54253. No proposed franchise, license, or service agreement for a privatization project pursuant to this article shall be entered into between a local agency and a privatizer unless and until all of the following occur:
(a) The local agency has selected the privatizer through a competitive procedure which is not based solely on the price offered by the privatizer.
(b) The local agency has evaluated the project’s design, capacity, financial feasibility, and cost compared with other conventional financing methods, as well as other alternatives to the project and found that the project’s costs will be equal to, or lower than, conventional financing.
(c) The local agency has conducted a noticed public hearing on the proposed franchise, license, or service agreement. The notice for the public hearing shall be published pursuant to Section 6062 and shall contain, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) A statement describing the proposed privatization project, including its cost and service area.
(2) A statement of the time and place of the public hearing to be held for the purpose of hearing public comments on the proposed franchise, license, or service agreement for the privatization project.
(3) A statement of where and when the proposed franchise, license, or service agreement will be available for public inspection prior to the hearing.
(d) The local agency has adopted the contingent franchise, license, or service agreement for a privatization project by ordinance which states that it is subject to the provisions for referendum applicable to a local agency and to approval by the commission pursuant to Section 10013 of the Public Utilities Code.
(e) The local agency retains ownership over any treated effluent from the privatization project that is not consigned to an outfall sewer but is made available for commercial or agricultural use.
(f) The agreement contains provisions stating it shall be subject to the state’s prevailing wage laws.
(g) The local agency has met and conferred with all affected employee organizations under whose jurisdiction the work or service proposed under the franchise, license, or service agreement would normally be performed. The local agency shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid reducing its existing work force or demoting its existing employees as a result of entering into the franchise, license, or service agreement. If any adverse impacts which are raised by either party during the meet and confer process are necessary, the local agency shall adopt by resolution detailed findings explaining the necessity for the adverse impacts.
(h) The local agency finds that the privatizer has the expertise to ensure the continued operation and maintenance of the privatization project. This expertise shall include, but not be limited to, an adequate number of personnel certified in wastewater treatment plant operations pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 13625) of Division 7 of the Water Code.
(i) The agreement contains provisions to ensure that the privatization project is operated to meet any applicable federal or state water quality standards or other laws.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 669, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1993.)