Section 54999.35 - Imposition of fees by local publicly owned electric utility on school district, county office of education, community college district, etc.(a) This section shall apply only to a local publicly owned electric utility or other public agency providing public electric utility service to a public agency in its service territory, as specified in subdivision (b). "Local publicly owned electric utility" as used in this section means all of the following: (1) A municipality or municipal corporation operating as a "public utility" furnishing electric commodity or electric service as provided in Section 10001 of the Public Utilities Code.(2) Any special district furnishing electric commodity or electric service, including, but not limited to, any of the following:(A) A resort improvement district formed pursuant to Division 11 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Public Resources Code.(B) A municipal utility district formed pursuant to Division 6 (commencing with Section 11501) of the Public Utilities Code.(C) A public utility district formed pursuant to the Public Utility District Act set forth in Division 7 (commencing with Section 15501) of the Public Utilities Code.(D) An irrigation district formed pursuant to the Irrigation District Law set forth in Division 11 (commencing with Section 20500) of the Water Code.(3) A joint powers authority that includes one or more of these agencies that furnishes electric commodity or electric service over its own or its member's electric distribution system.(b) The imposition of a capital facilities fee for electric utility service on any school district, county office of education, community college district, the California State University, the University of California, or state agency by a public agency providing public utility service shall be subject to all of the following: (1) Where necessary to defray the actual construction costs of that portion of a public utility facility actually serving a public agency, any public agency providing public utility service on or after July 21, 1986, may continue to charge any capital facilities fee that was imposed prior to that date on the public agency using the public utility service and that was not protested or challenged pursuant to law prior to January 1, 1987, or increase that capital facility fee in an amount not to exceed the percentage increase in the Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Government Purchases, as determined by the Department of Finance, and any public agency shall pay any capital facilities fees authorized by this subdivision.(2) Any public agency proposing to initially impose a capital facilities fee or to increase an existing capital facilities fee in excess of the amount set forth in paragraph (1), may do so after agreement has been reached between the two agencies through negotiations entered into by both parties.(3) Upon request of the affected public agency or upon increase pursuant to paragraph (1), the public agency imposing or increasing the fee shall identify the amount of the capital facilities fee. The public agency imposing or increasing the capital facilities fee has the burden of producing evidence to establish all of the following: (A) The capital facilities fee is nondiscriminatory.(B) The amount of the capital facilities fee does not exceed the amount necessary to provide capital facilities for which the fee is charged.(C) The capital facilities fee complies with the requirements set forth in paragraph (1).(4) A public agency proposing to enact or increase capital facilities fees under this section shall notify by certified mail any school district, county office of education, community college district, California State University, University of California, or state agency located within its service area that is an electric utility customer of the public agency, not less than 30 days prior to the date of any hearing set to consider an ordinance resolution, or motion enacting or increasing a capital facilities fee. The notice shall state the date, time, and place of any hearing. The notice shall also state that the public agency proposes to impose a new capital facilities fee or to increase an existing capital facilities fee in an amount that either complies with the requirements of paragraph (1) or in an amount that exceeds capital facilities fees permissible under paragraph (1).(5) The notice described in paragraph (4) shall designate an individual at the public agency who shall make available, upon request, for inspection by any school district, county office of education, community college district, California State University, University of California, or state agency located within its service area, the information relied upon in setting the fee or increase, including the methodology used to calculate and allocate the capital expenditures giving rise to the fee or increase, and an identification of the capital facilities that contribute to the fee or increase, as well as any other information relevant to determining whether or not the fee or increase complies with the provisions of this section. The affected school district, county office of education, community college district, California State University, University of California, or state agency shall designate the individual who is to receive the notice, and the public agency providing public utility service shall direct the notice to that individual. If no specific individual is designated, then the notice shall be addressed to the billing address of the affected facility. In the case of an affected state agency, after an initial notice has been delivered by certified mail to the billing address of the affected state agency facility, subsequent notice may be directed to the billing address of the state agency by first-class mail, unless the affected state agency specifically requests that the notice be directed to a designated individual by certified mail. A subsequent notice to other affected public agency facilities shall be by certified mail directed to the billing address of the affected facility.(6) Any judicial action or proceeding to protest or challenge a rate or charge that contains a capital facilities fee or to seek a refund of any capital facilities fee imposed on or after July 1, 2000, shall be commenced within 120 days of the effective date of the ordinance, resolution, or motion enacting or increasing the rate, charge, or capital facilities fee, provided that the notice and disclosure requirements of paragraphs (4) and (5) have been followed. If the notice and disclosure requirements of paragraphs (4) and (5) have not been complied with, the 120-day limitation period is not applicable to the judicial action or proceeding to protest or challenge a rate or charge or to seek the refund of any capital facilities fee imposed on or after July 1, 2000.(7) No limitation period in Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 860) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure may bar any judicial action, proceeding or appeal protesting or seeking a refund of a rate, charge, capital facilities fee or capital facilities fee component of a rate or charge imposed on or after April 1, 2000, if the notice and disclosure requirements of paragraphs (4) and (5) have not been followed.Added by Stats 2000 ch 146 (AB 1674), s 2, eff. 7/21/2000.