2004 Minnesota Statutes

     16A.86 Capital project grants to political subdivisions. 

    Subdivision 1.    Projects covered.  The capital 
 improvement projects covered by this section are only those not 
 covered by another state program of assistance to political 
 subdivisions. 

    Subd. 2.    Budget request.  A political subdivision 
 that requests an appropriation of state money for a local 
 capital improvement project is encouraged to submit a 
 preliminary request to the commissioner of finance by June 15 of 
 an odd-numbered year to ensure its full consideration.  The 
 final request must be submitted by November 1.  The requests 
 must be submitted in the form and with the supporting 
 documentation required by the commissioner of finance.  All 
 requests timely received by the commissioner must be forwarded 
 to the legislature, along with agency requests, by the deadline 
 established in section 16A.11, subdivision 1. 

    Subd. 3.    Evaluation.  (a) The commissioner shall 
 evaluate all requests from political subdivisions for state 
 assistance based on the following criteria: 

    (1) the political subdivision has provided for local, 
 private, and user financing for the project to the maximum 
 extent possible; 

    (2) the project helps fulfill an important state mission; 

    (3) the project is of regional or statewide significance; 

    (4) the project will not require new or any additional 
 state operating subsidies; 

    (5) the project will not expand the state's role in a new 
 policy area; 

    (6) state funding for the project will not create 
 significant inequities among local jurisdictions; 

    (7) the project will not compete with other facilities in 
 such a manner that they lose a significant number of users to 
 the new project; 

    (8) the governing bodies of those political subdivisions 
 primarily benefiting from the project have passed resolutions in 
 support of the project and have established priorities for all 
 projects within their jurisdictions for which bonding 
 appropriations are requested when submitting multiple requests; 
 and 

    (9) if a predesign that meets the requirements of section 
 16B.335 has been completed and is available at the time the 
 project request is submitted to the commissioner of finance, the 
 applicant has submitted the project predesign to the 
 commissioner of administration. 

    (b) The commissioner's evaluation of each request, 
 including whether it meets each of the criteria in paragraph 
 (a), must be submitted to the legislature along with the 
 governor's recommendations under section 16A.11, subdivision 1, 
 whether or not the governor recommends that the request be 
 funded. 

    Subd. 4.    Funding.  (a) The state share of a project 
 covered by this section must be no more than half the total cost 
 of the project, including predesign, design, construction, 
 furnishings, and equipment, except as provided in paragraph (b). 
 This subdivision does not apply to a project proposed by a 
 school district or other school organization. 

    (b) The state share may be more than half the total cost of 
 a project if the project is deemed needed as a result of a 
 disaster or to prevent a disaster or is located in a political 
 subdivision with a very low average net tax capacity. 

    (c) Nothing in this section prevents the governor from 
 recommending, or the legislature from considering or funding, 
 projects that do not meet the deadlines in subdivision 2 or the 
 criteria in this subdivision or subdivision 3 when the governor 
 or the legislature determines that there is a compelling reason 
 for the recommendation or funding.  

    HIST: 1999 c 192 s 1; 2002 c 393 s 35