County State Aid Needs

Definitions Commissioner’s Order Revocation Designation Payback The official recorded document approved by the commissioner establishing, removing or changing a route on the state aid system. Revocation Removing a route from the State aid system. Designation Establishing a new route or portion of route on the state aid system. Payback The pro-rated amount of state construction funds spent on a segment of road that is being revoked from the system. The determined amount has to be deducted from the next state aid project requested by that local agency. (8820.0800 Subp 3.) Here are some helpful Definitions for terms contained within this presentation.

Definitions (continued) DSAE District State Aid Engineer is a registered engineer with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to represent the State Aid office in each district. Apportionment Sum 68% of the total dollars available for distribution to the counties. Uses the 10-10-30-50 formula. Excess Sum 32% of the total dollars available for distribution to the counties. Uses the 60-40 formula. Needs Report Report of the estimated construction cost required to improve the state aid system to standards. Here are some helpful Definitions for terms contained within this presentation.

State Aid system Creation of the system In 1957 the county state aid system was established and designated by Commissioner’s Order Criteria for the system: Carries a higher traffic volume and is functionally classified. Connects town, communities, shipping points and markets within a county; provides access to churches, schools, meeting halls, industrial areas, state institutions and recreational areas. Provides an integrated and coordinated system within practical limits. 1956 Amendment II of the Constitution ratified dedicated funding to the county state aid system. 1957 county state aid system established by Commissioner’s Orders with a system limit of 30,000 miles. Criteria was established to define what is appropriate for the state aid system, last revised in 1991.

Changing the system Trunk Highway Turnbacks – Additional mileage from the release of trunk highways to the county. County Board Resolutions – Revocations, exchanges or adding banked miles by county board approval. Construction – Construction projects that change the alignment of an established CSAH. Mileage Requests – Additional mileage approved by the Screening Board. Changes can and have been made to the system since its inception. The turnback of trunk highways to the counties has added more than 1200 miles to the system. These miles cannot be moved or used anywhere else in the county. With approval of the DSAE and the county board, routes can be moved around provided there is no additional mileage added to the state aid system. Each county has a mileage bank for surplus miles if they revoke routes. There is a 20 year life-cycle cost on the life a construction project and 10 years on resurfacing. If state aid funds were used within that time period there is a payback amount calculated when removed from the state aid system. Construction may cause slight changes in mileage. A County may request additional mileage from the screening board.

Screening Board 15 member County Screening Board directs the calculation of the “Needs” to be used each year for the distribution. Each of the original nine districts have a representative Each urban county (population over 175,000) has a representative St. Louis, Hennepin, Anoka, Dakota, Washington, Ramsey They meet twice a year, in the spring and the fall Along with the dedicated funding in 1957 came the creation of the county screening board, made up of one representative from each of the nine districts. The screening board was established to maintain a fair and impartial process for the distribution of the funds and determination of which routes met the criteria of the state aid system. In 1996, the Legislature changed the composition of the board to allow for urban counties (175,000+ population) to have their own vote.

Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund County state aid funds are collected by the state according to the constitution and law, distributed from the Highway Users Tax Distribution Fund. Fuel Tax, License Fees, Motor Vehicle Sales Tax and Interest. The county share is 29% of the regular 95% of the collected funds. (The other 5% is town bridge, town road and turnback funding). The County State Aid Highway (CSAH) Needs Unit collects and maintains data to calculate the annual distribution to the counties to maintain, improve and construct their designated county state aid highways. The constitutionally dedicated funds from the Highway User Tax Distribution Funds is divided 62% TH, 29% County State Aid & 9% Municipal State Aid. After all the adjustments for the admin account, LRRB, State Park Road fund and State Aid disaster the total distribution is split into two parts, 68% Apportionment Sum and 32% Excess Sum. The excess sum was established in 2008 with the last tax increase to the fund. The apportionment sum is split 10% equalization, 10% motor vehicle registration, 30% lane miles and 50% needs. The excess sum is 40% MVR and 60% needs. The County Screening Board has the ability to adjust and control with limits how the needs is calculated and distribution in accordance with MN Statute.

Needs update In order to distribute the funds and calculate the needs, each county must update annually : Any changes to their system Additional mileage Revocations Construction accomplishments with costs Roadway, Structures, Rail Crossing Improvements and new Interchanges New and Reconstruction project costs (state aid needs eligible items) Annually the counties must report to the Commissioner any changes and accomplishments to their system to be considered in the calculation of their needs. Mileage has to be reconciled for any new designation or revocation in the previous year. Traffic counts must be updated according to the MnDOT traffic counting schedule. Construction costs for roadway, structures and RR crossing improvements are collected. All state aid eligible items including right-of-way and engineering are included in the calculation of needs.

We have a web based application to track and calculate the needs cost We have a web based application to track and calculate the needs cost. Each county can designate the number of users they wish to have update their data. The application is a simple road database to account for all designated state aid mileage with bridges, culverts, RR crossings and traffic signals associated with the county state aid system. Any changes to the system or computation must go through the screening Board. Needs application

Town Road and Town Bridge Each county that has township roads must certify each year the number of miles in each township Each county must inspect their township bridges and calculate an estimated replacement cost for their deficient township bridges and report to the State Aid Bridge Office The county state aid needs unit also handles the distribution of Town Road and Town Bridge funds. Annually the counties must certify to State Aid Engineer the number of township miles, due November 15th. Counties are required to distribute monies to their townships within 30 days of receipt. The counties are also responsible for the inspection and reporting of the town bridges in their county on the state bridge inventory. State Aid works with the bridge office to calculate the annual distribution of town bridge money to those counties having deficient town bridges in their inventory.

Resources Minnesota Constitution Minnesota State Statutes Minnesota Administrative Rules Screening Board Resolutions, State Aid Manual and Needs Application Minnesota Constitution - https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/constitution/#article_10 Minnesota State Statutes - https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=162 Minnesota Administrative Rules - https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules?id=8820&keyword_type=all&keyword=8820&keyword_sg=rule&redirect=0 Screening Board Resolutions, State Aid Manual and Needs Application - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/csah.html

Questions? Or contact your DSAE Kim DeLaRosa John Pantelis kimberlie.delarosa@state.mn.us 651-366-3810 John Pantelis john.pantelis@state.mn.us 651-366-3811 DSAE - http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/dsae.html Or contact your DSAE