Section 5-17-22 - General powers.
5-17-22. General powers.
Except as limited by the service plan of the infrastructure development zone, the board has the following powers:
A. to have perpetual existence;
B. to have and use a corporate seal;
C. to sue and be sued and to be a party to suits, actions and proceedings;
D. pursuant to the Procurement Code [13-1-28 NMSA 1978], to enter into contracts and agreements affecting the affairs of the infrastructure development zone, except as otherwise provided in the Infrastructure Development Zone Act [5-17-1 NMSA 1978];
E. to borrow money and incur indebtedness and evidence the same by certificates, notes or debentures, and to issue bonds, including revenue bonds, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 28 [5-17-28 NMSA 1978], 29 [5-17-29 NMSA 1978] and 30 [5-17-30 NMSA 1978] of the Infrastructure Development Zone Act, and to invest money of the infrastructure development zone in accordance with law;
F. to acquire, dispose of and encumber real and personal property, including rights and interests in property, leases and easements necessary to the functions or the operation of the infrastructure development zone; provided that the board shall not pay more than fair market value and reasonable settlement costs for any interest in real property and shall not pay for any interest in real property that must otherwise be dedicated for public use or the infrastructure development zone's use in accordance with any governmental ordinance, rule or law;
G. to refund any bonded indebtedness as provided in the Infrastructure Development Zone Act;
H. to have the management, control and supervision of all the business and affairs of the infrastructure development zone and all construction, installation, operation and maintenance of infrastructure development zone improvements;
I. to appoint, hire and retain agents, employees, engineers, managers, attorneys and consultants;
J. to fix and from time to time to increase or decrease fees, rates, tolls, penalties or charges for services, programs or facilities furnished by the infrastructure development zone. The board may pledge the revenue for the payment of any indebtedness of the infrastructure development zone. Until paid, all the fees, rates, tolls, penalties or charges shall constitute a perpetual lien on and against the property served, and any lien may be foreclosed in the same manner as provided by the laws for the foreclosure of mechanics' liens. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, the board may waive or amortize all or part of the tap fees and connection fees or extend the time period for paying all or part of the fees for property within the infrastructure development zone in order to facilitate the construction, ownership and operation of affordable housing on the property. However, the board shall have the authority to condition the waiver, amortization or extension upon the recordation against the property of a deed restriction, lien or other lawful instrument requiring the payment of the fees in the event that the property's use as affordable housing is discontinued;
K. to furnish services and facilities without the boundaries of the infrastructure development zone and to establish fees, rates, tolls, penalties or charges for the services and facilities;
L. to accept, on behalf of the infrastructure development zone, real or personal property for the use of the infrastructure development zone and to accept gifts and conveyances made to the infrastructure development zone upon the terms or conditions as the board may approve;
M. to adopt, amend and enforce bylaws and rules not in conflict with the constitution and laws of this state for carrying on the business, objects and affairs of the board and of the infrastructure development zone;
N. to have and exercise all rights and powers necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific powers granted to infrastructure development zones by the Infrastructure Development Zone Act. The specific powers shall not be considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of the Infrastructure Development Zone Act;
O. to authorize the use of electronic records or signatures and adopt rules, standards, policies and procedures for use of electronic records or signatures;
P. to enter into contracts with public utilities, cooperative electric associations and municipalities for the purpose of furnishing street-lighting service;
Q. to erect and maintain, in providing safety protection services, traffic and safety controls and devices on streets and highways and at railroad crossings, and to enter into agreements with each county in which an infrastructure development zone is located or with adjoining counties, the department of transportation or railroad companies for the erection of the safety controls and devices and for the construction of underpasses or overpasses at railroad crossings;
R. to finance line extension charges for new telephone construction for the purpose of furnishing telephone service exclusively in infrastructure development zones that have no property zoned or valued for assessment as residential;
S. to establish, maintain and operate a system to transport the public by bus, rail or any other means of conveyance, or any combination thereof;
T. to furnish security services for any area within the infrastructure development zone. This power may be exercised only after the infrastructure development zone has provided written notification to, consulted with and obtained the written consent of all local law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction within the area. Any local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction within the area may subsequently withdraw its consent after consultation with and providing written notice of the withdrawal to the board;
U. to furnish covenant enforcement and design review services within the infrastructure development zone only if the revenues used to furnish the services are derived from the area in which the service is furnished; and
V. to provide activities in support of business recruitment, management and development within the infrastructure development zone.