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<br />' `.1. State Funding For Reservoirs ~ 4'"
<br />" ' The most innovative aspect of the proposed plan is a provision ,for ' state ~ . `~~'.`~~.'• ': ,
<br />`, participation in the cost of mayor water resource facilities. Under Amendment''.,;~~ ~ , '.•
<br />`•. • .~; 1, $400 million in bond funds would be made available for state investments in' ; ' •.,,'; , :'~~ •
<br />.•,, the oversize capacity of reservoirs, wastewater projects and flood-control,;,;'", .
<br />'.' facilities which exceed short-term local or regional' requirements. ~ ~ ,~ '.
<br />~, ~ Under, the proposal, the state could, 'as~ one example, provide a mayor ',share of ;,~ ;. "~,
<br />. • ~ the up-front funding fora reservoir designed to meet the water supply needs''of '; ' f. •
<br />'" . a region for SO years, but with respect to :which local governmental units can ~' ;
<br />.',~ only afford to construct a 25-year facility. Later,'as~the region develops and ;~ '
<br />• its financial base expands, participating localities -would gradually buy'back~ ~' ,,'
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<br />the• state's portion of the project, - .. ' ~ ~ `~' - , , ` ' • ` ,, '
<br />Clearly, the. state '"buy-in".'component . of ..the 1985 water ;plan. will be .highly ~~''
<br />' ,.beneficial to' cities. '" By,•providing up-front financing, it will significantly,.:-•~:~ ,.,
<br />alleviate the cost to local governments'of constructing 'large reservoirs and.~~.
<br />• other ;water=related,facilities. •~. •'Also,; by strengthening the .ability . of ,,.• ~: .' .
<br />.localities to establish regional water .resource systems, it will discourage the.;'` „-~,
<br />' .further proliferation of the small, .inefficient water and wastewater •units that - ' ~;'' '
<br />• , have become ' so commonplace ~ throughout . • the state.because ~of limited "fiscal ~: ~° •, ,b.J
<br />;resources and lack of intergovernmental cooperation.:_ ~:,.'
<br />". ~2. State Loans to Localitiesr ~'' •• ~ A `• ~ - _ . ~ •
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<br />' mendment 1 also• would authorize.fthe issuance of $580 million ~in bonds to be ~• ~'
<br />. ~ :''y(~ used' for state loans ..to cities'~•and .other localities for water resource, pro3 ects.`. , •' . ' ,
<br />• ~• Of the total amount $190 ,million ,will be allocated for water supply facilities.`' ;,.''.''"':.
<br />~~ ~ ,.and $190 million for..wastewater ''prod ects.....The balance • of $200 million will be.~•, „,.-
<br />:. '%, - made available for state' loans on~ behalf of flood control .facilities, which are •; ?~.y'~ ~;'
<br />: ,being made `eligible ~ for state financial assistance for , •the first time. , • • ' ' ~', ~'
<br />:~-=~ ~~Under::the ~ various state water plans ,enacted •over• the past 20 years, state fund -
<br />.yang` for' water . resource~~°~pro~ ects•:~iaas `generally .limited ~to hardship cases--i:e.~,-~;'.`^'.~' ' 1 '
<br />•~,.
<br />- .local•ities. which, because+bf .financial .problems, had trouble •selling their water; -
<br />_ :~ 'or sewer ..bonds.'ori• the'operi market. °•;~Therefore,' as ~.a'practical matter .the:."main .•
<br />' ,' function' of,'~the ~ state's .previous, .,financial •;assistance ',programs, was to ;provide ~ ~ ''r
<br />• ~ 't :.modest~•loans to'small cities-for .community_.~sewage' treatment' plants,•' elevated Y •`
<br />. water' storage:^ tanks ~`~and . ~ the" like:,: "The ', emphasis. "of ~ thin;' approach thus ~ limited
<br />i;ts= ;usefulness ~''as a ?vehicle r.for • solving :'the .state's'•broader. ,water.'-r'esource, ~ ~:•"~`''
<br />a 'p'robl'ems:. 'r ~: F ~ r , i., , ,. ,.: 4 .;~ .:;~.
<br />• t C .. ~ •.t.• +:
<br />" ~Under~ the enat~ling legislation for Amendment, ~1•,' .'two•'significant ,exemptions a're ~, rr.•'
<br />' created from` 'the.'~hardship `~ standard. ' '.,.Tile `~•first •,~is ~ designed to foster ~ the ~_.'':.;-
<br />' ~ develo went ~- Hof :~areawide .:.'facilities •~ • the second will induce cha ' ''~ ~' '~ ~ '•
<br />. P _ , ' ngeovers from ~_ ~ ,
<br />' ,underground to surface ,water supplies. `: ~ ,, ' . ~ ,~' ' . •' : ; ,
<br />With respect to the first, exception, the legislation would allow the hardship '„• ~,~
<br />,' requirement to be waived for any water supply, sewerage or flood control system•~..
<br />which serves an area other than a single county, city or special district. The ;~-
<br />• hardship standard also is•subject to waiver for systems operated by individual '. '.
<br />~~ ~.. cities if the plan is to reduce the number of local service providers by absorb- ~~~ ~.` , ~~~
<br />~ing them into :an areawide .facility. '. •" ~ „ , . ~~ ~ ~ ,
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