1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the city of Saint Paul; authorizing a 
  1.3             program for the disconnection of rainleaders and 
  1.4             repair of defective sanitary sewer connections and the 
  1.5             charging or assessment of costs for the program and 
  1.6             the issuance of general or special obligations to pay 
  1.7             the costs of the program. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [PUBLIC PURPOSE.] 
  1.10     The legislature hereby finds that the disconnection of 
  1.11  rainleaders and the repair of defective sanitary sewer 
  1.12  connections is a public purpose and that providing financing to 
  1.13  owners of residences and businesses to disconnect rainleaders 
  1.14  and repair defective sanitary sewer connections located on their 
  1.15  private property is a public purpose. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  [RAINLEADER DISCONNECTION AND DEFECTIVE SANITARY 
  1.17  SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.] 
  1.18     The city of Saint Paul may undertake a program to 
  1.19  disconnect rainleaders, connect buildings to storm sewers, or 
  1.20  correct defective sanitary sewer connections located on private 
  1.21  property at the written request of the owner of the property.  
  1.22  The city may contract for the disconnection of rainleaders, the 
  1.23  connection of buildings to storm sewers, and the repair of 
  1.24  defective sanitary sewer connections, or may pay or reimburse 
  1.25  the cost for disconnection of rainleaders, the connection of 
  1.26  buildings to storm sewers, and the repair of defective sanitary 
  2.1   sewer connections for which the owner of the property has 
  2.2   entered into contracts.  As part of the program, the city may 
  2.3   identify criteria for private contractors and may limit the 
  2.4   payment or reimbursement of costs to those situations in which 
  2.5   the work has been performed by contractors whose participation 
  2.6   in the program has been approved by the city in advance.  The 
  2.7   city need not hold any hearing in connection with the request of 
  2.8   individual property owners for participation in the program. 
  2.9      Sec. 3.  [CHARGES AUTHORIZED.] 
  2.10     The city may charge the cost of the program to the owners 
  2.11  who have requested the disconnection of their rainleaders, the 
  2.12  connection of buildings to storm sewers, or the repair of their 
  2.13  sanitary sewer connections.  The amount charged may include the 
  2.14  full amount paid or reimbursed, the cost of administration, and 
  2.15  the cost of financing.  The amount charged may be made payable 
  2.16  with interest at a rate determined by the city in installments 
  2.17  over a period determined by the city not to exceed 20 years and 
  2.18  the installments may be certified, added to, and collected in 
  2.19  the same manner as other municipal taxes by the county 
  2.20  department of property taxation or similar department and paid 
  2.21  over to the city in the same manner as are other municipal 
  2.22  taxes.  The city may certify due and unpaid installments to the 
  2.23  county auditor along with taxes against the benefited property 
  2.24  for collection as other real property taxes are collected, in 
  2.25  which event the installments may be enforced in the manner 
  2.26  required for enforcement of real property taxes in accordance 
  2.27  with state law. 
  2.28     Sec. 4.  [SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS AUTHORIZED.] 
  2.29     Instead of charging the cost of the program as provided 
  2.30  above, the city may specially assess the cost of the program to 
  2.31  the owners who have requested the disconnection of their 
  2.32  rainleaders, the connection of buildings to storm sewers, or the 
  2.33  repair of their defective sanitary sewer connections.  The 
  2.34  amount specially assessed may include the full amount paid or 
  2.35  reimbursed, the cost of administration, and the cost of 
  2.36  financing.  The special assessment must be payable with interest 
  3.1   at a rate determined by the city in installments over a period 
  3.2   determined by the city not to exceed 20 years.  All special 
  3.3   assessments for the program are valid and enforceable without 
  3.4   regard to valuation of the property or the benefit conferred.  
  3.5   After the amount to be specially assessed has been determined, 
  3.6   whether or not the work has been performed, the city must hold a 
  3.7   public hearing on the special assessment after notice mailed to 
  3.8   the owner of the property to be specially assessed not less than 
  3.9   14 days before the published hearing.  Notice of the hearing is 
  3.10  not required.  The city shall select Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
  3.11  429, or the city charter to govern the procedure for the levy 
  3.12  and collection of special assessments, and except as a different 
  3.13  procedure is provided in this act, proceedings for the 
  3.14  imposition, appeal, repeal, supplementation, and collection of 
  3.15  the special assessments must conform to the procedures selected. 
  3.16     Sec. 5.  [NATURE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.] 
  3.17     The special assessments, with accruing interest, are a lien 
  3.18  upon all private and public property included in the special 
  3.19  assessments, from the date of the resolution adopting the 
  3.20  assessment, concurrent with general taxes.  All assessments and 
  3.21  interest on them must be collected and paid over in the same 
  3.22  manner as other municipal taxes. 
  3.23     Sec. 6.  [OBLIGATIONS AUTHORIZED.] 
  3.24     To pay the costs of the program, the city may issue general 
  3.25  or special obligations in one or more series without an election 
  3.26  and without being subject to limits on net debt, but otherwise 
  3.27  in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, chapter 475.  To the 
  3.28  payment of the obligations, the city must pledge receipts of the 
  3.29  charges and special assessments, and may in addition pledge 
  3.30  revenues or net revenues of the city's sewer service fund.  The 
  3.31  city may pledge its full faith, credit, and taxing powers to pay 
  3.32  the obligations, and may levy taxes to pay the obligations. 
  3.33     Sec. 7.  [LOCAL APPROVAL.] 
  3.34     This act is effective the day after the governing body of 
  3.35  the city of Saint Paul complies with Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.36  645.021, subdivision 3.