DENNIS: HERE IS WHAT IS COMING UP ON ALMANAC NORTH.

FROM THE LAW BENT TO PHILANTHROPY, WE HEAR FROM A FORMER COUNTY JUDGE OF NEARLY TWO DECADES ON HIS CAREER MOVE TO A COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOCUSING ON PHILANTHROPY.

PLUS, WE WILL HIGHLIGHT A PUBLIC APPEAL TO THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS NEARLY $3 MILLION IN FUNDING, CITING SEVERE RAIN AND OTHER CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.

AND IN THIS WEEK'S VOICES OF THE REGION, AN UPDATE REGARDING EFFORTS BY SOME TO RENAME A ROUTE TO WISCONSIN.

THE STORIES AND MORE, COMING UP ON ALMANAC NORTH.

♪ DENNIS: HELLO, ONCE AGAIN, AND WELCOME TO ALMANAC NORTH.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

I'M DENNIS ANDERSON.

JULIE IS OFF THIS WEEK AS WE ALTERNATE HOSTING DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THIS WEEK, THE DO THE BLANCH -- THE DULUTH BRANCH CALLED UPON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO RELEASE BIANNUAL REPORTS ON THEIR USE OF FORCE AND ARREST RATES.

THE LOCAL BRANCH ALSO WANTS THE DULUTH PD TO ELIMINATE CHANGES IN PRACTICES THAT THEY MAY BE IMPLEMENTING.

AS THE PIPELINE OIL CONSTRUCTION NEARS THE HALFWAY POINT, THE QUESTION ON IF THE PIPELINE IS NEEDED WAS UNDER DISCUSSION IN COURT THIS WEEK.

THE MINNESOTA COURT OF APPEALS JUDGES HEARD ARGUMENTS REGARDING LONG-TERM DEMAND OF THE PIPELINE POSSIBLE OIL.

THE COURT HAS 90 DAYS TO MAKE A DECISION.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT SENT LETTERS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTY LAST WEEK.

THE PURPOSE WAS TO POINT OUT AN UPTICK IN USE COVID CASES AND UPDATE DISTRICTS ON NEW TESTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STUDENTS.

THE COUNTY SAW AN INCREASE IN CASES YOUTH FIVE THROUGH 19 WITH SOME LINKED TO PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS.

THE COUNTY IS CONCERNED SOME PARENTS MIGHT BE INTENTIONALLY AVOIDING GETTING THEIR CHILD TESTED.

MEANWHILE, THE COLLEGE OF ST. SCHOLASTICA IS PLANNING FOR AN IN-PERSON SEMESTER IN THE FALL.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SAFE RETURN ARE BEING DEVELOPED BY A SCHOLASTIC PLANNING TASK FORCE.

THE SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN RAISED NEARLY $150,000 THIS PAST HOLIDAY SEASON.

MINERS INC.

CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL $50,000.

MARCH IS MINNESOTA FOOD SHARE MONTH AND THE SALVATION ARMY ENCOURAGES DONATIONS TO THE LARGEST FOOD DRIVE IN THE STATE.

OUR FIRST GUEST SERVES ST. LOUIS COUNTY AS A JUDGE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES.

NOW HE IS TURNING A PAGE AND A NEW CAREER.

THREE MONTHS AGO, HE TOOK OVER AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DULUTH SUPERIOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION THAT PROMOTES PRIVATE GIVING FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD IN THE NORTH LAND.

SEAN IS JOINING US TO SHARE WHY PHILANTHROPY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER NOW THAT WE ARE ALL LIVING IN PANDEMIC TIMES TOGETHER.

SEAN, WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YOU HAD A CAREER CHANGE AND YOU MOVE FROM THE BENCH TO PHILANTHROPIC WORK.

WHY THE CHANGE?

SEAN: THE BOARD ASKED ME THE SAME THING.

I TOLD THEM STORY, A MOHICAN ELDER THAT SHARED WITH ME.

THREE SISTERS COME TO THE RIVER AND I BET YOU HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE, DENNY.

BABIES ARE DROWNING IN THE WATER.

THE FIRST SISTER START SAVING KIDS BUT IS NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS.

THE SECOND SISTER THINKS I CAN TEACH THEM TO SWIM IN THAT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP.

STILL NOT MAKING ENOUGH PROGRESS.

THE THIRD SISTER AND THEY SAY, HOW CAN YOU STAND THERE?

SHE TURNED AND RAN AWAY.

AND YOU KNOW WHERE SHE WAS RUNNING, UPSTREAM TO FIGURE OUT WHO WAS PUTTING BABIES IN THE WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I WILL DO THIRD SISTER WITH YOU.

CAN WE CHANGE THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT KIDS ARE SAFE AND HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND EVERY CHANCE TO DO EVERYTHING YOU AND I HAVE DONE IN OUR LIVES?

DENNIS: HOW DOES THE FOUNDATION FIT INTO THAT?

SEAN: WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CONNECTING DONORS WITH MISSION ABOUT GIVING INTO THE COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE 440 DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT WE GIVE MONEY TO.

YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE THINGS I KEEP BUMPING INTO.

WE ARE SHARING MONEY INTO THE COMMUNITY.

IT IS PRIVATE GIVING FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.

IT IS PEOPLE THAT SHARE THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

DENNIS: PRIOR TO TAKING THIS POSITION, DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA AS TO THE FULLNESS OF THE FOUNDATION?

SEAN: I STILL DON'T.

I'M STILL LEARNING, MAN.

[LAUGHTER] I HAVE NO IDEA THE SCOPE.

WE ARE IN 10 COUNTIES AND WE HAVE WORK GOING ON IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SPHERES.

THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC.

PEOPLE GIVING, RECEIVING, PEOPLE THAT RECEIVE AND GIVE AS WELL.

IT IS NOT ONE PERSON BRINGS EVERYTHING IN ONE PERSON RECEIVES.

WE ALL BRING, WE ALL RECEIVE.

WE ALL SHARE TOGETHER.

DENNIS: IS THERE A NEW VISION YOU BRING TO THE FOUNDATION?

>> I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S NEW VISION.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WHERE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARE DOING REALLY GOOD WORK.

I MIGHT BE LOUDER AND WILDER.

THEY WANT TO KEEP DOING GOOD WORK IN THE COMMUNITY TO CHANGE THE COMMUNITY.

DENNIS: TALK TO US ABOUT THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE?

SEAN: WE GOTTA CHECK A COUPLE WEEKS AGO FROM A COUPLE THAT WAS PART OF THE COVID CAMPAIGN AND THEY HAD GOTTEN THEIR STIMULUS CHECK.

THEY SAID, WE DON'T NEED THIS.

GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY.

SO WE TOOK THAT AND PUT IT INTO THE COVID-19 FUN.

WE HAVE GIVEN AWAY 645,000 DOLLARS TO HELP WITH COVID RELIEF, WORKING WITH OTHER PARTNERS.

PEOPLE ARE GENEROUS.

IT IS REALLY SOMETHING.

DENNIS: WHO ARE THE FIRST LADIES OF THE HILL SITE?

SEAN: THAT IS PART OF THE STORY.

WE HAVE HELPED A LITTLE BIT WITH WORK AT STEVE O'NEILL.

THEY ARE FOLKS GETTING ON THEIR FEET, GETTING CONNECTED.

THEY ARE MOMS RAISING THEIR KIDS AND A BEAUTIFUL WAY.

NOW THEY ARE REACHING OUT AND HELPING OTHER FOLK.

IT IS THAT GENEROUS COMMUNITY.

THEY NEED HELP AND THEY ARE REACHING OUT AND HELPING.

DENNIS: IS PHILANTHROPY MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORE DURING TIMES LIKE THIS WHEN WE LIVE IN A PANDEMIC THAT WILL BE KNOWN FOREVER BY THE NEXT GENERATION OR TWO OF PEOPLE.

SEAN: ABSOLUTELY.

AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.

WE'RE TALKING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER PARTNERS.

HOW DO WE COME TO THE TABLE?

DULUTH IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME TO THE TABLE.

HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER IN A WAY TO HELP FOLKS AND HELP THEM VIA BETTER COMMUNITY FOR OUR KIDS?

DENNIS: DO YOU HAVE A LONG-RANGE PLAN OR A GOAL YOU WANT TO REACH WITH THE FOUNDATION?

SEAN: WE WANT TO FOCUS ON CHANGING THOSE OUTCOMES FOR KIDS.

THAT IS A BIG DEAL.

FIVE YEARS IS PROBABLY SHORT-TERM.

BUT HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO UPSTREAM IN OUR COMMUNITY TO REALLY SHIFTER THOSE OUTCOMES?

DENNIS: HOW DID YOUR WORK AS A JUDGE HELP MAKE THIS TRANSITION?

YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH PARENTS AND KIDS FROM TIME TO TIME ON THE BENCH.

SEAN: AND I STUDIED THE HUMANS CONDITION AND NOW I'M TRANSLATING IT TO TRY TO GO INTO COMMUNITY BUILDING.

NOT JUST COURTROOMS, PEOPLES, AND INDIVIDUALS, BUT BIGGER.

DENNIS: TWO TERMS.

EQUALITY AND JUSTICE.

HOW DO THOSE FIT INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW?

SEAN: COVID HAS ABSOLUTELY SHOWN THE GAPS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SOME FOLKS ARE HIT AND HIT.

AND THE SAME FOLKS THAT HAVE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING EQUALITY, FINDING JUSTICE, FINDING OPEN DOORS.

IT WILL BE THE LEAD IN WHAT WE DO.

A LOT OF COVID RELIEF IS BUILDING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HEALTHIER.

IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT HELPING SOMEBODY OUT OF THAT SCRAPE, BUT HOW WE CHANGE OUTCOMES?

DENNIS: CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT THE MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS?

SEAN: THEY HAVE GONE MOSTLY TO NONPROFIT FOLK THAT ARE HELPING OTHER FOLKS.

ONE OF THEM WAS STEVE O'NEILL.

THERE WAS NO INTERNET CAPABILITY.

WE HELPED THEM GET A LITTLE BIT OF INTERNET.

I HAD A COURT HEARING WHERE THE FAMILY WAS SITTING IN A CAR BECAUSE THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL GETTING WI-FI BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY IN.

WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS, YOU CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS.

AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE FOR A BUNCH OF PEOPLE RIGHT THERE.

DENNIS: HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC INFLUENCE THE FOUNDATION'S WORK?

DENNIS: -- SEAN: WE ARE PARTNERING AND PARTNERING.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TONY NORTHAM FOUNDATION.

TALKING TO JONAH LLOYD K. EVERYONE IS TALKING AND FIGURING OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, HOW TO HELP, WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER, ARE WE OVERLAPPING?

THERE IS A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT THAT IS INSPIRING.

DENNIS: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE WORKING WELL WITH THE OTHER FOUNDATIONS.

SEAN: I'M TRYING TO CATCH UP.

THEY ARE ALL AT THE TABLE.

EVERYBODY IS AT THE TABLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP AND HOW TO TRANSITION THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF THE PANDEMIC INTO WAT WE NEED NEXT.

CITYWIDE BROADBAND, THINGS LIKE THAT.

HOW DO WE IMPROVE GOING FORWARD?

DENNIS: HAS THE FOUNDATION LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THE PANDEMIC?

SEAN: YOU LEARN THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL GENEROUS.

GIVING CONTINUED.

PEOPLE CONTINUED TO GIVE AND CARE EVEN WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD LOOKS LIKE IT IS UPSIDE DOWN.

GENEROSITY.

WE HAVE LEARNED THE NEEDS ARE WRITTEN LARGE.

DENNIS: THEY WERE THERE NOT LONG BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

SEAN: WE SEE IT BETTER NOW AS A CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.

YOU TALK TO NEIGHBORS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PAY RENT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T WORK.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

DENNIS: WOULD THERE BE CHANGES TO THE FOUNDATION AND POST PANDEMIC TIMES?

DENNIS: THERE HAS TO BE -- SEAN: THERE HAS TO BE.

WE HAVE TO LEARN.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT IF YOU ARE NOT A LEARNING ORGANIZATION, YOU DON'T SURVIVE.

THE IMMEDIATE GOAL FOR ME IS TO LEARN.

BUT THE THING I AM FOCUSING ON IS HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

WE ARE NOT IN A LITTLE SILO.

HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT MEETS NEEDS?

DENNIS: IT IS A PLEASURE.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

DENNIS: CEO OF THE COMMUNITY AREA FOUNDATION.

SEAN: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

♪ DENNIS: IT IS TIME FOR VOICES OF THE REGION.

EACH WEEK, WE HEAR FROM A JOURNALIST AND THE STORIES THEY ARE REPORTING.

THIS WEEK, DANIELLE KEATING FROM WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO IS OUR GUEST.

♪ >> MARCUS AND MIKE ROAD WAS NAMED AFTER SOMEBODY WHO WAS A NON-NATIVE.

AND REPLACED THE OSAKA TRAIL -- OSAGI TRAIL THAT WAS RUNNING ALONG THERE AT THE TIME.

IT JUMPSTARTED RENAMING THE ROAD TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY OF THE FAMILIES THAT GREW UP THERE.

AND THEY HAD SOME CONVERSATION FROM ONE OF THE DESCENDANTS OR ONE OF THE FAMILIES OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THE CHIEF, MARY STONE MCCONNELL.

HER HUSBAND IS A DIRECT DESCENDANT.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO SEE MOVE FORWARD AS PART OF A RECOGNITION OF MISTREATMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS OVER THE YEARS, EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THAT AND MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.

IT APPARENTLY HAS RECEIVED SOME BACKLASH.

THE COUNSELOR SAID WHEN SHE INTRODUCED THIS PROPOSAL, SHE WAS SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF "RAW RACISM" THAT CAME AFTER.

THE FAMILY SAYS THEY SUPPORT HER AND THEY ARE GLAD TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, TALKING BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE USUALLY LEFT OUT WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT WISCONSIN POINT.

FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE -- UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE LOST MORE THAN 6500 PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN.

NATIVE AMERICANS IN WISCONSIN ARE DYING AT THE HIGHEST RATE FROM COVID-19.

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, JOE MARTIN ROSE PASSED AWAY IN LATE FEBRUARY DUE TO COMPLICATIONS FROM THE VIRUS.

HE WAS A TRIBAL ELDER THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA AND REALLY BEYOND.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT TALKED ABOUT HIM TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WAS ALWAYS PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE, AND ENCYCLOPEDIC HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURAL PRACTICES, KEEPING THAT ALIVE.

REVITALIZING CULTURE AND LANGUAGE.

THE TRIBAL CHAIRMAN SAID HE WAS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THE SEVENTH FIRE PROPHECY WHICH FORETOLD OF A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BE LEFT WITH THE CHOICE BETWEEN TWO PATHS, ONE THAT WOULD CONTINUE THE DEGRADATION AND DEMISE OF MOTHER EARTH, AND ANOTHER THAT WOULD LEAD PEOPLE BACK TO HARMONY.

HE SAID THAT JOE REALLY BELIEVED IN THAT PROPHECY AND MADE IT HIS MISSION TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES.

♪ FAMILIES CREATED A SCHOOL DISTRICT THERE.

THERE WERE THREE KIDS WHEN THEY WERE FORCED TO QUARANTINE.

THE KIDS ARE MEMBERS OF THE BED RIVER BAND.

SHE SAID THE DISTRICT TREATED THEM BADLY.

HER SON HAD TO STAY HOME AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS AND THE DISTRICT SAID BECAUSE HER SON WAS EXPOSED, AND THEY WERE PLACED IN AN ISOLATION ROOM FOR 45 MINUTES UNTIL SHE COULD PICK THEM UP FROM SCHOOL.

SO NOW SHE HAS OBTAINED AN ATTORNEY AND A LETTER WAS SENT TO THE DISTRICT OUTLINING MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE OTHER STUDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS AND THEIR SIBLINGS OR TEAMMATES WERE NOT QUARANTINED.

SHE AND HER ATTORNEY SAY THEY FULLY SUPPORT SAFETY PROTOCOLS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CORE ISSUE HERE.

THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT THE DISTRICT'S COVID POLICY OR PRACTICES ARE NOT BEING APPLIED EQUALLY TO ALL STUDENTS.

THEY ARE PLANNING TO FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF CIVIL-RIGHTS.

THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ERIC OLSON HAS SAID THAT HER CHILDREN WERE NOT TREATED ANY DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER STUDENTS.

HE CLAIMS EVERY STUDENT ALONG WITH THEIR SIBLINGS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO QUARANTINE IF THAT STUDENT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT OF SOMEONE THAT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

♪ ASHLAND COUNTY HAS A REFERENDUM THAT THEY WILL PUT BEFORE VOTERS IN THE APRIL ELECTION WHERE THEY ARE PROPOSING TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES BY NEARLY $1 MILLION EACH YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AFTER REACHING WHAT COUNTY LEADERS HAVE SAID IS A FISCAL CRISIS.

IS THIS SOMETHING THE COUNTY BOARD APPROVED IN JANUARY?

THEY HAD A MEETING THIS WEEK TO HAVE A LISTING SESSION ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS WERE ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD RAISE PROPERTY TAXES ON THE AVERAGE HOME WORTH ABOUT $100,000.

I THINK IT WOULD GO UP ABOUT $87 A YEAR.

THEY DISCUSSED THIS ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEKEND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP ARE OLD.

ASHLAND COUNTY IS SET TO GET ABOUT 1.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN COVID RELIEF MONEY COMING UP THIS YEAR.

COULD THAT MONEY BE USED TO HELP WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET ISSUE?

THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAID NO.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MONEY IS SLATED FOR THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY.

IT CAN ONLY GO TO THINGS LIKE AID TO SMALL BUSINESSES, AID TO IMPACTED TOURISM INDUSTRIES, TRAVEL, HOSPITALITY.

THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS ON THAT MONEY THAT CAN'T BE USED TO HELP FILL THE GAP IN THE COUNTY BUDGET OR ADDRESSING BUDGET WOES.

THEY STILL NEED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE REFERENDUM.

♪ DENNIS: THE MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS RELEASED A REPORT ON THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT IMMIGRANTS BRING TO THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION REPORT SAYS IMMIGRANTS HERE ARE AN UNDENIABLE BENEFIT TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY.

THE CHAMBER SAYS AS MINNESOTA'S POPULATION AGES AND THE NATIVEBORN WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION RATE DROPS, FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS FILL GAPS IN UNEMPLOYMENT.

THEY MENTIONED THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS IMMIGRANTS MAKE TO THE ECONOMY.

THEY SAY THERE WILL BE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NATIVEBORN POPULATION AS WELL AS IMMIGRANTS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

YOU CAN VISIT THE MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S WEBSITE FOR THE FULL FINDINGS OF THE REPORT RELEASED THIS WEEK.

THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY IS LEADING AN EFFORT TO COMBAT EXTREME WEATHER THEY SAY HAS BEEN INTENSIFIED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE MPCA IS ASKING THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROPRIATE SEED MONEY TO PREPARE THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WET WEATHER.

HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODED PORTIONS OF DULUTH WERE AMONG THE EVENTS CITED IN A VIRTUAL NEWS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY.

THE PROPOSAL PUT FORWARD BY THE MPCA AND STATE LEADERS CALLS FOR NEARLY $3 MILLION IN FUNDING TO BEGIN PLANNING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.

THE COMMISSIONER JOINED WITH STATE LAWMAKERS, MAYORS, AND THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY TO STRESS THE NEED TO.

THEY SAY THE MONEY WILL HELP COMMUNITIES PREPARE FOR EXTREME RAIN EVENTS AND OTHER CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.

OFFICIALS SAY THE STORMWATER SYSTEMS, SEWERS, AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR THE CLIMATE WE FACE TODAY.

THEY CLAIM MORE WET WEATHER AND FREQUENT EXTREME RAIN IS ACTUALLY OVERLOADING THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY CITING AN AVERAGE OF 150 WASTEWATER OVERFLOWS EACH YEAR.

THEY SAY THEY HAVE BEEN OVER 20 CASES OF PARTIALLY TREATED WASTEWATER BEING RELEASED IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF MINNESOTA IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

DANIELLE: WE RECOGNIZE IN OUR CHANGING CLIMATE AND INCREASING WEATHER PRESENTS NEW CHALLENGES FOR TOWNS AND CITIES AND COUNTIES.

AND THE COST OF INACTION IS TOO HIGH FOR COMMUNITIES TO BEAR.

TODAY IN MINNESOTA, WE ARE SEEING THREE MAJOR TRENDS ACROSS THE STATE DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

FIRST, MINNESOTA IS BECOMING WARMER.

OUR STATE IS BECOMING WETTER.

AND WE ARE EXPERIENCING MORE FREQUENT AND INTENSE EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS, OR MEGA-RAINS.

THESE EVENTS ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN THEY WERE JUST A GENERATION AGO.

THE RAINS INCLUDING WILLMAR, BRAINERD, AND DULUTH.

THEY DAMAGE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAN HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS.

IN PARTICULAR, OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO WHY ADDRESSING CLIMATE AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS PARAMOUNT TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMUNITIES.

THE HIGH WATER TABLE OF LAKE SUPERIOR IS, WE BELIEVE, RELATED TO CLIMATE.

AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS RECORD HIGH LEVELS IN 2019.

IT WAS THE HIGHEST THE WATER TABLE HAD BEEN SINCE 1940.

THAT IS LIKE 80 YEARS OF DATA COLLECTED.

IT IS NOT JUST ON A SINGULAR BUSINESS OR A SINGULAR RESIDENT.

IT IS NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES, AND IT IS COSTLY.

SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN TELLING US SINCE I HAVE BEEN GROWING UP -- I REMEMBER HEARING THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

THAT CLIMATE CHANGE WAS HAPPENING AND IT WAS GOING TO BE A CRISIS.

AND IT HAS BEEN DECADES.

I AM IN MY 40'S NOW AND WE PUT A LOT OF THIS WORK OFF FOR MOST OF MY LIFE.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS TRULY AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS THAT AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IS TRULY INTERSECTIONAL.

IT WILL AFFECT EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES.

OUR ECONOMY, OUR HEALTH, THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR.

I WANT TO LEND MY SUPPORT FOR THIS VERY MODEST PROPOSAL.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING PROBABLY ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO.

BUT WE NEED TO DO IT IMMEDIATELY.

IT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH URGENCY NOW.

I AM VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION.

LET'S DO THIS AND LET'S DO MORE OF THIS.

DENNIS: THE PROPOSED $2.9 MILLION WOULD LEVERAGE OTHER FUNDING AND HELP COMMUNITIES PREPARE FOR EXTREME WEATHER.

GRANTS WOULD BE PROVIDED TO ASSESS RISKS AND VULNERABILITY AS WELL AS TO DEVELOP PLANS FOR STORMWATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

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THANKS TO OUR GUESTS AND THE CREW IN THE STUDIO.

I AM DENNIS ANDERSON.

STAY HEALTHY, EVERYONE.

AND BE KIND.