§15-5-4c Powers and duties of the West Virginia disaster recovery board.
§15-5-4c. Powers and duties of the West Virginia disaster recovery board.
The board is hereby granted, has and may exercise all powers necessary or appropriate to carry out and effectuate the purposes set forth in section four-b of this article. The authority has the power:
(1) To accept appropriations, gifts, grants, bequests and devises from any source, public or private, for deposit into the recovery fund, and to use or dispose of the same to provide assistance to any person, political subdivision or local organization for emergency services responding to or recovering from a disaster, or otherwise involved in disaster recovery activities;
(2) To make and execute contracts, leases, releases and other instruments necessary or convenient for the exercise of its power;
(3) To make, and from time to time, amend and repeal bylaws for the governance of its activities not inconsistent with the provisions of this article;
(4) To sue and be sued;
(5) To acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property;
(6) To enter into agreements or other transactions with any federal or state agency, political subdivision or person;
(7) To provide for the deposit of any funds or assets of the West Virginia disaster relief recovery trust fund with the state board of investments for investment;
(8) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property in such amounts, and from such insurers, as may be necessary or desirable;
(9) To use the recovery trust fund to pay the costs incurred by any state department or agency for the purpose of obtaining property appraisals and other certifications necessary to justify the involvement of the federal emergency management agency and to allow its determination of a presidentially declared disaster;
(10) To establish, or assist in the establishment of, temporary housing and residential housing by, with or for political subdivisions declared to be in a disaster area by the federal emergency management agency or other agency or instrumentality of the United States or by the governor of this state;
(11) To enter into purchase, lease, or other arrangements with an agency of the United States or this state for temporary housing or residential housing units to be occupied by disaster victims and make such units available to any political subdivision or persons;
(12) To assist political subdivisions, local organizations for emergency services and nonprofit corporations in acquiring sites necessary for temporary housing or residential housing for disaster victims and in otherwise preparing the sites to receive and use temporary housing or residential housing units, including payment of transportation charges, by advancing or lending funds available to the board from the recovery fund;
(13) To make grants and provide technical services to assist in the purchase or other acquisition, planning, processing, design, construction, or rehabilitation, improvement or operation of temporary housing or residential housing: Provided, That no such grant or other financial assistance shall be provided except upon a written finding by the board that such assistance and the manner in which it will be provided constitute a disaster recovery activity;
(14) To make or participate in the making of insured or uninsured construction and permanent loans or grants for temporary housing or residential housing, community facilities and essential business activities: Provided, That no such loan or grant shall be made except upon a written finding by the board that the loan or grant and the manner in which it will be provided constitute a disaster recovery activity and that the loan or grant is not otherwise available, wholly or in part, from a private or public lender upon reasonably equivalent terms and conditions; and
(15) Do all acts necessary and proper to carry out the powers granted to the board under this article.