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After split vote, Cottonwood County divides Statewide Affordable Housing Aid with contingency for Mountain Lake project
Summary
Following presentations from Rebuilding Together Minnesota and Mountain Lake EDA, the board initially defeated one funding split then approved a revised allocation: UCAP $38,000, Rebuilding Together Minnesota $25,448, and Mountain Lake EDA $25,000 contingent on receiving a Minnesota Housing Finance Agency grant.
The Cottonwood County Board of Commissioners debated how to allocate 2023 Statewide Affordable Housing Aid at its April 16 meeting and approved a divided funding plan after an initial proposal failed.
Chairman Norman Holmen proposed a split that would have given UCAP $38,000, Rebuilding Together Minnesota $30,448 and Mountain Lake EDA $20,000 contingent on the Mountain Lake project securing a Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) grant. That proposal failed on a 1–4 vote with Commissioner Larry Anderson the only member voting aye and Commissioners Tom Appel, Kevin Stevens, Donna Gravley and Norm Holmen voting no.
The board then approved a revised allocation, by unanimous vote, to split the funds as follows: UCAP — $38,000; Rebuilding Together Minnesota — $25,448; Mountain Lake EDA — $25,000, with the Mountain Lake award explicitly contingent upon the Mountain Lake EDA receiving a grant from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.
Earlier in the meeting, representatives from Rebuilding Together Minnesota (Kim Peterson and Kathy Greiner) described the nonprofit’s work in Cottonwood County and how it would use the funds. Rod Hamilton of the Mountain Lake EDA told the board the EDA is working with a private developer on a 12-unit apartment project in downtown Mountain Lake and is applying to MHFA for grant assistance; the board conditioned county funding on that outside grant being awarded.
The board also approved Resolution 24-04-16B authorizing funds toward the City of Mountain Lake Workforce Housing Development Program project contingent on the Mountain Lake EDA receiving MHFA grant funds. The resolution is on file in the County Coordinator’s office.
