Purpose

• The bill would appropriate $2,500,000 from the bond proceeds fund to the Public Facilities Authority to provide a grant to the city of Richfield. The money is for constructing a water main that connects Richfield’s municipal water system with Minneapolis’s water system along Trunk Highway 62 (5th Avenue South). The project is intended to give Richfield a secondary, backup source of potable water in case its current water treatment and distribution system is disrupted. The funding also covers right-of-way and easement acquisition and related infrastructure needed to complete the project.

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 1 – Appropriation: $2,500,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to the Public Facilities Authority for a grant to the city of Richfield to build the water main linking Richfield and Minneapolis along Trunk Highway 62 (5th Avenue South). The project includes money for right-of-way and easement acquisition and construction of associated infrastructure.
• Subdivision 2 – Bond sale: The commissioner of management and budget shall sell and issue state bonds up to $2,500,000 to fund the appropriation, under the terms described in Minnesota Statutes sections 16A.631 to 16A.675 and Minnesota Constitution article XI sections 4 to 7.

What this changes or adds

• Creates a new funding mechanism (bond sale) and a new grant to finance the construction of a water main that provides a secondary source of potable water for Richfield by tying its system to Minneapolis’s water supply.
• Establishes authority for the bond issue and specifies the legal framework (state statutes and constitutional provisions) governing the bond sale.

Significance

• Improves reliability of drinking water for Richfield by adding redundancy in the water supply, which could help during disruptions to the existing water treatment and distribution system.

Related entities and terms (involved in the project)

• Public Facilities Authority
• City of Richfield
• City of Minneapolis
• Water main
• Potable water
• Secondary source
• Right-of-way
• Easement
• Trunk Highway 62
• 5th Avenue South
• Bond proceeds fund
• Bonds
• Bond sale
• Minnesota Statutes 16A.631 to 16A.675
• Minnesota Constitution Article XI sections 4 to 7

Potential implications

• Financial: Increases state debt via bonds up to $2.5 million.
• Infrastructure: Adds capacity and redundancy to the regional water system.
• Local impact: Requires acquisition of rights-of-way and easements; affects planning and permitting in Richfield and along the pursuit corridor.

Relevant Terms Public Facilities Authority Richfield Minneapolis water main potable water secondary source trunk highway 62 5th Avenue South right-of-way easement bond proceeds fund bonds bond sale Minnesota Statutes 16A.631 to 16A.675 Minnesota Constitution Article XI 4 to 7