2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 32 - HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, AND FERRIES (§§ 32-1-1 — 32-12-1) › Chapter 10 - PUBLIC AUTHORITIES (§§ 32-10-1 — 32-10-133) › Article 1 - GEORGIA HIGHWAY AUTHORITY (§§ 32-10-1 — 32-10-50) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 32-10-1 — 32-10-16) › Section 32-10-9 - Leasing of projects

The authority, as lessor, is authorized to lease any project or group of projects to the state and the department as lessees; and the Governor on behalf of the state and the commissioner on behalf of the department are authorized to execute and enter upon such leases for the use of a project or group of projects by the state, the department, and the general public; and such leases may contain such of the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in this Code section as may be applicable to the undertaking:
(1)
Said leases shall be for a term not in excess of 50 years;
(2)
The rental to be paid for the use of the project or projects shall be fixed by the authority and shall be calculated so as to enable the authority:
(A)
To pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, the proceeds of which have been or will be spent on the cost of the project or projects thus leased, including premiums, if any;
(B)
To comply with any sinking fund requirement contained in the indenture of trust securing such bonds;
(C)
To pay the cost of constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, repairing, and operating such project or projects;
(D)
To perform fully all of the provisions of the trust indenture securing the bonds to the payment of which such rental is pledged;
(E)
To pay the pro rata share of the reasonable and necessary administrative and operating expense of the authority, including any sum or sums that may be owed to the department as a result of expenditure made by the department under this article;
(F)
To accumulate any excess income which may be required by the bond purchasers or dictated by the requirements of achieving ready marketability and low interest rates of the bonds;
(G)
To pay any expenses in connection with the bond issue or project or group of projects, such as trustees' fees, counsel fees, fiscal fees, and the like;
(3)
The rental shall be payable at such intervals as may be agreed upon and set forth in such lease, and any lease may provide for the commencement of rental payments to the authority prior to the completion of the undertaking of the authority with respect to any project or projects; and it may also provide for payment of rental during such times as the leased project or group of projects may be partially or wholly untenantable;
(4)
The lease may obligate the lessees to maintain and keep in good repair (including complete reconstruction, if necessary) the leased projects, regardless of the cause of the necessity for such maintenance, repair, or reconstruction. If such provision is included in any lease, the maintenance, repair, upkeep, and reconstruction, if necessary, shall be performed by the department, which is authorized to expend any sums legally available to it in carrying out such obligations. However, as to any project which is a county road, urban road, or state road, as defined in Code Section
32-10-1
, which is not part of the state highway system, the duty of maintenance and repair shall rest upon the incorporated municipality within the limits of which lie any part of the project and upon the county for the remaining part of such project lying outside such limits, as in the case of other public roads of the county or of the municipality. Furthermore, if the entire project lies within the limits of the incorporated municipality, such municipality then shall have the duty of maintenance and repair of the entire project; and furthermore, if no part of said project lies within the limits of an incorporated municipality, the county shall have the duty of maintenance and repair of the entire project; and
(5)
The lease may obligate the lessees to indemnify and save harmless the authority from any and all injury and damage to persons or property occurring on or by reason of the leased premises and improvements thereon and to undertake at state expense the defense of any actions brought against the authority by reason of injury or damages to persons or property occurring on or by reason of the leased premises; and a lease may contain a similar obligation on the part of the county through which runs a project covered by the lease.