Minnesota Session Laws - 1993, Regular Session

  
    Laws of Minnesota 1993 

                         CHAPTER 128-H.F.No. 43 
           An act relating to transportation; regulating the sign 
          franchise program; allocating funding for town bridges 
          replaced by culverts when replacement does not exceed 
          $20,000; amending Minnesota Statutes 1992, sections 
          160.80, subdivision 1; and 161.082, subdivision 2a. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 160.80, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
    Subdivision 1.  [COMMISSIONER MAY ESTABLISH PROGRAM.] (a) 
The commissioner of transportation may establish a sign 
franchise program for the purpose of providing on the 
right-of-way of interstate and controlled-access trunk highways 
specific information on gas, food, camping, and lodging, for the 
benefit of the motoring public.  
    (b) The sign franchise program must include urban 
interstate highways.  The commissioner may implement policies 
that apply only to signs on interstate highways in urban areas, 
such as distance requirements from the interstate for eligible 
services, priority issues, and mixing of service logos. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 161.082, 
subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2a.  [TOWN BRIDGES AND CULVERTS; TOWN ROAD ACCOUNT.] 
An amount equal to 25 percent of the county turnback account 
must be expended, within counties having two or more towns, on 
town road bridge structures that are ten feet or more in length 
and on town road culverts that replace existing town road 
bridges.  In addition, if the present bridge structure is less 
than ten feet in length but a hydrological survey indicates that 
the replacement bridge structure or culvert must be ten feet or 
more in length, then the bridge or culvert is eligible for 
replacement funds.  In addition, if a culvert that replaces a 
deficient bridge is in a county comprehensive water plan 
approved by the board of water and soil resources and the 
department of natural resources, the costs of the culvert and 
roadway grading other than surfacing are eligible for 
replacement funds up to the cost of constructing a replacement 
bridge.  The expenditures on bridge structures and culverts may 
be on a matching basis, and if on a matching basis, not more 
than 90 percent of the cost of a bridge structure or culvert may 
be paid from the county turnback account.  When bridge approach 
construction work exceeds $10,000 in costs, or when the county 
engineer determines that the cost of the replacement culverts 
alone will not exceed $20,000, the town shall be eligible for 
financial assistance from the town bridge account.  Financial 
assistance shall be limited to 90 percent of the cost of the 
bridge approach work that is in excess of $10,000 and shall be 
requested by resolution of the county board and shall be limited 
to: 
    (1) 100 percent of the cost of the bridge approach work 
that is in excess of $10,000; or 
    (2) 100 percent of the cost of the replacement culverts 
when the cost does not exceed $20,000 and the town board agrees 
to be responsible for all the other costs, which may include 
costs for structural removal, installation, and permitting.  The 
replacement structure design and costs shall be approved and 
certified by the county engineer, but need not be subsequently 
approved by the department of transportation. 
    An amount equal to 47.5 percent of the county turnback 
account must be set aside as a town road account and distributed 
as provided in section 162.081. 
    Presented to the governor May 11, 1993 
    Signed by the governor May 14, 1993, 3:56 p.m.