Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br />Offices in 470 U.S. Bank Plaza <br /> <br /> <br />200 South Sixth Street <br />Kennedy <br />Minneapolis <br />Minneapolis MN 55402 <br /> <br /> <br />& <br /> (612) 337-9300 telephone <br />Saint Paul <br /> <br />(612) 337-9310 fax <br /> <br />Graven <br />www.kennedy-graven.com <br />St. Cloud <br />Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer <br />CHARTERED <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Elk River EDA Chair and Commissioners <br />FROM: Jenny Boulton <br />DATE: January 11, 2016 <br />RE: Economic Development Authority Legislative Update <br /> <br /> <br />The bylaws for the EDA require an annual update of legislative changes to the Economic <br />Development Authority Act, Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.090 to 469.1082. Outlined below are <br />legislative changes enacted in 2016 that are relevant to the EDA. <br /> <br /> There were no legislative changes to the Economic Development Authority Act. <br /> <br />Other economic development legislative changes impacting the EDA included the following: <br /> <br /> Workforce Development Area Changes. Chapter 129 (HF 3081/SF 2709) amends <br />provisions of Minn. Stat. § 116L.666 which pertains to workforce service areas that <br />administer federal, state, and local employment and training services including local <br />workforce centers. It changes the designation of “workforce service areas” to “workforce <br />development areas.” It changes “local workforce council” to “local workforce development <br />board.” It specifies area workforce and community-based organization membership on local <br />boards to include: labor, veterans, persons with disabilities, minorities, older workers, <br />housing, secondary career and technical education or philanthropic organizations, which <br />must constitute at least 20% of the membership of the board. The existing law percentage is <br />15%. It also specifies that community colleges are included in reference to higher <br />educational agencies and clarifies references to vocational rehabilitation programs and <br />representatives of adult education and literacy programs. <br /> <br /> Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program. Chapter 189 (HF 2749*/SF 2356) is the <br />omnibus supplemental budget act and allocates $35 million dollars in fiscal year 2017 to the <br />Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program. No more than $5 million may be used for <br />broadband grants to underserved areas. Up to $1 million may be used for administrative and <br />mapping costs by the Office of Broadband Development in the Department of Employment <br />and Economic Development (DEED). Funds in the amount of $500,000 may be awarded to <br />493126v1 JSB EL185-13 <br />