116J.980 Community development. 

    Subdivision 1.    Duties.  The department of trade and 
 economic development shall:  

    (1) be responsible for administering all state community 
 development and assistance programs, including the economic 
 recovery account, the outdoor recreation grant program, the 
 rural development programs, the Minnesota public facilities 
 authority loan and grant programs, and the enterprise zone 
 program; 

    (2) be responsible for state administration of federally 
 funded community development and assistance programs, including 
 the small cities development grant program and land and water 
 conservation program; 

    (3) provide technical assistance to rural communities for 
 community development in cooperation with regional development 
 commissions; 

    (4) coordinate the development and review of state rural 
 development policies; and 

    (5) be responsible for coordinating community assistance 
 and development programs in cooperation with regional 
 development commissions. 

    Subd. 2.    General complement authority.  The 
 department may combine all related state and federal complement 
 positions into general fund positions, to carry out the 
 responsibilities under subdivision 1.  The number of general 
 fund positions must not exceed the aggregate number of all state 
 and federal positions that are to be combined.  Records of the 
 actual number of employee hours charged to each state and 
 federal account must be maintained for each general fund 
 position. 

    Subd. 3.    Coordination required for housing related 
 grants.  The commissioner must coordinate with the 
 commissioner of the Minnesota housing finance agency to ensure 
 that housing related grant applications for the Small Cities 
 Community Development Block Grant Program under section 116J.401 
 are consistent with the agency's most recent housing 
 affordability plan and do not duplicate existing state housing 
 programs. 

    Subd. 4.    Preference for outdoor recreation grants.  
 In awarding grants under the outdoor recreation grant program, 
 the commissioner shall give special consideration to proposed 
 outdoor recreation projects for which particular need has been 
 demonstrated by the applicant based on, but not limited to, the 
 following factors: 

    (1) low to moderate income status of persons living 
 adjacent to or most likely to make use of the proposed facility; 

    (2) lack of adequate transportation or access to existing 
 outdoor recreation facilities by those most likely to use the 
 proposed facility; 

    (3) the need for outdoor recreation facilities designed to 
 accommodate handicapped persons and other special populations 
 that would be met by the proposed facility; 

    (4) the overall inadequacy or lack of outdoor recreation 
 facilities within the area to be served by the proposed project; 

    (5) the need for acquisition of land in fully developed 
 areas with limited opportunities for recreation facility 
 development; and 

    (6) a high population of school-aged children in the area 
 to be served by the proposed outdoor recreation facility and a 
 lack of appropriate recreation facilities for children. 

    The commissioner shall incorporate into the annual project 
 ranking process a procedure for awarding additional ranking 
 points to those project applications which demonstrate a special 
 need based on the above or similar factors. 

    HIST: 1987 c 312 art 1 s 26 subd 2; 1987 c 386 art 4 s 1; 1989 
 c 335 art 4 s 106; 1990 c 429 s 1; 1991 c 157 s 1; 1993 c 163 
 art 1 s 21,22; 1996 c 369 s 9