Article 1.
Industrial And Pollution Control Facilities Financing.
§ 159D-1. Short title.
This Article may be referred to as "The North Carolina Industrial and Pollution Control Facilities Financing Act." (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-2. Legislative findings and purposes.
(a) The General Assembly finds and determines that there exists in the State a critical condition of unemployment and a scarcity of employment opportunities; that the economic insecurity which results from such unemployment and scarcity of employment opportunities constitutes a serious menace to the safety, morals and general welfare of the entire State; that such unemployment and scarcity of employment opportunities have caused many workers and their families, including young adults upon whom future economic prosperity is dependent, to migrate elsewhere to find employment and establish homes; that such emigration has resulted in a reduced rate of growth in the tax base of the counties and other local governmental units of the State which impairs the financial ability of such counties and other local governmental units to support education and other local governmental services; that such unemployment results in obligations to grant public assistance and to pay unemployment compensation; that the aforesaid conditions can best be remedied by the attraction, stimulation, expansion and rehabilitation and revitalization of industrial and manufacturing facilities for industry in the State; and that there is a need to stimulate a larger flow of private investment funds into industrial building programs in the State.
(b) The General Assembly further finds and determines that the development and expansion of industry within the State, which are essential to the economic growth of the State, and to the full employment and prosperity of its people, are accompanied by the increased production and discharge of gaseous, liquid, and solid pollution and wastes which threaten and endanger the health, welfare and safety of the inhabitants of the State by polluting the air, land and waters of the State; that in order to reduce, control, and prevent such environmental pollution, it is imperative that action be taken at various levels of government to require the provision of devices, equipment and facilities for the collection, reduction, treatment, and disposal of such pollution and wastes; that the assistance provided in this Article, especially with respect to financing, is therefore in the public interest and serves a public purpose of the State in promoting the health, welfare and safety of the inhabitants of the State not only physically by collecting, reducing, treating and preventing environmental pollution but also economically by securing and retaining private industry thereby maintaining a higher level of employment and economic activity and stability.
(c) Repealed by Session Laws 2000, c. 179, s. 2.
(c1) Repealed by Session Laws 2000, c. 179, s. 2.
(d) Repealed by Session Laws 2000, c. 179, s. 2. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, ss. 2, 3; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-3. Definitions.
The following terms, whenever used or referred to in this Article, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
(1) "Agency" means the North Carolina Capital Facilities Finance Agency, an agency of the State created pursuant to G.S. 159D-38 of the North Carolina Capital Facilities Finance Act, codified as Article 2 of this Chapter.
(2) "Air pollution control facility" shall mean any structure, equipment or other facility for, including any increment in the cost of any structure, equipment or facility attributable to, the purpose of treating, neutralizing or reducing gaseous industrial waste and other air pollutants, including recovery, treatment, neutralizing or stabilizing plants and equipment and their appurtenances, which shall have been certified by the agency having jurisdiction to be in furtherance of the purpose of abating or controlling atmospheric pollutants or contaminants.
(3) "Authority" shall mean The North Carolina Industrial and Pollution Control Facilities Financing Authority, a political subdivision and body politic of the State, created pursuant to the provisions of this Article.
(4) "Bonds" shall mean revenue bonds issued under the provisions of this Article.
(4a) "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(5) "Cost" as applied to any project shall embrace all capital costs thereof, including the cost of construction, the cost of acquisition of all property, including rights in land and other property, both real and personal and improved and unimproved, the cost of demolishing, removing or relocating any buildings or structures on lands so acquired, including the cost of acquiring any lands to which such buildings or structures may be moved or relocated, the cost of all machinery and equipment, installation, start-up expenses, financing charges, interest prior to, during and for a period not exceeding one year after completion of construction, the cost of engineering and architectural surveys, plans and specifications, the cost of consultants and legal services, other expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of such project, administrative and other expenses necessary or incident to the acquisition or construction of such project and the financing of the acquisition and construction thereof, including a reserve for debt services.
(6) Repealed by Session Laws 2000, c. 179, s. 2, effective July 1, 2000.
(7) "Financing agreement" shall mean a written instrument establishing the rights and responsibilities of the agency and the operator with respect to a project financed by the issue of bonds.
(8) "Governing body" shall mean the board, commission, council or other body in which the general legislative powers of any county or other political subdivision are vested.
(9) "Obligor" shall mean collectively the operator and any others (including, but not by way of limitation, any other person, collateral device or fund that shall be obligated to pay) who or which shall be obligated under a financing agreement or guaranty agreement or other contract or agreement to make payments to, or for the benefit of, the holders of bonds of the agency. Any requirement of an obligor may be satisfied by any one or more persons who are defined collectively by this Article as the obligor.
(10) "Operator" shall mean the person entitled to the use or occupancy of a project.
(11) "Political subdivision" shall mean any county, city, town, other unit of local government or any other governmental corporation, entity, authority or instrumentality of the State now or hereafter existing.
(12) "Pollution and pollutants" shall mean any noxious or deleterious substances in any air or waters of or adjacent to the State of North Carolina or affecting the physical, chemical or biological properties of any air or waters of or adjacent to the State of North Carolina in a manner and to an extent which renders or is likely to render such air or waters harmful or inimical to the public health, safety or welfare, or to animal, bird or aquatic life, or to the use of such air or waters for domestic, industrial or agricultural purposes or recreation.
(13) "Project" means any land, equipment or any one or more buildings or other structures, whether or not on the same site or sites, and any rehabilitation, improvement, renovation or enlargement of, or any addition to, any building or structure for use as or in connection with (i) any industrial project, which may be an industrial or manufacturing factory, mill, assembly plant, fabricating plant, freight terminal, industrial research, development or laboratory facility, industrial processing facility for industrial or manufactured products, a facility used in the manufacturing or production of tangible personal property, a facility used in the creation or production of intangible property as described in section 197(d)(1)(C)(iii) of the Code, or a distribution facility for industrial or manufactured products, or (ii) any pollution control project for industry which project may be any air pollution control facility, water pollution control facility, or solid waste disposal facility in connection with any factory, mill, plant, terminal or facility described in clause (i) of this subdivision, or (iii) any combination of projects mentioned in clauses (i) and (ii) of this subdivision. Any project may include all appurtenances and incidental facilities such as land, headquarters or office facilities, warehouses, distribution centers, access roads, sidewalks, utilities, railway sidings, trucking and similar facilities, parking facilities, landing strips and other facilities for aircraft, waterways, docks, wharves and other improvements necessary or convenient for the construction, maintenance and operation of any building or structure, or addition thereto.
(14) "Revenues" shall mean, with respect to any project, the rents, fees, charges, payments, proceeds and other income or profit derived therefrom or from the financing agreement or security document in connection therewith.
(15) "Security document" shall mean a written instrument or instruments establishing the rights and responsibilities of the agency and the holders of bonds issued to finance a project, and may provide for, or be in the form of an agreement with, a trustee for the benefit of such bondholders. A security document may contain an assignment, pledge, mortgage or other encumbrance of all or part of the agency's interest in, or right to receive revenues with respect to, a project and any other property provided by the operator or other obligor under a financing agreement and may bear any appropriate title. A financing agreement and a security document may be combined as one instrument.
(16) "Solid waste" shall mean solid waste materials resulting from any industrial or manufacturing activities or from any pollution control facility.
(17) "Solid waste disposal facility" shall mean a facility for the purpose of treating, burning, compacting, composting, storing or disposing of solid waste.
(18) "Water pollution control facility" shall mean any structure, equipment or other facility for, including any increment in the cost of any structure, equipment or facility attributable to, the purpose of treating, neutralizing or reducing liquid industrial waste and other water pollution, including collecting, treating, neutralizing, stabilizing, cooling, segregating, holding, recycling, or disposing of liquid industrial waste and other water pollution, including necessary collector, interceptor, and outfall lines and pumping stations, which has been certified by the entity exercising jurisdiction to be in furtherance of the purpose of abating or controlling water pollution. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, ss. 4, 4.1; 2000-179, s. 2; 2009-140, s. 8.)
§ 159D-4: Repealed by Session Laws 2000-179, s. 2.
§ 159D-4.1. Jurisdiction of the agency.
All actions taken by counties, local officials, the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and other interested parties to create and organize The North Carolina Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority are ratified and confirmed. All duties, powers, jurisdiction, and responsibilities vested by statute or by contract in the authority are transferred to and vested in the North Carolina Capital Facilities Finance Agency, subject to the provisions of this Article. Upon this transfer, the agency is responsible for all duties and obligations of the authority entered into or incurred, by contract or otherwise, before the transfer. Particularly, the agency is responsible for all matters relating to any outstanding bonds of the authority to the same extent that the authority was responsible for them before the date of transfer. The agency for all purposes assumes the role and is the legal successor of the authority. Upon this transfer, the authority is dissolved. (2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-5. General powers.
The agency shall have all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this Article, including all of the following:
(1) To adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business and to prescribe rules, regulations and policies in connection with the performance of its functions and duties;
(2) To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;
(3) To maintain an office at such place or places as it may determine;
(4) To sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded;
(5) To receive, administer and comply with the conditions and requirements respecting any gift, grant or donation of any property or money;
(6) To make and execute financing agreements, security documents and other contracts and instruments necessary or convenient in the exercise of the powers and functions of the agency under this Article;
(7) To acquire by purchase, lease, gift or otherwise, but not by eminent domain, or to obtain options for the acquisition of any property, real or personal, improved or unimproved, and interests in land less than the fee thereof, for the construction, operation or maintenance of any project;
(8) To sell, lease, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or to grant options for any such purposes with respect to, any real or personal property or interest therein;
(9) To pledge or assign revenues of the agency;
(10) To construct, acquire, own, repair, maintain, extend, improve, rehabilitate, renovate, furnish and equip one or more projects and to pay all or any part of the costs thereof from the proceeds of bonds of the agency or from any contribution, gift or donation or other funds made available to the agency for such purpose;
(11) To fix, charge and collect revenues with respect to any project;
(12) To employ consulting engineers, architects, attorneys, real estate counselors, appraisers and such other consultants and employees as may be required in the judgment of the agency and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available to the agency therefor and to select and retain subject to approval of the Local Government Commission the financial consultants, underwriters and bond attorneys to be associated with the issuance of any bonds and to pay for services rendered by underwriters, financial consultants or bond attorneys out of the proceeds of any such issue with regard to which the services were performed; and
(13) To do all acts and things necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes, and to exercise the powers granted in this Article. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1985, c. 723, s. 3; 2000-179, s. 2.)
(a) The agency is authorized to provide for the issuance, at one time or from time to time, of bonds of the agency for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of any project. The principal of, the interest on and any premium payable under the redemption of such bonds shall be payable solely from the funds herein authorized for such payment. The bonds of each issue shall bear interest as may be determined by the Local Government Commission of North Carolina with the approval of the agency and the obligor irrespective of the limitations of G.S. 24-1.1, as amended, and successor provisions. The bonds of each issue shall be dated, shall mature at such time or times not exceeding 30 years from the date of their issuance, and may be made redeemable before maturity at such price or prices and under such terms and conditions, as may be fixed by the agency prior to the issuance of the bonds. The agency shall determine the form and the manner of execution of the bonds, including any interest coupons to be attached thereto, and shall fix the denomination or denominations of the bonds and the place or places of payment of principal and interest. In case any officer whose signature or a facsimile of whose signature appears on any bonds or coupons ceases to be that officer before the delivery of the bonds, the signature or the facsimile shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes the same as if the officer had remained in office until such delivery. The agency may also provide for the authentication of the bonds by a trustee or fiscal agent.
(b) The proceeds of the bonds of each issue shall be used solely for the payment of the cost of the project or projects, or a portion thereof, for which the bonds were issued, and shall be disbursed in such manner and under such restrictions, if any, as the agency may provide in the financing agreement and the security document. If the proceeds of the bonds of any issue, by reason of increased construction costs or error in estimates or otherwise, are less than such cost, additional bonds may in like manner be issued to provide the amount of such deficiency.
(c) The proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to this Article shall not be used to refinance the cost of a project. For the purposes of this section, a cost of a project is considered refinanced if both of the following conditions are met:
(1) The cost is initially paid from sources other than bond proceeds, and the original expenditure is to be reimbursed from bond proceeds.
(2) The original expenditure was paid more than 60 days before the agency took some action indicating its intent that the expenditure would be financed or reimbursed from bond proceeds.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, preliminary expenditures that are incurred prior to the commencement of the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of a project, such as architectural costs, engineering costs, surveying costs, soil testing costs, bond issuance costs, and other similar costs, may be reimbursed from bond proceeds even if these costs are incurred or paid more than 60 days prior to the agency's action. This exception that allows preliminary expenditures to be reimbursed from bond proceeds, whether or not they are incurred or paid within 60 days of the agency's action, does not include costs that are incurred incident to the commencement of the construction of a project, such as expenditures for land acquisition and site preparation. In any event, an expenditure originally paid before the agency took some action indicating its intent that the expenditures would be financed or reimbursed from bond proceeds may be reimbursed from bond proceeds only if the agency finds that reimbursing those costs from bond proceeds will promote the purposes of this Article.
(e) Bonds may be issued under the provisions of this Article without obtaining, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Article, the consent of the State or of any political subdivision and without any other proceedings or the happening of any conditions or things other than those proceedings, conditions or things specifically required by this Article and the provisions of the financing agreement and security document authorizing the issuance of such bonds and securing the same. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-7. Approval of project by Secretary of Commerce.
(a) Approval Required. - No bonds may be issued by the agency pursuant to this Article unless the project for which their issuance is proposed is first approved by the Secretary of Commerce. The agency shall file an application for approval of its proposed project with the Secretary of Commerce, and shall notify the Local Government Commission of such filing.
(b) Findings. - The Secretary shall not approve any proposed project unless the Secretary makes all of the following, applicable findings:
(1) In the case of a proposed industrial project, that the proposed project will not have a materially adverse effect on the environment.
(2) In the case of a proposed pollution control project, that such project will have a materially favorable impact on the environment or will prevent or diminish materially the impact of pollution which would otherwise occur.
(2a) In the case of a hazardous waste facility or low-level radioactive waste facility that is used as a reduction, recovery or recycling facility, that such project will further the waste management goals of North Carolina and will not have an adverse effect upon public health or a significant adverse effect on the environment.
(3) In any case (whether the proposed project is an industrial or a pollution control project),
a. That the jobs to be generated or saved, directly or indirectly, by the proposed project will be large enough in number to have a measurable impact on the area immediately surrounding the proposed project and will be commensurate with the size and cost of the proposed project,
b. That the proposed operator of the proposed project has demonstrated or can demonstrate the capability to operate such project, and
c. That the financing of such project by the agency will not cause or result in the abandonment of an existing industrial or manufacturing facility of the proposed operator or an affiliate elsewhere within the State unless the facility is to be abandoned because of obsolescence, lack of available labor in the area, or site limitations.
(c) Initial Operator. - If the initial proposed operator of a project is not expected to be the operator for the term of the bonds proposed to be issued, the Secretary may make the findings required pursuant to subdivisions (b)(1)a. and (3)b. of this section only with respect to the initial operator. The initial operator shall be identified in the application for approval of the proposed project.
(d) Public Hearing, Generally. - The Secretary of Commerce shall not approve any proposed project pursuant to this section unless the governing body of the county in which the project is located has first conducted a public hearing and, at or after the public hearing, approved in principle the issuance of bonds under this Article for the purpose of paying all or part of the cost of the proposed project. Notice of the public hearing shall be published at least once in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county not less than 14 days before the public hearing. The notice shall describe generally the bonds proposed to be issued and the proposed project, including its general location, and any other information the governing body considers appropriate or the Secretary of Commerce prescribes for the purpose of providing the Secretary with the views of the community. The notice shall also state that following the public hearing the agency intends to file an application for approval of the proposed project with the Secretary of Commerce.
(d1) Public Hearing, Multiple Projects. - Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, in the event the bonds proposed to be issued are to finance more than one project, the public hearing shall be conducted by the agency or by a hearing officer designated by the agency to conduct public hearings. The public hearing may be held at any location designated by the agency. Notice of the public hearing shall be published at least once in at least one newspaper of general circulation in each county in which a proposed project is to be located not less than 14 days before the public hearing. The notice shall describe generally the bonds proposed to be issued and any proposed project in that county, including its general location, and any other information the agency considers appropriate or the Secretary of Commerce prescribes for the purpose of providing the Secretary with the views of the community. A copy of the notice of public hearing must be mailed to the board of county commissioners of any county in which a proposed project is to be located and to the governing body of any municipality in which a proposed project is to be located.
(e) Certificate of Department of Environmental Quality. - The Secretary of Commerce shall not make the findings required by subdivisions (b)(1)b and (2) of this section unless the Secretary has first received a certification from the Department of Environmental Quality that, in the case of a proposed industrial project, the proposed project will not have a materially adverse effect on the environment and that, in the case of a proposed pollution control project, the proposed project will have a materially favorable impact on the environment or will prevent or diminish materially the impact of pollution which would otherwise occur. The Secretary shall not make the findings required by subdivision (b)(2a) of this section unless the Secretary has first received a certification from the Department of Environmental Quality that the proposed project is environmentally sound, will not have an adverse effect on public health and will further the waste management goals of North Carolina. The Secretary of Commerce shall deliver a copy of the application to the Department of Environmental Quality. The Department of Environmental Quality shall provide each certification to the Secretary of Commerce within seven days after the applicant satisfactorily demonstrates to it that all permits, including environmental permits, necessary for the construction of the proposed project have been obtained, unless the agency consents to a longer period of time.
(f) Waiver of Wage Requirement. - If the Secretary of Commerce has made all of the required findings respecting a proposed industrial project, except that prescribed in subdivision (b)(1)a of this section, the Secretary may, in the Secretary's discretion, approve the proposed project if the Secretary has received (i) a resolution of the governing body of the county in which the proposed project is to be located requesting that the proposed project be approved notwithstanding that the operator will not pay an average weekly manufacturing wage above the average weekly manufacturing wage in the county and (ii) a letter from an appropriate State official, selected by the Secretary, to the effect that unemployment in the county is especially severe.
(g) Rules. - To facilitate the Secretary's review of each proposed project, the Secretary may require the agency to obtain and submit such data and information about such project as the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may also prescribe such forms and such rules as the Secretary considers reasonably necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
(h) Certificate of Approval. - If the Secretary approves the proposed project, the Secretary shall prepare a certificate of approval evidencing such approval and setting forth the findings and shall cause the certificate of approval to be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county in which the proposed project is to be located. Any such approval shall be reviewable as provided in Article 4 of Chapter 150B of the General Statutes only by an action filed, within 30 days after notice of such findings and approval shall have been so published, in the Superior Court of Wake County. The superior court is hereby vested with jurisdiction to hear such action, but if no such action is filed within the 30 days herein prescribed, the validity of such approval shall be conclusively presumed, and no court shall have authority to inquire into such approval. Copies of the certificate of approval of the proposed project will be given to the agency, the governing body of the county in which the proposed project is to be located and the secretary of the Local Government Commission.
The certificate of approval shall become effective immediately following the expiration of the 30-day period or the expiration of any appeal period after a final determination by any court of any action timely filed pursuant to this section. The certificate shall expire one year after its date unless extended by the Secretary who shall not extend the certificate unless the Secretary again approves the proposed project as provided in this section. If bonds are issued within that year pursuant to the authorization of this Article or Chapter 159C of the General Statutes to pay all or part of the costs of the project, however, the certificate expires three years after the date of the first issuance of the bonds.
(i) Certificate Issued Under Chapter 159C Effective. - Any certificate of approval with respect to a project which has become effective pursuant to G.S. 159C-7 satisfies the requirements of this section to the extent that the findings made by the Secretary pursuant to G.S. 159C-7 are consistent with the findings required to be made by the Secretary pursuant to this section. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, s. 6; c. 827, s. 1; 1989, c. 727, ss. 218(162), 219(39); c. 751, s. 8(30); 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 959, s. 82; 1997-443, s. 11A.123; 2000-179, s. 2; 2002-172, s. 5.2; 2003-416, s. 2; 2004-132, s. 2; 2015-241, s. 14.30(u).)
§ 159D-8. Approval of bonds.
(a) No bonds may be issued by the agency pursuant to this Article unless the issuance is first approved by the Local Government Commission.
The agency shall file an application for approval of its proposed bond issue with the secretary of the Local Government Commission, and shall notify the Secretary of the Department of Commerce of such filing.
(b) In determining whether a proposed bond issue should be approved, the Local Government Commission may consider, without limitation, the following:
(1) Whether the proposed operator and obligor have demonstrated or can demonstrate the financial responsibility and capability to fulfill their obligations with respect to the financing agreement. In making such determination, the commission may consider the operator's experience and the obligor's ratio of current assets to current liabilities, net worth, earnings trends and coverage of fixed charges, the nature of the industry or business involved and its stability and any additional security such as credit enhancement, insurance, guaranties or property to be pledged or secure such bonds.
(2) Whether the political subdivisions in or near which the proposed project is to be located have the ability to cope satisfactorily with the impact of such project and to provide, or cause to be provided, the public facilities and services, including utilities, that will be necessary for such project and on account of any increase in population which are expected to result therefrom.
(3) Whether the proposed date and manner of sale will have an adverse effect upon any scheduled or anticipated sale of obligations by the State or any political subdivision or any agency of either of them.
(c) To facilitate the review of the proposed bond issue by the commission, the Secretary may require the agency to obtain and submit such financial data and information about the proposed bond issue and the security therefor, including the proposed prospectus or offering circular, the proposed financing agreement and security document and annual and other financial reports and statements of the obligor, as the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may also prescribe forms and rules that the Secretary considers reasonably necessary to implement the provisions of this section. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1989, c. 751, s. 7(52); 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 959, s. 83; 2000-179, s. 2; 2002-172, s. 5.3.)
Bonds issued under this Article may be sold in such manner, either at public or private sale, and for such price as the Local Government Commission determines to be for the best interests of the agency and effectuate best the purposes of this Article irrespective of the interest limitations set forth in G.S. 24-1.1, as amended, and successor provisions, as long as the sale is approved by the agency and the obligor. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-10. Location of projects.
Any project of the agency shall be located within the boundaries of the State. Bonds may not be issued to finance any project or group of projects in any county of the State unless the board of commissioners for the county in which the project is located has consented to the location of the project within the county. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1993, c. 130, s. 2; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-11. Financing agreements.
(a) Every financing agreement shall provide that:
(1) Repealed by Session Laws 1987, c. 517, s. 7.
(2) The amounts payable under the financing agreement shall be sufficient to pay all of the principal of and interest and redemption premium, if any, and interest on the bonds issued by the agency to pay the cost of the project as they respectively become due;
(3) The obligor shall pay all costs incurred by the agency in connection with the financing and administration of the project, except as may be paid out of the proceeds of bonds or otherwise, including, but without limitation, insurance costs, the cost of administering the financing agreement and the security document and the fees and expenses of the fiscal agent or trustee, paying agents, attorneys, consultants and others;
(4) The obligor shall pay all the costs and expenses of operation, maintenance and upkeep of the project; and
(5) The obligor's obligation to provide for the payment of the bonds in full shall not be subject to cancellation, termination or abatement until payment of the bonds or provision for payment has been made.
(b) The financing agreement may be in the nature of:
(1) A sale and leaseback,
(2) A lease purchase,
(3) A conditional sale,
(4) An installment sale,
(5) A secured or unsecured loan,
(6) A loan and mortgage, or
(7) Another similar transaction.
(c) The financing agreement, if in the nature of a lease agreement, shall either provide that the obligor has an option to purchase, or require that the obligor purchase, the project upon the expiration or termination of the financing agreement subject to the condition that payment in full of the principal of, and the interest and any redemption premium on, the bonds, or provision for payment has been made.
(d) The financing agreement may provide the agency with rights and remedies in the event of a default by the obligor under it including, without limitation, any one or more of the following:
(1) Acceleration of all amounts payable under the financing agreement;
(2) Reentry and repossession of the project;
(3) Termination of the financing agreement;
(4) Leasing or sale or foreclosure of the project to others; and
(5) Taking whatever actions at law or in equity may appear necessary or desirable to collect the amounts payable under, and to enforce covenants made in, the financing agreement.
(e) The agency's interest in a project under a financing agreement may be that of owner, lessor, lessee, conditional or installment vendor, mortgagor, mortgagee, secured party or otherwise, but the agency need not have any ownership or possessory interest in the project.
(f) The agency may assign all or any of its rights and remedies under the financing agreement to the trustee or bondholders under the security document.
(g) The financing agreement may contain any additional provisions the agency considers necessary or convenient to effectuate the purposes of this Article. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, s. 7; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-12. Security documents.
(a) Bonds issued under the provisions of this Article may be secured by a security document which may be a trust instrument between the agency and a bank or trust company or individual within the State, or a bank or a trust company without the State, as trustee. Such security document may pledge and assign the revenues provided for the security of the bonds, including proceeds from the sale of any project, or part thereof, insurance proceeds and condemnation awards, and may convey or mortgage the project and other property to secure a bond issue.
The revenues and other funds derived from the project, except any part necessary to provide reserves shall be set aside at such regular intervals as may be provided in such security document in a sinking fund which may be pledged to, and charged with, the payment of the principal of and the interest on such bonds as they become due and the redemption price or the purchase price of bonds retired by call or purchase as therein provided. Such pledge shall be valid and binding from the time when the pledge is made. The revenues so pledged and thereafter received by the agency shall immediately be subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract or otherwise against the agency, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof. The use and disposition of money to the credit of such sinking fund shall be subject to the provisions of the security document. Such security document may contain such provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper and not in violation of law, including, without limitation, any one or more of the following:
(1) Acceleration of all amounts payable under the security document;
(2) Appointment of a receiver to manage the project and any other property mortgaged or assigned as security for the bonds;
(3) Foreclosure and sale of the project and any other property mortgaged or assigned as security for the bonds; and
(4) Rights to bring and maintain such other actions at law or in equity as may appear necessary or desirable to collect the amounts payable under, or to enforce the covenants made in, the security document.
(b) It is lawful for any bank or trust company incorporated under the laws of this State which may act as depositary of the proceeds of bonds, revenues or other funds provided under this Article to furnish such indemnifying bonds or to pledge such securities as may be required by the agency. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of such security document may be treated as a part of the cost of the project in connection with which bonds are issued or as an expense of administration of such project.
The agency may subordinate the bonds or its rights under the financing agreement or otherwise to any prior, contemporaneous or future securities or obligations or lien, mortgage or other security interest.
Any such security document may contain such additional provisions as in the determination of the agency are necessary or convenient or effectuate the purposes of this Article. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, all money received pursuant to the authority of this Article, whether as proceeds from the sale of bonds or as revenues, are trust funds to be held and applied solely as provided in this Article. The security document may provide that any of the money may be temporarily invested and reinvested pending its disbursement in any securities and other investments as provided in such security document, and shall provide that any officer with whom, or any bank or trust company with which, the money is deposited shall act as trustee and shall hold and apply it for the purpose of this Article, subject to any regulations this Article and the security document provide. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-14. Tax exemption.
The agency is not required to pay any taxes on any project or on any other property owned by the agency under the provisions of this Article or upon the income from the property.
The interest on bonds issued by the agency is exempt from all income taxes within the State.
All projects and all transactions for them are subject to taxation to the extent they would be subject to taxation if no public body were involved with them. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-15. Construction contracts.
The agency may agree with the prospective operator that all contracts relating to the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of a project shall be solicited, negotiated, awarded and executed by the prospective operator and its agents subject only to such approval by the agency as the agency may require in such agreement. Such agreement may provide that the agency may, out of the proceeds of bonds, make advances to or reimburse the operator for all or a portion of its costs incurred in connection with such contracts. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-16. Conflict of interest.
If any officer, commissioner or employee of the agency is interested either directly or indirectly in any contract with the agency, such interest shall be disclosed to the agency and shall be set forth in the minutes of the agency, and the officer, commissioner, employee or member having such interest shall not participate on behalf of the agency in the authorization of the project. This section does not apply to the ownership of less than one percent (1%) of the stock of any operator or obligor. Failure to take any or all actions necessary to carry out the purposes of this section does not affect the validity of bonds issued pursuant to the provisions of this Article. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-17. Credit of State not pledged.
Bonds issued under the provisions of this Article do not constitute a debt of the State or any political subdivision or a pledge of the faith and credit of the State or any political subdivisions, but shall be payable solely from the revenues and other funds provided for payment. Each bond issued under this Chapter shall contain on its face a statement to the effect that the agency shall not be obligated to pay the bonds or the interest on it except from the revenues and other funds pledged for payment and that neither the faith and credit nor the taxing power of the State or any political subdivision is pledged to the payment of the principal of or the interest on the bonds. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-18. Bonds eligible for investment.
Bonds issued by the agency under the provisions of this Article are securities in which all public officers and agencies of the State and all political subdivisions, and all insurance companies, trust companies, banking associations, investment companies, executors, administrators, trustees and other fiduciaries may properly and legally invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1.; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-19. Revenue refunding bonds.
(a) The agency is authorized to provide by resolution for the issuance of refunding bonds of the agency for the purpose of refunding any bonds then outstanding that have been issued under the provisions of this Article, or under the provisions of Chapter 159C of the General Statutes, including the payment of any redemption premium and any interest accrued or to accrue to the date of redemption of such bonds, and, if considered advisable by the agency, for either or both of the following additional purposes:
(1) Constructing improvements, additions, extensions or enlargements of the project or projects in connection with which the bonds to be refunded shall have been issued; and
(2) Paying all or any part of the cost of any additional project or projects.
(a1) The issuance of bonds, the maturities and other details thereof, the rights of the holders thereof, and the rights, duties and obligations of the agency in respect to the bonds are governed by the provisions of this Article that relate to the issuance of bonds.
The approvals required by G.S. 159D-7 and G.S. 159D-8 shall be obtained prior to the issuance of any refunding bonds, except that in the case where the refunding bonds of all or a portion of an issue are to be issued solely for the purpose of refunding outstanding bonds issued under this Article, the approval required by G.S. 159D-7 is not required as to the project financed with the bonds to be refunded.
(b) Refunding bonds issued under this section may be sold or exchanged for outstanding bonds issued under this Article and, if sold, the proceeds may be applied, in addition to any other authorized purposes, to the purchase, redemption or payment of such outstanding bonds. Refunding bonds may be issued, in the determination of the agency, at any time not more than five years prior to the date of maturity or maturities or the date selected for the redemption of the bonds being refunded thereby. Pending the application of the proceeds of such refunding bonds, with any other available funds, to the payment of the principal of and accrued interest and any redemption premium on the bonds being refunded, and, if so provided or permitted in the security document securing the bonds to the payment of any interest on such refunding bonds, such proceeds may be invested in direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and the interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America if these obligations mature or are subject to redemption by the holder, at the holder's option not later than the respective dates when the proceeds, together with the interest accruing on them will be required for the purposes intended. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 1987, c. 517, s. 8; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-20. No power of eminent domain.
The agency shall not have any right or power to acquire any property through the exercise of eminent domain or any proceedings in the nature of eminent domain. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-21: Repealed by Session Laws 2000-179, s. 2.
§ 159D-22: Repealed by Session Laws 2000-179, s. 2.
§ 159D-23: Repealed by Session Laws 2001-218, s. 5.
§ 159D-24. Officers not liable.
No member of the Board of Directors of the agency shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance or execution of any bonds. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
The foregoing sections of this Article provide an additional and alternative method for the doing of the things authorized and are supplemental and additional to powers conferred by other laws. They do not derogate any other powers. The issuance of bonds or refunding bonds under the provisions of this Article need not comply with the requirements of any other law applicable to the issuance of bonds. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-26. Liberal construction.
This Article, being necessary for the prosperity and welfare of the State and its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect its purposes. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§ 159D-27. Inconsistent laws inapplicable.
Insofar as the provisions of this Article are inconsistent with the provisions of any general, special or local laws, or parts thereof, the provisions of this Article shall be controlling. (1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1198, s. 1; 2000-179, s. 2.)
§§ 159D-28 through 159D-34. Reserved for future codification purposes.