Rogers seeks funds for Main Street turnback and a public safety campus serving growing suburbs

Officials from Rogers presented two related requests: a turnback and reconstruction of Main Street (House File 319) and a public safety campus and emergency operations/training facility (House File 318).

For Main Street (HF 319) Mayor Shannon Click said the project has two phases and that phase two (the turnback project) would reconstruct utilities and the street. The total project was estimated in testimony at about $10 million; presenters listed local budgets that together covered roughly half the cost and asked the committee to consider $5 million in capital funding to complete the work. City officials said the reconstruction will improve safety, add safe‑routes‑to‑school measures and add roundabouts to ease congestion.

For the public safety campus (HF 318) Chief Dan Wills described an $8 million request toward a $22 million public safety campus that would be part of future City Hall and address space shortages. The city said officers recently shifted training to de‑escalation methods and reported a 56% reduction in use‑of‑force incidents after changing training approaches, but officials said they lack appropriate training space and an emergency operations center. The proposal would also house an embedded social worker and include officer wellness facilities, and city presenters tied project need to a rapid expansion after annexation that increased calls for service and geographic area.

Committee members asked about existing regional public-safety training options (a nearby Maple Grove facility) and local partnerships; presenters said Rogers had coordinated with county partners for parts of the project but outlined reasons for a local campus to meet growing demand. No appropriations were made at the hearing; both requests remain part of the committee record for future consideration.