Laserfiche WebLink
<br />/ <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br />Topic Report: Blue Cross Blue Shield Gr~nt Opportunity <br /> <br />)(Jt~61 ..~. <br />RAMSEY <br /> <br />By: Breanne Daines, Associate Planner <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. has released another RFP to fund communities in their <br />PreventionMinnesota campaign, which aims to reduce health impacts of smoking and inactive <br />lifestyles. This particular RFP is titled "Active Living Minnesota", and Blue Cross is seeking <br />proposals from all types and sizes of communities throughout Minnesota to pursue an integrated <br />approach to increasing access and reducing barriers to routine physical activity. The grant is much <br />more comprehensive in nature, compared with the previous grant we received to consider <br />incorporating active living principles into the Comprehensive Plan, and has five funding areas, <br />which are: 1) the establishment of partnerships; 2) the promotion of active living messages and the <br />importance of the built environment by using traditional media and newsletters; 3) programs geared <br />toward getting people to consider active lifestyles (an example is the "do" campaign currently <br />funded through organizations); 4) policy analysis with regard to transportation and infrastructure <br />decisions; and 5) the engineering and planning for the construction of physical projects, which <br />includes trails, bikeways, sidewalks, and recreational opportunities. <br /> <br />Each community contract will be for one year, with the intention of renewing the contract for up to <br />four additional years. The contract amount will be up to $75,000 for the first year, and up to <br />$125,000 per year for the remaining four additional years. The work would be conducted in stages, <br />the first stage consisting of recruiting additional partners and creating a work plan, and the final four <br />years for the remainder of the above described stages. <br /> <br />Applicants must apply as a partnership that includes at least three preliminary partners. Anoka <br />County Public Health, Anoka County Parks, and Anoka County Transportation Management <br />Organization have committed to partnering with the City, should we apply. Also, it is preferred that <br />the City have an elected official sponsor the application through a letter of support. <br /> <br />Attachments: <br /> <br />None <br /> <br />Action Statement: <br /> <br />Discuss the Blue Cross funding opportunity and authorize staff to complete a proposal and bring a <br />resolution of support forward for City Council adoption. <br /> <br />ccws:~ <br /> <br />-1- <br />