27:1D-5. Financial conditions; arrangements of projects

5. a. The department's financial participation in any demonstration project undertaken pursuant to this act shall be subject to legislative appropriation. The corporation's financial participation in any demonstration project undertaken pursuant to this act shall be subject to the availability of funds. Participation by a public partner may take the form of loans or such other financial credit arrangements as may be appropriate to advance an approved project. Agreements entered into pursuant to this act to facilitate such participation shall provide that such loans or other credit arrangements made by the public partner shall yield a reasonable return and be amortized over the term of such agreement, or such lesser period as may be agreed to by the parties.

b. A project agreement entered into pursuant to this act shall provide for the allocation of ownership, leasehold, and other property interests in demonstration projects.

c. The project agreement may authorize the developer to set and impose rents, fares or user fees for use of a facility constructed by it and may require that over the term of the agreement, the rent, fare or fee revenues received by the developer be applied to repayment of the developer's capital outlay costs, interest expense, costs associated with operations, fare or user fee collection, facility management, reimbursement of the State's project review and oversight costs, repayment of loans, revenues to the State, technical and law enforcement services, and a reasonable return on investment to the developer.

d. The project agreement shall specify the manner in which rents, fares or user fees are to be established or revised, the procedures for receiving public comment on the establishment or revision of fares or user fees, including the holding of a public hearing thereon, and the procedures by which the public partner shall oversee the establishment or revision of fares or user fees provided, however, that no fares or user fees shall be subject to oversight unless the developer receives public monies for 10 percent or greater of its operating expenses.

L.1997,c.136,s.5.