(1) To accomplish the purposes specified in section 30-11-306, counties are granted the following powers:
To acquire, hold, use, transfer, and convey any real property or any interest thereinfor purposes of landfill gas exploration, production, and development;
To engage in any and all activities respecting the exploration, development, production, distribution, marketing, and sale of landfill gas to any person or public or private entity, or for county uses;
(I) To acquire by gift, purchase, or condemnation necessary easements and rights-ofway, for ingress and egress and for the installation of facilities related to collection and distribution of landfill gas; except that the power of condemnation granted in this paragraph (c) shall not extend to acquisition of landfill gas in place nor shall such power be available to a county until the county has entered into a contract with the owner of such landfill gas for the development, extraction, and purchase of such landfill gas, and except that such condemnation shall not interfere with the normal use of any real property, or other property appurtenant thereto, which is devoted or dedicated to a public utility use or upon which landfill gas abatement or recovery facilities have been placed in operation and shall be limited to the maximum reasonable width or area necessary to install, operate, and maintain such rights-of-way, ingress and egress, and collection and distribution facilities.
(II) Any interest in real property acquired by condemnation pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall terminate upon the completion of use of such real property, or any interest therein, for landfill gas operations, and any such condemnation shall be in the manner provided in part 1 of article 6 of title 38, C.R.S.
To enter into contracts, including intergovernmental contracts, and to perform all actsnecessary to produce, distribute, and market landfill gas;
To issue general obligation bonds, after approval of the qualified electors of the county, for purposes of financing the exploration, development, production, distribution, and marketing of landfill gas;
To issue revenue bonds authorized by action of the board of county commissioners,without the approval of the qualified electors of the county, for purposes of financing the exploration, development, production, distribution, and marketing of landfill gas. Such revenue bonds shall be issued in the manner provided in part 4 of article 35 of title 31, C.R.S., for the issuance of revenue bonds by municipalities; except that such revenue bonds may be sold in one or more series at par, or below or above par, at public or private sale, in such manner and for such price as the county, in its discretion, shall determine. Such revenue bonds and interest coupons, if any, appurtenant thereto shall never constitute the debt or indebtedness of the county within the meaning of any provision or limitation of the state constitution or statutes, and shall not constitute nor give rise to a pecuniary liability of the county or a charge against its general credit or taxing powers, and such revenue bonds and the income therefrom are exempt from taxation, except inheritance, estate, and transfer taxes.
Source: L. 80: Entire section added, p. 652, § 3, effective July 1.
Cross references: For municipal provisions concerning landfill gas, see §§ 31-15-715 and 31-15-716.