Austin, Mower County officials seek stimulus money
By Jeffrey Pieters
Post-Bulletin (Minnesota)
December 8, 2008
A planned federal economic stimulus program, centered on public works projects, has already succeeded in stimulating a stampede among southeastern Minnesota's local government officials, including officials in Austin and Mower County.
Legislation prepared by U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would send $45 billion across the country for road, bridge, aviation and water and sewer projects in the first four months of next year, the Duluth News Tribune reported last week.
Oberstar told the newspaper that his legislation could create as many as 7,000 new jobs in Minnesota alone.
Mower County will have a bevy of projects ready, should the stimulus occur, said County Engineer Mike Hanson.
Projects past the drawing board include a $2 million bridge replacement on Oakland Avenue in Austin and long repaving projects on Mower County Road 24 east of Austin and Mower County Road 8 south of Grand Meadow.
"If we got a million dollars or $5 million, we could spend it immediately," Hanson said.
Austin, likewise, has "plenty of projects on the plate," said City Administrator Jim Hurm.
Chief among those, Hurm said, is a $28 million flood-control project, including $12 million to protect properties along North Main Street. The city already has applied for a $2.5 million U.S. Department of Commerce grant.
Even if the flood wall project doesn't meet the definition of a project eligible for stimulus aid, Hurm said, "We have some more projects that can be designed fairly quickly."
Hanson said he received messages from the state departments of Transportation, Natural Resources and Employment and Economic Development, all urging him and other local officials around the state to get potential projects planned and organized.
"There's the rumors that all this money is going to be out there," Hanson said. "But we're not sure what all the rules are going to be."
Oberstar's legislation is being held for the start of President-elect Barack Obama's term. Obama announced that he wants Congress to pass a massive jobs-creation program soon after it returns to session on Jan. 6.
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