The unified government gets utility-service powers, including an exclusive right to provide listed utility services, and utility boards must meet membership and appointment rules.
Any unified government created and established under this chapter shall possess all powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges to provide electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, solid waste disposal, recycling, energy production or any other utility service as permitted by the charter, collectively referred to as “utility services”, or any combination thereof; but in no event shall any initial charter provision supersede or conflict with § 7-21-206(p). The powers granted to any unified government in this subsection (a) shall be the exclusive right to perform or provide such utility services within the boundaries of the county and without the boundaries of the county, as permitted by law. Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(1) and (2), any utility district created pursuant to chapter 82 of this title or Private Acts of 1959, chapter 175, that is providing service on the effective date of the charter shall possess all powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges as are granted to it by such public or private act, as may subsequently be amended. The powers, rights, obligations, duties and privileges granted in subsection (a) shall be exercised and administered through such board or boards, commission or commissions or franchise or franchises as are authorized or established under the charter. Any such utility board or commission not otherwise established under charter provisions required by § 7-21-206(p), that is created by the legislative body of the unified government, shall be composed of not less than five (5) nor more than nine (9) members who are appointed in accordance with procedures specified in the charter. The members must be, at a minimum, citizens of the jurisdiction or jurisdictions served by the utility, who are of legal age, and who are not elected officials or employees of any governmental unit or agency within the county. Upon the effective date of the charter, all existing members of utility boards or commissions established under charter provisions required by § 7-21-206(p) shall automatically be appointed to continue to serve the balance of their term of office as provided in such private act or municipal charter provision governing such utility immediately prior to the effective date of the charter.