On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law, including the appropriation of more than $130 billion to the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, for making payments to metropolitan cities, counties, and other units of local government to mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from the public health emergency. Hennepin County expects to receive direct payments from the U.S. Treasury totaling more than $220 million, and received the first-half payment of $122.9 million in May of 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act provides that money from the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund may only be used to cover certain costs incurred by December 31, 2024, including costs to respond to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) or its negative economic impacts. Under the available guidance from the U.S. Treasury, this category of eligible costs can include COVID-19 prevention and mitigation programs and services, such as supports for vulnerable populations to access medical or public health services; public communication efforts; planning and analysis to improve programs addressing the COVID-19 pandemic or its negative economic impacts, including through use of targeted consumer outreach, improvements to data or technology infrastructure, impact evaluations, and data analysis; and other uses that would ensure a state or local government’s ability to effectively administer services.

The American Rescue Plan Act also provides that money may be used for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the pandemic. Under the available guidance from the U.S. Treasury, this category of eligible costs can include maintenance of infrastructure or pay-go spending for building new infrastructure, including roads; modernization of cybersecurity, including hardware, software, and protection of critical infrastructure; health services; environmental remediation; school or educational services; and the provision of police, fire, and other public safety services.

The events of 2020 and 2021 presented a defining opportunity for how Hennepin County engages with community. The challenges of the global pandemic and the murder of George Floyd ultimately led to opportunities for Engagement Services to be innovative, to be flexible, and not only adapt, but respond quickly to changes.

As the global pandemic of COVID-19 - a highly infectious respiratory disease - continues to unfold, public engagement has become an increasingly valuable tool. While most people recover from this disease, older people and those with underlying health conditions are at higher risk of severe illness or death; Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) community members are being disproportionately harmed by this disease; and many people infected with COVID-19 experience mild or no symptoms and are unknowingly spreading it to others. Community engagement creates a calm in a crisis by having a pulse on the community through two-way trusted relationships. The connectedness that our communities so desire became even more important as we adhered to COVID-19 restrictions. It is about listening and responding. Our residents are faced with a complexity of issues, especially due to the pandemic, and community engagement allows for better understanding of not only community needs, but values, aspirations and is pivotal to ensure equitable and sustainable outcomes through a collaborative approach.

The current public health priorities are to slow transmission of the disease in order to preserve medical resources and prevent deaths while educating people about the availability and need of vaccinations.   

This Board Action Request would authorize funding for continued multi-faceted public engagement to aid in changing attitudes that lead to these behavior changes that could end the pandemic. Our campaign objective is to ensure the public is educated about and continues to take preventative steps to fight COVID-19, and to receive education about vaccinations and to ultimately be vaccinated when eligible.

This phase of the campaign will create general awareness about vaccinations and continued need to follow preventive measures, and it will be focused on the communities where disparities continue to grow. The campaign will be responsive to the current state of COVID-19 in Hennepin County and will include additional messaging about physical distancing, taking care of other health care needs such as flu shots or childhood vaccinations, and promote available vaccinations for COVID-19.

The investments outlined below have been identified as key components to meaningful and responsive engagement as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this once in a generation funding opportunity, engagement investments will continue to build on the current work throughout Hennepin County communities with an intentional focus on those experiencing the starkest disparities through the following efforts:

Continue trusted messenger program ($400,000 per year)

•  Hennepin County will work in partnership with trusted community members to expand the county’s capacity to listen and respond to the many disparities created and exacerbated by the pandemic

Translation corps program ($250,000 per year)

•  The development of the translation corps will professionalize the translation process for Hennepin County departments, helping to ensure that information distributed to our communities is relevant, understandable, confirmed for reading level and culturally competent. This is an extension of translation work currently being done by the Office of Multi-Cultural Services, Community Engagement and other county departments/service areas.

Community engagement principal contracts ($250,000 per year)

•  Execute master consulting service agreements for community engagement and outreach and other community related consulting services on behalf of the county in partnership with purchasing and as a strong tool to reduce disparities.

“Hennepin on the Go!” mobile van and supplies ($200,000 per year)

•  Mobile units connect Hennepin County with residents where they are. Staff will act as community connectors to timely, accurate information and resources. Funding is for two current vans and one additional van to meet increased need.

Healing circles/community building ($50,000 per year)

•  In support of Hennepin County’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis, the county’s continued efforts to reduce disparities, and address community trauma heightened by the pandemic, Engagement Services is in the process of organizing virtual healing circles to address the hurt and trauma. The circles will be led by experienced individual healers who are embedded in the community and use their lived experiences, expertise and training to facilitate a welcoming, safe and comfortable environment for participants to express themselves.

 Training/professional development ($150,000 per year)

• Build internal capacity around engagement through the Community Engagement Leadership Program, IAP2 training, designed to develop community engagement leaders at all levels across the County. In addition, training for engagement services team to provide professional development opportunities around best engagement practices and strategies.

Engagement administrative support staff (2 limited duration employees with benefits) – ($180,000 per year)

•  To provide engagement documentation, administrative support, evaluate and implement community engagement metrics, conduct stakeholder Analysis, support the mobile outreach van.

BIPOC Advertising and Media Relations ($200,000 per year)

•  This funding would be used for targeted social media, media, digital, radio, print and other outlets to communicate key pandemic recovery and ongoing critical needs info to specific communities that regularly experience disparities, using channels from where they regularly receive information. During 2020-21, the county spent approximately $50,000 monthly, when multiple campaigns were in progress (COVID, census, elections, rental assistance) with BIPOC media outlets. It is recommended that the spending level be reduced to a more sustainable level at this time.

Current Request: The current request is to authorize federal funding in the amount of up to $1,680,000 for eligible costs, operations, staffing, and services to provide engagement staffing, services and programs as part of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and to connect with community about new, expanded, and ARP-funded programs and services.

This work directly supports the country’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the County’s goals to reduce disparities among county residents.