Anne Buckvold
Member of St. Joseph Catholic Church
Resident of St. Joseph, MN
GRIP/ISAIAH Organizer
320.339.1941
abuckvold@isaiahmn.org

GRIP/ISAIAH Finish Northstar Campaign grew out of our work in 2014/2015 when we realized the lack of available transportation in the St. Cloud region was keeping workers from getting work, employers from finding employees. In the midst of this work and early on in the 2015 legislative session when we learned that BNSF was dropping a second set of rail between Big Lake and Becker, the question of whether there was support to extend Northstar to St. Cloud seemed inevitable.

The conclusion of our campaign has been that local support for the Northstar extension exists, is widespread and has been found across all demographics including across party lines., and has even drawn in a number of people who identify as independents. Support exists among senior citizens, veterans, young people and working class, people with disabilities, people across socioeconomic spectrum, across region: the bulk coming from the four local legislative districts, but also Melrose, Foley, Albany, Alexandria, Moorhead, Brainerd and from down in Mankato, Northfied and Red Wing, the consensus has been across our region and across the state: EXTEND NORTHSTAR. There has been no organized opposition, not a single official has spoken out against the extension, and our Governor has traveled twice to St. Cloud in the last 6 months on both occasions saying that Northstar should have been extended years ago.

It is now 2016, St. Cloud has a poverty rate of 26%, which is twice that of the state’s average. We need an investment in our community that will drive economic development, creating more jobs, more access and opportunity. Governor has been talking a lot about protecting the “fiscal integrity” of our state. St. Cloud wants and needs to contribute to that integrity, not detract from it. We believe we have much to offer, and greater connectivity will allow us to do that.

We want all of our elected leaders to finish Northstar to St. Cloud this 2016 legislative session. We expect you can do this.

Rep. Knoblach has been leading on this issue. We believe it is his kind of leadership that will help speed things up in St. Cloud and help to get us back on a more level playing field wit the rest of the state.

We believe as Chair of the Ways and Means committee he knows what he is talking about when he says there will be no cost to extend the rail, and that we shouldn’t need additional funding for operations. We thank God BNSF dropped rail, creating this opportunity for St. Cloud. 

However our elected leaders choose to finish the rail, by supporting Knoblach’s bill, or creating a different version – with some buffer money in the case some funds are needed (if not needed, we simply won’t use them) is up to the committee.

GRIP/ISAIAH is open to any possibilities and simply want to highlight Rep. Knoblach’s leadership and the Governor’s sentiment that this is a long overdue project. 

Many have referred to the Northstar as a “failed line” or underperforming line, seems this is a good opportunity to create a more successful line by connecting it to a larger population center. (Big Lake pop. 10,000 compared to St. Cloud regional population of 160,000.)

We do not dismiss the needed leadership of others who, for various reasons have not led on this particular issue. Chief among them are Speaker Kurt Daudt, Senator Bakk and Senator Scott Dibble. But we expect with the support of this committee their support will likely be forthcoming.

We believe what we have learned about the changing transportation needs in the St. Cloud region, are likely reflective of changes we are seeing across the state. And that the lessons we have learned should be considered in future discussions and decisions regarding transportation, and a vision for the future. 

Recommended considerations for transportation committees going forward:

1. People in Greater MN excited about the idea of rail – NOT just in St. Cloud, but across the state. SCTimes poll comparing adding lanes to 94 vs. extending Northstar –Out of 523 respondents over 450 thought Northstar was worth the investment, 19 have said add lanes to 94.This not even knowing cost.

2. Operations: We are open to who operates the rail. We know there is some political opposition to MetCouncil, and have advocated originally for MNDot to operate the line. We are open to any number of possibilities, for who operates, but think going forward it is worth fully funding the rail office (26 million) to look at other rail options in and around the state. As our campaign has found interest in a number of places. 

3. Metro Sales tax: we are aware this has been debated as well, it seems to make sense that with all of the expense of transit in the metro an increased metro sales tax would help alleviate costs of metro transit as well as free up additional money that could be invested in Greater MN.

4. Support for SWLRT: Although this is not a project has not had the formal support of GRIP/ISAIAH, many who have supported our campaign have also expressed excitement at the development of light rail in the metro, and in part we believe that these investements have increased support for our rail extension. The great thing about the rail system, is that our discussions with people have started to break down the idea that there are people in the metro that want one thing, people in greater that want another. We all benefit from these transportation investments. Besides increased employment opportunities, many families are spread out across the metro and up through the corridor. 
An additional reason to support SWLRT at this time is that they have secured $385 million federal dollars toward completion of the project. Many have said about Northstar said that it should have happened years ago when we had the federal money. Let’s not make the mistake of missing this opportunity again.

5. Dynamic Changing Workforce: Sauk Rapids has three industrial parks. CGWelding is one company in Sauk Rapids that has been consistently been adding jobs and hiring skilled labors from the North metro. Sauk Rapids City Planner shared with us, that the extension would mean more the business could attract a more competitive workforce. The City Planner added if, in the next ten years Northstar were not extended, he could imagine this company leaving the area for another state, where there is a more competitive workforce. We have also heard of people who were laid off of General Mills, and looking for employment as Gold and Plump was expanding. One person we spoke with, thought the train already came to St. Cloud and said when she realized that was not an option, she was highly unlikely to move, due to her husband’s work and family residence in the metro. These are just a couple stories of ways in which opportunity for people across the corridor could increase, if the extension were completed. 

GRIP/ISAIAH thanks everyone on the committee for the time you have taken to listen to our concerns today, and for what we hope will be your eventual support on this project. 

We know our elected leaders across party lines have had difficulty passing a transportation bill with the needed revenue. We have not been able to pass a bill with needed revenue to maintain our current transportation infrastructure. Long term this will be a problem. 
We will continue our work and leadership on this issue. We hope this body can pass a larger transportation bill that addresses our transportation needs with sufficient revenue. We are looking forward to meeting this coming Monday with Rep. Howe of Cold Spring, to discuss these and other issues, and to the continued leadership of Rep. Knoblach, Rep. Kelly, Rep. Hornstein and others.