Minnesota Legislative Committee Visits Medford

State Representative Brian Daniels of Faribault invited the Minnesota House of Representatives Capital Investment Committee to tour the Medford City Hall/Fire Department Wednesday.

It was day two of their Bonding Tour of Southeastern Minnesota.

Representative Daniels was on the KDHL Newsline during the 5:05 evening report and said the current Medford facility is simply "inadequate".

Representative Daniels said the Medford Fire Department would like to get a new truck but it wouldn't fit inside the present Fire Department building.

The City Hall/Fire Department was constructed in the 1970's he noted and the community needs some assistance in constructing a new facility.

The Faribault State Representative said having the combination City Hall/Fire Department capitalizes on efficiencies.

When asked about the price tag, Representative Daniels said approximately four million dollars is what the community is working toward with half levied locally and the other half hopefully coming from state bonding.

Representative Daniels told KDHL the request is a "reasonable" one in his mind but said members of the Capital Investment Committee put in a long day on their second day of presentations in the region.

He wouldn't say the committee seemed positive or negative toward the Medford proposal.

The House Committee also toured the Chatfield Center for the Arts, DNR Fish Hatchery in Lanesboro, heard a presentation about Harmony and Preston Trails, and toured a Waterway Project in Austin before going to Medford.

They finished their day in South St. Paul where they got a presentation from Seidl's Lake, went to South St. Paul Library for a tour and presentation and concluded with a Concord Street presentation.