Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that limits utility service fee exceptions and cap fees for residential development and certain projects in California.

Highlights:

• Limits the utility service fees exception described above to utility service fees related to connections, and cap those fees at the costs incurred by the utility provider resulting from the connection activities (Sec. 1). 

• Extend the above-described exemption for those units in a residential development that meets those conditions to any housing developer (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes a local agency to require the payment sooner than the date of the final inspection or the date the certificate of occupancy is issued, whichever occurs first, if specified conditions are met, including if the fees or charges are to reimburse the local agency for expenditures previously made for the purposes of payment (Sec. 1).

• Prohibit a local agency from requiring payment of fees or charges on the residential development for the construction of public improvements or facilities until the date the first certificate of occupancy or first temporary certificate of occupancy is issued (Sec. 1).

• Authorize the local agency to require the payment of those fees or charges at an earlier time if certain conditions are met, except as specified. For specified units, the bill would authorize a developer to guarantee payment of certain fees or charges by posting a performance bond or a letter of credit from a federally recognized depository institution (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes the local agency issuing the building permit to require the property owner to execute a contract to pay the fee or charge as a condition of issuance of the building permit (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text