HF4987

Purpose

• Designate a specific segment of Ramsey County StateAid Highway 96 as Master Sergeant Nicole Amor Memorial Highway.
• Establish signage and memorial recognition for Master Sergeant Nicole Amor, funded through private (nonpublic) sources.

Main Provisions

• Signage and Memorial: A road authority must design and erect signs to mark or memorialize the designated highway segment once money from nonpublic sources is identified to cover all related costs (designing, erecting, and maintaining the signs).
• Fiscal Administration: The state Transportation Commissioner acts as a fiscal agent to manage and distribute the nonpublic funds received for the signs. Money collected is appropriated to the Commissioner for distribution to the appropriate road authority for sign-related costs.
• Sign Removal: A road authority may remove a sign if (1) the sign requires maintenance, repair, or replacement; (2) the road authority, in consultation with the Commissioner, has made a reasonable effort to obtain nonpublic funds for those costs; and (3) the funds obtained are insufficient to pay all related costs.
• Specific Designation: The designated highway segment runs from the point where Ramsey County StateAid Highway 96 intersects marked U.S. Highway 61 to the marked Interstate Highway 35E in Ramsey County, and is officially designated as Master Sergeant Nicole Amor Memorial Highway.

Key Provisions in Plain Terms

• Memorial purpose: Creates a named memorial highway to honor Master Sergeant Nicole Amor.
• Private funding: Requires private funds to pay for all signage-related costs; public funds are not used for these signs beyond the specified nonpublic funding mechanism.
• Maintenance funding: If maintenance costs cannot be fully funded by private sources, the road authority may remove the sign after trying to secure private funds.
• Administrative role: The Department of Transportation handles the nonpublic funds for the signs, distributing them to the responsible road authority.

Significance and Changes to Law

• Adds a new memorial designation to the Minnesota statutes (Section 160.805) governing highway designations and memorial signs, including the process for funding, erection, maintenance, and potential removal of such signs.
• Establishes a clear process for memorial sign implementation tied to private funding and outlines when a memorial sign can be removed due to funding shortfalls.

Implications

• Local highway designations can honor individuals through named memorial highways.
• Private funding mechanisms are required for memorial signs, with state-level administrative support for funding management.
• There is an explicit retention and removal framework based on maintenance costs and funding availability.

Potential Considerations

• How private groups can secure and verify funding for design, erection, and ongoing maintenance.
• The balance between memorial recognition and ongoing maintenance responsibilities.
• How removal decisions are implemented if funds become insufficient.

Relevant Terms - Master Sergeant Nicole Amor Memorial Highway - Ramsey County StateAid Highway 96 - U.S. Highway 61 - Interstate Highway 35E - Minnesota Statutes Chapter 160 (160.805) - sign design, erection, maintenance - nonpublic funds / private funding - fiscal agent / Commissioner of Transportation - road authority - memorial designation - removal of signs - maintenance costs and funding gap