1-16J-7. Powers of authority.

For the purpose of protecting and promoting the economic impact of Ellsworth Air Force Base and associated industry, and to promote the health and safety of those living or working near the base, the authority may:

(1)    Have perpetual succession as a body politic and corporate exercising essential public functions;

(2)    Sue and be sued in its own name;

(3)    Have an official seal and alter the seal at will;

(4)    Maintain an office at any place within the state as the authority may designate;

(5)    Make and execute contracts and all other instruments necessary or convenient for the performance of its duties and the exercise of its powers and functions under this chapter;

(6)    Borrow money and accept gifts;

(7)    Apply for and use gifts, grants, loans of money, or other property from the United States, the state, a unit of local government, or any person, for any purposes of the authority, and to enter into agreements required in connection with those purposes;

(8)    Hold, use, and dispose of any gift, grant, loan, agreement, or property for any purposes of the authority in accordance with the terms of the gift, grant, loan, agreement, or property;

(9)    Employ fiscal consultants, engineers, attorneys, management service providers, and other consultants and employees as may be required, and contract with agencies of the state to provide staff and support services;

(10)    Procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets, including loans, bonds, and notes in amounts and from insurers as the authority deems advisable;

(11)    Hold, control, and acquire by donation or purchase any private or public easements, dedications to public use, platted reservations for private or public purposes, or any reservations for those purposes authorized by this chapter, and make use of such easements, dedications, or reservations for any of the purposes authorized by this chapter;

(12)    Lease to or from any person, firm, limited liability company, corporation, association, or body, public or private, any projects of the type that the authority may undertake and facilities or property of any nature for the use of the authority to carry out any of the purposes authorized by this chapter;

(13)    Borrow money and issue bonds, certificates, warrants, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness as authorized by this chapter;

(14)    Procure insurance, letters of credit, guarantees, or other credit enhancement arrangements from any public or private entity, including any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or the state, for payment of all or any portion of any bond issued by the authority, including the power to pay premiums, fees, or other charges on any insurance, letters of credit, guarantees, or credit arrangements;

(15)    Receive and accept from any source financial aid or contributions of any grant, property, labor, or other things of value to be held, used, and applied to carry out the purposes of this chapter, subject to the conditions upon which the grant or contribution is made, including a gift or grant from any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States for any purpose consistent with this chapter;

(16)    To the extent permitted under its contract with the holders of bonds of the authority, consent to any modification with respect to the rate of interest, time, and payment of any installment of principal or interest, or any other term of any contract, loan, loan note, loan note commitment, contract, lease, or agreement of any kind to which the authority is a party;

(17)    Make loans and grants to, and enter into financing agreements with, any governmental agency or any person for the costs incurred in connection with the development, construction, acquisition, improvement, maintenance, operation, or decommissioning of any facility, or for the maintenance of the physical or structural integrity of real or personal property incorporated or which may be incorporated into the facility, in accordance with a written agreement between the authority and the governmental agency or person. A loan or grant made under this section may not exceed the total cost of the facility as determined by the governmental agency or person, and approved by the authority;

(18)    Cooperate with, and exchange services, personnel, and information with, any governmental agency or political subdivision;

(19)    Enter into agreements for management on behalf of the authority of any of its properties upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable;

(20)    Sell, exchange, lease, donate, and convey any of its properties in furtherance of the purposes for which the authority is organized;

(21)    Purchase from a willing seller, construct, develop, maintain, hold, lease, license, operate, dispose of, or decommission real and personal property projects, facilities, or any undertaking necessary for establishing compatible land use around Ellsworth Air Force Base, or generally suitable for protecting or promoting the economic impact on the state of Ellsworth Air Force Base and related industries;

(22)    Indemnify any person or governmental agency for reasonable risks as the authority deems advisable if the indemnification is a condition of a grant, gift, or donation to the authority. Any obligation to indemnify may only be paid from insurance or from revenues of the authority, and the obligation does not constitute a debt or obligation of this state;

(23)    Acquire by eminent domain, in accordance with chapter 21-35, any private property that falls within the boundaries of Ellsworth Air Force Base, or property described in the 1994 United States Department of Defense approved Ellsworth Air Force Base Air Installation Compatible Use Zone Study as a clear zone or an accident potential zone one or two, or property located within the noise contours identified by the study, but only as necessary for the authority's purposes to establish a compatible land use as provided for in the study;

(24)    Cooperate with, or contract with, other governmental agencies or political subdivisions as may be necessary, convenient, incidental, or proper in connection with any of the powers, duties, or purposes authorized by this chapter; and

(25)    Construct, purchase, license, lease, or operate a bulk wastewater treatment facility and pipelines necessary to contract for bulk treatment of wastewater generated by Ellsworth Air Force Base, the city of Box Elder, or other authorized sewer utilities generating wastewater in the Box Elder Creek watershed. The authority may not provide wastewater treatment service to any property located within any municipality's subdivision jurisdiction as defined in §§ 11-6-26 and 9-4-14 without first obtaining the municipality's consent.

Source: SL 2009, ch 8, § 7; SL 2019, ch 203, § 49.