1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; authorizing local 
  1.3             bonding for personal rapid transit; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2004, sections 429.021, subdivision 1; 
  1.5             475.51, by adding a subdivision; 475.52, subdivisions 
  1.6             1, 3, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 429.021, 
  1.9   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORIZED.] The council of a 
  1.11  municipality shall have power to make the following improvements:
  1.12     (1) To acquire, open, and widen any street, and to improve 
  1.13  the same by constructing, reconstructing, and maintaining 
  1.14  sidewalks, pavement, gutters, curbs, and vehicle parking strips 
  1.15  of any material, or by grading, graveling, oiling, or otherwise 
  1.16  improving the same, including the beautification thereof and 
  1.17  including storm sewers or other street drainage and connections 
  1.18  from sewer, water, or similar mains to curb lines. 
  1.19     (2) To acquire, develop, construct, reconstruct, extend, 
  1.20  and maintain storm and sanitary sewers and systems, including 
  1.21  outlets, holding areas and ponds, treatment plants, pumps, lift 
  1.22  stations, service connections, and other appurtenances of a 
  1.23  sewer system, within and without the corporate limits. 
  1.24     (3) To construct, reconstruct, extend, and maintain steam 
  1.25  heating mains. 
  1.26     (4) To install, replace, extend, and maintain street lights 
  2.1   and street lighting systems and special lighting systems. 
  2.2      (5) To acquire, improve, construct, reconstruct, extend, 
  2.3   and maintain water works systems, including mains, valves, 
  2.4   hydrants, service connections, wells, pumps, reservoirs, tanks, 
  2.5   treatment plants, and other appurtenances of a water works 
  2.6   system, within and without the corporate limits. 
  2.7      (6) To acquire, improve and equip parks, open space areas, 
  2.8   playgrounds, and recreational facilities within or without the 
  2.9   corporate limits. 
  2.10     (7) To plant trees on streets and provide for their 
  2.11  trimming, care, and removal. 
  2.12     (8) To abate nuisances and to drain swamps, marshes, and 
  2.13  ponds on public or private property and to fill the same. 
  2.14     (9) To construct, reconstruct, extend, and maintain dikes 
  2.15  and other flood control works. 
  2.16     (10) To construct, reconstruct, extend, and maintain 
  2.17  retaining walls and area walls. 
  2.18     (11) To acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, alter, 
  2.19  extend, operate, maintain, and promote a pedestrian skyway 
  2.20  system.  Such improvement may be made upon a petition pursuant 
  2.21  to section 429.031, subdivision 3.  
  2.22     (12) To acquire, construct, reconstruct, extend, operate, 
  2.23  maintain, and promote underground pedestrian concourses. 
  2.24     (13) To acquire, construct, improve, alter, extend, 
  2.25  operate, maintain, and promote public malls, plazas or 
  2.26  courtyards. 
  2.27     (14) To construct, reconstruct, extend, and maintain 
  2.28  district heating systems.  
  2.29     (15) To construct, reconstruct, alter, extend, operate, 
  2.30  maintain, and promote fire protection systems in existing 
  2.31  buildings, but only upon a petition pursuant to section 429.031, 
  2.32  subdivision 3.  
  2.33     (16) To acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, alter, 
  2.34  extend, and maintain highway sound barriers. 
  2.35     (17) To improve, construct, reconstruct, extend, and 
  2.36  maintain gas and electric distribution facilities owned by a 
  3.1   municipal gas or electric utility. 
  3.2      (18) To purchase, install, and maintain signs, posts, and 
  3.3   other markers for addressing related to the operation of 
  3.4   enhanced 911 telephone service. 
  3.5      (19) To improve, construct, extend, and maintain facilities 
  3.6   for Internet access and other communications purposes, if the 
  3.7   council finds that: 
  3.8      (i) the facilities are necessary to make available Internet 
  3.9   access or other communications services that are not and will 
  3.10  not be available through other providers or the private market 
  3.11  in the reasonably foreseeable future; and 
  3.12     (ii) the service to be provided by the facilities will not 
  3.13  compete with service provided by private entities. 
  3.14     (20) To acquire, construct, and improve personal rapid 
  3.15  transit systems, as defined in section 475.51, subdivision 15. 
  3.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 475.51, is 
  3.17  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.18     Subd. 15.  [PERSONAL RAPID TRANSIT; PRT.] "Personal rapid 
  3.19  transit" or "PRT" is a transit system consisting of elevated 
  3.20  guideways that allow automated electrically driven vehicles to 
  3.21  carry individuals nonstop from any station on the system to any 
  3.22  other station on the system.  
  3.23     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 475.52, 
  3.24  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.25     Subdivision 1.  [STATUTORY CITIES.] Any statutory city may 
  3.26  issue bonds or other obligations for the acquisition or 
  3.27  betterment of public buildings, means of garbage disposal, 
  3.28  hospitals, nursing homes, homes for the aged, schools, 
  3.29  libraries, museums, art galleries, parks, playgrounds, stadia, 
  3.30  sewers, sewage disposal plants, subways, streets, personal rapid 
  3.31  transit systems, sidewalks, warning systems; for any utility or 
  3.32  other public convenience from which a revenue is or may be 
  3.33  derived; for a permanent improvement revolving fund; for 
  3.34  changing, controlling or bridging streams and other waterways; 
  3.35  for the acquisition and betterment of bridges and roads within 
  3.36  two miles of the corporate limits for the acquisition of 
  4.1   development rights in the form of conservation easements under 
  4.2   chapter 84C; and for acquisition of equipment for snow removal, 
  4.3   street construction and maintenance, or fire fighting.  Without 
  4.4   limitation by the foregoing the city may issue bonds to provide 
  4.5   money for any authorized corporate purpose except current 
  4.6   expenses.  The authority to issue bonds or other obligations for 
  4.7   personal rapid transit systems expires July 31, 2030.  
  4.8      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 475.52, 
  4.9   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  4.10     Subd. 3.  [COUNTIES.] Any county may issue bonds for the 
  4.11  acquisition or betterment of courthouses, county administrative 
  4.12  buildings, health or social service facilities, correctional 
  4.13  facilities, law enforcement centers, jails, morgues, libraries, 
  4.14  parks, personal rapid transit systems, and hospitals, for roads 
  4.15  and bridges within the county or bordering thereon and for road 
  4.16  equipment and machinery and for ambulances and related equipment 
  4.17  for the acquisition of development rights in the form of 
  4.18  conservation easements under chapter 84C, and for capital 
  4.19  equipment for the administration and conduct of elections 
  4.20  providing the equipment is uniform countywide, except that the 
  4.21  power of counties to issue bonds in connection with a library 
  4.22  shall not exist in Hennepin County.  The authority to issue 
  4.23  bonds or other obligations for personal rapid transit systems 
  4.24  expires July 31, 2030.  
  4.25     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 475.52, is 
  4.26  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  4.27     Subd. 7.  [LOANS FOR PRT.] A statutory or home rule charter 
  4.28  city or a county may issue bonds or other obligations and loan 
  4.29  the proceeds, with or without charging interest, to a public or 
  4.30  private entity to design, construct, furnish, and equip a 
  4.31  personal rapid transit system or a PRT public safety 
  4.32  certification and training facility.  This subdivision expires 
  4.33  July 31, 2030.