1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to transportation; allowing entry on property 
  1.3             for examination and survey; allowing towns to recover 
  1.4             certain costs incurred in establishing cartways; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 164.07, by 
  1.6             adding a subdivision; and 164.08, subdivision 2. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 164.07, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 13.  [ENTRY ON LAND FOR EXAMINATIONS AND 
  1.11  SURVEYS.] For the purposes of this section and section 164.08, 
  1.12  the town board, its employees or agents, may enter upon any 
  1.13  property, public or private, to conduct examinations and surveys.
  1.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 164.08, 
  1.15  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [MANDATORY ESTABLISHMENT; CONDITIONS.] Upon 
  1.17  petition presented to the town board by the owner of a tract of 
  1.18  land containing at least five acres, who has no access thereto 
  1.19  except over the lands of others, or whose access thereto is less 
  1.20  than two rods in width, the town board by resolution shall 
  1.21  establish a cartway at least two rods wide connecting the 
  1.22  petitioner's land with a public road.  A town board shall 
  1.23  establish a cartway upon a petition of an owner of a tract of 
  1.24  land that, as of January 1, 1998, was on record as a separate 
  1.25  parcel, contained at least two but less than five acres, and has 
  1.26  no access thereto except over the lands of others.  The town 
  2.1   board may select an alternative route other than that petitioned 
  2.2   for if the alternative is deemed by the town board to be less 
  2.3   disruptive and damaging to the affected landowners and in the 
  2.4   public's best interest.  In an unorganized territory, the board 
  2.5   of county commissioners of the county in which the tract is 
  2.6   located shall act as the town board.  The proceedings of the 
  2.7   town board shall be in accordance with section 164.07.  The 
  2.8   amount of damages shall be paid by the petitioner to the town 
  2.9   before such cartway is opened.  For the purposes of this 
  2.10  subdivision damages shall mean the compensation, if any, awarded 
  2.11  to the owner of the land upon which the cartway is established 
  2.12  together with the cost of professional and other services, 
  2.13  hearing costs, administrative costs, recording costs, and other 
  2.14  costs and expenses which the town may incur in connection with 
  2.15  the proceedings for the establishment of the cartway.  The town 
  2.16  board may by resolution require the petitioner to post a bond or 
  2.17  other security acceptable to the board for the total estimated 
  2.18  damages before the board takes action on the petition. 
  2.19     Town road and bridge funds shall not be expended on the 
  2.20  cartway unless the town board, or the county board acting as the 
  2.21  town board in the case of a cartway established in an 
  2.22  unorganized territory, by resolution determines that an 
  2.23  expenditure is in the public interest.  If no resolution is 
  2.24  adopted to that effect, the grading or other construction work 
  2.25  and the maintenance of the cartway is the responsibility of the 
  2.26  petitioner, subject to the provisions of section 164.10.  After 
  2.27  the cartway has been constructed the town board, or the county 
  2.28  board in the case of unorganized territory, may by resolution 
  2.29  designate the cartway as a private driveway with the written 
  2.30  consent of the affected landowner in which case from the 
  2.31  effective date of the resolution no town road and bridge funds 
  2.32  shall be expended for maintenance of the driveway; provided that 
  2.33  the cartway shall not be vacated without following the vacation 
  2.34  proceedings established under section 164.07.