Ch. 407                                    1995 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(g) The Service [shall] MAY enter into contracts with municipalities and persons
within a service district and stipulate the projects to be provided, the amount of
compensation for acquiring existing projects, the charges to be apportioned to the
municipalities and persons, the manner of repaying the Service for these charges, and the
effective date or dates the Service will initiate the provision of projects.

3-108.

(a) (1) In calculating charges for water supply, wastewater purification and
solid waste disposal projects or services or in determining the costs to be levied against a
MUNICIPALITY, PERSON, OR PROPERTY IN A service district established pursuant to
this subtitle, the Service shall require that the charges reflect the full costs of projects.

(2)      The charges and costs to be levied against any particular municipality
[or], person, OR PROPERTY located within a service district shall take account of the:

(I) WHETHER THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR WATER OR SEWERAGE
SERVICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPROVED STATE-COUNTY MASTER PLANS FOR
WATER AND SEWERAGE ADOPTED UNDER TITLE 9 OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLE;

(II)     THE value and capacity of any existing facility transferred by the
municipality or person to the Service, and the; AND

(III)   THE costs and obligations assumed by the Service incidental to the
transfer of the facility.

(3)      To the extent deemed reasonable and practicable by the Service, charges
for projects or services also shall be based on but not necessarily limited to a formula
reflecting the volume and characteristics of the wastes as they influence transportation,
purification, final disposal, and time pattern of discharge.

(2) (4) (I) BEFORE ESTABLISHING OR ADJUSTING CHARGES IN A
SERVICE DISTRICT, THE SERVICE SHALL GIVE PUBLISH NOTICE OF THE PROPOSED
CHARGES, AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR 2 WEEKS, IN AT LEAST ONE NEWSPAPER OF
GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE MUNICIPALITY IN WHICH THE SERVICE DISTRICT IS
LOCATED AND HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED CHARGES.

(II)     THE PUBLISHED NOTICE SHALL BE AT LEAST 1/4 PAGE IN SIZE,
AND USE AT LEAST 18 POINT TYPE. THE NOTICE MAY NOT BE PLACED WITH LEGAL
NOTICES OR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS. THE HEADLINE OF THE NOTICE SHALL BE
IN BOLD PRINT, WITH ALL LETTERS CAPITALIZED. THE TEXT OF THE NOTICE, OTHER
THAN THE HEADLINE, SHALL BE IN UPPER AND LOWER CASE LETTERS.

(III)   THE CHARGES SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON THE DATE SET
BY THE SERVICE. THE SERVICE MAY, BY RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD, PROVIDE
THAT THE CHARGES ARE CHARGEABLE AGAINST ALL OR PART OF THE LOTS OR
PARCELS OF LAND IN THE SERVICE DISTRICT AND CONSTITUTE A FIRST LIEN ON
SUCH PROPERTY. THE RESOLUTION MAY ESTABLISH REASONABLE TIMES AND
METHODS OF COLLECTION OF THE CHARGES, WHICH MAY BE LEVIED AND
COLLECTED BY THE SERVICE AND HAVE THE SAME PRIORITY AND RIGHTS AND.
BEAR THE SAME INTEREST AND PENALTIES AND IN EVERY RESPECT BE TREATED
THE SAME AS TAXES OF THE STATE. THE CHARGES MAY BE LEVIED AND

- 2544 -