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C I T Y O F C O T T A G E
G R O V E
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
City o f C o t t a ge Grov e
COV I D -1 9 Co m m u n i t y T e s t in g S i t e R F P R e s p o n s e
C o v e r L e t t e r
T e s t i n g P l a n
U n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d A p p r o a c h
L o c a t i o n a n d C o m m u n i t y
O v e r a l l P r o j e c t T i m e l i n e /S c h e d u l e
T e s t i n g S e r v i c e s
D r i v e -t h r u S i t e
M o b i l e R a p i d R e s p o n s e T e a m s
T e s t i n g T i m e l i n e s a n d S c h e d u l e
E m p l o y e e T e s t s a n d B e n e f i t s
S t a f f i n g (C o s t s )
S u p p l i e s a n d E q u i p m e n t (C o s t s )
P r o j e c t T e a m
O r g a n i z a t i o n C h a r t
T e a m B i o g r a p h i e s
L e t t e r s o f S u p p o r t
A p p e n d i x
B u d g e t R e q u e s t O v e r v i e w
U o f M (M e d i c a l ) A n t i b o d y T e s t i n g A r t i c l e
TEST ING P LA N: UND E RSTA NDING AND APPRO ACH
The City of Cottage Grove's goal is to execute a 28-day antibody COVID-19 testing plan, obtaining
more than 8,000 blood and molecular samples to help determine the virus' spread in our
community and within the South Washington County region.
The State of Minnesota has produced a data-driven response to the spread of the coronavirus
and COVID-19. It has proven to be an effective, prudent and responsible model balancing the
health and safety of Minnesotans with the daily needs of families and businesses. Governor Tim
Walz has been adamant that testing capacity must increase significantly before the data shows
the spread of the virus is slowing down allowing everyone the opportunity to safely, and slowly,
begin to return to a sense of normalcy. Time is of the essence. Our businesses and
manufacturers need accurate and reliable data to reopen and our residents continue to struggle
to maintain the high quality of life they're accustomed to. The City of Cottage Grove is fully
supportive of the measures that have led us to the present day, when the need to exponentially
increase the testing of Minnesotans remains.
Our research shows we can offer a sample size capacity for 8,400 people in the Southeast Metro
Area under this proposal, which will also include data points for several congregate care facilities
and large employers.
The City of Cottage Grove’s mission is firmly in line with the MN Department of Health. Our goal
is to ensure accessible, equitable and convenient COVID-19 antibody testing that is accurate and
cost effective for our residents, eliminating the undue burden of payments of “hidden fees” that
may be associated with tests through the traditional healthcare system. We offer a model for
widespread testing, in an underserved area, that will help move the state’s dial on understanding
the spread of the coronavirus. Project team leaders firmly believe we have produced a model
that can be quickly replicated in communities throughout Minnesota.
May 12, 2020
MN Dept. of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm
85 East 7th Place
St. Paul, MN 55101
RE: Proposal for City of Cottage Grove COVID-19 Community Testing Program
Commissioner Malcolm and Selection Committee:
The City of Cottage Grove is ready to work for you, and our engaged community stands willing to do what
it takes to help our residents, neighbors, business owners and state fill a critical void in COVID-19 data
collection. We also want to do our part to help put our residents, and workers throughout the state, back
to work through a re-opened and reinvigorated economy.
The City is in a unique position. We will mobilize quickly and efficiently to serve the state through an
ambitious and attainable 28-day antibody COVID-19 testing plan. Our team estimates we can safely and
equitably obtain COVID-19 samples from approximately 8,400 residents by offering drive-thru testing and
deploying mobile rapid response “backpack” teams to congregated care facilities and large employers in
the cities of Cottage Grove, Newport and St. Paul Park. To help meet the state’s mission of offering
accessible and equitable testing, our communities reside in a region where there is currently a large void
in testing sites. Our goal is to become the first community-focused and widespread antibody testing
operation and rapid response mobile team in the state while producing a model that communities
throughout Minnesota can replicate in the coming weeks and months.
Our team offers several unique assets including:
· A robust plan capable of testing more than 300 residents or workers per day, with a deliberate and
intense focus on social, geographic and demographic equity
· More than 60 highly skilled and trained Cottage Grove Firefighter/Paramedic/EMTs who are well
versed in mobile health care and supported by Region’s Hospital and Washington County
· A Fire/EMS Deputy Chief/Project Manager with a master’s degree in Nursing, extensive emergency,
critical care and EMS experience, certification as a Public Health Nurse and experience in community
epidemiology studies. The team is also led by a Police Captain with a PhD in Emergency Management and
our Medical Director, Dr. Aaron Burnett, who is the State of Minnesota’s Emergency Medical Services
Regulatory Board Medical Director
· An engaged, close-knit and compassionate community totaling 52,913 people within a 10-minute
drive of our two thoroughly vetted and identified testing locations
A couple of weeks ago, alongside Governor Walz, we asked our community to make and donate cloth
masks, and we gave them less than a week of lead time. Lo and behold, we collected 1,700 when we only
needed 600 for our congregate care facilities. Our community is willing, prepared and capable of coming
together to help the state meet rigorous daily testing targets and achieve everyone’s end goal of re-
opening our local and state economies.
Sincerely,
Mayor Myron Bailey, City of Cottage Grove
Park High School Site (8040 80th Street, Cottage Grove, MN 55016)
10-minute drive for 54,556 people
20-minute drive for 405,000 (excluding people in Wisconsin)
Oltman Middle School site (6625 Goodview Ave, Cottage Grove, MN 55016)
10-minute drive for 66,809 people
20-minute drive for 505,000 (excluding people in Wisconsin)
Cottage Grove (population 38,000) is a suburb of St. Paul, located in the Southeast metro area,
occupying the southern portion of Washington County. We share borders and a number of
services with our immediate neighbors, and for the purpose of this plan, are proud to include the
Cities of Newport (population 3,500) and St. Paul Park (population 5,400). Through our research
and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, we are located in a geographical void
between sites in Stillwater, Downtown St. Paul and Red Wing that only offer symptomatic testing.
Our plan will offer antibody testing to an economically diverse population.
Our sites are well positioned in the Southeast Metro area and are accessible to large
populations.
With our “Mobile Rapid Response Backpack Teams” we offer the ability to bring testing to
neighborhoods and care facilities where travel to and from the testing site may be challenging.
While our drive-thru sites will focus on antibody testing with the ability to obtain samples for
molecular testing, we will offer both molecular and antibody testing through our Mobile Rapid
Response Team.
L OCATION AND COM MUNITY
54,556 people within a 10-minute
drive of Park High School
66,809 people within a 10-minute
drive of Oltman Middle School
Hiring and training of volunteer and operational staff in partnership with Washington
County, nursing networks and organizations within Cottage Grove/Newport/St. Paul Park
Procurement of equipment
Execution of Citywide Communication Plan focused on education and zone scheduling
21 days to conduct drive-thru testing at two accessible school sites
Seven days for Mobile Rapid Response Backpack teams to conduct both antibody and
molecular testing
Congregate Care Facilities
Large employers in Cottage Grove
Fully mobile and operational testing capabilities can be produced within three to four weeks of
grant approval.
Funding would be used to supplement a six-week, 28-day testing period.
Upon completion of the testing schedule the project team will conduct a full-scale debriefing
noting successful measures and challenges overcome to refine program model for future test
communities
OVE R AL L PR OJECT TIMELINES AND SCHEDULE
Location One: Park High School (8040 80th Street) – already identified as one of two
dispensing sites in Washington County, where regular emergency preparedness drills are
conducted. Features large parking lot with separate ingress and egress points
Location Two: Oltman Middle School (6625 Goodview Avenue South) – another large and
recognizable community hub with an enormous parking lot amenable to traffic flowing
directly through a separate entrance and exit
Both provide easy access off of major roadways in or near the geographic center of
Cottage Grove, with Oltman Middle School being extremely close to both Newport and St.
Paul Park
Highly trained Paramedics/EMTs and other health care providers can obtain at least 300
samples per day at our High-Volume Drive-Thru Sites.
The majority of our testing will be done through the creation and set-up of sites at two highly
recognized and centralized locations. The two drive-thru/drive-up testing centers allow us to
maximize individual service (and eliminate group gathering scenarios) and efficiency will
minimize the time on site AND the time it takes to register, screen, test and deliver results.
TEST ING SERVICES
DR IV E -THRU SITES
Traffic
Queue Screening Test
Results
Follow
Up
Traffic queue > Screening (determine testing needs) > Test > Results Follow Up
Goal is to provide follow-up to molecular testing within 36 hours
Goal is to provide follow-up to antibody testing within 48 hours
Two traffic control points prior to individuals pulling up to one of two screening stations
(with significant distance between them)
For our drive-thru testing, we will be screening for acute symptoms. The goal of
antibody testing is to test asymptomatic individuals in the community to evaluate
previous community spread yet we will have the ability to offer molecular testing to
those who present to the site with symptoms (to not waste a valuable opportunity to
access testing)
Screening will incorporate questionnaires, as determined by public health partners, to
gather important epidemiology data on testing participants such as, but not limited to,
age, sex, risk factors, etc.
Screening for drive-thru testing evaluate where a person resides. For drive-thru testing,
we will target populations (mostly by area of residence) for antibody testing and will
admit those who are in the selected group. For those not scheduled for testing, we will
provide them other sites to visit or schedule them for another testing day
We will only test those 18 years of age or older due to consent concerns and the
complexity of pediatric phlebotomy. We will keep a list of contacts (parents or
guardians) for those that would like their children to receive antibody testing for future
testing of this population. We will offer molecular testing for symptomatic individuals
under 18 with parental consent
Process Map for Drive-thru/Drive-up model
DR IV E -THRU SITES
Two testing stations for antibody testing
After screening and registration, the participant will drive-up (or walk-up) to the testing
tent. The goal is to keep all participants in their vehicle to avoid exposure to other
participants. The samples will then be obtained by those in the vehicles or chairs (for
walk-up participants)
We will obtain samples based on best evidence from public health and medical experts
using phlebotomy to obtain blood samples to send to MDH, University of Minnesota or
Mayo, based on public health guidance. We will have the ability to provide temperature
control, centrifuge and process lab samples prior to lab delivery. The plan also includes
courier service to deliver samples to the appropriate labs
We have reviewed the University of Minnesota’s proposal offered to the State for testing
funding. In their protocol, it appears they would administer molecular and antibody
testing to individuals. We would follow best practices and public health
recommendations for testing and offer molecular testing for participants as well
We will collect samples for molecular testing for any participant with acute symptoms
All samples for both molecular and antibody testing will be sent to local laboratories for
testing
We will provide test results and proper education to all participants with a goal of
providing follow-up for molecular testing within 36 hours and antibody testing within 48
hours
An additional traffic control point where staff can point residents toward the exit
Both mobile sites will also feature a walk-up screening and testing area as Cottage Grove
has an extremely large number of walkers and bicyclists who access a trail system that
connects the entire City
The City will offer “walk-up testing” for those who don’t arrive by vehicle
Repeatable and Adaptable Site Plan
This is a highly adaptable site plan where a drive-through testing site can be structured
and built quickly
The only major requirement is a large amount of space and a dedicated team of experts
to execute high-volume testing
The Cottage Grove Fire Department is
unique in its ability to mobilize quickly and
efficiently, with thousands of hours of
training in emergency response
procedures. Through the Mobile Rapid
Response Teams we’ve created,
Paramedic/EMTs and support staff can
enter either congregate care facilities or
large employer facilities and conduct high-
volume antibody and/or molecular testing
on site. The team, and the equipment it
will be using, is durable, flexible and built
to be moved with immediacy.
Quick Mobilization in Case of an
Emergency:
Through existing community relationships
built over dozens of years, we trust
notification will come immediately should
an outbreak of the virus occur within a
building in our City. The Rapid Response
Teams is built with on-call personnel and
paramedics who remain at our Central Fire
Station 24/7. Paramedics can arrive, set-up
and begin administering tests in a matter
of hours, should an immediate need arise.
MOBILE RAPID RESPONSE T E AMS
21 drive-thru community antibody testing
7 mobile “backpack” testing days to focus on outbreaks at a congregate care
facility/business and planned antibody testing at congregate care/employer facilities
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for typical testing operations (10 hours)
2 hours per day for set-up and tear-down
Testing sites will be offered on evenings and weekends, including every Saturday during the
six-week period to offer “non-traditional” opportunities
Our goal is to safely and effectively obtain as many samples as possible over the course of
28 days. We also want to ensure we produce a safe and convenient experience for
residents, employees and those who live in care facilities. That means minimizing time spent
away from homes and minimizing the time spent interacting “face to face” with people
outside of households.
We’ve created and mapped out 20 zones (graphic on next page) in Cottage Grove,
Newport, St. Paul Park and Grey Cloud Township that will be assigned a specific day to
schedule appointments to visit either the Park or Oltman School testing sites.
This involves a robust communications notification plan via social media and through the
distribution of print materials.
Zones also ensure organized data collection to help the MN Department of Health
determine the location(s) where COVID-19 is present
Information technology staff members are currently researching software for scheduling
and exploring several options
Washington County has used “Sign Up Genius” in the past and has offered subject
matter experts for support
28 testing deployments performed over six weeks
Drive-thru testing site operations
Identified testing hours allow equitable access for residents and creates workable staffing
model for Cottage Grove Fire Department Paramedic/EMTs
Flexible plan offers the opportunity for site-specific testing on non-clinic days. Hours and days
of the week will be identified by the needs of the facility
Pre-registration
TEST ING SCH E DULE AND TIMELINES
Cottage Grove is one of the fastest growing communities in the metro area. Its robust
expansion has included its business park, which supports thousands of jobs in the
manufacturing, wholesale trade, and logistics sectors. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
the community's businesses are looking for a way to properly plan for COVID-19 outbreaks in
order to minimize reduction in production capabilities and lower the loss of business. As such,
the partnerships with our business community to ensure their continuity of operations is key
in moving Cottage Grove’s local economy forward. Businesses that can accurately understand
which employees have antibodies present versus the employees that have yet to be infected
can make plans on how to address the impacts of COVID-19. If a business has widespread
antibodies present throughout their workforce it can begin to lower social distancing
requirements for those employees while maintaining distancing for those employees who do
not have antibodies present, ramping up production and minimizing closures as a result.
Further, businesses can get a better sense of potential loss of workforce hours in regard to
employees getting COVID-19 as a result of a lack of antibodies. If a business finds there is a
lack of antibodies across all of its employees, the business can use the data to maintain strict
social distancing requirements and develop a plan for a potential widescale outbreak in the
future. Data and information drives businesses decisions and learning about the health of our
labor force is a key metric in the City’s testing and sampling plan. Cottage Grove has a very
collaborative business community and our economic development team is currently identifying
potential partners for off-site testing.
EMPLOYEE TESTI NG AN D BUSINESS BENEFITS
STA FFING
Site Manager (Incident Command)
Safety Officers
Logistics Officers
Operations Officers (medical operations)
Registration
Screening
Testing
Results Review
Site Set-Up and Operations
Traffic Control
This proposal is based upon a two testing-team model structured under the protocols of an
Incident Command System (ICS) and includes the following:
In addition to the officers outlined above, our testing team and drive-thru and on-site testing
centers would include employees int he following sectors:
We have determined 27 staff members on 12-hour shifts will enable us to reach our goal
of 300 daily sample collections with the capacity to obtain 8,400 samples over the 28
testing days. Positions will be filled with paid and volunteer staff.
*Because of the worldwide pandemic, an emergency management team is already active
within the City of Cottage Grove and has met regularly for the past two months. It includes
representatives from all 7 departments serving the City. The team is well-versed and trained to
lead a large-scale emergency response operation and remains willing, ready and able to
facilitate our ambitious and attainable antibody testing plan. We also have strong support from
non-profit organizations, local businesses, neighboring cities, and Washington County; all stand
willing to help us with staffing needs. The team is also exploring the possibility of using our
Project Manger’s connections to hire nurses who may be furloughed due to COVID-related
economic hardships.
Estimated personnel costs represent the greatest portion of the operations budget;
approximately 44% of the total project cost.
$381,600 in estimated labor expenses includes $369,600 in daily labor for testing site
operations and $12,000 in training. Generalized labor includes staff to coordinate operations,
register people, screen, collect and deliver samples, follow up with testing subjects, conduct
traffic control and facilitate site set-up and tear-down.
Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) for testing site staff: $25,550
Cost covers 28 clinic days to provide proper PPE including, but not exclusive, to N95 or higher
respirator, gowns and gloves
Sample Collection: $136,976
Cost covers sample collection of 8,400 molecular detection tests (e.g. nasopharyngeal swabs) and
8,400 blood samples collected through traditional phlebotomy
Lab Processing Fees: $420,000
The estimated cost to pay laboratories to run samples from the testing site. The number is based
on the University of Minnesota’s proposal for increased testing where the cost was “quoted” at $25-
30 per person. We have used a quote of $50 per patient to calculate the cost, however, if we can
deliver samples to laboratories (U of M, Mayo or MDH) and we don not have to pay per test, this
cost would be eliminated in our proposal. We have used $50 per participant (assuming $25 per
molecular test and $25 per serological test) as an estimated cost based on the high variability in
what type of testing will be performed and our access to testing
Lab Sample Processing: $3,300
Labels and Armbands: $2,500
Medical Equipment: $1,500
Sharps and Biohazards Waste: $2,800
Registration System: $20,000
Trailer: $10,000
Temporary and Mobile Site Equipment: $33,600
Cost represents needs for the temporary site including tents, traffic barriers, portable lights,
transportation containers (to protect equipment) and tables
Information Technology Infrastructure: $20,900
Portable Power and Temperature Control: $5,960
To realize our capacity to collect 8,400 localized samples in six weeks requires a significant operation.
While we remain extremely confident the City of Cottage Grove has the right team in place to execute
the plan, $503,680 will be need for supplies, equipment and technical infrastructure.
o Cost covers centrifuges and aliquoting supplies if on-site blood process is required. It includes
coolers, dry ice or refrigerators for sample temperature control
o Cost covers consumable supplies not related production equipment for lab sample labeling, paper
and printing supplies (for sample follow-up mailings)
o Cost covers thermometers and pulse oximeter as screening protocols require these readings on
any symptomatic patients
o Cost covers sharps containers, bio-hazardous waste collection and disposal
o Cost is based upon a quote produced by Identisis for a rapid registration, database, armband, and
lab sample printing system. We request two stations based upon site plans calling for 2 screening,
registration and testing teams
o Cost covers the purchase of a trailer needed to transport all mobile testing equipment
o Cost covers laptops, registration tablets, printers, mobile internet and phone, power strips and
electrical cords
o Cost covers needs for portable generators, portable air conditioning/heating units, fans and
carbon monoxide monitors for work areas power by generators
SUPPLI E S AND EQU IPMENT
Residents of South
Washington County
Minnesota Department of
Health
L E AD E R SHI P T E AM ORGAN IZA T I ONAL CHART
Executive Sponsors
Project Manager
Deputy Project
Managers
Deputy Fire Chief Jon
Pritchard
Mayor Myron Bailey
City Administrator
Jennifer Levitt
Police Captain
Gwen Martin Public Safety Director
Pete Koerner
Fire Chief
Rick Redenius
Section Managers
Community
Partnerships
Communications
Logistics Finance, Grants
and IT
Coordinators
(5)
Econ. Development Dir.
Christine Costello
Public Works Dir.
Ryan Burfeind
Finance Dir.
Robin Roland
Communications Mgr.
Scott Seroka
Cottage Grove Deputy Fire Chief Jon
Pritchard , Project Manager
Deputy Chief Pritchard recently joined the team to
oversee the City’s EMS operations, bringing a wealth of
nursing, public health and emergency/critical care
experience. He is a certified Public Health Nurse
(holding multiple nursing certifications) and most
recently led Regions Hospital Emergency Care teams.
He has worked at various mobile testing sites as an
employee for the University of Minnesota School of
Public Health Department of Epidemiology, overseeing
and coordinating efforts to obtain blood samples and
data for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Minnesota Heart Study, focusing on reaching
underserved populations. Using his decades of
medical experience, Pritchard developed the City’s
antibody testing plan and protocols as a passionate
advocate for collaborative, widespread data collection.
PROJECT TEAM
Cottage Grove Fire Department (CGFD)
More than 60 Firefighter/EMTs serve the residents of Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport and
Grey Cloud Island Township, operating an Advanced Life Support (ALS) and licensed ambulance
service under the standards of the Minnesota Emergency Medical Service Regulatory Board. The
scope of practice falls under the jurisdiction of medical director Dr. Aaron Burnett of Region’s
Hospital. The CGFD’s paramedics and EMTs are trained and authorized to obtain nasopharyngeal
swabs and collect blood samples through phlebotomy. The team has also earned CLIA-waived
status, allowing members to perform low-complexity lab testing as well.
PROJECT TEAM
Cottage Grove Police Captain Gwen Martin (PhD),
Deputy Project Manager
Captain Martin holds a PhD in Public Safety with a specialization in
Emergency Management and a master’s degree in Police
Leadership. She leads the City’s emergency management planning
and execution efforts, serving a critical role in our COVID-19 and
spring flooding responses. Martin is a licensed peace officer and
she also remains a nationally registered Emergency Medical
Technician. She provides her expertise and leadership skills within
command enters across the state, answering the calls of
countless communities responding to natural disasters and
hazardous incidents. Captain Martin will help lead the City’s
antibody testing proposal and efforts.
Public Safety Director Pete Koerner, Deputy Project Manager
Chief Koerner began his career with the Cottage Grove Police
Department in 1992, earning every rank and just about every title
available within the agency. His roles as Community Service
Officer, School Resource Officer, Detective and Crisis Negotiator,
alongside his lifelong residency in the City, have allowed the Chief
to build strong partnerships and relationships throughout the
community and region. Relative to the project, he has decades of
experience planning for large-scale events and responding to
crisis. Koerner is currently the President of the Washington
County Chiefs of Police Association and remains active in several
service organizations, including board member experience for the
Lion’s Club and Friends in Need Food Shelf.
Fire Chief Rick Redenius, Deputy Project Manager
Service and dedication mark the professional career of Chief
Redenius, who has lived and worked in Cottage Grove his entire
adult life. He began his public safety career in the Cottage Grove
Police Department in 1993 and served concurrently with the
Cottage Grove Fire Department for many of those years. He was
a Deputy Fire Chief for ten years before being appointed Chief in
2012. He has led teams through large scale events and crisis
response over the course of his tenure, including the UpNorth
Plastics Fire of 2002.
PROJECT TEAM
Mayor Myron Bailey, Executive Sponsor
Myron Bailey has been the Mayor of Cottage Grove for 12
years and served the residents of the City for many years
prior to being elected to lead the City. Known as a responsive
communicator and engaged leader, Bailey continues to
spearhead Cottage Grove’s response and progress regarding
PFAS contamination found in the city’s water supply a few
years ago. Mayor Bailey was recently elected as President of
Metro Cities (the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities).
City Administrator Jennifer Levitt P.E., Executive Sponsor
Administrator Levitt was appointed to lead the City’s 7
departments and its $34 million annual operating budget in
2018. As a certified engineer for the City, she developed the
state’s first six-legged, dual lane roundabout system in the
late 2000s and led the City’s process of designing and
building an emergency water treatment facility in record
time while responding to a PFC contamination crisis a few
years ago. Last year Levitt was honored as the Engineer of
the Year by the City Engineers Association of Minnesota
based upon a long list of professional accomplishments on
behalf of the residents of Cottage Grove.
Public Works Director and City Engineer Ryan Burfeind
Logistics Lead
Director Burfeind has been a Civil Engineer for the City for 7
years and was recently promoted to Public Works Director. He
holds the position concurrently with his City Engineer title.
Burfeind is a registered Professional Engineer and his project
management experience has helped him lead $10 million
worth of projects from the planning phase to implementation.
He will lead our logistics section as Director Burfeind brings
years of leadership experience in the area of emergency
management and large-scale event planning, including spring
flooding mitigation and wildfire management.
PROJECT TEAM
Finance Director Robin Roland
Finance, Grant and Information Technology Lead
Robin Roland brings 30 years of municipal government finance
experience to the project, having been the Finance Director in
Cottage Grove for the past 10 years. She holds a master’s
degree in Public and Non-Profit Administration and has served
the Minnesota chapter of the Government Finance Officers
Association for several years, including time as President of the
state organization. Roland will lead all financial and grant
application aspects of the testing proposal and project.
Economic Development Director Christine Costello
Community Partnerships Lead
Director Costello has been helping cities plan, develop,
redevelop and grown for almost two decades, including
record-setting commercial and residential growth within the
City of Cottage Grove in 2017. She holds a master’s degree in
Urban Planning and through a previous role in Richfield
worked as a liaison to the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
Her years of project planning and leadership, combined with
her long list of local business, retail and industry contacts, will
be valuable assets as the City continues to collaborate with
employers on the economic effects of COVID-19 and identify
potential, larger-sized employers for anti-body site testing.
Communication Manager Scott Seroka
Communications Lead
Scott Seroka was a network-affiliated television journalist for
17 years before beginning his career as a municipal
communications leader, first with the Minneapolis Police
Department, and now with the City of Cottage Grove. He will
lead the project’s community engagement and outreach
efforts. Seroka holds communication certifications from the
FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association,
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute and the National
Information Officers Association.
L E TTERS OF S UPPORT
L E TTERS OF S UPPORT
APPEN DIX : BUDGET REQUEST OVERVIEW
BUDGET CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY TOTAL
Staff and Personnel
Supplies (<5,000)
Equipment (>5,000)
Construction
Other
Total
$503,568
$582,526
$20,000
$0
$76,260
$1,182,354
Total Cost for 8,400 Samples and 28 Days
BUDGET CATEGORY SUBCATEGORY TOTAL
Sampling Daily Labor (28)$491,568
Training Labor (1)$12,000
Daily Obtaining
Samples/Phlebotomy (28)$139,976
Testing/lab charge (8,400)$420,000
Daily PPE (28)$25,550.28
Logistics and IT (1)
Total Request ($140.29/sample)$1,182,354
Total Request
(no fees for samples)($89.96/sample)$762,354.30
$96,260.00
APPEN DIX : BUDGET REQUEST OVERVIEW
Daily Labor
SUBCATEGORY RATE PER HOUR TOTAL
IC/Site Manager (1)60 720
PIO (as needed)0 0
Liaison (as needed)
Safety Officer (1))
Ops Chief (1)
Screeners (2)
Testing Medic (6)
Testing EMT (4)
Registration (2)
Logistics Chief (1)
Site Set Up Coordinator (1)
Courier/Equip/PPE (1)
Traffic/Security (3)
Provider-NP (1)
Test Follow Up (1)
100% Variance
Total (27)
(Covers Underestimates
in Rates)
Daily Labor Total
60
100
60
30
60
60
30
30
60
60
60
60
0
720
720
0
1,440
1,440
4,320
720
720
720
360
2,160
1,200
720
15,960
1,596
17,556
APPEN DIX : BUDGET REQUEST OVERVIEW
Logistics
SUBCATEGORY COSTQUANTITY
iPads/Registration 3
3Laptops for Testing
Operation/Command
Laptops
Printer
Identisys System
Mobile Access (IT)
Power Strips, Extension
Cords
Total
2
1
2
1
4,500
6,000
4,000
400
20,000
5,000
1,000---
40,900
APPENDIX: BU DGET REQUES T OVERV I E W
Site Costs
Command Tent
Drive-Thru Tent
10 X 10 Tents
Trailer
Lab Equipment
Traffic Barriers
Portable Lighting
Transport Boxes
Tables
Portable AC Units
Fans
Generators
CO Monitors
Freezers/Refrigerator
Office Supplies
Totals
SUBCATEGORY QUANTITY COST
Centrifuge
Label Armbands 2,000
2
1
3
8
1
---
20
---
---
12
4
6
3
4
1
---
2,000
2,000
2,500
7,500
2,400
10,000
500
10,000
5,000
5,000
1,200
2,000
960
3,000
500
300
500
55,360
APPEN DIX : U OF M ANTIBODY T E ST AR T I CLE
U-developed Antibody Test, Key Component in Reopening Minnesota
Author: Angel Mendez, Communications Manager | APRIL 23, 2020
Add a subheading
A second test for COVID-19, developed by University of Minnesota Medical School
researchers, will play a role in the state’s plan to reopen Minnesota. This test looks for
antibodies generated after exposure to the virus, and combined with the University’s
diagnostic (PCR) test, helps categorize those tested into four categories—information that
will equip the state to confidently send Minnesotans back to work.
Together, they are informative if you do them both in the same person,” said Amy Karger,
MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.
She leads the team at the University’s Advanced Research and Diagnostic Laboratory
(ARDL) that brought the test from a research setting into clinical use.
“If both tests are negative, then there’s no current or past infection. If the PCR test is positive
and antibody test is negative, then they have a current infection but just haven’t mounted an
immune response yet. If both tests are positive, then they have an active infection with the
start of an immune response. If the PCR test is negative and antibody test is positive, that’s a
sign of a past infection, but there’s no active virus,” Dr. Karger explained. “We’re really trying
to get providers and clinicians to view this antibody test more as a tool for determining if
someone has been exposed.”
APPEN DIX : U OF M ANTIBODY T E ST AR T I CLE
It’s also a test not vulnerable to today’s supply chain issues. The collection process involves
drawing blood into vials (no need for low-supply nasal swabs), and the procedure itself uses
routine laboratory supplies not in high demand.
The Minds Behind the Antibody Test
The antibody test, known as an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), developed
rapidly from the lab bench to the clinic with the help of a unique group of collaborators—Dr.
Karger, Marc Jenkins, PhD, and Fang Li, PhD.
In March, Medical School leadership tasked Dr. Karger, who is M Health Fairview’s system
director for point-of-care testing, with reviewing the validity of the emerging, commercially-
available antibody tests.
“And, the answer every time was no. None of the tests that were coming out looked like they
were reputable,” Dr. Karger said. “We were getting calls and emails daily, sometimes from
companies we’d never heard of before.”
Around that same time, Dr. Jenkins, a Regents and Distinguished McKnight University
professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Center for
Immunology, proposed an idea to Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar.
“I told him that the University should develop its own test to avoid supply chain bottlenecks,”
he said.
APPEN DIX : U OF M ANTIBODY T E ST AR T I CLE
Dr. Jenkins had learned of a new antibody test created by a group at the Icahn School of
Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and was also aware that Dr. Fang Li, an associate
professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, a coronavirus expert, had the expertise
needed to produce a key ingredient—a SARS-CoV-2 protein.
“If we did not have Fang Li’s protein-production capabilities online here, where he can make us
many milligrams of protein very rapidly, this would be a non-starter,” Dr. Karger said. “For
other institutions who don’t have Dr. Li, that piece can take months, frankly, if you don’t
already have the set-up to make the protein, so this is very unique for the University.”
From the Research Lab to Bethesda Hospital
Once Dr. Jenkins and his lab had validated the antibody test in a research setting, he relied on
Dr. Karger to translate the test into clinical use. As a principal investigator associated with
ARDL, she recommended housing the antibody test there—a nationally-renowned clinical trials
laboratory, specializing in more manual tests.
“The reason I suggested ARDL, and why that was quickly supported, is because ARDL does so
much already with research and innovation in testing, and they are very experienced in doing
this type of thing where they bring a test in and validate its performance,” Dr. Karger said. “It’s
a manual test, whereas most of our clinical labs deal with very automated testing.”
The team worked tirelessly to bring up the test in ARDL, receiving training from the researchers
in Dr. Jenkins’ lab, who had, for the last few weeks, built the test from scratch.
“The lab staff are really the engine behind this whole process, and they were putting in 12- to
14-hour days, seven days a week to accomplish this. I have been so impressed to see the
dedication of these people who are willing to just give it their all and work well beyond what
would normally be expected for their work hours,” Dr. Karger said.
Dr. Jenkins added, “It was incredible how quickly ARDL got the test up and running.”
On April 16, now with the antibody test set up in ARDL, the research team began testing
samples from employees at Bethesda Hospital—M Health Fairview’s designated COVID-19 care
facility. Starting the tests with this group, who have regular exposure to COVID-19 patients, will
provide valuable information as the ARDL team develops a larger plan to scale-up the test for
statewide use.
“Right now, because the test is new, we are only using the antibody test to determine who is
positive in Bethesda and may need to get a PCR test to check for current infection,” she said.
“This information is useful while we formulate a final plan for how to really roll this out in a
more broad sense.”
APPEN DIX : U OF M ANTIBODY T E ST AR T I CLE
Scaling-up for Statewide Testing
On April 22, Gov. Tim Walz announced the state would allocate $36 million to the University
of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic in support of a plan to begin testing 20,000 Minnesotans
per day, starting with all of those who are symptomatic.
“This allows us to purchase much larger-scale automation that can complete tests at a rapid
rate, as well as hire on and train a larger staff,” Dr. Karger said.
She says the next steps will be planning for how and where to set up collection sites, how
those samples get to ARDL and then, how to get those results to hundreds of thousands of
people in an efficient way.
“I don’t know what the crystal ball will show, but I do think testing is going to help us have a
better sense of what the future will hold,” Dr. Karger said. “If we can get a handle on how
many people have truly been infected, we can go from there in terms of planning and what
we can expect for the future.”
Deputy Fire Chief Jon Pritchard
Cottage Grove Fire Department
8641 80th Street South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
651-458-2859
jpritchard@cottagegrovemn.gov
Project Contact