The City shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this chapter, including but not limited to the following powers in addition to others herein granted and otherwise granted by law:
(a) To undertake and carry out urban renewal project, under either an initial urban renewal plan, urban renewal plan or neighborhood development plan within the City, and to make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers under this chapter; and to disseminate slum clearance and urban renewal information.
(b) To provide or to arrange or contract for the furnishings or repair by any person or agency, public or private, of services, privileges, works, streets, roads, public utilities or other facilities for or in connection with an urban renewal project; to install, construct and reconstruct streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds and other public improvements; and to agree to any conditions that it may deem reasonable and appropriate, attached to Federal financial assistance and imposed pursuant to a Federal contract relating to the determination of prevailing salaries or wages or compliance with labor standards, in the undertaking or carrying out of an urban renewal project, and to include in any contract let in connection with such project, provisions to fulfill those of such conditions as it may deem reasonable and appropriate.
(c) To enter upon any building or property in any urban renewal area in order to make surveys, appraisals, soundings or test borings, and to obtain an order for this purpose from a court of competent jurisdiction in the event entry is denied or resisted; to acquire by purchase, lease, option, gift, grant, bequest, devise, eminent domain or otherwise, any real property, together with any improvements thereon; to hold, improve, clear or prepare for redevelopment any such property; to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise encumber or dispose of any real property; to insure or provide for the insurance of any real or personal property or operations of the City against any risks or hazards, including the power to pay premiums on any such insurance; and to enter into any contracts necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
(d) To invest any urban renewal project funds held in reserves or sinking funds or any such funds not required for immediate disbursement, in property or securities in which savings banks may legally invest funds subject to their control; to redeem such bonds as have been issued pursuant to Section 1201.23 at the redemption price established therein or to purchase such bonds at less than redemption price, all such bonds so redeemed or purchased to be canceled.
(e) To borrow money and to apply for and accept advances, loans, grants, contributions and any other form of financial assistance from the Federal Government, the State, county or other public body, or from any sources, public or private, for the purposes of this chapter, and to give such security as may be required and to enter into and carry out contracts in connection therewith. The City may include in any contract for financial assistance with the Federal Government for an urban renewal project such conditions imposed pursuant to Federal laws as the City may deem reasonable and appropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter.
(f) To make or participate in the making of all plans necessary to the carrying out of the purposes of this chapter and to contract with any person, public or private, in making and carrying out such plans. Such plans may include, without limitation:
(1) A Master Plan for the locality as a whole as prepared under the direction of the Plan Commission;
(2) The Consolidated Plan prepared under the direction of the Department of Economic and Community Development;
(3) Initial urban renewal plan;
(4) Urban renewal plans;
(5) Neighborhood development plans;
(6) Plans for carrying out a program of voluntary or compulsory repair and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements;
(7) Plans for the enforcement of State and local laws, codes and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements and to the compulsory repair, rehabilitation, demolition or removal of buildings and improvements; and
(8) Appraisals, title searches, surveys, studies and other preliminary plans and work necessary to prepare for the undertaking of urban renewal projects. The City is authorized to develop, test and report methods of techniques, and carry out demonstrations and other activities, for urban blight and to apply for, accept and utilize grants of funds from the Federal Government for such purposes.
(g) To prepare plans and provide reasonable assistance for the relocation of families displaced from urban renewal areas.
(h) To appropriate such funds and make such expenditures as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; to close, vacate, plan or replan streets, roads, sidewalks, ways or other places; to plan or replan, zone or rezone any part of the City, respecting action to be taken by the City pursuant to any of the powers granted by this chapter.
The Mayor shall organize, coordinate and direct the administration of the provisions of this chapter as they apply to the City in order that the objectives of remedying slum and blighted areas and preventing the causes thereof within the City may be most effectively promoted and achieved, and shall recommend establishment of such new office or offices of the City or reorganize existing offices in order to carry out such purposes most effectively.
(Ord. 170-04. Passed 3-23-04.)