The bridge commission of any county or city may:

(A) Adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;

(B) Adopt an official seal, which shall not be the seal of Ohio;

(C) Maintain a principal office and suboffices at such places within the county or city as it designates;

(D) Sue and be sued in its own name, and plead and be impleaded. Any actions against a bridge commission shall be brought in the court of common pleas of the county in which the principal office of the commission is located, or in the court of common pleas of the county in which the cause of action arose, when such county is located within this state. All summonses, exceptions, and notices of every kind shall be served on the commission by leaving a copy thereof at the principal office with the secretary-treasurer or the person in charge.

(E) Construct, acquire by purchase or condemnation, improve, maintain, repair, police, and operate any bridge, and establish rules for the use of any such bridge;

(F) Issue bridge revenue bonds of the county or city, payable solely from revenues, as provided in sections 5593.10 and 5593.16 of the Revised Code, for the purpose of paying any part of the cost of any bridge or bridges;

(G) Fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect tolls for transit over each bridge constructed or acquired by it;

(H) Acquire, hold, and dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under this chapter;

(I) Acquire, in the name of the county or city, as the case may be, by purchase or otherwise, on such terms and in such manner as it determines proper, or by the exercise of the right of condemnation in the manner provided by sections 163.01 to 163.22 of the Revised Code, any bridge, land, rights, easements, franchises, and other property necessary or convenient for the construction of a bridge or the improvement or efficient operation of any property acquired or constructed under this chapter, or for securing right-of-way leading to any such bridge or its approach facilities;

(J) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter:

(1) When the cost under any such contract or agreement, other than compensation for personal services, involves an expenditure of more than ten thousand dollars, the commission shall make a written contract with the lowest and best bidder after advertisement for not less than two consecutive weeks, or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, in a newspaper of general circulation in Franklin county, and in such other publications as the commission determines, 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.

(2) Each bid for a contract for the construction, demolition, alteration, repair, or reconstruction of an improvement shall contain the full name of every person interested in it and meets the requirements of section 153.54 of the Revised Code.

(3) Each bid for a contract except as provided in division (J)(2) of this section shall contain the full name of every person or company interested in it and shall be accompanied by a bond or certified check on a solvent bank, in such amount as the commission determines sufficient, that if the bid is accepted a contract will be entered into and the performance of its proposal secured.

(4) The commission may reject any and all bids.

(5) A bond with good and sufficient surety, approved by the commission, shall be required of every contractor awarded a contract except as provided in division (J)(2) of this section, in an amount equal to at least fifty per cent of the contract price, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract.

(K) Employ consulting engineers, superintendents, managers, engineers, construction and accounting experts, attorneys, and other employees and agents as are necessary in its judgment, and fix their compensation. All such expenses are payable solely from the proceeds of bridge revenue bonds issued under this chapter, or from revenues.

(L) Receive and accept from any federal agency, subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners or the legislative authority of the city, as the case may be, grants for or in aid of the construction, acquisition, improvement, or operation of any bridge, 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;

(M) Provide coverage for its employees under sections 4123.01 to 4123.94 and 4141.01 to 4141.46 of the Revised Code;

(N) Do all acts necessary or proper to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 03-17-1989 .