New Ulm marks receipt of state funds for Hermann

Check for $400,000 ends scramble to meet requirements for receiving grant

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--City officials staged a ceremony at the Hermann Monument in Hermann Heights Park Friday afternoon to commemorate receipt of the $400,000 in matching state funds for obtaining lions for the base and Hermann Monument base restoration.

With Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, standing in for the state Department of Finance for the presentation, the receipt of the matching grant funds closed the book on a scramble by the city to meet the requirements for receiving the entire grant.

While the actual check had been deposited into the city's bank account several weeks ago, overcoming the challenges which arose when it was learned the copper lions originally planned for the monument's base wouldn't be ready in time to beat the matching grant's "sunset" provision in 2003 inspired city officials to set up a "photo op" presentation ceremony.

"While I wouldn't describe it as 'notorious,' the circumstances involved in obtaining this grant certainly were different than most grant applications," City Manager Brian Gramentz said.

After the grant was approved by the Legislature, lawmakers then enacted in 2000 a "sunset" provision for grants in which the funds would be reallocated to other projects if there was no matching activity relating to the original grant in a certain period of time.

The four copper lions intended to sit atop pedestals in the original base design were used as matches for $300,000 of the $400,000 grant. The lions had been promised as a gift to the city by metalworker Karl Mindermann of Sacramento, Calif.

However, by spring of last year negotiations with Mindermann to obtain the lions had broken down so the city opted to look elsewhere for a solution. City officials turned to local businessman Craig Dale to supply four cast-iron lions which were to be made in China.

In the meantime, the city applied for release of $100,000 of the grant money but were turned down by the Department of Finance because the legislation specifically mentioned the lions, and they weren't in place.

For about $20,000, the city obtained the cast-iron lions, got the Minnesota Historical Society's blessing as a replacement for copper lions, the paperwork and requirements for an interpretative center and a tourism plan were completed, and the request for payment submitted.

The state budget crunch had hit, and grant monies were threatened. Still, the matching grant money arrived, untouched by the budget crisis. Now, the money has been applied to eliminating the negative base restoration fund balance.