No county may purchase or sell a water, sewer, or wastewater reuse utility that provides service to the public for compensation, or enter into a wastewater facility privatization contract for a wastewater facility, until the governing body of the county has held a public hearing on the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract and made a determination that the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract is in the public interest. In determining if the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract is in the public interest, the county shall consider, at a minimum, the following:(1) The most recent available income and expense statement for the utility;
(2) The most recent available balance sheet for the utility, listing assets and liabilities and clearly showing the amount of contributions-in-aid-of-construction and the accumulated depreciation thereon;
(3) A statement of the existing rate base of the utility for regulatory purposes;
(4) The physical condition of the utility facilities being purchased, sold, or subject to a wastewater facility privatization contract;
(5) The reasonableness of the purchase, sales, or wastewater facility privatization contract price and terms;
(6) The impacts of the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract on utility customers, both positive and negative;
(7)(a) Any additional investment required and the ability and willingness of the purchaser, or the private firm under a wastewater facility privatization contract, to make that investment, whether the purchaser is the county or the entity purchasing the utility from the county;
(b) In the case of a wastewater facility privatization contract, the terms and conditions on which the private firm will provide capital investment and financing or a combination thereof for contemplated capital replacements, additions, expansions, and repairs. The county shall give significant weight to this criteria.
(8) The alternatives to the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract, and the potential impact on utility customers if the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract is not made; and
(9)(a) The ability of the purchaser or the private firm under a wastewater facility privatization contract to provide and maintain high-quality and cost-effective utility service, whether the purchaser is the county or the entity purchasing the utility from the county.
(b) In the case of a wastewater facility privatization contract, the county shall give significant weight to the technical expertise and experience of the private firm in carrying out the obligations specified in the wastewater facility privatization contract.
(10) All moneys paid by a private firm to a county pursuant to a wastewater facility privatization contract shall be used for the purpose of reducing or offsetting property taxes, wastewater service rates, or debt reduction or making infrastructure improvements or capital asset expenditures or other public purpose; provided, however, nothing herein shall preclude the county from using all or part of the moneys for the purpose of the county’s qualification for relief from the repayment of federal grant awards associated with the wastewater system as may be required by federal law or regulation.
The county shall prepare a statement showing that the purchase, sale, or wastewater facility privatization contract is in the public interest, including a summary of the purchaser’s or private firm’s experience in water, sewer, and wastewater reuse utility operation and a showing of financial ability to provide the service, whether the purchaser or private firm is the county or the entity purchasing the utility from the county.
