Pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, the state building commission shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand.
(b) The Legislature hereby further finds that the said "State Building Revenue Bonds, Series 1968" were all sold and are now outstanding in the principal amount of twenty-four million two hundred thousand dollars; that the said "State Building Revenue Bonds, Public Safety Series" were all sold and are now outstanding in the principal amount of two million five hundred thousand dollars; and that said "State Building Revenue Bonds, Science and Cultural Center Series," in the principal amount of one million five hundred thousand dollars were sold and are now outstanding.
(c) The Legislature hereby further finds that the proceeds from the issuance and sale of the aforesaid "State Building Revenue Bonds, Series 1968," the aforesaid "State Building Revenue Bonds, Public Safety Series" and the aforesaid "State Building Revenue Bonds, Science and Cultural Center Series" have been expended or obligated in and for construction of or in connection with projects undertaken pursuant to this article, which projects are owned and held in the name of the state or the commission.
(d) The Legislature hereby further finds that the acquisition and construction of the aforesaid projects have been in the best interests of the state by providing additional essential office space and other related structures which are needed for the use of the state, and the officers, departments, agencies and public corporations of the state, and the fulfillment of other public uses and purposes.
(e) The Legislature further finds and declares that the supreme court of appeals of West Virginia has held that the former provisions of this article were unconstitutional to the extent that the same contemplated that the principal of and the interest on bonds issued by the commission would be paid solely from a fund to be created and maintained from general tax revenues of the state.
(f) The Legislature further finds and declares that the amendments made by this act to this article are intended (1) to modify the provisions of this article so as to cause the same to be in full compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the state of West Virginia, which said court held were violated by the former provisions of this article, and to be in full compliance with said decision of the supreme court of appeals of West Virginia, and (2) to accord statutory recognition to existing rights, legal and equitable, of the holders of bonds heretofore issued by the commission, afford security for the payment of the obligations evidenced thereby and provide a special fund for the payment of the obligations evidenced thereby.
(1) "Commission" means the state building commission of West Virginia or, if said commission shall be abolished, any board or officer succeeding to the principal functions thereof, or to whom the powers given to said commission shall be given by law;
(2) "Bonds" means bonds issued by the commission pursuant to this article;
(3) "Project" means collectively the acquisition of land, the construction, equipping, maintaining and furnishing of a building or buildings, together with incidental approaches, structures and facilities, herein authorized to be constructed;
(4) "Cost of project" includes the cost of construction, the cost of equipping and furnishing same, the cost of all land, property, material and labor which are deemed essential thereto, the cost of improvements, financing charges, interest during construction, and all other expenses, including legal fees, trustees', engineers' and architects' fees which are necessarily or properly incidental to the project;
(5) "General tax revenues of the state" means revenues of the state derived from the exercise of the power of taxation and available for appropriation by the Legislature for general public purposes and shall not include revenues of the state, or of any officer, department or agency thereof, derived from taxes levied, collected and dedicated for a special purpose or purposes or derived from sources other than taxes such as profits, fees or charges; and
(6) "Rent" or "rental" includes all moneys received for the use of any part of a project either from the state of West Virginia or any officer, department or public corporation thereof, or from any instrumentality or political subdivision of the state, or directly or indirectly, from the United States of America or any officer, department, agency, instrumentality or public corporation thereof: Provided, That nothing in this article shall be taken to authorize the payment by or on behalf of the state of any rent in excess of the fair rental value of property used by or for such state officer or department or public corporation in the exercise of his or its statutory duties.
(1) To sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded;
(2) To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;
(3) To contract to acquire and to acquire, in the name of the commission or of the state, by purchase, lease, lease-purchase or otherwise, real property or rights or easements necessary or convenient for its corporate purposes and to exercise the power of eminent domain to accomplish those purposes;
(4) To acquire, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate purposes;
(5) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs;
(6) With the consent of the attorney general of the state of West Virginia, to use the facilities of his or her office, assistants and employees in all legal matters relating to or pertaining to the commission;
(7) To appoint officers, agents and employees and fix their compensation;
(8) To make contracts, and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient to effectuate the intent of, and to exercise the powers granted to it by this article;
(9) To renegotiate all contracts entered into by it whenever, due to a change in situation, it appears to the commission that its interests will be best served;
(10) To construct a building or buildings on real property, which it may acquire, or which may be owned by the state of West Virginia, in the city of Charleston, as convenient as may be to the capitol building, together with incidental approaches, structures and facilities, subject to the consent and approval of the city of Charleston in any case as may be necessary; and, in addition, to acquire or construct a warehouse, including office space in the warehouse in Kanawha County for the West Virginia alcohol beverage control commissioner, and equip and furnish the office space; and to acquire or construct, through lease, purchase, lease-purchase or bond financing, hospitals or other facilities, buildings, or additions or renovations to buildings as may be necessary for the safety and care of patients, inmates and guests at facilities under the jurisdiction of and supervision of the division of health and at institutions under the jurisdiction of the division of corrections or the regional jail and correctional facilities authority; and to formulate and program plans for the orderly and timely capital improvement of all of the hospitals and institutions and the state capitol buildings; and to construct a building or buildings in Kanawha County to be used as a general headquarters by the division of public safety to accommodate that division's executive staff, clerical offices, technical services, supply facilities and dormitory accommodations; and to develop, improve and expand state parks and recreational facilities to be operated by the division of natural resources; and to establish one or more systems or complexes of buildings and projects under control of the commission; and, subject to prior agreements with holders of bonds previously issued, to change the systems, complexes of buildings and projects from time to time, in order to facilitate the issuance and sale of bonds of different series on a parity with each other or having such priorities between series as the commission may determine; and to acquire by purchase, eminent domain or otherwise all real property or interests in the real property necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of this subdivision. The rights and powers set forth in this subdivision shall not be construed as in derogation of any rights and powers now vested in the West Virginia alcohol beverage control commissioner, the department of health and human resources, the division of corrections or the division of natural resources;
(11) To maintain, construct and operate a project authorized under this article;
(12) To charge rentals for the use of all or any part of a project or buildings at any time financed, constructed, acquired or improved, in whole or in part, with the proceeds of sale of bonds issued pursuant to this article, subject to and in accordance with such agreements with bondholders as may be made as provided in this article: Provided, That on and after the effective date of the amendments to this section, to charge rentals for the use of all or any part of a project or buildings at any time financed, constructed, acquired, maintained or improved, in whole or in part, with the proceeds of sale of bonds issued pursuant to this article, subject to and in accordance with such agreements with bondholders as may be made as in this section provided, or with any funds available to the state building commission, including, but not limited to, all buildings and property owned by the state of West Virginia or by the state building commission, but no rentals shall be charged to the governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, the Legislature and the members of the Legislature, the supreme court of appeals, nor for their offices, agencies, official functions and duties;
(13) To issue negotiable bonds and to provide for the rights of the holders of the negotiable bonds;
(14) To accept and expend any gift, grant or contribution of money to, or for the benefit of, the commission, from the state of West Virginia or any other source for any or all of the purposes specified in this article or for any one or more of such purposes as may be specified in connection with the gift, grant or contribution;
(15) To enter on any lands and premises for the purpose of making surveys, soundings and examinations;
(16) To invest in United States government obligations, on a short-term basis, any surplus funds which the commission may have on hand pending the completion of any project or projects;
(17) To issue revenue bonds in accordance with the applicable provisions of this article for the purposes set forth in section eleven-a of this article; and
(18) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers given in this article.
(19) The power and authority granted to the state building commission pursuant to this section and sections seven, eight and eleven-a of this article to initiate, acquire, construct, finance or develop projects; to issue revenue bonds; or to exercise the power of eminent domain with respect to any project, shall terminate on the effective date of this section: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to affect the validity of any act of the state building commission prior to the effective date of this section or to impair the rights of bondholders with respect to bonds or other evidence of indebtedness issued prior to the effective date of this section. Following the effective date of this section, the secretary of administration may exercise any power expressly granted pursuant to this article with respect to any project or facility previously constructed or acquired, any existing contractual obligations, and any outstanding bonded indebtedness. Refunding bonds for any outstanding bonded indebtedness are authorized, subject to the provisions of article two-e, chapter thirteen of this code. The West Virginia economic development authority provided for in article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code is designated to act as the governing body whose authorizations and determinations are required for the purpose of refunding bonds.
(b) For renewals of contracts or agreements required to be reported by this section, the Secretary of Administration shall provide a report setting forth a detailed summary of the terms of the contract or agreement, including the name of the owner of the property.
(c) Within thirty days after receipt of the contract, agreement or report, the committee shall meet and review the contract, agreement or report.
(b) Moneys in the special revenue account shall be appropriated to the state building commission and used exclusively, in accordance with appropriations by the Legislature, to pay costs, fees and expenses incurred, or to be incurred for the following purposes: (1) The investigation and pursuit of claims against manufacturers, suppliers and installers of asbestos or asbestos containing materials; (2) all services relating to the litigation involving the state and pertaining to asbestos or asbestos containing materials; (3) the location, treatment and abatement of asbestos or asbestos containing materials by the state; (4) the development of implementation, administration and management manuals pertaining to asbestos or asbestos containing materials and the treatment and/or abatement of asbestos or asbestos containing materials; (5) the design, implementation and management of all state buildings containing asbestos and asbestos containing materials for the proper treatment and/or abatement of asbestos conditions as they arise and as are needed; (6) all other related asbestos activities designed for the location, treatment and abatement of such asbestos or asbestos containing materials as are found in state buildings, including buildings under the control of the university of West Virginia board of trustees or the board of directors of the state college system, and as determined by the secretary of the department of administration; and (7) all costs incurred in the administration of the special revenue account.
(c) Any balance remaining in the special revenue account at the end of any state fiscal year shall not revert to the general revenue fund but shall remain in the special revenue account and shall be used solely in a manner consistent with this section: Provided, That over the three succeeding fiscal years after the effective date of this section, any appropriation made to the special revenue account from general revenue shall be repaid to the general revenue fund from moneys available in the special revenue account.
(d) Disbursements from the special revenue account shall be authorized by the secretary of the department of administration or his designee. Moneys in the special revenue account shall not be available for the payment of any personal injury claims, workers' compensation claims or other types of disability claims. Payment from the special revenue account may be made for any expense incurred by the attorney general prior to the effective date of this section, including any expense incurred in prior fiscal years, if the expense is directly related to the litigation of matters pertaining to asbestos and asbestos containing materials in which the state is involved.
No contract or contracts for the construction, remodeling, renovation or repair of any building or buildings or any approaches, structures or facilities incidental thereto, or for the equipping and furnishing of any building or buildings, when the anticipated expenditure therefor will exceed the sum of five thousand dollars, shall be entered into except upon the basis of competitive sealed bids: Provided, That effective with the effective date of the amendments to this section, no contract or contracts for the construction, remodeling, renovation or repair of any building or buildings or any approaches, structures or facilities incidental thereto, or for the equipping and furnishing of any building or buildings, when the anticipated expenditure therefor will exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars, shall be entered into except upon the basis of such bids. Such bids shall be obtained by public notice soliciting such bids published as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the county in which any such contract is to be performed. The publication shall be completed at least fourteen days prior to the final date for the submission of bids. The commission may in addition to such publication also solicit sealed bids by sending requests by mail to prospective bidders. The contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, unless any and all bids are rejected, in which event new bids shall be sought by again publishing notice as aforesaid. Any bid, with the name of the bidder, shall be entered on a record and each record, with the successful bid indicated thereon, shall, after the award of any contract, be open to public inspection in the office of the secretary of the commission.
For projects which are to be leased by the commission to the regional jail and correctional facilities authority, legislative approval pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be required if the projects have otherwise been approved by the Legislature in accordance with the provisions of subsection (m), section five, article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code, and the limitations on the amount of revenue bonds which may be issued by the commission and the project costs shall be governed by the terms of any concurrent resolution adopted pursuant to that subsection.
(b) Notwithstanding anything in this article to the contrary, the commission is authorized to issue bonds, or otherwise finance or refinance the following projects, including the costs of issuance and sale of the bonds or financing, all necessary financial and legal expenses and creation of debt service reserve funds, in an amount not to exceed twenty-one million dollars:
(1) Any or all of the state office buildings and adjoining real property being lease-purchased in Beckley, Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Huntington and Parkersburg;
(2) A facility to be obtained or constructed by the commission and leased to the division of motor vehicles; and
(3) Property and buildings needed for state spending units in an amount not to exceed three million dollars.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commission is authorized to issue bonds for the purposes set forth in section eleven-a of this article in the aggregate amount of one hundred million dollars, including the renegotiation, reissuance or refinancing of any bonds issued for that purpose. If the proceeds of bonds issued under this subsection exceeds the cost of the project or projects, the surplus shall be paid into the education, arts, sciences and tourism fund established in section eleven-a of this article.
(d) The commission shall acquire the property being lease-purchased in the city of Charleston, located at 601 Morris Street, through a loan from the consolidated fund. The loan shall be under the terms and conditions set forth in section nineteen, article six, chapter twelve of this code.
(b) The state building commission shall, by resolution, in accordance with the provisions of this article, issue revenue bonds of the commission from time to time, to pay for a portion of the cost of constructing, equipping, improving or maintaining capital improvement projects under this section or to refund the bonds, at the discretion of the authority. The principal amount of the bonds issued under this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, one hundred million dollars. Any revenue bonds issued on or after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, which are secured by lottery proceeds shall mature at a time or times not exceeding twenty-five years from their respective dates. The principal of, and the interest and redemption premium, if any, on the bonds shall be payable solely from the special fund provided in this section for the payment.
(c) There is hereby created in the state treasury a special revenue fund named the "education, arts, sciences and tourism debt service fund" into which shall be deposited on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, the amounts specified in section eighteen, article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code. All amounts deposited in the fund shall be pledged to the repayment of the principal, interest and redemption premium, if any, on any revenue bonds or refunding revenue bonds authorized by this section. The commission may further provide in the resolution and in the trust agreement for priorities on the revenues paid into the education, arts, sciences and tourism debt service fund as may be necessary for the protection of the prior rights of the holders of bonds issued at different times under the provisions of this section. The bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be separate from all other bonds which may be or have been issued from time to time under the provisions of this article. The education, arts, sciences and tourism debt service fund shall be pledged solely for the repayment of bonds issued pursuant to this section. On or prior to the first day of May of each year, commencing the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, the commission shall certify to the state lottery director the principal and interest and coverage ratio requirements for the following fiscal year on any revenue bonds or refunding revenue bonds issued pursuant to this section, and for which moneys deposited in the education, arts, sciences and tourism debt service fund have been pledged, or will be pledged, for repayment pursuant to this section.
After the commission has issued bonds authorized by this section, and after the requirements of all funds have been satisfied, including coverage and reserve funds established in connection with the bonds issued pursuant to this section, any balance remaining in the education, arts, sciences and tourism debt service fund may be used for the redemption of any of the outstanding bonds issued under this section which, by their terms, are then redeemable or for the purchase of the outstanding bonds at the market price, but not to exceed the price, if any, at which redeemable, and all bonds redeemed or purchased shall be immediately canceled and shall not again be issued.
(d) The commission shall expend twenty-five million dollars of the bond proceeds for certified capital improvement projects at state institutions of higher education. For the purposes of certifying the projects which will receive funds from the bond proceeds, a committee shall be established and comprised of the governor, or his or her designee, the secretary of the department of administration, the secretary of the department of education and the arts, the chancellor of the university of West Virginia board of trustees and the chancellor of the board of directors of the state college system. The committee shall meet as often as necessary and take recommendations from any source whatever regarding the capital improvement projects at state institutions of higher education. The committee shall meet within forty-five days of the effective date of this section. Prior to making its recommendations, the committee shall conduct at least two public hearings, one of which must be held outside of Kanawha County. Notice of the time, place, date and purpose of the hearing shall be published in at least one newspaper in each of the three congressional districts at least fourteen days prior to the date of the public hearing. On or before the fifteenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, the committee shall certify to the commission a list of those capital improvement projects at state institutions of higher education which will receive funds from the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to this section. Once certified, the list may not thereafter be altered or amended other than by legislative enactment.
(e) The commission shall expend up to twenty-six million dollars from the proceeds of the bonds authorized by this section to pay a portion of the costs of projects certified under this subsection for development, maintenance or promotion of arts and sciences or constructing and equipping a center for arts and sciences of West Virginia located on a site acquired for that purpose. Any proceeds expended to pay a portion of project costs to construct and equip a center for arts and sciences of West Virginia shall not exceed forty percent of the total cost of the project and permanent endowments for operation and maintenance, and bond proceeds shall not be expended until sixty percent of the total cost has been committed from sources other than bond proceeds. For the purposes of certifying the projects which will receive funds from the bond proceeds under this subsection, a committee shall be established and comprised of the governor, or his or her designee, the secretary of the department of administration, the director of the division of natural resources, the director of the West Virginia development office and a representative of the capitol building commission, other than the secretary of the department of administration, who shall be selected by the capitol building commission. The capitol building commission shall select its representative within thirty days of the effective date of this section. The committee shall meet as often as necessary and take recommendations from any source whatever regarding which projects should be certified. The committee shall meet within forty-five days of the effective date of this section. Prior to making its determination, the committee shall conduct one public hearing on the projects to be certified under this subsection. Notice of the time, place, date and purpose of the hearing shall be published in at least one newspaper in each of the three congressional districts at least fourteen days prior to the date of the public hearing. The committee shall make its determination as to whether bond proceeds will be expended for the purposes set forth in this subsection and the amount to be expended for each project, on or before the fifteenth day of June, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six. Thereafter, the decision may not be altered or amended other than by legislative enactment. The commission is authorized to acquire by purchase or lease real property to be used as the site for a center for arts and sciences of West Virginia; and notwithstanding the provisions of section seven of this article, enter into a long-term lease agreement with a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of this state for operation and maintenance of the center. The nonprofit corporation shall, as consideration for any long-term lease agreement, complete the construction and equipping of the center and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commission its financial ability to operate and maintain the center during the term of the lease agreement. The nonprofit corporation shall have at least nine members on its board of directors which are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Of the nine appointed members, three shall be selected from each congressional district: Provided, That none of the appointed members shall be a resident of Kanawha County. The members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate shall serve on the board for three-year staggered terms. Of the members first appointed by the governor, one from each congressional district will serve a three-year term, one from each congressional district will serve a two-year term and one from each congressional district shall serve a one-year term.
(f) The commission shall expend the balance of the bond proceeds for certified projects at state parks, the capitol complex or other tourism sites. The committee established in subsection (e) of this section shall certify to the commission on or before the fifteenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, a list of those capital improvement projects at state parks, the capitol complex or other tourism sites which will receive funds from the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to this section. The committee shall meet as often as necessary and take recommendations from any source whatever regarding the capital improvement projects at state parks, the capitol complex or other tourism sites in this state. The committee shall meet within forty-five days of the effective date of this section. Prior to making its recommendations, the committee shall conduct at least two public hearings on the projects to be certified under this subsection, one of which must be held outside of Kanawha County. Notice of the time, place, date and purpose of the hearing shall be published in at least one newspaper in each of the three congressional districts at least fourteen days prior to the date of the public hearing. Once certified, the list may not thereafter be altered or amended other than by legislative enactment.
(b) The provisions of subsection (f), section eleven-a of this article requiring public hearing do not apply to transfers of funds under subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The commission shall report all details of any transfer made pursuant to this section to the joint committee on government and finance within ten days of the date of the transfer.
(b) The provisions of subsection (f), section eleven-a of this article requiring public hearing do not apply to transfers of funds under subsection (a) of this section.
Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session