Hennepin County Board 09.29.2026

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and Regional Rail Authority met September 29, 2026. The County Board approved an amendment extending agreements with five county correctional facilities to house detainees, with a combined not-to-exceed amount of approximately $10.2 million—reduced from the previously proposed roughly $12.06 million. The Board added a requirement that the funds be used only for those detention-placement needs. It also approved a 2027 maximum property-tax levy and proposed budget amid discussion of state and federal funding reductions. The Board awarded Donlar Construction a $1.21 million contract for Juvenile Detention Center day-room safety upgrades. Donlar was selected through a best-value process from five proposals; the work includes secure storage, cabinet and fixture replacements, and staff-workstation improvements. Commissioners approved the award while also calling for broader discussion of future investment in the aging facility.

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved its 2027 maximum levy of $22,186,537 and proposed budget of $39.3 million, with no change in the levy from 2026. The budget increases by about $13.5 million, primarily through local affordable housing aid sales-tax funding, and supports housing production and preservation, homeownership, and small-business programs. The Regional Rail Authority also approved a proposed 2027 budget with a flat levy, describing investments in rail corridors, bridges, trails, tree planting, and Green Line and Blue Line extension work. It approved a five-year lease with Sky Ridge II LLC for 14,400 square feet in Minnetonka; the transcript reports approximately $81,800 in receivables. Other actions included proclamations and routine approvals; no additional procurement awards were identified.