Item Coversheet

Board Action Request
20-0227

Item Description:
Allocate $1,500,000 CARES Act funds to support resources for distance learning for Hennepin County involved youth impacted by COVID-19; Authorize County Administrator to neg purchase agmts for educational support items; 06/02/20-12/30/20, supp app of $1,500,000 to 2020 HSPH budget
Resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners hereby allocates $1,500,000 of its federal funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund available under section 601(a) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) to provide educational support resources to support distance learning for Hennepin County involved youth negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, during the period of June 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020 and that the Controller be authorized to accept and disburse funds as directed; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to negotiate purchase agreements and expend funds for devices and connectivity resources to support distance learning for Hennepin County involved youth negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a supplemental appropriation to the 2020 Human Services and Public Health department operating budget in the amount of $1,500,000 be approved; and  

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that any funding amounts not utilized will be returned to the CARES Act fund at Hennepin County for future distribution.

Background:

Section 601(a) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (Fund) and appropriated $150 billion to the Fund. Under the CARES Act, the Fund is to be used to make payments for specified uses to states and certain local governments; the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories; and Tribal governments. Hennepin County received a direct payment out of the Fund from the U.S. Treasury.

 

The CARES Act provides that money from the Fund may only be used to cover costs that:

 

  1. are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19);
  2. were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and
  3. were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020 and ends on December 30, 2020.

 

Allowable expenditures include those incurred to respond to second-order effects of the emergency, such as expenses to facilitate distance learning, including technological improvements, in connection with school closings to enable compliance with COVID-19 precautions.

 

In Board Action Request 20-0171 the Hennepin County Board resolved to place a high priority on providing support and resources to Hennepin County involved youth negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to support their educational stability, health and well-being.

 

From our active and ongoing conversations with superintendents across Hennepin County as well as the MN Department of Education, we know that access to distance learning continues to be a concern for many youth, including those youth that are involved in county systems. While schools continue to work to secure devices for students, gaps in access to broadband connectivity remain. The ability to ensure uninterrupted educational stability for youth involved in county systems could include:

 

  • Purchase of devices (chrome books or other)
  • Investment in broadband for specific locations that have high concentrations of youth without connectivity
  • Purchase of hotspots and cell phones for internet connectivity

 

Educational stability will be a challenge for youth involved in county systems not only as this school ear concludes, but also over the summer and potentially this Fall.

Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval