§22C-1-6. Powers, duties, and responsibilities of authority generally.

The Water Development Authority has and may exercise all powers necessary or appropriate to carry out and effectuate its corporate purpose. The authority has the power and capacity to:

(1) Adopt and, from time-to-time, amend and repeal bylaws necessary and proper for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business and rules to implement and make effective its powers and duties, such rules to be promulgated in accordance with the provisions of chapter 29A of this code.

(2) Adopt an official seal.

(3) Maintain a principal office and, if necessary, regional suboffices at locations properly designated or provided.

(4) Sue and be sued in its own name and plead and be impleaded in its own name and particularly to enforce the obligations and covenants made under §22C-1-9, §22C-1-10, and §22C-1-16 of this code. Any actions against the authority shall be brought in the circuit court of Kanawha County in which the principal office of the authority shall be located.

(5) Make loans and grants to governmental agencies for the acquisition or construction of water development projects by any such governmental agency and, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 29A of this code, adopt rules and procedures for making such loans and grants.

(6) Acquire, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, furnish, equip, maintain, repair, operate, lease or rent to, or contract for operation by a governmental agency or person, water development projects and, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 29A of this code, adopt rules for the use of such projects.

(7) Make available the use or services of any water development project to one or more persons, one or more governmental agencies, or any combination thereof.

(8) Issue water development revenue bonds and notes and water development revenue refunding bonds of the state, payable solely from revenues as provided in §22C-1-9 of this code unless the bonds are refunded by refunding bonds, for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of, or financing by loans to governmental agencies, one or more water development projects or parts thereof.

(9) Acquire by gift or purchase, hold and dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties as set forth in this article.

(10) Acquire in the name of the state, by purchase or otherwise, on such terms and in such manner as it deems proper, or by the exercise of the right of eminent domain in the manner provided in chapter 54 of this code, such public or private lands, or parts thereof or rights therein, rights-of-way, property, rights, easements, and interests it deems necessary for carrying out the provisions of this article, but excluding the acquisition by the exercise of the right of eminent domain of any public water facilities, stormwater systems, or wastewater facilities, operated under permits issued pursuant to the provisions of §22-11-1 et seq. of this code and owned by any person or governmental agency, and compensation shall be paid for public or private lands so taken.

(11) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements and execute all instruments necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers. When the cost under any such contract or agreement, other than compensation for personal services, involves an expenditure of more than $25,000, the authority shall make a written contract with the lowest responsible bidder after public notice published as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of §59-3-1 et seq. of this code, the publication area for such publication to be the county wherein the work is to be performed or which is affected by the contract, which notice shall state the general character of the work and the general character of the materials to be furnished, the place where plans and specifications therefor may be examined, and the time and place of receiving bids, but a contract or lease for the operation of a water development project constructed and owned by the authority or an agreement for cooperation in the acquisition or construction of a water development project pursuant to §22C-1-16 of this code is not subject to the foregoing requirements and the authority may enter into such contract or lease or such agreement pursuant to negotiation and upon such terms and conditions and for such period as it finds to be reasonable and proper under the circumstances and in the best interests of proper operation or of efficient acquisition or construction of such project. The authority may reject any and all bids. A bond with good and sufficient surety, approved by the authority, is required of all contractors in an amount equal to at least 50 percent of the contract price, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract.

(12) Appoint such employees, officers, managers, attorneys, independent contractors, and consultants as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this article and to fix their compensation and prescribe their duties: Provided, That, beginning on the effective date of the amendments to this section enacted during the regular session of the Legislature, 2024, all employees of the authority are exempt from the classified civil service system: Provided, however, That employees of the authority who are currently members of the classified civil service system shall retain their status as long as they remain in their current classification. Thereafter, if the employee leaves his or her current classification and remains an employee of the authority, that employee, at that time, becomes transferred to the classified-exempt service. All expenses thereof are payable solely from the proceeds of water development revenue bonds or notes issued by the authority, from revenues, and from funds appropriated for such purpose by the Legislature.

(13) Receive and accept from any federal agency, subject to the approval of the Governor, grants for or in aid of the construction of any water development project or for research and development with respect to public water facilities, stormwater systems, or wastewater facilities and receive and accept aid or contributions from any source of money, property, labor, or other things of value to be held, used and applied only for the purposes for which such grants and contributions are made.

(14) Engage in research and development with respect to public water facilities, stormwater systems, or wastewater facilities.

(15) Purchase property coverage and liability insurance for any water development project and for the principal office and suboffices of the authority, insurance protecting the authority and its officers and employees against liability, if any, for damage to property or injury to or death of persons arising from its operations and any other insurance the authority may agree to provide under any resolution authorizing the issuance of water development revenue bonds or in any trust agreement securing the same.

(16) Charge, alter, and collect rentals and other charges for the use or services of any water development project as provided in this article and charge and collect reasonable interest, fees, and charges in connection with the making and servicing of loans to governmental agencies in the furtherance of the purposes of this article.

(17) Establish or increase reserves from moneys received or to be received by the authority to secure or to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and notes issued by the authority pursuant to this article.

(18) Administer on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Revolving Fund Loan Program pursuant to the provisions of §22-14-1 et seq. of this code. Revenues or moneys designated by this code or otherwise appropriated for use by the authority pursuant to the provisions of this article may not be used for the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Revolving Fund Loan Program and moneys in the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Revolving Fund shall be kept separate from all revenues and moneys of the authority.

(19) Do all acts necessary and proper to carry out the powers expressly granted to the authority in this article.