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Range projects favored in bonding

This session ended by giving two more perks to Mesaba, the utility personal property tax exemption and bonding, but the good news is that they didn’t get nearly what they’ve demanded in bonding and they are required to get host government approval and negotiate a Host Fee Agreement.

Here’s the bonding language for HF 2959 as it made it through Conference Committee, House and Senate, and now on to the Gov:

Subd. 14. Itasca County – infrastructure 12,000,000

For a grant to Itasca County for public infrastructure needed to support a steel plant in Itasca County or an innovative energy project in Itasca County under Minnesota Statutes, section 216B.1694, that uses clean energy technology as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 216B.1693, or both. Grant money may be used by Itasca County to acquire right-of-way and mitigate loss of wetlands and runoff of storm water, to predesign, design, construct, and equip roads and rail lines, and, in cooperation with municipal public utilities, to predesign, design, construct, and equip natural gas pipelines, electric infrastructure, water supply systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems.

Up to $4,000,000 of this appropriation may be spent before the full financing for either project has been closed.

The Mesaba personal property tax exemption went through a few days earlier in HF 785, and scroll down to 28.i.

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