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Your civic brief · Updated July 30

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Monday, May 18, 2026 · 3 topics, explained in plain English

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Meeting topics · 3

Housing & Redevelopment AuthorityItem 7.aOutcome pending

License Agreement with McNamara Contracting, Inc. for 7700 Pillsbury Avenue South

The HRA considered a License Agreement allowing McNamara Contracting, Inc. to use HRA-owned land at 7700 Pillsbury Avenue South as a construction office, laboratory trailer, and staging/parking area for the Nicollet Avenue reconstruction project, which closes Nicollet Avenue to through traffic between 70th and 77th Streets starting June 1, 2026. The agreement runs through November 30, 2027, charges no license fee, and requires the contractor to restore the site and carry at least $2,000,000 in liability insurance naming the HRA as an additional insured.

recorded in the approved minutes — tally not yet extracted here

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Key figure: $0No license fee charged to McNamara Contracting for use of the property

Potential benefit

Allowing the contractor to stage on vacant HRA land keeps the county-led Nicollet Avenue reconstruction on schedule without added city cost.

Concern to consider

Nearby residents and drivers will see construction activity and equipment on the site and a full closure of Nicollet Avenue between 70th and 77th Streets starting June 1, 2026.

What happens next: If approved, the Contractor can move a construction office and lab trailer onto the site ahead of the June 1, 2026 project start; the HRA retains the right to terminate the agreement with 60 days' notice.

Sources: Housing & Redevelopment Authority supplement (city portal)

Housing & Redevelopment AuthorityItem 11.aOutcome pending

Memorandum of Understanding with Hennepin County for Bring It Home Schools to Housing Voucher Set-Aside

The HRA considered an MOU with Hennepin County to set aside 12 Bring It Home (BIH) rental assistance vouchers for Richfield Public Schools families facing housing instability, combining rental assistance with up to 12 months of County case management through the School to Housing program. The HRA was awarded $1,004,264 from Minnesota Housing to run BIH for up to 42 families through December 31, 2027, with BIH-SH referrals starting June 1, 2026 and the general BIH waiting list opening June 9-16, 2026.

recorded in the approved minutes — tally not yet extracted here

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Key figure: $1,004,264Minnesota Housing grant awarded to the HRA to operate the Bring It Home program, covering start-up costs, rental assistance for up to 42 families, and administrative costs through December 31, 2027

Potential benefit

The MOU directs new state rental assistance funding toward Richfield families with children who are homeless or housing-insecure, pairing it with a year of case management to help them stay housed and in school.

Concern to consider

Only 12 of the program's vouchers are reserved for this partnership, and eligibility is limited to households earning 50% of Area Median Income or less who are already Richfield renters or intend to move there.

What happens next: If approved, Hennepin County will begin accepting BIH-SH referrals from Richfield Public Schools on June 1, 2026, the general BIH waiting list opens June 9 with applications due by 4:00 p.m. on June 16, 2026, and staff aim to issue vouchers by the end of summer 2026.

Sources: Housing & Redevelopment Authority supplement (city portal)

Economic Development AuthorityItem 10aApproved

Transformation Loan Program Guideline Revisions and $17,500 Additional Funding Resolution

The EDA considered revised guidelines for the Transformation Loan Program, which gives Richfield homeowners no-interest, forgivable loans of up to $25,000 for major remodeling projects over $50,000. The revisions add income limits (at or below 200%-250% of Area Median Income), a home-value cap of $402,000 (120% of the $335,689 median assessed value, covering about 91% of homes), project-cost caps, a defined December-January application period, and formal scoring criteria favoring accessibility, energy-efficiency, ADU, and duplex-conversion projects. A companion resolution authorized an added $17,500 in EDA General Fund levy dollars, raising the 2026 program budget from $140,000 to $157,500 so the final 2026 applicant's aging-in-place accessibility remodel can be fully funded and completed this year.

per the meeting record — vote tally not extracted

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Key figure: $17,500Additional EDA General Fund levy dollars authorized for the 2026 Transformation Loan Program, raising the total 2026 budget from $140,000 to $157,500.

Potential benefit

The updated guidelines target the $25,000 loan incentive toward lower- and moderate-income homeowners and homes most in need of accessibility or energy upgrades, and the extra $17,500 lets a pending aging-in-place project finish in 2026.

Concern to consider

New income limits (up to 200%-250% AMI) and a $402,000 property value cap mean some higher-income or higher-valued Richfield households will no longer qualify for the loan.

What happens next: If adopted, the revised guidelines take effect for future funding cycles and staff will use the additional $17,500 to disburse the full loan to the remaining approved 2026 applicant; staff will also begin planning outreach and application materials for the 2027 Transformation Loan cycle.

Sources: Economic Development Authority supplement (city portal)

Routine procedure · 2 items
  • Item 5.aApproval of Minutes: April 20, 2026 Joint HRA/Council Work Session and Regular HRA Meeting · record
  • Item 5aApproval of the April 20, 2026 EDA Meeting Minutes · record

Meeting housekeeping — approving agendas and past minutes. Always available, never the headline.