Hennepin County seeks stimulus dough to fight fat

Hennepin County wants $10 million from the federal government to change its citizens' nutrition and exercise behavior.

By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE, Star Tribune

Last update: October 24, 2009 - 11:47 PM

Hennepin County has been highly successful in winning federal stimulus money, receiving $40 million for a dozen projects such as rebuilding the Lowry Avenue Bridge, adding crime lab scientists to process DNA and retraining laid-off workers for new jobs.

Now the county is hoping for federal money to stem the tide of burger joints and to subsidize bike helmets and sneakers for commuters.

As part of its campaign to fight obesity, the board last week directed staffers to seek $10 million in stimulus money from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve nutrition and encourage biking and walking in the suburbs.

Most of the grant would be used to increase bike lanes and add trail signs, improve traffic safety for all transit modes, and start a media campaign to promote mass transit, walking and biking in the spirit of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield "Do" ads.

But the county also is pledging to work "on ordinances to increase density of grocery stores and community gardens, and decrease access to fast food."

And it would set aside $2.7 million for "commuter incentives," providing subsidies for bikes, helmets, shoes and transit passes for commuters.

"All of this is expanding the work that we've already been doing with Active Living and Complete Streets," two related county initiatives aimed at designing roads to promote healthier lifestyles, project manager Karen Nikolai told the board.

Commissioners voted 6-1 to proceed with the funding application. But two of them raised questions about using federal dollars at a time of record-setting deficits to try to change the bad habits of suburban couch potatoes.

"It's really the fact that it's stimulus money that's being paid for long-term, that will buy bicycle shoes or walking shoes. It just seems philosophically kind of a hard swallow for me," said Commissioner Jan Callison, who nevertheless voted to approve the request after Nikolai promised to address her concerns.

The lone nay vote came from Commissioner Jeff Johnson, a fiscal hard-liner who singled out the subsidized gear and dismissal of the fast-food industry as particularly galling reasons to oppose the funding request.

"We just don't belong there, in my opinion," Johnson said. "I guess at the very least I know what my kids will be paying for in 30 years when we're paying back the bill on this stimulus bill."

'A catalytic investment'

The money sought by the county is part of a $373 million grant authorized by this year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and distributed by the CDC.

What the county board did last week was to approve a letter of intent to apply for the funding; county staffers will flesh out a work plan and other details by the time the application is due Dec. 1.

The grant is supposed to promote long-term, proven community answers to the problems of poor nutrition and inactivity. Much of the money would be used to hire employees and consultants. The funding wouldn't require matching money from the county.

Callison said that she had envisioned the stimulus program as a way to move forward big projects, such as construction or system changes. It's "been different from that in some ways," she said, "and it's moved us in a different direction, and this continues that move."

Nikolai defended the use of subsidies as incentives that can change destructive behaviors.

"It's kind of like teaching people how to fish versus giving them the fish, and that's what we're really trying to do, and that's why the CDC feels very strongly about this," she said.

"I'm actually very excited about this," said Commissioner Gail Dorfman. "I like these additional incentives."

"I think it's a reasonable strategy," Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said. "It's not an ongoing commitment that we'll be providing people with a helmet every three years, or something like that. It's meant to be a catalytic investment."

Nikolai said that although the application process is highly competitive, she was optimistic that the county's record in promoting healthy living would help land the money.

"We have done such amazing things here at the county with all of you, through Complete Streets and Active Living. So I am very hopeful," she said.

Kevin Duchschere • 612-673-4455

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