If you live in Minnesota, chances are your community has no climate change plans.

This year, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency surveyed towns, cities and tribal governments. The survey asked if the municipalities had a plan or strategy for the effects of climate. According to survey results released last week, only one out of every four Minnesota municipalities had a plan. Of those with a plan, only 14% had taken action.

MPCA conducted a similar survey in 2019 with similar results. The agency believed the lack of changes was the result of the pandemic, in which communities had more pressing concerns.

“Communities are doing what they can with what they have,” Katrina Kessler, MPCA commissioner, said during a May 5 presentation. “We can see that many local governments have climate planning on their radar, but few are fully prepared for what we expect to see across the state.”

The MPCA presentation was attended by several city officials, including New Ulm Mayor Terry Sveine, who gave insight into obstacles preventing cities from responding to changing climate patterns.

Sveine said before taking part in the May 5 panel, he spoke with various department heads in New Ulm to see what actions were being done.

The top challenge was money. The infrastructure needed to be replaced to meet the changing climate. This included elevated pumping stations for city drinking water wells and elevated access roads when flooding occurs.

New Ulm has been hit by extreme flooding and extreme drought within the last few years. Rain events in the region are much heavier than in the past.

Sveine said New Ulm’s storm water pipes were 80 years old and designed to handle 2,000 gallons a minute. Recent rain events have significantly increased the rain volume up to 100,000 gallons. New Ulm’s stormwater pipes will need to be replaced to meet this new normal, but it will require significant funding.

Sveine said New Ulm had no set climate change plan in plan in place, but the city has joined voluntary programs like GreenStep Cities a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve sustainability and quality-of-life goals.

New Ulm Public Utilities has taken some basic steps to respond to climate change. Many cities’ utility lines are now being buried below grown in response to extreme windstorms.

New Ulm Public Utilities also has contracts to have some of its energy provided by renewable energy sources. The utility contract with Heartland Consumer Power District requires at least 25% of the energy to come from renewable energy sources. Currently, of the 19 megawatts provided by HCPD, 5.5 megawatts are from wind generation. New Ulm Public Utilities also has about 2.4 megawatts from hydro energy.

Utilities Director Kris Manderfeld estimated 26% of energy sold to customers is renewable. It is the utility’s goal to increase this percentage in the future.

Asked if he was surprised one-in-four Minnesota cities had no climate-change plan, Sveine said he was not because, while Minnesota is impacted by climate change, it is not to the extent of other communities in other states.

“We’re not Louisana,” he said. “They have much bigger problems than almost demands a response.”

The coastal states are also being hit by extreme weather, with an extended hurricane season and eroding coasts lines. Sveine also cited the increasing numbers of forest fires in California. The impact of climate change is more apparent in other states.

The mayor predicted that within the next 20 years, Minnesota could experience large-scale immigration because of worsening climate change.

At the same time, Sveine acknowledged Minnesota does share in the burden of climate change. In addition to worsening rain events and windstorms, more insurance claims in one state could increase prices elsewhere.

He explained that increased wildfires in California could cause insurance companies to raise fees across the board, impacting everyone. The increased rainfall events, resulting in crop damage, likely will raise insurance premiums on ag land. Once again, cost was a top factor in climate change preparation.

The MPCA released the survey finding to encourage state lawmakers to set aside funding for municipal climate change preparation.

The goal is to have $21 million set aside for Minnesota cities to replace stormwater systems and pipes. Another $55 million would be given out as grants for broader projects.

“If local governments are not equipped to manage these changes, residents and businesses will continue to bear the brunt of the destruction,” Kessler said.