Water utility service: sale of water utility property by a city.

Existing law authorizes the furnishing of utility services by publicly owned public utilities, including municipal corporations, which are subject to control by their governing bodies. Existing law authorizes any municipal corporation to acquire, construct, own, operate, or lease any public utility, as defined, and authorizes a municipal corporation to sell or dispose of any public utility it owns. Existing law establishes an alternative procedure whereby a municipal corporation can lease, sell, or transfer that portion of a water utility used for furnishing water service outside or inside the boundaries of the municipal corporation, including the determination that the public utility is not necessary for supplying water to its own inhabitants or that its inhabitants will be provided with equal or better service by the acquiring entity, the sale or transfer is approved by a majority of all voters voting on this issue in an election, and that the acquiring entity disclose specified information before the election. This bill would authorize the City of El Monte, the City of Montebello, and the City of Willows, until January 1, 2022, to sell its public utility for furnishing water service for the purpose of consolidating its public water system with another public water system pursuant to the specified procedures, only if the potentially subsumed water system is wholly within the boundaries of the city, if the city determines that it is uneconomical and not in the public interest to own and operate the public utility, and if certain requirements are met. The bill would prohibit the city from selling the public utility for one year if 50% of interested persons, as defined, protest the sale. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of El Monte, Montebello, and Willows. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 10061 of the Public Utilities Code proposed by AB 2179 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2179 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.