1678 - Powers of the authority.
§ 1678. Powers of the authority. The authority shall have power 1. To sue and be sued; 2. To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure; 3. To acquire in the name of the state by purchase or condemnation, gift or devise real property or rights of easement on terms necessary or convenient for its corporate purposes; to acquire, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate purposes; 4. To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs; 5. To appoint officers, agents and employees and fix their compensation, provided, however, that the appointment of the executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the senate in accordance with section twenty-eight hundred fifty-two of this chapter; 6. To make contracts and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient; 7. To prepare or cause to be prepared plans, specifications, designs and estimates of costs for the construction and equipment of dormitories and appurtenant facilities for the institutions specified in section sixteen hundred seventy-six, and from time to time to modify such plans, specifications, designs or estimates; 8. By contract or contracts or by its own employees to construct, acquire, reconstruct, rehabilitate and improve, and furnish and equip, dormitories and necessary and usual attendant facilities for state-operated institutions and statutory and contract colleges under the jurisdiction of the state university of New York pursuant to agreement with the state university construction fund created by section three hundred seventy-one of the education law; 9. To maintain, reconstruct and operate such dormitories until the cost thereof and the outstanding bonds thereon have been liquidated; 10. To fix and collect rentals and other charges for the use of dormitories and judicial facilities, court facilities or combined occupancy structures or any parts thereof; to contract with holders of its bonds to fix such rentals and charges at rates at least sufficient to pay for all costs of operation, maintenance and repairs of the dormitories and judicial facilities, court facilities or combined occupancy structures, and the interest on and amortization of, or payment of its bonds issued to finance dormitories, judicial facilities, court facilities or combined occupancy structures; to provide by contract for the promulgation, by the appropriate officer or body, in relation to any institution described in subdivision two of section sixteen hundred seventy-six of this title, of such reasonable and proper rules and regulations as may be necessary to assure the maximum use of the facilities of any dormitory at all times; 11. To borrow money and to issue negotiable bonds or notes and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof; 12. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this authority. 13. In connection with court facilities or combined occupancy structures: (a) To acquire by purchase, condemnation, gift, devise, lease or other agreement such real property or an interest therein as may be necessary or convenient for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement or provision of court facilities or combined occupancy structures; (b) To prepare or cause to be prepared plans, specifications, designs and estimates of costs for the design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of court facilities or combined occupancy structures, and the equipping and furnishing thereof;(c) To prepare or cause to be prepared a facility design and performance plan with each participating municipality relating to court facilities and combined occupancy structures in any case where the authority and the participating municipality have agreed that the authority will award contracts for the design and construction of the project. Such plan shall set forth the terms and conditions associated with the construction management process, including, but not limited to, provisions relating to the selection of architects, construction consultants, construction managers and contractors, the relative responsibilities of the authority and the participating municipality with respect to the initial project budget and the court facilities program, the preparation of working drawings and budgets, the project construction process, beneficial occupancy including formal notifications, punch lists and acceptance by all parties, notification of construction completion, project close-out, and the commencement of responsibility for maintenance of the facility. Such plan shall also include provisions relating to the responsibility of the authority to require appropriate performance and surety bonds, the diligent pursuit by the authority of remedies against architects, contractors and sureties deemed to be in default in the performance of their obligations, and, generally, the management of the construction process in a professional manner in accordance with prevailing construction industry standards. The authority shall submit the facility design and performance plan to the chief administrator for submission to the court facilities capital review board in accordance with section sixteen hundred eighty-c of this chapter; (d) To design, construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate or improve court facilities or combined occupancy structures and to enter into contracts to cause court facilities or combined occupancy structures to be designed, constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated or improved; (e) To enter into leases, subleases or other agreements with participating municipalities in connection with court facilities and jointly with participating municipalities and other persons, firms, associations, corporations or agencies, including public bodies, in accordance with section sixteen hundred eighty-b of this article; (f) To sell, convey, lease, sublease or otherwise transfer any real property or interest therein held by the authority to any person, firm, association, corporation or agency, including a public body, for the purpose of constructing or otherwise providing thereon a combined occupancy structure, provided that, simultaneously therewith, the authority enters into an agreement for the reconveyance, purchase, lease, sublease or other acquisition of the court facilities to be contained in such combined occupancy structures. Any contract undertaken or financed by the dormitory authority for any construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of any court facilities or combined occupancy structures shall comply with the provisions of sections one hundred one and one hundred three of the general municipal law. 14. To adopt resolutions providing for a program of self-insurance to pay for uninsured losses incurred by the dormitory authority by reason of a deductible feature in a policy or policies of insurance or to prevent a default in the compliance with any provision of any agreement, lease or resolution of the authority relating to or authorizing the issuance of obligations of the authority. When such program is approved by the superintendent of insurance of the state of New York, such program shall for all purposes of compliance by the dormitory authority with any provision of an agreement, lease or resolution of the authority relating to or authorizing the issuance of obligations of the authoritybe deemed to be an insurance policy issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the state of New York. The approval of the superintendent shall be based upon such standards as he shall from time to time determine to be appropriate in light of the said program, including but not limited to reasonable requirements regarding the amounts and kinds of coverage provided and the minimum financing maintained, and provided that the superintendent shall determine that such program will not be prejudicial to the best interests of the people of this state. 15. The authority shall, notwithstanding any other law, have the power to mortgage, pledge or assign any real or personal property of any dormitory or board of cooperative educational services school facility as and to the extent authorized by any agreement or lease between the authority and any educational institution as defined in section sixteen hundred eighty of this title or any board of cooperative educational services to secure any and all liabilities of such educational institution or board of cooperative educational services under such agreement or lease in respect of such dormitory or board of cooperative educational services facility not theretofore paid or discharged, or other real or personal property of the authority. Any such mortgage, pledge or assignment by the authority, unless otherwise provided therein, shall be superior to any right an educational institution or a board of cooperative educational services may have with respect to the property subject to such mortgage, pledge or assignment, and upon foreclosure of any such mortgage or enforcement of any such pledge or assignment any such right shall be extinguished. 16. To acquire and to enter into commitments to acquire any federally guaranteed security and to pledge or otherwise use any such federally guaranteed security in such manner as the authority deems in its best interest to secure or otherwise provide a source of repayment on any of its bonds issued on behalf of any hospital designated as an educational institution in section sixteen hundred eighty of this title or to enter into any appropriate agreement with any hospital designated as an educational institution in section sixteen hundred eighty of this title whereby the authority may make a loan to any such hospital for the purpose of acquiring and entering into commitments to acquire any federally guaranteed security. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision may contain such provisions which are deemed necessary or desirable by the authority for the security or protection of the authority or the holders of such bonds; provided, however, that the authority, prior to making any such acquisition, commitment or loan, shall first determine, and shall first enter into an agreement with any such hospital or any other appropriate institution or corporation to require, that the proceeds derived from the acquisition of any such federally guaranteed security will be used for the purpose of providing or refinancing any dormitory for any hospital designated as an educational institution in section sixteen hundred eighty of this title, including any facility, real property, equipment and appurtenant and related facilities. 17. To make and undertake commitments to make education loans to any independent institution for higher education located in this state, recognized and approved by the regents of the university of the state of New York, which provides a course of study leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree, for the purpose of enabling any such institution for higher education to make student loans to any student attending such independent institution for higher education, the parents of any such student or both for the purpose of financing the cost of attendance by such student at such independent institution for higher education, tomake and to commit to make direct loans to a student or the parents of a student or both for the purpose of financing the cost of attendance by such student at a public institution for higher education, and to purchase, acquire or take by assignment or otherwise student loans from such an independent institution for higher education. Each loan and purchase of a student loan by the authority authorized by this subdivision shall be premised upon an agreement, agreements, or supplements thereto, between the authority and such institution for higher education, such student or the parents of the student or both, which agreement, agreements, or supplements thereto, may make provisions as to payment, security, payment of any expenses or costs of the authority and any other matters deemed appropriate by the authority. All provisions of this title not inconsistent with the provisions of this subdivision shall be applicable with respect to any bonds of the authority issued to obtain funds for any purpose authorized under this subdivision, and with respect to the powers of the authority and any such institution for higher education provided, however, that the use of any such powers in order to effectuate the purpose of section sixteen hundred seventy-nine of this chapter be expressed by guidelines subject to the review of the advisory committee pursuant to paragraph ten of section sixteen hundred seventy-nine of this chapter. Bonds of the authority issued for the purposes of this subdivision shall be deemed to be issued for the financing and construction of a project within the meaning of section fifty-one of this chapter. 18. To make and undertake commitments to make HEAL education loans to any independent institution for higher education located in this state, which is an eligible institution pursuant to title IV, part C, of the "Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976", as now or hereafter amended, for the purpose of enabling any such institution to make HEAL student loans, to make and to commit to make HEAL direct loans to an eligible student attending a public or independent institution for higher education, and to purchase, acquire or take by assignment or otherwise HEAL student loans, and to sell and commit to sell HEAL direct loans, HEAL education loans and HEAL student loans purchased, acquired or taken by assignment or otherwise by the authority to the extent necessary to assure the marketability of and the adequacy of the security for the bonds of the authority. Each loan and purchase of a HEAL student loan by the authority authorized by this subdivision shall be premised upon an agreement, agreements, or supplements thereto, between the authority and such institution for higher education or such student, which agreement, agreements, or supplements thereto, may, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, make provisions as to payment, security, payment of any expenses or costs of the authority and any other matters deemed appropriate by the authority. The authority shall be deemed to be and is authorized to act as an eligible lender as defined in title IV, part C, of the "Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976", as now or hereafter amended, for purposes of the health education assistance loan program authorized thereunder. All provisions of this title not inconsistent with the provisions of this subdivision shall be applicable with respect to any bonds of the authority issued to obtain funds for any purpose authorized under this subdivision, and with respect to the powers of the authority and any such institution for higher education, provided, however, that the use of any such powers in order to effectuate the purpose of sections sixteen hundred seventy-nine and sixteen hundred seventy-nine-a of this chapter be expressed by guidelines subject to the review of the advisory committee pursuant to subdivision ten of section sixteen hundred seventy-nine of this chapter. Bonds of the authority issued for thepurposes of this subdivision shall be deemed to be issued for the financing and construction of a project within the meaning of section fifty-one of this chapter. 19. By contract or contracts or by its own employees to design, contruct, acquire, reconstruct, rehabilitate and improve, and furnish and equip, or otherwise provide judicial facilities. All provisions of this title not inconsistent with the provisions of this subdivision shall be applicable with respect to any bonds of the authority issued to obtain funds for any purpose authorized under this subdivision, and with respect to the powers of the authority; provided, however, that the authority shall not undertake the provision of judicial facilities authorized by this subdivision unless the governing body of any county, within the tenth judicial district, that does not contain a city for whose use judicial facilities are to be provided consents thereto. 20. To enter into a contract or contracts with the commissioner of health for the purpose of implementing the health facility restructuring pool pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred fifteen of the public health law, and to receive, hold, invest and pay out moneys deposited in the restructuring pool. In connection therewith, the authority shall exercise all of its powers under article eight of this chapter. 21. (a) To enter into one or more agreements with the state university of New York to provide financial assistance on behalf of the state, as provided in subdivision eight of section six thousand three hundred four of the education law, to the local sponsors of community colleges for the design, acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of one or more facilities for locally sponsored community colleges and the furnishing or equipping of such facilities. Each such agreement shall provide for annual payments to the dormitory authority from the state aid or other financial assistance provided to the local sponsor of such community college and paid into the community college tuition and instructional fund pursuant to paragraph (iii) of subdivision two of section ninety-seven-p of the state finance law, and contain such other terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by the parties thereto, including, but not limited to, provisions relating to the establishment of reserve funds and indemnities. Each such agreement shall be subject to the approval of the director of the budget. (b) Any such agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision may provide that the provisions thereof shall remain in force and effect until the issue of bonds of the dormitory authority to which it relates, together with interest thereon, interest on any unpaid installments of interest and the fees and expenses of the dormitory authority, are fully met and discharged, and any payments to be made by the state may be pledged by the dormitory authority to secure such bonds. (c) No agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall be construed to limit or diminish the power of the dormitory authority with respect to a locally sponsored community college with respect to providing construction related services in connection with the construction, reconstruction, improvement, renovation, development or expansion of locally sponsored community college facilities. 23. To make equipment loans pursuant to section sixteen hundred seventy-nine-b of this article and, in connection with such equipment loans, to enter into all necessary or useful agreements with respect to such loans. 24. To acquire bonds, notes or other obligations of any school district or city of the state issued to finance or refinance school district capital facilities and school district capital equipment and to make loan commitments and loans to school districts and to cities forsuch purposes, and to enter into arrangements with school districts and cities for the purchase of such bonds, notes or other obligations.