Bonding tour stops in Fairmont

FAIRMONT-- On Thursday morning members of the Minnesota State Senate Capital Investment Committee toured both the site of the proposed community center in Fairmont and the Law Enforcement Center at the Martin County Courthouse in Fairmont.

The stops were two of many that members of the committee are touring this week in order to gain information needed to put together a new bonding bill. The city of Fairmont has requested $10 million in state bonding dollars for the purpose of constructing a community center and Martin County has requested $12.75 million to assist in funding a Public Safety and Justice Center that would house the county sheriff, Fairmont police and law enforcement operations.

For the first stop, the committee met in a shop owned by Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont as it was next to the site of the proposed community center. There Mayor Lee Baarts, Amy Long of the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation and James Draper, president of the Fairmont Youth Hockey Association, spoke about the roles their respective entities play in the project.

Also present were several Fairmont City Council members, members of the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce, Fairmont Area Schools Superintendent and other members of the Fairmont Youth Hockey Association.

The city of Fairmont had put in a state bonding request for $10 million to be used to help fund a community center, which will be built in two phases, the first a YMCA portion with the second addition being an ice arena. In the event that the city is granted the funds, conversations would need to take place on how to divvy up the money between the two phases.

After the three speakers with the community center project spoke about the entities they represent and what they believe a community center would add, Senator Sandy Pappas, Chair of the Capital Investment Committee, said, "I think you should give us the basic idea of what you're doing because I think we're missing that."

Long said that the YMCA portion would house a pool, an area for child watch, a gym, a walking track, a wellness area, community rooms and some multi-purpose rooms. She noted that Draper had already spoken about what a new ice arena would add to the community and how many people it had the potential to serve.

"On the financing side, the Foundation is overseeing private fundraising and the city is contributing via the local option sales tax funds," Long said.

Fairmont's Finance Director, Paul Hoye, said that the Foundation has recently hired a construction manager for the project which is working on finalizing costs for the facility. Hoye also shared that back in 2016 the city passed a referendum for local option sales tax to help

fund a community center and has been collecting on that since 2017.

"Does that include the hockey arena then? That qualifies for funding from the sales tax?" asked Pappas.

Hoye said that at the time the ballot language was for a community center or other recreational amenities.

He said that while the Foundation is raising funds, the city has designated the sales tax to the project. He noted that they were on the site of the proposed project. Pappas asked whether the city owned the land. Long said that it was owned by Mayo Clinic but that it was donating the land.

Long also shared that to date the Foundation has raised $6.2 million for the project.

Pappas questioned how the entities were coming up with $33.5 million for the project and whether the request from the state was still $10 million.

Hoye said that the Foundation is planning to raise $11 million and that the city will put in just under $14 million between the two phases.

"That's $25 (million) and what's your request from the state?" Pappas asked.

Hoye said that it's $10 million so Pappas asked whether the total project would cost $35 million. Hoye said that the construction manager is working on the community center facility and that the design for the ice arena is still being done.

"I don't want to rain on your parade. I think it's great that you have this enthusiastic group here, it's just that we really need specific details," Pappas said.

She added that there is still time for the project to be finalized and an accurate number to get back to the committee by February or March, at which time it begins putting the bill together.

"Just remember, the state dollar is the last dollar in. Before MMB (Minnesota Management and Budget) or DEED (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development) can release any funds, you have to have all of the other funds raised," Pappas said.

She encouraged the group to keep fundraising for the project. She said that $10 million is a big lift for them. She noted that while he's a supporter, Senator Rich Draheim--who represents District 22, which Fairmont is a part of-- has other needs in his district that the committee would be touring yet that day.

"As much private fundraising and as much as the city can put in, because I'm not sure that we... can come up with the $10 million to finish it," Pappas said.

Draper said that the city is also looking at another local option sales tax to help fund phase two. He shared that it has passed through the state and will be on the ballot for the community of Fairmont to vote on in next year's election.

Senator Scott Dibble, another member of the committee, suggested that the city and/or Park Board could look into a skate park. He noted that they're popular and could appeal to children not served by hockey. Pappas added that that would be a cheaper option, too.

It was pointed out that Fairmont already has a skate park.

Once it left the site of the proposed community center, the committee traveled down the road to the Martin County Courthouse, where it met with the Martin County Commissioners, Sheriff and County Attorney.

The Capital Investment Committee had last stopped at the courthouse, to hear about the county's funding request for a jail, in October of 2021.

On Thursday County Attorney Taylor McGowan said there has been a lot of work done in the last year and that a lot of what's been done has been in reaction to whether or not the county receives assistance from the state.

"The current request is for $12.75 million. We had made previous requests, unfortunately the money hasn't come in so in reaction to that we've pared down this project to make it as attractive as possible. At the end of the day this is a very big need for the county," McGowan said.

He said that the current facilities are outdated and do not serve Martin County residents or the people they incarcerate. He said the county has a responsibility, not only under DOC (Department of Corrections) regulations, but as proper stewards of public safety to provide reasonable accommodations for the people they incarcerate.

"We've come up with a project that we think serves the needs of the county as fiscally responsible as possible because obviously our taxpayers need to foot a part of this, but we do need assistance from the state to ultimately make this viable," McGowan said.

The committee then went on a tour of the jail, in two groups, because of the tight space in the current facilities. During the tour committee members had the opportunity to see how outdated the facility is and hear about the proposed project.

Following its stops in Fairmont, the committee headed to Blue Earth to hear about a proposal there for $8.6 million in state funds to be used for water treatment facility improvements. On Wednesday the committee was in Trimont to hear about its request for $25 million in funding for infrastructure improvements.