The Woodbury City Council’s priorities for this year’s state legislative session include a $2 million request for the La Lake development project. The lake is next to Newport in western Woodbury, and the project would boost connectivity and accessibility, according to the city. 

“This request will focus on the north part of the park with the building of a large open-air picnic shelter with permanent restrooms, picnic opportunities for large groups and multi-generational gatherings as well as a newly paved entry drive, parking lot, and trails,” a city document states.

The project is in the city’s capital improvement program for 2025 and 2026 but city leaders say without state money the project will likely be postponed.

Other state priorities:

• Sales Tax Exemption. The city is requesting an exemption from state sales tax for construction materials for the Water Treatment Plant, water tower, and pipeline.
• Housing. The city is urging state legislators to find more state financing for affordable housing projects that are ready to be built but lack funding. Legislators also will be urged to avoid broad zoning preemptions that limit local input and potentially undermine local governance, preserve the comprehensive planning process, and balance housing needs with growth. 

Federal Priorities

Woodbury’s federal lobbying efforts will include funding for public art. The city will seek a federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to create a planning process, including community input.  “We believe this plan will allow us to be proactive and thoughtful in adding public art to Woodbury,” a city document states.

Two federal priorities from 2024 are part of the FY 2025 budget bill still being considered by Congress:

• $850,000 in federal funding for the infrastructure improvements along Weir Drive. “Weir Drive exists as a dead-end roadway and improvements are needed to ensure the safety of those in the area and prevent landlocking during 100-year storms,” the city document states. “The total cost of the project is $4 million and the City received $850,000 in Congressionally Directed Funds from last year’s budget, which went towards the design of the project.”
• $1,184,000 toward Woodbury’s new Emergency Operation Center (EOC). “This is a COPS Technology grant that will support the acq uisition and installation of up-to-date technologies within Woodbury’s new EOC including updated communications systems, computers, mapping equipment and software, as well as other EOC tools to monitor and manage emergencies,” per the city document.