Parking Authorities.
§ 160A-550. Short title.
This Article may be cited as the "Parking Authority Law." (1951, c. 779, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
As used or referred to in this Article, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
(1) The term "authority" shall mean a public body and a body corporate and politic organized in accordance with this Article for the purposes, with the powers and subject to the restrictions hereinafter set forth;
(2) The term "bonds" shall mean bonds authorized by this Article;
(3) The term "city" shall mean the city that is, or is about to be, included in the territorial boundaries of an authority when created hereunder;
(4) The term "city clerk" shall mean the clerk of the city or the officer thereof charged with the duties customarily imposed on the clerk;
(5) The term "city council" shall mean the legislative body, council, board of commissioners, or other body charged with governing the city;
(6) The term "commissioner" shall mean one of the members of an authority, appointed in accordance with the provisions of this Article;
(7) The term "parking project" shall mean any area or place operated or to be operated by the authority for the parking or storing of motor and other vehicles, open to public use for a fee, and shall without limiting the foregoing, include all real and personal property, driveways, roads, approaches, structures, garages, meters, mechanical equipment, and all appurtenances and facilities either on, above or under the ground which are used or usable in connection with such parking or storing of such vehicles, including on-street parking meters if so provided by the governing authority;
(8) The term "real property" shall mean lands, structures, franchises, and interest in lands, and any and all things usually included within the said term, and includes not only fees simple absolute but also any and all lesser interests, such as easements, rights-of-way, uses, leases, licenses, and all other incorporeal hereditaments and every estate, interest or right, legal or equitable, including terms of years, and liens thereon by way of judgments, mortgages or otherwise, and also claims for damage to real estate. (1951, c. 779, s. 2; 1965, c. 998, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-552. Creation of authority.
The city council of any city may, upon its own initiative, and shall, upon petition of 25 or more residents of the city, hold a public hearing on the question whether or not it is necessary for the city to organize an authority under the provisions of this Article. Notice of the time, place and purpose of such hearing shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, at least once, at least 10 days before such hearing. At such hearing, an opportunity to be heard shall be granted to all residents and taxpayers of the city and all other interested persons. If, after such hearing, the city council shall by resolution determine that it is necessary for the city to organize an authority under the provisions of this Article, the city council shall appoint, as hereinafter provided, five commissioners to act as an authority. Said commission shall be a public body and a body corporate and politic upon the completion of the taking of the following proceedings:
The commissioners shall present or cause to be presented to the Secretary of State of North Carolina a written application signed by them, which shall set forth
(1) A statement that the city council has, pursuant to this Article, and after a public hearing held as herein required, determined that it is necessary for the city to organize an authority under the provisions of this Article, and has appointed the signers of such application as commissioners of such an authority;
(2) A statement that the commissioners desire the authority to become a public body and a body corporate and politic under this Article;
(3) The name, address and term of office of each of the commissioners;
(4) The name which is proposed for the corporation; and
(5) The location and the principal office of the proposed corporation.
The application shall be accompanied by a copy, certified by the city clerk, of the resolution or resolutions of the city council making such determination and appointments. The application shall be subscribed and sworn to by each of said commissioners before an officer authorized by law to take and certify oaths, who shall certify upon the application that he personally knows said commissioners and knows them to be the persons appointed as stated in the application, and that each subscribed and swore thereto in the officer's presence. The Secretary of State shall examine the application and if he finds that the name proposed for the corporation is not identical with that of a person or any other corporation of this State or so nearly similar as to lead to confusion and uncertainty, he shall receive and file it and shall record it in an appropriate book of record in his office.
When the application has been made, filed and recorded, as herein provided, the authority shall constitute a public body and body corporate and politic under the name proposed in the application; and the Secretary of State shall make and issue a certificate of incorporation pursuant to this Article, under the seal of the State, and shall record the same with the application.
The boundaries of such authority shall be coterminous with those of such city.
In any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of or relating to any contract of the authority, the authority shall be conclusively deemed to have been established in accordance with the provisions of this Article upon proof of the issuance of the aforesaid certificate by the Secretary of State. A copy of such certificate, duly certified by the Secretary of State, shall be admissible in evidence in any such suit, action or proceeding, and shall be conclusive proof of the filing and contents thereof. (1951, c. 779, s. 3; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-553. Appointment, removal, etc., of commissioners; quorum; chairman; vice-chairman, agents and employees.
An authority shall consist of five commissioners appointed by the city council, and the city council shall designate the first chairman. No commissioner shall be a city official.
The commissioners who are first appointed shall be designated by the city council to serve for terms of one, two, three, four and five years respectively from the date of their appointment. Thereafter, the term of office shall be five years. A commissioner shall hold office until his successor has been appointed by the city council and has qualified. Vacancies shall be filled by the city council for the unexpired term. Three commissioners shall constitute a quorum. A commissioner shall receive no compensation for his services, but he shall be entitled to reimbursement for his actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties.
When the office of the first chairman of the authority becomes vacant, the authority shall select a chairman from among its members. An authority shall select from among its members a vice-chairman, and it may employ a secretary (who shall be executive director), technical experts and such other officers, agents and employees, permanent or temporary, as it may require, and shall determine their qualifications, duties and compensation. An authority may, with the consent of the city council call upon the city attorney or chief law officer of the city for such legal services as it may require, or it may employ its own counsel and legal staff. An authority may delegate to one or more of its agents or employees such powers or duties as it may deem proper. The city council may remove any member of the authority for inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office, giving him a copy of the charges against him and an opportunity of being heard in person, or by counsel, in his defense upon not less than 10 days' notice. (1951, c. 779, s. 4; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, ss. 42, 44.)
§ 160A-554. Duty of authority and commissioners.
The authority and its commissioners shall be under a statutory duty to comply or cause compliance strictly with all provisions of this Article and, in addition thereto, with each and every term, provision and covenant in any contract of the authority on its part to be kept or performed. (1951, c. 779, s. 5; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-555. Interested commissioners or employees.
No commissioner or employee of an authority shall acquire any interest direct or indirect in any parking project or in any property included or planned to be included in any parking project, nor shall he have any interest direct or indirect in any contract or proposed contract for materials or services to be furnished or used in connection with any parking project. If any commissioner or employee of an authority owns or controls an interest direct or indirect in any property included or planned to be included in any parking project, he shall immediately disclose the same in writing to the authority and such disclosure shall be entered upon the minutes of the authority. Failure to so disclose such interest shall constitute misconduct in office. (1951, c. 779, s. 6; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-556. Purpose and powers of the authority.
An authority incorporated under this Article shall constitute a public body and a body corporate and politic, exercising public powers as an agency or instrumentality of the city with which it is coterminous. The purpose of the authority shall be to relieve traffic congestion of the streets and public places in the city by means of parking facilities, and to that end to acquire, construct, improve, operate and maintain one or more parking projects in the city. To carry out said purpose, 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, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate purposes, including the power to purchase prospective or tentative awards in connection with the condemnation of real property;
(4) To acquire by purchase or condemnation, and use real property necessary or convenient. All real property acquired by the authority by condemnation shall be acquired in the manner provided by law for the condemnation of land by the city;
(5) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs, and subject to agreements with bondholders, for the regulation of parking projects;
(6) To make contracts and leases, and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient;
(7) To construct such buildings, structures and facilities as may be necessary or convenient;
(8) To construct, reconstruct, improve, maintain and operate parking projects;
(9) To accept grants, loans or contributions from the United States, the State of North Carolina, or any agency or instrumentality of either of them, or the city, and to expend the proceeds for any purposes of the authority;
(10) To fix and collect rentals, fees and other charges for the use of parking projects or any of them subject to and in accordance with such agreements with bondholders as may be made as hereinafter provided;
(11) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the purpose of the authority and the powers expressly given to it by this Article;
(12) To issue revenue bonds under the Local Government Revenue Bond Act. (1951, c. 779, s. 7; 1965, c. 998, s. 2; 1971, c. 780, s. 18; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-557. Conveyance of property by the city to the authority; acquisition of property by the city or by the authority.
(a) The city may convey, with or without consideration, to the authority real and personal property owned by the city for use by the authority as a parking project or projects or a part thereof. In case of real property so conveyed, the instrument of conveyance shall contain a provision for reversion of the property to the city upon the termination of the corporate existence of the authority or upon the termination of the use of the property for the corporate purpose of the authority. Such conveyance of property by the city to the authority may be made without regard to the provisions of other laws regulating sales of property by the city or requiring previous advertisement of sales of property by the city.
(b) The city may acquire by purchase or condemnation real property in the name of the city for the authority or for the widening of existing roads, streets, parkways, avenues or highways or for new roads, streets, parkways, avenues or highways to any of the parking projects, or partly for such purposes and partly for other city purposes, by purchase or condemnation in the manner provided by law for the acquisition of real property by the city. The city may close such streets, roads, parkways, avenues, or highways as may be necessary or convenient.
(c) Contracts may be entered into between the city and the authority providing for the property to be conveyed by the city to the authority, the additional property to be acquired by the city and so conveyed, the streets, roads, parkways, avenues and highways to be closed by the city, and the amounts, terms and conditions of payment to be made by the authority. Such contracts may contain covenants by the city as to the road, street, parkway, avenue and highway improvements to be made by the city, including provisions for the installation of parking meters in designated streets of the city and for the removal of such parking meters in the event that such parking meters are not found to be necessary or convenient. Any such contract may pledge all or any part of the revenues of on-street parking meters to the authority for a period of not to exceed the period during which bonds of the authority shall be outstanding; provided, that the total amount of such revenues which may be paid pursuant to such a pledge shall not exceed the total of the principal of and interest on such bonds which become due and payable during such period. Such contracts may also contain provisions limiting or prohibiting the construction and operation by the city or any agency thereof in designated areas of public parking facilities and parking meters whether or not a fee or charge is made therefor. Any such contracts between the city and the authority may be pledged by the authority to secure its bonds and may not be modified thereafter except as provided by the terms of the contracts or by the terms of the pledge. The city council may authorize such contracts on behalf of the city and no other authorization on the part of the city for such contracts shall be necessary.
(d) The authority may itself acquire real property for a parking project at the cost and expense of the authority by purchase or condemnation pursuant to the laws relating to the condemnation of land by the city.
(e) In case the authority shall acquire any real property which it shall determine is no longer required for a parking project, then, if such real property was acquired at the cost and expense of the city, the authority shall have power to convey it without consideration to the city, or, if such real property was acquired at the cost and expense of the authority, then the authority shall have power to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of said real property and shall retain and have the power to use the proceeds of sale, rentals or other moneys derived from the disposition thereof for its purposes. (1951, c. 779, s. 8; 1965, c. 998, s. 3; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
The authority shall let contracts in the manner provided by law for contracts of the city. (1951, c. 779, s. 9; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-559. Moneys of the authority.
All moneys of the authority shall be paid to the treasurer of the city as agent of the authority, who shall designate depositories and who shall not commingle such moneys with any other moneys. Such moneys shall be deposited in a separate bank account or accounts. The moneys in such accounts shall be paid out on checks of the treasurer on written requisition of the chairman of the authority or of such other person or persons as the authority may authorize to make such requisitions. All deposits of such moneys shall be secured in the manner provided by law for securing deposits of moneys of the city. The city accountant of the city and his legally authorized representatives are authorized and empowered from time to time to examine the accounts and books of the authority, including its receipts, disbursements, contracts, leases, sinking funds, investments and any other records and papers relating to its financial standing. The authority shall cause an annual audit of its accounts to be made by a certified public accountant or firm of certified public accountants, and shall cause a copy of the report of each such audit to be filed with the city clerk, who shall present the same to the city council. The authority shall have power, notwithstanding the provisions of this section to contract with the holders of any of its bonds as to the custody, collection, securing, investment and payment of any moneys of the authority or any moneys held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds or in any way to secure bonds, and to carry out any such contract notwithstanding that such contract may be inconsistent with the previous provisions of this section. Moneys held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds or in any way to secure bonds and deposits of such moneys may be secured in the same manner as moneys of the authority, and all banks and trust companies are authorized to give such security for such deposits. (1951, c. 779, s. 10; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-560. Bonds legal investments for public officers and fiduciaries.
The bonds are hereby made securities in which all public officers and bodies of this State and all municipalities and municipal subdivisions, all insurance companies and associations and other persons carrying on an insurance business, all banks, bankers, trust companies, savings banks and savings associations, including savings and loan associations, investment companies and other persons carrying on a banking business and all other persons whatsoever, except as hereinafter provided, who are now or may hereafter be authorized to invest in bonds or other obligations of the State, may properly and legally invest funds including capital in their control or belonging to them; provided that, notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special law to the contrary, such bonds shall not be eligible for the investment of funds, including capital, trusts, estates or guardianships under the control of individual administrators, guardians, executors, trustees and other individual fiduciaries. The bonds are also hereby made securities which may be deposited with and may be received by all public officers and bodies of this State and all municipalities and municipal subdivisions for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds or other obligations of this State is now or may hereafter be authorized. (1951, c. 779, s. 15; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-561. Exemptions from taxation.
It is hereby found, determined and declared that the creation of the authority and the carrying out of its corporate purposes is in all respects for the benefit of the people of the State of North Carolina, for the improvement of their health, welfare and prosperity, and for the promotion of their traffic, and is a public purpose, and that the authority will be performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of the powers conferred upon it by this Article, and the State of North Carolina covenants with the holders of the bonds that the authority shall be required to pay no taxes or assessments upon any of the property acquired by it or under its jurisdiction, control, possession or supervision or upon its activities in the operation and maintenance of the project or any tolls, revenues or other income received by the authority and that the bonds of the authority and the income therefrom shall at all times be exempt from taxation, except for transfer and estate taxes. (1951, c. 779, s. 16; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-562. Tax contract by the State.
The State of North Carolina covenants with the purchasers and with all subsequent holders and transferees of bonds issued by the authority pursuant to this Article, in consideration of the acceptance of and payment for the bonds, that the bonds of the authority issued pursuant to this Article and the income therefrom, and all moneys, funds and revenues pledged to pay or secure the payment of such bonds, shall at all times be free from taxation except for transfer and estate taxes. (1951, c. 779, s. 17; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-563. Actions against the authority.
In every action against the authority for damages, for injuries to real or personal property, or for the destruction thereof, or for personal injuries or death, the complaint shall contain an allegation that at least 30 days have elapsed since the demand, claim or claims upon which such action is founded were presented to a member of the authority, or to its secretary, or to its chief executive officer and that the authority has neglected or refused to make an adjustment or payment thereof for 30 days after such presentment. (1951, c. 779, s. 19; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§ 160A-564. Termination of authority.
The city council shall have the authority to terminate the existence of the authority at any time. In the event of such termination, all property and assets of the authority shall automatically become the property of the city and the city shall succeed to all rights, obligations and liabilities of the authority. (1951, c. 779, s. 20; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, ss. 43, 44.)
§ 160A-565. Inconsistent provisions in other acts superseded.
Insofar as the provisions of this Article are inconsistent with the provisions of any other act, general or special, the provisions of this Article shall be controlling. This Article shall not repeal or modify any other act providing a different method of financing parking projects in cities, the powers conferred hereby being intended to be in addition to and not in substitution for the powers conferred by other acts. (1951, c. 779, s. 22; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1247, s. 44.)
§§ 160A-566 through 160A-574. Reserved for future codification purposes.