Item 16 - Agreement for the Waste Infrastructure System Enterprise

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(I) Procedure for Rate Adjustments. In the event the County determines that it is entitled to an adjustment of the Contract Rate pursuant to Section 4.2(A) (other than 4.2(A)(iv)) or Section 4.2(B), it shall utilize the procedures described in this Section 4.2(I). The County shall be required to provide the City with at least ninety (90) days prior written notice of the adjustment, which notice shall identify the specific event(s) or circumstances which require the adjustment. The notice shall also specify the earliest date on which the County Board of Supervisors shall consider the proposed adjustment. At least forty five (45) days prior to such meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the County shall provide the City with a report which shall contain the following information: a description of the specific event(s) or circumstances which require the adjustment; a description (including cost estimates) of any activities (which may include, but not be limited to capital improvements to the Waste Infrastructure System) required in order to remedy such event or circumstance; certification by the County that it has implemented the remedies described in Section 4.2(A) or (B) prior to requiring the rate adjustment; and a description of the methodology used by the County to calculate the adjustment to the Contract Rate (hereinafter the “County Report”). In the event the City disputes the adjustment, it shall provide the County with a written description of the reason for the dispute at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting of the Board of Supervisors identified in the initial notice of the County (hereinafter the “City Report”). The City Report shall be provided to the Board of Supervisors for consideration at such meeting in connection with the proposed rate adjustment. At any time from and after the date that the County provides the City with the County Report, upon the request of either party, the City and County shall meet and confer in good faith to resolve any dispute that may arise regarding the proposed adjustment to the Contract Rate. In any such meeting, the County shall be represented by the Director of the Department or his or her designee. In the event the Board of Supervisors approves all or a portion of the proposed rate adjustment, such rate adjustment shall become effective on the date identified in the initial notice sent by the County regardless of whether or not the procedures in Section 4.2(J) are utilized, but subject to potential reimbursement pursuant to clause (11) of Section 4.2(J). (J) Procedure for Expedited Judicial Review of Contested Rate Adjustment. In the event that, within thirty (30) days after the effective date of any Contract Rate adjustment made pursuant to Section 4.2(I), Participating Cities which, in the aggregate, accounted for more than 50% of the County Acceptable Waste delivered to the County System in the twelve (12) months preceding the Contract Rate adjustment, provide notice to the County of their election to utilize the procedures described in this Section 4.2(J), then the provisions of this Section 4.2(J) shall be utilized by such Participating Cities and the County to resolve the dispute over the Contract Rate Adjustment. In the event that Participating Cities which have delivered the amount of waste contemplated in the preceding sentence do not provide notice to the County of such election, the County shall have no obligation to participate in or cooperate in the implementation of the procedures described below in this Section 4.2(J). (1) In order to pursue the expedited judicial determination described in this Section (the “Expedited Rate Determination”), the Participating Cities which have made the election described in the paragraph above (the “Challenging Cities”) must commence a civil action for breach of contract (the “Action”) in the Orange County Superior Court within forty five (45) days of the date on which the Board of Supervisors approves the challenged adjustment to the Contract Rate. (2) Within two (2) Court days of filing the Action, the Challenging Cities shall personally serve on the County Counsel, with copy provided to the Clerk of the Board both the summons and complaint, and a stipulation and request for the entering of an order incorporating all of the procedural provisions relating to the Expedited Rate Determination as set forth in this Section 4.2(J) (such stipulation and request for order is hereinafter referred to as the “Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation”). The Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation shall be signed by each of the Challenging Cities, or on behalf of them by their legal counsel. (3) Within fifteen (15) days of the date of service upon the County of the summons and complaint, and Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation, County Counsel shall execute the Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation and deliver it as well as the County’s answer to the complaint in the Action, by electronic means, to the Challenging Cities through their counsel of record. The Stipulation shall also include a waiver by each of the parties of their right to a jury trial of the issues raised in the Action. The Parties agree that the duty to execute the Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation and comply with the procedures set forth for Expedited Rate Determination in this Section 4.2(J) shall be, and are hereby deemed to be, ministerial duties which the law specifically enjoins upon each of them, and shall be subject to enforcement by the parties herein pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 1085, et seq., or by means of a complaint for specific performance. (4) Within three (3) days of the date of service by the County upon the Challenging Cities of the fully signed Expedited Rate Determination Stipulation, the County and the Challenging Cities shall jointly