I would like to thank Sen. Dan Sparks for pressing the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners to move forward on fixing or replacing the Albert Lea Lake dam. I have been advocating for this project to proceed for some time, having made it a campaign issue when I ran for county commissioner back in 2008. I have also been bringing up this issue periodically at commissioners meetings ever since.

Sen. Sparks is correct in his concerns. The fact is, House legislators are re-examining unspent appropriations. Since these funds have been set aside for this very project since 2005, and the state budget is looking at a large deficient in the next biennium, there is a very real danger that these funds could be lost if they are not spent on this project by July 1, 2011.

I am encouraged in hearing that Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever will be in contact with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to identify funding sources and work on the permit process. Please contact your county commissioner and tell them not to let the funding for the replacement of the Albert Lea Lake dam slip away. The time is now to get this project done.

Mike Lee

Albert Lea