1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to metropolitan government; requiring 
  1.3             commissioner of transportation and metropolitan 
  1.4             council to inform and seek comments of the light rail 
  1.5             joint powers board on transit and transportation 
  1.6             planning issues for the metropolitan region; 
  1.7             permitting expansion of the joint board; expanding 
  1.8             board authority; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.9             sections 398A.02; 398A.04, subdivisions 2, 11, and by 
  1.10            adding a subdivision; and 473.3998. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 398A.02, is 
  1.13  amended to read: 
  1.14     398A.02 [PURPOSE.] 
  1.15     The purpose of the regional railroad authorities act is to 
  1.16  provide a means whereby one or more municipalities, with state 
  1.17  and federal aids as may be available, may plan and provide for 
  1.18  the preservation and, improvement, establishment, and 
  1.19  modification of local rail service and other transit and 
  1.20  transportation services for agriculture, industry, or passenger 
  1.21  traffic and provide for the preservation of abandoned rail 
  1.22  right-of-way for future transportation and transit uses, when 
  1.23  determined to be practicable and necessary for the public 
  1.24  welfare, particularly in the case of abandonment of local rail 
  1.25  lines. 
  1.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 398A.04, 
  1.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.28     Subd. 2.  [RAILROAD AND RELATED TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION 
  2.1   ACQUISITION AND OPERATION.] The authority may plan, establish, 
  2.2   acquire, develop, construct, purchase, enlarge, extend, improve, 
  2.3   maintain, equip, operate, regulate, and protect railroads and 
  2.4   railroad facilities, including but not limited to terminal 
  2.5   buildings, roadways, crossings, bridges, causeways, tunnels, 
  2.6   equipment, and rolling stock.  The authority may also plan for 
  2.7   related nonrail transit and transportation facilities which may 
  2.8   in any way benefit, enhance, or complement rail transportation.  
  2.9      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 398A.04, 
  2.10  subdivision 11, is amended to read: 
  2.11     Subd. 11.  [CONTRACTS FOR OPERATION AND USE OF FACILITIES.] 
  2.12  The authority may enter into contracts including leases with any 
  2.13  person, firm, or corporation, for terms the authority may 
  2.14  determine:  
  2.15     (a) Providing for the operation of any facilities on behalf 
  2.16  of the authority, at the rate of compensation as may be 
  2.17  determined; 
  2.18     (b) Leasing a rail or other transit or transportation line 
  2.19  or system for operation by the lessee or any facility or space 
  2.20  therein for other commercial purposes, at rentals as may be 
  2.21  determined, but no person may be authorized to operate a rail 
  2.22  line or other transit or transportation line or system other 
  2.23  than as a common carrier; 
  2.24     (c) Granting the privilege, for compensation as the 
  2.25  authority shall determine, of supplying goods, commodities, 
  2.26  services, or facilities along rail lines or other transit or 
  2.27  transportation line or system or in or upon other property; and 
  2.28     (d) Making available services furnished by the authority or 
  2.29  its agents, at charges, rentals, or fees which shall be 
  2.30  reasonable and uniform for the same class of privilege or 
  2.31  service.  
  2.32     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 398A.04, is 
  2.33  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.34     Subd. 12.  [JOINT ACTION.] The authority may enter into an 
  2.35  agreement pursuant to section 471.59 with any other 
  2.36  municipality, authority, or authorities respecting the joint 
  3.1   exercise of their powers pursuant to this chapter.  
  3.2   Notwithstanding the provisions of section 473.3998, a joint 
  3.3   powers board established prior to enactment of this section may 
  3.4   jointly exercise the transit and transportation powers granted 
  3.5   by this chapter upon amendment of its joint powers agreement 
  3.6   pursuant to the terms of said agreement. 
  3.7      Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 473.3998, is 
  3.8   amended to read: 
  3.9      473.3998 [LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT JOINT POWERS BOARD.] 
  3.10     Subdivision 1.  [BOARD CREATED.] (a) A light rail transit 
  3.11  joint powers board shall be formed under section 471.59 
  3.12  consisting of one voting member from the regional rail 
  3.13  authorities of Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, Dakota, 
  3.14  Scott, and Carver counties. 
  3.15     (b) With unanimous approval of the original member counties 
  3.16  listed in paragraph (a), a county contiguous to a county listed 
  3.17  in paragraph (a) may also appoint to the joint powers board one 
  3.18  voting member of its regional rail authority or, if none, from 
  3.19  its county board. 
  3.20     Subd. 2.  [LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ISSUES.] The board shall 
  3.21  review and approve light rail transit system standards to be 
  3.22  used by the commissioner in designing and building a light rail 
  3.23  transit facility and shall review and approve the plan for 
  3.24  community involvement and the marketing program.  The board 
  3.25  shall advise the corridor management committee established 
  3.26  pursuant to section 473.3994, subdivision 10, and the 
  3.27  commissioner on the method of implementation.  All members of 
  3.28  the board shall be members of the corridor management committee 
  3.29  established pursuant to section 473.3994, subdivision 10. 
  3.30     Subd. 3.  [REGIONAL TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.] The 
  3.31  commissioner of transportation and the metropolitan council 
  3.32  shall inform, and seek comments and recommendations from, the 
  3.33  board on issues relating to transit and transportation planning 
  3.34  for the metropolitan region.