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From: Melissa Reed <melissa@parkstreetpublic.com> <br />Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 10:37 PM <br />To: Pat Trudgeon <Pat.Trudgeon@cityofroseville.com> <br />Subject: Re: E-mail introduction for Kids in Need Foundation bill <br /> <br />Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use <br />caution. <br />HiPat, <br />Thanks again for your time and efforts. <br />We would like to share these two documents and some content. Also, I am compiling some history <br />to demonstrate the widespread practice of cities acting in this bonding role. <br /> <br />Attached: <br /> Project Space Study of former MDE building <br /> Kids In Need Foundation Bonding Fact Sheet <br />Links to the bills: HF 5387/SF 5438 <br />KINF is the only national organization that provides free school supplies and resources to students <br />and teachers inthe most underserved schools in Minnesota and across the country, <br />including 110,292 Minnesota students and 4,820 teachers in 351 under-resourced schools in <br />2023 alone. Our teacher resource center on Patton Rd provides a free small store shopping <br />experience for teachers to stock up on needed supplies, and we ship nationwide. Councilmembers <br />may be most familiar with our Thanks A Million! event held at RAHS and Grace Lutheran Church <br />during Teacher Appreciation Week each year. <br /> <br />Rep. Becker-Finn and is Chief Authoring legislation to provide $5m to Kids in Need Foundation <br />(matched by $5m from the organization) to renovate the old Minnesota Department of <br />Education building near Target into a new national headquarters for KINF. The mixed-use <br />facility would include a warehouse, teacher meeting/collaboration space, teacher resource <br />center with dye-cuts, construction paper, laminators, etc. (stuff that used to be in schools), <br /> <br />the teacher store and green space. <br />The challenge we are seeking your assistance on in the need for state general obligation <br />bonds for the project. The state budget forecast will not accommodate general fund cash for vital <br />nonprofit projects, and partnering with a city on the general obligation bonds is likely the only path <br />forward. <br />Kids in Need Foundation very much wants to stay in Roseville, and we cannot remain in our current <br />renting situation. We need the City’s help in taking on the general obligation bonding grant with the <br />state, otherwise we really are out of options and will be forced to move. <br />Qbhf!21:!pg!33: <br /> <br />