(a) The governmental agency may exercise any power possessed by it with respect to the development and construction of infrastructure projects pursuant to this chapter. Agreements for the maintenance and police services entered into pursuant to this chapter shall provide for full reimbursement for services rendered by the governmental agency in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the agreement. The governmental agency may provide services for which it is reimbursed with respect to preliminary planning, environmental certification, and preliminary design of the infrastructure projects. The governmental agency may consult with legal, financial, and other consultants in the negotiation and development of the agreement. To the extent existing public utility infrastructure is necessarily required to be modified, relocated, or removed in order for an infrastructure project authorized by this chapter to be constructed, the cost of modification, relocation, or removal of the existing infrastructure shall be borne by the private entity and included as a recoverable capital cost of the project. This cost shall not be construed to include costs of increasing the capacity, or upgrading, or improving the existing public utility infrastructure.
(b) The private entity’s responsibility to modify, relocate, or remove existing public utility infrastructure shall not alter any agreements that may be in place between the governmental agency and any public utility regarding projects funded by the governmental agency.
(c) In the event of a dispute regarding the reimbursement required, a private entity may request an audit of the public utility’s costs by a mutually acceptable certified public accountant. The result of the audit shall determine the actual costs. If the audit indicates that the public utility’s actual costs were less than 95 percent of the cost claimed, the cost of the audit shall be borne by the public utility. If the audit indicates that the public utility’s actual costs were 95 percent or more of the cost claimed, the cost of the audit shall be borne by the private entity.
(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1040, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)