Trail funds

cut by

Ventura

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- While the $500,000 legislative appropriation for Phase 2a of the New Ulm Recreational Trail project was torpedoed by Gov. Jesse Ventura Wednesday, State Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, believes it will find new life in the 2003 legislative session.

"Particularly under a new governor," Frederickson said. "It's very unfortunate and very disappointing that he vetoed it, and certainly we'll be back next year and in subsequent years."

The City of New Ulm had sought about $1.1 million in state funding to help finance the most expensive leg of the bituminous bike and walking trail which is expected to eventually ring the city.

"The dollar amount was reduced to $500,000 in committee," Frederickson said, "with the thought that we could come back for additional funds."

The governor's veto might change the game plan somewhat for next year, he said. "Certainly, we might go for the whole amount in the next session."

That construction will have started on Phase 1, the project's almost 5-mile-long first leg, should give the Phase 2a funding request "a little more urgency" in the Legislature, Frederickson said.

Frederickson and others were hoping that the New Ulm trail project would be "veto proof" because it was packaged with other trail projects. The governor needed to veto the entire package in order to nix the New Ulm trail project request -- which they thought he wouldn't do. But he did.

What makes Phase 2a, which is estimated to cost $1.6 million, expensive is the nearly half-mile boardwalk bridge that is needed to gently drop the trail from 20th South Street down to Flandrau State Park, near its entrance.

The boardwalk bridge would hug the contour of Schell's Brewery property during its descent. Therein lies the reason why New Ulm wouldn't get as much funding as was requested, Frederickson said, "because state funds can only be used on public property, not on private property."

The solution would be for the city to purchase an easement for the bridge from Schell's Brewery, Frederickson said.