AN ACT
Relating to local government; requiring a sustainable development planning guide and a model ordinance to be developed for local government use by the office of strategic and long-range planning; directing the environmental quality board to adopt principles of sustainable development; requiring reports; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 4A.
Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Minnesota:
Section 1. (4A.07) (Sustainable development for local government.)
Subdivision 1. (Definitions.) (a.) "Local unit of government: means a county, statutory or home rule charter city, town, or watershed district.(b) "Sustainable development" means development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economics depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Subdivision 2. (Planning guide.) The office of strategic and long-range planning must develop and publish a planning guide for local units of government to plan for sustainable development, based on the principles of sustainable development adopted by the environmental quality board with advice of the governor’s round table on sustainable development. The office must make the planning guide available to local units of government within the state.
Subdivision 3. (Model ordinance.) The office of strategic and long-range planning, in consultation with appropriate and affected parties, must prepare a model ordinance to guide sustainable development.
Subdivision 4. (Specify and distribution.) The model ordinance must specify the technical and administrative procedures to guide sustainable development. When adopted by a local unit of government, the model ordinance is the minimum regulation to guide sustainable development that may be adopted. Upon completion, the office of strategic and long-range planning must notify local units of government that the model ordinance is available, and must distribute it to interested local units.
Subdivision 5. (Periodic review.) At least once every five years, the planning office must review the model ordinance and its use with local units of government to ensure its continued applicability and relevance.
Section 2. (Agencies’ reports to board.)
Each state department, agency, and board shall report to the environmental quality board by October 15, 1996, how the mission and programs of the department, agency, or board reflect and implement the state sustainable development principles, or how the mission and programs could be changed to do so.
Section 3. (Report to legislature.)
The environmental quality board shall report to the legislature by January 15, 1997, on the state agencies’ review of their missions and programs in relation to the principles of sustainable development.
Section 4 (Effective date.)
This act is effective the day after final enactment.