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MRPC votes to send letters of support for three MnDOT projects; one member warns of local match issues
Summary
The Minnesota MRPC approved letters of support for three MnDOT Transportation Alternatives candidates — Sauk Rapids sidewalks ($240,000 requested), Saint Cloud Fifth Avenue ($800,000 requested) and Heatherwood multimodal ($400,000 requested) — after MnDOT staff presented their selection process.
The Minnesota Great River Road Commission voted Aug. 14 to provide letters of support for three MnDOT Transportation Alternatives projects selected from District 3 proposals.
Peter McDonough, MnDOT senior landscape architect, said regional development commissions were invited to submit projects for MRPC letters of support; District 3 submitted multiple proposals and MnDOT vetted them before recommending three finalists. "We selected three projects to go forward," McDonough said, identifying Sauk Rapids 2nd Avenue sidewalks (railroad crossing and ADA improvements, requesting $240,000), a Fifth Avenue project in Saint Cloud (requesting $800,000) and a Heatherwood multimodal project (requesting $400,000).
The commission moved and seconded to approve sending letters of support for those projects; Chair recorded the motion and members voiced "aye" with no recorded opposition. Carl (speaker 5) cautioned that one local governing body — the Brainerd City Council — had previously declined to provide matching funds for a different project, which could be an obstacle for projects that rely on local matches.
Andrew George (LCC) said that if approved, staff would draft letters commissioners could append to project managers’ grant applications in November. The vote authorized staff to prepare and transmit the letters for the projects recommended by MnDOT.
The commission did not itself commit funding: the letters are intended to support grant applications. Members asked MnDOT and local planners to watch for match commitments and other local obstacles before submitting final applications.
Next steps: LCC staff will send letters of support to project managers for inclusion with grant applications; project sponsors will pursue grant rounds and local match as required.
