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· Strengthen language about collection and remittance of revenues, in response to Financial Advisor <br /> concerns and the need to satisfy bond rating agencies. <br />· Remove 30-day notice of termination; leave one-year notice requirement, and further restrict Eugene <br /> and Springfield from terminating when there is outstanding debt requiring long-term commitment of <br /> revenues, unless a provision is made for debt repayment. <br />· Modify the dispute resolution process to provide that, after the Metropolitan Policy Committee <br /> makes its recommendation, the commission's action takes effect only after all the governing bodies <br /> agree, except that the objecting governing body's recourse is limited to submitting the matter to the <br /> commission for reconsideration when: 1) The objection is to the commission's determination of <br /> rates and amounts pursuant to Section 3.e. 1. Note that the current IGA contains a comparable clause <br /> that committed the governing bodies to adopt rates and connection charges that were sufficient to <br /> comply with the wastewater grant requirements of the CFR. <br />· Provisions were also added to Section 13 to facilitate adoption of the MWMC budget by the start of <br /> the fiscal year (July 1). <br /> <br />Changes also are proposed to Appendix A of the intergovernmental agreement to reflect a revised <br />definition of"regional" wastewater facility. This revision shifts the current definition from an arbitrary <br />pipe size, to a consistently applied concept of"shared flows." The new language establishes a logical <br />ownership pattern whereby components of the overall wastewater collection and conveyance system that <br />serve only Eugene or Springfield are owned and maintained by the appropriate agency. Components <br />that transport or treat wastewater from both Eugene and Springfield are defined as part of the regional <br />MWMC system. This revision reflects the actual practices used by the Cities' local sewer programs and <br />the Regional Wastewater Program for many years. <br /> <br />The City Council of Springfield held a work session on the proposed amendments to the IGA on March <br />21, and an additional meeting on April 18, 2005, for the first reading and public hearing on the <br />ordinance related to the proposed amendments to the IGA and the related issuance of the revenue bonds. <br />Two members of the public spoke at the public hearing, and the council maintained its schedule for final <br />action on May 2, 2005. <br /> <br />The Lane County Finance and Audit Committee first discussed the proposed amendments to the IGA on <br />March 15, 2005. This committee is comprised of Commissioners Anna Morrison and Bill Dwyer, and <br />staffed by County Administrator Bill Van Vactor and County Tax Assessor Jim Gangle. A follow-up <br />meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee was held on April 11, at which time the committee voted <br />to forward the proposed amendments to the full Board of Commissioners for consideration. The first <br />reading of the ordinance approving the updated IGA is scheduled for May 18, 2005, with a second <br />reading and public hearing on June 1, 2005. <br /> <br />Amending the IGA requires consensus of all parties to the agreement; therefore, if any one jurisdiction <br />does not accept the amendments, the IGA remains as it is currently written. In this eventuality, the <br />MWMC would not be able to utilize revenue bonds as the most cost-effective mechanism for raising the <br />revenue necessary to implement the 2004 Facility Plan and would have to turn to higher cost options, <br />which include substantial increases in user rates or borrowing at significantly higher interest rates. It is <br />unclear, given the out-of-date nature of the IGA and potential conflicts among the governing bodies, <br />whether any external borrowing (even at higher interest rates) would be possible. Should the governing <br />bodies not universally agree on the need and language for amending the IGA, any of the parties to the <br /> <br /> L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050509\S050509C.doc <br /> <br /> <br />