Community Health Board ratifies $800,000 state public health infrastructure grant, approves LOI for cannabis/substance-use funding
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Summary
The county's Community Health Board ratified an $800,000 Minnesota public health infrastructure grant (two-year disbursement of $400,000 annually) to support regional community health assessment and improvement planning and authorized a letter of intent to renew state cannabis and substance-use prevention funding.
The Benton County Community Health Board ratified a Minnesota public health state infrastructure grant award that the board said will provide $800,000 total (noted as $400,000 per year) for work with the Central Minnesota Alliance and partner agencies to strengthen regional community health assessment and community health improvement planning.
Board members said the funding will be used initially to formalize the Central Minnesota Alliance governance (working with the county attorney nd partners) and later to support hiring a program manager and a data analyst for regional public-health work. The state selected the county pplication in part because the county works collaboratively with local health systems (CentraCare) and other regional partners.
Separately, the Community Health Board authorized submission of a letter of intent by July 15 to indicate the county's intent to renew participation in state cannabis and substance-use prevention funding. The county's current award for that program was stated in the meeting as approximately $106,076; the state will determine final amounts and whether annual intent submissions are required for multi-year funding.
Why it matters
The infrastructure grant provides funding to formalize a regional governance approach and to pay for staff and data support to carry out the federally and state-required community health assessment and resulting improvement plan. Renewal of the cannabis and substance-use prevention funding will let Benton County continue local prevention programming under state grant rules.
Board action and next steps
The board ratified the infrastructure contract and approved the LOI for the cannabis/substance-use funding. Staff will work with the county attorney and regional partners to develop formal agreements (memorandum of understanding or other structures) and will proceed to recruit or contract for program and data positions once governance agreements are in place.
