Purpose

To provide state funding for the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault by creating a grant from the bond proceeds fund to the city of Faribault. The grant would cover site preparation and the design, construction, furnishing, and equipping of a new building plus outdoor public space improvements and trail enhancements. The new facility would house an environmental multicultural visitors center and support visitor education and exhibits for the general public.

Main provisions

• Appropriation: The bill allocates 500,000 from the bond proceeds fund to the commissioner of natural resources for a grant to the city of Faribault. The funds are intended for site preparation and to predesign, design, construct, furnish, and equip a new building, along with adjacent outdoor space improvements and trail enhancements.
• Purpose of building: The new facility is to house an environmental multicultural visitors center and provide visitor education and exhibit facilities for the general public.
• Bonding authorization: The commissioner of management and budget would sell and issue state bonds in an amount up to 500,000 to finance the appropriation, under the applicable state statutes and constitutional provisions.

How it would work in practice

• The state would raise up to 500,000 in bonds to fund the project.
• The money would be granted to the city of Faribault by the department of natural resources for site prep, building construction, and related improvements and facilities.
• The project would include an environmental multicultural visitors center, along with educational exhibits and public access features such as trails and outdoor spaces.

Significant changes to existing law

• Creates a new targeted capital investment appropriation for the River Bend Nature Center project in Faribault.
• Adds a bonding authorization specifically tied to this project (up to 500,000) and assigns responsibility for bond issuance to the commissioner of management and budget.
• Ties the appropriation to existing statutory and constitutional bonding authorities (Minnesota Statutes 16A.695 and 16A.631–16A.675; Minnesota Constitution Article XI).

Financial details

• Amount appropriated: 500,000 from the bond proceeds fund.
• Source of funding: Bond proceeds fund.
• Recipient: City of Faribault (via grant from the commissioner of natural resources for site work and building project).
• Project scope: Site preparation, predesign/design, construction, furnishing, equipment for a new building; adjacent outdoor public space improvements and trail enhancements; environmental multicultural visitors center; visitor education and exhibit facilities.

Implementation considerations

• The project must comply with the referenced bonding and appropriation statutes and constitutional provisions.
• The city of Faribault would receive and use the funds for the described purposes, with oversight consistent with state requirements for capital projects.

Relevant Terms River Bend Nature Center; Faribault; environmental multicultural visitors center; visitor education; exhibit facilities; site preparation; predesign; design; construct; furnish; equip; new building; outdoor public space improvements; trail enhancements; bond proceeds fund; bonds; 500,000; commissioner of natural resources; grant; city of Faribault; commissioner of management and budget; Minnesota Statutes 16A.695; 16A.631–16A.675; Minnesota Constitution article XI.