Wyoming business council.

WORKING DRAFT
2006
STATE OF WYOMING
06LSO-0117.E1

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0060

Wyoming business council.

Sponsored by:
Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming business council; clarifying purposes of business ready community program; modifying eligible projects and expenditures under the business ready community program and the community facilities program; clarifying provisions of the community facilities program; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 9
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12
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601(a) and (b) and 9
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12
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801(d)(i), by creating a new paragraph (iii) and by renumbering (iii) as (iv), (e) by creating a new paragraph (i) and by renumbering (i) as (ii) and amending and renumbering (ii) as (iii) are amended to read:

9
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12
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601.

Wyoming business ready community program; purpose; creation; rulemaking.

(a)

It is the purpose of this article to promote economic development at the city, town and county level in order to create additional economic health and a stronger state economy.
It is not the purpose of this article that funds be expended in a manner that would result in government offering services that are provided by the private sector.

(b)

The council shall establish and administer a Wyoming business ready community program as provided by this article. Any city, town or county may submit an application to the council for a grant or loan under the program on forms prescribed by and subject to rules promulgated by the council. Grants or loans may be applied for by a joint powers board with the approval of all participating agencies to the joint powers agreement. Grants and loans may be made by the council for economic or educational development infrastructure projects, including the purchase of land, buildings, facilities, telecommunications infrastructure
related to economic development infrastructure projects
, rights of way, airports, sewer and water projects, roads, landscaping
related to community entrances or places of economic activity
, recreational and convention facilities or other infrastructure determined by the council to be consistent with the purposes of this article. In adopting rules and making grants and loans under this article the council shall require all projects to be related to economic or educational development infrastructure, which shall not include rehabilitation or expansion of existing infrastructure unless the council determines the rehabilitation or expansion is necessary to meet the purposes of this article. All grants, loans or cooperative agreements made under this article shall be referred by the council to the state loan and investment board for final approval or disapproval. The state loan and investment board may adopt rules as necessary to implement its duties under this article.

9
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12
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801.

Wyoming community facilities program; purpose; creation; administration by council; rulemaking authority; eligible projects.

(d)

Grants or loans may be recommended by the council and awarded by the state loan and investment board for economic development community facilities projects which provide:

(i)

Convention facilities and s
pace for community gatherings and functions;

(iii)

Landscaping;

(iii)
(iv)

Other functions or uses determined by the council to be consistent with the purposes of this article.

(e)

In adopting rules and recommending grants and loans under this article, the council shall require all projects to be related to economic development or enhancement of quality of life in a community. Projects may consist of:

(i)

Construction of new infrastructure to an existing facility, development and rehabilitation of infrastructure serving an existing facility, rehabilitation of an existing facility, and purchase of an existing facility;

(i)
(ii)

The expansion, renovation or remodeling of existing surplus government facilities;

(ii)
(iii)

The purchase of an interest in or cooperative agreements for the expansion, renovation or conversion of
existing
school facilities to the extent the
existing
facilities exceed statewide school building and facility adequacy standards established by the school facilities commission under W.S. 21
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15
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115. No ownership interest to the project or
existing
facility under a project shall remain with the school district upon expenditure of any funds under this program for any project.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2006.

(END)

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HB0060