AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF EAST GREENWICH TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, ALTERATION, REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT, EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING OF, AND/OR ADDITIONS TO, PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL FACILITIES IN THE TOWN AND TO ISSUE NOT MORE THAN $34,000,000 BONDS AND/OR NOTES THEREFOR
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Introduced
By: Representatives George, and Watson |
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Date Introduced:
March 12, 2002 |
It is enacted
by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. The town of East Greenwich is hereby empowered, in
addition to authority previously granted, to issue bonds to an amount not
exceeding thirty four million dollars ($34,000,000) from time to time under its
corporate name and seal. The bonds of
each issue may be issued in the form of serial bonds or term bonds or a
combination thereof and shall be payable either by maturity of principal in the
case of serial bonds or by mandatory serial redemption in the case of term
bonds, in annual installments of principal, the first installment to be not
later than five (5) years and the last installment not later than thirty (30)
years after the date of the bonds. All
such bonds of a particular issue may be issued in the form of zero coupon
bonds, capital appreciation bonds, serial bonds or term bonds or a combination
thereof. Annual installments of
principal may be provided for by maturity of principal in the case of serial
bonds or by mandatory serial redemption in the case of term bonds. The amount of principal appreciation each
year on any bonds, after the date of original issuance, shall not be considered
to be principal indebtedness for the purposes of any constitutional or
statutory debt limit or any other limitation.
The appreciation of principal after the date of original issue shall be
considered interest. Only the original
principal amount shall be counted in determining the principal amount so issued
and any interest component shall be disregarded.
SECTION
2. The bonds
shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signatures of the town finance
director and the president of the town council and shall be issued and sold in
such amounts as the town council may authorize by resolution. The manner of sale, denominations,
maturities, interest rates and other terms, conditions and details of any bonds
or notes issued under this act may be fixed by proceedings of the town council
authorizing the issue or by separate resolution of the town council or, to the
extent provisions for these matters are not so made, they may be fixed by the
officers authorized to sign the bonds or notes. Interest coupons (if any) shall bear the manual or facsimile signature
of the town finance director. The
proceeds derived from the sale of the bonds shall be delivered to the town
finance director, and such proceeds, exclusive of premiums and accrued
interest, shall be expended (a) to finance the construction, renovation,
alteration, repair, improvement, equipping and furnishing of, and/or additions
to, public schools and school facilities in the town and all attendant expenses
including, but not limited to, engineering and architectural costs (all of
which shall be hereinafter referred to as the "projects"), (b) in
payment of the principal of or interest on temporary notes issued under section
three, (c) in repayment of advances under section four, (d) in payment of
related costs of issuance of any bonds or notes, and/or (e) to finance
capitalized interest on the projects.
No purchaser of any bonds or notes under this act shall be in any way
responsible for the proper application of the proceeds derived from the sale
thereof. The projects shall be carried
out and all contracts made therefore on behalf of the town by the town council
or as otherwise may be directed by the town council. The
proceeds of bonds or notes issued under this act, any applicable federal or
state assistance and the other moneys referred to in sections six and nine
shall be deemed appropriated for the purposes of this act without further
action than that required by this act.
The bond issue authorized by this act may be consolidated for the purposes
of issuance and sale with any other bond issue of the town heretofore or
hereafter authorized, provided that, notwithstanding any such consolidation,
the proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this act shall be
expended for the purposes set forth above.
The town finance director and president of the town council, on behalf
of the town, are hereby authorized to execute such instruments, documents or
other papers as either of them deem
necessary or desirable to carry out the intent of this act and are also
authorized to take all actions and execute all documents or agreements
necessary to comply with federal tax and securities laws, which documents or
agreements may have a term coextensive with the maturity of the bonds
authorized hereby, including Rule 15c2-12 of the Securities and Exchange
Commission and to execute and deliver a continuing disclosure agreement or
certificate in connection with the bonds or notes.
SECTION
3. The town
council may by resolution authorize the issuance from time to time of interest
bearing or discounted notes in anticipation of the issuance of bonds or in
anticipation of the receipt of federal or state aid for the purposes of this
act. The amount of original notes issued
in anticipation of bonds may not exceed the amount of bonds which may be issued
under this act and the amount of original notes issued in anticipation of
federal or state aid may not exceed the amount of available federal or state
aid as estimated by the town finance director.
Temporary notes issued hereunder shall be signed by the manual or
facsimile signatures of the town finance director and the president of the town
council and shall be payable within five (5) years from their respective dates,
but the principal of and interest on notes issued for a shorter period may be
renewed or paid from time to time by the issuance of other notes hereunder,
provided the period from the date of an original note to the maturity of any
note issued to renew or pay the same debt or the interest thereon shall not
exceed five (5) years. Any temporary
notes in anticipation of bonds issued under this section may be refunded prior
to the maturity of the notes by the issuance of additional temporary notes,
provided that no such refunding shall result in any amount of such temporary
notes outstanding at any one time in excess of two hundred percent (200%) of
the amount of bonds which may be issued under this act, and provided further
that if the issuance of any such refunding notes results in any amount of such
temporary notes outstanding at any one time in excess of the amount of bonds
which may be issued under this act, the proceeds of such refunding notes shall
be deposited in a separate fund established with the bank which is paying agent
for the notes being refunded. Pending
their use to pay the notes being refunded, moneys in the fund shall be invested
for the benefit of the town by the paying agent at the direction of the town
finance director in any investment permitted under section five. The moneys in the fund and any investments
held as a part of the fund shall be held in trust and shall be applied by the
paying agent solely to the payment or prepayment of the principal of and
interest on the notes being refunded.
Upon payment of all principal of and interest on the notes, any excess
moneys in the fund shall be distributed to the town. The town may pay the principal of and interest on notes in full
from other than the issuance of refunding notes prior to the issuance of bonds
pursuant to section 1 hereof. In such
case, the town's authority to issue bonds or notes in anticipation of bonds
under this act shall continue provided that (1) the town council passes a
resolution evidencing the town's intent to pay off the notes without
extinguishing the authority to issue bonds or notes and (2) that the period
from the date of an original note to the maturity date of any other note shall
not exceed five (5) years.
SECTION
4. Pending
any authorization or issue of bonds hereunder or pending or in lieu of any authorization
or issue of notes hereunder, the town finance director, with the approval of
the town council, may, to the extent that bonds or notes may be issued
hereunder, apply funds in the treasury of the town to the purposes specified in
section two, such advances to be repaid without interest from the proceeds of
bonds or notes subsequently issued or from the proceeds of applicable federal
or state assistance or from other available funds.
SECTION
5. Any
proceeds of bonds or notes issued hereunder or of any applicable federal or
state assistance, pending their expenditure, may be deposited or invested by
the town finance director in demand deposits, time deposits, or savings
deposits in banks which are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
or in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States of America or by
any agency or instrumentality thereof or as may be provided in any other
applicable law of the state of Rhode Island or resolution of the town council
or pursuant to an investment policy of the town.
SECTION
6. Any
accrued interest received upon the sale of bonds or notes hereunder shall be
applied to the payment of the first interest due thereon. Any premium arising from the sale of bonds
or notes hereunder shall, in the discretion of the town finance director, be
applied to the cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes
hereunder to the extent not otherwise provided, to the payment of project
costs, to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes issued
hereunder or to any one (1) or more of the foregoing. The cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes
hereunder may also, in the discretion of the town finance director, be met from
bond or note proceeds exclusive of premium and accrued interest or from other
moneys available therefor. Any balance
of bond or note proceeds remaining after payment of the cost of the project and
the cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder shall be
applied to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes issued
hereunder. To the extent permitted by
applicable federal laws, any earnings or net profit realized from the deposit
or investment of funds hereunder may, upon receipt, be added to and dealt with
as part of the revenues of the town from property taxes. In exercising any discretion under this
section, the town finance director shall be governed by any instructions
adopted by resolution of the town council.
SECTION
7. All bonds
and notes issued under this act and the debts evidence thereby shall be
obligatory on the town in the same manner and to the same extent as other debts
lawfully contracted by it and shall be excepted from the operation of section
45-12-2 of the general laws and any provision of the town charter. No such obligation shall at any time be
included in the debt of the town for the purpose of ascertaining its borrowing
capacity. The town shall annually
appropriate a sum sufficient to pay the principal and interest coming due
within the year on bonds and notes issued hereunder to the extent that moneys
therefor are not otherwise provided. If
such sum is not appropriated, it shall nevertheless be added to the annual tax
levy. In order to provide such sum in
each year and notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all taxable
property in the town shall be subject to ad valorem taxation by the town without limitation as to rate or amount. The town is authorized, by resolution of its
town council, to utilize up to
$1,080,000 of the town's unreserved designated fund balance (vehicle
replacement fund) in order to fund any principal and or interest on the bonds and
notes issued hereunder.
SECTION
8. Any bonds
or notes issued under the provisions of this act, and coupons, if any, if
properly executed by officers of the town in office on the date of execution,
shall be valid and binding according to their terms notwithstanding that before
the delivery thereof and payment therefor any or all of such officers shall for
any reasons have ceased to hold office.
SECTION
9. The town,
acting by resolution of its town council, is authorized to apply for, contract
for and expend any federal or state advances or other grants of assistance
which may be available for the purposes of this act, and any such expenditures
may be in addition to the moneys provided in this act. To the extent of any inconsistency between
any law; of this state and any applicable federal law or regulation, the latter
shall prevail. Federal and state
advances, with interest where applicable, whether contracted for prior to or
after the effective date of this act may be repaid as project costs under
section two.
SECTION
10. Bonds and
notes may be issued under this act without obtaining approval of any
governmental agency or the taking of any proceedings or the happening of any
conditions except as specifically required by this act for such issue. In carrying out any project financed in
whole or in part under this act, including where applicable the condemnation of
any land or interest in land, and in the levy and collection of assessments or
other charges permitted by law on account of any such project, all action shall
be taken which is necessary to meet constitutional requirements whether or not
such action is otherwise required by statute, but the validity of bonds and
notes issued hereunder shall in no away depend upon the validity or occurrence
of such action.
SECTION
11. All or
any portion of the authorized but unissued authority to issue bonds and notes
under this act may be extinguished by ordinance of the town council, without
further action by the general assembly.
SECTION
12. The
question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the
town at a general or special election to be held on a date as shall be
designated by the town council. The
question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: "Shall an act, passed at the 2002
session of the General Assembly, entitled 'An act authorizing the Town of East
Greenwich to finance the construction, renovation, alteration, repair,
improvement, equipping and furnishing of, and/or additions to, public schools
and school facilities in the town and to issue not more than thirty-four
million dollars ($34,000,000) bonds and/or notes therefor' be approved?"
and the warning for the election shall contain the question to be
submitted. From the time the election
is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty of the town clerk to keep
a copy of this act available for public inspection, but the validity of the
election shall not be affected by this requirement. To the extent of any inconsistency between this act and the town
charter, this act shall prevail.
SECTION
13. This
section and the foregoing section shall take effect upon the passage of this
act. The remainder of this act shall
take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the
question at the election prescribed by the foregoing section.