SB 527 — AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY OF STAMFORD.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

527 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00527FIN___040618____* No.AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY OF STAMFORD.

3109   *03109_______FIN* Referred to Committee on FINANCE, REVENUE AND BONDING   Introduced by:

  (FIN)   AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY OF STAMFORD.

(2) "Voter" means (A) any person who is an elector of the district, (B) any citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years or more who, jointly or severally, is liable to the district for taxes assessed against such citizen on an assessment of not less than one thousand dollars on the last-completed grand list of such district, as the case may be, or who would be so liable if not entitled to an exemption under subdivision (17), (19), (22), (23) or (26) of section 12-81 of the general statutes, or (C) holdersa holder of record of an interest in real property within the district.

(b) (1) (A) Upon the petition of five or more persons eligible to vote in the city of Stamford, specifying the district for any or all of the purposes set forth in this section, the mayor of suchsaid city shall call a meeting of the voters to act upon such petition, which meeting shall be held at such place within suchsaid city and such hour as the mayor designates, not later than thirty days after such petition has been received by the mayor.

Such meeting shall be called by publication of a written notice of the same, signed by the mayor, at least fourteen days before the time fixed for such meeting in two successive issues of a newspaper published or circulated in suchsaid city.

(B) Any such referendum shall be held not less than seven days or more than fourteen days after the receipt of such petition or the date of such order, on a day to be set by the mayor for a vote by paper ballots or by a "yes" or "no" vote on the voting machines, during the hours between twelve o'clock noon and eight o'clock p.m., except that suchsaid city may, by vote of its board of representatives, provide for an earlier hour for opening the polls but not earlier than six o'clock a.m., notwithstanding the provisions of any special act.

To extinguish fires,fires; to light streets, to plant and care for shade and ornamental trees, to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, maintain and finance transportation improvements, roads, sidewalks, crosswalks, drains, sewers and sewage treatment facilities, utility improvements and connections, parking facilities, open space, bulkhead repairs, dredging and construction, environmental remediation and other infrastructure improvements and to acquire, construct, maintain and regulate the use of recreational and other public facilities, to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, reconstruct, repair, maintain, supervise and manage a flood or erosion control system and to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, maintain, operate, finance and regulate the use of a community water system, all as hereinafter referred to as the "improvements".

to light streets;

to plant and care for shade and ornamental trees;

to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, maintain and finance transportation improvements, roads, sidewalks, crosswalks, drains, sewers and sewage treatment facilities, utility improvements and connections, parking facilities, open space, bulkhead repairs, dredging and construction, environmental remediation and other infrastructure improvements;

to acquire, construct, maintain and regulate the use of recreational and other public facilities;

to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, reconstruct, repair, maintain, supervise and manage a flood or erosion control system;

and to plan, lay out, acquire, construct, maintain, operate, finance and regulate the use of a community water system, all as referred to in this section as the "improvements".

Two hundred or more persons or ten per cent of the total number of voters of such district, whichever is less, may petition the clerk of such district, in writing, at least twenty-four hours prior to any such meeting, requesting that any item or items on the call of such meeting be submitted to the voters not less than seven days or more than fourteen days thereafter, on a day to be set by the district meeting or, if the district meeting does not set a date, by the board of directors, or a vote by paper ballots or by a "yes" or "no" vote on the voting machines, during the hours between twelve o'clock noon and eight o'clock p.m., except that anythe district may, by vote of its board of directors, provide for an earlier hour for opening the polls but not earlier than six o'clock a.m.

When such a petition has been filed with the clerk, the president, after completion of other business and after reasonable discussiondiscussion, shall adjourn such meeting and order such vote on such item or items in accordance with the petition;

The district may not be terminated under this subsection until all of its outstanding indebtedness is paidpaid, unless the board of representatives of the city agrees in writing to assume such indebtedness.

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, including sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, of the general statutes, the district shall have the power to assess, levy and collect benefit assessments upon the land and buildings in the district that, in its judgment, are benefited by the improvements.

(f) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, including sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, of the general statutes, the district shall have the power to fix, revise, charge, collect, abate and forgive reasonable taxes, fees, rents and benefit assessments, and other charges for the cost of the improvements, financing costs, operating expenses and other services and commodities furnished or supplied to the real property in the district in accordance with the applicable provisions of the general statutes that apply to districts established under section 7-325 of the general statutes,statutes and this section and in the manner prescribed by the district.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, whenever the district constructs, improves, extends, equips, rehabilitates, repairs, acquires or provides a grant for any improvements or finances the cost of such improvements, such proportion of the cost or estimated cost of the improvements and financing thereof as determined by the district may be assessed by the district, herein referred to in this section as "benefit assessments", in the manner prescribed by such district, upon the property benefited by such improvements and the balance of such costs shall be paid from the general funds of the district.

(g) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, including sections 7-324 to 7-329, inclusive, of the general statutes, whenever the district has authorized the acquisition or construction of the improvements or has made an appropriation therefor, the district may authorize the issuance of (A) up to two hundred fifty million dollars of bonds, notes or other obligations, which may be secured as to both principal and interest by (i) the full faith and credit of the district, (ii) fees, revenues or benefit assessments, or (iii) a combination of clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph, (B) bonds, notes or obligations exclusively secured as to both principal and interest by fees, revenues, benefit assessments or charges imposed by the district in relation to the property financed by the bonds, notes or obligations, and (C) bonds, notes or obligations to refund outstanding bonds, notes or obligations of the district.

(o) At the option of the city of Stamford by vote of theits board of representativesrepresentatives, of the city of Stamford, the district shall be merged into the city of Stamford if no bonds are issued by the district within ten years after the effective date of this section or after the bonds authorized by this section are no longer outstanding and any property that is owned by the district shall be distributed to the city of Stamford.

Section 1 from passage New section Statement of Purpose:Legislative Commissioners:

ToThroughout establish the Transportationbill, Centertechnical Improvementchanges Districtwere withinmade thefor cityaccuracy ofand Stamford.consistency with standard drafting conventions.

[ProposedFIN deletionsJoint areFavorable enclosedSubst. in brackets.

Proposed-LCO additions  are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]