The Bloomington City Council on Oct. 27 unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing targeted budget adjustments to support local food providers and to purchase infant formula if federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or WIC benefits lapse because of the federal government shutdown. The motion passed 7–0.

City Manager Walker described the action as contingency planning: "I don't think any of us on staff wanna make this a routine practice, but what we're dealing with is certainly not in the realm of of routine," he told the council. Staff said they would treat local funding as a last resort and would seek reimbursement from federal sources if funding is later restored and if federal rules are followed.

Staff presented local and county-level figures to show the potential scale of demand: Hennepin County serves about 110,000 SNAP recipients (roughly $200 million annually), including about 5,200 residents in Bloomington. In the tri‑city WIC service area (Bloomington, Edina and Richfield) staff reported about 3,100 WIC clients so far this year — about $125,000 in food support to local grocery stores monthly, or nearly $2 million annually. Public health staff said about 138 infants are on formula in the WIC program this year, including more than 50 who rely on specialized formula for medical reasons; staff said those families would face urgent need if WIC purchasing stopped.

Dr. Kelly, representing the public health division, told the council the immediate priority would be ensuring infants and babies have formula: "But our focus is on formula," he said, adding staff will coordinate with partners to mitigate other food needs. City staff also described planned steps to avoid duplication of services and to prepare procurement and distribution mechanisms with trusted community partners.

Council members from multiple districts praised the rapid staff work to prepare contingency plans and asked that any local grants or vendor lists be carefully vetted to limit fraud. Council member D'Alessandro said the city should use trusted local partners for distribution. Council member Nelson disclosed his board position on one local food provider and recused himself from votes that would allocate funding directly to that organization if such allocations arise in the future; he supported the resolution as written.

The resolution does not set a dollar amount; staff said the resolution would authorize adjustments within the city's fund balance and that any use of local funds would be tracked and reported back to council. The council also instructed staff to coordinate communications with Hennepin County, the Minnesota Department of Health and local nonprofit partners to reach immigrant and low‑income families.

Ending: Staff will return to the council with updates on fund usage and community impact if funds are drawn; the council emphasized the preference to rely on state or federal funds first and use local funds only as a short‑term, emergency measure.