SB 19

This bill would provide further for the specifications of the state parking deck, the maturity date for bonds for the Alabama Parking Deck Authority, the leasing powers of the authority, the transfer of funds from the authority's reserve fund to the State General Fund, and the maximum principal amount of bonds that may be issued by the authority

To amend Sections 41-10-490, 41-10-497, 41-10-502, 41-10-513, and 41-10-516, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the Alabama State Parking Deck Authority; to provide further for the maturity date for bonds issued by the authority; to provide further for the specifications of the state parking deck; to provide further for the authority to lease the facilities, to provide for transfers to the State General Fund from the authority's reserve fund, and to increase the maximum amount of bonds that may be issued by the authority; and to repeal Section 41-10-515, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the lease of a vacant or unused facility.

Section 1

This act shall be known and cited as the Constituents' and Employees' Safe and Convenient Parking Act.

Section 2

Sections 41-10-490, 41-10-497, 41-10-502, 41-10-513, and 41-10-516, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:

§41-10-490.

For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

(1) AUTHORITY. The public corporation organized pursuant to the provisions of this article.

(2) CODE. The Code of Alabama 1975, as amended.

(3) REFUNDING BONDS. Those refunding bonds issued under the provisions of Section 41-10-502.

(4) STATE. The State of Alabama.

(5) BONDS. Those bonds, including without limitation refunding bonds, issued under the provisions of this article.

(6) FACILITIES. A multi-storied vehicle parking and storage facility and appurtenanaces, mixed-use parking garage, the ground floor of which shall include parking stalls for use by the general public and may also include retail or commercial space, or both, for lease by the authority, and appurtenances necessary or incidental to the operation of such facility the garage, to be constructed and erected on, or attached to, that block of land bounded by the following streets: Pelham, Jackson, Washington, and South Ripley in the Capitol complex in the City of Montgomery, Alabama.

(7) PERMITTED INVESTMENTS. United States Securities, certificates of deposit fully secured by United States Securities and shall include investments in such obligations of the United States of America or its agencies under a repurchase agreement.

(8) UNITED STATES SECURITIES. Direct general obligations of the United States of America (including obligations of the state and local government series) and the obligations of any other agency corporation which has been or may hereafter be created by or pursuant to an act of the Congress of the United States as an agency or instrumentality thereof, the bonds, debentures, participation certificates or notes of which are unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America.

§41-10-497.

The authority shall have the following powers among others specified in this article:

(1) To have succession in its corporate name until the principal of and interest on all bonds issued by it shall have been fully paid and until it shall have been dissolved as provided herein;.

(2) To maintain actions and have actions maintained against it and to prosecute and defend in any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties thereof;.

(3) To have and to use a corporate seal and to alter such seal at pleasure;.

(4) To establish a fiscal year;.

(5) To acquire and hold title to real and personal property related to the facilities and to sell, convey, mortgage, or lease the same as provided in this article;.

(6) To provide for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, and improvement of facilities and for the procurement of sites and equipment for such facilities and for the lease thereof;.

(7) To lease facilities, or any portion thereof, to the state, or any agency or instrumentality of the state;, or to others as provided in this article.

(8) To anticipate by the issuance of its bonds, subject to the provisions of this article, the receipt of the rent and revenues from such facilities;.

(9) As security for the payment of the principal of and interest on its bonds, to enter into any lawful covenant, to grant mortgages upon or security interests in its facilities and to pledge the rents and revenues from such facilities;.

(10) To invest as provided in this act article the proceeds from the sale of its bonds pending need therefor;.

(11) To appoint and employ such attorneys, agents, and employees as the business of the authority may require, subject to the Merit System where applicable; and.

(12) To perform such other acts and duties as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.

§41-10-502.

Any bonds of the authority may be executed and delivered by it at any time and from time to time, shall be in such form and denominations and of such tenor and maturities, shall bear such rate or rates of interest, fixed or floating, payable and evidenced in such manner, may contain provisions for redemption prior to maturity and may contain other provisions not inconsistent with this section, all as may be provided by the resolution of the board of directors whereunder such bonds are authorized to be issued; provided that no bond of the authority shall have a specified maturity date later than 20 32 years after its date. At its election, the authority may retain in the resolution(s) under which any of the bonds are issued an option to redeem all or any thereof and at such redemption price(s) and after such notice(s) and on such dates and on such terms and conditions as may be set forth in said resolution(s) and as may be briefly recited in the bonds with respect to which such option of redemption is retained. In the event that the authority shall make more than one pledge of the same revenues, such pledges shall, unless otherwise provided in the resolution or resolutions authorizing the earlier issued bonds, take precedence in the order of the adoption of the resolutions in which the pledges are made; provided, that each pledge for the benefit of refunding bonds shall have the same priority as the pledge for the benefit of the bonds refunded thereby.

§41-10-513.

All facilities constructed by the authority shall be constructed according to plans and specifications of architects or engineers, or both, selected by the authority. The parking deck shall be planned and constructed in such a manner as to accommodate the construction of a mirror image of the Persons Office Building. All such plans and specifications shall be approved by the authority and by the state Building Commission Division of Construction Management of the Department of Finance.

§41-10-516.

For the purpose of providing funds for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds issued by the authority under the provisions of this article, there is hereby created and irrevocably pledged to the payment of such obligations a special and continuing trust fund which shall consist of all receipts and income from rents contracted for and received by the authority under leases of the facility or facilities constructed with the proceeds from the sale of the bonds. There shall be created within said the special and continuing trust fund a reserve fund account of said the authority in the State Treasury in which shall be placed as trust fund and held separate and apart from all other moneys of the state or of the authority, (1) any moneys left after the completion of the facility and the payment of all costs in connection therewith and in connection with the issuance of the bonds, and, (2) all excess rentals and other surplus income from the facility or facilities constructed with the proceeds from the sale of the bonds remaining each fiscal year after payment of all charges and expenses of operating and maintaining such facility or facilities during such fiscal year, including all payments required to be made during such fiscal year with respect to the bonds issued for such facility or facilities. Said The reserve fund shall be held by the State Treasurer in trust for the authority and the holders of its bonds and may be invested at the direction of the authority. Said The reserve fund shall be used to pay, when due and payable, any installment of principal or interest or both on the bonds for which said the fund was created which cannot be paid out of current revenues or other moneys of the authority. Said The funds shall not be diverted or used for any other purpose; however, when all bonds of the authority have been fully paid, the authority, at any time and from time to time, may direct that all or a portion of the funds accumulated in the reserve fund be transferred and paid over to the State General Fund. There shall also be created in said the special and continuing trust fund an account thereof in which shall be deposited, segregated, and held only the amounts reasonably estimated to be necessary for the maintenance, operation, and upkeep of said the facilities with all excess moneys at the end of each fiscal year being transferred to the reserve fund."

Section 3

In addition to leases to state agencies authorized by Section 41-10-514, Code of Alabama 1975, the Alabama State Parking Deck Authority may enter into one or more leases of all or any part or portion of the facilities with parties other than state agencies, including private parties, for the use and occupancy of all or part of the facilities owned by the authority.

Section 4

Upon a determination by the authority that a lessee under Section 41-10-514, Code of Alabama 1975, has failed or refused to pay the lease payment charged to it under its lease agreement with the authority and that the lease payments are at least 90 days in arrears, the authority may request that the Director of Finance direct the Comptroller to issue a warrant to the authority in the amount of the delinquent lease payments. If the Director of Finance finds that the lessee has funds appropriated, budgeted, and allotted for such payments, he or she may direct the Comptroller to issue a warrant to the authority in the amount owed. The Comptroller is authorized to pay to the authority the amount of the delinquent lease payments that he or she finds to be appropriated, budgeted, and allotted for that purpose if sufficient funds are then available in the fund from which the payments are to be made.

Section 5

All laws or parts of laws which conflict with this act are repealed, and specifically, Section 41-10-515, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the leasing of a vacant or unused facility to another political subdivision of the state or federal government, or to a private person, firm, or corporation, is repealed.

Section 6

This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.