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Friday, October 9, 2009

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Legislators see area's wish list for bonding

By MIKE O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

Needs: Many. Dollars: Few.

That's what the situation for the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee boiled down to during Thursday's visit to Central Lakes College to hear a host of area bonding bill requests.

Committee Chair Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said there are about $3 billion to $4 billion worth of requests and she anticipates a bonding package of less than $1 billion.

"We say no to about three out of four," she said.

She identified higher education, transportation and public safety projects as priority areas that could help the economy. Hausman said her panel was particularly interested in a project that "gets out the door quickly."

When Crosby City Administrator Joel Peck outlined the planned improvements for the Cuyuna Range Recreation Area and emphasized that the Cuyuna trail system might some day connect to the Paul Bunyan Trail, Hausman said, "Well, we love this idea and we're really big on connectivity."

A proposal to improve the Cuyuna Range Recreation Area was one of many such proposals the committee heard Thursday.

CLC President Larry Lundblad welcomed the legislators to the college. Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, greeted his House colleagues and informed them the Brainerd area's unemployment figures are the highest in the state, excluding the Hibbing area.

"Jobs are critical to us," he told them.

Kari Christiansen, CLC vice president of administrative services, noted that the 2009 projects that were funded by the Legislature were all under way and were scheduled to be completed by November.

"We want to put people to work," the school's chief financial officer said.

Patrick Spradlin of the college's theater department outlined the improvements that are being requested for that facility. He said the college has only three classrooms that can accommodate more than 50 students. Also, only 26 percent of CLC classrooms hold 45 or more students and 39 percent of the school's liberal arts classes have tallies of 45 or more.

Larry Kellerman, librarian, detailed the proposed $75,000 renovation to the Staples campus library.

Former state House and Senate member Don Samuelson of Brainerd addressed the legislators advocating the location of a veterans home at the site of the former Brainerd Regional Human Services Center.

He said many of the buildings are in good shape and the infrastructure (sewer and water) is there. He said a bonding bill is one of the most important bills lawmakers will pass.

"You can put people to work right now," Samuelson said.

Carol Rose, a former BRHSC employee, said she had many young relatives who were Iraq veterans and knew of many area Vietnam veterans who might need medical attention.

"The need is here," she said. "The veterans served us. It's our turn to serve them."

Steve Rosenow, a retired veterans service officer, cited a study that listed central Minnesota as the best location for a veterans home.

Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, said he was disappointed in the study because it did not address all the elements of the issue that were requested.

"The study is very thin on what we really need to address care for the veterans," he said.

Ward defended the study, which ranked Little Falls, Brainerd and Crosby, first, second and third for placement of a veterans home. He joked that he and Juhnke would have to wrestle each other regarding that issue.

Alan Van Buskirk of the Minnesota Department of Human Services presented that department's preliminary request for the former campus of the BRHSC. The department is asking for $4.5 million to repair, replace and/or improve key building components; abate hazardous materials; and demolish buildings and tunnels that are considered non-functional.

The campus, according to the DHS report, consists of about 127 acres of state land; 13 state-owned buildings with a total of 700,000 square feet; one county-owned building.

Peck, the Crosby city administrator, spoke in favor of improvements to both the Cuyuna Range Recreation Area and the Crosby wastewater treatment plant.

An enhanced recreation area, he said, would boost tourism, diversify the economy and make the city less dependent on local government aid. He said the Cuyuna Range area has more to offer tourists than the Nisswa and Crosslake areas. He said the Cuyuna pits have been the state's largest attraction for SCUBA divers, attracting as many as 300 divers on any given weekend. He also noted the International Mountain Bicycling Association is interested in improving trails there.

"The need is significant," Peck said. "There are scenic overlooks that need to be developed."

Crosby water treatment improvements are needed because the facility was constructed before World War I, Peck said. He expressed concern about the burden such improvements might place on the city residents. He said the average water bill of $17 per month would have to be doubled to recover the debt.

The preliminary bonding request of $2.4 million is about half the anticipated cost of the project, although the total project cost is pretty nebulous until bids are let, Peck said. He said the average household income in Crosby is $24,000.

"It's a lot for the people to assume," he said.

MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.

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