12 LC 40 0179/AP

House Bill 1281 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

By: Representative Hatfield of the 177th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend an Act creating the Ware County Water and Sewer Authority, now known as the Satilla Regional Water and Sewer Authority, approved October 1, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, Ex. Sess., p. 705), as amended, so as to allow members to be elected for unlimited consecutive terms; to repeal a provision relating to expansion of services and addition of members; to reduce the number of days of nonpayment beyond which the authority may disconnect service; to raise the maximum fee for reconnection of service; to exempt the authority from sales and use taxes; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

An Act creating the Ware County Water and Sewer Authority, now known as the Satilla Regional Water and Sewer Authority, approved October 1, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, Ex. Sess., p. 705), as amended, is amended by revising subsections (b) and (c) of Section 2 to read as follows:

"(b) The authority shall consist of four members who shall be elected by the consumers of the authority, as provided in subsection (d) of this section, and a fifth member who shall be the chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County or, in the event that such chairperson is unable or unwilling to serve, another member of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County as designated by proper resolution of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County. The chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County or his or her designated substitute shall serve as an ex officio member of the authority with all the rights, privileges, and immunities of an elected member of the authority. The term of office, as a member of the authority, of the chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County or his or her designated substitute shall run concurrently with the elected term of office of the chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of Ware County. Each member of the authority who is serving as a member of the authority as of the effective date of this section shall serve out the remainder of the five-year term to which such member was most recently appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Ware County and until such member's successor is duly elected and qualified as provided in subsection (d) of this section. Successors shall be elected as provided in subsection (d) of this section. Each successor shall thereafter take office on the first day of August for a term of four years and until his or her respective successor is duly elected and qualified as provided in subsection (d) of this section. Immediately after taking office, the members of the authority shall enter upon their duties. The members of the authority shall be entitled to compensation for their services in an amount which shall be determined by the authority and which shall not be less than $50.00 per meeting attended, payable in monthly payments, and all members shall additionally be reimbursed for their actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties. The authority shall have the power to establish bylaws and to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations necessary or desirable for the management and operation of the authority.

(c) Reserved."

SECTION 2.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 24.1 to read as follows:

"SECTION 24.1.

The authority shall provide, upon customer request, a written receipt to the customer showing the actual date on which a payment from the customer to the authority was received by the authority. The authority is authorized to charge a late fee in an amount not to exceed $5.00 in the event that a bill is not paid in full by the due date specified on the authority's written billing. Only when a customer's bill remains unpaid or outstanding after ten days beyond the due date may the authority disconnect service to such customer for nonpayment of a bill. In the event that service is disconnected for nonpayment of a bill pursuant to this section, the authority is authorized to require the payment of a reconnection fee in an amount not to exceed $25.00, as well as the payment of any outstanding late fee, prior to the reconnection of the service at the request of the customer."

SECTION 3.

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 27 to read as follows:

"SECTION 27.

The properties of the authority, both real and personal, are declared to be public properties used for the benefit and welfare of the people of this state and not for purposes of private or corporate benefit and income, and such properties and the authority shall be exempt from all sales and use taxes and special assessments of any city, county, or the state or any political subdivision thereof."

SECTION 4.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.