St. Paul, Minnesota — Today, the Minnesota House unveiled its $975 million bonding proposal for statewide infrastructure projects in higher education, transportation, housing, economic development, clean water and wastewater systems. Bonding, also known as capital investment, is responsible long-term borrowing for necessary infrastructure projects. In addition to the $850 million in bonding, a separate bill that would make $125 million in cash investments through the use of one time budget surplus funds is also moving through the process.
“A targeted, statewide bonding bill will help our state create good-paying jobs in the short-term while strengthening our economy for the long-term.,” said state Representative Mary Sawatzky (DFL – Willmar). “We have a huge backlog of critical infrastructure projects that we need to get done if we want a strong economy and high quality of life in the future.”
The bonding proposal contains $30 million for MnSCU Higher Education Asset Preservation and Repair (HEAPR), which would include funding for phase two of Ridgewater College’s central heating system — among the top priorities for MnSCU’s HEAPR list.
The proposal also includes nearly $20 million for state parks and trails, money which would fund a $1.5 million 5 mile extension of the Glacier Lake State Trail from New London to Sibley State Park. Rep. Sawatzky is the chief author of this legislation in the House. The proposal also contains $4.3 million in funding for the Willmar Department of Transportation Headquarters. Additional funding is needed due to higher than expected costs for contaminated soils, asbestos abatement, and a petroleum vapor barrier system.
The bill also includes $250,000 for the Kandiyohi Area Transit Joint Powers Board to add an additional bus storage garage in Willmar. The House proposal contains $20 million in a Wastewater Infrastructure Fund, nearly $3 million of which would likely go to the Lakewood Drive project in Willmar.
“By improving our trails, transportation, college facilities, wastewater systems, and other pieces of infrastructure, we can help make sure our communities, economy, and businesses are successful now and over the long-term,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “These are important, worthwhile projects and I’m pleased they were included in the bill.”
The House bonding bill contains $21.75 million for statewide bridge repair and replacement and another $18 million for local road improvements. The proposal also includes $20 million for affordable housing rehabilitation and $80 million for low-income non-profit housing infrastructure.
“As this bill moves through the process, I’ll continue working to ensure our area is well represented and receives funding for needed projects,” added Rep. Sawatzky.
The full $850 million bonding bill can be found here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/a14-1037.pdf.
The $125 million general fund bill can be found here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/a14-1038.pdf.
Rep. Sawatzky encourages constituents to contact her with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas. Rep. Sawatzky can be reached by phone at 651-296-6206 or by email at rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Sawatzky’s AreaVoices blog, legislative page and sign up for email updates.