AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF NEW BEDFORD TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REVOLVING FUND AND ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT LIEN TO SECURE REPAYMENT OF FUNDS EXPENDED FROM SAID REVOLVING FUND.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the city of New Bedford is hereby authorized to establish and maintain a fund to be known as the Environmental Assessment Revolving Fund, which shall be kept separate and apart from all other accounts of the city. The city treasurer shall be the custodian of said fund and may deposit the proceeds or invest the same in accordance with the provisions of section 54 or 55 of chapter 44 of the General Laws. Interest earned thereon shall be credited to and become a part of said fund.
SECTION 2. The city of New Bedford may appropriate money in any year into the Environmental Assessment Revolving Fund from any available source including monies received from the commonwealth, the United States government or other source.
SECTION 3. The city of New Bedford may expend monies from the Environmental Assessment Revolving Fund to perform environmental assessments on any parcel of land located in said city which is either a municipally owned parcel of land, a tax possession, or a parcel on which said city holds a tax title.
SECTION 4. There shall be established in the city of New Bedford an environmental assessment lien which shall be attached to any parcel of land on which said city has expended funds from the Environmental Assessment Revolving Fund to secure repayment of said funds. Said environmental assessment lien shall be enforceable in the same manner as liens pursuant to section 3A of chapter 139 of the General Laws and section 9 of chapter 143 of the General Laws.
SECTION 5. The city of New Bedford is authorized to promulgate and enforce procedures relative to the expenditure of funds from the Environmental Assessment Revolving Fund and relative to the placement and enforcement of the environmental assessment lien.
Approved January 13, 1999.