July 6–12, 2026
The city council wrapped up street repairs, upgraded power lines in two neighborhoods, and made it easier to pay your city bills online, while Dakota County advanced mental health crisis response funding and park rule changes.
Around the neighborhood. The Apple Valley City Council adopted a busy slate of infrastructure items Thursday, July 9. If you live in the 11th or 12th Additions, your neighborhood's aging power lines are getting replaced under a contract the council approved (CVC-1278-7c66f35d). Street repair work from 2025 is now officially closed out, with final payment approved for contractor McNamara Contracting (CVC-1278-4b67b0e2). Well 16, a key part of the city's water supply, is back online after repairs, spreading the pumping load across more wells and reducing wear on equipment (CVC-1278-e2c2b060). The city also secured a state grant to fund stormwater and water quality projects, covering costs that could otherwise end up on property tax bills or water fees (CVC-1278-4431b306).
At your front door. The council made it official: you can now pay water, utility, and other city bills online with a credit card through a new payment portal (CVC-1278-a8267548). No more mailing checks or driving to pay in person. Trail work at Cobblestone Lake also got a green light, funded by the parks bond voters approved in 2023 (CVC-1278-47103573). The city lowered the upfront financial guarantee required for Skyline Social and Games, a downtown mixed-use development, which could speed up when construction starts (CVC-1278-f65fbac9).
At the county level. The Dakota County Board met Tuesday, July 7, and adopted several items that touch Apple Valley residents indirectly. The county approved funding to expand mobile mental health crisis teams, so when someone in the county has a mental health emergency, a trained crisis team can respond rather than law enforcement (DC-5745). The board also scheduled a public hearing on changes to Park Ordinance 107, the rules governing how residents use county parks, covering things like hours, fees, and what activities are allowed (DC-5358). One item did not make it through: design work for the Veterans Memorial Greenway trail between Inver Grove Heights and Eagan was withdrawn (DC-5770).
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Coming up next week:
ALS research funding extension. HR 8205 would extend federal money and fast-track drug approval programs for ALS (a progressive neurological disease) through 2031, keeping research grants flowing to universities and giving patients faster access to new treatments. The bill cleared committee and is awaiting a House floor vote, with no firm date set yet.
Maternal health research funding. HR 6238 directs NIH (the National Institutes of Health, the federal agency that funds medical research) to study and reduce deaths and injuries during pregnancy and childbirth, with findings shared with hospitals nationwide. It is also cleared from committee and awaiting a floor vote.
Airport security equipment. HR 8770 redirects the $5.60 security fee on airline tickets to fund $500 million per year for baggage screening systems and $250 million for checkpoint technology at airports, including MSP. It cleared committee and heads to a House floor vote, no date confirmed.
DHS community outreach reorganization. HR 7574 gives the Department of Homeland Security 120 days to submit a plan restructuring its community engagement office, potentially affecting how the agency communicates with local leaders and community groups. Still awaiting a floor vote.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives