ahead of the legislative season each year we reflect on our goals and the needs of the city and determine areas where we might be able to collaborate with state or local governments to bring forth support to Woodbury for these projects when our advocacy is successful as it has been in the past it can mean millions of dollars are saved which reduces the tax burden on Woodbury residents this year we plan to pursue State funding to support some of our local facilities programs and services and are waiting to hear on two Federal funding requests at as well first I want to tell you about our State Legislative priorities for 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to treat past in the community's drinking water construction is underway on a long-term Water Treatment Plant to be completed in 2028 this will replace the temporary Treatment Solutions we currently have in place we are pursuing an exemption from Minnesota sales tax for materials and construction for the Woodberry Water Treatment Plant Associated pipeline projects and water tower associated with the project that are not covered by the settlement agreement the elimination of this tax will reduce the overall project cost for Woodbury residents most related funding for the treatment of plant and water distribution infrastructure comes from a settlement between 3M and the state but this settlement doesn't cover collateral needs like a new water tower and other water related infrastructure needed for systemwide treatment we are requesting a $2 million State bonding allocation for the law Lake Park restoration and development project la lake a 77 acre Park in the southwest part of the Community is uniquely positioned with regional benefits due to its proximity to other cities in the area over time the use of La Lake Park has continued to increase however despite its use the site lacks several critical features such as drinking water restrooms and enhanced Trail access with both paved and natural surface Trails this project aims to develop a vision for the park with priorities to boost the area's ecological health park facility needs Trails large open air shelter mobility and connectivity the requested funding will cover half of the estimated project cost of $4 million we're also committed to developing diverse housing options for people of all ages incomes and family status including affordable options one of the results of this decades long commitment to housing diversity is that the city has maintained an approximate 5050 split between single family detached housing units and detached housing units from 2018 to 2022 would Barry ranked sixth in affordable housing Construction in the Twin Cities according to the Metropolitan Council during this legislative session we will be supporting policies and legislation that increases State financing for affordable housing advocates for state law modifications that ensure the delivery of housing affordability preserves comprehensive planning and supports Community input on planning decisions this city also has two congressionally directed spending requests at the federal level with the support of our federal delegation the city has two projects in the budget bill that are still being considered these requests include $850,000 to help fund infrastructure improvements along way our Drive North of Valley Creek Road to address flooding as well as 1.18 million toward woodbury's new Emergency Operations Center for updated communication systems computers mapping equipment and software to Monitor and manage emergencies as other issues or opportunities arise we'll continue to work with our state and federal elected officials and partners to advocate for the needs of our residents and businesses