AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF PLYMOUTH TO ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS 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 section 53 of chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the town of Plymouth may establish an Environmental Affairs Fund. Fifty per cent of the revenues from renewable energy payments-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements shall be placed in the General Fund and 50 per cent of such revenues shall be placed in the Environmental Affairs Fund. Any income derived from the investment or reinvestment of the Environmental Affairs Fund shall remain with and become part of the fund. The fund shall be available for appropriation by town meeting to meet costs related to environmental projects including, but not limited to, design and engineering, mitigation, land acquisition, water quality assessments, stormwater control improvement and river restoration or as a local grant match to other state or federal environmental grant opportunities.
SECTION 2. The treasurer-collector of the town of Plymouth shall be the custodian of the Environmental Affairs Fund and shall make an accounting of the fund to each annual town meeting.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
SECTION 4. This act shall expire 5 years after its effective date.
Approved, January 5, 2017