Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen, a "top public official overseeing construction" of the Vikings' new $1B stadium, "found herself sharply criticized Friday," according to Kaszuba & Nelson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. MSFA members condemned the "increasing role being played" by Kelm-Helgen, who was appointed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. They complained that Kelm-Helgen's role, which "had been a part-time job" when public officials managed the Metrodome, "closely mirrors the job" of MSFA Exec Dir Ted Mondale, who earns $162,245. Kelm-Helgen "initially was paid $100,000, but since has seen her salary increase to $127,000." Roy Terwilliger, who served as part-time Chair when the MSFA oversaw the Metrodome, "was paid $64,688." Mondale, who served as chair in '12, "was paid $66,952." Kelm-Helgen said that she and Mondale "do share some responsibilities, but their job descriptions aren’t the same." She "works on what she described as bigger-picture budget, policy and external communications, while Mondale is focused on day-to-day construction oversight." Friday’s controversy "came as the project’s budget again inched upward," with new estimates showing a $1.06B price tag (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/28). In St. Paul, Doug Belden characterized the MSFA members' grievances as "a rare show of conflict on the board." The group complained that the organization's leadership structure "has led to duplicative work and blurred lines of accountability." MSFA member John Griffith, formerly Target Corp. Exec VP/Property Development, said that Kelm-Helgen "should focus on broader issues and stop spending as much time on operational details." But Kelm-Helgen said that the MSFA setup "is not intended to match the business world." Meanwhile, the MSFA on Friday awarded a $10.4M contract for scoreboards to South Dakota-based Daktronics, which will "produce the products in a facility in Redwood Falls, Minn." (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/28).
THIS ONE IS ON THE HOUSE: In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman reported the Wilf family, which owns the Vikings, wrote a $19.5M check to Mortenson Construction "so that their new stadium will be able to include all the features they want it to have." The team said that these features "include plaza enhancements, food service equipment, seat upgrades and a deck facing downtown Minneapolis." The Wilfs "now have put up" an extra $74M, making their contribution $551M of the total stadium cost of $1.061B by the facility's '16 opening (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/29).
