Minnesota Session Laws - 2013, Regular Session

CHAPTER 101--H.F.No. 738

An act

relating to the Metropolitan Council; making miscellaneous technical corrections to statutes; removing and modifying obsolete language;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 473.157; 473.517, subdivisions 1, 6, 9; 473.519; 473.523, subdivision 1; 473.541, subdivision 2; 473.543, subdivision 1; 473.545.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.157, is amended to read:

473.157 WATER RESOURCES PLAN.

To help achieve federal and state water quality standards, provide effective water pollution control, and help reduce unnecessary investments in advanced wastewater treatment, the council shall adopt a water resources plan that includes management objectives deleted text begin and target pollution loads deleted text end for watersheds in the metropolitan area. The council shall recommend to the Board of Water and Soil Resources performance standards for watershed plans in the metropolitan area, including standards relating to the timing of plan revisions and proper water quality management.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.517, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Allocation method.

Except as provided in subdivision 3, the estimated costs of operation, maintenance, and debt service of the metropolitan disposal system to be paid by the council in each fiscal year, and the costs of acquisition and betterment of the system which are to be paid during the year from funds other than bond proceeds, including all expenses incurred by the council pursuant to sections 473.501 to 473.545, are referred to in this section as current costs, and shall be allocated among and paid by all local government units which will discharge sewage, directly or indirectly, into the metropolitan disposal system during the budget year according to an allocation method determined by the council. The allocated costs may include an amount for a reserve or contingency fund and an amount for cash flow management. The cash flow management fund so established must not exceed five percent of the council's total deleted text begin waste control deleted text end new text begin wastewater services new text end operating budget.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.517, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Deferment of payments.

new text begin (a) Upon request of a local government unit, the council may provide for the deferment of payment of all or part of the allocated costs that are allocated by the council to that local government unit in any year pursuant to subdivision 1, repayable at the time or times specified by the council, with interest as determined by the council. A deferment must not result in an increase to the allocated costs which are allocated by the council to other local government units in any year pursuant to subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin (b) Upon request of a local government unit, new text end the council may provide for the deferment of payment of all or part of the allocated costs which are allocated by the council to a local government unit in any year pursuant to subdivision 3, repayable at such time or times as the council shall specify, with interest at the approximate average annual rate borne by council bonds outstanding at the time of the deferment, as determined by the council. Such deferred costs shall be allocated to and paid by all local government units in the metropolitan area which will discharge sewage, directly or indirectly, into the metropolitan disposal system in the budget year for which the deferment is granted, in the same manner and proportions as costs are allocated under subdivision 1.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.517, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9.

Advisory committees.

The council may establish and appoint persons to advisory committees to assist the council in the performance of its wastewater deleted text begin control deleted text end new text begin services new text end duties. If established, the advisory committees shall meet with the council to consult with such members concerning the acquisition, betterment, operation and maintenance of interceptors and treatment works in the metropolitan disposal system, and the allocation of costs therefor. Members of the advisory committee serve without compensation but must be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses as determined by the council.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.519, is amended to read:

473.519 1972 U.S. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT: USE CHARGE SHARES.

Each local government unit shall adopt a system of charges for the use and availability of the metropolitan disposal system which will assure that each recipient of waste treatment services within or served by the unit will pay its proportionate share of the costs allocated to the unit by the council under section 473.517, as required by the federal Water Pollution Control Act amendments of 1972, and any regulations issued pursuant thereto. Each system of charges deleted text begin shall be adopted as soon as possible and deleted text end shall be submitted to the council new text begin if requested by the council new text end . deleted text begin The council shall review each system of charges to determine whether it complies with the federal law and regulations. If it determines that a system of charges does not comply, the adopting unit shall be notified and shall change its system to comply, and shall submit the changes to the council for review. All subsequent changes in a system of charges proposed by a local government unit shall also be submitted to the council for review. deleted text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.523, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

In section 471.345.

All contracts for construction work, or for the purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment relating to the metropolitan disposal system shall be made as provided in section 471.345, subdivisions 3 to 6. Contracts subject to section 471.345, subdivision 3, shall be made by the council by publishing once in a legal newspaper or trade paper published in a city of the first class not less than two weeks before the last day for submission of bids, notice that bids or proposals will be received. Such notice shall state the nature of the work or purchase and the terms and conditions upon which the contract is to be awarded, and a time and place where such bids will be received, opened, and read publicly. After such bids have been duly received, opened, read publicly, and recorded, the council shall award such contract to the lowest responsible bidder or it may reject all bids and readvertise. Each contract shall be duly executed in writing and the party to whom the contract is awarded shall give sufficient bond or security to the deleted text begin board deleted text end new text begin council new text end for the faithful performance of the contract as required by law. The council shall have the right to set qualifications and specifications and to require bids to meet all such qualifications and specifications before being accepted. If the council by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of its members declares that an emergency exists requiring the immediate purchase of materials or supplies at a cost in excess of the amount specified in section 471.345, subdivision 3, or in making emergency repairs, it shall not be necessary to advertise for bids.

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.541, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Emergency certificates.

If in any budget year the receipts of tax and other revenues should from some unforeseen cause become insufficient to pay the council's current wastewater deleted text begin control deleted text end new text begin services new text end expenses, or if any calamity or other public emergency should subject it to the necessity of making extraordinary wastewater deleted text begin control deleted text end new text begin services new text end expenditures, the council may make an emergency appropriation of an amount sufficient to meet the deficiency and may authorize the issuance, negotiation, and sale of certificates of indebtedness in this amount in the same manner and upon the same conditions as provided in subdivision 1 deleted text begin , except that deleted text end new text begin . new text end The council deleted text begin shall forthwith deleted text end new text begin may new text end levy on all taxable property in the metropolitan area a tax sufficient to pay the certificates and interest thereon, and shall appropriate all collections of such tax to a special fund created for that purpose. The certificates may mature not later than April in the year following the year in which deleted text begin the deleted text end new text begin any levied new text end tax is collectible.

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.543, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Disposed of as budgeted; pledges.

All moneys from wastewater deleted text begin control deleted text end new text begin services new text end operations received by the council shall be deposited or invested by the treasurer and disposed of as the council may direct in accordance with its deleted text begin waste control deleted text end new text begin wastewater services new text end budget; provided that any moneys that have been pledged or dedicated by the Metropolitan Council to the payment of obligations or interest thereon or expenses incident thereto, or for any other specific purpose authorized by law, shall be paid by the treasurer into the fund to which they have been pledged.

Sec. 9.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 473.545, is amended to read:

473.545 PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION.

Any properties, real or personal, owned, leased, controlled, used, or occupied by the council for any purpose referred to in deleted text begin Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 473.502, deleted text end new text begin sections 473.501 to 473.549 new text end are declared to be acquired, owned, leased, controlled, used and occupied for public, governmental, and municipal purposes, and shall be exempt from taxation by the state or any political subdivision of the state, except to the extent that the property is subject to the sales and use tax under chapter 297A, provided that such properties shall be subject to special assessments levied by a political subdivision for a local improvement in amounts proportionate to and not exceeding the special benefit received by the properties from such improvement. No possible use of any such properties in any manner different from their use as part of the metropolitan disposal system at the time shall be considered in determining the special benefit received by such properties. All such assessments shall be subject to final confirmation by the Metropolitan Council, whose determination of the benefits shall be conclusive upon the political subdivision levying the assessment.

Sec. 10.

new text begin APPLICATION. new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 9 apply to the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington. new text end

Sec. 11.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 10 are effective the day following final enactment. new text end

Presented to the governor May 21, 2013

Signed by the governor May 24, 2013, 1:51 p.m.