Chapter 270
2016 -- H 8091
Enacted 07/01/2016

A N   A C T
AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CRANSTON TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, REHABILITATION, REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT AND LANDSCAPING OF ROADS, SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE FACILITIES IN THE CITY AND ALL COSTS INCIDENTAL OR RELATED THERETO INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ENGINEERING COSTS BY THE ISSUANCE OF NOT MORE THAN $20,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND NOTES THEREFOR

Introduced By: Representatives Lima, Jacquard, Handy, Ucci, and McNamara
Date Introduced: April 15, 2016

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. The city of Cranston is hereby empowered, in addition to authority
previously granted, to issue bonds to an amount not exceeding twenty million dollars
($20,000,000) from time to time under its corporate name and seal or a facsimile of such seal.
The bonds of each issue shall mature in annual installments of principal, the first installment to be
not later than three (3) years and the last installment not later than thirty (30) years after the date
of the bonds. All such bonds of a particular issue may be issued in the form of zero coupon
bonds, capital appreciation bonds, serial bonds or term bonds or a combination thereof. Annual
installments of principal may be provided for by maturity of principal in the case of serial bonds
or by mandatory sinking fund installments in the case of term bonds. The amount of principal
appreciation each year on any bonds, after the date of original issuance, shall not be considered to
be principal indebtedness for the purposes of any constitutional, statutory, or charter debt limit or
any other limitation. The appreciation of principal after the date of original issue shall be
considered interest. Only the original principal amount shall be counted in determining the
principal amount so issued and any interest component shall be disregarded.
     SECTION 2. The bonds shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signatures of the
director of finance and the mayor and shall be issued and sold in such amounts as the city council
may authorize. 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 the proceedings
of the city council authorizing the issue or by separate order or resolution of the city 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. Interest coupons (if any) shall bear the facsimile signature
of the director of finance. The proceeds derived from the sale of the bonds shall be delivered to
the city treasurer, and such proceeds, exclusive of premiums and accrued interest, shall be
expended: (1) To finance the construction, renovation, rehabilitation, repair, improvement and
landscaping of roads, sidewalks and drainage facilities in the city and all costs incidental or
related thereto including, but not limited to, engineering costs; or (2) In payment of the principal
of or interest on temporary notes issued under section 3; or (3) In repayment of advances under
section 4; or (4) In payment of costs of issuance associated with the issuance of bonds or notes
hereunder; and/or (5) To finance capitalized interest on the projects. 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 monies referred to in sections 6 and 9 shall be deemed
appropriated for the purposes of this act without further action than that required by this act. In
addition to such funds, there may be expended for the purposes of this act such other sums as may
be appropriated therefor. The bonds authorized by this act may be consolidated for the purposes
of issuance and sale with any other bonds of the city 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. The director of finance and the
mayor, on behalf of the city, are hereby authorized to execute such instruments, documents or
other papers as either of them deem necessary or desirable to carry out the intent of this act and
are also authorized to take all actions and execute all documents or agreements necessary to
comply with federal tax and securities laws, which documents or agreements may have a term
coextensive with the maturity of the bonds authorized hereby, including Rule 15c2-12 of the
Securities and Exchange Commission and to execute and deliver a continuing disclosure
agreement or certificate in connection with the bonds or notes.
     SECTION 3. The city council may, by order or resolution authorizing the bonds or by
separate order or resolution, authorize the issuance from time to time of interest bearing or
discounted notes in anticipation of the issue of bonds under section 2 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 signature of the director of finance
and countersigned by the manual or facsimile signature of 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 renew
or pay the same debt or the interest thereon shall not exceed five (5) years. Any temporary notes
in anticipation of bonds issued under this section may be refunded prior to the maturity of the
notes by the issuance of additional temporary notes, provided that no such refunding shall result
in any amount of such temporary notes outstanding at any one time in excess of two hundred
percent (200%) of the amount of bonds which may be issued under this act, and provided further
that if the issuance of any such refunding notes results in any amount of such temporary notes
outstanding at any one time in excess of the amount of bonds which may be issued under this act,
the proceeds of such refunding notes shall be deposited in a separate fund established with the
bank which is paying agent for the notes being refunded. Pending their use to pay the notes being
refunded, monies in the fund shall be invested for the benefit of the city by the paying agent at the
direction of the city treasurer in any investment permitted under section 5. The monies in the fund
and any investments held as a part of the fund shall be held in trust and shall be applied by the
paying agent solely to the payment or prepayment of the principal of and interest on the notes
being refunded. Upon payment of all principal of and interest on the notes, any excess monies in
the fund shall be distributed to the city. The city may pay the principal of and interest on notes in
full from other than the issuance of refunding notes prior to the issuance of bonds pursuant to
section 1 hereof. In such case, the city's authority to issue bonds or notes in anticipation of bonds
under this act shall continue provided that: (1) The city council passes a resolution evidencing the
city's intent to pay off the notes without extinguishing the authority to issue bonds or notes; and
(2) That the period from the date of an original note to the maturity date of any other note 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 city treasurer, with the approval of the city
council given by an order or resolution passed and approved in the manner provided in chapter 12
of the city charter, but not subject to the provisions of section 12.03 of said chapter, may, to the
extent that bonds or notes may be issued hereunder, apply funds in the treasury of the city to the
purposes specified in section 2 of this act, 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, and subject to the approval of the
investment committee mentioned in section 7.05 of the city charter, may be deposited or invested
by the city treasurer 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 laws of the state of Rhode Island and by ordinance or resolution of the city
council.
     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 net earnings or profits
realized from the investment of funds hereunder and any premiums arising from the sale of bonds
or notes hereunder shall, in the discretion of the city treasurer, be applied to the cost of preparing,
issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder to the extent not otherwise provided, to the
payment of the cost of the projects or the cost of additional improvements coming within the
description of the projects in section 2 of this act, to the payment of the principal of or interest on
bonds or notes issued hereunder, or to any one or more of the foregoing. The cost of preparing,
issuing and marketing bonds or notes hereunder may also, in the discretion of the city treasurer,
be met from bond or note proceeds exclusive of premium and accrued interest or from other
monies available therefor. Any balance of bond or note proceeds remaining after payment of the
cost of the projects and the cost of additional improvements coming within the description of the
projects in section 2 of this act, 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 law, 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 city from property taxes. In exercising any discretion under this
section, the city treasurer shall be governed by any instructions adopted by any order or resolution
of the city council.
     SECTION 7. All bonds and notes issued under this act and the debts evidenced thereby
shall be obligatory on the city in the same manner and to the same extent as other debts lawfully
contracted by it and shall be excepted from the operation of ยง45-12-2 of the general laws. No
such obligation shall at any time be included in the debt of the city for the purpose of ascertaining
its borrowing capacity. The city 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
monies therefor 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 city shall be subject to ad valorem
taxation by the city 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 the officers of the city in office on the date of execution, shall be
valid and binding according to their terms notwithstanding that before the delivery thereof and
payment therefor any or all of the officers shall for any reason have ceased to hold office.
     SECTION 9. The city, acting by order or resolution of its city council, passed and
approved in the manner provided in chapter 12 of the city charter, but not subject to the
provisions of section 12.03 of said chapter, 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 monies 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 projects
costs under section 2 of this act.
     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 projects 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 projects, 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
or notes issued hereunder shall in no way depend upon the validity or occurrence of such action.
     SECTION 11. All or any portion of the authorized but unissued authority to issue bonds
and notes under this act may be extinguished by ordinance of the city council, without further
action by the general assembly, seven (7) years after the effective date of this act.
     SECTION 12. The question of the approval of this act shall be submitted to the electors
of the city at the general election to be held on November 8, 2016. The question shall be
submitted in substantially the following form: "Shall an act, passed at the 2016 session of the
general assembly, entitled 'AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CRANSTON TO
FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, REHABILITATION, REPAIR,
IMPROVEMENT AND LANDSCAPING OF ROADS, SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE
FACILITIES IN THE CITY AND ALL COSTS INCIDENTAL OR RELATED THERETO
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ENGINEERING COSTS BY THE ISSUANCE OF
NOT MORE THAN $20,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION 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 city
clerk to keep a copy of the act available at the city clerk's 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 city charter, this act shall prevail.
     SECTION 13. This section and the foregoing section shall take effect upon 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.
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LC005671
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