1998 Minnesota Statutes

CHAPTER 44A. World trade center

     44A.001 Definitions. 

    Subdivision 1.    Applicability.  For purposes of this 
 chapter, the following terms have the meaning given them in this 
 section.  

    Subd. 2.    Board.  "Board" means the governing board of 
 the Minnesota world trade center corporation.  

    Subd. 3.    Conference and service center.  "Conference 
 and service center" means the approximately 20,000 square feet 
 of space on the third and fourth floors of the Minnesota world 
 trade center that the state of Minnesota has the right to 
 possess, occupy, and use subject to the terms and conditions of 
 the development agreement.  

    Subd. 4.    Corporation.  "Corporation" means the 
 Minnesota world trade center corporation established by section 
 44A.01.  

    Subd. 5.    Development agreement.  "Development 
 agreement" means the agreement entered into by and between the 
 world trade center board, as agent of the state of Minnesota, 
 and Oxford Development Minnesota, Inc., dated July 27, 1984, and 
 the amendments to that agreement, for development and 
 construction of a world trade center at a designated site in 
 Minnesota.  

    Subd. 6.    Minnesota world trade center.  "Minnesota 
 world trade center" means the facility constructed in accordance 
 with the development agreement.  

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 2 s 1 

     44A.01 World trade center corporation. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  The Minnesota world 
 trade center corporation is a public corporation established to 
 facilitate and support Minnesota world trade center programs and 
 services and to promote the Minnesota world trade center.  The 
 corporation is a state agency, but is not subject to chapters 
 14, 16A, 16B, 16C, 43A, and 179A.  

    Subd. 2.    Board membership.  The corporation is 
 governed by a board of directors consisting of: 

    (1) four members, representing the international business 
 community, elected to three-year terms by the association of 
 members established under section 44A.023, subdivision 2, clause 
 (5); 

    (2) four members, representing the international business 
 community, appointed by the governor, to serve at the governor's 
 pleasure; 

    (3) the mayor of St. Paul or the mayor's designee; 

    (4) the commissioners of trade and economic development, 
 agriculture, and commerce; 

    (5) the director of the office of technology; and 

    (6) three members of the house appointed by the speaker of 
 the house and three members of the senate appointed under the 
 rules of the senate, who serve as nonvoting members.  One member 
 from each house must be a member of the minority party of that 
 house.  Legislative members are appointed at the beginning of 
 each regular session of the legislature for two-year terms.  A 
 legislator who remains a member of the body from which the 
 legislator was appointed may serve until a successor is 
 appointed and qualifies.  A vacancy in a legislator member's 
 term is filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same 
 manner as the original appointment. 

    Members appointed by the governor must be knowledgeable or 
 experienced in international trade in products or services. 

    Subd. 3.    Terms; compensation; removal.  Except as 
 provided in this section, terms, compensation, and removal of 
 members who are not legislators are as provided in section 
 15.059.  

    Subd. 4.    Organization.  The board shall elect a chair 
 from the representatives of the international business community 
 appointed by the governor, and an executive committee from its 
 members.  

    HIST: 1984 c 654 art 2 s 70; 1986 c 444; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 4 s 
 3; 1987 c 312 art 2 s 2; 1993 c 369 s 42,43; 1995 c 224 s 50; 
 1997 c 200 art 1 s 39; 1998 c 270 s 1; 1998 c 386 art 2 s 21 

     44A.02 President. 

    Subdivision 1.    Selection.  The president of the world 
 trade center corporation is selected by a majority of the board 
 and serves at the pleasure of the board.  The president must be 
 familiar with the international business community and have 
 demonstrated proficiency in communication skills, 
 administration, and management.  The salary of the president is 
 set by the board but may not exceed the top of the salary range 
 set for the commissioner of finance under section 15A.0815. 

    Subd. 2.    Duties.  The president is the chief 
 administrative officer of the corporation and is responsible for 
 performing the executive duties of the corporation.  The 
 president is not a member of the board.  

    Subd. 3.    Employees.  The president may appoint 
 employees and prescribe their duties.  Employees and officers of 
 the corporation are not state employees, but are covered by 
 section 3.736 and, at the option of the board, may participate 
 in the following plans for employees in the unclassified 
 service:  the state retirement plan, the state deferred 
 compensation plan, and the health insurance and life insurance 
 plans.  The president may delegate to a subordinate the exercise 
 of specified statutory powers or duties as the president deems 
 advisable, subject to the control of the president. 

    HIST: 1984 c 654 art 2 s 71; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 4 s 4; 1987 c 312 
 art 2 s 3; 1988 c 667 s 21; 1988 c 708 s 1; 2Sp1997 c 3 s 18 

     44A.023 Powers. 

    Subdivision 1.    Legal action.  The corporation may sue 
 and be sued in the manner and subject to the limitations of 
 other state agencies.  

    Subd. 2.    Other powers.  The board may: 

    (1) define, formulate, administer, and deliver programs and 
 services through the world trade center; 

    (2) establish satellite operations of the Minnesota world 
 trade center within the continental United States; 

    (3) accept gifts and grants from other sources; 

    (4) set and collect fees for services and programs; 

    (5) adopt membership requirements for an association of 
 members of the Minnesota world trade center; 

    (6) participate jointly with private persons, firms, 
 corporations, or organizations or with public entities in 
 appropriate programs or projects and enter into contracts to 
 spend money to carry out those programs or projects; 

    (7) have a seal and alter it at will; 

    (8) acquire and dispose of personal property, including 
 inchoate and intellectual property, royalties, stock, and stock 
 warrants; 

    (9) enter into contracts or agreements with a federal or 
 state agency, individual, business entity, or other 
 organization; 

    (10) acquire and dispose of real property or an interest in 
 real property; 

    (11) purchase insurance; 

    (12) spend money appropriated to it for its purposes, 
 including expenditures for the food, lodging, and travel of 
 consultants and speakers hired by the board, and for 
 publications, advertising, and promotional activities; and 

    (13) hold and maintain membership for the Minnesota world 
 trade center in the world trade centers association.  

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 2 s 4 

     44A.025 Duties. 

    The board shall: 

    (1) promote and market the Minnesota world trade center 
 corporation; 

    (2) sponsor conferences or other promotional events in the 
 conference and service center; 

    (3) adopt bylaws governing operation of the corporation by 
 November 1, 1987; 

    (4) conduct public relations, marketing, and liaison 
 activities between the corporation, the Minnesota trade office, 
 and the international business community; 

    (5) establish and maintain an office in the Minnesota world 
 trade center; 

    (6) not duplicate programs or services provided by the 
 commissioner of agriculture; and 

    (7) enter into administrative, programming, and service 
 partnerships with the commissioner of trade and economic 
 development. 

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 2 s 5; 1993 c 369 s 44; 1994 c 632 art 4 
 s 21 

  44A.03 Repealed, 1987 c 312 art 2 s 12 

     44A.031 Promotional expenses. 

    The board may expend money to carry out sections 44A.023 
 and 44A.025.  Promotional expenses include, but are not limited 
 to, expenses for the food, lodging and travel of consultants, 
 speakers, and employees hired by the board, and publications and 
 other forms of advertising.  Promotional expenditures may be 
 made in the same manner as expenditures made by private persons, 
 firms, corporations, or associations for similar purposes, and 
 are not subject to regulation by the commissioner of employee 
 relations. 

    HIST: 1Sp1986 c 3 art 4 s 5; 1987 c 312 art 2 s 6 

     44A.0311 World trade center corporation account. 

    The world trade center corporation account is in the 
 special revenue fund.  All money received by the corporation, 
 including money generated from the use of the conference and 
 service center, must be deposited in the account.  Money in the 
 account including interest earned is appropriated to the board 
 and must be used exclusively for corporation purposes.  Any 
 money remaining in the account after sale of the assets or 
 ownership of the corporation under Minnesota Statutes 1992, 
 section 44A.12, shall revert to the general fund. 

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 2 s 7; 1989 c 335 art 4 s 16; 1992 c 513 
 art 3 s 22; 1994 c 632 art 4 s 22; 1996 c 305 art 1 s 13 

  44A.04 Repealed, 1987 c 312 art 2 s 12 

  44A.05 Repealed, 1987 c 312 art 2 s 12 

     44A.06 World trade center costs. 

    If a world trade center project of the kind contemplated by 
 Laws 1983, chapter 301, section 29, is carried out, the 
 participation of the state government is limited as provided in 
 this section.  

    (a) The state shall not own space in the center.  

    (b) The state shall not rent more than ten percent of the 
 gross space in the center.  

    (c) The state shall not incur debt to assist the project.  

    (d) The state shall not provide a special property tax 
 classification that would give the center a more favorable 
 property tax treatment than other office buildings.  

    HIST: 1984 c 654 art 2 s 75 

  44A.07 Repealed, 1987 c 312 art 2 s 12 

     44A.08 Service information; classification of data. 

    Subdivision 1.    Service information.  Information, 
 including data bases, purchased by the board or developed by the 
 board for sale pursuant to section 44A.023, is not subject to 
 chapter 13. 

    Subd. 2.    Classification of data.  For purposes of 
 this subdivision, "business transaction" means a transaction 
 between parties other than the board.  The following data 
 received or developed by the board is private with respect to 
 data on individuals and nonpublic with respect to data not on 
 individuals: 

    (1) Data relating to the financial condition of individuals 
 or businesses receiving or performing services by or on behalf 
 of the board. 

    (2) At the request of either party to the transaction data 
 on business transactions. 

    (3) At the request of the person or business seeking the 
 information, the identities of persons or businesses requesting 
 business or trade information from the board, and the nature of 
 the trade information. 

    HIST: 1Sp1986 c 3 art 4 s 7; 1989 c 209 art 2 s 1 

     44A.11 Use of conference and service center. 

    The board shall operate or provide for the operation of the 
 conference and service center.  Priority use of the conference 
 and service center must be given to programs and activities 
 related to international trade.  The board may permit use of the 
 center for public benefits and other revenue raising purposes 
 only after all requests for use of the center for international 
 business have been accommodated. 

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 2 s 8 

  44A.12 Repealed, 1993 c 369 s 146