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Capital Investment Committee meets April 29: informational hearings on school safety lockboxes, higher‑education capital requests, PFAS report and DOC studies;—
Summary
The Capital Investment Committee met April 29 and heard informational presentations on House File 3,220 (school lockboxes), capital requests from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, a PFAS removal/funding report from MPCA, and a DOC request for studies on Stillwater Correctional Facility; the committee adopted minutes for April 24.
The Capital Investment Committee convened on April 29 for an informational agenda that included a school‑safety presentation on House File 3,220, capital budget requests from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, an MPCA briefing on PFAS removal and fee options, and a Department of Corrections presentation requesting studies related to the Stillwater Correctional Facility. The committee adopted the minutes from its April 24 meeting during the session.
Key items discussed:
- School safety (HF 3,220): Representative Green and co‑author Representative Witte presented an informational hearing on using an expiring $1.8 million 2018 Safe Schools grant balance to fund law‑enforcement Knox‑style lockboxes at schools; the A‑1 amendment would add tribal contract schools to the bill’s scope.
- University of Minnesota capital request: Vice President Alice Roberts Davis requested $200 million for HEAPR, a $20 million design request for the FARM agricultural research project, and about $8 million to install suicide‑deterrent barriers and lighting on the Washington Avenue Bridge; the university said the bridge is owned by Hennepin County and would require county approvals.
- Minnesota State capital request: Associate Vice Chancellor Brian Swanson emphasized HEAPR and a strategic focus on demolition and renovation rather than new space, and noted operating requests for $25 million (demolition) and $50 million (repair/replacement).
- PFAS report (MPCA): Assistant Commissioner Kurt Koudelka and PFAS coordinator Fox Char presented a menu of fee options and initial cost estimates for drinking water and wastewater treatment and sampling; MPCA recommended a revenue‑target fee model and cautioned that data gaps and changing federal reporting rules create uncertainty about the fee universe and likely revenue.
- Department of Corrections: Deputy Commissioner Safia Khan and Carl Hunt discussed asset preservation needs and requested $1 million for decommissioning and management studies to evaluate possible closure and reuse options for the Stillwater Correctional Facility; DOC cited third‑party estimates of $113 million for immediate safety repairs and roughly $1.35 billion to replace the facility on its current site.
Votes at a glance:
- Motion to approve minutes (April 24): moved by Representative Allen; committee voice vote, motion prevailed and the minutes were adopted (no roll‑call tally recorded in transcript).
No floor or committee votes on bills or appropriations occurred during the April 29 meeting; most presentations were informational and generated follow‑up questions about timelines, fiscal notes and implementation details.
