9-4-604. Distribution and use; capital construction projects and bonds; municipal, county and special district purposes.
(a) Revenues received under W.S. 9-4-601(a)(vi) and (b)(i) shall be credited to a capital construction account. No money shall be expended from the account until the money has been appropriated by the legislature to the state loan and investment board through the normal budget process to be used in the board's discretion for any purpose authorized by this section. The revenues shall be used to finance state revenue bonds as provided by this section. The balance shall be used for the making of loans or grants to incorporated cities and towns, counties and special districts as provided in this section. No loan or grant shall be made by the state loan and investment board under the provisions of this section until the loan or grant application has been referred by the board to a state agency for review as determined by the board. The state agency shall provide the board with a written review of any loan or grant application referred to the agency and any other assistance requested by the board. No grant shall be made by the state loan and investment board under this section to any county unless the county imposes at least eleven (11) or ninety-one and sixty-seven one-hundredths percent (91.67%) of the available mills authorized by article 15, section 5 of the Wyoming constitution, or unless the county is imposing the optional sales tax authorized under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or (iii). No grant shall be made by the state loan and investment board under this section to any municipality unless the municipality imposes at least seven (7) or eighty-seven and five-tenths percent (87.5%) of the available mills authorized by article 15, section 6 of the Wyoming constitution. No grant shall be made by the state loan and investment board under this section to any special district or other lawful entity which imposes less than eighty percent (80%) of any authorized mill levy. The state loan and investment board may waive the taxation requirements imposed by this subsection for good cause shown such as other funding sources, but in no case shall the state loan and investment board authorize any grant to any municipality under this section which does not impose at least two (2) or twenty-five percent (25%) of the available mills authorized by article 15, section 6 of the Wyoming constitution. The state loan and investment board shall grant money as authorized by this section only when the board finds the grant is necessary to:
(i) Alleviate an emergency situation which poses a direct and immediate threat to health, safety or welfare;
(ii) Comply with a federal or state mandate;
(iii) Provide an essential public service.
(b) The state loan and investment board shall borrow money in a principal amount not to exceed sixty million dollars ($60,000,000.00) by the issuance from time to time of one (1) or more series of revenue bonds. The board may encumber revenues under W.S. 9-4-601(a)(vi) and (b)(i). Any bonds issued under this section, together with any interest accruing thereon and any prior redemption premiums due in connection therewith, are payable and collectible solely out of revenues authorized. The bond holders may not look to any general or other fund for payment of the bonds except the revenues pledged therefor. The bonds shall not constitute an indebtedness or a debt within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory provision or limitation. The bonds shall not be considered or held to be general obligations of the state but shall constitute special obligations of the state and the board shall not pledge the state's full faith and credit for payment of the bonds.
(c) Except as otherwise provided, bonds issued under this section shall be in a form, issued in a manner, at, above or below par at a discount not exceeding ten percent (10%) of the principal amount of the bonds, at public or private sale, and issued with recitals, terms, covenants, conditions and other provisions not contrary to other applicable statutes, as may be provided by the board in a resolution authorizing their issuance and in an indenture or other appropriate proceedings.
(d) Any bonds issued under this section shall:
(i) Be of denominations of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or multiples thereof;
(ii) Be fully negotiable within the meaning of and for all purposes of the Uniform Commercial Code, W.S. 34.1-1-101 through 34.1-10-104;
(iii) Mature at such time or serially at such times in regular numerical order at annual or other designated intervals in amounts designated and fixed by the board, but not exceeding thirty (30) years from their date;
(iv) Bear interest payable annually, semiannually or at other designated intervals, but the first interest payment date may be for interest accruing for any period not exceeding one (1) year;
(v) Be made payable in lawful money of the United States at the office of the state treasurer or any commercial bank or commercial banks;
(vi) Be printed at a place the board determines;
(vii) Be additionally secured by a reserve fund created from revenues received under W.S. 9-4-601(a)(vi) and (b)(i) or from the proceeds of the bonds, or both, in an amount determined by the state loan and investment board but not to exceed an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the revenue bonds outstanding.
(e) Before any contract is entered into by the state loan and investment board to retain the services of a financial advisor or to sell the bonds to an underwriter, whether by competitive or negotiated bid, a full disclosure of the terms of the contract including fees to be paid shall be submitted to the management council through the legislative service office.
(f) Proceeds of state revenue bonds shall be credited to a separate account and may be loaned or granted to local governmental entities as hereafter provided. In determining which local governmental entities receive loans or grants, the state loan and investment board shall give priority to projects in those subdivisions of the state socially or economically impacted directly or indirectly by the development of minerals leased under 30 U.S.C. § 181 et seq. Pending distribution the state treasurer shall invest bond proceeds in a manner which complies with all requirements of the internal revenue service to insure the bonds will remain tax free investments.
(g) Not to exceed forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) of the total proceeds of all bonds issued under subsection (b) of this section may be loaned or granted to incorporated cities and towns. Loans or grants shall be made only under the following conditions:
(i) Loans may be made for municipal purposes with or without interest. If the state loan and investment board deems it necessary to secure the loan, no security other than pledges of specified revenue to repay a loan shall be required. Before a loan application is approved the board shall determine by proper investigation that:
(A) The applicant will fully utilize all local revenue sources reasonably and legally available for repaying the loan for which an application is made excluding the local optional sales tax authorized by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or (iii) and 39-16-204(a)(i) or (ii);
(B) The project is necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the city or town;
(C) The project has been approved by the qualified electors of the city or town.
(ii) Grants may be made for municipal purposes either standing alone or in conjunction with a loan under paragraph (i) of this subsection. Grants may be applied for by a joint powers board with the approval of the city or town which is a member of the board or by one (1) or more cities or towns and shall not be pledged to be payable over a term of years but shall be distributed within a reasonable time following approval. Grants shall be used to finance not more than fifty percent (50%) of the cost of any portion of a project which is unable to be financed under paragraph (i) of this subsection and projects for street, curb, gutter or storm drainage improvements provided the state loan and investment board may make grants in excess of fifty percent (50%) if the board determines that the applicant or the member cities or towns if the applicant is a joint powers board, either levied at least seven (7) mills for operating expenses including special district levies chargeable against the general city or town levy during the current fiscal year or is imposing the optional tax permitted by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or (iii) at the time of the application and is utilizing all other local revenue sources reasonably and legally available to finance the project and:
(A) If the project is for water facilities, that the city or town, either individually or as a member of a joint powers board, has installed or during the project will install, or require the installation of water meters if required by the state loan and investment board, will require the owners of all new additions of land to the city or town to pay all costs of expanding the water system within and to the boundaries of the addition, is enforcing an appropriate water tap fee as determined by the state loan and investment board and has or will adopt water rates which will be adequate to finance the operation and maintenance of the system;
(B) If the project is for sewer facilities, that the city or town, either individually or as a member of a joint powers board, has or will require the owners of all new additions of land to the city or town to pay all costs of expanding the sewer system within and to the boundaries of the addition, is enforcing an appropriate sewer tap fee as determined by the state loan and investment board and has or will adopt sewer rates which will be adequate to finance the operation and maintenance of the system;
(C) The fifty percent (50%) limitation on grants does not apply to improvements to county or state highways within city or town boundaries unless otherwise required by the state loan and investment board.
(iii) Repayments of loans under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall be credited to a capital reserve account which shall be available for loans or grants for municipal purposes under paragraph (i) or (ii) of this subsection;
(iv) No loans shall be made without the written opinion of the attorney general certifying the legality of the transaction and all documents connected therewith.
(h) Not to exceed twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00) of the total proceeds of all bonds issued under subsection (b) of this section may be loaned or granted to counties or special districts. As used in this subsection "special districts" means hospital districts, fire protection districts, sanitary and improvement districts, solid waste disposal districts, service and improvement districts and water and sewer districts. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no special district, either standing alone or as a member of a joint powers board, shall receive any grant or loan under this section until the special district's grant or loan application has received a written review from the board of county commissioners in any county in which the special district is located. The board of county commissioners shall review: (1) the ability of the special district to fund the project through bonds, (2) whether the project is adverse to the needs, plans or general welfare of the county, (3) whether the special district has utilized local funding resources, and (4) whether the special district has met county standards. If any part of the special district lies within five (5) miles of the corporate limits of any city or town, the special district's grant or loan application shall also receive a written review from the governing body of the city or town. The written review shall be submitted to the state loan and investment board by the special district with its grant or loan application. Loans or grants shall be made only under the following conditions:
(i) Loans, with or without interest, may only be made for county or special district purposes which are permitted by law. If the state loan and investment board deems it necessary to secure the loan, no security other than pledges of specified revenue to repay a loan shall be required. Before a loan application is approved the board shall determine by proper investigation that:
(A) The applicant will fully utilize all local revenue sources reasonably and legally available for repaying the loan excluding the local optional sales tax under W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or (iii) and 39-16-204(a)(i) or (ii);
(B) The project is necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of the applicant;
(C) The project has been approved by the qualified electors of the applicant.
(ii) Grants may be made for county or special district purposes either standing alone or in conjunction with a loan under paragraph (i) of this subsection. Grants may be applied for by a joint powers board with the approval of the county or special district which is a member of the board or by one (1) or more counties or special districts and shall not be pledged by the board to be payable over a term of years but shall be distributed within a reasonable time following approval. Grants shall be used to finance not more than fifty percent (50%) of the cost of any portion of a project which is unable to be financed under paragraph (i) of this subsection provided the state loan and investment board may make grants in excess of fifty percent (50%) if the board determines that the applicant either levied at least eleven (11) mills for operating expenses during the current fiscal year or is imposing the optional tax permitted by W.S. 39-15-204(a)(i) or (iii) at the time of the application and is utilizing all other local revenue sources reasonably and legally available to finance the project;
(iii) Repayments of loans under paragraph (i) of this subsection shall be credited to a capital reserve account which shall be available for loans or grants under paragraph (i) or (ii) of this subsection;
(iv) No loans shall be made without the written opinion of the attorney general certifying the legality of the transaction and all documents connected therewith.
(j) After any principal payment date for the bonds issued under subsection (b) of this section, the board shall deposit all revenues received pursuant to W.S. 9-4-601(a)(vi) and (b)(i) which are not required to be otherwise deposited or expended pursuant to the resolution or resolutions authorizing the issuance of bonds in a separate account.
(k) All revenues received under W.S. 9-4-601(a)(vi) and (b)(i) prior to the issuance of bonds under subsection (b) of this section and all revenues in excess of those required to be otherwise expended or retained pursuant to subsection (j) of this section or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions authorizing the issuance of bonds under subsection (b) of this section shall be used or distributed as follows:
(i) Not more than seventy-five percent (75%) may be used by the board to make grants and loans to cities and towns under subsection (g) of this section in the same manner as the proceeds of the bonds are to be used;
(ii) Not more than twenty-five percent (25%) may be granted or loaned by the state loan and investment board to special districts and counties in the state of Wyoming under subsection (h) of this section in the same manner as the proceeds of the bonds are to be used but no revenue shall be distributed to any county which did not levy at least eleven (11) mills for the operation of the county during the preceding fiscal year;
(iii) Funds may be used by the state loan and investment board to provide one-half (1/2) of the twenty percent (20%) state matching funds for each federal capitalization grant to the state drinking water revolving loan account created by W.S. 16-1-302.
(m) The board may issue refunding revenue bonds:
(i) To refund and discharge and extend or shorten the maturities of all or any part of any outstanding bonds issued under this section, including any interest thereon in arrears or about to become due;
(ii) For the purpose of reducing interest costs on bonds issued under this section or effecting other economies; or
(iii) For the purpose of modifying or eliminating any contractual limitations or provisions contained in any indenture or other proceedings authorizing outstanding bonds issued under this section.
(n) Any refunding permitted by subsection (m) of this section shall be accomplished in the manner prescribed by W.S. 16-5-101 through 16-5-119, except any refunding revenue bonds authorized by the board under subsection (m) of this section shall not constitute an indebtedness or a debt within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory provision or limitation or be considered general obligations of the state. The board shall not pledge the state's full faith and credit to the payment of any such refunding revenue bonds. The refunding revenue bonds shall constitute special obligations of the state and may be payable only from the sources authorized in this section for the payment of the bonds refunded. The principal amount of any bonds which have been refunded need not be taken into account in computing compliance with the maximum amounts of bonds authorized to be issued by subsection (b), (g) or (h) of this section.
(o) Notwithstanding subsections (g) and (h) of this section, no money shall be loaned or granted by the state loan and investment board under this section to any applicant for any water development purpose except for the drilling of new wells, emergency situations and except for a water treatment facility or a water distribution system whose primary purpose is to deliver water.
(p) As used in subsection (a) of this section, "essential public service" means a public service facility owned by the applicant and available for use by the general public including: water and sewer projects, storm drainage projects, street and road projects, solid waste disposal projects, local natural gas utility pipelines and distribution systems, acquisition of emergency vehicles, public administration buildings, health care facilities, senior citizens centers, jail and detention facilities, facilities needed to provide services to the disabled, costs to purchase medical equipment that generates revenue sufficient to service a Joint Powers Act loan, as determined by the board, and similar facilities as authorized by the board. To be considered an "essential public service" under this section, local natural gas utility pipelines and distributions center and similar facilities shall be located in rural and unserved areas. "Essential public service" also means refinancing outstanding loans extended to the applicant.