Freeborn County leaders will soon discuss what to include in a proposal for a new Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic. The proposal will be given to VA officials if they express more interest in coming here.

Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever said VA officials have confirmed the receipt of local resolutions that indicated support for the new clinic coming to the area. They indicated the process of choosing the location is ongoing.

In December, officials in Washington, D.C., announced plans for two VA clinics in Minnesota, one near the Twin Cities and one in the south-central part of the state.

Albert Lea, Owatonna and Austin are being considered for the latter. Kluever said the rumor is that if VA officials are interested in a community, they will ask that community to submit a proposal about why they should come there.

As a result, staff with the city, Freeborn County, Albert Lea Medical Center, Albert Lea Economic Development Agency and Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce will meet May 12 to discuss what should be included in a proposal if this comes to pass.

Freeborn County Veterans Services Officer Jon Rhiger said he doesn’t think anything else can be done to secure the location.

The county administrator said in a letter he received in April, VA officials have pinpointed more specific criteria about what they are looking for in a location for the clinic, including the number of underserved veterans, a location that has minimal overlap with present VA facilities, a location that is easily accessible and a survey to determine if there are viable sites to achieve competitive bidding.

It will be several months before the VA is able to conduct the needs assessment based on those criteria, he said.

Rhiger said he thinks Albert Lea would be an ideal location for a new community-based outpatient clinic, considering accessibility and demographics.

Because the Department of Veterans Affairs is federal, it does not take state boundaries into account. A clinic in Albert Lea could service veterans in Iowa, too.

He said he does not think Austin will have much of an opportunity to get the clinic because of its proximity to Rochester, where there is another clinic that is expanding. However, that has not been officially announced.