WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

S.B. 893

of each county and after consultation with the governing body of each municipality which
owns or operates a public facility affected by the plan, or if the plan is not approved by
each of the appropriate governing bodies within 120 days following submission of the plan
for approval of the governing bodies, after the plan is approved by joint resolution of the
General Assembly. If a joint resolution of the General Assembly approving a five-year
plan contains any amendments or modifications to the plan, those amendments and
modifications repeal the plan to the extent of any inconsistency. The provisions of this
subtitle do not authorize the Service to take any action which would be inconsistent with
the amendments or modifications without the approval of the governing body of each
county and after consultation with the governing body of each municipality which owns or
operates a public facility included within the plan.

(f)      Upon adoption of a five-year plan by the Service, service districts shall be
established in the manner and following the schedule set forth in the plan. Immediately
thereafter, the Service shall proceed with the acquisition, extension, and construction of
facilities set forth in the plan and assume jurisdiction over and provide for the
maintenance and operation of water supply, wastewater purification and solid waste
disposal projects included in the plan, for those projects within the service region and
districts placed under the jurisdiction of the Service by the plan.

(g)     The Service shall 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.

(h) Existing projects providing water supply, wastewater purification and solid
waste disposal services, including all rights, easements, laboratory facilities, vehicles,
records and all other property, equipment, and furnishings necessary and normally
associated with the operation of the facility, shall be transferred to the sole ownership of
the Service at the time designated in the five-year plan. Compensation for existing
projects may be based on the original cost of the project minus an allowance for
depreciation, or on other terms and conditions satisfactory to the municipality or person
transferring the project. All costs and obligations assumed by the Service incidental to the
transfer of ownership of an existing project shall be included in the charges apportioned
to the service district.

(i) The Service shall review, update, and readopt the five-year plan for each
service region biennially after review by the municipalities and persons concerned. The
five-year plan may be updated and readopted by the Service only after at least one public
hearing in each of the counties affected. Upon updating and readopting, the Service shall
take the actions necessary to implement the revised plan.

(j) The Service by formal action, and after consultation with the municipalities
affected, may extend the boundaries of service regions or districts, combine two or more
service regions or districts or parts thereof and combine, abandon, extend, enlarge,
improve, or make any other modification of projects serving one or more service districts,
but no change may diminish any existing level of service rendered to the district or
districts concerned.

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