Section 7-22-5 - Development expendituresAny county commission that has established an economic opportunity development district under this article may make, or authorize to be made by a district board and other public or private parties, development expenditures as will promote the economic vitality of the district and the general welfare of the county, including, but not limited to, expenditures for the following purposes:
(1) Beautification of the district by means including landscaping and construction and erection of fountains, shelters, benches, sculptures, signs, lighting, decorations and similar amenities;(2) Provision of special or additional public services such as sanitation, security for persons and property and the construction and maintenance of public facilities, including, but not limited to, sidewalks, parking lots, parking garages and other public areas;(3) Making payments for principal, interest, issuance costs, any of the costs described in section twenty of this article and appropriate reserves for bonds and other instruments and arrangements issued or entered into by the county commission for financing the expenditures of the district described in this section and to otherwise implement the purposes of this article;(4) Providing financial support for public transportation and vehicle parking facilities open to the general public, whether physically situate within the district's boundaries or on adjacent land;(5) Acquiring, building, demolishing, razing, constructing, repairing, reconstructing, refurbishing, renovating, rehabilitating, expanding, altering, otherwise developing, operating and maintaining real property generally, parking facilities, commercial structures and other capital improvements to real property, fixtures and tangible personal property, whether or not physically situate within the district's boundaries, including, but not limited to, state road improvements pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement with the Commissioner of Highways: Provided, That the expenditure directly benefits the district;(6) Developing plans for the architectural design of the district and portions thereof and developing plans and programs for the future development of the district;(7) Developing, promoting and supporting community events and activities open to the general public that benefit the district;(8) Providing the administrative costs for a district management program;(9) Providing for the usual and customary maintenance and upkeep of all improvements and amenities in the district as are commercially reasonable and necessary to sustain its economic viability on a permanent basis;(10) Providing any other services that the county commission or district board is authorized to perform and which the county commission does not also perform to the same extent on a countywide basis;(11) Making grants to the owners or tenants of economic opportunity development district for the purposes described in this section;(12) Making grants to the Division of Highways for road projects benefitting an economic opportunity development district;(13) Acquiring an interest in any entity or entities that own any portion of the real property situate in the district and contributing capital to any entity or entities;(14) Remediation of publicly or privately owned landfills, former coal or other mining sites, solid waste facilities or hazardous waste sites to facilitate commercial development which would not otherwise be economically feasible; and(15) To do any and all things necessary, desirable or appropriate to carry out and accomplish the purposes of this article notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary.Amended by 2016 Acts, ch. 53 (HB 4612), eff. 6/9/2016.