During its December 18, 1997 regular meeting, the Board of Directors adopted the “Rate Coverage Reserve Fund” policy as follows: 

Purpose:           The Rate Fund is intended to provide a mechanism to allow the Authority Contractors to satisfy a portion of their obligation under Section 20(a) of the Water Supply Agreement (WSAs) to impose rates and charges sufficient to collect 125% of their Contract Payments (as therein defined).

Contributions:  Contributions to the Rate Fund are voluntary.  During each year of participation, an Authority Contractor, which has elected to participate in the Rate Fund, shall maintain on deposit with the Authority in said Fund an amount of money, when combined with the moneys on deposit in the O&M Reserve Fund, sufficient to constitute all or a portion of 25% of that Contractor’s Contract Payments with respect to that year.  A participating Contractor’s initial contribution to the Rate Fund may be drawn from cash held by the Authority on behalf of the Contractor as of the date of the Fund’s creation.  In each subsequent year, the Authority shall notify the participating Contractor if an additional contribution is desired and the Contractor shall deposit said additional contribution within sixty-days (60) of the Authority notice.  Voluntary contributions to the Fund by a Contractor may be made at any time, but shall not be considered with regard to satisfying the Contractor’s obligations until the subsequent July 1.  For example to act as a credit for Fiscal Year 1998/99, a deposit must be received by the Authority prior to July 1, 1998.  However, in the first year of the Fund’s creation, each Authority Contractor may elect to deposit additional funds into the Rate Fund within the first 30 days after adoption of this policy by the Authority Board of Directors.  These balances will be counted toward the coverage calculations for FY 1997/98.

Withdrawal:      A Contractor may withdraw from the Rate Fund effective 180 days after it submits written documentation to the Authority that is in compliance with its WSA rate coverage obligations without considering the Fund.

Administration: Investments of deposits in the Rate Coverage Reserve Fund will be in Permitted Investments described in clause (A) of the definition thereof contained in the Indenture of Trust, dated as of November 1, 1996, with maturities of one year or less or in the Local Agency Investment Fund.  Rate Fund investment earnings shall be credited to the Contractors account within the Fund except to the extent the Contractor directs the Authority to credit said earnings to the Contractor’s payments obligations or as otherwise directed by the Contractor.  Deposits and related earnings on deposits for each project participant will be accounted for on an individual project participant basis even if commingled for investment purposes.  The Treasurer shall prepare and disseminate to all Contractors a quarterly statement concerning the Rate Fund.

Use of Funds:   Monies in the Rate Fund shall not be expended for any purpose, except upon approval of the Board of Directors (i) for emergency expenses, and (ii) to the extent necessary to supplement funds available from the O&M Reserve Fund provided that the Contractor submits written documentation to the Authority that it is in compliance with its WSA rate coverage obligations without considering the proposed expenditure from the fund.