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| ARTICLE 8 |
RELATING TO MUNICIPALITIES
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| SECTION 1. Section 24-12-26 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-12 entitled “Rhode |
| Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority” is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 24-12-26 Power to collect tolls and charges – Gasoline and service concessions. -- (a) |
| The authority is hereby authorized, subject to the provisions of this chapter, to fix, revise, charge |
| and collect tolls for the use of the Newport Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the turnpike and the |
| different parts or sections thereof, and for the use of any additional facility and the different parts |
| or sections thereof, and to contract with any person, partnership, association or corporation for |
| placing on any project telephone, telegraph, electric light or power lines, gas stations, garages, |
| and restaurants if deemed necessary by the authority in connection with the project, or for the use |
| of any project or part thereof, including the right-of-way adjoining the paved portion of the |
| turnpike or of any additional facility or for any other purposes and to fix the terms, conditions, |
| rents and rates of charges for such use; provided, that the authority shall construct any gasoline |
| service facilities which it may determine are needed on the project, and provided, further, that, to |
| afford users of the project a reasonable choice of motor fuels of different brands, each gasoline |
| service station shall be separately offered for lease upon sealed bids and, after notice of the offer |
| has been published once a week in three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general |
| circulation in the state, and, in the event an acceptable bid shall be received in the judgment of the |
| authority, each lease shall be awarded to the highest responsible bidder therefor, but no person |
| shall be awarded or have the use of, nor shall motor fuel identified by the trade-marks, trade |
| names, or brands of any one supplier, distributor, or retailer of such fuel be sold at more than one |
| service station if they would constitute more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the service |
| stations on the project. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, members of the town of |
| Jamestown police and fire department and ambulance service personnel of the town of |
| Jamestown and Jamestown school department who, in the course of their duty, are required to pay |
| a toll for use of the Newport Bridge, shall, upon the presentment of receipts for the payment of |
| the toll to the town of Jamestown, be reimbursed for all charges on an annual basis by the town of |
| Jamestown who in turn shall be reimbursed for all payments made by the state. The town of |
| Jamestown shall submit a request for reimbursement to the division of municipal finance for the |
| previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) no later than September 30th of the fiscal year following |
| the fiscal year for which reimbursement is being requested. Notwithstanding the provisions of this |
| section, members of the city of Newport police and fire department and rescue personnel who, in |
| the course of their duty, are required to pay a toll for use of the Newport Bridge, shall, upon the |
| presentment of receipts for the payment of the toll to the city of Newport, be reimbursed for all |
| charges on an annual basis by the city of Newport who in turn shall be reimbursed for all |
| payments made by the state. The city of Newport shall submit a request for reimbursement to the |
| division of municipal finance for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) no later than |
| September 30th of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which reimbursement is being |
| requested. |
| (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, members of the police and fire |
| department and rescue personnel of any city or town in this state who, in the course of their duty, |
| are required to pay a toll for use of the Mount Hope Bridge or the Sakonnet River Bridge, if any, |
| shall, upon the presentment of receipts for the payment of the toll to their town or city, be |
| reimbursed for all such charges on an annual basis by the town or city, who in turn shall be |
| reimbursed for all payments made by the state. Any city or town shall submit a request for |
| reimbursement to the division of municipal finance for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30th) |
| no later than September 30th of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which reimbursement |
| is being requested. |
| SECTION 2. Section 45-12-33 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-12 entitled |
| “Indebtedness of Towns and Cities” is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 45-12-33 Borrowing for road and bridge projects financed through the "municipal |
| road and bridge revolving fund" Borrowing for road and bridge, infrastructure, and school |
| building projects. -- (a) (1) In addition to other authority previously granted, during calendar |
| year 2014 a city or town may authorize the issuance of bonds, notes, or other evidences of |
| indebtedness to evidence loans from the municipal road and bridge revolving fund administered |
| by the Rhode Island clean water finance agency in accordance with chapter 18 of title 24. |
| (2) In addition to other authority previously granted, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, |
| a city or town may authorize the issuance of bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness to |
| evidence loans from the efficient buildings fund administered by the Rhode Island clean water |
| finance agency infrastructure bank in accordance with chapter 12.2 of title 46 of the general laws |
| or the school building authority capital fund administered by the Rhode Island health and |
| educational building corporation in accordance with chapter 38.2 of title 45. |
| (b) These bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness are subject to the maximum |
| aggregate indebtedness permitted to be issued by any city or town under § 45-12-2. |
| (c) The denominations, maturities, interest rates, methods of sale, and other terms, |
| conditions, and details of any bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this section may be |
| fixed by resolution of the city or town council authorizing them, or if no provision is made in the |
| resolution, by the treasurer or other officer authorized to issue the bonds, notes or evidences of |
| indebtedness; provided, that the payment of principal shall be by sufficient annual payments that |
| will extinguish the debt at maturity, the first of these annual payments to be made not later than |
| three (3) years, and the last payment not later than twenty (20) years after the date of the bonds. |
| The bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness may be issued under this section by |
| any political subdivision without obtaining the approval of its electors, notwithstanding the |
| provisions of §§ 45-12-19 and 45-12-20 and notwithstanding any provision of its charter to the |
| contrary. |
| SECTION 3. This article shall take effect upon passage. |