(a) If an applicant for a development project for natural gas exploration or production and a public agency agree in writing to expedite the public agency’s actions pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 65940) or this article, the public agency may provide the services, contract with a private entity, or employ persons on a temporary basis to perform the services necessary to meet those time limits.
(b) The private entities or persons temporarily employed by the public agency may, pursuant to a contract or agreement with the public agency, perform any of the functions necessary to comply with the requirements of Article 3 (commencing with Section 65940), this article, or local ordinances adopted pursuant to those articles, except those functions reserved by those articles or local ordinances to the legislative body of a local agency.
(c) A public agency may charge the applicant a fee that does not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service pursuant to this section. A local agency shall comply with Section 66014, Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 66016), and Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 66020).
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 439, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)