BEMIDJI 鈥� As part of the first of five regional tours throughout the state, the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee visited Bemidji on Thursday to hear from local stakeholders about projects for which funding could be considered once the next legislative session is underway.
Gathering in the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University, committee members heard from county commissioners and other representatives from Hubbard, Lake of the Woods and Polk County about regional projects as well as from BSU administration about proposals concerning campus.
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Among these projects is a regional partnership 鈥� the 鈥� which aims to develop long-term solutions surrounding construction and demolition waste management. Nine counties in northwest Minnesota are partnered including Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Polk and Red Lake.
Josh Holte and Jon Steiner spoke on behalf of the project, which is seeking $84 million in funding for infrastructure within the nine-county region 鈥� $61.5 million at the state level with $22.5 million in local funding.
From a BSU standpoint, about $2.1 million is being asked for mechanical system upgrades in Deputy Hall, Gillett Wellness Center and the university鈥檚 heating plant. An additional $5.7 million will be requested for mechanical upgrades in the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.
Northwest Technical College will seek about $900,000 to replace interior and exterior door locking systems.
Legislative response
Keeping in mind the next legislative session starting in February, committee members walked away with much to consider as their regional tour led them to Red Lake County after their time in Bemidji was said and done.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for members to hear about projects that may not necessarily be an issue in our own backyard, but for other Minnesotans so when we make our decisions this upcoming session, they鈥檒l be informed decisions,鈥� committee chair Fue Lee said.
For minority lead Dean Urdahl, prioritizing the large number of legislative asks is an important part of the work the committee members currently put forth.
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鈥淭here are a lot of requests that are very valid ones, but it comes down to priorities,鈥� Urdahl said. He reflected on the committee members鈥� previous visit to the Beltrami County Jail, for which a new location will be built on the Crown Property located on Pioneer Street Southeast.
鈥淏eltrami County needs a new jail and it鈥檚 a $50 million ask,鈥� Urdahl added. 鈥淲e have a lot more requests than we鈥檙e going to have the ability to finance. So we have to look at individual needs while looking at this in a general sense to try to prioritize these projects.鈥�
BSU and NTC President John Hoffman noted upwards of $150 million in deferred maintenance costs at BSU that have been difficult to fund in its entirety. He also referred to the Minnesota State System of Colleges and Universities' own prioritization procedure that projects undergo before being presented during the legislative session.
鈥淲e have our projects that will be scored by Minnesota State in terms of being presented to the legislature as a priority,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淲hen funding comes to us from the state, it may not be the most exciting funding (to announce), but it really makes a difference for us in keeping costs low for students.鈥�
For communities left out of the committee鈥檚 statewide tour, Lee encourages all stakeholders to reach out to their local representatives.
鈥淎ll of us are from different parts of the state with different needs and we have to be open-minded,鈥� Lee left off. 鈥淚 hope we鈥檒l hear from those communities so we know what鈥檚 important to them.鈥�
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