St. Cloud City Council Members Visit New Flyer for Vice Presidential Visit

(KNSI) — St. Cloud City Council members were at New Flyer Thursday as part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to highlight the federal government’s investment in zero-emission public transportation and the associated skills developed and jobs created across the industry.

Newly elected Councilman Jake Anderson tells KNSI News it’s wonderful having a sitting vice president come and see the good things happening in Minnesota regardless of party affiliation. “I think this is a testament to what New Flyer is able to do. There are not a ton of bus manufacturers in the United States, so the innovation they’re showing in different industries is pretty cool, and I think that’s a testament alone to some of the uniqueness of St. Cloud and the hard working folks here at New Flyer and to the company.”

Council President Jeff Goerger explained to KNSI he feels what New Flyer is doing is great for the environment. “If you’ve ever traveled behind a diesel powered bus, you know, the stuff that they shoot, I think it’s a mess. So, these are really impressive pieces of equipment. St. Cloud had the first full fleet of compressed natural gas buses in the country, which is great. I know the city is working on a new initiative to create another power source right out here by New Flyer in our wastewater treatment facility. We do a lot of really exciting things out there, too, with alternative fuels. And we’re working now on producing another fuel, which New Flyer may use to power buses, which is really exciting.”

Goerger says having Vice President Harris visit here, “It’s important that we show our best face, and it’s important that we have a person in that position of power to come visit our community. So, I think it’s a good thing to put some very positive spotlight on St. Cloud.”

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KNSI News reporter Jake Judd contributed to this story.

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