1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; providing for the 
  1.3             appointment of supervisors for the Hennepin county 
  1.4             soil and water conservation district; providing for 
  1.5             the transition from an elected to an appointed board; 
  1.6             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 103C.311, 
  1.7             by adding a subdivision; 103C.315, subdivision 1. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103C.311, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [SUPERVISORS APPOINTED IN HENNEPIN COUNTY.] (a) 
  1.12  Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, in the county of 
  1.13  Hennepin, the district board shall be appointed by the board of 
  1.14  commissioners of Hennepin county.  Before making appointments, 
  1.15  the Hennepin county board shall solicit from the state board 
  1.16  comments regarding the candidates for office. 
  1.17     (b) The Hennepin county district board shall, with the 
  1.18  approval of the state board, divide the county into five 
  1.19  districts.  The districts must be compact, include only 
  1.20  contiguous territory, and be substantially equal in population.  
  1.21  The boundaries of the districts must be redrawn after each 
  1.22  decennial federal census.  A certified copy of the minutes or 
  1.23  the resolution of the supervisors establishing supervisor 
  1.24  districts must be promptly filed by the chair of the district 
  1.25  board with the Hennepin county auditor and with the state board. 
  1.26     (c) There shall be one supervisor appointed by the Hennepin 
  2.1   county board to represent each district.  A supervisor must be a 
  2.2   resident of the district the supervisor is appointed to 
  2.3   represent. 
  2.4      (d) The term of office shall be four years.  The terms of 
  2.5   office for the supervisors shall be staggered.  Even if there is 
  2.6   a change in the boundaries of a district after redistricting, 
  2.7   the supervisor in office at the time of the redistricting shall 
  2.8   serve for the full term for which appointed. 
  2.9      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103C.315, 
  2.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.11     Subdivision 1.  [MEMBERS.] (a) The district board shall 
  2.12  consist of five supervisors, elected or appointed as provided in 
  2.13  sections 103C.201, subdivision 8, 103C.301, ~~and~~ 103C.305, and 
  2.14  103C.311. 
  2.15     (b) Supervisors must be legal voters residing in the 
  2.16  district.  
  2.17     Sec. 3.  [TRANSITION RULE.] 
  2.18     (a) The term of the supervisors in office on the effective 
  2.19  date of this act end on the day after the effective date of this 
  2.20  act but the current supervisors shall continue to serve until 
  2.21  their successors under sections 1 and 2 are appointed and 
  2.22  qualify. 
  2.23     (b) As soon as is practical after the effective date, the 
  2.24  Hennepin county board shall begin the process of appointing the 
  2.25  supervisors of the district board.  The first district board 
  2.26  appointed by the county board shall include at least three of 
  2.27  the current supervisors or, if fewer than three of the current 
  2.28  supervisors seek appointment, those supervisors who do seek 
  2.29  appointment.  Notwithstanding section 1, the first three 
  2.30  supervisors appointed shall serve a term that expires on the 
  2.31  first Monday of January 2004 and the last two supervisors 
  2.32  appointed shall serve a term that expires on the first Monday of 
  2.33  January 2006.  Thereafter, the term of a supervisor is four 
  2.34  years and until a successor qualifies. 
  2.35     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.36     Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2001.