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County approves amendment to DEED childcare grant; EDA to pursue Hinkley property purchase
Summary
County Economic Development Coordinator Leslie Sauter updated the board on a multi‑year childcare project funded in part by Minnesota DEED; the board approved an amendment that reallocates grant funds across sites, updates a Hinkley site address and enables the EDA's purchase option for a candidate property.
Leslie Sauter, Pine County economic development coordinator, summarized a multi‑year effort to expand child care capacity in Pine County that began with a 2021 supply‑and‑demand study and moved through strategic planning and site selection. Sauter said First Children’s Finance and Pine Technical & Community College partnered on planning; the county and Pine Tech jointly applied for DEED childcare funding and received a roughly $500,000 award in July 2024.
Sauter said project conditions and bids required adjustments. The originally identified site at 504 Weber Avenue (a proposed business incubator) removed childcare from its scope after bids exceeded available grant funds; a Finlayson site likewise did not move forward with the school board. The county reallocated funds and shifted the Finlayson allocation to a Willow River site and identified a separate Hinkley property at 302 Fire Monument Road as the likely child‑care site. She said the HRA/EDA approved use of EDA investment dollars to purchase the Fire Monument Road property and that DEED approved the requested amendment to the grant to reflect the address and fund reallocation.
Sauter described the practical changes in the amendment: no change to total grant slots but a reallocation of slots among the three county sites (Pine City, Willow River and Hinkley) and some budget reshuffling to prioritize equipment, supplies and contractual services (rather than staffing) because of the June grant expiration. She told commissioners the county planned to put the Hinkley project out for bid and noted bids will determine whether the budgeted amounts are sufficient or whether another amendment will be necessary.
Commission discussion covered alternate buildings in Hinkley, the possibility of a school district‑run site, and timing; commissioners asked Sauter to continue outreach to local partners. A motion to approve the described amendment as presented was made, seconded and approved by a voice vote; the board also directed staff to continue coordinating with potential partners and to pursue additional amendments if needed as bids and partner proposals evolve.
The board’s action authorized the county’s DEED grant amendment to change the Hinkley site address, reallocate funds among the approved sites and continue the county’s project work, including the EDA’s planned property purchase subject to due diligence and the outcome of construction bids.
