Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb3182%20intr.htm&yr=2005&sesstype=RS&i=3182
Timestamp: 2018-02-22 11:31:12
Document Index: 255055374

Matched Legal Cases: ['§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5']

hb3182 intr
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Cann,
Stalnaker, Kominar, Michael and Varner)
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §5B-1B-1, §5B-1B-2, §5B-1B-3, §5B-1B-4, §5B-1B-5, §5B-1B-6, §5B-1B-7, §5B-1B-8 and §5B-1B-9, all relating to the creation of community infrastructure investment program within the Department of Commerce; legislative findings; definitions; granting rule-making authority; authority to promulgate emergency rules; establishing process for issuance of certificate of appropriateness; providing for community infrastructure investment agreements; setting minimum terms; authority of Division of Health and Department of Environmental Protection not affected; requiring report to Joint Committee on Government and Finance; providing for administrative fees; establishing exemption from authority of Public Service Commission; and setting time limits for approval.
ARTICLE 1B. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PROJECTS.
(a) There is a growing need for the extension of public water and sewer services throughout the state and that the extension of these services and facilities maintains the health and economic vitality of the citizens of West Virginia. In addition, access to infrastructure facilities is equally essential to economic development in all regions of the state.
(c) The cost of publicly owned sewer and water facilities are normally born by the state, its subdivisions, and the citizens of West Virginia and public indebtedness incurred to construct these facilities constitutes a financial burden on the state and its political subdivisions, as well as residential consumers.
(d) The rates for public water and sewer services charged to customers of all service classes have risen in recent years due primarily to the cost of utility construction and the cost of debt service associated with construction.
(e) There are private business entities that are in need of water and sewer services for various residential, commercial and industrial projects throughout the state and those entities are willing to pay the cost associated with constructing needed public water and sewer services and to dedicate the facility to the local certificated public utility after construction.
(f) These private business entities need a method by which to enter into agreements with municipalities, or public service districts to enable the construction of new infrastructure as well as the expansion of existing facilities.
(g) The dedication of infrastructure facilities to the local certificated public utility without cost greatly benefits the citizens of the state and promotes industrial, commercial, and economic development.
(a) "Certificate of appropriateness" means the document evidencing approval of a project and is issued by the Secretary of the Department of Commerce pursuant to the provisions of this article. The issuance of the certificate of appropriateness exempts a project from the provisions of section eleven of article two, chapter twenty-four of this code.
(b) "Community infrastructure investment agreement" means a written agreement between a municipality or public service district and an entity transferring legal title to a project facility to the municipality or public service district.
(c) "Community infrastructure investment project" means any newly constructed or enlarged and improved project facility that may be transferred to a municipality or public service district without cost to the municipality or public service district pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(d) "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm, society, association, trust, corporation, or other business entity.
(e) "Project cost" means the capital cost of proposed community infrastructure investment project facilities to be constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article. Project cost also refers to newly constructed or enlarged and improved existing project facilities. Project cost does not include any of the costs or expenses of ordinary operation and maintenance of the project facilities when they become operational.
(f)"Project facilities" mean waste water treatment plants or water treatment plants constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article and include, but are not limited to, related storage buildings or structures, meters, hydrants, pump stations, force and gravity mains, transmission lines, and other fixtures related to the construction of water or sewer facilities. Project facilities do not include the extension of collection and distribution lines or facilities from or to the project constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article to the property of any user of project facilities.
(g) "Public service district" means those public corporations and political subdivisions of the state created pursuant to the provisions of section two, article thirteen-a, chapter sixteen of this code.
(h) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department of Commerce established in section one, article one, chapter five-b, et. seq., of this code.
§5B-1B-3. Creation of Community Infrastructure Investment Program; certificate of appropriateness; rule-making authority.
(a) There is hereby created a Community Infrastructure Investment Program within the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the program is to facilitate the construction or expansion of project facilities for the promotion of economic development and or municipality or public service district the protection of public health and environment in the state. A municipality or public service district may enter into a community infrastructure investment agreement with an entity if the cost of the project does not exceed ten million dollars. The public service district or municipality shall apply to the Secretary for approval of the agreement and project. Neither a municipality nor a public service district is required to participate in this program.
(b) If the Secretary finds that the community infrastructure investment project meets the requirements set out in this article, the Secretary may issue a certificate of appropriateness to the municipality or public service district.
(c) Municipalities or public service districts may jointly enter into agreements with any entity for the purpose of applying to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce for approval of project facilities. Any proposed agreement shall include the minimum terms and conditions established by the provisions of section four of this article.
(d) The Secretary shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty- nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this article. A municipality or a public service district may not enter into a community infrastructure investment agreement without the approval of the Secretary who is solely responsible for the approval.
§5B-1B-4. Community infrastructure investment agreements; terms; report to Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
(a) Municipalities and public service districts have, with the approval of the Secretary, the power and authority to enter into community infrastructure investment agreements with any person or entity for the purpose of constructing new project facilities, or substantially improving or expanding project facilities.
(b) The Secretary shall review and may approve community infrastructure investment agreements.
(c) Each agreement shall contain the following terms and conditions:
(3) At the conclusion of a fixed term of months the title to the public facility shall be transferred without cost to the municipality or public service district;
(4) A finding, supported by documentation required by the Secretary, that the construction of the new public facility, or the substantial improvement or expansion of an existing public facility, either: (i) Fosters economic growth by promoting commercial, industrial, or residential development; or (ii) improves water quality or otherwise enables the affected territory to achieve compliance with any applicable state or federal health or environmental law;
(5) The municipality or public service district shall receive or otherwise obtain without cost to the public all real and personal property and all necessary rights-of-way of the facility and as needed for the operation of the public facility;
(6) The rates charged by the municipality or public service district to new customers to be served by the project facility shall be the rates in effect at the time of transfer of the project facility to the utility until new rates may be approved by the Public Service Commission, and the rates charged by the municipality or public service district to existing customers may not be impacted as a result of the obligation of the public service district or municipality pursuant to the community infrastructure investment agreement;
(9) Any other conditions that the Secretary may determine to be relevant.
(d) If the Secretary finds that the community infrastructure investment agreement meets the requirements contained in this article, the Secretary shall issue a certificate of appropriateness to the parties.
(e) Not later than thirty days prior to the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness for any community infrastructure investment project, the Secretary shall first submit a report of the same to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
Nothing contained in this article may be construed to affect the authority of the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to the provisions of chapter twenty-two of this code, nor the authority of the Division of Health pursuant to the provisions of chapter sixteen of this code.
The Secretary shall approve or reject all applications for a community investment infrastructure project or agreement within sixty days of receipt, unless by mutual agreement, the time period is extended. In no case shall the time period for approval extend beyond ninety days.
The Secretary may establish by legislative rule a schedule of fees reasonably calculated to pay for the costs of the administration of the provisions of this article.
All project facilities constructed or improved pursuant to the provisions of this article are exempt from the provisions of chapter twenty-four of this code until title to the public facility is transferred to the municipality or public service district. Nothing herein may be construed to give the Public Service Commission authority to regulate or intervene in the approval and construction of any project or agreement provided for in this article. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the acquisition of a project facility by a municipality or public service district under the provisions of this article does not require the issuance of a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Public Service Commission.
The Secretary may propose legislative rules for promulgation in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to effectuate the purposes of this article. Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the proposed legislative rules for this article filed in the State register by the first day of August, two thousand five, may be filed as emergency rules.