SECTIONS 22551-22559 - California Statutes

PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE

SECTION 22551-22559

22551. Except as otherwise provided in this part, the powers of the
district shall be exercised by the board.

22552. A district has perpetual succession.

22553. A district may do all of the following:
(a) Sue and be sued, except as otherwise provided by law, in all
actions and proceedings in all courts and tribunals of competent
jurisdiction.
(b) Adopt a seal and alter it at pleasure.
(c) Provide and maintain public airports, spaceports, and landing
places for aerial and space reentry traffic.
(d) Acquire by purchase, condemnation, donation, lease, or
otherwise, real or personal property necessary to the full or
convenient exercise of any of its powers or purposes.
(e) Improve, construct or reconstruct, lease, furnish or
refurnish, use, repair, maintain, control, sell, or dispose of the
property of the district, including any buildings, structures,
lighting equipment, and all other equipment and facilities necessary
for those purposes.

22553.2. No district may exercise any of the authority granted
under this part for the development of spaceports unless it has been
designated as a spaceport pursuant to Section 13999.3 of the
Government Code.

22553.5. (a) The board of directors may, from time to time, cause
to be sold or leased property of the district which in its opinion is
not needed for the district's affairs.
(b) Such sales, at the discretion of the board of directors, may
be on time, provided at least 20 percent of the total consideration
be paid in cash at the time of the transaction and the remainder
thereto be paid within 10 years and evidenced by a promissory note
payable to the order of the district bearing interest at the rate of
at least 5 percent per annum secured by a first mortgage, first deed
of trust, or other prior encumbrance upon the property being sold.
(c) Property may be leased for any purpose and to any party
whenever the board of directors finds that such lease does not
interfere with use of such property for the purposes of the district
or with the operations of the district. All rents and other
consideration received by the district shall be paid into its general
fund for the use of the district.

22554. A district may also:
(a) Employ legal counsel, in addition to its district counsel, and
provide all necessary custodians, employees, engineers, and
attendants for the proper maintenance of the property of the district
and the conduct of the affairs of the district, for any of its
purposes.
(b) Borrow money, incur indebtedness, issue bonds or other
evidence of the indebtedness, and refund or retire any indebtedness
of the district.
(c) Cause to be levied and collected, taxes for the purpose of
maintaining and carrying on the operations of the district and paying
its obligations.
(d) Make contracts, employ labor, and do all acts necessary or
convenient for the full exercise of any of the powers of the
district.

22555. The board shall make all rules governing the use of the
airports and spaceports, landing places for aerial traffic, and other
aerial facilities of the district that the board determines to be
necessary.

22556. The board may charge and collect fees, tolls, and rentals
for the use of all or a part of the aerial facilities of the district
in such amounts and at such rates as, so far as possible, will
produce revenues sufficient to pay the operating expenses of the
district, provide for repairs and depreciation of the properties of
the district, pay the interest on the bonded indebtedness of the
district, and provide a sinking or other fund for the payment of the
principal of the indebtedness as it becomes due.

22557. (a) The district may issue temporary negotiable notes
bearing interest at a rate not exceeding 8 percent per annum.
However, these notes shall be general obligations of the district
payable from revenues and taxes, unless paid from other available
funds of the district, in the same manner as bonds of the district.
The maturity of the notes shall not be later than 20 years from the
date thereof, and the total aggregate amount of the notes outstanding
at any one time shall not exceed 2 percent of the assessed valuation
of the taxable property in the district, or if the assessed
valuation is not obtained, 2 percent of the county auditor's estimate
of the assessed valuation of the taxable property of the district
evidenced by his or her certificate. The total aggregate amount of
these notes outstanding at any one time shall further not exceed the
sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
(b) Any note proposed to be issued pursuant to subdivision (a)
with a term longer than five years shall not be issued until after a
public hearing is conducted with respect to the issuance and a
resolution is adopted approving the issuance. At least 15 days prior
to the public hearing, the board shall cause notice of the hearing to
be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in a
newspaper published in the principal county. The resolution shall be
subject to referendum pursuant to Section 9340 of the Elections Code
and shall so provide. Within 15 days after adoption of the resolution
of issuance, the board shall cause the resolution to be published at
least once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
principal county, or if there is none, posted in at least three
public places in the district.

22557.5. (a) Notwithstanding Section 22557, the Big Bear Airport
District may issue temporary negotiable notes bearing interest at a
rate not exceeding the maximum rate permitted pursuant to Section
53531 of the Government Code. These notes shall be general
obligations of the district payable from revenues and taxes, unless
paid from other available funds of the district, in the same manner
as bonds of the district. The notes shall mature not later than 20
years from the date thereof, and the total aggregate amount of notes
outstanding at any one time shall not exceed 2 percent of the
assessed valuation of the taxable property in the district, or if the
assessed valuation is not obtained, 2 percent of the county auditor'
s estimate of the assessed valuation of the taxable property of the
district evidenced by the auditor's certificate. The total aggregate
amount of notes outstanding at any one time shall further not exceed
one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000).
(b) Any note proposed to be issued pursuant to subdivision (a)
with a term longer than five years shall not be issued until after a
public hearing is conducted with respect to the issuance and a
resolution is adopted approving the issuance. At least 15 days prior
to the public hearing, the board shall cause notice of the hearing to
be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code in a
newspaper published in the principal county. The resolution is
subject to referendum pursuant to Section 9340 of the Elections Code
and shall so provide. Within 15 days after adoption of the resolution
of issuance, the board shall cause the resolution to be published at
least once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
principal county, or if there is none, posted in at least three
public places in the district.

22558. In addition to all other powers authorized by this part, the
Santa Maria Public Airport District may do both of the following:
(a) Employ airport police officers in accordance with subdivision
(d) of Section 830.33 of the Penal Code.
(b) Pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 6300) of
Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, apply for, establish,
operate, and maintain a foreign trade zone and subzones thereto, and
allow in the foreign trade zone and the subzones thereto any
properties and businesses that are located either within or outside
the geographic boundaries of the district and that are located within
either the County of Santa Barbara or the County of San Luis Obispo.

22559. The board may by resolution change the name of the district.
Certified copies of such resolution shall be recorded in each county
within which some portion of the territory of the district is
situated and shall be transmitted to the Secretary of State and to
the clerk of each such county.