Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 17 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT; PROVISIONS COMMON TO COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES (§§ 17-1-1 — 17-29-9) › Chapter 17 - SOLID WASTES DISPOSAL (§§ 17-17-1 — 17-17-507) › MISSISSIPPI REGIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY ACT (§§ 17-17-301 — 17-17-349) › Section 17-17-321 - Contracts between public agencies and authority for provision of solid waste management services by authority; payments for services and contributions by public agencies

(1)
Any public agency may, pursuant to a duly adopted resolution, contract with the authority for the authority to acquire, construct or provide facilities and projects to be owned by the authority for furnishing municipal solid waste management services to the public agency or to users within the boundaries of the public agency. The public agency shall be obligated to make payments which shall be sufficient to enable the authority to meet its expenses, interest and principal payments (whether at maturity or upon sinking funds redemption) for its bonds, reserves for debt service, payments into funds for operation and maintenance and renewals and replacements and the requirements of any rate covenant with respect to debt service coverage contained in any resolution, trust indenture or other security agreement relating to its bonds. Such contracts may also contain other terms and conditions as the authority and the public agency may determine, including provisions whereby the public agency is obligated to make payments under such contract whether or not use or services are rendered or whether or not the facilities are completed, operable or operating, and notwithstanding suspension, interruption, interference, reduction or curtailment of the use or services of such facilities. Such contracts may be for a term covering the life of the facilities or for any other term or for an indefinite period and may be made with or without consideration and may provide that the amounts payable by the public agency are in lieu of all or any part of the rates, fees and other charges which would otherwise be collected from the users of the facilities.
(2)
Contracts may provide that the obligation of a public agency to make payments to the authority for facilities is several, or is joint and several, with the obligations of other public agencies or other persons contracting with the authority for the use of services of such management facilities. When the public agency's obligation is joint and several, and if any other public agency or other person defaults in his obligation, then the public agency may be required to increase its payments to the authority by a proportional amount, taking into consideration the remaining persons who are likewise contracting with the authority and who are not in default.
(3)
The obligations of a public agency arising under the terms of any contract referred to in this section, whether or not payable solely from revenues or solely from a pledge of ad valorem taxes or any combination thereof, shall not be construed as being included within the indebtedness limitations of the public agency for purposes of any constitutional or statutory limitation or provision. To the extent provided in such contract and to the extent such obligations of the public agency are payable solely from the revenues and other monies derived by the public agency from the operation of its facilities which are the subject of such contract, such obligations may be treated as expenses of operating such facilities.
(4)
Contracts may also provide for payments in the form of contributions to defray the cost of any purpose set forth in the contracts and as advances for any facilities subject to repayment by the authority. A public agency may make such contributions or advances from its general fund, general obligation bond proceeds, or surplus fund or from any monies legally available therefor.
(5)
Subject to the terms of a contract referred to in this section, the authority is hereby authorized to do and perform any and all acts or things necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of such contract, including the fixing, charging, collecting, maintaining and revising of rates, fees and other charges for the services rendered to any user of the facilities operated or maintained by the authority, whether or not such facilities are owned by the authority.
Laws, 1991, ch. 581, § 11, eff. 4/12/1991.