1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to lake improvement districts; changing the 
  1.3             percent of property owners necessary to petition for 
  1.4             creation and termination of a district and for holding 
  1.5             a referendum on creation; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.6             2000, sections 103B.521, subdivision 1; 103B.545, 
  1.7             subdivision 2; and 103B.581, subdivision 1. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.521, 
  1.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [PETITION.] (a) A lake improvement district 
  1.12  may be initiated by a petition to the county board.  The 
  1.13  petition must state: 
  1.14     (1) the name of the proposed lake improvement district; 
  1.15     (2) the necessity of the proposed district to promote 
  1.16  public health or public welfare; 
  1.17     (3) the benefits to property from the establishment of the 
  1.18  lake improvement district; 
  1.19     (4) the boundaries of the proposed district which shall be 
  1.20  encouraged to be as consistent as possible with natural 
  1.21  hydrologic boundaries; 
  1.22     (5) a map of the proposed district; 
  1.23     (6) the number, from five to nine, of directors proposed 
  1.24  for the district; and 
  1.25     (7) a request for establishing the district as proposed. 
  1.26     (b) A petition must be signed by ~~26~~ 51 percent of the 
  2.1   property owners within the proposed lake improvement district 
  2.2   described in the petition.  Governmental subdivisions, other 
  2.3   than the state or federal governments, owning lands within the 
  2.4   proposed district are eligible to sign the petition. 
  2.5      (c) The petition must be filed with the county auditor and 
  2.6   addressed to the board, requesting the board to establish a lake 
  2.7   improvement district to develop and provide a program of water 
  2.8   and related land resources management. 
  2.9      (d) The county board shall, at least 30 days before it acts 
  2.10  on a petition, send the town board of a town wholly or partially 
  2.11  within the boundaries of a proposed district a copy of the 
  2.12  petition submitted under this subdivision and encourage the town 
  2.13  board to respond to the proposed creation of the district.  
  2.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.545, 
  2.15  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.16     Subd. 2.  [ELECTION.] The county board or joint county 
  2.17  authority shall conduct a special election in July or August 
  2.18  after receiving the referendum petition.  The special election 
  2.19  must be held within the proposed lake improvement district, with 
  2.20  provisions made for absentee voting pursuant to chapter 203B, or 
  2.21  by mail using the procedures in section 204B.46.  The county 
  2.22  auditor shall administer the special election. 
  2.23     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.581, 
  2.24  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.25     Subdivision 1.  [PETITION.] Termination of a district may 
  2.26  be initiated by petition requesting the termination of the 
  2.27  district.  The petition must be signed by ~~26~~ 51 percent of the 
  2.28  property owners in a district within 30 days after receiving a 
  2.29  petition.  The county board or joint county authority must set a 
  2.30  time and place for a hearing on terminating the district.  
  2.31     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.32     Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final 
  2.33  enactment.