Minnesota Session Laws - 1985, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1985 

                         CHAPTER 25-S.F.No. 635 
           An act relating to advertising devices; allowing "star 
          city" signs on interstate highways; amending Minnesota 
          Statutes 1984, sections 173.02, subdivisions 2 and 6; 
          and 173.13, subdivision 4; proposing coding for new 
          law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 173. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 173.02, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  "Advertising device" means any billboard, sign, 
notice, poster, display, or other device visible to and 
primarily intended to advertise and inform or to attract or 
which does attract the attention of operators and occupants of 
motor vehicles and shall include any structure erected primarily 
for use in connection with the display of any such device and 
all lighting or other attachments used in connection 
therewith except "star city" signs erected under section 4.  
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 173.02, 
subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 6.  Directional and other official signs and notices 
shall mean: 
    (a) "Official signs and notices" mean signs and notices 
erected and maintained by public officers or public agencies 
within their territorial jurisdiction and pursuant to and in 
accordance with direction or authorization contained in federal 
or state law for the purposes of carrying out an official duty 
or responsibility.  Historical markers authorized by state law 
and erected by state or local governmental agencies or nonprofit 
historical societies and star city signs erected under section 4 
may be considered official signs.  
    (b) "Public utility signs" mean warning signs, notices, or 
markers which are customarily erected and maintained by publicly 
or privately owned public utilities, as essential to their 
operations.  
    (c) "Service club and religious notices" mean signs and 
notices, not exceeding eight square feet in advertising area, 
whose erection is authorized by law, relating to meetings and 
location of nonprofit service clubs or charitable associations, 
or religious services.  
    (d) "Directional signs" means signs containing directional 
information about public places owned or operated by federal, 
state, or local governments or their agencies, publicly or 
privately owned natural phenomena, historic, cultural, 
scientific, educational, and religious sites, and areas of 
natural scenic beauty or naturally suited for outdoor 
recreation, deemed to be in the interest of the traveling 
public.  To qualify for directional signs, privately owned 
attractions must be nationally or regionally known, and of 
outstanding interest to the traveling public.  
    (e) All definitions in this subdivision are intended to be 
in conformity with the national standards for directional and 
other official signs.  
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 173.13, 
subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 4.  The annual fee for each such permit or renewal 
thereof shall be as follows: 
    (1) If the advertising area of the advertising device does 
not exceed 50 square feet, the fee shall be $20. 
    (2) If the advertising area exceeds 50 square feet but does 
not exceed 300 square feet, the fee shall be $40. 
    (3) If the advertising area exceeds 300 square feet, the 
fee shall be $80. 
    (4) No fee shall be charged for a permit for official signs 
and notices as they are defined in section 173.02, except that a 
fee may be charged for a star city sign erected under section 4. 
    Sec. 4.  [173.085] [STAR CITY SIGNS.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORITY TO ERECT.] (a) A lesser 
populated statutory or home rule charter city of Minnesota that 
has received instruction and expertise from the department of 
energy and economic development on attracting and retaining 
businesses for the city and subsequently has been designated and 
annually recertified as a star city for economic development by 
that department may erect star city signs upon payment of a fee 
required under section 3 to the department of transportation.  
One sign may be erected at each approach to the city within the 
right-of-way of an interstate or other highway that passes 
inside the city limits.  
    (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), a 
lesser populated statutory or home rule charter city that has an 
official sign in an adjacent area of an approach of an 
interstate highway passing through or near the city as of the 
effective date of this section may replace that sign with a star 
city sign upon payment of a fee required under section 3 to the 
department of transportation. 
    Subd. 2.  [SIGN STANDARDS.] The department of 
transportation shall design and manufacture the star city sign 
to specifications not contrary to other federal and state 
highway sign standards and substantially similar to those star 
city signs approved for display on state highways as of the 
effective date of this section. 
    Approved April 19, 1985