City of Redwood Falls bridge restoration appropriation and bond issuance authorization

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Gary Dahms

The bill authorizes a $1.3 million grant to Redwood Falls for restoring the 1938 Swayback Bridge and issues up to $1.3 million in bonds to fund it.

Referred to Capital Investment

#appropriations #bonds #citiesandtowns-specific #highways #roads #andbridges #transportationandtransportationdepartment

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to support the restoration of a historic bridge in Redwood Falls, Minnesota: the WPA-era Swayback Bridge No. 89859 (built in 1938).

It accomplishes this by authorizing a dedicated appropriation for design and construction, and by authorizing the sale of state bonds to fund the project.

Key provisions

Section: Redwood Falls; Preservation of Historic Swayback Bridge

Subdivision 1 — Appropriation

An appropriation of $1,300,000 is provided from the bond proceeds fund.
Purpose: To grant to the City of Redwood Falls for the design and construction restoration of the historic WPA 1938 Swayback Bridge No. 89859.
Eligible restoration activities include:
Design and construction work.
Cofferdam access stone replacement.
Tuckpointing (repointing of masonry joints) necessary to preserve and protect the granite and masonry exterior.
The grant is exempt from certain state procurement and public financing statutes: Minnesota Statutes sections 16B.32, 16B.325, 216C.19, and 216C.20. (This typically means streamlined or accelerated processes for the grant.)

Subdivision 2 — Bond sale

To fund the appropriation, the Commissioner of Management and Budget must sell and issue state bonds in an amount up to $1,300,000.
Bond issuance must follow:
Minnesota Statutes, chapters 16A.631 to 16A.675 (bonding and debt management framework).
Minnesota Constitution, Article XI, sections 4 to 7 (constitutional provisions governing bond issuance and debt).

Effective Date

The section becomes effective the day after final enactment.

Who/what is affected

City of Redwood Falls: Receives a grant to cover the design and restoration work for the Swayback Bridge, including specific masonry preservation tasks.

State of Minnesota: Authorized to issue up to $1.3 million in state bonds to fund the project.

WPA-era Swayback Bridge (No. 89859): The target of restoration, preserving a historic structure and its exterior masonry.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill is introduced and referred to the Capital Investment committee, signaling that it will proceed through the capital investment process for consideration, potential amendments, and floor action.

Authorization is contingent on passage and signing into law; the bond issuance would be subject to the usual statutory process for state debt (16A.631–16A.675) and constitutional debt limits.

Effective date is set to occur automatically the day after enactment, ensuring prompt implementation upon passage.

Important notes

The project focuses on preserving a historic structure (the 1938 Swayback Bridge) with attention to masonry and granite preservation.

The exemption from certain statutes suggests expedited procurement or streamlined grant administration for the restoration work.

The bond authority aligns with Minnesota’s framework for financing capital projects, tying the appropriation to a specific debt-issuance plan.

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