State agency urges $ for asset preservation, emergency repairs and Capitol security upgrades

Department of Administration Commissioner Tamar Grunval told the House Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 27 that the state faces an estimated $2.2 billion deferred-maintenance backlog across state-owned facilities and urged lawmakers to fund emergency repairs, planned preservation and security upgrades.

Grunval said the Administration manages more than 4,800 buildings totaling more than 34 million square feet and that the agency’s Capital Asset Preservation and Replacement Account, or CAPRA, provides emergency repair funds and hazardous-material abatement for state agencies.

At a hearing in the State Capitol, Grunval said CAPRA has been used for flood damage and major roof, water main and sewer replacements and that current balances are low enough that a few weather events could deplete the fund and force agencies to divert operating dollars to cover emergencies. “CAPRA funding is a critical operational need,” Grunval said. “I cannot overemphasize the importance of this funding being included in a bonding bill no matter its size.”

Nut graf: The Administration framed the request as preserving core state assets, reducing long-term repair costs and improving safety. Agency leaders asked the committee to prioritize asset preservation funding in the governor’s bonding package, to maintain operations and avoid using operating budgets to cover building emergencies.

Why it matters: The department said regular, planned maintenance reduces total cost of ownership and helps keep buildings safe and operational. The agency estimates that postponed maintenance now totals about $2.2 billion and highlighted that modern, properly operating facilities also reduce energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Details presented to the committee included: - Asset scope: Minnesota owns 4,800 buildings across 19 agencies (more than 34,000,000 square feet) with an estimated replacement value above $11.2 billion. - Deferred maintenance estimate: roughly $2.2 billion, agency-calculated. - CAPRA: used for emergency repairs and hazardous-material abatement; the department reported $8,000,000 in emergency repairs in 2024 (listed in the CAPRA report) and warned the account could be depleted after a few major weather or hazardous events. - Capitol security: the department asked for funding to continue implementation of physical-security upgrades identified in a 2014 study and a 2022 update performed for the Capital Complex. Grunval said more than half of the complex’s population and square footage still lacks recommended upgrades. - Renewable-energy account: the governor proposes a budget-neutral policy to create a state building renewable energy storage and electric-vehicle account to accept federal cash rebates and apply them to future projects at state facilities.

Commissioner Grunval brought Assistant Commissioner Wayne Waslowski, who described how building-condition assessments are completed component by component (roof, mechanical, plumbing) and rolled up to overall ratings. Waslowski said assessments are done at least every two to three years and noted that the Administration tracks vacant properties and often finds the poorest condition ratings where agencies plan for demolition.

Committee members asked about vacant buildings and how condition categories ("excellent" through "crisis") are defined. Waslowski said “excellent” generally indicates no major work needed in the next one to three years; the rating system is based on expected time before work is required.

Ending: Grunval closed by reiterating that asset preservation protects safety and state investments and that Administration staff were available for follow-up questions outside the hearing time.