Privatization of public services; definitions

As used in this act: (a) "Capital intensive public service" means a public service which requires the investment of capital by a private contractor in physical facilities which would be amortized over a period exceeding one year; (b) "public service" means (1) the collection, transportation, processing, recycling or disposal of solid wastes or (2) the acquisition, treatment or distribution of water; (c) "municipality" means any city or county or two or more cities or counties acting jointly; (d) "private contractor" means one or more persons who are not a municipality; (e) "service agreement" means any contract between a municipality and a private contractor under which the private contractor agrees to furnish to the municipality or to any other user a capital intensive public service and the municipality agrees to pay or cause to be paid to the private contractor a service fee for such service setting forth the terms and conditions thereof; (f) "service fee" means the payment the municipality is required under the service agreement to make, or cause to be made, to the private contractor, including payments made by third parties to the private contractor for products or services and credited against payments the municipality otherwise would have to make or cause to be made under the service agreement; (g) "user" means the municipality and all other persons who use the capital intensive public service furnished by the private contractor.