It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. The Town of Cumberland is hereby empowered, in addition to authority previously granted, to issue bonds to an amount not exceeding one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) from time to time under its corporate name and seal for the purposes of purchasing fee simple title or other interests in open spaces, coastal flood-prone areas and public recreational areas and to preserve such open space and/or preserve, improve or restore coastal flood-prone areas and public recreational areas and to design, purchase, construct, install, repair and provide for improvements and enhancements to public recreational areas and other public areas (such improvements and enhancements including but not limited to projects contributing to improved aesthetic qualities, commemorative projects, and trees, shrubbery and other flora). In order to acquire fee simple interests in real property for the purposes set forth above, the town is hereby authorized to take by eminent domain within the boundaries of the town, such fee simple interests, public and private, as the town council determines necessary or desirable for the location of projects under this act, provided however, that no such fee simple interests belonging to the state shall be acquired without its consent and no such fee simple interests belonging to or used by a public utility shall be acquired without the consent of the division of public utilities and carriers. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general laws, the town shall not be required to obtain approval of the town meeting for any aspect of any projects to be funded herein. The term "open spaces" as used herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in section 45-36-1 of the general laws. The bonds of each issue may be issued in the form of serial bonds or term bonds or a combination thereof and shall be payable either by maturity of principal in the case of serial bonds or by mandatory serial redemption in the case of term bonds, in annual installments of principal, the first installment to be not later than five (5) years and the last installment not later than thirty (30) years after the date of the bonds. For each issue, the amounts payable in the several years for principal and interest combined either shall be so nearly equal from year to year as is practicable to make them in the opinion of the offices authorized to issue the bonds, or in the alternative, in accordance with a schedule providing a more rapid amortization of principal.

SECTION 2. The bonds shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signatures of the town director of finance and the mayor and shall be issued and sold in such amounts as the town council may authorize by resolution. The manner of sale denominations, maturities, interest rates and other terms, conditions and details of any bonds or notes issued under this act may be fixed by proceedings of the town council authorizing the issue or by separate resolution of the town council or, to the extent provisions for these matters are not so made, they may be fixed by the officers authorized to sign the bonds or notes. The proceeds derived from the sale of the bonds shall be delivered to the director of finance, and such proceeds, exclusive of premiums and accrued interest, shall be expended: (a) for the purposes applicable to the bonds as specified in section one, or (b) in payment of the principal of or interest on temporary notes issued under section three, or (c) in repayment of advances under section four, and/or (d) in payment of the costs of issuance associated with the issuance of bonds or notes hereunder. No purchaser of any bonds or notes under this act shall be in any way responsible for the proper application of the proceeds derived from the sale thereof. The proceeds of bonds or notes issued under this act, any applicable federal or state assistance and the other moneys referred to in sections six and nine shall be deemed appropriated for the purposes of this act without further action than that required by this act. This bond issue authorized by this act may be consolidated for the purposes of issuance and sale with any other bond issue of the town heretofore or hereafter authorized, provided that, notwithstanding any such consolidation, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this act shall be expended for the purposes set forth above.

SECTION 3. The town council may by resolution authorize the issuance from time to time of interest bearing or discounted notes in anticipation of the issue of bonds or in anticipation of the receipt of federal or state aid for the purposes of this act. The amount of original notes issued in anticipation of bonds may not exceed the amount of bonds which may be issued under this act and the amount of original notes issued in anticipation of federal or state aid may not exceed the amount of available federal or state aid as estimated by the director of finance. Temporary notes issued hereunder shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signatures of the director of finance and the mayor and shall be payable within five (5) years from their respective dates, but the principal of and interest on notes issued for a shorter period may be renewed or paid from time to time by the issue of other notes hereunder, provided the period from the date of an original note to the maturity of any note issued to review or pay the same debt or the interest thereon shall not exceed five (5) years.

SECTION 4. Pending any authorization or issue of bonds hereunder or pending or in lieu of any authorization or issue of notes hereunder, the director of finance, with the approval of the town council, may, to the extent that bonds or notes may be issued hereunder, apply funds in the treasury of the town to the purposes specified in section two, such advances to be repaid without interest from the proceeds of bonds or notes subsequently issued or from the proceeds of applicable federal or state assistance or from other available funds.

SECTION 5. Any proceeds of bonds or notes issued hereunder or of any applicable federal or state assistance, pending their expenditure, may be deposited or invested by the director of finance in demand deposits, time deposits, or savings deposits in banks which are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States of America or by any agency or instrumentality thereof or as may be provided in any other applicable law of the state of Rhode Island or resolution of the town council or pursuant to an investment policy of the town.

SECTION 6. Any accrued interest received upon the sale of bonds or notes hereunder shall be applied to the payment of the first interest due thereon. Any premiums arising from the sale of bonds or notes hereunder, and any earnings or net profit realized from the deposit or investment of funds hereunder shall, in the discretion of the director of finance, be applied to the cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder to the extent not otherwise provided, to the payment of project costs, to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes issued hereunder or to any one (1) or more of the foregoing. The cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder may also, in the discretion of the director of finance, be met from bond or note proceeds exclusive of premium and accrued interest or from other moneys available therefore. Any balance of bond or note proceeds remaining after payment of the cost of the project and the cost of preparing, issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder shall be applied to the payment of the principal of or interest on bonds or notes issued hereunder. To the extent permitted by applicable federal laws, any earnings or net profit realized from the deposit or investment of funds hereunder may upon receipt be added to and dealt with as part of the revenues of the town from property taxes. In exercising any discretion under this section, the director of finance shall be governed by any instructions adopted by resolution of the town council.

SECTION 7. All bonds and notes issued under this act and the debts evidenced thereby shall be obligatory on the town in the same manner and to the same extent as other debts lawfully contracted by it and shall be excepted from the operation of section 45-12-2 of the general laws. No such obligation shall at any time be included in the debt of the town for the purpose of ascertaining its borrowing capacity. The town shall annually appropriate a sum sufficient to pay the principal and interest coming due within the year on bonds and notes issued hereunder to the extent that moneys therefore are not otherwise provided. If such sum is not appropriated, it shall nevertheless be added to the annual tax levy. In order to provide such sum in each year and notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all taxable property in the town shall be subject to ad valorem taxation by the town without limitation as to rate or amount.

SECTION 8. Any bonds or notes issued under the provisions of this act, and coupons, if any, if properly executed by officers of the town in office on the date of execution, shall be valid and binding according to their terms notwithstanding that before the delivery thereof and payment therefore any or all of such officers shall for any reason have ceased to hold office.

SECTION 9. The town, acting by resolution of its town council, is authorized to apply for, contract for and expend any federal or state advances or other grants of assistance which may be available for the purposes of this act, and any such expenditures may be in addition to other moneys provided in this act. To the extent of any inconsistency between any law of this state and any applicable federal law or regulation, the latter shall prevail. Federal and state advances, with interest where applicable, whether contracted for prior to or after the effective date of this act, may be repaid as project costs under section two.

SECTION 10. Bonds and notes may be issued under this act without obtaining approval of any governmental agency or the taking of any proceedings or the happening of any conditions except as specifically required by this act for such issue. In carrying out any project financed in whole or in part under this act, including where applicable the condemnation of any land or interest in land, and in the levy and collection of assessments or other charges permitted by law on account of any such project, all action shall be taken which is necessary to meet constitutional requirements whether or not such action is otherwise required by statute, but the validity of bonds and notes issued hereunder shall in no way depend upon the validity or occurrence of such action.

SECTION 11. The question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors of the town at a general or special election to be held at polling places in the Town on November 7, 2000 or on any other date as shall be designated by the town council. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form: "Shall an act, passed at the 2000 session of the general assembly, entitled 'AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF CUMBERLAND TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND NOTES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING AND PRESERVING OPEN SPACE AND ACQUIRING, PRESERVING, RESTORING OR IMPROVING RECREATIONAL AREAS, AND TO ISSUE NOT MORE THAN $1,500,000 BONDS AND NOTES THEREFOR' be approved?" and the warning for the election shall contain the question to be submitted. From the time the election is warned and until it is held, it shall be the duty of the town clerk to keep a copy of the act available at his or her office for public inspection, but the validity of the election shall not be affected by this requirement. To the extent of any inconsistency between this act and the town charter, this act shall prevail.

SECTION 12. This section and the foregoing section shall take effect upon the passage of this act. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon the approval of this act by a majority of those voting on the question at the election prescribed by the foregoing section.