Nicollet County approves $50,000 Habitat grant and authorizes TIBCO 'EVA' pilot to handle benefit-workload
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Summary
Health & Human Services recommended and the board approved a $50,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity to support one home and authorized a contract to pilot TIBCO’s EVA virtual assistant (one-time setup ~$35,909, 2026 annual cost ~$62,730) to reduce eligibility workload; staff said federal reimbursements of about 47–50% are expected.
Saint Peter, Minn. — The Nicollet County Board approved two Health & Human Services items: a $50,000 housing-trust grant to Habitat for Humanity for one home and authorization to enter a contract to pilot TIBCO’s EVA virtual-assistant tools to support eligibility and customer-service work.
Cassie (Health & Human Services) reminded the board that the county adopted a local housing trust fund in 2024 and that the housing advisory committee reviewed rolling proposals on Aug. 27, 2025. The committee recommended funding Habitat for Humanity’s request to cover the gap between sales price at fair market value and a homebuyer’s in‑county eligibility. Commissioner Kolarz (who serves on the housing advisory board) said committee members asked how the funds would be protected from being extracted by homeowners; he said Habitat represented it has mechanisms to keep the subsidy within the organization and that the project is a single‑family home rather than a large apartment complex. The board approved the $50,000 award on a motion and voice vote.
On staffing and service delivery, Cassie outlined pressures in the income‑maintenance team (SNAP, MFIP, TANF and Medicaid), noting a July snapshot showed 533 documents needing processing (78 new applications, 35 renewals) and a high per‑worker backlog. She described how federal policy changes (including 2025 federal reconciliation changes and anticipated 2026 Medicaid work/administration changes) will increase county administrative workload and compliance risk.
To address that, HHS asked to purchase TIBCO’s EVA (virtual assistant) suite for phone and interview automation. Cassie told the board the initial 2025 purchase (setup and prorated components) would be $35,909 and that the 2026 annual cost for EVA phone, EVA interview and EVA companion would be $62,730; she said those costs would be eligible for roughly 47–50% federal reimbursement. Cassie said EVA can provide up‑to‑date answers for eligibility workers, reduce wait times, support multiple languages and handle high call volumes — ``EVA can answer 1,000 plus phone calls at any 1 time,'' she said.
Several commissioners asked whether the system would reduce future hiring needs; Cassie said it could reduce future hiring and administrative burden in income maintenance but that onboarding and testing must be methodical. The board moved to authorize contract execution contingent on review and approval by the county attorney and the Health & Human Services director, and the motion carried.
No procurement details beyond the cooperative agreement pathway and estimated costs were finalized in the meeting; staff said they would proceed with legal and director review before final contracting.
