The Minnesota Legislature is entering the final 5-6 weeks of the 2024 session, so things are, as Representative Kristi Pursell (D-Northfield) said, “ramping up.” As this is an even numbered year, the legislature does not have a biennial budget to create, so traditionally, legislators will try to pass a bonding bill in order to help fund localized projects.
Pursell said there are two projects for which she is advocating right now. The first is approximately $3.75 million, on a city-state dollar-for-dollar match for the Bridge Square Redevelopment project. For the last few years, the city of Northfield has been discussing a redevelopment of the park in the center of Downtown that would include adding more green space, creating a larger central gallery area adjacent to the riverside with a terraced entry, updating the lighting, and possibly building a pergola along the terraced entrance.
City Administrator Ben Martig joined Pursell at the Capitol last week to testify before the Capital Investment Committee. She said reception from the committee for the project was favorable, but it was not without a bit of collegiate rivalry thrown in.
“The chair of the Capital Investment Committee, Representative Fue Lee (D-Minneapolis), graduated from Carleton. So, there was a fun little local moment that Northfielders will appreciate where he was asking, ‘Oh that’s where the statue is right? Which way is that eagle pointing?’ He knows that I went to St. Olaf and so you know he wanted to make sure that that tradition would carry forth.”
The second project she is working on would create state matching funds to build infrastructure in coop neighborhoods. The idea is a new one to Minnesota, but a neighborhood of this type has been proposed for the southeast section of Northfield on land owned by the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Pursell said she and Martig testified before the Capital Investment Committee asking that $10 million be allocated to the Housing Committee to establish the program, and she and Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha testified before the House Housing Committee about the idea as well.
Pursell said she understands that new ideas come with questions, but she sees the plan as an innovative idea to help with a problem that is plaguing the entire state.
“And of course, we know there’s that ‘Missing Middle’ housing need across the state of Minnesota. We could try to do something innovative here and set the model for other communities to see: Minnesota made manufactured homes in a cooperative model and on city owned land. I think there are a lot of questions, but I think there’s also a lot of potential for us to innovate.”
Bonding bills are generally the final things passed during a legislative session, and usually at the eleventh hour. The 2024 Legislative Session is constitutionally mandated to end on May 20th.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Book Fair donations will be accepted through Friday
Donations are now being accepted for the 2024 edition of the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Book Fair.
The annual event has been a Northfield tradition for more than sixty years. Northfielders have been known to line up outside of the ice arena, which is home to the book fair hours before opening day.
The Book Fair is so well appreciated for several reasons, not the least of which is the cause it supports. Relying completely on donated books, the fair is the major fundraiser for the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary, which is a volunteer organization that offers help in creating a better experience for people at the Northfield Hospital. Over its long history, the Auxiliary Book Fair has raised more than $1.2 million to support hospital projects, community programs, and scholarships for students in the greater Northfield community. Book Fair Chair Mark Heiman said the money is always put to very good use.
“Items that the Northfield hospital could use but can’t necessarily put in the budget. For instance, a few years ago they bought several chairs for the cancer facility, so folks who are getting their chemotherapy have a comfortable place to sit. They’ve bought some training devices and other things so they’re things that really contribute to the healthcare environment here in Northfield.”
Another reason the book fair is so popular is the ease it offers to shoppers. Generally offering more than 70,000 items, including books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, games and puzzles, everything is carefully sorted by the hundreds of volunteers who put the event together. The fair is divided into several different sections, each of which can be filled with thousands of books. Heiman said that would not be possible without the vast number of people who find the best way to help out.
“Each of the individual sections has volunteers, and we’ve got folks who are responsible obviously during the sale for the cashiers and the tellers, we even have a volunteer who’s solely dedicated to managing all of the cardboard and recycling that we generate during this event. There are so many different people who have so many interesting jobs that they that they’ve kind of dedicated themselves to. It’s an amazing operation to be part of.”
The book fair accepts donations from 9am until 5pm. They can only accept items in good or excellent condition, and the list of things that will not be taken in includes textbooks published before 2019, English-language dictionaries, encyclopedias, Readers’ Digest Condensed Books, Magazines, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, and 78 RPM records.
Donations will be accepted through 5pm on Friday. The Book Fair will run from April 23rd-April 28th. For more information, visit northfieldbookfair.org
Thomas, Rice County coordinating safety efforts around I-35 construction
A project that created a dangerous area on I-35 last summer just outside of Faribault, is now set to continue.
Beginning today, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin resurfacing about 4.5 miles of Interstate-35 from County Road 48 to Hwy. 2.
MnDOT officials, concerned about the high number of crashes – there were three with fatalities inside of the construction zone last year– have collaborated with area first responders, City of Faribault and Rice County highway engineers, 911 dispatchers, towing companies and the Rice County Attorney’s Office to help ensure a safe traveling season for the thousands who travel area roads daily.
Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas said his office has been meeting all those different organizations as well looking for the best detour routes in anticipation of a worst-case scenario.
“We’ve met with MnDot, the State Patrol, emergency response services, the fire departments, all the construction engineers just looking at alternate routes. And I think we’re prepared. We’re hoping we won’t need to activate everybody all at once, but I’m sure we will have to.”
A statement issued by Rice County said traffic will be reduced to a single lane from time to time, and ramps will be closed periodically throughout that project.
Work on I-35 is expected to be complete by the end of the fall.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
KYMN News 4/15/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
