To amend sections 717.25, 1710.01, 1710.06, and 1710.07 of the Revised Code to expand special improvement district energy improvement projects and to expand the municipal solar energy revolving loan program law to include alternative energy.

Section 1. That sections 717.25, 1710.01, 1710.06, and 1710.07 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 717.25. The legislative authority of a municipal corporation may establish a low-cost solar panel alternative energy revolving loan program to assist residents of owners of real property within the municipal corporation to install solar panels at with installing and implementing alternative energy technologies, including solar photovoltaic, solar thermal energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, or energy efficiency technologies, products, and activities that reduce energy consumption or support the production of clean, renewable energy on their residences real property. If the legislative authority decides to establish such a program, the legislative authority shall adopt an ordinance that provides for the following:

(A) Creation in the municipal treasury of a residential solar panel an alternative energy revolving loan fund;

(B) A source of money, such as gifts, bond issues, real property assessments, or federal subsidies, to seed the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund;

(C) Facilities for making loans from the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund, including an explanation of how residents of owners of real property within the municipal corporation may qualify for loans from the fund, a description of the solar panels alternative energy technologies and related equipment for which a loan can be made from the fund, authorization of a municipal agency to process applications for loans and otherwise to administer the low-cost solar panel alternative energy revolving loan program, a procedure whereby loans can be applied for, criteria for reviewing and accepting or denying applications for loans, criteria for determining the appropriate amount of a loan, the interest rate to be charged, the repayment schedule, and other terms and conditions of a loan, and procedures for collecting loans that are not repaid according to the repayment schedule;

(D) A specification that repayments of loans from the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund may be made in installments and, at the option of the resident real property owner repaying the loan, the installments may be paid and collected as if they were special assessments paid and collected in the manner specified in Chapter 727. of the Revised Code and as specified in the ordinance;

(E) A specification that repayments of loans from the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund are to be credited to the fund, that the money in the fund is to be invested pending its being lent out, and that investment earnings on the money in the fund is are to be credited to the fund; and

(F) Other matters necessary and proper for efficient operation of the low-cost solar panel alternative energy revolving loan program as a means of encouraging use of renewable alternative energy technologies.

The interest rate charged on a loan from the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund shall be below prevailing market rates. The legislative authority may specify the interest rate in the ordinance or may, after establishing a standard in the ordinance whereby the interest rate can be specified, delegate authority to specify the interest rate to the administrator of loans from the residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund.

The residential solar panel alternative energy revolving loan fund shall be seeded with sufficient money to enable loans to be made until the fund accumulates sufficient reserves through investment and repayment of loans for revolving operation.

Sec. 1710.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Special improvement district" means a special improvement district organized under this chapter.

(B) "Church" means a fellowship of believers, congregation, society, corporation, convention, or association that is formed primarily or exclusively for religious purposes and that is not formed for the private profit of any person.

(C) "Church property" means property that is described as being exempt from taxation under division (A)(2) of section 5709.07 of the Revised Code and that the county auditor has entered on the exempt list compiled under section 5713.07 of the Revised Code.

(D) "Municipal executive" means the mayor, city manager, or other chief executive officer of the municipal corporation in which a special improvement district is located.

(E) "Participating political subdivision" means the municipal corporation or township, or each of the municipal corporations or townships, that has territory within the boundaries of a special improvement district created under this chapter.

(F) "Legislative authority of a participating political subdivision" means, with reference to a township, the board of township trustees.

(G) "Public improvement" means the planning, design, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, or alteration of any facility or improvement, including the acquisition of land, for which a special assessment may be levied under Chapter 727. of the Revised Code, and includes any special energy improvement project.

(H) "Public service" means any service that can be provided by a municipal corporation or any service for which a special assessment may be levied under Chapter 727. of the Revised Code.

(I) "Special energy improvement project" means any property, device, structure, or equipment necessary for the acquisition, installation, equipping, and improvement of any real or personal property used for the purpose of creating a solar photo voltaic project or, a solar thermal energy project, a wind energy project, a geothermal energy project, a biomass energy or gasification project, or an energy efficiency improvement, whether such real or personal property is publicly or privately owned.

(J) "Existing qualified nonprofit corporation" means a nonprofit corporation that existed before the creation of the corresponding district under this chapter, that is composed of members located within or adjacent to the district, that has established a police department under section 1702.80 of the Revised Code, and that is organized for purposes that include acquisition of real property within an area specified by its articles for the subsequent transfer of such property to its members exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or holding and maintaining and leasing such property; planning for and assisting in the development of its members; providing for the relief of the poor and distressed or underprivileged in the area and adjacent areas; combating community deterioration and lessening the burdens of government; providing or assisting others in providing housing for low- or moderate-income persons; and assisting its members by the provision of public safety and security services, parking facilities, transit service, landscaping, and parks.

(K) "Energy efficiency improvement" means energy efficiency technologies, products, and activities that reduce or support the reduction of energy consumption or support the production of clean, renewable energy and that are or will be permanently fixed to real property.

Sec. 1710.06.  (A) The board of directors of a special improvement district may develop and adopt one or more written plans for public improvements or public services that benefit all or any part of the district. Each plan shall set forth the specific public improvements or public services that are to be provided, identify the area in which they will be provided, and specify the method of assessment to be used. Each plan for public improvements or public services shall indicate the period of time the assessments are to be levied for the improvements and services and, if public services are included in the plan, the period of time the services are to remain in effect. Plans for public improvements may include the planning, design, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, or alteration of any public improvements and the acquisition of land for the improvements. Plans for public improvements or public services may also include, but are not limited to, provisions for the following:

(1) Creating and operating the district and the nonprofit corporation under this chapter, including hiring employees and professional services, contracting for insurance, and purchasing or leasing office space and office equipment and other requirements of the district;

(2) Planning, designing, and implementing a public improvements or public services plan, including hiring architectural, engineering, legal, appraisal, insurance, consulting, energy auditing, and planning services, and, for public services, managing, protecting, and maintaining public and private facilities, including public improvements;

(3) Conducting court proceedings to carry out this chapter;

(4) Paying damages resulting from the provision of public improvements or public services and implementing the plans;

(5) Paying the costs of issuing, paying interest on, and redeeming notes and bonds issued for funding public improvements and public services plans; and

(6) Sale, lease, lease with an option to purchase, conveyance of other interests in, or other contracts for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, repair, furnishing, equipping, operation, or improvement of any special energy improvement project by the special improvement district, between a participating political subdivision and the special improvement district, and between the special improvement district and any owner of real property in the special improvement district on which a special energy improvement project has been acquired, installed, equipped, or improved.

(B) Once the board of directors of the special improvement district adopts a plan, it shall submit the plan to the legislative authority of each participating political subdivision and the municipal executive of each municipal corporation in which the district is located, if any. The legislative authorities and municipal executives shall review the plan and, within sixty days after receiving it, may submit their comments and recommendations about it to the district. After reviewing these comments and recommendations, the board of directors may amend the plan. It may then submit the plan, amended or otherwise, in the form of a petition to members of the district whose property may be assessed for the plan. Once the petition is signed by those members who own at least sixty per cent of the front footage of property that is to be assessed and that abuts upon a street, alley, public road, place, boulevard, parkway, park entrance, easement, or other public improvement, or those members who own at least seventy-five per cent of the area to be assessed for the improvement or service, the petition may be submitted to each legislative authority for approval. If the special improvement district was created for the purpose of developing and implementing plans for special energy improvement projects, the petition required under this division shall be signed by one hundred per cent of the owners of the area of all real property located within the area to be assessed for the special energy improvement project.

Each legislative authority shall, by resolution, approve or reject the petition within sixty days after receiving it. If the petition is approved by the legislative authority of each participating political subdivision, the plan contained in the petition shall be effective at the earliest date on which a nonemergency resolution of the legislative authority with the latest effective date may become effective. A plan may not be resubmitted to the legislative authorities and municipal executives more than three times in any twelve-month period.

(C) Each participating political subdivision shall levy, by special assessment upon specially benefited property located within the district, the costs of any public improvements or public services plan contained in a petition approved by the participating political subdivisions under this section or division (F) of section 1710.02 of the Revised Code. The levy shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 727. of the Revised Code, except that:

(1) The assessment for each improvements or services plan may be levied by any one or any combination of the methods of assessment listed in section 727.01 of the Revised Code, provided that the assessment is uniformly applied.

(2) For the purpose of levying an assessment, the board of directors may combine one or more improvements or services plans or parts of plans and levy a single assessment against specially benefited property.

(3) For purposes of special assessments levied by a township pursuant to this chapter, references in Chapter 727. of the Revised Code to the municipal corporation shall be deemed to refer to the township, and references to the legislative authority of the municipal corporation shall be deemed to refer to the board of township trustees.

Church property or property owned by a political subdivision, including any participating political subdivision in which a special improvement district is located, shall be included in and be subject to special assessments made pursuant to a plan adopted under this section or division (F) of section 1710.02 of the Revised Code, if the church or political subdivision has specifically requested in writing that its property be included within the special improvement district and the church or political subdivision is a member of the district or, in the case of a district created by an existing qualified nonprofit corporation, if the church is a member of the corporation.

(D) All rights and privileges of property owners who are assessed under Chapter 727. of the Revised Code shall be granted to property owners assessed under this chapter, including those rights and privileges specified in sections 727.15 to 727.17 and 727.18 to 727.22 of the Revised Code and the right to notice of the resolution of necessity and the filing of the estimated assessment under section 727.13 of the Revised Code. Property owners assessed for public services under this chapter shall have the same rights and privileges as property owners assessed for public improvements under this chapter.

Sec. 1710.07.  The cost of any public improvements or public services plan of a special improvement district may include, but is not limited to, the following:

(A) The cost of creating and operating the district under this chapter, including creating and operating a nonprofit organization organized under this chapter, hiring employees and professional services, contracting for insurance, and purchasing or leasing office space or office equipment;

(B) The cost of planning, designing, and implementing the public improvements or public services plan, including payment of architectural, engineering, legal, appraisal, insurance, consulting, energy auditing, and planning fees and expenses, and, for public services, the management, protection, and maintenance costs of public or private facilities;

(C) Any court costs incurred by the district in implementing the public improvements or public services plan;

(D) Any damages resulting from implementing the public improvements or public services plan;

(E) The costs of issuing, paying interest on, and redeeming notes and bonds issued for funding the public improvements or public services plan; and

(F) The costs associated with the sale, lease, lease with an option to purchase, conveyance of other interests in, or other contracts for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, repair, furnishing, equipping, operation, or improvement of any special energy improvement project by the district, between a participating political subdivision and the special improvement district, or between the special improvement district and any owner of real property in the special improvement district on which a special energy improvement project has been acquired, installed, equipped, or improved.

Section 2. That existing sections 717.25, 1710.01, 1710.06, and 1710.07 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.