"Assessment payment schedule"means the schedule of installments of C-PACE payments to be made in the repayment of the C-PACE loan, which shall be attached as Exhibit B to the C-PACE program agreement.
"Capital provider"means (1) a private lending institution that has been approved by the program administrator in accordance with the program guidelines to originate a C-PACE loan and its successors and assigns; or (2) the current holder of a C-PACE loan.
"City"means the city of Staunton, Virginia.
"Clerk's office"means the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the city of Staunton, Virginia.
"Council"means the council of the city of Staunton, Virginia.
"C-PACE"means commercial property assessed clean energy.
"C-PACE Act"means Virginia's "Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing programs" law, codified at Section
15.2-958.3 of the Code of Virginia, and as that code section may be amended.
"C-PACE amendment"means an amendment of the C-PACE lien executed by the capital provider, the property owner and the program manager, as permitted in the C-PACE documents, which C-PACE amendment shall be recorded in the clerk's office to evidence each amendment to the C-PACE loan and the C-PACE lien.
"C-PACE assignment (CP)"means a written assignment by one capital provider to another capital provider of the C-PACE payments and/or C-PACE lien pursuant to the terms of the assignment document.
"C-PACE assignment (locality)"means a written assignment by the city to the capital provider to whom the C-PACE loan is then due, wherein the city relinquishes and assigns its right to enforce the C-PACE lien to the capital provider, substantially in the form attached as Addendum 1 to the C-PACE lien certificate.
"C-PACE documents"means the C-PACE program agreement, financing agreement, C-PACE lien certificate, C-PACE assignment (CP) (if any), C-PACE assignment (locality) (if any), C-PACE amendment (if any), and any other document, agreement, or instrument executed in connection with a C-PACE loan.
"C-PACE lien" or "lien"means the voluntary special assessment lien levied against the property as security for the C-PACE loan.
"C-PACE lien certificate"means the voluntary special assessment lien document duly recorded among the land records against an eligible property to secure a C-PACE loan.
"C-PACE loan" or "loan"means a loan from a capital provider to finance a project, in accordance with the program guidelines.
"C-PACE payment"means the periodic installment payments of the C-PACE loan by a property owner, due and payable to the capital provider or program administrator as permitted by the C-PACE Act in such amounts and at such times as described in the assessment payment schedule.
"C-PACE program"means the program established by the city through this chapter, in accordance with the C-PACE Act, that in coordination with the statewide program facilitates the financing of eligible improvements and provides for a C-PACE lien to be levied and recorded against the property to secure the C-PACE loan.
"C-PACE program agreement"means the agreement executed among the property owner, the city, the treasurer and the capital provider, and their respective successors and assigns, which includes the terms and conditions for participation in the C-PACE program and the property owner's acknowledgment and consent for the city to impose a voluntary special assessment, record a C-PACE lien certificate against the property owner's eligible property and, if the city so determines, assign the rights to enforce the C-PACE lien and C-PACE lien certificate to the capital provider (and if so assigned, also a consent of the treasurer to such assignment). The C-PACE program agreement shall be substantially in the form attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter as Appendix A.
"Delinquent payment"means any C-PACE payment that was not paid by a property owner in accordance with the C-PACE documents.
"Eligible improvements"means the initial acquisition and installation of any of the following improvements made to eligible properties:
(1) Energy efficiency improvements;
(2) Water efficiency and safe drinking water improvements;
(3) Renewable energy improvements;
(5) Stormwater management improvements;
(6) Environmental remediation improvements; and
(7) Electric vehicle infrastructure improvements.
Eligible improvements may be made to both existing properties and new construction, as further prescribed in this chapter and the program guidelines. Eligible improvements shall include types of authorized improvements added by the general assembly to the C-PACE Act after the date of adoption of this chapter, without need for a conforming amendment of this chapter. In addition to the elaboration on the types of eligible improvements provided in SCC § 3.85.030, a program administrator may include in its program guidelines or other administrative documentation definitions, interpretations, and examples of these categories of eligible improvements. |
"Eligible property" or "property"means all assessable commercial real estate located within the city, with all buildings located or to be located thereon, whether vacant or occupied, whether improved or unimproved, and regardless of whether such real estate is currently subject to taxation by the city. Eligible property or property may include multifamily properties with no fewer than five units, common areas of real estate owned by a cooperative or a property owners' association that have a separate real property tax identification number, and commercial condominiums. Residential real estate with fewer than five units is not eligible for the C-PACE loan program.
"Financing agreement"means the written agreement, as may be amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time, between a property owner and a capital provider, regarding matters related to the extension and repayment of a C-PACE loan to finance eligible improvements. The financing agreement may contain any lawful terms agreed to by the capital provider and the property owner.
"Land records"means the land records of the Staunton circuit court clerk's office.
"Lender consent"means a written subordination agreement executed by each mortgage or deed of trust lienholder with a lien on the property that is the subject of a C-PACE loan, which allows the C-PACE lien to have senior priority over the mortgage or deed of trust liens.
"Loan amount"means the original principal amount of a C-PACE loan.
"Locality agreement"means the Virginia Energy – Locality Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Agreement between Virginia Energy and the city, pursuant to which the city elects to participate in the statewide program. The locality agreement shall be substantially in the form attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter as Appendix B. In order to participate in the statewide program, the locality agrees to execute the locality agreement within 30 days after the adoption or amendment of its C-PACE ordinance.
"Program administrator"means the private third party retained by Virginia Energy to provide professional services to administer the statewide program in accordance with the requirements of the C-PACE Act, this chapter, the locality agreement and the program guidelines.
"Program fee(s)"means the fee(s) authorized by the C-PACE Act and charged to participating property owners to cover the costs to design and administer the statewide program, including, without limitation, compensation of the program administrator. While capital providers are required to service their C-PACE loans, if a capital provider does not do so and the program administrator assumes the servicing responsibility and charges a servicing fee, the servicing fee shall also be included among the program fees.
"Program guidelines"means a comprehensive document setting forth the procedures, eligibility rules, restrictions, program fee(s), responsibilities, and other requirements applicable to the governance and administration of the statewide program.
"Program manager"means the city manager or such person designated in writing by the city manager to (1) supervise the city's C-PACE program and participation in the statewide program, (2) act as liaison with the program administrator and (3) advise the program administrator as to who will sign the C-PACE documents to which the locality is a party on the locality's behalf. If the employee of the city who customarily signs agreements for the locality is not the person designated as program manager, then references in this chapter and in the C-PACE documents to the program manager signing certain C-PACE documents on behalf of the locality shall be construed to also authorize such customary signatory for the city to execute such C-PACE documents.
"Project"means the construction or installation of eligible improvements on eligible property.
"Property owner"means the fee simple owner of eligible property or the lessee under a long-term ground lease of eligible property, including a property that is owned by a public or private entity. To be eligible for a C-PACE loan (1) the term of the C-PACE loan shall not exceed the remaining term of the ground lease, (2) there shall be no ground lease provisions or other circumstances that would prevent the property owner from participating in the C-PACE loan program, (3) the fee simple owner shall consent to the C-PACE loan, and (4) the fee simple owner and the lessee under a long-term ground lease shall comply with the requirements of the C-PACE loan program, including the program guidelines.
"Property owner certification"means a notarized certificate from property owner, certifying that (1) property owner is current on payments on loans secured by a mortgage or deed of trust lien on the property and on real estate tax payments, (2) that the property owner is not insolvent or in bankruptcy proceedings, and (3) that the title of the property is not in dispute, as evidenced by a title report or title insurance commitment from a title insurance company acceptable to the program administrator and capital provider.
"Statewide program"means the statewide C-PACE financing program sponsored by Virginia Energy, established to provide C-PACE loans to property owners in accordance with the C-PACE Act, this chapter, the locality agreement, the C-PACE documents and the program guidelines.
(Ord. 2025-29)