§ 2-157. Powers.

The authority created by section 2-156 above shall have such public and corporate powers as set forth in the Industrial Development and Revenue Bond Act, constituting Code of Virginia, § 15.2-4900 et seq., as amended, including, but not limited to, the following powers together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary for the performance of those hereinafter stated:

(a)

To sue and be sued and to prosecute and defend, at law or in equity, in any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties.

(b)

To adopt and use a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure.

(c)

To enter into contracts; however, any written contract of the authority shall contain provisions addressing the issue of whether attorney's fees shall be recoverable by the prevailing party in the event the contract is subject to litigation.

(d)

To acquire, whether by purchase, exchange, gift, lease or otherwise, and to improve, maintain, equip and furnish one or more authority facilities including all real and personal properties which the board of directors of the authority may deem necessary in connection therewith and regardless of whether any such facilities shall then be in existence.

(e)

To lease to others any or all of its facilities and to charge and collect rent therefor and to terminate any such lease upon the failure of the lessee to comply with any of the obligations thereof; and to include in any such lease, if desired, a provision that the lessee thereof shall have options to renew such lease or to purchase any or all of the leased facilities, or that upon payment of all of the indebtedness of the authority it may lease or convey any or all of its facilities to the lessee thereof with or without consideration.

(f)

To sell, exchange, donate, and convey any or all of its facilities or properties whenever its board of directors shall find any such action to be in furtherance of the purposes for which the authority was organized.

(g)

To issue its bonds for the purpose of carrying out any of its powers including specifically, but without intending to limit any power conferred by this section or this article, the issuance of bonds to provide long-term financing of any pollution control facility, whether any such facility was constructed prior to or after the enactment hereof or the receipt of a commitment from an authority to undertake financing pursuant hereto, unless the major part of the proceeds of such bonds will be used to redeem any prior long-term financing of such facility other than financings pursuant to this chapter or any similar law.

(h)

As security for the payment of the principal of and interest on any bonds so issued and any agreements made in connection therewith, to mortgage and pledge any or all of its facilities or any part or parts thereof, whether then owned or thereafter acquired, and to pledge the revenues therefrom or from any part thereof or from any loans made by the authority.

(i)

To employ and pay compensation to such employees and agents, including attorneys, and real estate brokers whether engaged by the authority or otherwise, as the board of directors shall deem necessary in carrying on the business of the authority.

(j)

To exercise all powers expressly given the authority by the governing body and to establish bylaws and make all rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this article, deemed expedient for the management of the authority's affairs.

(k)

To appoint an industrial advisory committee or similar committee or committees to advise the authority, consisting of such number of persons as it may deem advisable. Such persons may be compensated such amount per regular, special, or committee meeting as may be approved by the appointing authority, not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per meeting day, and may be reimbursed for necessary traveling and other expenses incurred while on the business of the authority.

(l)

To borrow money and to accept contributions, grants and other financial assistance from the United States of America and agencies or instrumentalities thereof, the commonwealth, or any political subdivision, agency, or public instrumentality of the commonwealth, for or in aid of the construction, acquisition, ownership, maintenance or repair of the authority facilities, for the payment of principal of any bond of the authority, interest thereon, or other cost incident thereto, or in order to make loans in furtherance of the purposes of this article of such money, contributions, grants, and other financial assistance, and to this end the authority shall have the power to comply with such conditions and to execute such agreements, trust indentures, and other legal instruments as may be necessary, convenient or desirable and to agree to such terms and conditions as may be imposed.

(m)

To make loans or grants to any person, partnership, association, corporation, business, or governmental entity in furtherance of the purposes of this article including for the purposes of promoting economic development, provided that such loans or grants shall be made only from revenues of the authority which have not been pledged or assigned for the payment of any of the authority's bonds, and to enter into such contracts, instruments, and agreements as may be expedient to provide for such loans and any security therefor. The authority may also be permitted to forgive loans or other obligations if it is deemed to further economic development. The word "revenues" as used in this subsection includes contributions, grants and other financial assistance, as set out in subsection (l) above.

The authority shall not have power to operate any facility as a business other than as lessor and shall not have the power to operate any single- or multifamily housing facilities. However, the authority shall have the power to apply for, establish, operate and maintain a foreign-trade zone in accordance with the provisions of Code of Virginia, § 62.1-159 et seq., as amended. Any meeting held by the board of directors at which formal action is taken shall be open to the public.

No industrial development authority or economic development authority that has not been created by the governing body shall finance facilities, except pollution-control facilities, within the boundaries of the city, unless the governing body concurs with the inducement resolution adopted by the authority, and shows such concurrence in a duly adopted resolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall be deemed to invalidate or otherwise impair any existing financing by an authority or the financing of any facilities for which application has been made to an authority prior to July 1, 1981.

(Ord. No. 75-1700-70, § 1, 2-18-75; Ord. No. 89-1700-401, 6-20-89; Ord. No. 07-1700-830, § 1, 5-15-07)

(Ord. No. 75-1700-70, § 1, 2-18-75; Ord. No. 89-1700-401, 6-20-89; Ord. No. 07-1700-830, § 1, 5-15-07)