Dakota County, Minnesota

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

From Award to July 31, 2021 Report
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

Dakota County, Minnesota

2021 Recovery Plan

Table of Contents

General Overview......................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................2

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................2

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................3

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................5

Labor Practices .......................................................................................................................6

Use of Evidence ......................................................................................................................6

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category...........................................................................7

Project Inventory.......................................................................................................................9

Performance Report..................................................................................................................9
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

Dakota County was organized in 1849 as a county in the State of Minnesota. It has an area of 

587 square miles, including 13 townships and 21 full and fractional incorporated municipalities. 

The 2020 population was 439,882, making it the third-most populous county in the State. It is 

one of seven counties comprising the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The county seat, Hastings, 

is located on the Mississippi River 18 miles southeast of the state capital, St. Paul.

Dakota County operates under an elected seven-member County Board, each member 

representing a district of the County. The County Board is elected on a non-partisan basis. 

County Board members serve four-year staggered terms. County Board responsibilities include 

passing ordinances, adopting the budget, and hiring the County Manager. The County Manager 

is responsible for carrying out the policies and ordinances of the County Board, overseeing the 

government’s day-to-day operations, and appointing the heads of the various divisions and 

departments.

The County provides a full range of services: public safety and law enforcement; probation 

services; tax assessment and collection; vital statistics and public records; health and human 

services; highways, parks, public works and planning; environmental management; and 

recreation and cultural services.

Dakota County was allocated $83,332,300.00. $41,666,150.00 was receipted by the County on 

June 14, 2021. As of July 31, 2021, the County Board has not approved allocations to 

programs, and therefore, the County has spent $0.00.

Uses of Funds

The Dakota County Board has been presented with State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds 

(FRF) current pandemic trends, their impact on County services, and FRF eligibility. The Dakota 

County Board has developed principles for the County’s use of FRF funds which include: 

countywide importance and impacts; lasting impact; partnership and coordination; innovation; 

avoid duplicating other programs; confidence in the ability to deliver programs and projects as 

planned; efficient administration; conform to County Fiscal Management Principles. The Board 

will pass resolutions in support of each allocation to programs and projects.

The next Board discussion on ARP funding will occur at a workshop on September 21, 2021,

where the Board will begin to consider specific spending programs, including countywide mobile 

crisis response.

Dakota County is planning other programming using other federal recovery funds: Emergency 

Rental Assistance and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD)

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME).
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Dakota County received two installments of Federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds. 

The first through the Consolidated Appropriations Act ($12.8 million - ERA1) and the second 

through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) ($10.1 million - ERA2). Dakota County is operating 

both a Tenant Access Program and a Landlord “Portfolio” Program with the ERA funds. The 

Tenant Access Program utilizes Dakota County staff to process applications. The Landlord 

Program, also known as the Zero Balance Project, is structured through a joint powers

agreement with the Counties of Dakota, Hennepin, and Ramsey and the Cities of Minneapolis 

and Saint Paul. Family Housing Fund will act as the Landlord Program Administrator. 

Additionally, Dakota County has contracted with community partners to outreach to both tenants 

and landlords to help create successful and complete applications. 

The ARP provides $5 billion to assist individuals or households who are homeless, at risk of 

homelessness and other vulnerable populations. These grant funds will be administered through

HOME.

The Dakota County HOME Consortium (comprised of Dakota, Ramsey, Washington and Anoka 

Counties, and the City of Woodbury) is one of the 651 state and local participating jurisdictions 

eligible to receive HOME-ARP grants. The Dakota County Consortium HOME-ARP allocation is 

$8,762,441, which will be distributed amongst the Consortium members via a percentage based 

on the 2021 Consortium percentages. The amount of HOME-ARP funds to be used within the 

jurisdiction of Dakota County is approximately $3.2 million.

HOME-ARP funds can be used for four eligible activities: Production or Preservation of 

Affordable Housing, Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Supportive Services, Homeless 

Prevention Services, and Housing Counseling, Purchase and Development of Non-Congregate 

Shelter. Official HOME ARP guidance has not yet been released, with an anticipated release 

date of Fall 2021. HUD-ARP funds are available for expenditure until September 2030.

Promoting Equitable Outcomes 

On August 12, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2020 Census population counts. The 

official 2020 population for Dakota County is 439,882. In Dakota County, people of color 

increased from about 18% of the population to more than 26% during the decade. In addition to 

demographic data, Dakota County has a history of monitoring community indicators and using 

data as an input into decisions. Some indicators being tracked on an ongoing basis include 

households burdened by housing costs, median household income, jobs and wages, 

unemployment and poverty, public assistance, health insurance, crime rates, and access to 

broadband. Dakota County will continue to monitor these indicators and use the information to 

assist in setting and monitoring goals and outcomes. 

Dakota County also has a history of engaging in programs and partnerships to produce 

equitable outcomes, including using data to plan for and evaluate outcomes. Examples of past 

work are included below. 

• Access to Internet: This program’s goal was to reach some of the almost 17% of the 

County’s households that lack consistent internet access. In October 2020, the library 

began lending 390 WiFi hotspots or 213 Chromebook and hotspot kits at all nine 
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

locations. WiFi hotspots have been checked out over 1,600 times by 873 unique users 

as of June 2021. The kits have been checked out 1,013 times to 634 unique users 

during the same period. A follow-up survey to those individuals who used a device 

showed that 62% of respondents reported annual income below $25,000, and 38% of 

respondents identified as BIPOC. 

• Community Partnerships: People of color are affected by the COVID-19 virus and 

related economic challenges at a higher rate. Dakota County is partnering with 

community organizations to provide important information and resources to communities 

of color, with a focus on Black and Latino residents. COVID-19 materials have been 

shared through virtual meetings, social media, one-on-one meetings with social workers 

and visits to stores, neighborhoods and other community locations. 

• Housing: To ensure we are reaching people most in need with federal funds, we have 

examined who is most likely to be impacted by COVID both economically and health. 

After looking at a variety of factors, including pre-COVID job, poverty level, race, and 

household size, we determined that single-parent households headed by a female who 

is also non-white are most likely to lose their housing due to COVID. We use this 

information to target our outreach and marketing to households that have these qualities. 

We also use this information to review whom we have served with federal dollars to see 

if we are reaching these households in significant numbers. We also look at zip code 

data and match this data against the above demographics to determine if additional 

outreach is needed in particular geographic areas. 

• COVID-19 Testing: Dakota County Public Health partnered with Dakota Child and 

Family Clinic to offer free, no documentation required COVID-19 testing to community 

members. The testing clinic was one of the first of its kind in the state and has had 

positive outcomes. 33% of people who made appointments for testing didn’t have 

insurance, likely making them ineligible at other sites. 8.5% of people who made 

appointments for testing were Black, 20% were Hispanic, and 7% were Asian. Over 

9,710 people have been tested to date. The partnership is ongoing.

• COVID-19 Vaccinations: Dakota County Public Health has committed to providing free 

vaccines to underserved communities, especially people of color and people with low 

socioeconomic status. 68% of people vaccinated at our mobile clinics have been people 

of color. Public Health offers translation services at all clinics through onsite translators 

and video translation services. Similar to testing, all vaccinations do not require 

insurance or documentation from those receiving the vaccine. 

• COVID-19 Outreach: Dakota County Public Health promoted health and safety 

information through various county and community channels. Digital and physical 

materials (including videos, posters, FAQs, and web pages) were developed and 

translated into Spanish and other languages to reach diverse audiences. Public Health 

has teamed up with Spanish radio stations, African community organizations, and other 

partners to reach historically underserved communities. Public Health staff have also 

joined community forums to share updated COVID-19 guidance, data, and 

tested/approved messages. Dakota County continues to participate in these efforts.

Dakota County will build on this strong foundation of data use and partnerships to work with the 

Dakota County Board of Commissioners to make decisions on funding priorities along with 

associated goals, awareness, access, and outcomes. 
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

• Goals: Building on the success of previous programs, Dakota County will continue to 

use data and input from the community to identify underserved, marginalized, and 

adversely affected groups that could be served by FRF funds. 

• Awareness: Dakota County uses multiple communication channels to provide 

information to residents. This includes public meetings/open houses, social media, 

surveys, and partnerships. These methods will continue to be evaluated on an ongoing 

basis, including a question on the statistically valid residential survey regarding 

residents’ preferred method of receiving information from the County. The next 

residential survey will be conducted in 2022.

• Access and Distribution: Dakota County will continue to use data to understand the 

differences in levels of access to benefits and services as well as any administrative 

requirements that may impact diverse groups. 

• Outcomes: Dakota County is currently forming an evaluation and reporting team. The 

purpose of this team will be to discuss and plan for the evaluation of funded projects, 

coordinate data collection, and share results. Where relevant for the policy objective, 

data will be collected and disaggregated by various equity dimensions to help 

understand the impact of outcomes on economically disadvantaged residents and those 

disproportionately impacted by COVID. 

Planning for projects will include consideration and design for equitable impacts. This will 

include tracking of projects in the Expenditure Categories of Negative Economic Impacts (EC2) 

and Services to Disproportionally Impacted Communities (EC3).

Community Engagement 

Dakota County has a history of community engagement using multiple methods to provide 

information and capture feedback from constituents, community-based organizations, and the 

communities we serve. Examples of ongoing community engagement strategies are included 

below. Dakota County staff will continue to utilize and build on these strategies as they work 

with the Dakota County Board of Commissioners to make decisions on funding priorities.

• Partnerships: Dakota County works with numerous partners on community 

engagement. These partnerships continue to evolve. One example is the community 

partnership noted in a previous section of this report. Dakota County is partnering with 

community organizations to provide important information and resources to communities 

of color, with a focus on Black and Latino residents. COVID-19 materials – translated in 

several languages - have been shared through virtual meetings, social media outlets, 

one-on-one meetings with social workers and visits to stores, neighborhoods and other 

community locations.

• Public Meetings/Forums/Open Houses: Dakota County often holds meetings – both 

virtual and in-person – with local residents to collect feedback for specific projects.

• Social Media: Dakota County has a presence on social media, including Facebook, 

Twitter, NextDoor, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

• Website: The Dakota County website provides an opportunity to both share information 

and receive feedback or questions. The website receives more than 4 million visits (8.5 

million page views) per year. 
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

• Residential Survey: In addition to numerous program-specific surveys, Dakota County 

completes a random sample mailed survey to residents every three years. The next 

residential survey will be conducted in 2022.

Labor Practices 

Dakota County complies with Minnesota law and Dakota County policy regarding seeking 

competitive bids and quotes. Dakota County in all requests for proposals, requests for bids, and 

contracts includes language requiring contractors to comply with all laws, including the Fair 

Labor Standards Act and other labor laws. Furthermore, the Dakota County Board has adopted 

a resolution requiring all construction contracts over $25,000 to include language requiring 

contractors to comply with prevailing wage requirements. Dakota County’s standard contract 

assurances (which are part of all contracts) include language specifically relating to prevailing 

wage compliance. Finally, Dakota County requires contractors to post prevailing wage 

information at job sites.

Use of Evidence 

Dakota County has a strategic plan with four goals:

• A great place to live: Dakota County strives to be a welcoming place where all people 

are safe, have opportunities to thrive, and enjoy a high lifelong quality of life.

• A healthy environment with quality natural areas: Dakota County protects and 

maintains natural resources for the health and enjoyment of current and future residents.

• A successful place for business and jobs: Dakota County fosters business and 

employment success through modern infrastructure, low taxes, and a prepared, 

connected workforce. 

• Excellence in public service: Dakota County demonstrates stewardship of human and 

financial resources, communicates and engages with the public, and innovates and 

collaborates to provide excellent service.

Dakota County uses Results Based Accountability as part of an established measurement 

framework. This includes a set of community indicators that are evaluated on an ongoing basis 

to provide data at the population accountability level. All programs and services in the County 

provide data at the performance accountability level by providing information on how much they 

are doing, how well they are doing it, and program impact. This information is included each 

year as part of the annual budget process.

The County has established a funding team that is working with the Dakota County Board of 

Commissioners on planning for the use of FRF funds. In addition, an evaluation and reporting 

team is also being established to discuss and plan for the evaluation of funded projects, 

coordinate data collection, and share results. Where relevant for the policy objective, data will 

be collected and disaggregated by equity dimensions to help understand the impact of 

outcomes. For shared awareness, information on goals and outcomes will be shared among

teams working on implementing and evaluating funded programs.
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination $0.00

1.2 COVID-19 Testing $0.00

1.3 COVID-19 Contact Tracing $0.00

1.4

Prevention in Congregate Settings (Nursing 

Homes, Prisons/Jails, Dense Work Sites, 

Schools, etc.)

$0.00

1.5 Personal Protective Equipment $0.00

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care 

Facilities) $0.00

1.7

Capital Investments or Physical Plant Changes 

to Public Facilities that respond to the COVID19 public health emergency$0.00

1.8

Other COVID-19 Public Health Expenses 

(including Communications, Enforcement, 

Isolation/Quarantine)

$0.00

1.9

Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and 

Other Public Sector Staff Responding to 

COVID-19

$0.00

1.10 Mental Health Services $0.00

1.11 Substance Use Services $0.00

1.12 Other Public Health Services $0.00

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic 

Impacts

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs $0.00

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and 

Utility Aid $0.00

2.3 Household Assistance: Cash Transfers $0.00

2.4 Household Assistance: Internet Access 

Programs $0.00

2.5 Household Assistance: Eviction Prevention $0.00

2.6 Unemployment Benefits or Cash Assistance to 

Unemployed Workers $0.00

2.7

Job Training Assistance (e.g., Sectoral jobtraining, Subsidized Employment, Employment 

Supports or Incentives)

$0.00

2.8 Contributions to UI Trust Funds* $0.00

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) $0.00

2.10 Aid to nonprofit organizations $0.00

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality $0.00

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries $0.00

2.13 Other Economic Support $0.00
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 8

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

2.14 Rehiring Public Sector Staff $0.00

3 Expenditure Category: Services to 

Disproportionately Impacted Communities

3.1 Education Assistance: Early Learning $0.00

3.2 Education Assistance: Aid to High-Poverty 

Districts $0.00

3.3 Education Assistance: Academic Services $0.00

3.4 Education Assistance: Social, Emotional, and 

Mental Health Services $0.00

3.5 Education Assistance: Other $0.00

3.6 Healthy Childhood Environments: Child Care $0.00

3.7 Healthy Childhood Environments: Home Visiting $0.00

3.8

Healthy Childhood Environments: Services to 

Foster Youth or Families Involved in Child 

Welfare System 

$0.00

3.9. Healthy Childhood Environments: Other $0.00

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing $0.00

3.11 Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

persons $0.00

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance $0.00

3.13 Social Determinants of Health: Other $0.00

3.14 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Health Workers or Benefits Navigators $0.00

3.15 Social Determinants of Health: Lead 

Remediation $0.00

3.16 Social Determinants of Health: Community 

Violence Interventions $0.00

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay

4.1 Public Sector Employees $0.00

4.2 Private Sector: Grants to other employers $0.00

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

5.1 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater treatment $0.00

5.2 Clean Water: Centralized wastewater collection 

and conveyance $0.00

5.3 Clean Water: Decentralized wastewater $0.00

5.4 Clean Water: Combined sewer overflows $0.00

5.5 Clean Water: Other sewer infrastructure $0.00

5.6 Clean Water: Stormwater $0.00

5.7 Clean Water: Energy conservation $0.00

5.8 Clean Water: Water conservation $0.00

5.9 Clean Water: Nonpoint source $0.00

5.10 Drinking water: Treatment $0.00
Dakota County 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 9

Category Cumulative 

expenditures to 

date ($)

Amount spent 

since last 

Recovery Plan

5.11 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution $0.00

5.12 Drinking water: Transmission & distribution: 

lead remediation $0.00

5.13 Drinking water: Source $0.00

5.14 Drinking water: Storage $0.00

5.15 Drinking water: Other water infrastructure $0.00

5.16 Broadband: “Last Mile” projects $0.00

5.17 Broadband: Other projects $0.00

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue 

Replacement

6.1 Provision of Government Services $0.00

7 Administrative and Other

7.1 Administrative Expenses $0.00

7.2 Evaluation and data analysis $0.00

7.3 Transfers to Other Units of Government $0.00

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units 

(States and Territories only) $0.00

Project Inventory 

At this time, no projects have been undertaken.

Performance Report

Goals, measures, outputs, and outcomes will be prepared during project development and 

tracked as the projects are implemented. No projects have been started.