(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee visited more than 20 communities in southeast Minnesota.

In Dodge Center, the city requested more than $2 million for their northeast improvement project.

The money would go toward repairs for both Airport Drive and North Street.

Officials say the roads in northeast Dodge Center have been in poor condition for many years.

“The roads been in bad shape about a decade or more, it’s gotten to be much more of an issue as it really is deteriorating further, we have some areas, we have some storm sewer issues with heavy rains and road over tops, the roads are narrow, the side slopes are steep, and we would like to widen out make it safer for traffic,” Dodge Center city administrator Lee Mattson said.

Committee members also visited Stewartville.

City leaders are looking for help with street paving and storm drainage improvements.

The work on 15 Avenue Northeast would improve a one-mile link between two state-aid roads, a popular commuter route.

The project would have a $3 million price tag and officials are hoping for assistance to fund half of it.

Currently, it is an unpaved gravel road and if there were issues to the Highway 63 bridge, the roads current condition would be unsuitable to accommodate the excess traffic.

“It not only helps just Stewartville High Forest Township of the county it’s a bigger region so were hopeful that the state views that just as importantly of how many people they are helping in this area,” Stewartville city administrator Bill Schimmel said.

The road is also critical for both the city’s fire and ambulance services.

The grand tour was capped off with a visit to a few locations in Rochester.

City leaders were happy to see elected legislative officials here to show their support.

“Here we can spend more time, we can really see with our eyes and we can see with our eyes, what’s going on and we get a much better sense of the projects,” Minnesota Senator Sandy Pappas (DFL) said.

The first stop was made at the Rochester International Airport (RST). The airport requested $3 million from the state to install solar panels.

These panels will help power RST and would provide covered parking and shelter for about 200 vehicles while helping the city meet its 100% renewable energy goal by 2030.

They then made a stop at the government center to learn more about the riverfront redevelopment project.

“This is the kind of project that is going to give our community more access to this amenity of the Zumbro River,” DMC executive director Patrick Seeb said.

Over the last few years, DMC has been working with the city to secure funding to keep the project moving.

They’re hoping to receive funding from the state but it’s not going to be cheap.

“We’re going to be pursuing as much as $20 million perhaps phased over time,” Seeb said.

As many scramble to secure funding from the upcoming session, not everyone will receive it.

“We have many more asks than there are dollars to go around and then there’ll be all those negotiations at the end trying to figure out how can we best use Minnesota taxpayer dollars to further Minnesota taxpayer interest,” Minnesota Senator Carla Nelson (R) said.

The last stop on their list was to the Waste-to-Energy facility as they’re hoping to receive funds to focus on capturing waste materials and carbon to manage them as useful resources.

The 2024 legislature will convene in February.