Dakota County

Community Services Committee of

the Whole

Minutes

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

1:00 PM

Conference Room 3A, Administration

Center, Hastings

Commissioner Slavik, Commissioner Atkins, Chairperson Halverson,

Commissioner Droste, Commissioner Workman and Commissioner

Holberg

Present:

Commissioner Hamann-Roland

Absent:

Also in attendance were Heidi Welsch, County Manager; Lucie O'Neill, Assistant County

Attorney; Marti Fischbach, Community Services Division Director; and Colleen Collette,

Administrative Coordinator.

The meeting was called to order at 1:06 p.m. by the Chair, Commissioner Laurie Halverson.

The audio of this meeting is available upon request.

Audience

Chair, Commissioner Laurie Halverson, asked if there was anyone in the audience who

wished to address the Community Services Committee on an item not on the agenda or an

item on the consent agenda. No one came forward and no comments were submitted to

CountyAdmin@co.dakota.mn.us.

Approval of Agenda (Additions/Corrections/Deletions)

Motion: Liz Workman

3.1

Second: William Droste

On a motion by Commissioner Workman, seconded by Commissioner Droste,

the agenda was unanimously approved. The motion carried unanimously.

Ayes: 6

Consent Agenda

Motion: Mike Slavik

Second: Joe Atkins

On a motion by Commissioner Slavik, seconded by Commissioner Atkins, the consent agenda

was unanimously approved as follows:

Approval of Minutes of Meeting Held on May 13, 2025

4.1

Regular Agenda

Authorization To Allocate Local Affordable Housing Aid Funds To Dakota

5.1

County Community Development Agency And Amend 2025 Non-Departmental

Budget

Motion: Mike Slavik

Second: Liz Workman

Marti Fischbach, Community Services Director, Paul Sikorski, Finance Director

and Heidi Welsch, County Manager, presented on this item and stood for

questions.

WHEREAS, Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) is aid to metropolitan local

governments of seven counties, including Dakota County, and 63 cities; and

WHEREAS, LAHA is funded through a dedicated sales tax in the seven-county

metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, during the 2025 budget process, the County Board approved a

budget of $4.9 million of LAHA funding that included investments for Emergency

Rental Assistance, Apartment Services, Prevention and Navigation Services,

Housing Clinic, Family Voucher Program, and Permanent Supportive Housing

and Rapid Re-Housing Services; and

WHEREAS, based on LAHA revenues to date, staff projects annual LAHA

revenues of $9,800,000; and

WHEREAS, during the October 22, 2024, Community Services Committee

meeting, the Board gave direction to budget 50 percent of LAHA in the Dakota

County Social Services budget and hold 50 percent for future discussion of

Community Development Agency (CDA) allocation; and

WHEREAS, Board authorization is needed to budget and distribute LAHA funds

to the CDA in 2025 for qualifying projects, consistent with the County’s Housing

Business Plan; and

WHEREAS, the CDA’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 budget will include

the appropriated LAHA funds for eligible activities and projects; and

WHEREAS, staff will also briefly discuss options for the 2026 allocation process.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of

Commissioners hereby authorizes the Deputy County Manager to accept Local

Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) funding; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners

hereby amends the 2025 Non-Departmental Budget as follows:

Expense

Community Development Agency Allocation $4,900,000

Total Expense

$4,900,000

Revenue

LAHA Funding

Total Revenue

$4,900,000

This item was approved and recommended for action by the Board of

Commissioners on 6/24/2025.

Ayes: 6

Authorization To Execute A Contract For A Multimedia Public Awareness

Campaign, Allocate $150,000 Of Opioid Settlement Funds, And Amend 2025

Public Health And 2025 Non-Departmental Budgets

5.2

Motion: Joe Atkins

Second: Mike Slavik

Erin Carder, Public Health Deputy Director, and Paul Sikorski, Finance Director,

presented on this item and stood for questions.

WHEREAS, Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of

Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a

community health board under Minn. Stat. Ch. 145A, including the responsibility

to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota

County residents; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota was part of a multi-state lawsuit against opioid

manufacturers and distributors; and

WHEREAS, Dakota County has received $5,401,004 to date and is expected to

receive more than $16 million from the National Opioid Settlement Agreements

for the purposes of opioid remediation activities or restitution; and

WHEREAS, the Dakota County Opioid Response Advisory Committee (ORAC)

was established as a County Board appointed advisory committee in October

2023 and supports the development of a comprehensive and effective

countywide response to the opioid crisis; and

WHEREAS, it provides recommendations to the County Board on the use of

Opioid Settlement funds for external projects and initiatives; and

WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 25-200 (April 22, 2025), the Dakota County

Board of Commissioners adopted the 2025-2026 Strategic Plan from the ORAC,

which includes a priority to increase community awareness by which Public

Health and its internal communication partners create and promote culturally

appropriate and stigma-reducing opioid messages to increase community

awareness; and

WHEREAS, this includes starting a paid communication campaign to increase

opioid awareness and recruit help from the community in the effort of opioid

awareness; and

WHEREAS, Dakota County continues to see the harmful and often fatal impacts

of opioid misuse, particularly involving fentanyl; and

WHEREAS, as part of its efforts to address the opioid crisis, engage the

community in prevention and education, and align with the ORAC’s Strategic

Plan, Public Health proposes to launch a multimedia public awareness

campaign focused on raising awareness of the risks associated with fentanyl

and other opioids, and promoting prevention, treatment, and recovery resources;

and

WHEREAS, in accordance with the County’s standard solicitation process,

Public Health will post a solicitation for a vendor to lead this multimedia public

awareness campaign, which will include digital, social media, print, radio, and

transit advertising, along with community engagement strategies and

stakeholder partnerships; and

WHEREAS, the campaign will be developed in alignment with public health best

practices, Johns Hopkins Principles, and culturally responsive messaging; and

WHEREAS, to maximize visibility and impact, the campaign will launch in

August 2025 in recognition of Overdose Awareness Month, culminating with

observances and events on International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31;

and

WHEREAS, funding for the campaign will be drawn from Dakota County’s

allocation of national opioid settlement funds; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Amended Minnesota Opioids

State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement, the authorization is for

expenditures of opioid settlement funds up to $150,000 over the period of July 1,

2025 through December 31, 2026; and

WHEREAS, the expenditure aligns with the Memorandum of Agreement’s list of

opioid remediation uses in Exhibit A, section G, subsection 1, which states the

remediation use of funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse, including

but not limited to focusing on risk factors and early interventions.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of

Commissioners hereby authorizes an allocation of up to $150,000 of opioid

settlement funds from the 2024 Non-Departmental Budget for the period of July

1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, for a countywide multimedia campaign to

increase community awareness and prevent opioid misuse in accordance with

the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy item G.1.; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners

hereby authorizes execution of a contract with a selected vendor in an amount

not to exceed $150,000 of opioid settlement funds for the period of August 1,

2025 through December 31, 2026, to lead the countywide multimedia campaign

to increase community awareness and prevent opioid misuse in accordance with

the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy item G.1., subject to

approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Community Services Director is hereby

authorized to amend said contract, consistent with the amount budgeted, to alter

the contract amount and the contract term up to one year after initial expiration

date, consistent with County contracting policies, subject to approval by the

County Attorney’s Office as to form; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the contract shall contain a provision that

allows the County to immediately terminate the contract in the event sufficient

funds from county, state, or federal sources are not appropriated at a level

sufficient to allow payment of the amounts due; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the 2025 Public Health Budget is hereby

amended as follows:

Expense

Opioid Settlement Expense $150,000

Total Expense

$150,000

Revenue

Opioid Settlement Funds

Total Revenue

$150,000

; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the 2025 Non-Departmental Budget is

hereby amended as follows:

Expense

Opioid Settlement Expense $(150,000)

Total Expense

$(150,000)

Revenue

Opioid Settlement Funds

Total Revenue

$(150,000)

This item was approved and recommended for action by the Board of

Commissioners on 6/24/2025.

Ayes: 6

Update On Contact Center/Interactive Voice Response Phone System

5.3

Nadir Abdi, Employment & Economic Assistance Director, and Matthew Tuggle,

Employment & Economic Assistance Systems Management Supervisor,

presented on this item and stood for questions. This item was on the agenda for

informational purposes only; no staff direction was given by the Committee.

Information only; no action requested.

Community Services Director's Report

Marti Fischbach, Community Services Director, referred the Committee to the written report

that was provided.

Future Agenda Items

Chair, Commissioner Laurie Halverson, asked the Committee if anyone had a topic they

would like to hear more about at an upcoming Community Services Committee of the Whole

meeting. No topics were brought forth.

Adjournment

Motion: Joe Atkins

8.1

Second: Mike Slavik

On a motion by Commissioner Joe Atkins, seconded by Commissioner Mike

Slavik, the meeting was adjourned at 2:49 p.m.

Ayes: 6

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________________

Colleen Collette, Administrative Coordinator

Community Services Division