Committee reviews $2 million state contribution for Salvation Army disaster warehouse

Senators on the Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee on April 2 heard testimony on Senate File 3023, a bill that would provide $2,000,000 — described by the author as roughly 25% of the project cost — to support a Salvation Army-led disaster services warehouse intended to serve communities across Minnesota.

Senator Irene Jeong, author of the bill, told the committee the A1 author’s amendment reduces the state's share to $2 million or 25% and gives the Salvation Army more flexibility to retrofit an existing industrial warehouse rather than build new. “The amendment ... would lower the state's share of the project to only $2,000,000 or 25% of the project costs and give more flexibility to Salvation Army to retrofit an existing, industrial size warehouse,” Jeong said.

The bill would support a planned 38,000-square-foot disaster services warehouse with a commercial kitchen that the sponsors say could prepare 9,000 meals per day. Lieutenant Colonel Randall Posley, divisional commander for the Salvation Army’s Northern Division, said the organization pivoted from new construction to retrofitting an existing Roseville site because of construction costs and that roughly $2,000,000 in nonstate funds has already been raised toward the project. “With the bill revision, the request is ... $2,000,000 or approximately 25% of the anticipated cost, which will be raised with non-state of Minnesota funds. And in fact, $2,000,000 has been raised in that regard towards that project,” Posley said.

Dorothy Maples, director of Emergency Disaster Services for the Salvation Army and vice president of Minnesota VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), said a central warehouse would speed deliveries to vulnerable communities after disasters and provide space for coordination and training among voluntary organizations. “One benefit ... is a place not only for the Salvation Army but for all those organizations to be able to come in, do trainings, to collaborate after a disaster,” Maples testified.

Committee members asked operational and oversight questions. Senator Mark Westrom asked what the Salvation Army currently uses and where the warehouse would be located; witnesses identified the prospective site as Roseville and described current operations that use mobile canteens and multiple commercial kitchens across the metro area. Senator Roger Limmer asked whether bonding could pay for the project; Senator David Pat (responding from the committee) noted bonding is available only to public entities and not to private nonprofits unless cash is otherwise available.

Senator Pam Howell asked who would administer the grant; the bill text indicates the Department of Public Safety would administer the grant, and Howell asked whether administrative costs are specified in the bill. Senator Jeong said the committee would research what administrative percentage the department might take and report back. The committee did not adopt final funding language; members laid Senate File 3023 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus.

The bill’s supporters emphasized the warehouse’s intended statewide role in faster meal production, refrigerated storage, and indoor parking for response vehicles to improve winter response times. Supporters framed the project as a public–private partnership in which private fundraising would cover the remainder of the cost.

Senate File 3023 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill; committee staff said they would provide follow-up on administrative-cost treatment by the Department of Public Safety.

Speakers quoted in this article are limited to those who testified before the committee on this bill.