Any municipality which is a member of the joint agency may contract to buy from the joint agency power and energy for its present or future requirements, including the capacity and output of one or more specified projects. As the creation of a joint agency is an alternative method whereby a municipality may obtain the benefits and assume the responsibilities of ownership in a project, any such contract may provide that the municipality so contracting shall be obligated to make the payments required by the contract whether or not a project is completed, operable or operating and notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction or curtailment of the output of a project or the power and energy contracted for, and that such payments under the contract shall not be subject to any reduction, whether by offset or otherwise, and shall not be conditioned upon the performance or nonperformance of the joint agency or any other member of the joint agency under the contract or any other instrument. Any contract with respect to the sale or purchase of capacity or output of a project entered into between a joint agency and its member municipalities may also provide that if one or more of such municipalities shall default in the payment of its or their obligations with respect to the purchase of said capacity or output, then in that event the remaining member municipalities which are purchasing capacity and output under the contract shall be required to accept and pay for and shall be entitled proportionately to and may use or otherwise dispose of the capacity or output which was to be purchased by the defaulting municipality. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, any such contract with respect to the sale or purchase of capacity, output, power, or energy from a project may extend for a period not exceeding 50 years from the date a project is estimated to be placed in normal continuous operation.
Any municipality may contract with a joint agency, or may contract indirectly with a joint agency through a joint municipal assistance agency, to implement the provisions of G.S. 159B-11(19a) and (19b). Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, including, but not limited to, the provisions of G.S. 159B-44(13), any contract between a joint agency and a municipality or a joint municipal assistance agency (or between a municipality and a joint municipal assistance agency) to implement the provisions of G.S. 159B-11(19b) may extend for a period not exceeding 30 years; provided, that any such contract in respect of a capital project to be used by or for the benefit of a municipality shall be subject to the prior approval of the Local Government Commission of North Carolina. In reviewing any such contract for approval, said Local Government Commission shall consider the municipality's debt management procedures and policies, whether the municipality is in default with respect to its debt service obligations and such other matters as said Local Government Commission may believe to have a bearing on whether the contract should be approved.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the execution and effectiveness of any contracts authorized by this section shall not be subject to any authorizations or approvals by the State or any agency, commission or instrumentality or political subdivision thereof except as in this Chapter specifically required and provided.
Payments by a municipality under any contract authorized by this section shall be made solely from the revenues derived from the ownership and operation of the electric system of said municipality and any obligation under such contract shall not constitute a legal or equitable pledge, charge, lien, or encumbrance upon any property of the municipality or upon any of its income, receipts, or revenues, except the revenues of its electric system, and neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power of the municipality are, or may be, pledged for the payment of any obligation under any such contract. A municipality or joint agency, pursuant to an agreement with a municipality, shall be obligated to fix, charge and collect rents, rates, fees and charges for electric power and energy and other services, activities permitted in this Chapter, facilities and commodities sold, furnished or supplied through the electric system of the municipality sufficient to provide revenues adequate to meet its obligations under any such contract and to pay any and all other amounts payable from or constituting a charge and lien upon such revenues, including amounts sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on general obligation bonds heretofore or hereafter issued by the municipality for purposes related to its electric system.
Payments by any joint municipal assistance agency to any joint agency under any contract or contracts authorized by this section, shall be made solely from the sources specified in such contract or contracts and no other, and any obligation under such contract shall not constitute a legal or equitable pledge, charge, lien, or encumbrance upon any property of the joint municipal assistance agency or upon any of its income, receipts, or revenues, or upon any property of any municipality with which the joint agency or joint municipal assistance agency contracts or upon any of such municipality's income, receipts, or revenues in each case except such sources so specified. A joint municipal assistance agency shall be obligated to fix, charge and collect rents, rates, fees, and charges for providing aid and assistance sufficient to provide revenues adequate to meet its obligations under such contract.
Any municipality which is a member of a joint agency may furnish the joint agency with money derived solely from the ownership and operation of its electric system or facilities and provide the joint agency with personnel, equipment and property, both real and personal. Any municipality may also provide any services to a joint agency.
Any member of a joint agency may contract for, advance or contribute funds derived solely from the ownership and operation of its electric system or facilities to a joint agency as may be agreed upon by the joint agency and the member, and the joint agency shall repay such advances or contributions from proceeds of bonds, from operating revenues or from any other funds of the joint agency, together with interest thereon as may be agreed upon by the member and the joint agency. (1975, c. 186, s. 1; 1983, c. 574, s. 5; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 888, s. 3; 1995, c. 412, s. 8.)
Sections: Previous 159B-5 159B-5.1 159B-6 159B-7 159B-9 159B-10 159B-11 159B-12 159B-13 159B-14 159B-15 159B-16 159B-16.1 159B-17 159B-18 Next
Last modified: March 23, 2014