Sponsor: Community & Economic Development
Title
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Environmental Response Fund Grant Awards
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the selection of JB Vang to receive Environmental Response Funds.
2. Authorize the award of Environmental Response Funds to the following project:
a. JB Vang, Hamm’s West End Development - $250,000
3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into necessary grant, loan or other agreements and execute amendments to those agreements in a form approved by the County Attorney’s Office.
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Background and Rationale
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In 1997, the Minnesota Legislature enacted Minnesota Statutes Section 383A.80 enabling Ramsey County to impose a mortgage registry and deed taxes equal to .0001 percent of the value of transferred properties in Ramsey County to establish an environmental response fund. In December 2002, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners imposed these taxes for the express purpose of creating a fund to mitigate contamination and foster redevelopment. In May 2026, the Minnesota State legislature passed the Taxes Omnibus Bill (HF2438), which included the extension of these taxes for both Ramsey and Hennepin Counties from the previously sunset date of January 1, 2028 to January 1, 2036.
Applications for Environmental Response Fund (ERF) program funding are accepted on May 1st and November 1st of each year in coordination with similar redevelopment and clean-up programs administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County.
Three eligible ERF applications for funding assistance were submitted for consideration in May 2026 totaling $1,150,000 in funding requests. Submissions were evaluated based on the degree of soil contamination clean-up, financing gap, developer capacity, project readiness, environmental justice impact and short and long-term benefits to the community. Projects are also evaluated on their ability to address the following Ramsey County goals:
• Strengthening individual, family and community health, safety and well-being.
• Cultivating economic prosperity and investing in neighborhoods with concentrated financial poverty.
• Enhancing access to opportunity and mobility for all residents and businesses.
The review committee recommends an award to one project for a total ERF funding amount of $250,000. This award comes with the express condition that funding may be withdrawn if not spent within 18 months of approval.
This grant award will support the creation of 70 units of affordable housing and approximately 10 new jobs. For project details, see attached project description.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Environmental Response Fund was established to improve the quality of land through environmental remediation and support increased utilization of land for the creation of housing, jobs and economic development. Racial and ethnic communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and are far more likely to live in areas with heavy pollution. Priority in ERF funding is given to projects located in Environmental Justice Areas. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency incorporates these factors into their definition of Environmental Justice Areas, which they define as areas where at least 40% of the population are people of color, at least 35% of households have income below 200% of the federal poverty level, at least 40% of the population has limited proficiency in English, or sites that are located in Indian County.
This recommended project award will address the historic legacies of pollution on 3 acres of land in an Environmental Justice Area. For more details on project-specific racial equity impacts, see attached project description.
Community Participation Level and Impact
To publicize the availability of ERF funds, Community and Economic Development participates in regular information sessions, both in-person and virtual, with the other brownfield grant programs at DEED and Metropolitan Council, as well as through regular economic development summits with community partners. Applicants demonstrate community support for ERF project applications via either a letter of support or a city council resolution.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
There are $423,608 of uncommitted funds available in the current ERF budget. Total ERF awards recommended in this Request for Board Action are $250,000. The resulting uncommitted fund balance after ERF awards will be $173,608.
Last Previous Action
On January 13, 2026, the Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved $900,000 in Environmental Response Funds for the November 2025 round of funding (Resolution H2026-005).
Attachments
1. Environmental Response Fund May 2026 Recommendations