48-709

48-709. Powers of a community facilities district

A. In addition to the powers otherwise granted to a district pursuant to this article, a district may to further the general plan:

1. Enter into contracts and expend monies for any public infrastructure purpose with respect to the district.

2. Enter into intergovernmental agreements as prescribed in title 11, chapter 7, article 3 for the planning, design, inspection, ownership, control, maintenance, operation or repair of public infrastructure or the provision of enhanced municipal services by the municipality in the district.

3. Sell, lease or otherwise dispose of district property if the sale, lease or conveyance is not a violation of the terms of any contract or bond resolution of the district.

4. Reimburse the municipality for providing enhanced municipal services in the district.

5. Operate, maintain and repair public infrastructure.

6. Establish, charge and collect user fees, rates or charges for the use of any public infrastructure or service.

7. Employ staff, counsel and consultants.

8. Reimburse the municipality or county for staff and consultant services and support facilities supplied by the municipality or county.

9. Accept gifts or grants and incur and repay loans for any public infrastructure purpose.

10. Enter into agreements with landowners and the municipality or county for the collection of fees and charges from landowners for public infrastructure purposes, the advance of monies by landowners for public infrastructure purposes or the granting of real property by the landowner for public infrastructure purposes.

11. By resolution, levy and assess the costs of any public infrastructure purpose on any land benefited in the district.

12. Pay the financial, legal and administrative costs of the district.

13. Enter into contracts, agreements and trust indentures to obtain credit enhancement or liquidity support for its bonds and process the issuance, registration, transfer and payment of its bonds and the disbursement and investment of proceeds of the bonds.

14. With the consent of the governing body of the municipality or county which formed the district, enter into agreements with persons outside of the district to provide services to persons and property outside of the district.

15. Use public easements and rights-of-way in or across public property, roadways, highways, streets or other thoroughfares and other public easements and rights-of-way, whether in or out of the geographical limits of the district, the municipality or the county.

B. This article does not authorize:

1. A district to acquire, construct, operate or maintain an electric generation or distribution system or natural gas distribution system without the written consent of any affected public service corporation, electric cooperative, agricultural improvement or power district or other district described in article XIII, section 7, Constitution of Arizona, the service area of which encompasses all or part of the district, if that entity is providing or is capable of adequately providing electrical utility service or natural gas utility service in the district.

2. A district to provide service outside its boundaries without the written consent of any affected public service corporation, electric cooperative, agricultural improvement or power district or other district described in article XIII, section 7, Constitution of Arizona, with a service area that lies outside of the district, if that entity is providing or is capable of adequately providing electrical utility service or natural gas utility service in the area that the district proposes to serve.

C. If a district is granted written consent pursuant to this section, the district shall provide a copy to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and each commissioner of the Arizona corporation commission no later than thirty days after consent is granted.

D. In connection with any power authorized by statute, the district may:

1. Contract.

2. Enter into intergovernmental agreements pursuant to title 11, chapter 7, article 3.

3. Adopt and change a seal.

4. Sue and be sued.

5. Enter into development agreements, as defined in section 9-500.05.

6. Exercise the same right and power of eminent domain as a public service corporation pursuant to title 12, chapter 8, articles 2 and 3 to acquire any property or right-of-way, except political subdivision, county, state or federal property, for any public infrastructure purpose.

E. A district which proposes to provide domestic water service in the certificated area of a public service corporation serving domestic water shall provide just compensation to the public service corporation pursuant to section 9-516.

F. Public infrastructure other than personalty may be located only in or on lands owned by the state, a county, a municipality or the district or dedicated or otherwise designated as public roadways, highways, streets, thoroughfares, easements or rights-of-way, whether in or out of the district or the municipality. Personalty may be used only for purposes authorized by the district board.

G. An agreement pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 10 of this section may include agreements to repay all or part of such advances, fees and charges from the proceeds of bonds if issued or from advances, fees and charges collected from other landowners or users or those having a right to use any public infrastructure. A person does not have authority to compel the issuance or sale of the bonds of the district or the exercise of any taxing power of the district to make repayment under any agreement.

H. A district shall not contract with a municipality for enhanced municipal services unless the area for which the services are to be provided is designated by the municipality as a slum or blighted area pursuant to title 36, chapter 12, or an urban core business district of the municipality determined by formal resolution of the municipality to be in need of enhanced municipal services to encourage or preserve commercial development in the area.

I. Notwithstanding title 34 or article 2 of this chapter, the district at the option of the district board may enter into contracts for the performance of district projects with landowners in the district after calling for bids but before publishing notice of the award of a contract if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The landowner or landowners own three-fourths or more of the total land area of the district.

2. The landowner or landowners contract to perform the work at a cost which does not exceed the cost specified in the bid of the bidder who would have been awarded that bid.

3. The work for which the contract was let is to be financed pursuant to this article.

4. All contracts and work executed pursuant to this section are subject to those rules as the district board may prescribe.