More affordable housing funds available in Brainerd – Brainerd Dispatch

BRAINERD — The city of Brainerd has more than $100,000 worth of funds available for affordable housing projects.

City Council members agreed during their meeting Monday, Dec. 16, to authorize staff to advertise for the city’s 2024 Statewide Affordable Housing Aid money. The money from the state government is aimed at helping counties, tribal governments and other local governments in Greater Minnesota develop and preserve affordable housing within their jurisdiction.

The city received $96,242 in December 2023. After receiving two proposals for the funds, the council

allocated $88,000 to Habitat for Humanity

in August to build single-family homes for local families in need.

The city now has the remaining $8,242 from 2023 along with an additional $96,242 for 2024 to allocate throughout the community. Entities requesting the funds must reside within Brainerd city limits.

Qualifying projects include emergency rental assistance programs, financial support to nonprofit housing providers and construction or rehabilitation financing.

The proposal period will close Jan. 24, and the City Council is expected to award funds during its meeting Feb. 3. Proposals should be sent to Community Development Director James Kramvik either electronically at

[email protected]

or at City Hall.

In other business Monday, the council:

Ratified the hiring of Kayla Huether as recreation specialist, effective Dec. 30, earning $32.22 per hour on Step 2 of the city’s wage grid.

Approved the promotion of Toni Gage to administrative assistant, effective Dec. 17, earning $28.08 per hour on Step 2 of the city’s wage grid.

Ratified the hiring of paid on-call firefighters Jason Dann, Isaiah Macejkovic, Patrick Nelson and Nathan Sievert, effective Jan. 1, earning the trainee firefighter rate of $11.05 per hour.

Approved a shared service agreement with the Economic Development Authority in the amount of $17,000.

Awarded a bid of ash tree removal to Toenyan Tree Service LLC at a cost of $8,500 for 14 ash trees in poor condition in south and southeast Brainerd.

Gave support for grant applications for the Highway 210 and Lum Park pedestrian bridge project and for the Oak Street reconstruction project.

Authorized the Public Utilities Department to reject all bids for the water reclamation tank and backwash project, as the project was budgeted at $6.5 million, and the lowest bid received was over $10.3 million. BPU will explore additional options.

Approved plans for the roundabout project at Willow and South Sixth streets, and authorized the use of eminent domain if needed to acquire land easements.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at

[email protected]

or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa

.

Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and area education, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College.