State Rep. Dean Urdahl was recognized by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) July 26, during the Coalition’s three-day summer conference in Mankato for his positive impact on the state’s environmental policy.
Rep. Urdahl, a Republican from Grove City, is serving his eighth term in the Minnesota House. The Legislator of Distinction Award is given to legislators who played key roles in advancing CGMC’s policy during the preceding legislative session.
As chair of the Capital Investment Committee, Rep. Urdahl was instrumental in crafting bonding bills, both in 2017 and 2018, that included record amounts of funding for grant and loan programs that cities can utilize to help pay for upgrades to their water treatment facilities. This funding is vital as cities across the state are facing billions of dollars in infrastructure repairs and renovations to their wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. In addition, Rep. Urdahl served as the chief author on separate legislation that aimed to provide additional state funding for cities that are not adequately served under the existing programs.
“Rep. Urdahl is steadfast in his support for ensuring that Greater Minnesota communities can afford to construct the infrastructure necessary to keep Minnesota’s waters clean,” said Dave Smiglewski, mayor of Granite Falls and president of the CGMC. “As more and more cities are faced with having to impose massive rate hikes on their local residents and businesses in order to pay for repairs to their water facilities, we need strong leaders like Rep. Urdahl who are willing to fight for more state funding for this critical need.”
CGMC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing 97 cities outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Coalition educates legislators about issues important to Greater Minnesota.