[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6339828,"mediaKeyId","2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804","parentId",2260720,"title","Lawmakers press agencies on deferred maintenance, transportation funding gaps and higher‑ed needs; Moody’s says Minnesota credit remains AAA","audioSeconds",1590,"startMs",2762000,"endMs",4352000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804&start=2762&end=4352","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804/thumbnail_2762000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6339828/Minnesota/Lawmakers-press-agencies-on-deferred-maintenance-transportation-funding-gaps-and-highered-needs-Moodys-says-Minnesota-credit-remains-AAA","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6339828-4a124e94808bcba8ee99948ee49d5950/orig.mp4?Expires=1773750861&Signature=V2QZLqajEkDgWl2LkLKuBl~J5DFlVwNTS~v2vsYhwhi6c2-vM2no4LbuNyCS2uG7yWXN8Aw1h9Kah-1ePlqcnUOWUSYppMH~6t92OOgMql-JItKpnfdAJ3RBbNxtdzaX4IAJ~DNA0eRf5NHbBm234ro-OWM4eAf2M-YctkaBTNGRFqe5fklbB3jPtAh41qJhvT3t~LNFuki51Ra1MHnW6TJzkRPjQvRm5ZETs389v65RlMm0m~wwOfQYygF6XwwYZDajbKNjujZZUcASy4yck1JNCJOKmHGPwbyo~qS9ICTb7ILh2cFJS8Wnr5LrQRDs5rUExdol24IYB8~KPaYcig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate","date","2025-02-10T21:59:08Z","article","A multi‑agency panel on Feb. 11 put a spotlight on deferred maintenance across state facilities and infrastructure, and members of the Senate Capital Investment Committee pressed officials about the absence of local road and bridge funding in the governor’s capital proposal.

Nancy Freeman, chief operating officer for Direct Care and Treatment at the Department of Human Services, testified that DCT owns about 185 buildings (over 3,000,000 square feet) with a replacement value just above $1 billion and a deferred maintenance backlog of roughly $183 million (as of Sept. 1). Her division requested $11.43 million in asset preservation; Freeman said the agency frequently uses operating dollars for emergency repairs and that dozens of group homes are in poor or crisis condition.

Alice Roberts Davis, vice president for university services at the University of Minnesota, said the university’s facility portfolio totals 30,000,000 square feet across five campuses and more than 900 buildings valued at about $15 billion. She told senators the university’s 10‑year facility renewal need is roughly $6 billion and that the governor’s HEAPR request seeks $200 million to help preserve facilities. Roberts Davis warned that continued underinvestment risks the university’s ability to recruit and retain students and faculty.

Josh Kannettu Hubinger, chief financial officer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, outlined transportation funding items in the governor’s capital budget — $1.8 million in general obligation bonds for railroad crossing warning devices (enough for roughly four to five crossings) and $2.8 million (general obligation) for port development assistance. He and senators described much larger unmet needs: MnDOT estimates about $300 million would be required to address the worst‑condition railroad crossing warning systems and a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar annual funding gap for roads and bridges when trunk highway, county and city needs are combined. Multiple senators expressed dismay that the governor’s proposal did not include allocations for the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) or local bridge replacement.

Senators pressed MnDOT on the interaction between trunk highway bonding, which the department repays from the trunk highway fund, and the state’s general obligation bonding capacity. Several members warned that reduced local road and bridge funding can have longer‑term consequences — including contractor attrition and higher future costs once projects return to the market.

Moody’s Investor Service joined the hearing by videoconference. Dan Kowalski, assistant vice president for Moody's U.S. public finance group, said Minnesota retains a AAA rating, upgraded in 2022, on the strength of audited fund balances, timely budgets and relatively low combined leverage (debt plus pension and OPEB liabilities). Kowalski said deferred maintenance is a supplemental consideration for ratings but not a primary methodology factor; he said Minnesota’s level of depreciated capital assets has grown faster than many states over the past decade, which is a credit consideration but did not alone change Minnesota’s rating.

No formal votes or bond authorizations were taken during the hearing; witnesses offered to provide additional requested details to the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Capital Investment - 02/11/25","oneSentenceSummary","A multi‑agency panel on Feb. 11 told the Senate Capital Investment Committee that deferred maintenance across state facilities and infrastructure remains large, and lawmakers criticized the governor’s budget for not including local road and bridge dollars.","taxTitle","Capital Investment, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Minnesota","taxId",15768,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6339835,"Minnesota Veterans Affairs seeks nearly $30 million for facility preservation and Minneapolis domiciliary remodel",307,547000,854000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804&start=547&end=854","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804/thumbnail_547000.jpg","/articles/6339835/Minnesota/Minnesota-Veterans-Affairs-seeks-nearly-30-million-for-facility-preservation-and-Minneapolis-domiciliary-remodel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6339835-aeda9a589250599fb700445ea1096053/orig.mp4?Expires=1773750861&Signature=aC6t4TefgKfQEa5NPewVNE0NPgFyFpsnaMF~2CND4p-acumACVyZRMLNAXopFHnm8ysmtW6jE6c8edTJEhh58glQEuD~9l8d1s5yo766yCiysP3KV~0u38Qv2XFzUeOAdsgyM7J6IzlbqkyQ-CmKRB39cLZYfqGgI2b337-d3ZAVXUbwl20tjpkYq0cjfkU7AIgO9wD-qVGp~vwnTytenRRwoTg2iSr8pfLsY9oEg7~mMZdWrUfPO6nG5DjsoNr6xKHzUwpy6wnY1OnHGp6eZb9h59EUVu~hQcga3l5k50SHUSW383WqESITavutkTKnYGoYIF~nTWnyNjuBTnJ7cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Kelly, director of government affairs for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 11 that the department’s 2025 capital requests include $11.94 million for asset preservation at Veterans Homes and cemeteries and $17.404 million to fully fund a remodel of Building 16 on the Minnesota Veterans Home — Minneapolis campus.

Kelly said the asset preservation funds would be used for a range of repairs across the department’s portfolio, including roof, chiller, boiler, elevator, window and mechanical work. He told the committee the agency currently has more than $116 million in deferred maintenance across its facilities and approximately $56.8 million of that is rated in “crisis or poor” condition.

On Building 16, the department described recurring HVAC failures, plumbing and wastewater line problems, and other systems near or past useful life. \"This building has major HVAC issues,\" Kelly said, and described staff and resident impacts, including a recent occasion when temperatures fell to about 55 degrees in occupied spaces.

Committee members asked about the potential for reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ben Johnson, deputy commissioner for program and services at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, explained that projects with costs over $400,000 can be submitted to the federal VA for reimbursement under VA construction grant programs. He cautioned the committee that such federal reimbursement typically does not cover the full cost and that reimbursements are reviewed case by case. The department said it is still awaiting final tranches of reimbursement for prior new‑home projects.

Committee questions probed whether the governor’s recommended budget included the full $17.4 million for Building 16; witnesses confirmed the governor’s recommendation does include the full amount. Witnesses also discussed bond financing mechanics and whether federal reimbursements flow back to repay bonds; the department said federal reimbursement typically goes to the state and may be available for debt service but staff would provide additional detail on mechanics.

No formal committee action or vote was recorded at the hearing.","John Kelly, director of government affairs for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 11 that the department’s 2025 capital requests include $11.94 million for asset preservation and $17.404 million to remodel Building 16 on the Minneapolis Veterans Home campus.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6339840,"Minnesota National Guard asks legislature for $3 million in design funds for Duluth fighter hangar",178,44000,222000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804&start=44&end=222","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260720-ad1e835734ad4b8c823cb92bcda2b804/thumbnail_44000.jpg","/articles/6339840/Minnesota/Minnesota-National-Guard-asks-legislature-for-3-million-in-design-funds-for-Duluth-fighter-hangar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6339840-633e2323c988c62e2f5f05f5746e589d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773750861&Signature=H9JZROBnNRrdyOo7OgnBOR4ketuRTA6xPvAYskiB40rvfRC7wb8M8hCdSaTLSkerrKQeewXW99Ub-q93OeStgPfUm7fYcxp6bTW6~xlb8JNOiAvcvLygl2-WOq4aZWm8~DHyq5BF7D9UqaoBkv~8iDXuoZ9r2RwQm3QZk4aKZWG488thZy6L0a5xdLPOJ3cvXzI23hUqJqikHoj0OiaSdBErBoAd97WVlAfvaE1GOePj35Hx1vsTUIzOOMThEebm2AVqSWNpMzBb973VRYXs~OpYbN7tZEJWXfhRiLHhRws0ODt8GgSwWL-J4aMC8932NmQVcSgXQ4iiiMblMe4wLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Major General Sean Manky, Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 11 that the Guard is requesting $3 million in state design money to plan a new hangar for the 148th Fighter Wing at Duluth International Airport. The design funding, Manky said, would allow the state to better compete for roughly $28 million in federal construction funding for a three‑bay, universal shelter capable of housing F‑15EX, F‑35 or future fighter models.

The request matters because the current hangar on the flight line was built nearly 70 years ago and moved in the 1980s from the former Duluth Air Force Base. \"This hangar was not purpose built for the aircraft that it houses today or for future aircraft,\" Manky said, describing leaking, dated facilities and safety concerns. He said design would take about 12–15 months with construction expected to follow in 18–24 months.

Don Kerr, Executive Director of the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, clarified a question from the committee about property ownership: the specific parcel where the hangar would sit is state‑owned, Kerr said, after earlier committee members expressed concern about bonding on federal land. \"The actual plot of land that we're planning to put the hangars on does belong to the state of Minnesota,\" he said.

Committee members pressed how the state investment would interact with federal funding. Senator Pratt asked whether the full $28 million construction request would typically be awarded by the federal government; Manky responded that the Guard would apply for the full amount and that because the facility sits on a federal installation the project is eligible. Pratt also asked how the requested $3 million demonstrates state good faith; Manky said the design commitment would strengthen competitiveness for federal dollars.

Manky highlighted the wider economic and public‑safety role of the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth, noting the wing's firefighting capability for Duluth International Airport and the presence of other response units such as an explosive ordnance disposal team and a fatality search and rescue team that have supported state active‑duty responses.

No formal vote or committee action was recorded in the hearing. The presentation closed after committee questions and the chair thanked the witnesses for their testimony.","The Minnesota National Guard told the Senate Capital Investment Committee it is seeking $3 million in state design funding to ready a new universal fighter hangar at Duluth — a state gesture officials say would improve competitiveness for an estimated $28 million in federal construction money.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers press agencies on deferred maintenance, transportation funding gaps and higher‑ed needs; Moody’s says Minnesota credit remains AAA

Minnesota Veterans Affairs seeks nearly $30 million for facility preservation and Minneapolis domiciliary remodel

Minnesota National Guard asks legislature for $3 million in design funds for Duluth fighter hangar