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Council approves community work‑crew agreement with Department of Corrections; members raise pay and hiring concerns
Summary
Minnetonka approved an agreement to host Department of Corrections institutional community work crews. Staff described the voluntary program, screening and integration with Public Works crews; councilmembers asked about wages, recidivism and hiring program participants into city jobs.
The City of Minnetonka approved an agreement April 7 to participate in the Department of Corrections Institutional Community Work Crew (ICWC) program, authorizing DOC crews to perform municipal work under DOC supervision. The council approved the consent item after a discussion about pay, screening and opportunities for crew members to secure paid city employment after release.
Public Works staff explained the program is voluntary, that crews come from correctional facilities that include Lino Lakes, Faribault and Stillwater, and that DOC screens participants before the city receives them. “The program is voluntary… the program is available within 12 months prior to a supervised release,” Manchester said. He added compensation is set by the Department of Corrections and the contract in the packet covers the crews as a unit; staff does not determine individual pay rates.
Council member Coakley asked about wages and the level of offenses among crew members and urged the city to consider fair post‑release hiring. Manchester said the DOC sets individual compensation; he also told council the program historically has had lower recidivism than comparable programs and cited a 15 percent recidivism rate over three years for this particular program. Manchester described how crews are integrated into Public Works culture, share lunchrooms and work side-by-side with city crews.
Council approved the consent agenda item authorizing the agreement; the motion was made by Council member Coakley and seconded by Council member Foster Bolton, and passed unanimously on roll call.
Why it matters: The program provides the city with labor for municipal operations and creates supervised work opportunities for people preparing for supervised release. Council discussion explored trade-offs around wages, equity and the potential for hiring program graduates into city positions.
What’s next: Staff will execute the DOC agreement and schedule DOC crews for work assignments under the terms of the contract. Council members asked staff to provide additional information about pay levels and hiring outcomes for program participants.
