Article 1. Authority of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 14. >> Article 1.

Subject to the provisions of this chapter, boards of supervisors in their respective counties shall have authority to undertake and to issue revenue bonds to finance the following public improvements: a. The acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation, improvement and development of public beaches and such upland areas adjacent thereto as may, in the opinion of the board, be reasonably necessary to provide for the full, complete and convenient public utilization of such beaches. b. The acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation, improvement and development of public small boat harbors and such facilities and improvements in connection therewith as in the opinion of the board may be reasonably necessary to provide for the full, complete and convenient public use of such small boat harbors. c. The acquisition, construction, maintenance and operation of facilities for the public convenience in conjunction with any public beach or public small boat harbor. d. The acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation, improvement and development of public golf courses and such facilities and improvements in connection therewith as in the opinion of the board may be reasonably necessary to provide for the full, complete and convenient public use of such golf courses. A county shall not condemn any existing privately owned and operated golf course the acquisition of which is to be financed under this chapter. e. The acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation, improvement and development of skiing areas. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to authorize a board of supervisors to operate any restaurant, lodginghouse or hotel except during such periods as it is unable to lease such restaurant, lodginghouse or hotel to a private concessionaire. Public notice calling for bids by prospective lessees of such restaurant, lodginghouse or hotel shall be published once a week for four successive calendar weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation, and it shall be conclusively presumed that the board of supervisors is not unable to lease such restaurant, lodginghouse or hotel to a private concessionaire until one week following the last publication has elapsed without securing reasonable bids.

Each separate improvement shall be designated as a "project."

If in the opinion of the board, it is advisable that any project be acquired, constructed or completed, in whole or in part, it shall cause a report thereon to be made by any appropriate county officer or officers, which shall include: a. An estimate of the probable cost of the acquisition, construction and completion, including all incidental expenses, engineering, legal and administrative during the construction; b. An estimate of probable sources of income and the amount thereof; c. An estimate of the cost of maintenance and for the operation upon completion, including the cost of all repairs, administrative and overhead charges. The expense of the preparation of the report shall be a county charge and shall be paid by the board out of any funds of the county available therefor.

If the report is approved by the board, the board may adopt a resolution declaring that the public interest and necessity demand the acquisition, construction or completion of the project or of a designated part thereof, the purpose, nature and extent of which shall be described in general terms, and authorizing such acquisition, construction or completion. The board may thereupon authorize the issuance of revenue bonds for the purpose of obtaining funds in an amount estimated by the board to be sufficient for such project or part thereof.

The board has full charge of the acquisition, construction and completion of all projects authorized by it and may proceed with such work subject to the availability of funds therefor.

The board may institute any proceedings and acquire all real property necessary therefor on such terms and conditions as it deems advisable. Whenever the cost of construction of any project or the cost of any repairs thereto shall exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), such work shall be done by contract, and any contract therefor shall be void unless the same shall be let in the manner provided by Sections 25451 to 25455, inclusive, of the Government Code.

It is unlawful to split or separate into smaller work orders or projects any project undertaken pursuant to this chapter for the purpose of evading any provisions of this chapter which require such work to be done by contract after competitive bidding. Every person who wilfully violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Title to all property acquired under this chapter and the revenue and income therefrom shall be in the name of the county. The title to such property and the revenue and income therefrom including any miscellaneous revenues, sinking funds, reserve funds and other such funds and the income therefrom pledged to the payment of and interest of any bonds issued hereunder is subject to the trusts created by this chapter in favor of the bond holders. All such property and the income therefrom is exempt from all taxation by the State or by the county or by any city and county, city, municipality, district, political subdivision or public corporation thereof. The management, operation and control of all improvements acquired, constructed or completed by the board under this chapter shall be fixed in the board and the powers, rights, functions and duties of the board with respect thereto shall not be impaired or interfered with.

So long as any bonds issued are outstanding and unpaid, the operation, maintenance, control, repair, construction, alteration and improvement of any project acquired, constructed or completed under this chapter is vested in the board.

The board may only use for the payment of the acquisition, construction, completion, maintenance, or insurance of any project undertaken under the authority of this chapter, the proceeds of revenue bonds issued and sold by the board, or the revenues from such project. The following provisions of this section shall only be applicable to projects in counties containing a population of 4,000,000 or more. If at the beginning of any fiscal year it is estimated that the revenues from the project will be insufficient to meet the bond interest and redemption requirements and the operation and maintenance requirements of any indenture entered into in connection with the issuance of revenue bonds for the project, the board may, by a four-fifths vote, advance an amount of money which, when added to any other funds available for that purpose, will be sufficient to maintain and operate the project for the year. Any such advance shall only be available for expenditure under terms and conditions prescribed by the board and shall be repaid from the first revenues of the project which can legally be made available for that purpose under the revenue bond indenture. If the board of supervisors determines that any lands within the project are not suitable for revenue-producing use but can be used for public beaches, parks or other facilities for general public nonrevenue-producing use, it may adopt a resolution setting aside specific lands for such use. If the board of supervisors determines that the revenues of the project will be impaired by setting aside any such lands, provision shall be made for monthly payments into the revenue fund of an amount not less than the amount of such impairment, but not to exceed the fair rental value of the land.

The board may insure against any accident to or destruction of any project or any part thereof. Any money collected on such insurance shall be used for the purpose of repairing or rebuilding the project damaged, injured or destroyed or for the retirement of any revenue bonds issued in connection therewith which may be outstanding or unredeemed, as may be agreed upon by the board in the indenture authorizing the issuance of the bonds.

The board may insure against loss of revenue from any cause whatever and the proceeds of such insurance shall be used solely for the payment of the bonds and interest thereon.

The board may insure against public liability or property damage in connection with any project. It may provide in the proceedings authorizing the issuance of any revenue bonds for the carrying of such or any other insurance in such amount and of such character as may be specified and for the payment of the premiums thereon.

This chapter provides an alternative procedure to that otherwise provided by law for undertaking the improvements authorized herein and shall not operate to limit or control the authority of the board to undertake the same improvements in any other manner authorized by law.