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2008 SESSION

081206308
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 65
Offered January 9, 2008
Prefiled January 8, 2008
Requesting the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to study the operation and finances of the Southeastern Public Service Authority. Report.
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Patron-- Quayle
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, historically, solid waste had been handled in southeastern Virginia by the individual localities, with each city or county either collecting and disposing of waste within its borders or transporting the waste to a neighboring locality for disposal; and

WHEREAS, in 1973, these local communities realized the need for a regional water supply system and created the Southeastern Water Authority of Virginia (SWAV); however SWAV never became operational, and in 1976, the local municipalities agreed to establish, expand and rename SWAV the Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) in accordance with the Water and Waste Authorities Act; and

WHEREAS, upon its establishment, SPSA's responsibilities were expanded to include the development of a regional solid waste disposal system that included a waste-to-energy plant; and

WHEREAS, SPSA's mission is to dispose of waste "in an environmentally sensitive manner, minimizing damage for current and future generations and reusing waste whenever possible, turning it into a useful product"; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly authorized bonding authority for SPSA for the purpose of providing acquisition, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of a water system and a garbage and refuse collection and disposal system; and

WHEREAS, in 1978, initial funding for SPSA's operation in the amount of $3 million was provided through bond anticipation notes secured by four local communities; and

WHEREAS, during the mid-to-late 1980s, facilities were being constructed and staff hired with funding provided through several bond issues; and

WHEREAS, SPSA's member localities, which include the cities of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Franklin, and Suffolk, and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton, have entered into Use and Support Agreements with SPSA that call for the delivery of substantially all of the waste generated within the member localities' boundaries, and these agreements are scheduled to expire in 2018 and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission has been requested to examine future waste disposal alternatives for the region; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission be requested to study the operation and finances of the Southeastern Public Service Authority.

In conducting its study, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission shall assess SPSA's financial stability and performance. Any analysis shall compare SPSA operations with similar public and private entities.

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2008, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2009 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.