1,000,000 (Fund 32 Project 1012441 HRA: Small Business Recovery) to expand the availability of low-barrier small business financing; with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2024 through July 1, 2034; that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the Chair be authorized to sign the amendment on behalf of the Authority; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Executive Director be authorized to negotiate the following Agreements to provide financial, legal, and marketing professional services to aid the county’s recovery from the continued economic impacts of federal immigration enforcement actions:
• PR00008712 Davis Law Office, PLLC
• PR00008713 Hortensia, PLLC
• PR00008714 Katherine A. Pyle, dba Clear Talk Accounting
• PR00008715 Sigma Consulting and Training, dba Ahmed Mohidin LLC
• PR00008683 Open Rewards
all during the period of August 15, 2026 through December 31, 2028 with a total combined not to exceed amount of $496,189 (Fund 32 Project 1012441HRA: Small Business Recovery); that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the Chair be authorized to sign the agreements on behalf of the Authority; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.
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Background:
Resolution 26-HCHRA-0008 (adopted March 10, 2026) authorized small business recovery funding in response to the economic impacts and hardships caused by recent federal immigration enforcement actions. As a result, 82 grants totaling $493,127 were provided to eligible local small businesses with brick-and-mortar establishments.
The current action would expand the uses of the small business recovery funding under Resolution 26-HCHRA-0008 to include strategies designed to advance the stability and success of small businesses over the long-term. These investments provide resources for individual businesses to tackle their most pressing challenges with the support of experts, and tools to help increase customer spending in local businesses and business districts.
Agreements with experienced financial and legal consultants Davis Law Office, Hortensia, Clear Talk Accounting, and Sigma Consulting will help businesses plan, strengthen their operations, and recover. Through these agreements, business owners will be able to work directly with experts on things like lease review and negotiation, negotiating with lenders and creditors, as well as financial analysis and planning to build a solid foundation for current and future financial decision-making.
An agreement with the public benefit corporation Open Rewards will support efforts to bring more customers to local businesses, and specifically to business districts that have experienced reduced foot traffic in the aftermath of federal immigration enforcement actions.
Current Request: This request is for authorization to negotiate professional service agreements Amendment 1 to Agreement PR00006316 with NextStage, Inc. will provide increased capital for low-barrier small business financing; and Agreements PR00008712, PR00008713, PR00008714, PR00008715, and PR00008683 will provide financial, legal, and marketing professional services to assist local businesses to recover from the continued economic impacts of federal immigration enforcement actions, remain in their commercial spaces, retaining jobs, and preventing vacancies and blight.
Impact/Outcome: Authorization of this request will expand the uses of the small business recovery funding to include strategies designed to advance the stability and success of small businesses over the long-term.
This request funds services that are: core services
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval