ARTICLE 16. COUNTY SOLID WASTE AUTHORITIES.

§7-16-1. Establishment of authorities authorized.

The county commission of every county is hereby authorized to create and establish a public agency to be known as a county solid waste authority (hereinafter called the authority) to carry out the powers and duties conferred by law upon the county relating to disposal of solid waste, including but not limited to, those powers authorized by sections three-e and three-f, article one of this chapter.

§7-16-2. Purposes.

The purposes for which the authority is created are to provide for the necessary, dependable, effective and efficient collection and disposal of solid waste and other hazardous waste and to assist and cooperate with the state and local governments in achieving these purposes.

§7-16-3. Management and control vested in authority; appointment and terms of members; vacancies; removal of members; meetings; quorum; compensation.

The management and control of the authority, its property, operations, business and affairs shall be lodged in an authority of seven persons who shall be known as "members of the authority," each of whom shall be appointed by the county commission for a term of three years, except that as to the first seven appointed to the first authority appointed, the term of two members shall expire on July 1, next ensuing, the terms of the next two members shall expire on July 1, two years thereafter, and the term of three members shall expire on July 1, three years thereafter. Each member shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which such member is appointed or until a successor shall have been duly appointed and shall have qualified. Vacancies on the authority shall be filled by appointment of the county commission for the unexpired term of the member whose office shall be vacant.

No member may be an elected official or employee of the county or engaged in solid waste business. Board members may be reappointed to serve additional terms. All members of the board shall be citizens of the State of West Virginia and the county.

The county commission may at any time remove any member of the authority by an order duly entered of record and may appoint a successor.

Annually the authority shall elect one of its members as chairman, another as vice chairman and appoint a secretary-treasurer, who need not be a member of the authority.

Four members of the authority shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of a majority shall be necessary for any action taken by vote of the authority. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the rights of quorum by such vote to exercise all rights and perform all the duties of the authority. The person appointed as secretary-treasurer, including an authority member if he is so appointed, shall give bond in the sum of $50,000.

Each of the seven appointed members of the authority shall receive $50 for each meeting actually attended, but the total compensation paid to any member shall not exceed the aggregate sum of $600 in any fiscal year. Each of the seven authority members shall also be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of his duties as a member of the authority. All such compensation and expenses incurred by authority members shall be payable solely from funds of the authority or from funds appropriated for such purpose by the county commission and no liability or obligation shall be incurred by the authority beyond the extent to which moneys are available from funds of the authority or from such appropriation.

The authority shall meet at least four times annually and upon the call of its chairman or upon the request in writing to the chairman of four board members.

§7-16-4. Authority to be a public corporation; name; power to contract and sue; seal.

The authority when created, and the members thereof, shall constitute and be a public corporation, the name of which shall contain the words "solid waste authority," and as such shall have perpetual succession, may contract and be contracted with, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded and have and use a common seal.

§7-16-5. Powers, duties and responsibilities of authority generally.

The authority may exercise all powers necessary or appropriate to carry out and effectuate its corporate purpose. The authority may:

(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 and regulations to implement and make effective its powers and duties.

(2) Acquire, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, furnish, equip, maintain, repair, operate, lease or rent to, or contract for operation by a governmental agency or person, solid waste disposal projects, and, adopt rules and regulations for the use of such projects.

(3) Make available the use or services of any solid waste disposal project to one or more persons, one or more governmental agencies, or any combination thereof.

(4) Issue solid waste disposal revenue bonds and notes and solid waste disposal revenue refunding bonds payable solely from revenues of projects operated by the authority.

(5) 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.

(6) 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.

(7) Employ managers, superintendents, engineers, accountants, Auditors and other employees, and retain or contract with consulting engineers, financial consultants, accounting experts, architects, attorneys and such other consultants and independent contractors as are necessary in its judgment to carry out the provisions of this article, and fix the compensation or fees thereof.

(8) Receive and accept from any federal or state agency grants for or in aid of the construction of any solid waste disposal project or for research and development with respect to solid waste disposal projects and solid waste disposal sheds 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.

(9) Engage in research and development with respect to solid waste disposal projects and solid waste disposal sheds.

(10) Purchase fire and extended coverage and liability insurance for any solid waste disposal 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 solid waste disposal revenue bonds or in any trust agreement securing the same.

(11) Charge, alter and collect rentals, fees, service charges and other charges for the use or services of any solid waste disposal project as provided in this article.

(12) Do all acts necessary and proper to carry out the powers expressly granted to the authority by this article and the powers conferred upon the county by sections three-e and three-f, article one of this chapter.

§7-16-6. Employees to be covered by workers' compensation.

All employees of the authority eligible thereto shall be considered to be within the workers' compensation act of West Virginia and premiums on their compensation shall be paid by the authority as required by law.

§7-16-7. Liberal construction of article; provisions not in derogation of other powers.

It is the purpose of this article to encourage the proper collection and disposal of solid waste in a prudent and economical manner and this article shall be liberally construed as giving to the authority full and complete power reasonably required to give effect to the purposes hereof. The provisions of this article are in addition to and not in derogation of any other power and duty now conferred by law upon county commissions.

§7-16-8. Provisions severable.

The several sections and provisions of this article are severable, and if any section or provision hereof shall be held unconstitutional, all the remaining sections and provisions of the article shall nevertheless remain valid.

§7-16-9. Expiration of authority.

The authority granted by this article expires on January 1, 1989.