STATE OF MINNESOTA SEVENTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
FINANCE AND POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, called the meeting to order at 1:05 P.M. on Thursday, March 5, 2009, in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
Rukavina, Tom, Chair
Bly, David, Vice Chair
Anderson, Sarah
Atkins, Joe
Brynaert, Kathy
Dettmer, Bob
Downey, Keith
Eastlund, Rob
Gunther, Bob
Haws, Larry
Mahoney, Tim
McFarlane, Carol
Murphy, Mary
Nornes, Bud
Norton, Kim
Obermueller, Mike
Poppe, Jeanne
Reinert, Roger
Slocum, Linda
Welti, Andy
Members excused:
Clark, Karen
A quorum was present.
Chair Rukavina welcomed Dan McElroy, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, to the hearing and invited him to begin his presentation on the federal stimulus provisions related to workforce and economic development.
Dan McElroy, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, introduced himself and began his presentation.
Questions and discussion followed.
Commissioner McElroy continued his presentation.
Questions and discussion followed.
Commissioner McElroy continued his presentation. Commissioner McElroy acknowledged David Hancox in the audience representing CILS, and Chuck Hamilton and Cathy Carlson in the audience representing State Services for the Blind.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 5, 2009
Page Two
Questions and discussion followed.
Cathy Carlson, State Services for the Blind, introduced herself and assisted Commissioner McElroy with his presentation.
Questions and discussion followed.
Commissioner McElroy requested that Lee Nelson, Unemployment Insurance Division, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, to come forward to assist with the unemployment insurance presentation.
Lee Nelson assisted with the presentation.
Discussion and questions followed.
HF16 (Dettmer)
Representative Dettmer moved that HF16 be recommended to pass and be held over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division omnibus bill.
Representative Dettmer presented HF16, relating to disaster assistance; providing a grant to the city of Hugo for tornado relief; appropriating money.
Representative Dettmer introduced Fran Miron, Mayor, City of Hugo. Representative Dettmer introduced the video of the Hugo tornado, and provided a handout of information on the costs incurred with the recovery efforts and discussed the situation.
Fran Miron, Mayor, City of Hugo, introduced himself and Michael Ericson, City Administrator, and Chuck Haas, City Council Member.
Mayor Miron presented information on HF16 and then showed a DVD of the tornado event of May 25, 2008. Both Mayor Miron and Michael Ericson narrated the video.
Questions and discussion followed.
Chair Rukavina invited Representative Doty forward to present HF147.
Chair Rukavina asked what the will of the committee is regarding hearing the capital bills, and suggested that the bills could be moved electronically in one motion. The committee said yes.
Chair Rukavina said that each bill would be given a brief hearing.
HF147 (Doty)
Representative Doty presented HF147, relating to capital improvements; appropriating money for a Tri-County Regional Services Center; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds. A handout was provided.
Michael Wilhelmson, Chair, Search Committee, Tri-County Multiuse Facility, introduced himself and provided testimony on HF147.
Questions and discussion followed.
HF232 (Brown)
Representative Brown presented HF232, relating to capital improvements; authorizing the sale and issuance of general obligation bonds; appropriating money to upgrade the city of Rose Creek sewer systems.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 5, 2009
Page Three
Questions and discussion followed.
Committee members discussed further the procedure for hearing bills in committee.
HF299 (Kalin)
Representative Kalin presented HF299, relating to capital investment; authorizing the sale of state bonds; appropriating money to acquire land for the Allmensratt Wilderness Park in Lindstrom.
John Olinger, City Administrator, City of Lindstrom, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF299.
Representative Haws moved to amend HF299 with amendment
H0299A1, attached.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Kalin continued his presentation of HF299.
Questions and discussion followed.
HF717 (Haws)
Representative Haws presented HF717, relating to capital investment; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds; appropriating money for expansion of the St. Cloud Civic Center.
Representative Haws introduced John Pederson, City Council Member, City of St. Cloud. John Pederson assisted Representative Haws with his presentation.
HF450 (Liebling)
Representative Liebling presented HF450, relating to capital improvements; authorizing the issuance of state bonds; appropriating money to design and construct improvements to the Mayo Civic Center Complex in Rochester. A handout was provided.
Representative Liebling introduced Brad Jones, Executive Director, Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Donna Drews, City of Rochester.
Brad Jones, Executive Director, Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF450.
Questions and discussion followed.
Committee members discussed the hearing process of capital bills further.
Chair Rukavina said that the committee wouldn’t move the bills today.
Brad Jones continued his presentation.
Questions and discussion followed.
Donna Drews, City of Rochester, assisted in answering questions.
HF485 (Anderson, P.)
Representative Anderson presented HF485, relating to capital improvements; appropriating money for the Pope/Douglas waste-to-energy facility; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 5, 2009
Page Four
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Mahoney moved that the minutes of February 26, March 2, and March 3, 2009 be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED
HF957 (Olin)
Representative Olin presented HF957, relating to capital improvements; appropriating money for a municipal geothermal, wind turbine, and solar energy power facility; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds. A handout was provided.
HF1109 (Eken)
Representative Eken presented HF1109, relating to capital improvements; appropriating money for a biofuels production facility in White Earth; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds.
Representative Murphy moved that the committee pass all of the bills heard today and that the bills be referred to the Finance Committee with a recommendation that it be re-referred to the Capital Investment Finance Division.
Representative Downey requested that Representative Sarah Anderson’s request for a more in-depth hearing process for capital bills be honored.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 P.M.
Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair
Susan Scott, Committee Legislative Assistant