4.0. SR 06-07-200413065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
June 7, 2004
Honorable Norm Coleman
B-3, Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator Coleman:
On behalf of the City Council of the City of Elk }Liver, I am asking for your support in
approving future legislation and funding for the creation of a VA Community Based
Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Elk }Liver, Minnesota.
The City Council agrees with the CARES Commission survey that named Elk }Liver,
Minnesota as an optimal site for the placement of a VA outpatient clinic (CBOC). We
believe this facility would be an asset for the veterans of the City of Elk River in Sherburne
County as well as veterans from the surrounding cities and counties.
The City. Council is asking for your support to make this outpatient clinic for veterans to be
located in Elk River a reality. Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Stephanie I(2mzing
Mayor
Phone: 763.635.1000
Fax: 763.635A090
www. ci.elk-river, mn.us
Visit us on the web at www.erstarnews.com · Wednesday, May 26, 2004/Star News / 7
SHERBURNE COUNTY
JUNE 3
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!1 Arne Engstrom will carry message to
WashinDton: Support clinic for veterans
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by Joni Astrup
Associate editor
Sherburne County plans
to lobby 'politicians in
Washing[on to bring an
ontpatient clinic for veter-
ans to Elk River.
Commissioner Arne
Engstrom of Elk River
intends to present letters
from the county to some
members of Minnesota's
congressional delegation
when he's in Washington,
D.C., next month on other
business. The city of Elk
River will also be asked to
write a letter in support of
the clinic to be given to law-
makers.
"As long as I'm there, I
think it would mean a lot
coining from our county,
comin§ from a commission-
er right in Washington. I
Engstrom
think they would remem-
ber that," Engstrom told
the county board last week.
The U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs
announced earlier this
month that Elk River has
been chosen as the site for
an outpatient clinic for vet-
erans. The clinic must be
approved by Congress.
Sherburne County
Veterans Service Officer
Launette LaBrie said the
announcement of the clinic
is fabulous news.
"We're really excited about
that," she told the county
board last week.
She said the recommenda-
tion of Elk River as a clinic
site came as a result of a
national Capital Asset
Realignment for Enhanced
Services (CARES) initia-
tive.
CARES was developed to
re-evaluate VA assets and
identify gaps in services. It
identified where the veteran
population is located and
whether there are VA facili-
ties in those areas to sup-
port the veterans, she said.
Then decisions could be
made to build additional
clinics, expand services and
close some facilities.
She said Elk River was
selected as a possible site
for a community-based
clinic due to an increase in
the number of veterans in
the area.
There are eight such clin-
ics now in Minnesota. Five
more are proposed, includ-
ing the one in Elk River.
LaBrie said she will assess
the impact a clinic in Elk
River will have on the vet-
erans smwice office.
She said the clinic would
draw veterans not just from
Sherburne County, but
from surrounding counties
such as Anoka, Wright and
Mille Lacs.
The Elk River clinic and
other recommendations in
the CARES plan reqnire
congressional approval.
The next step is to seek
approval from Congress
this fall.
That would be followed by
a clinic site selection
process.
LaBrie anticipates the
clinic opening in fiscal yea['
2007, which lneans it could
open as early as October
2006.
Sherburne County
Attorney Kathy Heaney
wondered what the county
could do to facilitate the
process, such as helping
find a clinic site.
LaBrie said comnmnities
where the outpatient clinics
were built in the past were
heavily involved in helping
with the land procurement
process.
"I think it's advantageous
for us to explore that,"
LaBrie said.