VII.3. Amendment to Spending of American Rescue Plan Act Funds Community Safety Working Group Recommendation; BishopJune 20, 2022 Council Report 2022-052
Amendment to Spending of American Rescue Plan Act Funds
Community Safety Working Group Recommendation
Proposed Action. Staff recommends that the Council approve the following motion: Move to approve the proposed
allocations recommended by the Community Safety Working Group.
Overview:
In April 2022, Council approved a spending plan related to the City’s ARPA funds with an allocation of
$500,000 for Community Safety with $260,000 going for a police officer (two years) and $240,000 set
aside for Community Safety and Mental Health initiatives. The City brought together public, private and
community stakeholders to take a comprehensive approach to creating community and public safety
solutions. The Group was asked to align on a goal, put together proposals, review outside resources and
partnership opportunities and make a recommendation to Council about the use of the ARPA Funds
allocated for community safety.
The group is recommending the following allocations:
Youth Based Mental Health Social Worker - $145,000
Sanneh Foundation, embedded Tutor-Mentors at HHS - $40,000
West Metro Youth Collaborative Pilot - $20,000
Micro Grants for Community Safety - $10,000
Total recommendation: $215,000 (under allocated amount of $240,000). A summary of the projects is
provided below along with information related to the working group. Group started meeting in February
and finalized their recommendation in May. If approved, project work will be on-going related to the
projects until 12/31/2024 (ARPA Deadline).
Supporting Information:
Youth Based Mental Health Social Worker - $145,000 Similar to the City’s current embedded Hennepin County social worker who focuses on adult behavioral
health, the community would benefit from a position focused directly on the youth. Goal is to connect
the resources between the agencies serving our youth (School, County, Police/City) and
resources/partners to best serve the needs of youth.
Cost Leveraging Opportunities Timeline
Total Estimated $240,000 (2
year pilot)
City ARPA 60% $145,000
*Est. Hennepin County - 40%
or $95,000
Position would work for Hennepin
County, be embedded in the
Hopkins Police Department and
work with School District to
provide interconnected services
focus on youth mental health.
2022-2024 School Year
*Funding still being discussed with Hennepin County. City would fund one year if County is not able to
commit to their portion.
Sanneh Foundation embedded Tutor/Mentors at HHS - $40,000 Support embedded tutor-mentors at HHS for the 2022-2023 school year via the Sanneh Foundation’s
Dreamline program - an academic intervention program serving low-income, under-performing students
in public middle schools and high schools.
The communities hit hardest by the pandemic right now are overwhelmingly low-income, highly-
mobile, and food-insecure. Dreamline will embed three tutor-mentors (i.e. Coaches) at HHS to provide
services on-site to students identified as most in need of intervention, whose teachers and administrators
have identified as failing or near failing, and whose academic futures are in the greatest jeopardy.
The majority of these students come from communities of color and speak numerous languages,
including but not limited to: English, Hmong, Spanish, and Somali. Dreamline coaches provide
enhanced academic intervention, culturally specific social-emotional support, and academic assistance.
The goal is to increase these students' academic performance, to improve school connectedness, and to
develop leadership and relationship skills, so that they are empowered to positively contribute to their
school and the Hopkins community.
Cost Leveraging Opportunities Timeline
Total Estimated $150,000
Sanneh Foundation - $30,000
Hopkins Schools – $80,000
City ARPA $40,000
(proportionate to population of
Hopkins youth compared to
district youth)
Dreamline coaches could
collaborate with City of
Hopkins and community
volunteers to provide midday
and afterschool mentoring
opportunities with Hopkins
High School students.
2022-2023 School Year
West Metro Youth Collaborative - $20,000
Support the need to establish a multijurisdictional collaborative led by and with youth to build positive
mentorship and social opportunities for youth in the West Metro. This collaborative will invite nonprofit
organizations, government agencies, schools, and youth leaders to an advisory council in order to share
knowledge, eliminate service silos, and identify gaps in youth programming.
Like the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance, the collaborative will rely on a Youth-led Participatory Action
Research model. As youth are experts in their own lives, a summer pilot program will provide a small
group of high school students (10-25) with the tools and frameworks to conduct research into the
conditions that negatively affect them and their peers. Participants will brainstorm potential solutions
and present both their findings and recommendations to the advisory board at the end of summer.
Their research and the discussions amongst the advisory council will establish the structure of the West
Metro Youth Collaborative.
Cost Leveraging Opportunities Timeline
Total Estimated $60,000
Hennepin County- $20,000
Hopkins Schools – $20,000
City ARPA $20,000
This organization would bring together
the City of Hopkins, Hopkins Schools,
Hennepin County, Met Council, and
area nonprofits to more holistically
serve our youth, young adults, and
their families and avoid duplicating
efforts.
Summer 2022- 2023
Community Safety Micro Grants - $10,000
Develop a one-time micro grant program to provide grants up to $1,000 to the community lead
initiatives focused on address community safety. Grant requests could include: funds for food resources
for community gathering(s), speaker or facility fees for hosting an event. The possibilities are endless
and would empower the community and see what they come up with for ideas.
Cost Leveraging Opportunities Timeline
Total Estimated $10,000
City’s ARPA $10,000
Giving an opportunity for the
community to give feedback
and help prioritize community
safety.
Fall 2022 - 2024
Group Approach to Community Safety:
The group recognizes the need for multi-faceted approaches that are trauma informed, anti-racist,
community relationship centered, mental health focused, and aligned to meet the needs of the
community, especially youth in a way that disrupts school to prison pipelines where they exist.
Membership of Working Group:
Special thank you to those who volunteered time on the working group. Participants included:
Molly Cummings, Met Council
Representative
Jen Westmoreland Bouchard, School Board
Chair
Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Superintendent
Alex Fisher, Community Education Director
Chris LaTondresse, County Commissioner
Jessica Oaxaca, District Director
Elizabeth Warner, Executive Director Park
Nicollet Foundation
Dan Narr, Executive Director ICA
Dominique Pierre-Toussaint, Community
Relations Manager ICA
Tracie Stanton, Executive Director Resource
West
Patrick Hanlon, Mayor
Gerard Balan, Council Member
Mike Mornson, City Manager
Ari Lenz, Assistant City Manager
Brent Johnson, Police Chief
Erik Husevold, Police Captain
PeggySue Imihy Bean, Management
Analyst
Nick Bishop, Finance Director
________________________________________
Nick Bishop, Finance Director