Sec. 117.

(1) All of the following occur on the approval date:

(a) The authority acquires, succeeds to, and assumes the exclusive right, responsibility, and authority to occupy, operate, control, and use the airport and the airport facilities of an airport owned by the local government on that date, including all lands, buildings, improvements, structures, aviation easements, rights of access, and all other privileges and appurtenances pertaining to the airport, subject only to those restrictions imposed by this act.

(b) The authority acquires and succeeds to all rights, title, and interests in and to the fixtures, equipment, materials, furnishings, and other personal property owned and used for purposes of the airport on that date by the local government that owned the airport. The officers of the local government that owns the airport under the operational jurisdiction of the authority shall execute those instruments of conveyance, assignment, and transfer as may be necessary or appropriate to accomplish the foregoing.

(c) The authority assumes, accepts, and becomes liable for all of the lawful obligations, promises, covenants, commitments, and other requirements in respect of the airport of the local government that owns the airport under the operational jurisdiction of the authority, whether known or unknown, contingent or matured, but excepting any full faith and credit pledge of the local government in respect of bonds issued by the local government for airport purposes, and shall perform all of the duties and obligations and shall be entitled to all of the rights of the local government in respect of the airport under any ordinances, agreements, or other instruments and under law. Consistent with this chapter, this assumption includes, and there shall be transferred to the authority, all licenses, permits, approvals, or awards related to the airport, all grant agreements, grant pre-applications, the right to receive the balance of any funds payable under the agreements, the right to receive any amounts, including PFCs, payable to the local government on the approval date and amounts paid to the local government after the approval date, as well as the benefit of contracts and agreements, and all of the local government's duties, liabilities, responsibilities, and obligations as sponsor of the airport, except for any obligation or liabilities contested in good faith by the authority.

(d) The authority assumes unfunded obligations to provide pensions or retiree health insurance in an amount and manner determined by a professional actuary acceptable to the authority and the local government. However, the authority shall not assume any such obligations in excess of the amount properly allocable to the airport over which the authority is exercising operational jurisdiction under the local government's allocation procedures in effect on the date the authority is created or incorporated, and the amount of obligations so assumed by the authority shall not exceed its pro rata share of such obligations, based upon the percentage which the amount of such obligations attributable to employees of the authority is of the amount of all such obligations prior to such assumption.

(2) All lawful actions, commitments, and proceedings, including, but not limited to, revenue bond financings for which a notice of intent resolution has been adopted, of the local government made, given, or undertaken before the date of assumption by the authority under this section are ratified, confirmed, and validated upon assumption by the authority. All actions, commitments, or proceedings undertaken shall, and all actions, commitments, or proceedings of the local government in respect of the airport in the process of being undertaken by, but not yet a commitment or obligation of, the local government in respect of the airport may, from and after the date of assumption by the authority under this section, be undertaken and completed by the authority in the manner and at the times provided in this chapter or other applicable law and in any lawful agreements made by the local government before the date of assumption by the authority under this section.

(3) The exclusive right and authority to occupy, operate, control, and use the airport facilities includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Operational jurisdiction over all real property of the airport, including, but not limited to, all terminals, runways, taxiways, aprons, hangars, aids to air navigation, emergency vehicles or facilities, parking facilities for passengers and employees, and buildings and facilities used to operate, maintain, and manage the airport, subject to any liens on the real property and restrictions and limitations on the use of the real property.

(b) The local government's right, title, and interest in, and all of the local government's responsibilities arising under leases, concessions, and other contracts for airport facilities.

(4) The acquisitions, assumptions, successions, or transfers described under this section include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(a) All contracts with airlines, tenants, concessionaires, leaseholders, and others at the airport.

(b) All financial obligations secured by revenues and fees generated from the operations of the airport, including, but not limited to, airport revenue bonds, special facilities revenue bonds, and all bonded indebtedness associated with the airport.

(c) All cash balances and investments relating to or resulting from operations of the airport for which operational jurisdiction has been transferred to an authority, all funds held under an ordinance, resolution, or indenture related to or securing obligations of the local government that have been assumed by the authority, and all of the accounts receivable or choses in action arising from operations of the airport as well as all benefits of contracts and agreements.

(d) All office equipment, including, but not limited to, computers, records and files, software, and software licenses required for financial management, personnel management, accounting and inventory systems, and general administration.

History: Add. 2002, Act 90, Imd. Eff. Mar. 26, 2002