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473.121 DEFINITIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Terms. For the purposes of this chapter, the terms defined in this section have
the meanings given them in this section, except as otherwise expressly provided or indicated
by the context.
    Subd. 2. Metropolitan area or area. "Metropolitan area" or "area" means the area over
which the Metropolitan Council has jurisdiction, including only the counties of Anoka; Carver;
Dakota excluding the city of Northfield; Hennepin excluding the cities of Hanover and Rockford;
Ramsey; Scott excluding the city of New Prague; and Washington.
    Subd. 3. Metropolitan Council or council. "Metropolitan Council" or "council" means the
Metropolitan Council established by section 473.123.
    Subd. 4. Metropolitan county. "Metropolitan county" means any one of the following
counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington.
    Subd. 5. State agency. "State agency" means the state of Minnesota or any agency, board,
commission, department or educational institution thereof.
    Subd. 5a. Metropolitan agency. "Metropolitan agency" means the Metropolitan Parks
and Open Space Commission, Metropolitan Airports Commission, and Metropolitan Sports
Facilities Commission.
    Subd. 6. Local governmental unit. "Local governmental unit" means any county, city, town,
school district, special district or other political subdivisions or public corporation, other than the
council or a metropolitan agency, lying in whole or part within the metropolitan area.
    Subd. 7.[Repealed, 1986 c 460 s 59]
    Subd. 8. Metropolitan significance. "Metropolitan significance" means a status determined
by the Metropolitan Council pursuant to the rules and procedures established by section 473.173.
    Subd. 9.[Repealed, 1986 c 460 s 59]
    Subd. 10. Policy plan. "Policy plan" means a long-range comprehensive plan of the
Metropolitan Council.
    Subd. 11. Independent commission, board or agency. "Independent commission, board
or agency" means governmental entities with jurisdictions lying in whole or in part within the
metropolitan area.
    Subd. 12. Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission. "Metropolitan Parks and
Open Space Commission" means the commission established in sections 473.302 to 473.341.
    Subd. 13. Park district. "Park district" means a park district created under chapter 398.
    Subd. 14. Regional recreation open space. "Regional recreation open space" means land
and water areas, or interests therein, and facilities determined by the Metropolitan Council to be
of regional importance in providing for a balanced system of public outdoor recreation for the
metropolitan area, including but not limited to park reserves, major linear parks and trails, large
recreation parks, and conservatories, zoos, and other special use facilities.
    Subd. 14a.[Repealed, 1994 c 628 art 3 s 209]
    Subd. 15.[Repealed, 1994 c 628 art 3 s 209]
    Subd. 16. Metropolitan transit area. "Metropolitan transit area" means the metropolitan
area.
    Subd. 17.[Repealed, 1977 c 454 s 49]
    Subd. 18. Operator. "Operator" means any person engaged or seeking to engage in the
business of providing regular route public transit.
    Subd. 18a. Paratransit. "Paratransit" has the meaning given in section 174.22, subdivision 6.
    Subd. 19. Public transit or transit. "Public transit" or "transit" has the meaning given in
section 174.22, subdivision 7.
    Subd. 20. Public transit system or transit system. "Public transit system" or "transit
system" means, without limitation, a combination of property, structures, improvements,
equipment, plants, parking or other facilities, and rights, or any thereof, used or useful for the
purposes of public transit.
    Subd. 20a. Regular route transit. "Regular route transit" has the meaning given in section
174.22, subdivision 8.
    Subd. 21.[Repealed, 1994 c 628 art 3 s 209]
    Subd. 22. Acquisition and betterment. "Acquisition" and "betterment" shall have the
meanings given to them in chapter 475.
    Subd. 23. Interceptor. "Interceptor" means any sewer and necessary appurtenances
thereto, including but not limited to mains, pumping stations, and sewage flow regulating and
measuring stations, which is designed or used to conduct sewage originating in more than one
local government unit, or which is designed or used to conduct all or substantially all of the
sewage originating in a single local government unit from a point of collection in that unit to an
interceptor or treatment works outside that unit.
    Subd. 24. Metropolitan disposal system. "Metropolitan disposal system" means any or all
of the interceptors or treatment works owned or operated by the Metropolitan Council.
    Subd. 25. Pollution, sewer system, treatment works, disposal system, waters of state.
"Pollution", "sewer system", "treatment works", "disposal system", and "waters of the state" shall
have the meanings given them in section 115.01.
    Subd. 26. Sewage. "Sewage" means all liquid or water-carried waste products from whatever
source derived, together with such ground water infiltration and surface water as may be present.
    Subd. 27.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 28.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 29.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 30.[Repealed, 1976 c 179 s 20]
    Subd. 31.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 31a.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 31b.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 31c.[Repealed, 1980 c 564 art 13 s 2]
    Subd. 32. Metropolitan Airports Commission. "Metropolitan Airports Commission"
means the commission established in sections 473.601 to 473.679.
    Subd. 33. Major airport. "Major airport" means any airport now or which may hereafter
be operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission as a terminal for regular, scheduled air
passenger service.
    Subd. 34. Aeronautics. "Aeronautics" means the transportation by aircraft, the operation,
construction, repair, or maintenance of aircraft, aircraft power plants and accessories, including
the repair, packing and maintenance of parachutes; the design, establishment, construction,
operation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of airports, restricted landing areas, or other air
navigation facilities and air instruction, and powers incidental thereto.
    Subd. 35. Airport. "Airport" means any locality, either of land or water, including
intermediate landing fields, which is used or intended to be used for the landing and take off of
aircraft, whether or not facilities are provided for the shelter, servicing, or repair of aircraft, or for
receiving or discharging passengers or cargo, and also includes any facility used in, available
for use in, or designed for use in, aid of air navigation, including, but without limitation, landing
areas, lights, any apparatus or equipment for disseminating weather information, for signaling,
for radio-directional finding, or for radio or other electrical communication, and any other
structure or mechanism having a similar purpose for guiding or controlling flight in the air or the
landing and take off of aircraft, and also includes, but without limitation, access roads, parking
areas, railroad siding facilities, such land contiguous or not as may be required for installations
necessary for safe and efficient operation, buildings, structures, hangars, shops and any personal
property usually used in connection with the operations of such airports, including specifically,
but not exclusively, snow removal or impacting equipment, fire and ambulance equipment,
motor vehicles and equipment for buildings, structures, hangars, and shops. It includes any area
heretofore in the statutes of this state termed an "airport" or a "flying field."
    Subd. 36. Terms relating to waste. The definitions of terms relating to waste in chapter 116
and section 115A.03, also apply to the same terms relating to waste used in this chapter.
History: 1975 c 13 s 1; 1976 c 127 s 24; 1976 c 179 s 1-6; 1977 c 347 s 68; 1977 c 421 s
6; 1977 c 454 s 29-32; 1978 c 543 s 1; 1980 c 378 s 1; 1980 c 564 art 10 s 1; 1983 c 330 s 1;
1984 c 654 art 3 s 101-107; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 c 460 s 1-3; 1987 c 384 art 2 s 1; 1994 c 628
art 3 s 36,37; 1995 c 186 s 82; 1995 c 236 s 3; 2003 c 8 s 1

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes