§31-20-5 Powers and duties of the authority; bidding procedures.
§31-20-5. Powers and duties of the authority; bidding procedures.
Public hearings pursuant to this section shall be held by the authority in convenient locations for public comment on the establishment of regional jails. The authority shall cause to be published at least two weeks in advance of a hearing a Class II-0 legal advertisement, as provided in section two, article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, setting forth the reason for the hearing and the time, place and date thereof. The publication area shall be each county which may be included in a region for the purposes of a regional jail with the county in which the public hearing is held.
In addition to the hearing requirements above, before beginning construction of a new facility for use as a regional jail or correctional facility or before beginning renovation or acquisition of an existing facility for use as a regional jail facility, which existing facility is not already a jail, correctional facility or secure facility for the detention of juveniles or persons otherwise involuntarily committed or confined, the authority shall hold a hearing for comment by all members of the public on all aspects relating to the advisability of the use of the site for that regional jail facility. The authority shall promulgate legislative rules pursuant to chapter twenty-nine-a of this code for the requirements for notice and other procedures of said public hearings, which requirements shall be as similar as practicable to those hearings conducted regarding the construction of bridges by the West Virginia department of highways.
The authority, as a public corporation and governmental instrumentality exercising public powers of the state, may exercise all powers necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this article, including, but not limited to, the power:
(a) To acquire, own, hold and dispose of property, real and personal, tangible and intangible.
(b) To lease property, whether as a lessee or lessor.
(c) To mortgage or otherwise grant security interests in its property.
(d) To conduct examinations and investigations and to hear testimony and take proof, under oath or affirmation at public or private hearings, on any matter relevant to this article and necessary for information on the construction or renovation of any adult correctional facility or juvenile facility or the establishment of any correctional facility industries project.
(e) To issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers relevant to any hearing before the authority or one or more members appointed by it to conduct any hearing.
(f) To apply to the circuit court having venue of the offense to have punished for contempt any witness who refuses to obey a subpoena, refuses to be sworn or affirmed, or refuses to testify, or who commits any contempt after being summoned to appear.
(g) To sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, and complain and defend in any court.
(h) To adopt, use and alter at will a corporate seal.
(i) To make rules for the management and regulation of its affairs pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
(j) To appoint officers, agents and employees.
(k) To make contracts of every kind and nature and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient for carrying on its business, including contracts with any other governmental agency of this state or of the federal government or with any person, individual, partnership or corporation to effect any or all of the purposes of this article.
(l) Without in any way limiting any other subdivision of this section, to accept grants from and enter into contracts and other transactions with any federal agency.
(m) To borrow money and to issue its negotiable bonds, security interests or notes and to provide for and secure the payment thereof, and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof, and to purchase, hold and dispose of any of its bonds, security interests or notes: Provided, That no bond or other obligation may be issued or incurred unless and until the Legislature by concurrent resolution has approved the purpose and amount of each project for which proceeds from the issuance of the bond or other obligation will be used.
(n) To sell, at public or private sale, any bond or other negotiable instrument, security interest or obligation of the authority in a manner and upon terms that the authority considers would best serve the purposes of this article.
(o) To issue its bonds, security interests and notes payable solely from the revenues or other funds available to the authority therefor; and the authority may issue its bonds, security interests or notes in such principal amounts as it considers necessary to provide funds for any purposes under this article, including:
(1) The payment, funding or refunding of the principal of, interest on or redemption premiums on, any bonds, security interests or notes issued by it whether the bonds, security interests, notes or interest to be funded or refunded have or have not become due.
(2) The establishment or increase of reserves to secure or to pay bonds, security interests, notes or the interest thereon and all other costs or expenses of the authority incident to and necessary or convenient to carry out its corporate purposes and powers. Any bonds, security interests or notes may be additionally secured by a pledge of any revenues, funds, assets or moneys of the authority from any source whatsoever.
(p) To issue renewal notes or security interests, to issue bonds to pay notes or security interests and, whenever it considers refunding expedient, to refund any bonds by the issuance of new bonds, whether the bonds to be refunded have or have not matured except that no renewal notes shall be issued to mature more than ten years from date of issuance of the notes renewed and no refunding bonds may be issued to mature more than twenty-five years from the date of issuance.
(q) To apply the proceeds from the sale of renewal notes, security interests or refunding bonds to the purchase, redemption or payment of the notes, security interests or bonds to be refunded.
(r) To accept gifts or grants of property, funds, security interests, money, materials, labor, supplies or services from the United States of America or from any governmental unit or any person, firm or corporation, and to carry out the terms or provisions of, or make agreements with respect to, or pledge, any gifts or grants, and to do any and all things necessary, useful, desirable or convenient in connection with the procuring, acceptance or disposition of gifts or grants.
(s) To the extent permitted under its contracts with the holders of bonds, security interests or notes of the authority, to consent to any modification of the rate of interest, time of payment of any installment of principal or interest, security or any other term of any bond, security interest, note or contract or agreement of any kind to which the authority is a party.
(t) To sell security interests in the loan portfolio of the authority. The security interests shall be evidenced by instruments issued by the authority. Proceeds from the sale of security interests may be issued in the same manner and for the same purposes as bond and note revenues.
(u) To propose legislative rules for promulgation, in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to implement and make effective the powers, duties and responsibilities invested in the authority by the provisions of this article and otherwise by law.
(v) To assume the responsibility for operation and management of regional jail facilities under the jurisdiction of the state regional jail and correctional facility authority. The authority shall provide for the transportation of inmates between the regional jails and local holding facilities for court appearances.
(w) To exercise all power and authority provided in this article necessary and convenient to plan, finance, construct, renovate, maintain and operate or oversee the operation of regional jails and correctional facilities.
(x) To exercise all power and authority provided in this article necessary and convenient to plan, finance, construct, renovate, repair and replace juvenile detention facilities and juvenile correctional facilities.
(y) To cooperate with the commission for distribution of surplus foods and to authorize the executive director to exercise all power and authority provided in this section necessary to implement the pilot program for delivery of leftover prepared foods at the regional jail located in Marshall County, pursuant to section seventeen, article two, chapter eighteen of this code.