Tracy Community Development Director Tom Dobson asked Lyon County Commissioners for their support for a state bonding request to update Tracy city infrastructure.

MARSHALL — Aging infrastructure is an ongoing challenge for the city of Tracy. The problems include failing clay sewer pipes, and streets in poor condition, Tracy Community Development Director Tom Dobson told Lyon County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Dobson was at the county commissioner meeting to ask for a letter of support for Tracy to make a state bonding request. Commissioners voted to sign the letter.

“A couple of months ago, at Bollig Engineering’s suggestion, we hired a lobbyist to move forward to the state a bonding request,” Dobson said. “It’s been a couple of years since any bonding has gone through the state . . . We’ll see kind of what happens.”

Last week, Minnesota state senators including Gary Dahms, Bill Weber and Robert Kupec introduced a bill for a $12 million bonding appropriation for infrastructure updates in Tracy. Laura Ostlie, of Bollig Engineering, said the city would be addressing needs like replacing water and sewer mains, deteriorating storm sewers, and street improvements.

Dobson said Tracy had a date set to go before a committee of Minnesota state legislators. In addition to having community representatives at the meeting, they were requesting letters of support from organizations like the Tracy Area School District, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Sanford Tracy Hospital and more.

Rep. Chris Swedzinski was sponsoring a companion to the senate bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Dobson said.

Dobson told county commissioners that the water infrastructure was a key issue for Tracy.

“A number of our older sections of town have some serious (inflow and infiltration) issues. When we do have heavy rains and water saturation, some of the older clay sewer pipes – not only the ones in the street, but also up to homes – have enough cracks and holes and whatever that it definitely adds to our treatment ponds,” he said.

But replacing water and sewer lines would also provide a chance to update roads that “absolutely are in desperate need of replacement” on the east side of Tracy.

Commissioners voted to sign a letter of support for the bonding request.