10061
. (a) Notwithstanding Article 1 (commencing with Section
10001) and this article, a municipal corporation, by following the
provisions of this section, may lease, sell or transfer all or part
of a public utility owned and operated by it for furnishing water
service. As used in this section, "municipal corporation," means a
city or a city and county.
(b) Any municipal corporation owning and operating a public
utility for furnishing water service, a part of which or all of which
public utility is operated and used for furnishing water service
outside the boundaries of the municipal corporation, may lease, sell
or transfer, for just compensation all or any part of the portion of
the public utility located outside the boundaries of the municipal
corporation to any other municipal corporation, public agency or
public utility water corporation upon the terms and conditions agreed
upon by the selling municipal corporation if, by resolution adopted
by a majority of its legislative body, it has determined that the
public utility, or portion thereof, is not necessary for supplying
water to its own inhabitants and if the acquiring entity by
resolution adopted by a majority of the members of its legislative
body or board of directors has concurred in the lease, sale, or
transfer and the terms and conditions thereof and if the acquiring
entity will be bound to render water service to the persons formerly
served through the system being sold on terms and conditions which
are just and reasonable and which do not unreasonably discriminate
against the customers of the acquired entity.
(c) Any municipal corporation owning and operating a public
utility for furnishing water service may sell or transfer, for just
compensation, all or any part of the public utility located inside
its municipal boundaries to any other municipal corporation, public
agency, or public utility water corporation upon the terms and
conditions agreed upon by the selling municipal corporation, if the
sale or transfer is approved as follows:
(1) The municipal corporation, by resolution adopted by a majority
of its legislative body, has determined that the public utility, or
portion thereof, is not necessary for supplying water to its own
inhabitants, or that its inhabitants will be provided with equal or
better service by the acquiring entity on terms that are just and
reasonable and do not discriminate against the customers of the
acquired entity; and orders the issue submitted to the qualified
voters of the municipality at a special or general election held for
that purpose.
(2) The acquiring entity by resolution adopted by a majority of
its legislative body or board of directors has concurred in the sale
or transfer and in the terms and conditions thereof.
(3) The sale or transfer is approved by a majority of all voters
voting on the issue in the election held for that purpose.
(4) The municipal corporation, public agency, or public utility
water corporation proposing to acquire a municipal corporation public
utility for furnishing water service shall disclose to the customers
of the public water system to be acquired, not less than 30 days
prior to the date of election for formal approval of the acquisition,
a written statement which includes all of the following:
(A) A summary of the price and terms of the proposed acquisition.
(B) A comparison of the applicable water charges before and after
the proposed acquisition.
(C) The estimated savings to be achieved or additional costs
expected to result, or both, from the proposed acquisition.
(d) Subject to subdivision (e), a municipal corporation may lease
a public utility furnishing water service by a resolution adopted by
a majority of its legislative body and without lease term or other
restrictions stated in any other provision of law.
(e) A municipal corporation acting pursuant to subdivision (c)
shall specify the manner of soliciting and filing, and the method of
evaluating, proposals for the acquisition of the public utility. Upon
receipt and staff evaluation of a proposal or proposals the
municipal corporation, if it determines that the proposal or
proposals are responsive, shall schedule a public hearing, and notice
thereof shall be published in accordance with Section 6066 of the
Government Code. At the hearing, the municipal corporation shall
examine proposals received and staff recommendations, and without
lease term or other restrictions, may lease, sell, or transfer, for
just compensation, the public utility to the entity that the
municipal corporation finds best qualified to continue to provide
equal or better service to the customers of the system. If the
resolution proposes a sale, the resolution shall place the question
on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election or at a
special election called for that purpose. The municipal corporation
may, in its sole discretion, reject all proposals.
(f) Any agreement entered into before September 17, 1965, between
municipal corporations for the lease, sale or transfer of all or any
part of a public utility owned and operated by one of the municipal
corporations and furnishing water service to the inhabitants of the
municipal corporation to which the lease, sale or transfer is made is
hereby validated.