TITLE 16
CITY, COUNTY, STATE AND LOCAL POWERS
CHAPTER 1
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
ARTICLE 1
IN GENERAL
161101.Authority to cooperate.
In exercising, performing or carrying out any power, privilege, authority, duty or function legally vested in any one (1) or more of them by Wyoming law, the state of Wyoming, and any one (1) or more of its counties, municipal corporations, school districts, special districts, public institutions, agencies, boards, commissions and political subdivisions, and any officer or legal representative of any one (1) or more of them, may cooperate with and assist each other, and like entities or authorities of other states, the United States and the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation. Cooperation may be informal or subject to resolution, ordinance or other appropriate action, and may be embodied in a written agreement specifying purposes, duration, means of financing, methods of operations, termination, acquisition and disposition of property, employment of executive and subordinate agents, reciprocation of governmental immunity protections or other limitations of liability pursuant to W.S. 161104(f) and other appropriate provisions.
161102.Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Wyoming Joint Powers Act".
161103.Definitions.
(a)As used in this act:
(i)"Agencies" means Wyoming counties, municipal corporations, school districts, community college districts, the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Indian tribes, the business council of the Eastern Shoshone Indian tribe, the business council of the Northern Arapaho Indian tribe, joint powers boards formed pursuant to this act or special districts specifically involved in providing facilities or functions enumerated in W.S. 161104(c);
(ii)"This act" means W.S. 161102 through 161110.
161104.Joint powers, functions and facilities; citycounty airport board; eligible senior citizen centers; cooperative public transportation programs.
(a)Any power, privilege or authority exercised or capable of being exercised by an agency may be exercised and enjoyed jointly with any other agency having a similar power, privilege or authority. No cost shall be incurred, debt accrued, nor money expended by any contracting party, which will be in excess of limits prescribed by law. If the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Indian tribes, the business council of the Eastern Shoshone Indian tribe or the business council of the Northern Arapaho Indian tribe participates in a joint powers board under this act with political subdivisions and special districts of Wyoming, the powers of the joint business council, the powers of the business council of the Eastern Shoshone Indian tribe, the powers of the business council of the Northern Arapaho Indian tribe, Wyoming political subdivisions and Wyoming special districts are neither increased or decreased by that participation. Rather the participation of the joint business council, the business council of the Eastern Shoshone Indian tribe or the business council of the Northern Arapaho Indian tribe is intended to facilitate implementation of programs and projects designed to more effectively benefit Wyoming's citizens.
(b)A county may enter into and operate under a joint powers agreement with one (1) or more counties, cities, school districts or community college districts for the performance of any function that the county, city, school district or community college district is authorized to perform, except the planning, expansion, creation, financing or operation of municipally owned electrical facilities.
(c)Specifically, without limiting but subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, two (2) or more agencies may jointly plan, own, lease, assign, sell, create, expand, finance and operate:
(i)Water including surface water drainage, sewerage, water and soil conservation or solid waste facilities;
(ii)Recreational facilities;
(iii)Police protection agency facilities;
(iv)Fire protection agency facilities;
(v)Transportation systems facilities, including airports;
(vi)Public school facilities;
(vii)Community college facilities;
(viii)Hospital and related medical facilities;
(ix)Courthouse and jail or administrative office facilities;
(x)Public health facilities;
(xi)Electrical systems owned by municipalities prior to March 1, 1975;
(xii)Rights-of-way for electric transmission systems, oil and natural gas pipelines, telecommunications and utilities. Any right-of-way acquired under the provisions of this subsection shall follow an existing utility corridor whenever practical.
(d)Any city-county airport board heretofore organized and operating pursuant to W.S. 105101 through 105204 shall be deemed a joint powers board, and shall not be required to reorganize as provided for by W.S. 161106(a) but is subject to all other provisions of this act.
(e)A governing body of an eligible senior citizen center may enter into a joint powers agreement under this act in order to participate in the local government self-insurance program as provided in W.S. 142201 through 142206. An eligible senior citizen center which enters into a joint powers agreement pursuant to this subsection shall be bound by all provisions of the agreement, but shall not be entitled to participate as a member of the joint powers board.
(f)An agency may enter into an agreement with any governmental entity of another state, as defined in W.S. 139103(a)(viii), for purposes of operating a cooperative public transportation program to transport passengers on one (1) or more routes beginning in, ending in or passing through Wyoming. Any agreement entered into under this subsection shall only apply to the operation of a cooperative public transportation program and shall be conditioned upon the other state extending or agreeing to extend its governmental immunity or other limitations of liability to any governmental entity of Wyoming while operating a cooperative public transportation program. As used in this subsection, "cooperative public transportation program" means a notforprofit program designed to transport passengers to and from work or to another location on a regularly scheduled basis using vehicles operated by an agency or a governmental entity of another state.
161105.Joint agreements.
(a)Any two (2) or more agencies may enter into agreements with each other for joint or cooperative action pursuant to this act. No agreement hereunder nor amendment thereto is effective until:
(i)The governing body of each participating agency has approved the agreement or amendment;
(ii)The agreement or amendment is submitted to and approved by the Wyoming attorney general who shall determine whether the agreement or amendment is compatible with the laws and constitution of Wyoming; and
(iii)The agreement or amendment is filed with the keeper of records of each participating agency.
(b)Agreements shall provide:
(i)The duration of the agreement;
(ii)The organization, composition and nature of any separate legal entity created and the powers delegated to the entity;
(iii)The purpose of the agreement;
(iv)The percent ownership of any facility by each participating agency, unless the facility is to be owned by a joint powers board, in which case the agreement shall indicate the interest of each participating agency in the services or product of the joint powers board or the method by which the interest may be determined;
(v)The joint operation and maintenance of any facility unless delegated to an entity pursuant to paragraph (ii) of this subsection;
(vi)The manner of financing the joint or cooperative undertaking and of establishing and maintaining a budget therefor;
(vii)The partial or complete termination of the agreement, dissolution of any entity provided therein, and distribution of any facilities, improvements or other property upon partial or complete termination of the agreement;
(viii)Any other necessary and proper matters.
(c)If the agreement does not establish a separate legal entity to conduct the joint or cooperative undertaking, the agreement may provide for an administrator or administrative board responsible for administering the joint or cooperative undertaking and representation of participating agencies on any administrative board.
161106.Joint powers boards; fiscal manager.
(a)An agreement pursuant to this act may create a joint powers board to conduct a joint or cooperative undertaking. A joint powers board shall consist of not fewer than five (5) members, all of whom shall be qualified electors of the counties in which the board operates. Members of a joint powers board shall be appointed by the governing bodies of the participating agencies in any proportion or number the bodies feel would adequately reflect their interest. The initial appointments shall be by mutual agreement with staggered terms of one (1), two (2) and three (3) years and are subject to reappointment. Thereafter, appointments for a full term shall be for three (3) year staggered terms. Vacancies for unexpired terms shall be filled by appointment by the governing bodies of the participating agencies. Members of the board may be removed by the governing bodies of the participating agencies. It is not incompatible office holding for an officer or legal representative of a county, municipal corporation, school district, special district, public institution, agency, board, commission or political subdivision to be a member of a joint powers board.
(b)Promptly following appointment of its members, a joint powers board shall meet, organize and elect from its membership a chairman, vicechairman, secretary and treasurer. The secretary of a joint powers board shall notify the participating agencies of the board's organization and shall file a certificate with the county clerk and the secretary of state showing its organization. Upon filing the certificate, the joint powers board shall automatically become a body corporate and politic, and a public corporation with power to sue and be sued. The corporation has perpetual existence unless otherwise specified by the agreement providing for the corporation. No individual member of a joint powers board shall be personally liable for any actions or procedure of a joint powers board. When actually engaged in the performance of their duties, members of a joint powers board shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses as provided to state employees.
(c)A joint powers board shall meet at least once every three (3) months at the call of the chairman or within five (5) days after an oral or written request of a majority of the board members.
(d)Within the limits of its authorized and available funds, a joint powers board may employ technical, legal, administrative and clerical assistance and engage the services of research and consulting agencies. In the performance of its duties a joint powers board may utilize the services of any officer or employee of a participating agency with the approval of the governing body of the agency. Upon request of a joint powers board elected and appointed officers and employees of participating agencies shall promptly furnish the board information, statistics and reports under their control and shall otherwise cooperate with a joint powers board.
(e)Any agency participating in a joint powers project may appoint a joint powers board created by the agreement or any of the other agencies participating in the project as its agent to manage the project or to manage the finances of the project. The joint powers agreement may create a single fiscal manager to receive monies and make disbursements for the entire project. The fiscal manager may set up any necessary sinking funds, reserve funds or building funds for the use of the project.
161107.Financing of joint projects.
(a)Any joint project consisting of property or improvements or an interest therein to be owned by participating agencies or a joint powers board undertaken pursuant to this act may be financed:
(i)By the contribution of funds from one (1) or more participating agencies which would be available to each agency if proceeding individually;
(ii)By bond issues by one (1) or more participating agencies to construct, improve or acquire an interest in any facility in the same manner as bonds may be issued by the agency for its individual construction, improvement or acquisition of such a facility;
(iii)By revenue bonds issued by a joint powers board to be repaid solely from revenues provided by this section or any revenue received by a joint powers board from the ownership, lease or operation of property or interest in property owned, leased or controlled by the board. Revenue securities may be issued upon majority approval of the members of a joint powers board and may be executed and delivered at any time, in the form, denominations and amounts, and may be redeemed or repurchased prior to maturity with or without premium, and may bear interest as provided by resolution of a joint powers board authorizing the issue. These securities shall meet the procedural requirements and provisions of W.S. 352425 through 352428 as provided for the issuance of bonds by hospital districts;
(iv)By facilities privately owned and leased to two (2) or more agencies or a joint powers board if the lease agreement provides that upon termination of the lease agreement title to the facilities vests in the participating agencies;
(v)By gifts, donations or grants of federal money;
(vi)By industrial development project bonds issued pursuant to W.S. 151701 et seq.
(b)The state treasurer with the approval of the governor may if fiscally prudent invest any permanent state funds in bonds or securities issued pursuant to this act.
161108.Obligations and responsibilities of participating agencies.
(a)No participating agency nor any legal entity created pursuant to this act shall construct, operate or maintain any facility or improvement other than for service to and use by the participating agencies and their resident customers, except for undertakings pursuant to W.S. 161104(c)(xii).
(b)No agreement pursuant to this act shall relieve any participating agency of any obligation or responsibility imposed upon it by law except to the extent of actual and timely performance thereof by a joint powers board or other legal or administrative entity created by an agreement hereunder, the performance may be offered in satisfaction of the obligation or responsibility.
(c)After April 1, 1998, any legal entity created pursuant to this act or any of its participating agencies, which owns, constructs, operates or maintains a municipal or rural domestic water supply system funded in whole or in part by state grants or loans, shall not assess public entities or individual water users in the cooperating agencies' service area water rate charges which exceed the actual costs of providing and delivering water to the point of connection to the public entities' or individual water users' water system. The governing body of the entity may establish one (1) or more service areas in each of which an average water rate may be used for all customers. A one time connection fee or system investment fee reasonably calculated to permit recovery of a proportionate share of the system infrastructure cost necessary to treat and convey the water may also be charged. A one-time fee may also be charged to recover reasonable expenses incurred by the public entity in determining the actual costs of treating and delivering water to the point of connection. Charges for special services such as customer's line maintenance shall be in addition to the water rate. As used in this subsection, "actual costs of providing and delivering water" shall include a proportionate share of the following costs related to the water system: