Posted: 7/6/05
Submitted by Gloria Karsky and Rick Olseen
On June 7-9, North Branch Mayor Gloria Karsky, Chisago County Commissioner Rick Olseen, and Chisago County Engineer Bill Malin traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby U.S. Senators Norm Coleman and Mark Dayton and our Minnesota 8th District Congressman Jim Oberstar, for support of a bill that could provide transportation funds for three big projects in North Branch and Chisago County.
The city of North Branch has been working to obtain funding for the reconstruction of the Highway 95 bridge over I-35 since 1997. This project, along with two projects slated by Chisago County - a new interchange with ramps at I-35 and County Road 17 and safety improvements on Highway 8 - will hopefully be included in the federal Transportation Highway Bill (TEA-LU) that is winding its way through Congress.
The first day provided a busy agenda with members of Congress, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the Transportation Alliance providing updates on the status of the legislation.
We also made some important connections with Mn/DOT representatives that will help us coordinate the funding process with Mn/DOT. By sharing additional information and responding to questions from Mn/DOT representatives, we have a better understanding of the required approval process and the coordination that is necessary to ensure a smooth construction process. For instance, Mayor Karsky was able to clarify several issues raised by Mn/DOT Deputy Commissioner Douglas Differt, and he now has a personal understanding of our local projects. We believe that this in-person interaction should help the whole process, once funding has been secured, proceed more efficiently.
On the second day, we heard from most of the Minnesota members of the House of Representatives. We then personally met with Congressman Oberstar and his staff for over an hour. Representative Oberstar is 100 percent behind the North Branch bridge, the County 17 interchange, and the Hwy. 8 safety improvement projects. He was instrumental in including these projects in the House Bill. Our personal visit reinforced Congressman Oberstarís commitment to work with us to meet our transportation needs.
Mayor Karsky was able to arrange a meeting with Sen. Norm Coleman and his staff to discuss our projects. This was very important since we need Senate support of our projects as the Bill enters into conference committee.
Commissioner Rick Olseen met with Sen. Mark Daytonís chief of staff, Jack Danielson, for almost an hour working for the Senatorís support of these projects. We all then met with Congressman Mark Dayton and his staff to seek his support of our projects. We also discussed potential support of long-range commuter buses for our area.
We are hopeful with the passage of TEA-LU, that the funds needed for our local transportation projects will be secured, allowing us to proceed with the construction. The Bill would also provide around $280 billion for transportation projects nationwide. We believe that our in-person visits will help our efforts to make our projects move smoother and faster once the money is available. Letís build some bridges!
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