Colorado Legislative Council Staff

STATE and LOCAL

CONDITIONAL FISCAL NOTE

No State General Fund Impact

State Cash Revenue and Expenditure Impact

Local Revenue and Expenditure Impact

TITLE:            CONCERNING AUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE SERVICES RELATING TO WASTE DISPOSAL.

Summary of Legislation

            This bill authorizes all sanitation districts, water and sanitation districts, and metropolitan districts to provide solid waste disposal facilities. The bill includes the board of a metropolitan district or sanitation district as being subject to the provisions of Section 30-20-101, C.R.S. which provides for the regulation of solid waste disposal sites and facilities.

            The bill also authorizes sanitation and metropolitan districts with a resident elector population of 2,500 or less that is located in a county with a population of 25,000 or less to provide waste services. The district board is required to request proposals to provide these services. The bill limits the period of the service contract to a maximum of three years.

            The bill will become effective upon the signature of the Governor.

            This bill may affect state and local government revenue and expenditures if a district elects to provide a solid waste disposal facility. Therefore, the bill is assessed as having a conditional fiscal impact.

State Revenues

            Any district that elects to provide a solid waste disposal facility will be required to abide by the provisions of current law (30-20-102, C.R.S.) governing the operations of solid waste disposal sites and facilities. Section 30-20-109, C.R.S., authorizes the DPHE to assess a technical review fee of up to $10,000 per site or facility. Additionally, once a facility has been reviewed and approved, the facility will be subject to an annual license fee $250.

            The fees are to be deposited to the Solid Waste Management Fund. However, the number of districts that may elect to provide solid waste disposal facilities, and the associated state fee revenue, if any, have not been estimated.

State Expenditures

            If a district elects to provide a solid waste disposal facility, the district would be required to submit applications to the DPHE for the engineering design and operation of the facility. The DPHE is required by current law to administer these applications per regulations promulgated by the State Board of Health.

            The DPHE would incur Solid Waste Management Fund costs for the associated reviews, but is allowed by current law to recover those costs through the assessment of the technical review fee discussed above. However, the number of districts that may elect to provide solid waste disposal facilities, and the associated state expenditures, if any, have not been estimated.

Local Government Impact

            There are approximately 260 metropolitan districts, 86 sanitation districts, and 138 water and sanitation districts in the state that potentially could become candidates to provide solid waste disposal facilities. Of these districts, the Department of Public Health and Environment (DPHE) is aware of one district that is investigating the possibility of providing a solid waste disposal facility.

            Any district that elects to provide a solid waste disposal facility will incur costs for site development, construction, and operations. It is assumed the district will determine whether a new source(s) of revenue will be required to recover those costs.

Spending Authority

            This fiscal note would imply that no new state spending authority or appropriations are required for FY 1998-99 to implement the provisions of this bill.

Departments Contacted

            Local Affairs              Public Health and Environment