SECTIONS 81650-81658 - California Statutes

WATER CODE

SECTION 81650-81658

81650. The board shall adopt a budget for each fiscal year.

81651. The accounts of the authority shall be audited annually in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards by independent
certified public accountants with experience in auditing the accounts
of local public entities.

81652. The authority may borrow money, incur indebtedness, and
issue notes and bonds as provided in this division, or as otherwise
authorized by law.

81653. (a) The authority may issue revenue bonds upon the adoption
of an ordinance by a two-thirds vote of all of the voting members of
the board, after notice and public hearing. For the purposes of
issuing bonds pursuant to this subdivision, the authority need not
conduct an election or otherwise secure the approval of the voters
within the boundaries of the authority.
(b) The authority shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general
circulation at least 15 days before the date of the meeting at which
the issuance of revenue bonds is to be considered and shall provide
an opportunity for public comments during that meeting and before the
directors vote on the issuance of those bonds.
(c) The authority may not issue any revenue bonds after December
31, 2020.

81654. The authority may issue bonds for the purpose of refunding
any revenue bonds of the authority, whether due or not due.

81655. The authority may issue negotiable promissory notes to
acquire funds for any authority purpose. The notes shall have a term
not to exceed five years. The total amount of notes issued pursuant
to this section that may be outstanding at any one time may not
exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000).

81656. Bonds and other evidences of indebtedness issued by the
authority are legal investments for all trust funds and for funds of
all insurers, commercial and savings banks, trust companies, and
state schools. Funds that may be invested in bonds of cities, cities
and counties, counties, school districts, or other local entities may
also be invested in bonds and other evidences of indebtedness of the
authority.

81658. (a) The proceeds of revenue bonds issued by the authority in
accordance with this division may be used only on projects designed
and intended in substantial part to improve the reliability of the
regional water system, including, but not limited to, strengthening
the system's ability to withstand seismic events.
(b) The proceeds shall be made available for the purposes set
forth in subdivision (a) upon terms and conditions that the board
determines necessary and appropriate. The terms and conditions shall
include, but are not limited to, San Francisco's entering into one or
more legally binding contracts with the authority that, at a
minimum, do all of the following:
(1) Identify specific projects and proposed completion dates,
subject to reasonable delays, for which the proceeds are to be used.
(2) Grant to the authority the authority to oversee and audit the
disposition of proceeds to third party consultants, suppliers, and
contractors.
(3) Grant to the authority the authority to determine the
procedure by which contracts are awarded to consultants, suppliers,
and contractors, consistent with the requirements of San Francisco's
charter and ordinances.
(4) Grant to the authority the authority to inspect the
construction of projects on which bond proceeds are expended.
(5) Require San Francisco to provide complete, accurate, and
timely information to the authority on the expenditure of the bond
proceeds.
(6) (A) (i) Require San Francisco, on behalf of the authority, to
impose a surcharge on Stanford University, the California Water
Service Company, and each of the public entities identified in
Section 81608.5, other than San Francisco, in an amount that will
generate sufficient revenue to pay the debt service on bonds issued
by the authority and the operating expenses of the authority.
(ii) The surcharge shall be calculated annually by the authority
as a uniform percentage of each entity's water bill.
(B) Require San Francisco to impose the surcharge described in
clause (i) of subparagraph (A) on its retail water customers upon the
occurrence of either of the following events:
(i) The voters of San Francisco approve a ballot measure
authorizing retail water rates to be increased to pay for the retail
water customer's share of the debt service on bonds issued by the
authority and the operating expenses of the authority.
(ii) The restrictions on water rate increases set forth in
"Proposition H," adopted by the voters of San Francisco on June 2,
1998, are not in effect.
(7) Require San Francisco to transmit the proceeds of the
surcharge collected by San Francisco to the authority in the manner
determined by the authority.
(8) Provide that, for the purposes of the master water sales
contract, the revenue generated by the surcharge imposed pursuant to
paragraph (6) does not constitute revenue of the regional water
system or revenue as defined in San Francisco's indenture of trust
relating to its revenue bonds.
(9) Provide that the facilities constructed with the proceeds of
bonds issued by the authority shall not be included in the wholesale
system rate base.
(10) Provide for the continuation of the surcharge imposed
pursuant to paragraph (6) after the expiration of the master water
sales contract in 2009.
(11) Provide that the ownership and operational control of
improvements to the regional water system that are financed in any
part by the authority shall remain with San Francisco, unless San
Francisco agrees to a change in that ownership or operational
control.
(c) San Francisco may require the authority to reimburse San
Francisco for the direct and reasonable costs San Francisco actually
incurs in implementing the requirements of paragraphs (6) and (7) of
subdivision (b).
(d) The authority may not take any action that results in an
affirmative or defacto pledge of any facilities of, or improvements
to, the regional water system. The authority may not take any action
that results in a pledge of revenue collected by San Francisco, other
than revenue generated by the imposition of the surcharge described
in paragraph (6) of subdivision (b).