The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Authority" means a local economic development finance authority created under this chapter. An authority is a public body within the meaning of RCW 39.53.010 .
(2) "Board of directors" means the board of directors of an authority.
(3) "Bonds" means any bonds, notes, debentures, interim certificates, conditional sales or lease financing agreements, lines of credit, forward purchase agreements, investment agreements, and other banking or financial arrangements, guaranties, or other obligations issued by or entered into by the authority. Such bonds may be issued on either a tax-exempt or taxable basis.
(4) "Borrower" means one or more public or private persons or entities acting as lessee, purchaser, mortgagor, or borrower who has obtained or is seeking to obtain financing either from an authority or from an eligible banking organization that has obtained or is seeking to obtain funds from the authority to finance a project. A borrower may include a party who transfers the right of use and occupancy to another party by lease, sublease, or otherwise, or a party who is seeking or has obtained a financial guaranty from the authority.
(5) "Economic development activities" means activities related to: Manufacturing, processing, the commercialization of research, production, assembly, tooling, warehousing, exporting products made in Washington or services provided by Washington firms, airports, docks and wharves, mass commuting facilities, high-speed intercity rail facilities, public broadcasting, pollution control, solid waste disposal, federally qualified hazardous waste facilities, energy generating, conservation, or transmission facilities, sports facilities, industrial parks, and activities conducted within a federally designated enterprise or empowerment zone or geographic area of similar nature.
(6) "Eligible banking organization" means any organization subject to regulation by the director of the department of financial institutions, any national bank, federal savings and loan association, and federal credit union located within this state.
(7) "Eligible person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, or joint venture carrying on business, or proposing to carry on business, within the state and seeking financial assistance under chapter 193, Laws of 2012.
(8) "Financial assistance" means the infusion of capital to persons for use in the development and exploitation of specific inventions and products.
(9) "Financing agreements" means, and includes without limitation, a contractual arrangement with an eligible person whereby an authority obtains rights from or in an invention or product or proceeds from an invention or product in exchange for the granting of financial and other assistance to the person.
(10) "Financing document" means an instrument executed by an authority and one or more persons or entities pertaining to the issuance of or security for bonds, or the application of the proceeds of bonds or other funds of, or payable to, the authority. A financing document may include, but need not be limited to, a lease, installment sale agreement, conditional sale agreement, mortgage, loan agreement, trust agreement or indenture, security agreement, letter or line of credit, reimbursement agreement, insurance policy, guaranty agreement, or currency or interest rate swap agreement. A financing document also may be an agreement between the authority and an eligible banking organization which has agreed to make a loan to a borrower.
(11) "Investment grade credit rating" means a rating of at least BBB- by Standard & Poor's, Baa3 by Moody's investors service, or BBB- by Fitch.
(12) "Municipality" means a city, town, county, or port district of this state.
(13) "Ordinance" means any appropriate method of taking official action or adopting a legislative decision by any municipality, whether known as a resolution, ordinance, or otherwise.
(14) "Plan" means the general plan of economic development finance objectives developed and adopted by the authority, and updated from time to time, as required under RCW 43.163.090 .
(15) "Product" means a product, device, technique, or process that is or may be exploitable commercially. "Product" does not refer to pure research, but does apply to products, devices, techniques, or processes that have advanced beyond the theoretic stage and are readily capable of being, or have been, reduced to practice.
(16) "Project costs" means costs of:
(a) Acquisition, lease, construction, reconstruction, remodeling, refurbishing, rehabilitation, extension, and enlargement of land, rights to land, buildings, structures, docks, wharves, fixtures, machinery, equipment, excavations, paving, landscaping, utilities, approaches, roadways and parking, handling and storage areas, and similar ancillary facilities, and any other real or personal property included in an economic development activity;
(b) Architectural, engineering, consulting, accounting, and legal costs related directly to the development, financing, acquisition, lease, construction, reconstruction, remodeling, refurbishing, rehabilitation, extension, and enlargement of an activity included under subsection (5) of this section, including costs of studies assessing the feasibility of an economic development activity;
(c) Finance costs, including the costs of credit enhancement and discounts, if any, the costs of issuing revenue bonds, and costs incurred in carrying out any financing document;
(d) Start-up costs, working capital, capitalized research and development costs, capitalized interest during construction and during the eighteen months after estimated completion of construction, and capitalized debt service or repair and replacement or other appropriate reserves;
(e) The refunding of any outstanding obligations incurred for any of the costs outlined in this subsection; and
(f) Other costs incidental to any of the costs listed in this subsection.