§24-7-1. Legislative findings; commission authorized to acquire headquarters.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds that the Public Service Commission's present physical facilities impede the efficient operation of the commission in that many offices are severely overcrowded, several divisions are physically isolated from the main offices of the commission at the capitol building, and only one hearing room is available internally. The Legislature further finds that pursuant to section twenty, article one, chapter four of the Code of West Virginia, it has assigned and set aside for the exclusive use of the Legislature all of the space on the second floor of the east wing of the capitol building, which location is presently occupied by the Public Service Commission.

The Legislature further adopts the recommendation presented to the subcommittee on the Public Service Commission of the Joint Committee on Government and Finance in a final report dated February, 1979 and entitled "A Plan for Regulatory Reform and Management Improvement" that the Public Service Commission should be authorized to buy or lease suitable office, hearing and other facilities in the Charleston area in order to consolidate its operations, and that existing surplus funds should be used to pay the one-time costs incurred in relocation.

(b) Accordingly, the Legislature hereby authorizes and directs the Public Service Commission:

(1) To contract to acquire and to acquire, in the name of the commission or of the state, a suitable site in or near the seat of government for a Public Service Commission headquarters building that will consolidate all of its operations, related facilities and grounds, including real property, rights and easements necessary for this purpose, or to use any suitable site which may be owned by the state and available and designated for this purpose and to construct a Public Service Commission headquarters building on such site and equip and furnish said building.

(2) To contract to acquire and to acquire and hold, in the name of the commission or of the state, services, materials, furnishings and equipment required in connection with the location, design, construction, furnishing and equipping of the Public Service Commission building.

(3) To employ architects to prepare plans for the Public Service Commission headquarters building, to assist and advise the architects in the preparation of those plans and to approve on behalf of the state all plans for the Public Service Commission headquarters building.

(4) To make all contracts and execute all instruments necessary or convenient to effectuate the intent of, and to exercise the powers granted to it by the provisions of this article.

(5) To supervise generally the location, construction, furnishing and equipping of the Public Service Commission headquarters building.