Article 3. General Powers of California Government Code >> Title 7.8. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 3.

The authority shall terminate no later than December 31, 1981. The authority may terminate itself prior to that date if the following conditions are satisfied:
  (a) The authority has completed its design work and transmitted to the department the final plans and specifications for the construction of the regional transit terminal.
  (b) The department accepts the final plans and specifications developed by the authority.

The authority may sue and be sued in all courts of competent jurisdiction, except that the State of California does not consent to any suit filed against the authority in any federal court of the United States; provided, that the authority may, as a plaintiff, institute or, as an intervenor, intervene in any suit in any federal court of the United States.

(a) The authority shall investigate and evaluate various reasonable alternatives for the development of the regional transit terminal and, after public hearing, shall adopt one alternative for implementation. The authority shall consult with the department during the design phase regarding design criteria and construction procedures. Final plans and specifications shall be submitted to the department for review and acceptance. The department shall accept the plans and specifications within 90 days of receiving the documents or shall transmit its concerns and reasons for not accepting the documents within 90 days.
  (b) The authority and the department may acquire by grant, purchase, lease, gift, devise, or otherwise any property, or interests in property, necessary to the development of the regional transit terminal.

(a) The authority itself may develop, or may contract for the development of, plans and specifications for the regional transit terminal.
  (b) The department shall construct and operate the regional transit terminal or it may contract for such construction and operation.
  (c) The regional transit terminal shall be so designed and constructed as to facilitate the transfer of passengers between carriers and between different modes of transit.
  (d) Financing and programming of the regional transit terminal shall be subject to review and approval by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission consistent with its planning and programming authority for the region, as defined in Section 66502.

(a) The authority and the department shall have the power to apply for and accept grants and loans from any department or agency of the United States of America to be used for the development of the regional transit terminal, or of any facilities ancillary thereto, and to enter into any agreement with such department or agency in relation to such grants or loans; provided, however, that such agreement shall not conflict with any of the provisions of any indenture under which bonds of the commission are then outstanding.
  (b) The authority and the department may accept contributions of money or property from any city, city and county, district, or political subdivision of the state for the development of the regional transit terminal.

The department may construct or may assist other public districts or agencies or carriers operating under a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Public Utilities Commission in the construction of such connections as may be necessary or desirable to facilitate the transfer of passengers between different carriers or modes of transit, including, but not limited to, a connection with facilities of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District.

The authority may exercise the right of eminent domain for the condemnation of real or personal property or any right or interest therein for its use within the City and County of San Francisco, including the power to acquire real property in fee simple or any lesser estate or interest or for rights-of-way or other uses of the authority and also for the purpose of protecting and preserving the rights, powers and privileges of the authority with respect to any facilities then owned or operated by the authority. No publicly owned property shall be taken, or condemnation proceedings instituted therefor, without the consent of the public agency or public corporation owning or controlling such publicly owned property. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section no taking or acquisition of title or possession, by the district which would involve the abandonment, removal, relocation or use of the property of a railroad corporation, as defined in Section 230 of the Public Utilities Code, shall be permitted, unless the Public Utilities Commission, after a hearing, shall find and determine that the public interest and necessity require the abandonment, removal, relocation or use of such property and that such taking or acquisition will not unreasonably impair the ability of the railroad corporation involved to provide safe, adequate, economical and efficient service.

The authority shall not commence any eminent domain proceedings unless the board first adopts by unanimous vote a resolution that meets the requirements of Article 2 (commencing with Section 1245.210) of Chapter 4 of Title 7 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The authority may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to enable it to exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred or imposed upon it by this chapter. The authority may by resolution make, amend and repeal rules and regulations governing the use, operation, and maintenance of the regional transit terminal or any part thereof under its jurisdiction and control; provided, however, that any indenture may place limitations and conditions upon the exercise of such powers or any thereof.

The authority shall have power to deposit any moneys of the authority, in accordance with the provisions of the general laws of the State of California governing the deposit of public moneys of counties, in such bank or banks in the State of California as may be authorized to receive deposits of public funds, in the same manner and upon the same security as public moneys of counties are deposited in such banks and with like force and effect, and to invest any moneys in any sinking fund or reserve fund created by any indenture or any surplus in the treasury of the authority not required for its immediate needs, in accordance with the general laws of the State of California relating to investments of county funds, but subject to such limitations and restrictions as may be provided in any indenture under which bonds of the authority are outstanding.

The authority shall not have power to levy taxes for any purpose whatsoever.

All property of the authority, and all income, rates, fees, rentals, and other charges received or collected by the authority shall be free and exempt from all taxes by the State of California or by any political subdivision or subordinate taxing authority thereof.

The authority may adopt such rules and regulations governing the employment of any and all employees necessary to carry out its powers, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the establishment of a retirement system. If the authority determines that it is in the authority's interest to do so, the authority may enter into a contract with the Public Employees' Retirement System to provide for the inclusion of all its employees in the Public Employees' Retirement System.