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Public Works committee approves organics drop-off, signal-pole purchases and tree grants
Summary
The Public Works committee approved a block of infrastructure and environmental items: an organics drop-off grant for Brooklyn Center, a contract for traffic-signal poles, multimodal safety funding on Cass County projects, Good Steward natural-resources grants and Healthy Tree Canopy grants across cities and nonprofits.
Hennepin County's Public Works committee approved a range of infrastructure and environment measures, including a $15,000 organics drop-off grant for Brooklyn Center, a contract to purchase traffic signal poles with an estimated county cost of roughly $2 million, several MnDOT and partner agreements for bridge and multimodal safety improvements, Good Steward natural-resource grants, and Healthy Tree Canopy grants totaling $332,731 in awards.
Organics and recycling: Ben Knudson of Environment and Energy said the $15,000 grant to the Hennepin Recycling Group will fund an organics drop-off site at Brooklyn Center City Hall, next to Centennial Park and the Crest Apartments, which house more than 100 affordable units. He said the site will serve residents who lack building-level organics collection. "It's available for people who don't have access to the city program," Knudson said.
Signal poles and roadway projects: The committee authorized a contract with Miller Bend Manufacturing Co. to purchase traffic signal poles for maintenance replacements (estimated county cost $2,000,000); approved acceptance of an $82,000 local-bridge grant from MnDOT for Bridge No. 91131 on County Road 10; and approved agreements for Cass/County 66 multimodal safety improvements with 3 Rivers Park District and MnDOT federal force-account funds that increase county funding for the project.
Natural-resources and trees: The committee authorized Good Steward grants (total not-to-exceed about $61,442 in that action, with additional administrative awards to reach approximately $230,000 of recommended grants) to cities and community groups to preserve natural resources and improve water quality. Karen Gallus of Environment and Energy said the county received 35 applications requesting nearly $500,000 and recommended 13 projects for roughly $230,000 in funding. The committee also approved Healthy Tree Canopy grants totaling $332,731 for a mix of cities, nonprofits and school districts, with an additional $167,269 planned to be awarded administratively. Dustin Ellis said the county's long-term goal is to plant 1,000,000 trees by 2030 and that the county will be at about 576,000 trees by the end of the year.
Why it matters: The actions combine capital maintenance, multimodal safety, urban forestry and organics access work. Commissioners emphasized the importance of multifamily access to organics collection, the need for local sorting infrastructure to support broader waste-diversion goals, and the regional benefits of trail and multimodal safety improvements.
Next steps: The approved contracts and grants will move to execution by Public Works and Environment and Energy staff; staff offered to follow up with construction timelines for the Bassett Creek Regional Trail-related work.
