1997 Minnesota Statutes

   162.06 Accruals to county state-aid highway fund; 
  accounts. 

    Subdivision 1.    Estimate.  On or before the second 
 Tuesday of January of each year the commissioner shall estimate 
 the probable sum of money that will accrue to the county 
 state-aid highway fund during the first six months of each year 
 ending June 30.  To such estimated amounts the commissioner 
 shall add the sum of money already accrued in the county 
 state-aid highway fund for the last preceding six-month period 
 ending December 31 of each year, adjusted to reflect the amount 
 by which actual receipts for the preceding January 1 to June 30 
 were different from estimated receipts.  The total of such sums 
 except for deductions to be first made as provided herein shall 
 be apportioned to the several counties as hereinafter provided. 

    Subd. 2.    Administrative costs of department.  From 
 the total of such sums the commissioner shall deduct a sum equal 
 to 1-1/2 percent of the total sum.  The sum so deducted shall be 
 set aside in a separate account and shall be used for 
 administrative costs incurred by the state transportation 
 department in carrying out the provisions relating to the county 
 state-aid highway system.  On the 31st day of December of each 
 year any money remaining in the account not needed for 
 administrative costs shall be transferred to the county 
 state-aid highway fund. 

    Subd. 3.    Disaster account.  After deducting 
 administrative costs as provided in subdivision 2, the 
 commissioner shall set aside each year a sum of money equal to 
 one percent of the remaining money in the county state-aid 
 highway fund to provide for a disaster account; provided that 
 the total amount of money in the disaster account shall never 
 exceed one percent of the total sums to be apportioned to the 
 counties.  This sum shall be used to provide aid to any county 
 encountering disasters or unforeseen events affecting its county 
 state-aid highway system, and resulting in an undue and 
 burdensome financial hardship.  Any county desiring aid by 
 reason of such disaster or unforeseen event shall request the 
 aid in the form required by the commissioner.  Upon receipt of 
 the request the commissioner shall appoint a board consisting of 
 two representatives of the counties, who must be either a county 
 engineer or member of a county board, from counties other than 
 the requesting county, and a representative of the 
 commissioner.  The board shall investigate the matter and report 
 its findings and recommendations in writing to the 
 commissioner.  Final determination of the amount of aid, if any, 
 to be paid to the county from the disaster account shall be made 
 by the commissioner.  Upon determining to aid any such county 
 the commissioner shall certify to the commissioner of finance 
 the amount of the aid, and the commissioner of finance shall 
 thereupon issue a warrant in that amount payable to the county 
 treasurer of the county.  Money so paid shall be expended on the 
 county state-aid highway system in accordance with the rules of 
 the commissioner. 

    Subd. 4.    Research account.  (a) Each year the 
 screening board, provided for in section 162.07, subdivision 5, 
 may recommend to the commissioner a sum of money that the 
 commissioner shall set aside from the county state-aid highway 
 fund and credit to a research account.  The amount so 
 recommended and set aside shall not exceed one-half of one 
 percent of the preceding year's apportionment sum.  

    (b) Any money so set aside shall be used by the 
 commissioner for the purpose of:  

    (1) conducting research for improving the design, 
 construction, maintenance and environmental compatibility of 
 state-aid highways and appurtenances; 

    (2) constructing research elements and reconstructing or 
 replacing research elements that fail; and 

    (3) conducting programs for implementing and monitoring 
 research results.  

    (c) Any balance remaining in the research account at the 
 end of each year from the sum set aside for the year immediately 
 previous, shall be transferred to the county state-aid highway 
 fund. 

    Subd. 5.    State park road account.  After deducting 
 for administrative costs and for the disaster account and 
 research account as heretofore provided from the remainder of 
 the total sum provided for in subdivision 1, there shall be 
 deducted a sum equal to the three-quarters of one percent of the 
 remainder.  The sum so deducted shall be set aside in a separate 
 account and shall be used for (1) the establishment, location, 
 relocation, construction, reconstruction, and improvement of 
 those roads included in the county state-aid highway system 
 under Minnesota Statutes 1961, section 162.02, subdivision 6, 
 which border and provide substantial access to an outdoor 
 recreation unit as defined in section 86A.04 or which provide 
 access to the headquarters of or the principal parking lot 
 located within such a unit, and (2) the reconstruction, 
 improvement, repair, and maintenance of county roads, city 
 streets, and town roads that provide access to public lakes, 
 rivers, state parks, and state campgrounds.  Roads described in 
 clause (2) are not required to meet county state-aid highway 
 standards.  At the request of the commissioner of natural 
 resources the counties wherein such roads are located shall do 
 such work as requested in the same manner as on any county 
 state-aid highway and shall be reimbursed for such construction, 
 reconstruction, or improvements from the amount set aside by 
 this subdivision.  Before requesting a county to do work on a 
 county state-aid highway as provided in this subdivision, the 
 commissioner of natural resources must obtain approval for the 
 project from the county state-aid screening board.  The 
 screening board, before giving its approval, must obtain a 
 written comment on the project from the county engineer of the 
 county requested to undertake the project.  Before requesting a 
 county to do work on a county road, city street, or a town road 
 that provides access to a public lake, a river, a state park, or 
 a state campground, the commissioner of natural resources shall 
 obtain a written comment on the project from the county engineer 
 of the county requested to undertake the project.  Any sums paid 
 to counties or cities in accordance with this subdivision shall 
 reduce the money needs of said counties or cities in the amounts 
 necessary to equalize their status with those counties or cities 
 not receiving such payments.  Any balance of the amount so set 
 aside, at the end of each year shall be transferred to the 
 county state-aid highway fund. 

    Subd. 6.    County state-aid highway revolving loan 
 account.  A county state-aid highway revolving loan account is 
 created in the county state-aid highway fund.  The commissioner 
 may transfer to the account the amount allocated under section 
 162.065.  Money in the account may be used to make loans.  Funds 
 in the county state-aid highway revolving loan account may be 
 used only for aid in the construction, improvement, and 
 maintenance of county state-aid highways.  Funds in the account 
 may not be used for any toll facilities project or 
 congestion-pricing project.  Repayments and interest from loans 
 from the county state-aid highway revolving loan account must be 
 credited to that account.  Money in the account is annually 
 appropriated to the commissioner and does not lapse.  Interest 
 earned from investment of money in this account must be 
 deposited in the county state-aid highway revolving loan account.

    HIST: 1959 c 500 art 3 s 6; 1963 c 75 s 1; 1963 c 589 s 1; 
 1965 c 239 s 1; 1967 c 335 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 3 s 1; 1973 c 
 492 s 14; 1974 c 172 s 1; 1976 c 166 s 7; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 
 c 444; 1986 c 454 s 7; 1Sp1986 c 1 art 8 s 2; 1988 c 635 s 1; 
 1989 c 268 s 3; 1991 c 339 s 4; 1994 c 635 art 1 s 4,5; 1997 c 
 141 s 2 

*   NOTE:  Subdivision 6, as added by Laws 1997, chapter 141, 
*section 2, is effective six months after the effective date of 
*an increase in the gasoline excise tax rate or vehicle 
*registration tax rates.  No provision of this subdivision may 
*take effect until Minnesota has been notified by the United 
*States Department of Transportation that it will be receiving a 
*specific sum in federal funds that has been designated 
*specifically for a state infrastructure bank.  Laws 1997, 
*chapter 141, section 11.