1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to watershed districts; changing the percent 
  1.3             of property owners required on project petitions; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 103D.705, 
  1.5             subdivision 2. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 103D.705, 
  1.8   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 2.  [SIGNATURES.] (a) The project petition must be 
  1.10  signed by: 
  1.11     (1) at least ~~25~~ 50 percent of the property owners or the 
  1.12  owners of more than ~~25~~ 50 percent of the property within the 
  1.13  limits of the area proposed to be improved, unless the project 
  1.14  consists of the establishment of a new drainage system as 
  1.15  defined in section 103E.005, subdivision 12, or the improvement 
  1.16  of an existing drainage system; 
  1.17     (2) if the project consists of the establishment of a new 
  1.18  drainage system as defined in section 103E.005, subdivision 12, 
  1.19  a majority of the owners of the property that the proposed 
  1.20  project passes over or is located on, or the owners of at least 
  1.21  60 percent of the area of the property that the proposed project 
  1.22  passes over or is located on; 
  1.23     (3) if the project consists of the improvement of an 
  1.24  existing drainage system as defined in section 103E.215, 
  1.25  subdivision 2, at least ~~26~~ 50 percent of the owners of the 
  2.1   property proposed to be improved by the project or that the 
  2.2   proposed project passes over, or the owners of at least ~~26~~ 50 
  2.3   percent of the area proposed to be improved by the project or 
  2.4   that the proposed project passes over; 
  2.5      (4) a county board of a county affected by the watershed 
  2.6   district; or 
  2.7      (5) the governing body of a city entirely or partly within 
  2.8   the area proposed to be improved. 
  2.9      (b) If a proposed project improves property entirely within 
  2.10  a city, a petition must originate from the governing body of the 
  2.11  city. 
  2.12     (c) For a signature on a project petition, holders of 
  2.13  easements for electric or telephone transmission or distribution 
  2.14  lines are not considered owners.