HOUSE BILL No. 4994

October 15, 2015, Introduced by Rep. Pscholka and referred to the Committee on Local Government.

 

     A bill to amend 1851 PA 156, entitled

 

"An act to define the powers and duties of the county boards of

commissioners of the several counties, and to confer upon them

certain local, administrative and legislative powers; and to

prescribe penalties for the violation of the provisions of this

act,"

 

by amending section 11c (MCL 46.11c), as amended by 2002 PA 275.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 11c. (1) A county board of commissioners may provide by

 

resolution for energy conservation improvements to be made to

 

county facilities or infrastructure and may pay for the

 

improvements from the general fund of the county or from the

 

savings that result from the energy conservation improvements.

 

Energy conservation improvements may include, but are not limited

 

to, heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning system improvements,

 

fenestration improvements, roof improvements, the installation of

 

any insulation, the installation or repair of heating, ventilating,


or air conditioning air-conditioning controls, and entrance or exit

 

way closures, information technology improvements associated with

 

an energy conservation improvement, and municipal utility

 

improvements associated with an energy conservation improvement.

 

     (2) The county board of commissioners of a county may acquire

 

1 or more of the energy conservation improvements described in

 

subsection (1) by installment contract, which may include a lease-

 

purchase agreement described in subsection (5), or may borrow money

 

and issue notes for the purpose of securing funds for the

 

improvements or may enter into contracts in which the cost of the

 

energy conservation improvements is paid from a portion of the

 

savings that result from the energy conservation improvements.

 

These contractual agreements may provide that the cost of the

 

energy conservation improvements are paid only if the energy

 

savings are sufficient to cover their cost. An installment

 

contract, a lease-purchase agreement described in subsection (5),

 

or notes issued pursuant to this subsection shall extend for a

 

period of time not to exceed 10 20 years from the date of

 

installation of the energy conservation improvement. Notes issued

 

pursuant to this subsection shall be full faith and credit, tax

 

limited obligations of the county, payable from tax levies and the

 

general fund as pledged by the county board of commissioners of the

 

county. The notes are subject to the revised municipal finance act,

 

2001 PA 34, MCL 141.2101 to 141.2821. A lease-purchase agreement

 

issued pursuant to this subsection shall not be subject to the

 

revised municipal finance act, 2001 PA 34, MCL 141.2101 to

 

141.2821, and shall not be a municipal security or a debt as those

 


terms are defined in that act. This subsection does not limit in

 

any manner the borrowing or bonding authority of a county as

 

provided by law.

 

     (3) If energy conservation improvements are made as provided

 

in this section, the county board of commissioners shall report the

 

following information to the department of treasury within 60 days

 

of the completion of the improvements:

 

     (a) Name of each facility to which an improvement is made and

 

a description of the conservation improvement.

 

     (b) Actual energy consumption during the 12-month period

 

before completion of the improvement.

 

     (c) Project costs and expenditures.

 

     (d) Estimated annual energy savings.

 

     (4) If energy conservation improvements are made as provided

 

in this section, the county board of commissioners shall report to

 

the department of treasury, by July 1 of each of the 5 years after

 

the improvements are completed, only the actual annual energy

 

consumption of each facility to which improvements are made. The

 

forms for the reports required by this section shall be furnished

 

by the department of treasury.

 

     (5) An installment contract described in this section may

 

include a lease-purchase agreement, which may be a multiyear

 

contractual obligation that provides for automatic renewal unless

 

positive action is taken by the legislative body to terminate that

 

contract. Payments under a lease-purchase agreement shall be a

 

current operating expense subject to annual appropriations of funds

 

by the legislative body and shall obligate the legislative body

 


only for those sums payable during the fiscal year of contract

 

execution or any renewal year thereafter. The legislative body may

 

make payments under a lease-purchase agreement from any legally

 

available funds or from a combination of energy or operational

 

savings, capital contributions, future replacement costs avoided,

 

or billable revenue enhancements that result from energy

 

conservation improvements, provided that the legislative body has

 

determined that those funds are sufficient to cover, in aggregate

 

over the full term of the contractual agreement, the cost of the

 

energy conservation improvements. The lease-purchase agreement will

 

terminate immediately and absolutely and without further obligation

 

on the part of the legislative body at the close of the fiscal year

 

in which it was executed or renewed or at such time as appropriated

 

and otherwise unobligated funds are no longer available to satisfy

 

the obligations of the legislative body under the lease-purchase

 

agreement. During the term of the lease-purchase agreement, the

 

legislative body shall be the vested owner of the energy

 

conservation improvements and may grant a security interest in the

 

energy conservation improvements to the provider of the lease-

 

purchase agreement. Upon the termination of the lease-purchase

 

agreement and the satisfaction of the obligations of the

 

legislative body, the provider of the lease-purchase agreement

 

shall release its security interest in the energy conservation

 

improvements.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.