BILL NUMBER: S722
SPONSOR: SERRANO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to requiring the state commissioner of parks, recreation and
historic preservation to consult with the state board for historic pres-
ervation prior to entering into a resident curator lease for any at risk
structure, including those eligible for listing on the state and
national registers of historic places, and to adopt a plan identifying
at risk structures within state parks and historic sites
 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
To authorize the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
(OPRHP) to identify and lease vacant, at-risk structures in state parks
and state historic sites to private persons to encourage investment of
private resources to rehabilitate and maintain such structures pursuant
to a plan approved by the state board for historic preservation.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends section 3.09 of the parks, recreation and historic
preservation law establishing a State Resident Curator Program to define
the at-risk structures for which the office may enter into resident
curator lease agreements, and requires consultation with the state board
for historic preservation for programmatic determinations.
 
EXISTING LAW:
Subdivision 2-h of Section 3.09 of the parks, recreation and historic
preservation law establishes a resident curator program within OPRHP
authorizing lease agreements pertaining to four park properties previ-
ously determined to be most suitable for the program.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021:2022: S1364 - Passed Senate
2019-2020: S.1558A - Passed Senate.
2017-2018: S.3198 - Passed Senate.
2015-2016: S.706 - Referred to Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and
Recreation
2013/2014: S.918-Passed Senate.
2011/2012: S.2749 Referred to Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and
Recreation
2009/2010: Reported to Finance.
 
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT:
OPRHP has an inventory of 'historic residential buildings situated with-
in park and historic site boundaries that are not currently in use
because either: a) they have deteriorated to the point that significant
capital investments would be required before they could be used; and/or
b) they do not serve a park purpose. Due to their location within state
parks or historic sites, these buildings are not appropriate for dispo-
sition through the usual methods available to state agencies, such as
jurisdictional transfer, realty exchange, or state surplus sale.
The Resident Curator Program authorizes OPRHP to enter into leases,
through the state's normal competitive bidding process, with private
individuals or not-for-profit organizations who will rehabilitate vacant
residential buildings at their own expense using private funds. In
exchange, individuals and not-for-profits will receive a long-term lease
(up to 40 years or a life estate), subject to all otherwise applicable
state laws, regulations or requirements applicable to the agency's leas-
ing of real property, to reside in the building that they rehabilitated.
Ownership of rehabilitated residential structures will remain with OPRHP
and the agency will receive the benefit of rehabilitated structures at
the end of the lease term.
The 2019-20 state budget included language to extend the state historic
tax credit to OPRHP properties to better incentivize public/private
partnerships to rehabilitate deteriorating, unused structures.
This bill invigorates the resident curator program by defining the
at-risk structures eligible for the program, expanding the scope of
eligible properties beyond the four park properties currently specified
in statute, requiring a plan to identify at-risk structures conducive to
the program, and providing additional oversight by the state board for
historic preservation.
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
Potential savings to the State by identifying private investors to reha-
bilitate and maintain certain deteriorating. structures.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.