Minnesota Session Laws - 2006, Regular Session

CHAPTER 274--H.F.No. 2677

An act

relating to local government; modifying financial assistance limit for bridge construction work for certain towns; authorizing towns to contract without competitive bidding in certain circumstances;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 161.082, subdivision 2a; 471.345, by adding a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 161.082, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:

Subd. 2a.

Town bridges and culverts; town road account.

(a) Money in the town bridge account must be expended 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.

(b) 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.

(c) The expenditures on a bridge structure or culvert may be paid from the county turnback account and may be for 100 percent of the cost of the replacement structure or culvert or for 100 percent of the cost of rehabilitating the existing structure.

(d) The town bridge account may be used to pay the costs to abandon an existing bridge that is deficient and in need of replacement, but where no replacement will be made. It may also be used to pay the costs to construct a road or street to facilitate the abandonment of an existing bridge determined by the commissioner to be deficient, if the commissioner determines that construction of the road or street is more cost efficient than replacing the existing bridge.

(e) 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, or engineering costs exceed $10,000, the town shall be eligible for financial assistance from the town bridge account. Financial assistance 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;

(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; or

(3) 100 percent of all related engineering costs that exceed $10,000, or in the case of towns with a net tax capacity of less than deleted text begin $200,000 deleted text end new text begin $300,000 new text end , 100 percent of the engineering costs.

(f) Money in the town road account must be distributed as provided in section 162.081.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2006. new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 471.345, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 19. new text end

new text begin Town road construction and maintenance. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding any other procedural requirements of this section, a town may contract for the construction or maintenance of a town road by agreeing to the terms of an existing contract between a vendor and a county for road construction or maintenance on an adjoining road if the existing county contract was made in conformance with all applicable procedural requirements. new text end

Presented to the governor May 22, 2006

Signed by the governor May 31, 2006, 10:39 p.m.