HCS SB 741 -- WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

SPONSOR: Maxwell (Backer)

COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Fiscal Review by a vote of 12 to 0.

This substitute authorizes the Board of Fund Commissioners to issue bonds for grants and loans pursuant to several sections of article III of the Missouri Constitution. The authorizations are for:

(a) an additional $10 million of bonds for water pollution control, drinking water system improvements, and stormwater control pursuant to Section 37(e);

(b) $20 million of bonds for rural water and sewer projects pursuant to Section 37(g); and

(c) $40 million of bonds for stormwater control plans, studies, and projects in first classification counties and the City of St. Louis pursuant to Section 37(h).

The substitute also allows St. Charles County or any city, town, or village within St. Charles County, by vote, to form a sewer district.

The substitute also provides that in the event that a county sewer and water district becomes the successor to any joint municipal utility commission established by the district and any of the contracting entities including municipalities, public water supply districts, sewer districts, nonprofit water companies, and nonprofit sewer companies then, upon the petition of the board of directors to the circuit court, the court is to redraw the boundaries of the district to include any area previously served by the dissolved joint municipal utility commission that the successor district intends to serve. The court is to rearrange the boundary lines of any affected subdistricts.

The substitute also provides that if the sewer charges of a public district remain unpaid for 3 months, the district, after notice, may discontinue the customer's service.

FISCAL NOTE: Estimated Net Cost to General Revenue Fund of $4,023,434 in FY 2001, $5,162,890 in FY 2002, and $5,832,525 in FY 2003.

PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this is the annual request to authorize the sale of water pollution control bonds.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Maxwell; Missouri Rural Water Association; and St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District.

OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Roland Tackett, Legislative Analyst