The Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency shall have the power to join with one or more public agencies, private corporations, or other persons for the purpose of carrying out any of the powers of the agency, and for that purpose to contract with such other public agencies or private corporations or persons for the purpose of financing such acquisitions, constructions, and operations. Such contracts may provide for contributions to be made by each party thereto and for the division and apportionment of the expenses of such acquisitions and operations, and the division and apportionment of the benefits, the services and products therefrom, and may provide for any agency to effect such acquisitions and to carry on such operations, and shall provide in the powers and methods of procedure for such agency the method by which such agency may contract. Such contracts with other public agencies or private corporations or persons may contain such other and further covenants and agreements as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes thereof. The term “public agency,” as used in this paragraph, shall be deemed to mean and include the United States or any department or agency thereof, the State of California or any department or agency thereof, a county, city, public corporation, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, or public district of this state. The term “private corporation,” as used in this paragraph, shall be deemed to mean and include any private corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of this or any other state thereof. Contracts mentioned herein include those made with the United States, under the Federal Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, and all acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto or any other act of Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted permitting cooperation. Any such contract with the United States or any department or agency thereof, or with any private corporation organized under the laws of the United States, by which the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency incurs an indebtedness or liability exceeding in any year the income and revenue for such year shall not be executed without the assent of two-thirds of the qualified electors of the agency voting at a special election to be held for that purpose, such election to be called and held, so far as practicable, in the same manner as bond elections for the agency.

(Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1128, Sec. 69.)