FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ramsey County Parks and Recreation
April 23, 2019
Help Sought for Battle Creek Snowmaking Project
Hello Snow-Making Enthusiasts!
On behalf of Mark McCabe and the Winter Recreation Area team, I wanted to give you a quick update and ask for your help in getting this project across the finish line this year. Spring has sprung—almost all the snow is gone and it’s the final month of the legislative season. Calls, letters or even emails in this last month will be helpful and we are asking for you to reach out to contacts now. Please make any calls or contacts ASAP but also by May 10th.
STATUS: We have had around 5 hearings this year in individual committees in the House and Senate. Now, we are in a great position in the House with HF 2529, which is the omnibus Capitol Investment bill authored by Rep. Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown). Their bill totals $1.5 BILLION and it includes our bill along with lots of other local asks and key investments for the state in asset preservation. The Senate does not yet have their bill put together yet, and they might not ever put one together this year. This is traditionally the budget year and the 2nd year of the biennium is the bonding year. That said, there is likely to be a bonding bill because it often helps them get a global deal done at the end of Session. Many, many projects went ahead this year with that line of thinking by legislators and we did the same thing. The Senate bill is bound to be smaller than $1.5 billion so advocacy is needed.
BACKGROUND: Along with our good hearings, we have had good meetings with the Governor’s staff to bring them up to speed. The Governor will be part of any final negotiations, so contacts to that office would be helpful too.
MESSAGES: Speak or write from your heart and personal experience. Many of you are fierce advocates for your sport, the East Metro, your county parks, your kid’s high school sport, etc. Keep the message short, but let them know why you’d like to see snowmaking infrastructure at Battle Creek park.
WHO TO CONTACT: The Governor’s office and the Senate are THE most important contacts right now. The second round should be to say thank you to the House who has been supportive thus far.
Governor Tim Walz (No worries, you will be getting a staff/receptionist who takes calls all day long from constituents. These are tracked and are important for us to make, in order to show strong support.)
MESSAGE: Please include Battle Creek Snowmaking Infrastructure in any end-deal Capitol Bonding bill. It is important to me because: ___________________________.
130 State Capitol
75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Telephone: 651-201-3400
Toll Free: 800-657-3717
Minnesota Relay: 800-627-3529
Fax: 651-797-1850
Senator Dave Senjem (R-Rochester), chairs the Senate Bonding committee and will be a key decider in how big the bonding bill is and what is included.
MESSAGE: Please include Battle Creek Snowmaking Infrastructure in any end-deal Capitol Bonding bill. It is important to me because: ___________________________.
651-296-3903
3401 Minnesota Senate Building
95 University Avenue West
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Email isn’t so easy to use when you are emailing their offices as they have software in place so they aren’t blasted with lots of group emails.
Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa)
MESSAGE: Please include Battle Creek Snowmaking Infrastructure in any end-deal Capitol Bonding bill. It is important to me because: ___________________________.
651-296-4875
3111 Minnesota Senate Building
95 University Avenue West
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Email isn’t so easy to use when you are emailing their offices as they have software in place so they aren’t blasted with lots of group emails.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park)
MESSAGE: Thank you for including Battle Creek Snowmaking Infrastructure in your Bonding bill. Thank you for being an advocate for winter recreation and the equity for the East Metro. It’s important to me because: ___________________________.
651-296-4280
463 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
House Representative Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown),
chairs the House Capitol Investment committee and included it in her omnibus bonding bill.
MESSAGE: Thank you for including Battle Creek Snowmaking Infrastructure in your bonding bill. Thank you for understanding the need to make snow sometimes in Minnesota and what this will mean for winter recreation in the East Metro. It’s important to me because: ___________________________.
343 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
House Representative Leon Lillie (DFL-North Saint Paul) Rep. Lillie was our chief author of HF 1481—our original bill asking for $3.1 million
MESSAGE: Thank you for all your work on Battle Creek Snowmaking infrastructure bill. Please stay strong with this in the final weeks of session! This is important to me because: ___________________________.
367 State Office Building
651-296-1188
367 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Senator Karin Housely (R-St Mary’s Point) Senator Housely is the chief author in the Senate of SF 1366 which is the original ask for $3.1 million.
MESSAGE: Thank you for carrying this bill for Battle Creek Snowmaking infrastructure. This is an important equity issue for the East Metro; this is important to me because: ___________________________.
651-296-4351
3217 Minnesota Senate Building
95 University Avenue West
Saint Paul, MN 55155
OTHERS: Any House or Senate member can be contacted about this, and the message is pretty simple. If they are on the Senate side, ask them to please contact their leadership about supporting this bill. And if they are on the House side, thank them for including it thus far and to stay strong on including it in any final deal. And then add the part about why it is important to you! If you need help finding out who represents you, check outwww.leg.state.mn.us or contact staff. Ramsey County’s lead staff person at the Capitol can be contacted if you have any questions. Her name is Jennifer O’Rourke and she is the Director of Government Relations. Her best contact information is 651.266.8007 and jennifer.o’[email protected].
Thank you all for your help making this Winter Recreation Area a reality.
Kristopher Lencowski | Director of Park Operations
Ramsey County
Parks and Recreation
2015 Van Dyke Street
Maplewood, MN 55109-3796
Cell 651-321-4325 | Office 651-363-3775