Conference committee adopts local government policy changes including water/sewer and audit thresholds

ST. PAUL — The conference committee approved a package of local government policy provisions on May 19 that includes rules for installing public water and sewer lines in road rights-of-way, increased audit thresholds for some towns and cities, and a provision creating a Ramsey County Economic Development Authority.

Chelsea Griffin, a legislative analyst with House Research, briefed the committee on the local government document. She said the A29 amendment requires districts installing trunk water and sewer lines to comply with the requirements cited in the document (the transcript references compliance with Minnesota rules and rule citations). The A41 amendment inserts the word “public” before “right of way” in the statute.

The committee also adopted amendments that raise the auditing threshold for annual audits to $1,000,000 for towns and cities that combine the offices of clerk and treasurer and for towns that use the standard plan and combine those offices. The committee accepted Senate language creating a Ramsey County Economic Development Authority and granting parallel powers to the Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

The A36 amendment — describing changes tied to Saint Louis County deputy administrator numbers and an effective date that depends on local approval — was also adopted. Committee members adopted A29, A41 and A36 by voice votes without roll calls.

The local government package was moved before the committee and adopted as part of the state and local government provisions. Committee members recorded no roll-call opposition to these specific amendments in the transcript; each was adopted by voice vote.

The committee then advanced the state and local government package, as amended, to the broader set of articles considered later in the meeting.