Public engagement
Public meeting #4: Environmental Assessment public hearing
Dec. 10, 2024, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Osceola High School
The final Environmental Assessment and Environmental Assessment Worksheet Documents were made available for public review and comment at the public hearing. A project update presentation was provided, followed by the public hearing. There were no in-person comments from the public however, three attendees turned in written comments for the official record. There were more than 40 attendees.
In addition, attendees were able to access the Environmental Assessment / Environmental Assessment Worksheet materials online and provide comment through the online comment portal.
Media outreach was conducted to inform the public of the comment period, including media announcements and public hearing notices in the Wisconsin State Journal, the Osceola Sun, and the Country Messenger.
Public meeting #3: Visual Quality public meeting
June 25, 2024, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Osceola High School
This public meeting focused on the Visual Quality process for the Osceola Bridge. A project update presentation was provided, followed by a question/answer period for attendees. There were 49 attendees, and seven attendee comment cards were submitted. Comment topics included: bridge closure length, questions about environmental impact mitigation, roundabouts, and bridge design.
In addition, the materials were made accessible online for review and comment through the online comment portal.
Public meeting #2
May 10, 2023, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Village of Osceola Township offices
This public meeting focused on providing the public with a general update on the bridge alignment options for the Osceola Bridge. A project update presentation was provided informing attendees of the selection of Bridge Alignment B and how the project team arrived at this decision. The presentation was followed by a question/answer period for attendees. There were more than 100 attendees.
In addition, 30 individuals viewed a virtual recording of the project meeting, posted to the project website. A total of 13 comments were submitted at the public meeting and through the comment portal on the project website. Comments received were about the bridge closure timeframe, alignment options, construction staging, bike and ped needs.
Media outreach was conducted to inform the public about the meeting by mail, project email and advertisements in the local Osceola Sun and Chisago County Press.
Public meeting #1: Project Alternatives Virtual engagement public meeting
March 3, 2022
Over the month of March 2022, the project team shared information about the alternatives under consideration and gathered community feedback, questions, and ideas. The engagement period started with a virtual public meeting on March 3, 2022. A total of 126 attendees joined the meeting.
For those unable to attend the virtual meeting presentation, a recording of the meeting was posted to the project website. The public were able to access the materials online and provide comment through the online comment portal. Hard copies of the presentation and comment cards were placed at City Hall and the Osceola Public Library.
Purpose & Need comment period summary
May 19 – June 4, 2021
The project team implemented a public comment period on the Hwy 243 Osceola Bridge Purpose and Need documentation. The 15-day public comment period ran from May 19, 2021 through June 4, 2021. Interested parties could submit comments through the project website, by email, or in writing to MnDOT.
The Purpose & Need, Logical Termini, Alternatives Evaluation Criteria documents were all available for review and comment on the project website.
The public was allowed to provide questions and feedback through a comment portal on the project website.
Media outreach was conducted as part of the Purpose and Need public comment period, including public notices in local government newsletters, and the Osceola Sun newspaper. In addition, the MnDOT project manager provided an interview with the Osceola Sun.
A total of 92 comments were received between May 19, 2021 through June 7, 2021. An additional three comments were received between June 12, 2021 and August 31, 2021. More than 62 percent of comments received to date highlight the need for a bike and pedestrian path.