As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 56-575.1

  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • company: includes all corporations created by acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, or under the general incorporation laws of this Commonwealth, or doing business therein, and shall exclude all municipal corporations, other political subdivisions, and public institutions owned or controlled by the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 56-1
  • Comprehensive agreement: means the comprehensive agreement between the private entity and the responsible public entity required by § 56-575. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • development: means to plan, design, develop, finance, lease, acquire, install, construct, or expand. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Operate: means to finance, maintain, improve, equip, modify, repair, or operate. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: includes individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. See Virginia Code 56-1
  • Private entity: means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, non-profit entity, or other business entity. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Public entity: means the Commonwealth and any agency or authority thereof, any county, city or town and any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, any public body politic and corporate, or any regional entity that serves a public purpose. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Qualifying project: means (i) any education facility, including, but not limited to a school building, any functionally related and subordinate facility and land to a school building (including any stadium or other facility primarily used for school events), and any depreciable property provided for use in a school facility that is operated as part of the public school system or as an institution of higher education; (ii) any building or facility that meets a public purpose and is developed or operated by or for any public entity; (iii) any improvements, together with equipment, necessary to enhance public safety and security of buildings to be principally used by a public entity; (iv) utility and telecommunications and other communications infrastructure; (v) a recreational facility; (vi) technology infrastructure, services, and applications, including, but not limited to, telecommunications, automated data processing, word processing and management information systems, and related information, equipment, goods and services; (vii) any services designed to increase the productivity or efficiency of the responsible public entity through the use of technology or other means, (viii) any technology, equipment, or infrastructure designed to deploy wireless broadband services to schools, businesses, or residential areas; (ix) any improvements necessary or desirable to any unimproved locally- or state-owned real estate; or (x) any solid waste management facility as defined in § 10. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
  • Responsible public entity: means a public entity that has the power to develop or operate the applicable qualifying project. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Revenues: means all revenues, income, earnings, user fees, lease payments, or other service payments arising out of or in connection with supporting the development or operation of a qualifying project, including without limitation, money received as grants or otherwise from the United States of America, from any public entity, or from any agency or instrumentality of the foregoing in aid of such facility. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Service contract: means a contract entered into between a public entity and the private entity pursuant to § 56-575. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Service payments: means payments to the private entity of a qualifying project pursuant to a service contract. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • State: means the Commonwealth of Virginia. See Virginia Code 56-575.1
  • Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
  • United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
  • User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.

“Affected jurisdiction” means any county, city or town in which all or a portion of a qualifying project is located.

“Appropriating body” means the body responsible for appropriating or authorizing funding to pay for a qualifying project.

“Commission” means the State Corporation Commission.

“Comprehensive agreement” means the comprehensive agreement between the private entity and the responsible public entity required by § 56-575.9.

“Develop” or “development” means to plan, design, develop, finance, lease, acquire, install, construct, or expand.

“Interim agreement” means an agreement between a private entity and a responsible public entity that provides for phasing of the development or operation, or both, of a qualifying project. Such phases may include, but are not limited to, design, planning, engineering, environmental analysis and mitigation, financial and revenue analysis, or any other phase of the project that constitutes activity on any part of the qualifying project.

“Lease payment” means any form of payment, including a land lease, by a public entity to the private entity for the use of a qualifying project.

“Material default” means any default by the private entity in the performance of its duties under subsection E of § 56-575.8 that jeopardizes adequate service to the public from a qualifying project.

“Operate” means to finance, maintain, improve, equip, modify, repair, or operate.

“Private entity” means any natural person, corporation, general partnership, limited liability company, limited partnership, joint venture, business trust, public benefit corporation, non-profit entity, or other business entity.

“Public entity” means the Commonwealth and any agency or authority thereof, any county, city or town and any other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, any public body politic and corporate, or any regional entity that serves a public purpose.

“Qualifying project” means (i) any education facility, including, but not limited to a school building, any functionally related and subordinate facility and land to a school building (including any stadium or other facility primarily used for school events), and any depreciable property provided for use in a school facility that is operated as part of the public school system or as an institution of higher education; (ii) any building or facility that meets a public purpose and is developed or operated by or for any public entity; (iii) any improvements, together with equipment, necessary to enhance public safety and security of buildings to be principally used by a public entity; (iv) utility and telecommunications and other communications infrastructure; (v) a recreational facility; (vi) technology infrastructure, services, and applications, including, but not limited to, telecommunications, automated data processing, word processing and management information systems, and related information, equipment, goods and services; (vii) any services designed to increase the productivity or efficiency of the responsible public entity through the use of technology or other means, (viii) any technology, equipment, or infrastructure designed to deploy wireless broadband services to schools, businesses, or residential areas; (ix) any improvements necessary or desirable to any unimproved locally- or state-owned real estate; or (x) any solid waste management facility as defined in § 10.1-1400 that produces electric energy derived from solid waste.

“Responsible public entity” means a public entity that has the power to develop or operate the applicable qualifying project.

“Revenues” means all revenues, income, earnings, user fees, lease payments, or other service payments arising out of or in connection with supporting the development or operation of a qualifying project, including without limitation, money received as grants or otherwise from the United States of America, from any public entity, or from any agency or instrumentality of the foregoing in aid of such facility.

“Service contract” means a contract entered into between a public entity and the private entity pursuant to § 56-575.5.

“Service payments” means payments to the private entity of a qualifying project pursuant to a service contract.

“State” means the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“User fees” mean the rates, fees or other charges imposed by the private entity of a qualifying project for use of all or a portion of such qualifying project pursuant to the comprehensive agreement pursuant to § 56-575.9.

2002, c. 571; 2003, c. 1034; 2005, cc. 618, 865; 2007, cc. 649, 764; 2008, cc. 273, 731; 2009, cc. 754, 762.