Kleis to Meet with Trump and Mayors from Across the Country

ST. CLOUD -- Some issues from the St. Cloud community will be brought to the attention of state and national policymakers on Friday.

Mayor Dave Kleis will be one of many mayors from across the country meeting with President Donald Trump at the Transforming America’s Communities panel.

About a week ago I got an invitation from the white house. The president wanted to gather some mayors from around the country, so there's a group of mayors that he invited to meet with not only him but some of his cabinet and senior policy folks.

Some policymakers who will be attending the meeting include Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

Kleis says he plans on using the opportunity to discuss several urban and transportation issues facing the city.

Of course, we have a transportation issue and in fact, that's one of the things I'm talking to our congressional folks too while I'm out here about, and that is the aspect of a Mississippi River crossing at 33rd. That's a bridge that will be almost entirely federal dollars, and we're a state that sends more dollars to Washington than we receive back.

Kleis typically meets with Minnesota congressional leaders at the capitol in January.