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-21- Bonding Bill – The 2020 bonding bill provided financing for approximately $1.36 billion of projects. Some of the more significant appropriations for local infrastructure included: $105 mill ion in undesignated grants for local road improvement and bridge replacement; $100 million for water infrastructure and point source implementation grants; $25 million for state match of federal grants for public facilities improvements, $20 million for natural resource asset preservation, $17 million for flood control mitigation, $15 million for the Local Government Roads Wetlands Replacement Program; $5 million for Metropolitan Council inflow and infiltration grants; and $5 million for metropolitan regional parks and trails. The bill also included funding for a number of state initiatives, including: $300 million in trunk highway bonds for the improvement of the state trunk highway system; $145 million in appropriation bonds to fund the infrastructure and capital needs of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Minnesota Public Television; $30 million for state agency projects aimed at promoting racial equity, $29.5 million for the state Emergency Operations Center; and $16 million for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. The bill provides authority for eligible local governments to own and operate childcare facilities, and permits local governments to enter into management agreements with licensed childcare providers to operate in publicly-owned facilities. It also makes cities, counties, school districts, and joint powers boards located outside of the seven-county metro area eligible to apply for grants through the Greater Minnesota Childcare Facility Capital Grant Program. The bill also included a provision extending the equal pay certificate of compliance requirement to contracts by any public entity, including political subdivisions, using state general obligation bond proceeds for all or part of a capital project. Local governments will be responsible for requiring that bids include proper certification on applicable projects, which applies to projects for goods or services valued at more than $1 million utilizing appropriated bond proceeds on or after January 1, 2022. Elections – A number of measures were passed to help ensure the safe and secure conduct of the 2020 state primary and general elections, including; allowing for the processing of absentee ballots to begin 14 days prior to the date of the election, extending the period during which absentee ballots could be processed for 2 days following the election, accepting electronic filings for affidavits of candidacy or nominating petitions, and specifying that municipalities were to use schools as polling plac es only when no other public or private location was reasonably available. Funds from the federal Help America Vote Act were made available for modernizing, securing, and improving election facilities, a portion of which was made available for grants to local governments to fund activities prescribed by this program. Minors Operating Lawn Care Equipment – Effective May 28, 2020, Minnesota Statutes lowered the employment age for operating lawn care equipment to age 16. Minors aged 16 and 17 must be trained in the safe operation of the equipment and wear appropriate personal protective equipment when operating the lawn care equipment. The exception under this statute applies only to minors directly employed by golf courses, resorts, rental property owners, or municipalities to perform lawn care on golf courses, resort grounds, rental property, or municipal grounds. Open Meeting Law Exception – The interactive television provision of the Minnesota Open Meeting Law was amended to allow for participation in meetings by interactive electronic means, such as Skype or Zoom, without requiring that an elected official be advised to do so by a healthcare professional for personal or family medical reasons. This allowance is available only when a national security or peacetime emergency has been declared and may be used up to 60 days after the emergency declaration has been lifted. Whenever public meetings are held via interactive electronic means of this type, votes must be conducted by roll call and be recorded in the minutes. Expanded Authority for Electronic Signatures During COVID-19 – Effective May 17, 2020, cities are allowed to accept certain documents, signatures, or filings electronically, by mail, or facsimile during the COVID-19 pandemic, including; planning and zoning applications and permits; land use documents; documents requiring the signature of licensed architects, engineers, land surveyors, geoscientists, or interior designers; applications for birth or death certificates; or recording notary commissions. This accommodation expires January 16, 2021, or 60 days following the termination of the peacetime public health emergency.