City of Eagle Lake Continuing Efforts to Secure Funding for Water Treatment Improvements Project
The City of Eagle Lake provided an update on their Water Treatment Improvements Project:
City officials continue lobbying efforts at the state and federal level to try and secure funding for a much-needed water treatment facility. The City of Eagle Lake submitted both a state capital budget request and a federal congressionally directed spending request for the construction of a new water treatment facility to provide clean drinking water to residents and address water quality issues, including high levels of manganese.
State Funding Update: Unfortunately, despite much effort by City officials to secure funding, the 2024 legislative session ended without a capital investment package. Now that the 2025 session is underway, Mayor John Whitington and City Administrator Jennifer Bromeland traveled to St. Paul yesterday to urge legislators to prioritize passing a bonding bill that includes funding for projects like Eagle Lake’s Water Treatment Improvements Project. Meetings were held with Representative Luke Frederick, Senator Rich Draheim, and Senator Eric Pratt. City officials also attended the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities Legislative Action Day and heard from Governor Tim Walz and a legislative panel about what to expect this legislative session and other topics. During a meeting with Representative Frederick, he expressed support for Eagle Lake’s project and stated that it is one of his top priorities this session.
Federal Funding Update: Congressman Brad Finstad secured $1.05 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior appropriations bill for the Eagle Lake Water Treatment Improvements Project. In December of last year, Congress passed a year-end continuing resolution that extended Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations through March 14. Hopefully a final Fiscal Year 2025 bill will be passed before the March 14 deadline. Until either a budget is passed or another continuing resolution, Eagle Lake’s project remains in the running but the future is uncertain. Mayor Whitington and City Administrator Bromeland will be traveling to Washington, D.C. the week of March 10th for the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference and will be meeting with federal legislators about Eagle Lake’s project and funding request.
Message from Eagle Lake Mayor John Whitington
As we move further into 2025, the City of Eagle Lake remains committed to securing the necessary funding for our much-needed water treatment plant. Our efforts, led by the dedicated staff and City Council, continue to focus on advocating for the resources to make this vital project a reality.
We are pleased to report that our state representatives and senators have been very receptive to our cause. Their support has been invaluable, and we are working closely with them to ensure we are on the right path. In addition to this, we will be returning to Washington, DC, to meet with our federal representatives. This continued lobbying is essential to secure the federal funding necessary for the project.
Behind the scenes, we have been collaborating with Bolton & Menk to ensure that our water treatment plant project is not only in compliance with state requirements but also shovel-ready. This collaboration ensures that when the funding is secured, we will be able to move forward swiftly with the project. Furthermore, we are continuing our efforts to secure an appropriate site for the plant to ensure its success.
This year, we once again need your support. We will rely on you to help push this important project forward by contacting our state and federal legislators. Your voice makes a difference in ensuring our community’s needs are met. Please keep an eye on the Eagle Lake app and other city communications for more details and ways you can get involved. Together, we can continue to move the water treatment plant project closer to reality and improve the future of Eagle Lake for everyone.
Thank you for your ongoing support! – Mayor John Whitington
