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Councielor Benson urges state priorities for Proctor: trails, bridges, local aid and a 'journalism preservation' idea
Summary
Councelor Benson presented a draft legislative agenda asking the state to resubmit trail and infrastructure bonding requests, raise local government aid, support economic development and consider a journalism preservation act to help community newspapers; council asked staff about resubmission procedures.
Councelor Benson asked the Proctor City Council on Sept. 3 to place a legislative agenda on the record ahead of the upcoming state session, highlighting infrastructure and community priorities he said the city should press its legislators to support.
Benson outlined several items he recommended for the city's state requests: resubmitting funding requests for the Munger Trails spur and other infrastructure bonding; attracting attention to bridges and viaducts affecting the locality; advancing employment and economic-development initiatives; seeking increased local government aid; and exploring a journalism preservation act to support community newspapers and broaden revenue sources as digital platforms capture local advertising.
He also noted an endangered historic building—the Roundhouse—and suggested the city contact property owners and preservation organizations to explore options for saving the structure. Administrator Rich confirmed that bonding requests could be resubmitted in St. Paul and that staff would follow up on which requests remain active.
Benson framed the journalism proposal as a way to ensure transparency and local coverage: "Community newspapers do a a good job letting people know that what we're doing is transparent and... we got your Google and meta and they steal the news content," he said, urging Minnesota consider models used in other states.
Council members thanked Benson for the memo and discussed next steps; no formal vote was taken to adopt the legislative agenda as a binding resolution at this meeting. Staff were asked to research the status of prior bonding requests and to return with suggested next steps for formalizing the city's priorities to legislators.
Next steps: Administration to confirm which prior bonding requests remain active in the legislature and to draft requested materials for council consideration ahead of the legislative session.
