229.44 Powers of a district. A district has all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this subchapter. In addition to all other powers granted by this subchapter, a district may do any of the following:

(1) Adopt and alter an official seal.

(2) Sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded.

(3) Maintain an office.

(4) Do any of the following in connection with an exposition center and exposition center facilities and sports and entertainment arena and sports and entertainment arena facilities:

(a) Acquire, construct, equip, maintain, improve, operate and manage the exposition center and exposition center facilities, or engage other persons to do these things. Acquire, construct, and equip the sports and entertainment arena and sports and entertainment arena facilities, or engage other persons to do these things. If the professional basketball team or its affiliate breaches the non-relocation agreement or lease under s. 229.461, the district may equip, maintain, improve, operate, and manage the sports and entertainment arena and sports and entertainment arena facilities, or engage other persons to do these things, but only from moneys received from the parent company of the professional basketball team, the professional basketball team, or its affiliate resulting from the breach of the non-relocation agreement or lease.

(b) Acquire; lease, as lessor or lessee; use; or transfer or accept transfers of property. With the approval of all sponsoring municipalities of the district, the district may acquire property by condemnation using the procedure under s. 32.05 or 32.06.

(c) Improve, maintain, and repair real property, except that the district may only improve, maintain, and repair the sports and entertainment arena facilities, or engage other persons to do these things, if the professional basketball team or its affiliate breaches the non-relocation agreement or lease under s. 229.461 and only from moneys received from the parent company of the professional basketball team, the professional basketball team, or its affiliate resulting from the breach of the non-relocation agreement or lease.

(d) Enter into contracts. Except as provided in s. 229.461, all contracts, the estimated costs of which exceed $100,000, except contracts subject to s. 229.46 (5) and contracts for personal or professional services, shall be subject to bid and shall be awarded to the lowest qualified and competent bidder. The district may reject any bid that is submitted under this paragraph.

(e) Grant concessions.

(f) Sell or otherwise dispose of unneeded or unwanted property.

(5) Employ personnel, and fix and regulate their compensation; and provide, either directly or subject to an agreement under s. 66.0301 or 229.47 (1) as a participant in a benefit plan of another governmental entity, any employee benefits, including an employee pension plan.

(6) Purchase insurance, establish and administer a plan of self-insurance or, subject to an agreement with another governmental entity under s. 66.0301 or 229.47 (1), participate in a governmental plan of insurance or self-insurance.

(7) Mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber the district's property or funds.

(8) Issue bonds under ss. 229.48 to 229.56 and enter into agreements related to the issuance of bonds, including liquidity and credit facilities, remarketing agreements, insurance policies, guaranty agreements, letter of credit or reimbursement agreements, indexing agreements, interest exchange agreements and currency exchange agreements.

(9) Maintain funds and invest the funds in any investment that the board considers appropriate.

(10) Direct its agents or employees, if properly identified in writing, to enter upon real property within its jurisdiction to make surveys and examinations before locating or constructing an exposition center or exposition center facilities, without incurring liability by the district, its agents or employees except for actual damage done. Before directing anyone to enter real property under this subsection, the district shall give the owner and occupant of the property at least 5 days' written notice.

(11) Promote, advertise and publicize its exposition center, exposition center facilities and related activities.

(12) Set standards governing the use of, and the conduct within, its exposition center and exposition center facilities in order to promote public safety and convenience and to maintain order.

(13) Establish rates or other charges for the use of its exposition center and exposition center facilities or for services rendered by the district.

(14) Enter into partnerships, joint ventures or other arrangements with other persons, including other districts created under this subchapter, to further the district's purposes.

(15) If the district's sponsoring municipality adopts a resolution described under s. 229.50 (1) (a), and if the district's sponsoring municipality agrees to stop imposing and collecting its room tax under s. 66.0615 (1m) (a), adopt a resolution to impose the taxes under ss. 66.0615 (1m), 77.98 and 77.99, except that, if a district adopts a resolution under this subsection, it shall deliver a certified copy of the resolution to the secretary of revenue at least 120 days before its effective date.

History: 1993 a. 263; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2015 a. 60.