Public safety bonding requests

Seven of the 10 bonding requests, totaling more than $85 million, heard by the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee, received favorable recommendations.

They were forwarded Feb. 9 to the House Capital Investment Committee for further consideration.

The largest request, $29.9 million, would be to remodel existing space for the intake unit and construct a new health services unit and loading dock at the St. Cloud prison. Department of Corrections officials testified that the projects would increase staff and offender safety, and would reduce the crowded intake and health services areas that are inadequate for the current prison population.

Also making the cut is $15 million in department asset preservation and $3.39 million to install a new well, replace piping and add a building to house water treatment equipment at the Stillwater prison. Officials said the changes would reduce water treatment costs and energy consumption.

Other projects forwarded are:

• $26 million requested by the Department of Public Safety for construction of a new state emergency operations center in Arden Hills to replace the facility in downtown St. Paul;

• $10.3 million to construct a regional 911 communications facility in Hennepin County to replace the current facility that opened in 1948;

• $750,000 for asset preservation and other improvements at the Northeast Regional Corrections Center; and

• $164,000 for improvements to the Annandale Tactical Training Center.

The Hennepin County facility comes from HF2038, sponsored by Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls); Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) sponsors HF1933, the corrections center funding; and Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City) sponsors HF293 for the Annandale facility.

Not making the cut are:

• $5.4 million for a fence at the Shakopee women’s prison that was requested by the Corrections Department;

• $3 million for a new emergency operations center in Ortonville, that came from HF788, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Falk (DFL-Murdock); and

• $2.5 million to equip an expansion to the Minnesota Emergency Response and Industrial Training Center in Marshall, that came from HF2016, sponsored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent).

Committee members previously said they want local funding sources secured before the state helps with the Ortonville and Marshall projects.