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STATE OF MINNESOTA STATE PLANNING AGENCY 100 CAPITOL SQUARE BUILDING 550 CEDAR STREET ST. PAUL, 55101 August 31, 1976 MEMORANDUM T0: Mayors of Minnesota Cities With More Tan One Precinct 1 FROM: Hazel Reinhardt, State Demographer~~/ SUBJECT: Submission of Municipal Maps by Precinct, To Comply With Chapter 132, Laws 1976. The 1976 Legislature, desiring to facilitate, its required reapportion- ment following the 1980 census, enacted Chapter 132 of Laws, 1976. Chapter 132 provides for implementation of a federal law which will guar- antee that the first census data returned to Minnesota will be by precinct. Population data have never before been available by precinct and their availability at this level, by April 1, 1981, should be helpful both for legislative and other types of redistricting. No changes in precinct boundaries may be made from January 1, 1977, to January 1, I9~3Z, except by annexation. In effect, precinct lines are frozen for a perio o ive years. The legislation also requires that the government body of the municipality shall set boundaries between precincts so that each boundary follows visible, clearly recognizab]e physical features. A "clearly recognizable feature" is a street, road, boulevard, arkwa river, stream, shoreline, draina a ditch, railway right-of-way, or any other line which is clearl visible from the round. A street or roadway which has been platted but not graded is not a clearly recognizable physical feature for this purpose. Where precinct boundaries coincide with corporate boundaries, they need not be visible to the eye. Changes in precinct boundaries can be made only after the general election in November and before January 1, 1977. There are two reasons for making changes in precinct boundaries: 1) To provide an adequate number of precincts to accommodate the population anticipated by ]982. We encourage those cities that .are. experiencing rapid growth to consider now the possibility of adding precincts which may be needed in the future so that action can be taken between. November 3, 1976, and January. 1, 1977. "AN -EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER"