as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/12/2020 02:48pm
A bill for an act
relating to transportation; creating a grant program to fund improvements to
township roads; appropriating money for a township road grant program;
authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 174.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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(a) A township road
improvement account is created in the general fund in the state treasury. The account consists
of money transferred to the fund by law and any other money donated, allotted, transferred,
or otherwise provided to the account. Money in the account is appropriated to the
commissioner for grants, as provided in this section.
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(b) A township road improvement account is created in the bond proceeds fund. The
account consists of state bond proceeds and is appropriated to the commissioner for grants
under this section. Grants from this account may only be expended for purposes that are
permitted under the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 5.
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(a) The commissioner shall establish a township road
improvement advisory committee consisting of five members, including:
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(1) three township officers; and
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(2) two engineers who do work for townships.
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(b) The advisory committee shall provide recommendations to the commissioner
regarding expenditures from the accounts established in this section.
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The commissioner shall establish procedures
for towns to apply for grants or loans from the accounts created under subdivision 1 and
criteria to be used to select projects for funding. The commissioner shall establish these
procedures and criteria in consultation with representatives of the Minnesota Association
of Townships and the appropriate state agency as needed. The criteria for determining
project priority and the amount of a grant or loan must be based on consideration of:
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(1) the availability of other state, federal, and local funds;
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(2) the effectiveness of the proposed project in eliminating a transportation system
deficiency;
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(3) the number of people who will be positively impacted by the project;
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(4) the project's contribution to local, regional, or state economic development or
redevelopment efforts, including livestock or other agricultural operations, logging, and
mining; and
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(5) the ability of the town to adequately provide for the safe operation and maintenance
of the road or facility upon project completion.
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A sum of 0.25 percent of the total amount in the accounts
created under subdivision 1, other than deposited amounts from the proceeds from the sale
of state bonds, is available to be used for administrative costs incurred by the department
in carrying out the provisions of this section.
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$....... is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to
the commissioner of transportation for grants under the township road improvement grant
program under Minnesota Statutes, section 174.525.
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To provide the money appropriated in this section from the bond
proceeds fund, the commissioner of management and budget shall sell and issue bonds of
the state in an amount up to $....... in the manner, upon the terms, and with the effect
prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the Minnesota
Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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