October 24, 2011

Mayor Steve Cook
City of Hutchinson
111 Hassan ST SE
Hutchinson, MN 55350

Commissioner Sheldon Nies
McLeod County Commissioner
1118 Jefferson Street South
Hutchinson, MN 55350

Re: Luce Line Bonding Request

Dear Mayor Cook and Commissioner Nies;

At the meeting we recently had you requested that Rep. Shimanski and I author a bonding bill to pay for an asphalt surface to the Luce Line Trail through McLeod County to the Carver County line east of Winsted. At the time of the meeting I requested sufficient time to allow me to become current with the issues, do some legal research regarding trail funding and to read a recent study you made reference to titled “Economic Impact of Recreational Trail Use” which was prepared for the University of MN Tourism Center, the DNR and the MN Recreational Trail Users Assc. I wish to thank you for patiently waiting for my decision.

I do believe that the Luce Line Trail is a regional asset, has the potential to have some positive economic impact on the McLeod County area and is part of the recreational opportunities McLeod County has to offer, particularly if developed in conjunction with the Dakota Trail. Nevertheless, I respectfully decline to carry a bonding bill in the 2012 session to pave the Luce Line for the following reasons;

1.      Although the Luce Line is a state trail, it does have a gap through the City of Winsted. I recognize the City is working on resolving that issue but without the gap being closed, the idea of a continuous trail from the Metro area through McLeod County is jeopardized.

2.      The Luce Line has a crushed limestone base through Carver County. One of the reasons given for paving the trail in McLeod County is to attract bikers from the Metro area. I have seen no evidence whether the limestone surface in Carver County would negatively impact the use of the paved trail in McLeod County by Metro users.

3.      The above study states that two thirds of use and money spent by users comes from walking and hiking while only 18% is from biking and running. The balance of users fall into categories of horseback riding, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and four wheelers. I therefore question whether paving a trail for the benefit of a minority number of users is a wise use of public money, particularly so if a less expensive limestone surface meets the needs of all. The recent article in the Hutch Leader about “Mountain Biking” and the enjoyment of “a natural experience….lets you get out into the woods and away from the crowds” is illustrative of the need for multiple use trails.

4.      On the issue of economic impact of a trail for a given geographical area, the above report made no mention of the type of surface present on the trails that were the subject of the study and stated in conclusion “data are either scanty or too broad to make reasonable estimates of visitors that are attracted by the states’ trails, lodging places and complementary amusement places.” Consequently, I do not think it prudent to rely on the above report as a source to prove the use of bonding money for paving a state trail is a good economic development tool.

5.      It was represented to me that the use of bonding money to pave the Luce Line was necessary because Legacy Funds were not available for the purpose of paving a State Trail. I requested Senate Research check into this legal issue and they could find no such legal precedent. To the contrary, it was opined that the trail language of Art 6 Sec 15 MN Constitution (Legacy Funds) is the broadest of the four funding areas which allows spending to “support parks and trails”. Therefore, if the Luce Line is to be paved, it would seem that the appropriate funding source is the Legacy Fund and I would encourage that avenue to be explored.

6.      2012 is a bonding year in which normally approximately $900 Million would be spent on bonding projects for the biennium. However, last year $500 Million was spent on bonding projects leaving only about $400 Million left for this year. To date I am aware of over $2 Billion in bonding requests from various state agencies and over $100 Million from the State Colleges and Universities so it is simply not realistic to believe bonding projects for trails will be approved in 2012, particularly in view of the fact that Legacy Funds are constitutionally dedicated for that very purpose.  To confirm this thought, I did speak to Senator Dave Senjem, the Senate Chairman of the Capital Investment Committee (Bonding Committee) and he confirmed that the 2012 bonding bill will not contain funding for bike trails.

I do understand that some will be disappointed in my decision but on the whole I believe it is in the best interests of all voters of Senate District 18, which comprise McLeod, Meeker and Wright Counties.

Respectfully,

Scott Newman
State Senator
District 18
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Capitol Building, Room 301

St. Paul, MN 55155-1606

651-296-4131