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2 <br /> could make use of unique technologies and design features that OWASA might <br /> not choose to use on a system-wide basis, but might be appropriate for a <br /> smaller area. <br /> 2. The District may be able to obtain loans and grants for which Chapel Hill, <br /> Carrboro, and Orange County are not eligiible. This would include loans and <br /> grants from traditional water and sewer funders, but also from funders more <br /> interested in the social justice aspects of the project. <br /> I Although the District would not have its own planning authority; having the <br /> District defined as a separate entity may facilitate coordinated planning and <br /> other land use discussions among the relevant governments. <br /> Governance, Management, and Constructimon <br /> By law, the Board of County Commissioners serves as the District's governing body. <br /> Existing law allows for no alternatives to this governing structure. <br /> Although the District could bid and supervise the system's construction itself, staff has <br /> contemplated that the District would contract,with OWASA to supervise and manage the <br /> construction of the system. The District could also contract with OWASA to manage the <br /> provision of utility service where OWASA would be responsible for monitoring and <br /> maintaining the system and for billing and collecting from customers. <br /> Procedure to Create the District <br /> Creating the District is not procedurally complex. The District could be fully established <br /> within 60 days of the Board's determination of the geographic boundaries of the <br /> District. Attachment B outlines the procedure for creating the District. <br /> Carrboro would need to consent to including within the District any property that is <br /> wit in Carrboro town limits. <br /> F*Inanci*n <br /> There are a variety of options for financing the construction of the system and for <br /> recovering any loans made to the District. This discussion sets aside the possibility of <br /> external grant funding and does not address the on-going fee structure that would be <br /> used to pay for regular operations and maintenance. These available tools can be used <br /> in combination. <br /> Initial Financing <br /> 1. The governmental partners could lend or grant money to the District to fund <br /> construction. <br /> a. The terms of loan repayment, if any; could include provisions for the <br /> District to pay interest or for portions of the loan to be forgiven upon <br /> defined conditions. <br /> b. There are ways that a local government partner could borrow money to <br /> be loaned or granted to the District if a partner wanted to explore that <br /> option. <br />