1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to local government; authorizing a vacant lot sanitary sewer connection 
1.3 	program in the city of St. Paul.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. CITY OF ST. PAUL; VACANT LOT SANITARY SEWER 
1.6 	CONNECTION PROGRAM.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Public purpose. The legislature finds that the development of vacant 
1.8 	lots and connecting buildings built on the vacant lots to the sanitary sewer system is 
1.9 	a public purpose and that providing financing to owners of single-family residences to 
1.10 	connect future buildings to the sanitary sewer system is a public purpose.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Program authorized. The city of St. Paul may undertake a program to 
1.12 	construct a connection to the sanitary sewer system for a building to be built on a privately 
1.13 	owned vacant lot at the written request of the owner of the property. The city may contract 
1.14 	for the connection to the sanitary sewer system, or may pay or reimburse the cost for 
1.15 	connection to the sanitary sewer system for which the owner of the property has entered 
1.16 	into contracts. As part of the program, the city may identify criteria for private contractors 
1.17 	and may limit the payment or reimbursement of costs to those situations in which the work 
1.18 	has been performed by contractors whose participation in the program has been approved 
1.19 	by the city in advance. The city need not hold any hearing in connection with the request 
1.20 	of individual property owners for participation in the program.
1.21 		Subd. 3.Charges authorized. The city may charge the cost of the program to the 
1.22 	owners who have requested the connection to the sanitary sewer system for a building 
1.23 	to be built on a vacant lot. The amount charged may include the full amount paid or 
1.24 	reimbursed, the cost of administration, and the cost of financing. The amount charged may 
2.1 	be made payable with interest at a rate determined by the city in installments over a period 
2.2 	determined by the city not to exceed 20 years. The installments may be certified, added 
2.3 	to, and collected in the same manner as municipal taxes by the county department of 
2.4 	property taxation or similar department and paid over to the city in the same manner as are 
2.5 	municipal taxes. The city may certify due and unpaid installments to the county auditor 
2.6 	along with taxes against the benefited property for collection as other real property taxes 
2.7 	are collected, in which event the installments may be enforced in the manner required for 
2.8 	enforcement of real property taxes in accordance with state law.
2.9 		Subd. 4.Charges to property owners. Instead of charging the cost of the program 
2.10 	as provided above, the city may charge the cost of the program to the owners who have 
2.11 	requested the connection to the sanitary sewer system. The amount charged may include 
2.12 	the full amount paid or reimbursed, the cost of administration, and the cost of financing. 
2.13 	The amount charged must be payable with interest at a rate determined by the city in 
2.14 	installments over a period determined by the city not to exceed 20 years. All charges for the 
2.15 	program are valid and enforceable without regard to valuation of the property or the benefit 
2.16 	conferred. After the amount to be charged has been determined, whether or not the work 
2.17 	has been performed, the city must hold a public hearing on the charges after notice mailed to 
2.18 	the owner of the property, to be charged not less than 14 days before the published hearing. 
2.19 	Notice of the hearing is not required. The city shall select chapter 429, or the city charter, 
2.20 	to govern the procedure for the levy and collection of the charges and, unless a different 
2.21 	procedure is provided in this section, proceedings for the imposition, appeal, repeal, 
2.22 	supplementation, and collection of the charges must conform to the procedures selected.
2.23 		Subd. 5.Nature of charges. The charges, with accruing interest, are a lien upon 
2.24 	all private and public property included in the charges, from the date of the resolution 
2.25 	adopting the charges, concurrent with general taxes. All charges and interest on them must 
2.26 	be collected and paid over in the same manner as municipal taxes.
2.27 		Subd. 6.Obligations authorized. To pay the costs of the program, the city may 
2.28 	issue general or special obligations in one or more series without an election and without 
2.29 	being subject to limits on net debt, but otherwise in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, 
2.30 	chapter 475. To the payment of the obligations, the city must pledge receipts of the 
2.31 	charges and may in addition pledge revenues or net revenues of the city's sewer service 
2.32 	fund. The city may pledge its full faith, credit, and taxing powers to pay the obligations 
2.33 	and may levy taxes to pay the obligations.
2.34 		Subd. 7.Local approval. This section is effective the day after the governing body 
2.35 	of the city of Saint Paul and its chief clerical officer timely complete their compliance 
2.36 	with section 645.021, subdivisions 2 and 3.