§24-7-4. Legislative findings; authority to acquire further properties.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the Public Service Commission should be authorized to acquire and manage further properties contiguous with its existing property at 201 Brooks street in Charleston, West Virginia, and to make improvements on the property necessary to ensure the efficient operations of the commission's business. Furthermore, the Legislature finds that the Public Service Commission should be given the necessary authority to enter into agreements with other entities concerning financing and use of the acquisitions. The Legislature further finds that the commission should be allowed to pay for the acquisitions using excess funds from the special revenues received by the commission pursuant to section six, article three of this chapter and from funds received by the use of the properties.

(b) The Public Service Commission may contract to acquire, lease, rent, purchase, own, hold, construct, equip, maintain, operate, sell, encumber and assign rights of any property, real or personal, contiguous with its existing property at 201 Brooks street in Charleston, West Virginia, consistent with the objectives of the commission as set forth in this chapter.

(c) The Public Service Commission may enter into contracts, agreements or other undertakings with other appropriate entities concerning the financing and use of property acquisitions.

(d) The Public Service Commission may pay for property acquisitions and related activities from excess funds obtained from the commission's assessments upon utility gross revenue and property as provided for in section six, article three of this chapter. Furthermore, the commission may receive funds from other entities through the use and management of its properties and use those funds for the payment of the property acquisitions. Any contracts, agreements or other undertakings relating to property acquisitions pursuant to provisions of this section shall be entered into prior to December 31, 2004.

(e) Expenditures for any purpose set forth in this section may be made only pursuant to legislative appropriation expressly authorizing by line item expenditure for the specific purpose. Notwithstanding any provision of section eighteen, article two, chapter five-a of this code to the contrary, no increase in the amount of the appropriation may be authorized.