Minneapolis City Council members want to use American Rescue Plan funding for purposes including the purchase of developing mobile health units. 

the vans would be part of a plan to spend $43 million in federal aid. Mayor Joab Frey’s program includes a focus on mental health, along with housing and violence prevention. 

The council has given tentative approval to some changes from what the mayor proposed. An idea by Council Members Elliott Payne and Emily Koski, would give the city’s behavioral crisis response teams an additional $160,000 to purchase two more vans as they work to expand the city’s mobile mental health services and eventually offer them seven days a week. 

Brian Smith, director of the city’s Office of Performance and Innovation, told council members they currently have two used vans. “What we want to do is make sure that as we are scaling up, to get to a point where we can be one van per precinct, that if something happens with our vans, we have a backup,” Smith said. 

Council members hope to have the plan in place soon. 

Council members are expected to discuss additional amendments Friday. The package is expected to come up for final approval May 26. 

(Source: Star Tribune)