Subdivision 1. Authorization. (a) The commission may issue revenue bonds for the purpose of:

(1) acquiring by purchase real and personal properties located within the metropolitan area that are related to airline operations to be leased to airline corporations, or to other corporations affiliated by common ownership with airline corporations, for use in connection with their airline operations, including real and personal properties for use as flight training facilities; and

(2) financing or refinancing real and personal properties owned by the commission to be leased to airline corporations and used in connection with the operations of the airline corporations at airports under the commission's jurisdiction.

Prior to the issuance of the revenue bonds, the commission shall enter into a lease with the airline corporations, or with other corporations affiliated by common ownership with airline corporations, for the use of such acquired real and personal properties referenced in clause (1), and shall enter into a revenue agreement with the airline corporation for the use of the properties financed or refinanced referenced in clause (2). The commission shall seek to obtain the best available terms and security for the lease and agreement. The terms and security must be reasonably determined by the commission to be adequate and of the kind and degree which would be required by an investment banking or other financial institution.

(b) In addition to the covenants and agreements otherwise required or negotiated by the commission, the leases and revenue agreements for the properties must contain covenants and agreements by the airline corporation, and if the user is not the airline corporation, also by the airline corporation, satisfactory to the commission providing for:

(1) the payment of rents in amounts and at times adequate to pay the principal and interest as due on the revenue bonds issued to acquire, finance, or refinance the properties and to pay the commission's costs and expenses of issuing the bonds and acquiring and owning the properties, and otherwise satisfying the requirements of section 469.155, subdivision 5;

(2) the retention and location of operations and facilities, including headquarters, of the airline corporation in the metropolitan area and the state for the term of the lease;

(3) aircraft noise abatement; and

(4) early repayment, or the establishment of a defeasance account to provide for timely repayment, of the general obligation revenue bonds upon the occurrence of events and upon terms and conditions as are satisfactory to the commission, together with financial requirements and covenants satisfactory to the commission.

(c) The sum of the original principal amounts of the revenue bonds issued under this subdivision, and the general obligation revenue bonds issued under section 473.667, subdivision 11, shall not exceed $390,000,000. Except as provided in this section, the revenue bonds must be issued in the manner and are subject to the requirements of chapter 475. Compliance with the requirements of section 475.60 is at the discretion of the commission. For purposes of this subdivision, the commission may exercise any powers vested in a redevelopment agency under sections 469.152 to 469.165.

Subd. 2. Security and source of payment. The revenue bonds described in subdivision 1 are payable solely from and secured by the revenues derived by the commission from the leases upon the properties described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), the revenue agreements upon the properties described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), and other revenues as the commission may designate and pledge which are derived from the ownership and operation of its airports, air navigation facilities and other facilities; provided that the pledge and application of all revenues to the payment and security of the revenue bonds are subject and subordinate to the first and prior charge thereon for the payment and security of the commission's general obligation revenue bonds as provided in section 473.667. The revenue bonds shall not be payable from or charged upon any funds or assets of the commission other than the commission revenues expressly pledged to their payment. An owner of the revenue bonds may not compel any exercise of the taxing power of the commission, the state, or any other taxing jurisdiction. Each bond must state in substance the limited nature of the obligations. The revenue bonds may be further secured by an assignment of leases with respect to the properties acquired, financed, or refinanced by the revenue bonds, and (i) with respect to the properties described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), by a mortgage and security agreement upon the properties and by other collateral as is pledged to secure the obligations of the airline corporation or other lessee under the leases on the properties, and (ii) with respect to the properties described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), by other collateral as is pledged to secure the obligations of the airline corporation under the revenue agreements. Any deed granted or received by the commission and any mortgage granted by the commission in connection with the issuance of the revenue bonds is exempt from deed tax and mortgage registry tax imposed under chapter 287. In the resolution, trust indenture, or other instrument providing for the issuance of the revenue bonds, the commission may provide for or require the creation of accounts from sources specified by the commission for the payment and security of the revenue bonds, including a debt service reserve account, separate from the accounts maintained for payment of the general obligation revenue bonds. The sources specified by the commission may include a portion of the proceeds of revenue bonds or payment by the airline corporation. The leases described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), and the revenue agreements described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), must provide that if the commission determines to pledge any of its revenues to secure the revenue bonds, including revenues deposited into a debt service reserve account for the revenue bonds, the airline corporation concurrently shall pledge assets to the commission as security for repayment of the pledged revenues so that the net unencumbered values of the pledged assets, as independently appraised at the time of issuance and periodically to the satisfaction of the commission during the term of the revenue bonds, is a percentage of the amount of commission revenues so pledged as determined by the commission; provided that the percentage shall not be less than 125 percent.

Subd. 3. Due diligence conditions. (a) Before the commission may issue the revenue bonds described in subdivision 1, the commission must receive, in form and substance satisfactory to the commission:

(1) a report of audit of the commission's financial records for the fiscal year most recently ended or, if this is not yet available, a report for the preceding year, prepared by a nationally recognized firm of certified public accountants, showing that the net revenues received that year, computed as the gross receipts less any refunds of rates, fees, charges, and rentals for airport and air navigation facilities and service, and less the aggregate amount of current expenses, paid or accrued, of operation and maintenance of property and carrying on the commission's business and activities, equaled or exceeded the maximum amount of then outstanding bonds of the commission and interest thereon to become due in any future fiscal year;

(2) a written report, prepared by an independent, nationally recognized consultant on airport management and financing engaged by the commission, on the financial condition of the airline corporation, and any corporations selected by the commission and affiliated with the corporation by common ownership, projecting available revenues of the airline corporation at least sufficient during each year of the term of the proposed revenue bonds to pay when due all financial obligations of the airline corporation under the revenue agreements and leases described in subdivision 1 and stating the factors on which the projection is based; and

(3) a written report prepared by a nationally recognized consultant on airport management and financing, projecting available revenues of the commission at least sufficient during each year of the term of the proposed revenue bonds to pay all principal and interest when due on the revenue bonds, and stating the estimates of air traffic, rate increases, inflation, and other factors on which the projection is based.

(b) Business plans, financial statements, customer lists, and market and feasibility studies provided to the consultant or the commission by the airline company or a related company under paragraph (a), are nonpublic data as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 9.

History: 1991 c 350 art 2 s 4