reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-633 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-633 - Eminent Domain

    (a)    Subject to the provisions of this section, a district may acquire rights in land or water rights by exercise of the right of eminent domain as set forth in Title 12 of the Real Property Article.    (b)    A district’s power of eminent domain does not extend to an interest in real property that is owned by a county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision unless the governing body of that county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision consents.    (c)    A district’s power of eminent domain does not extend to a privately owned and operated water system, sewerage system, or solid waste acceptance facility unless:        (1)    The owners and operators of the system or facility consent;        (2)    The system of a facility is not being operated or maintained as required by law; or        (3)    The system is needed as an integral part of a service area.    (d)    (1)    After complying with this subsection and no sooner than 10 days after judgment has been entered in the condemnation proceedings, the district may take any property that has been condemned under this section.        (2)    Before taking the property, the district shall pay to the court the amount of the award and costs taxed to date.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-634 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-634 - Combining Projects

    A district may combine the operations or finances of any combination of projects.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-635 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-635 - Contracts to Buy and Sell Services

    (a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.        (2)    (i)    “Contracting party” means the other party to a contract made by a district under this section.            (ii)    “Contracting party” includes:                1.    A person;                2.    A county of this State or any other state;                3.    A municipal corporation of this State or any other state;                4.    This State or any other state;                5.    The United States;                6.    Any instrumentality of this State, any other state, or the United States; and                7.    Another district of this State or any other state.        (3)    “Contracting party’s system” means any of the following systems owned or operated by a contracting party:            (i)    A sewerage system.            (ii)    A solid waste acceptance facility.            (iii)    A solid waste disposal system.            (iv)    A water system.    (b)    If its sanitary commission approves, a district may make a contract with a contracting party:        (1)    To buy services from the contracting party’s system;        (2)    To use the facilities of the contracting party’s system; or        (3)    To allow a contracting party or its customers to use the services or facilities of the district.    (c)    Any contract made under this section:        (1)    Shall require that the fees, rates, or charges collected under the contract be sufficient to pay the obligations of the contracting party; and        (2)    May allow a contracting party to collect from its customers the fees, rates, or charges due under the contract.    (d)    A contract made under this section is for the benefit of holders of the district’s bonds.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-636 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-636 - Construction Contracts

    On the terms that the sanitary commission approves, a district may contract with any person, county, municipal corporation, adjoining state, or public authority or district of this State or an adjoining state, for the construction or operation of a water system, sewerage system, solid waste disposal system, or solid waste acceptance facility in this State or the adjoining state.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-637 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-637 - Excavation

    (a)    In this section, “public way” means any public street, public road, public alley, or public highway.    (b)    In accordance with this section, a district may enter or excavate on any public way to install, maintain, or operate a project.    (c)    The district is not required to obtain a permit or to pay a fee for an entry or excavation under this section.    (d)    Before beginning work under this section, the district shall notify the public authority responsible for the public way.    (e)    After completing the work under this section, the district, at its own expense, shall restore the public way to a condition at least as good as the condition that existed immediately before the work began.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-638 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-638 - Acceptance of Grants and Gifts

    In accordance with this subtitle and the terms of the grant or gift, a district may accept a grant or gift to carry out the purposes of this subtitle.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-639 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-639 - Territory Lost to Annexation

    (a)    Except as otherwise provided in this section, the powers of a district continue as to any territory of the district that is annexed by a municipality or by a county that is not a member county.    (b)    The continuation of powers under this section expires when each contract, obligation, bond, and indebtedness of the district, for which the district was liable at the time of annexation, is extinguished.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-640 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-640 - Short Term Borrowing

    (a)    In this section, “governmental agency” means:        (1)    The federal government;        (2)    This State; or        (3)    An agency or instrumentality of the federal government or this State.    (b)    A district may borrow from a governmental agency the amount of money that the sanitary commission considers necessary to pay the organization and planning costs for a project or a service area, including costs for:        (1)    Engineering services;        (2)    Legal services;        (3)    Estimates of costs;        (4)    Estimates of revenue;        (5)    Plans or specifications; and        (6)    Surveys.    (c)    (1)    A district may not pay interest on money borrowed from a governmental agency under this section.        (2)    If a district borrows from a governmental agency under this section, the district shall repay the lending governmental agency:            (i)    When work begins on the water system or sewerage system for which the borrowing was made; and            (ii)    Only from funds or bond revenues that, under this subtitle, relate to the project.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-641 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-641 - Borrowing From Other Sources

    (a)    If the governing body of each member county that has territory in the service area of the project approves, a district may borrow money and pay interest to provide interim financing for a project.    (b)    Borrowing under this section may not be for a period of more than 5 years.    (c)    Each member county that approves a borrowing under this subsection shall guarantee payment of the principal and interest in the same way that a county makes guarantees under Part VIII of this subtitle.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-642 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-642 - Required Record Keeping

    (a)    Each district shall:        (1)    Keep complete and accurate records of its receipts, expenses, and expenditures; and        (2)    Employ a certified public accountant to conduct a detailed audit of these records.    (b)    (1)    Each district shall make available for public inspection the district’s financial statement and the detailed audit.        (2)    At the district’s principal office and during normal business hours, any person may inspect the financial statement and the detailed audit.        (3)    Each year, each district shall give the governing body of each member county a certified copy of the financial statement and the detailed audit.    (c)    (1)    The governing body of any member county, at any time, may examine the books and records of the district.        (2)    The examination by the governing body of a member county under this subsection shall be without cost to the district.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-643 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-643 - Limitation on District's Powers

    A district may not construct, improve, operate, or extend any project that would duplicate or compete with any utility that is similar to a project and serves substantially the same purposes, unless:         (1)    The utility is a privately owned water system or sewerage system; and        (2)    The sanitary commission finds that the utility is unfit for incorporation into the district’s system.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-644 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part IV - Powers and Duties of Districts|Section 9-644 - Limitations on Powers of Counties

    (a)    A county that has created a district may not create a new district that would serve territory served by an existing district.    (b)    Unless, by ordinance or resolution, every other member county of each district of which the member county is already a member approves, a member county may not join or create another district.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-647 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part V - Service Areas|Section 9-647 - Considering Proposed Service Areas

    (a)    As provided in this part, the sanitary commission and the governing bodies of the member counties of a district may create or change service areas in the district.    (b)    Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, in considering a proposed service area, the sanitary commission and the governing bodies of the member counties may not create or change a service area unless they find that the creation or change:        (1)    Is necessary for the existing and future health, safety, and welfare of the public in general; and        (2)    Is feasible financially and from an engineering standpoint.    (c)    The governing bodies of the member counties of a district:        (1)    May authorize the district to retain expert engineering services to develop a plan for the creation of service areas in the district; and        (2)    Shall pay from the general funds of the member counties the cost of all engineering services obtained under this subsection.    (d)    In Allegany County, the boundaries of an existing service area may be changed to reduce the area included in the service area if the Sanitary Commission and the governing body of Allegany County make the findings specified in subsection (b) of this section and also find that the change in the boundaries of the service area would:        (1)    Exclude only properties which are not served by any project benefiting the service area or which the Sanitary Commission finds and determines will not be served within 2 years after the latter of:            (i)    The date on which the construction is completed for any project then under construction for the service area; or            (ii)    The date on which the Sanitary Commission adopts a resolution to change the boundaries of the service area; and        (2)    Not cause the outstanding principal balance of bonds issued for the service area to exceed 25 percent of the total value of property, as assessed for county taxation, in the service area, as proposed to be reduced, on the date on which the Sanitary Commission adopts the resolution to change the boundaries of the service area.    (e)    In Worcester County, in considering a proposed service area, the Sanitary Commission and the governing body of Worcester County may not create or change a service area unless they find that the creation or change:        (1)    Is necessary for the existing or future health, safety, and welfare of the public in general; and        (2)    Is feasible financially and from an engineering standpoint.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-648 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part V - Service Areas|Section 9-648 - Creation of Service Area by Sanitary Commission

    (a)    Each sanitary commission may adopt a resolution that proposes to create a service area or to change the boundaries of an existing service area. The resolution shall refer to a plat of the member counties that clearly shows the boundary lines of the proposed service area.    (b)    (1)    The governing body of each member county shall hold a public hearing to consider the proposed service area or boundary change.        (2)    At least 10 days before the hearing required under this subsection, notice of the hearing shall be published in each member county in at least 1 newspaper of general circulation in the member county.    (c)    If the governing body of each member county approves the proposed creation of a service area or the proposed boundary change, a copy of the plat and the resolution required under subsection (a) of this section shall be recorded among the land records of each member county.    (d)    The sanitary commission shall give each service area to be created under this section a distinctive name.    (e)    A service area is created when the requirements of this section have been met.    (f)    Each service area created under this section is a separate taxing district.    (g)    A change in the boundaries of an existing service area does not affect any outstanding bond issued with respect to the existing service area.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-650 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part V - Service Areas|Section 9-650 - Advances by Member Counties for Service Areas

    (a)    In addition to the power to make any other advances under this subtitle, the governing body of a member county may advance to a district the funds necessary to organize and to meet the preliminary expenses of a service area or a proposed service area.    (b)    The district shall repay advances made under this section.    (c)    If a bond issue is made for the service area for which advances were made under this section, the district shall repay any outstanding advances to the member county from the proceeds of the first bond issue.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-651 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part V - Service Areas|Section 9-651 - Consolidation of Administrative Matters of Service Areas

    (a)    If consolidating administrative matters of service areas will not impair any bond obligation incurred by a district under this subtitle, the district may consolidate the administrative matters of service areas in accordance with this section.    (b)    If the action promotes efficient operation of the service areas, a district may:        (1)    Consolidate the operational, engineering, and financial functions of service areas;        (2)    Allocate costs among service areas; and        (3)    If this subtitle does not commit the funds for a specific purpose, combine funds of service areas.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-655 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part VI - Operation of Districts|Section 9-655 - Construction of Facilities

    (a)    After the hearing processes required in § 9-648 or § 9-649 of this subtitle are complete, a sanitary district may begin construction on a project that has been approved under either of those sections.    (b)    The sanitary commission shall follow the bid solicitation procedure of this section for any construction work on the project, unless the cost will be $5,000 or less.    (c)    The sanitary commission may solicit bids for all or part of the project for which bids are sought.    (d)    Whenever the sanitary commission solicits bids under this section for construction contracts, the sanitary commission shall advertise the solicitation in each member county in at least 1 newspaper of general circulation in the county.    (e)    In addition to the advertising required by subsection (d) of this section, the sanitary commission may advertise the solicitation in other newspapers or technical journals.    (f)    If the sanitary commission awards a contract in response to bids received under this section, the sanitary commission shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.    (g)    If the sanitary commission determines that the prices quoted in any bid are unreasonable or unbalanced, it may reject the bid.    (h)    If the sanitary commission rejects all the bids, the sanitary commission may:        (1)    Readvertise; or        (2)    Do the project or any part of it with its own temporary or permanent employees.    (i)    The sanitary commission may include in the contract additional conditions and requirements for:        (1)    Performance bonds;        (2)    Penalties; and        (3)    Liquidated damages.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-656 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part VI - Operation of Districts|Section 9-656 - Benefit Assessments and Connection Charges as to Property Owners

    (a)    (1)    To pay the principal and interest on bonds issued under this subtitle, a sanitary commission may set reasonable benefit assessments and reasonable connection charges.        (2)    In Allegany County, a sanitary commission may also set reasonable benefit assessments to pay the cost of capital improvements to a water or sewerage system.        (3)    The Sanitary Commission of Worcester County may also set reasonable benefit assessments and reasonable connection charges to pay other costs on bonds issued under this subtitle.        (4)    In Dorchester County, a sanitary commission may also set reasonable benefit assessments to pay the cost of capital improvements and repairs to a water or sewerage system.    (b)    (1)    Except for Worcester County, a connection charge made under this section shall be equal at least to the cost of making the connection between a water system or sewerage system and the property served by that system.        (2)    In Worcester County, a connection charge shall be equal at least to:            (i)    The actual cost of making the connection between a water system or sewerage system and the property served by the system; or            (ii)    The average cost of making a connection based on:                1.    The diameter and the length of the connector; or                2.    The diameter of the connector and the width of the way in which the water pipe or sewer pipe is laid.        (3)    In the case of connectors constructed under § 9-661 of this subtitle during construction of the water line or sewer line, the Sanitary Commission of Worcester County shall determine a connection charge under paragraph (2)(ii) of this subsection that is the same on each side of the way in which the line is laid.    (c)    The Sanitary Commission may set benefit assessments on all property, improved or unimproved, that abuts a way in which a water main or sewer has been built.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-659 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part VI - Operation of Districts|Section 9-659 - Connections to Nonabutting Property

    (a)    (1)    The sanitary commission shall connect the water system or sewerage system to any parcel:            (i)    Whose owner requests the connection;            (ii)    That does not abut a way in which a water pipe or sewer pipe is laid; and            (iii)    That is not the subject of a benefit assessment levied under § 9–657 or § 9–658 of this subtitle.        (2)    However, the Sanitary Commission of Worcester County may also construct or permit the construction of a connector to any parcel described under paragraph (1) at a time and in a manner that it determines to be appropriate.    (b)    The sanitary commission shall classify the parcel and determine a front–foot charge on the parcel as if the parcel abutted on a way in which a water pipe or sewer pipe is laid.    (c)    When a connection is made under this section, the owner of the parcel has the same rights and duties and the district has the same remedies as to the benefit assessment that apply to benefit assessments under §§ 9–657 and 9–658 of this subtitle.    (d)    Payment of a benefit assessment made under this section:        (1)    Is due when levied by the sanitary commission;        (2)    Is in default 60 days after the payment is due; and        (3)    When in default, bears interest from the date of default:            (i)    In Allegany and Somerset counties, at the rate set by the respective Sanitary Commission; and            (ii)    In all other counties, at the rate of 0.5 percent a month.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  9-660 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 9 - Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities|Subtitle 6 - Sanitary Commissions|Part VI - Operation of Districts|Section 9-660 - Disposition of Proceeds of Benefit Assessments

    (a)    In this section, “district account” means the account maintained by a sanitary commission in accordance with this section.    (b)    A sanitary commission shall:        (1)    Maintain a district account; and        (2)    Credit to the district account all proceeds from the benefit assessments levied under this subtitle.    (c)    The sanitary commission shall use funds in the district account to pay the principal and interest on the bonds for which the benefit assessment was levied.