HF3717

Purpose

Authorize funding and debt authorization to expand Restoration Park in Dodge County. The bill appropriates $1,500,000 from the bond proceeds fund to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) as a grant to Dodge County. The money will be used to acquire adjacent quarry land and private land to expand Restoration Park, with the goal of reclaiming the site to provide multiuse, year-round nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities.

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 1 — Appropriation: Provides $1,500,000 from the bond proceeds fund to DEED for a grant to Dodge County. The grant is for acquiring adjacent quarry land and private land to expand Restoration Park in Dodge County, with the purpose of reclaiming the site to offer multiuse, year-round nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Subdivision 2 — Bond Sale: Specifies that, to fund the appropriation, the commissioner of management and budget shall sell and issue state bonds up to $1,500,000. The bond sale must follow the terms of Minnesota Statutes sections 16A.631 to 16A.675 and the Minnesota Constitution, Article XI, sections 4 to 7.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Establishes a new capital investment for park expansion by authorizing a state bond issuance and a dedicated appropriation (bond proceeds fund) for Dodge County’s Restoration Park project.
• Creates a new funding mechanism (bond sale) tied to this project, with implementation governed by existing bond-related statutes and constitutional provisions.

Fiscal Impact and Implementation Details

• Financial impact: Appropriation of $1,500,000 and authorization to issue bonds up to $1,500,000 to fund the project.
• Implementation: Requires coordination between DEED (grant administrator), Dodge County (land acquisition), and the state’s budgeting and debt management offices (MMB) to execute the grant and bond issuance under existing statutory and constitutional frameworks.

Practical Implications

• Enables land acquisition and park expansion to support nature-based recreation.
• Creates state debt to finance the project, with repayment and other bond-related terms governed by current statutes and constitutional provisions.

Relevant Terms

Restoration Park, Dodge County, grant, acquisition, adjacent quarry, private land, expansion, reclaiming the site, multiuse, year-round, nature-based outdoor recreation, bond proceeds fund, bonds, bond sale, DEED, commissioner of management and budget, Minnesota Statutes 16A.631 to 16A.675, Minnesota Constitution article XI sections 4-7.