[Updated] Proposed Commissioner Amendments to 2020 Budget

Amendment Description

Irene's View & Vote

Callison 1: Utilization of unprogrammed Transportation Sales and Use Tax collections (Passed)

This amendment directs staff to present a proposal to the board by the end of Q1, including briefing schedule, recommendation for funding and staffing levels, board approval timeline, public hearing process, and other key items.

Funds from the Sales and Use Transportation Tax is estimated to have a year-end balance of approximately $98 million. Unprogrammed dollars may be used to fulfill capital costs associated with other transportation projects or improvements.

I voted: Yes

Please see my statement on my approach and why I supported this amendment.

Callison 2: Commissioner Offices Budget Reduction (Passed)

This amendment removes the proposed 2020 budget increase, for all seven Commissioner offices—maintaining the office budgets at 2019 levels.

I voted: Yes

Callison 3: Child Care Drop-In Services (Withdrawn)

This amendment is a contract reduction to align the 2020 budget with projected service levels, and is responsive to County staff.

This amendment was withdrawn.

Callison 4: St. David’s Respite Care (Passed)

This amendment reinstates one year of respite care funding for St. David’s Center.

I voted: Yes

Callison 5: Nokomis Healthy Senior Program and Longfellow/Seward Program (Passed)

This amendment restores a portion of the funding proposed to be cut, as a financial incentive for the agencies to implement a new billing system in order to charge health insurance plans for services.

I voted: Yes

Callison 6: Food Insecurity (Passed as revised)

This amendment restores a portion of the funding proposed to be cut, for CAPI USA, CEAP, East Side Neighborhood Services, Loaves and Fishes, Pillsbury United Communities, and The Food Group.

The amendment that passed also funds an RFP process to address food insecurity that it be brought to the board for approval in Q1 2020.

I voted: No

I supported the alternative amendments available: 'Conley 1' and 'Fernando 3' which restore full funding levels.

Conley 1: Food Insecurity (Failed)

This amendment restores the full funding proposed to be cut for both Pillsbury United Communities and Loaves and Fishes.

I voted: Yes

Conley 2: Race Equity Advisory Council (Passed)

This amendment establishes a Hennepin County Race Equity Advisory Council.

I voted: Yes

Fernando 1: Census Hard to Count (HTC) Awards (Failed)

This amendment relates to the 2020 Census. It creates a process to award cities with funds that would go specifically toward counting HTC populations.

I voted: Yes

I introduced this amendment in an effort to ensure Hennepin County spend $1 per person, or $1.2M, on the 2020 Census. After amendments, Hennepin is budgeting $320K for the 2020 Census.

Fernando 2: Census Supplemental Funds (Withdrawn)

I introduced this amendment in an effort to ensure Hennepin County spend $1 per person, or $1.2M, on the 2020 Census. After amendments, Hennepin is budgeting $320K for the 2020 Census.

I withdrew this amendment after it became clear we only had 2 votes in favor.

I introduced this amendment in an effort to ensure Hennepin County spend $1 per person, or $1.2M, on the 2020 Census—after amendments, Hennepin is budgeting $320K for the 2020 Census.

Fernando 3: Food Insecurity (Failed)

This amendment restores the full funding proposed to be cut for CEAP, CAPI USA, East Side Neighborhood Services, and The Food Group.

I voted: Yes

I introduced this amendment because reducing financial support for these programs may end up costing us more in the future. And there is no assessment as to how cutting these contracts would affect constituents downstream.

Fernando and Conley 1: Volunteers of America (VOA) Case Management (Passed as amended)

This amendment was passed as amended—Commissioner Conley and I accepted a friendly amendment from Commissioner Opat. The amendment was introduced to restore the proposed $173,179 cut for Hennepin’s contract with Volunteers of America (VOA) for case management services.

It is expected that by mid 2020, VOA will be able to begin receiving Medicaid payments. Because of this, VOA would receive full funding restoration for the first half of 2020 and then would be eligible for full funding in the second half of 2020, if the planned ability to receive Medicaid money does not end up working out. The amendment that passed incorporates this change.

I voted: Yes

I introduced this amendment along with Commissioner Conley because reducing financial support for these programs may end up costing us more in the future, and there is no assessment as to how cutting these contracts would affect constituents downstream.

Goettel 1: Accessibility Priority in Affordable Housing (Passed)

This amendment prioritizes projects where 10% of units in a project are accessible for physical disability, and an additional 2% are accessible for people with hearing or visual impairments in the county’s RFPs for Affordable Housing Incentive Fund and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding.

I voted: Yes

Goettel and Conley 1: Street Voices of Change Shelter Bill of Rights (Passed)

This amendment directs staff to work with County-funded shelter providers and Street Voices of Change to finalize a Shelter Bill of Rights and develop a plan for implementation.

I voted: Yes

Greene 1: Shelter System (Passed as revised)

This amendment provides funding to pursue high-priority strategies for shelter—to fund services, case management, partner bed conversion, shelter connect resources, and staff training. The amendment was revised to include an additional $100K proposed for shelters by the Administrator

Throughout 2019, staff presented the Board with several needs for our shelter system, such as case management and the availability partner beds.

I voted: Yes

Greene and Conley 1: Block Nurse Program (Passed)

This amendment restores Nokomis Healthy Seniors, Longfellow-Seward Healthy Seniors, and Southeast Seniors at their 2019 funding levels, in partnership with the City of Minneapolis.

I voted: Yes

JOHNSON 1: Commissioner Offices / Fleet Services Fund Balance / Contingency (Passed)

This amendment reallocates and designates funds to support key Human Services programs.

The amendment that passed today was significantly different than what was originally presented.

I voted: Yes

Opat 1: Merge Library Fund into the General Fund over Two Years (Passed)

This amendment merges the Library Fund into the General Fund over two years.

The amendment that passed today was significantly different than what was originally presented.

I voted: Yes

Opat 2: Reduce Housing Displacement (Passed)

This amendment restores the funding proposed to be cut for Conflict Resolution Center and Community Mediation Restorative Services.

I voted: Yes

Opat 3: Summit Academy Financial Skills (Withdrawn)

This amendment increases funding to the Summit Academy contract for their work in Financial Skills.

This amendment was withdrawn.

Opat 4: Public Health Nurse Pilot Project in Child Well-Being (Passed as amended)

This amendment increases funding for the Public Health Nurse Pilot project in Child Well Being.

I voted: Yes

Opat 5: Better Together Hennepin (Passed)

This amendment designates funding to backfill Federal funding cuts to the Better Together Hennepin program.

I voted: Yes

Opat 6: Catholic Charities Exodus 2.0 Project (Laid over until 12/3/19)

This amendment provides funding and and moves to negotiate with Catholic Charities for the Exodus 2.0 project.

This amendment was laid over.