1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; adding exceptions to the 
  1.3             local public officer's conflict of interest law; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 471.88, by 
  1.5             adding subdivisions. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 471.88, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 17.  [FEDERAL OR STATE GRANT PROGRAMS.] The governing 
  1.10  body may apply for and accept a state or federal grant for 
  1.11  housing, community, or economic development in which a public 
  1.12  officer may benefit, if the public officer abstains from voting 
  1.13  on measures related to the grant. 
  1.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 471.88, is 
  1.15  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.16     Subd. 18.  [SMALL CITIES IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY; CERTAIN 
  1.17  FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAMS.] If a city with a population of 3,000 
  1.18  or less in St. Louis county administers a loan or grant program 
  1.19  with community development block grant funds or federal economic 
  1.20  development administration funds for property owners within the 
  1.21  geographic boundaries of the city, the city may make a grant or 
  1.22  loan from these funds to a public officer of the city who 
  1.23  applies, if the public officer first discloses, as part of the 
  1.24  official minutes of a meeting of the city, that the public 
  1.25  officer has applied for the funds and the public officer 
  2.1   abstains from voting on the public officer's application. 
  2.2      Sec. 3.  [LOCAL APPROVAL NOT REQUIRED.] 
  2.3      Section 2 does not require local approval because it 
  2.4   enables certain cities in St. Louis county to exercise authority 
  2.5   not granted by general law and thus fits in the class in 
  2.6   Minnesota Statutes, section 645.023, subdivision 1, clause (a).