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ARTICLE 6 |
RELATING TO DEBT MANAGEMENT ACT JOINT RESOLUTION
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SECTION 1. This article consists of a joint resolution that is submitted pursuant to Rhode |
Island General Law § 35-18-1, et seq. |
SECTION 2. Quonset Harbor, Pier, and Port Improvements. |
WHEREAS, the Rhode Island commerce corporation is a public instrumentality of the |
State of Rhode Island (hereafter the “State”), created by the general assembly pursuant to § |
42641 et seq. (as enacted, reenacted and amended, hereafter the “Act”); and |
WHEREAS, the Act declares, in part, that new industrial, manufacturing, recreational, |
and commercial facilities are required to attract and house new industries and thereby reduce the |
hazards of unemployment; and |
WHEREAS, the Act further declares it to be the public policy of the State to encourage |
the expansion and development of the State’s harbors and ports and to foster and improve the |
handling of waterborne commerce from and to any port of this State and other states and foreign |
countries; and |
WHEREAS, in furtherance of these goals, it is the policy of the State to retain existing |
industries and to induce, encourage, and attract new industries through the acquisition, |
construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of industrial, manufacturing, recreational, and |
commercial facilities, as well as transportation, harbors and ports, residential, environmental, |
utility, public service, institutional, and civic and community facilities, and to develop sites for |
such facilities; and |
WHEREAS, the Act has empowered the Rhode Island commerce corporation to establish |
subsidiary corporations to exercise its powers and functions, or any of them; and |
WHEREAS, the general assembly, pursuant to § 4264.101 et seq. (as enacted, reenacted |
and amended, hereafter the “QDC Act”) created the Quonset development corporation as a |
subsidiary of the Rhode Island commerce corporation; and |
WHEREAS, the QDC Act provided that the Quonset development corporation shall have |
the power to purchase, take, receive, lease, or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, use, and |
otherwise deal in and with, real or personal property, or any interest therein, wherever situated, |
including those certain transportation, harbor, pier, and waterfront facilities located at the |
Quonset business park; and |
WHEREAS, the QDC Act also provides that the Quonset development corporation shall |
have the power to sell, mortgage, lease, exchange, transfer, or otherwise dispose of or encumber |
any project (or in the case of a sale, to accept a purchase money mortgage in connection |
therewith), or to grant options for any such purposes with respect to any real or personal property |
or interest therein, as the lawful agent and attorney-in-fact of the Rhode Island commerce |
corporation with respect to all property of the Rhode Island commerce corporation at the Quonset |
business park, all of the foregoing for such consideration as the Quonset development corporation |
shall determine; and |
WHEREAS, any lease by the Quonset development corporation to another party may be |
for such part of the Quonset business park, real or personal, for such period, upon such terms or |
conditions, with or without an option on the part of the lessee to purchase any or all of the leased |
property for such consideration, at or after the retirement of all indebtedness incurred by the |
Quonset development corporation on account thereof, as the Quonset development corporation |
shall determine; and |
WHEREAS, the Act authorizes the Rhode Island commerce corporation to borrow |
money and issue bonds for any of its corporate purposes; and |
WHEREAS, pursuant to §§ 35-18-3 and 35-18-4 of the Rhode Island General Laws, the |
Rhode Island commerce corporation has requested the approval of the general assembly for the |
issuance of harbor, pier, and port revenue bonds (hereafter "bonds") for the purpose of providing |
funds to the Quonset development corporation for financing capital projects for harbor, pier, port, |
and all other costs related to the improvements necessary at and in the immediate vicinity of the |
Davisville piers at the Quonset business park, including without limitation, improvements to |
modernize port infrastructure at the Port of Davisville (hereafter the "2016 Davisville Piers |
Project"), including funding, capitalized interest, costs of issuing the bonds, and related costs, and |
the establishment of reserves for the project and the bonds, including a debt service reserve fund; |
and |
WHEREAS, the financing of the 2016 Davisville Piers Project and repayment of the |
bonds will be accomplished through one or more loan agreements having the Quonset |
development corporation as borrower, such agreement or agreements to require that the Quonset |
development corporation to make loan payments in an amount equal to the debt service on the |
bonds; now, therefore, be it: |
RESOLVED, the general assembly hereby approves the Rhode Island commerce |
corporation’s issuance of the bonds in a private placement or through a public offering, in one or |
more series. The bonds will be special obligation bonds of the Rhode Island commerce |
corporation payable exclusively from loan repayments under a loan agreement with the Quonset |
development corporation and from bond proceeds, funds, accounts, and properties and the |
proceeds thereof pledged therefor, and thus the Rhode Island commerce corporation’s maximum |
liability will be limited to loan repayments received under the loan agreement and the aggregate |
amount of such other funds, accounts, properties, and proceeds; and be it further |
RESOLVED, that the total amount of debt approved to be issued in the aggregate shall be |
not more than twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000); and be it further |
RESOLVED, that the general assembly hereby approves the Quonset development |
corporation's entering into the loan agreements described above. Payments under the loan |
agreements shall be derived exclusively from project revenues and such other proceeds, funds, |
accounts, projects, and the proceeds thereof as the Quonset development corporation may pledge |
therefor; and be it further |
RESOLVED, that none of the bonds or the loan agreements shall constitute indebtedness |
of the State or a debt for which the full faith and credit of the State is pledged or a moral |
obligation thereof; and be it further |
RESOLVED, that this resolution shall apply to bonds issued within five (5) years of the |
date of passage of this resolution; and be it further |
RESOLVED, that this joint resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage. |
SECTION 3. This article shall take effect upon passage. |