SENATE BILL No. 820

 

 

September 15, 2009, Introduced by Senators PAPPAGEORGE and McMANUS and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, entitled

 

"Urban cooperation act of 1967,"

 

by amending section 8a (MCL 124.508a), as amended by 2005 PA 69.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 8a. (1) Subject to subsection (3), a county, by

 

resolution of the county board of commissioners of the county, or

 

the agency responsible for preparing the solid waste management

 

plan for counties with a population of 690,000 or more as certified

 

by the 1980 census that do not operate under 1973 PA 139, MCL

 

45.551 to 45.573, or 1966 PA 293, MCL 45.501 to 45.521, as provided

 

in part 115 of the natural resources and environmental protection

 


act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.11501 to 324.11550, may impose a

 

surcharge on households within the county of not more than $2.00

 

per month or $25.00 per year per household for waste reduction

 

programs and for the collection of consumer source separated

 

materials for recycling or composting including, but not limited

 

to, recyclable materials, as defined in part 115 of the natural

 

resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL

 

324.11501 to 324.11550, household hazardous wastes, tires,

 

batteries, and yard clippings.

 

     (2) Subject to subsection (4) and if approved by the voters of

 

a participating unit of government, a county may charge an amount

 

greater than allowed under subsection (1) but not more than $4.00

 

per month or $50.00 per year per household, for the purposes

 

described under subsection (1). The county may include commercial

 

businesses as entities to be subject to the surcharge approved by

 

the voters.

 

     (3) A county or agency shall defer the imposition and

 

collection of a surcharge imposed under subsection (1) in a local

 

unit of government within that county until the county or agency

 

has entered into an interlocal agreement under this act relating to

 

the collection and disposition of the surcharge with the local unit

 

of government. A city in a county in which the agency described in

 

subsection (1) prepared the update to the county's solid waste

 

management plan as provided in part 115 of the natural resources

 

and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.11501 to

 

324.11550, shall not enter into an interlocal agreement if the city

 

has levied a tax of 3 mills on real property within the city for

 


the disposal or management of solid waste in that city. Petitions

 

for a referendum election on the question of entering an interlocal

 

agreement may be filed with the clerk of the local unit of

 

government no later than 6 months following adoption of a

 

resolution of the county or agency to impose the surcharge or 6

 

months following any increase in the surcharge. Upon petition of

 

10% of the qualified electors of a local unit of government voting

 

in the last general election before the adoption of the interlocal

 

agreement by the governing body, the local unit of government shall

 

hold a referendum on whether to reject the entrance into or

 

terminate an interlocal agreement.

 

     (4) An election allowed under subsection (2) shall not be held

 

unless the county board of commissioners passes a resolution

 

authorizing the election. The resolution shall include all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) The approval to hold the election.

 

     (b) The name of the individual designated to negotiate the

 

interlocal agreement between the municipalities and townships

 

within the county.

 

     (c) A date by which each municipality and township within the

 

county shall elect to participate in the interlocal agreement and

 

authorize an election under this section.

 

     (d) The date for the election.

 

     (e) The amount of the proposed surcharge.

 

     (f) Whether commercial businesses will be subject to the

 

proposed surcharge.

 

     (5) The initial authorization under subsection (4) shall be

 


for 5 years. Any subsequent authorizations shall be for a period of

 

not less than 10 years.

 

     (6) With the approval of the county, a municipality or

 

township that is not part of an interlocal agreement established

 

under this section may become subject to the agreement by otherwise

 

complying with the requirements of this section.

 

     (7) With the approval of the county and after providing notice

 

to the municipality or township in which the business is located, a

 

business not subject to this section may agree to be part of an

 

interlocal agreement established under this section and shall be

 

subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement.

 

     (8) The surcharge approved under subsection (2) shall not

 

apply to vacant land, public-utility-owned land, rights-of-way, and

 

easements that do not generate solid waste.

 

     (9) A surcharge approved under subsection (2) is a mandatory

 

charge and may be collected by any reasonable billing method

 

approved by the county, including, but not limited to, as part of

 

billings for property taxes, water and sewage usage, or other

 

services provided by the county to households and commercial

 

businesses within the county.

 

     (10) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Agency" does not include the department of environmental

 

quality natural resources.

 

     (b) "Commercial businesses" means businesses engaged in the

 

sale, lease, or exchange of goods, services, real property, or any

 

other thing of value. Commercial businesses do not include

 

wholesale businesses engaged in the manufacturing of goods or

 


materials or the processing of goods or materials.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 807                                         

 

          of the 95th Legislature is enacted into law.