AMENDMENT 489 RATIFIED
Alabama Music Hall of Fame Authority.
I
Any provision of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, to the contrary notwithstanding, the Alabama music hall of fame authority (hereinafter described) is fully authorized and empowered to sell and issue its interest bearing bonds, which shall be and constitute general obligations of the state, in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $2,500,000. The expenses incurred in the sale and issuance of said bonds shall be paid by the authority out of the proceeds derived from the sale thereof. The proceeds of said bonds remaining after payment of said expenses shall be turned over to the state treasurer, shall be carried in a special account of the state treasury to the credit of the authority, and shall be subject to be drawn on solely by the authority for the purposes authorized in this amendment.
As used in this amendment, the following words and phrases shall have the following respective meanings:
"Authority" means the Alabama music hall of fame authority created and established by this amendment.
"Board" means (i) the Alabama music hall of fame board created and established by sections 41-9-680, et seq., of the Code of Alabama 1975, as amended, or (ii) such other agency of the state which performs substantially the same functions as said board and which is declared by the legislature to be a successor thereto or a replacement thereof.
"State" means the state of Alabama.
The authority is hereby fully authorized and empowered, except as herein specified or limited, to determine the terms and conditions of said bonds and to provide for the sale and issuance thereof. Upon issuance of said bonds by the authority, the state is authorized to and shall become indebted, in addition to all other indebtedness of the state, in the aggregate principal amount of such bonds issued pursuant to this amendment. The full faith and credit of the state are hereby irrevocably pledged for the prompt and faithful payment of the principal of said bonds and the interest and premium (if any) thereon.
The proceeds of said bonds remaining after payment of the expenses of selling and issuing the same, together with the investment income derived from said proceeds, shall be used for the purpose of providing funds for the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of buildings and other facilities consisting of any one or more of the following to be located in Colbert county, Alabama: (i) a music hall of fame and exhibition facility for the display of busts, statutes, plaques, books, papers, pictures, computerized figures, memorabilia, records, films, audio tapes, video tapes, compact disks, recordings, pictures and other exhibits relating to music and musicians, (ii) a library, research and educational center for the collection and documentation of music and for music education and enrichment programs, (iii) an audio visual auditorium/theatre, (iv) a recording studio, or (v) other facilities necessary or useful in connection with the use of any of the aforesaid facilities, including the acquisition of sites and equipment for any of the aforesaid facilities. Said proceeds may also be used to pay any costs and expenses incidental to the aforesaid purposes for which the bonds are authorized, which may include but shall not be limited to interest on such bonds prior to and during construction of the aforesaid facilities to be constructed with said proceeds and for not exceeding one year after completion of construction. The authority is hereby fully authorized and empowered, except as herein specified or limited, to determine which of the aforesaid facilities shall be acquired, constructed, installed or equipped by the authority using the aforesaid proceeds. The plans and specifications for any building or other facility acquired, constructed, installed or equipped with proceeds of said bonds shall be approved solely by the authority.
The authority is also authorized and empowered to sell and issue one or more series of its bonds, which shall be and constitute general obligations of the state, to refund all or any of the bonds authorized by this amendment in such principal amount or amounts (which may exceed the principal amount of the bonds being refunded) and in such manner as may be provided by resolution duly adopted by the authority. The authority is also hereby fully authorized and empowered, except as herein specified or limited, to determine the terms and conditions of such refunding bonds and to provide for the sale and issuance thereof. Upon issuance of said bonds by the authority, the state is authorized to and shall become indebted, in addition to all other indebtedness of the state, in the aggregate principal amount of such refunding bonds issued pursuant to this amendment. The full faith and credit of the state are hereby irrevocably pledged for the prompt and faithful payment of the principal of said refunding bonds and the interest and premium (if any) thereon.
All of said bonds issued by the authority (including refunding bonds) may be sold only at public sale, with competitive bidding, to such person or persons, at such price or prices and upon such terms as the authority shall determine to be in the best interest of the authority and the state. Neither a public hearing nor consent of the state (including any officer, official, department or other agency of the state) shall be a prerequisite to issuance of any bonds by the authority.
Nothing in this amendment or in any other provision of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, shall prevent the authority from selling and issuing one or more additional series of its bonds which shall be solely revenue obligations of the authority and which shall not create general obligations or debts of the state.
II
There is hereby created and established a state agency to be known as the Alabama music hall of fame authority which shall be a public body corporate with all the powers and privileges of a corporation, for the purpose of providing for and participating in the management and control of the aforesaid facilities.
The members of the board, and their respective successors as members thereof shall constitute ex officio all the members of the authority. The chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer of the board shall constitute ex officio the chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer respectively of the authority. The authority, at its option, may appoint an assistant secretary who need not be a member of the authority. The members of the authority shall constitute the governing body of the authority. The presence of any four members of the authority shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No vacancy in the membership of the authority or the voluntary disqualification or abstention of any member thereof shall impair the right of a quorum of the authority to act. Should any member of the authority cease to be a member or officer of the board by reason of death, resignation, expiration of his term of office, or for any other reason, then his successor as a member or officer of the board shall take his place as a member or officer, as the case may be, of the authority.
The authority may adopt such rules, regulations and bylaws as it may determine to be necessary or desirable for the conduct of its duties, powers or functions. The authority is authorized and empowered to use the moneys, services, facilities and employees of the board in carrying out its functions or in furthering the objects or purposes of this amendment. Reasonable compensation and expense allowances for members or officers of the authority may from time to time be altered or provided for by legislative act. No member, officer or employee of the authority or the board shall be personally liable for any debt, obligation or liability of the authority, the board or the state.
III
The authority shall be authorized:
a. To investigate and select an available site for its operations and housing the exhibits, including the surrounding grounds, in cooperation with the community, taking into consideration all pertinent factors affecting the suitability of such site;
b. To acquire by rent or lease agreement or otherwise the necessary housing facilities and to establish, improve and enlarge any available facility, including providing it with necessary equipment, furnishings, landscaping and related facilities, including parking areas and ramps, roadways, sewers, curbs and gutters;
c. To enter into such contracts and cooperative agreements with the local, state and federal governments, with agencies of such governments, including the Tennessee valley authority, with private individuals, corporations, associations and other organizations as it may deem necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this amendment, such contracts and agreements to include leases to private industry;
d. To borrow money from private sources or such other source as may be acceptable to the authority under such terms and conditions as may be provided by resolution duly adopted by the authority and, in order to provide security for the repayment of any such private loans, to pledge such future revenues from admissions and any other sources as may, from time to time, be necessary or desirable;
e. To issue and sell at any time, and from time to time, its revenue bonds for the purpose of providing funds to acquire, enlarge, improve, equip and maintain any facility and for the payment of obligations incurred for such purposes. The principal and interest on any such revenue bonds shall be payable out of the revenues derived from such facility and as otherwise herein provided;
f. To make such contracts in the issuance of its bonds as may seem necessary or desirable to assure their marketability and to provide for their retirement by a pledge of all or any revenue which may come to the authority from the investment of the proceeds of the sale of such bonds or from any other source whatsoever;
g. To accept public or private gifts, grants and donations;
h. To acquire property by purchase, lease, gift or license;
i. To allocate and expend funds from all donations, income and revenue from any source whatsoever coming into its treasury for the fulfillment and accomplishment of its duties and responsibilities in such manner as may be necessary and appropriate for the perfection of the purposes of this amendment, or to transfer funds from the board to the authority or from the authority to the board;
j. To sell, convey, transfer, lease or donate any property, franchise, grant, easement, license or lease or interest therein which it may own and to transfer, assign, sell, convey or donate any right, title or interest which it may have in any lease, contract, agreement, license or property;
k. To perform such other acts necessary or incidental to the accomplishment of the purposes of this amendment, whether or not specifically authorized in this amendment, and not otherwise prohibited by law.
IV
In view of the unique character and complexity of the duties and responsibilities imposed on the authority by this amendment, it is hereby specifically provided that the authority shall have, in addition to the power and the authority enumerated in part III of this amendment, the right, power and authority to:
a. Develop and institute a program of promotion and advertising of the exhibits and facilities provided for by this amendment, said program of promotion and advertising to be conducted by the authority both within and without the state in such manner and to such extent as may be deemed economically advisable and appropriate by it;
b. Purchase and acquire items of tangible or intangible personal property;
c. Operate itself or, in its discretion enter into lease agreement with a person or agency of its choosing to operate, all concessions located in or on the grounds and facilities operated by the authority, any such lease agreement to be designated so as to provide maximum services and convenience to the patrons of the exhibit center and to provide reasonable revenue return to the authority.
V
The authority and the board, the property and the income of the authority and the board, all bonds issued by the authority, the income from such bonds, conveyances by or to the authority or the board, and leases, mortgages and deeds of trust or trust indentures by or to the authority or the board shall be exempt from all taxation in the state of Alabama. The authority and the board shall be exempt from all taxes levied by any county, incorporated city or town, or other political subdivision of the state, including, but without limitation to, license and excise taxes imposed in respect of the privilege of engaging in any of the activities in which the authority or the board may engage. The authority and the board shall not be obligated to pay or allow any fee, taxes or costs to the judge of probate of any county of the state in respect of the recording of any document.
The authority and the board are arms of the state, existing to carry forth important functions of the state government, and as such they constitute part of the state for purposes of Article I, Section 14 of the Constitution of 1901, as amended, and the members and officers of the authority and the board are state officers for purposes of said Section 14 of the Constitution whose duties and functions are discretionary in nature. No proceeding, notice or approval shall be required for the issuance of any bonds, the execution of any mortgage and deed of trust or trust indenture, or the exercise of any other of its powers by the authority.
VI
Any bonds of the authority may be sold, executed and delivered at any time and from time to time, may be in such forms, denominations, series and numbers, may be such tenor and maturities, may bear such date or dates, may be payable in such installments and at such place or places, may bear interest at such rate or rates payable and evidenced in such manner, and may contain provisions for redemption at the option of the authority at such date or dates prior to their maturity and upon payment of such redemption price or prices, all as shall be provided by the authority in the resolution or resolutions whereunder the bonds are issued. The principal of each series of bonds shall mature in annual installments in such amounts as shall be specified in the resolution or resolutions of the said board under which they are issued, the first of which installments shall mature not later than three years after the date of the bonds of such series and the last of which installments shall mature not later than 30 years after the date of the bonds of the same series.
The bonds shall be signed in the name of the authority by its chairman and the great seal of the state of Alabama, or a facsimile thereof, shall be impressed, printed or otherwise reproduced thereon and shall be attested by the signature of the secretary of the authority; provided that facsimile signatures of said officers may be reproduced on such bonds in lieu of their manually signing the same.
The provisions of this amendment shall be self-executing and no further authorization from the legislature shall be a prerequisite to the validity of any bonds issued hereunder, although the legislature may enact appropriate implementing laws, whether before or after the effective date of this amendment, which are not in conflict herewith. Act No. 87-613, Acts of Alabama 1987, is such an implementing law and shall become effective upon the ratification of this amendment by the qualified electors of this state.
VII
The state is authorized to pay from any of its revenues of whatsoever nature and make available to the authority at any time and from time to time such sums as the authority determines are necessary for the prompt and faithful payment of the principal, the interest and premium (if any) on the bonds of e authority in the event the authority determines that appropriations by the legislature and other revenues of the authority (including bond proceeds) remaining after the payment of operating and other expenses are insufficient for the payment of said principal, interest and premium.
VIII
The provisions of this amendment shall be construed liberally, it being the purpose to provide in this state appropriate housing facilities for displaying to the general public exhibits of the authority and the board and for the management and control of displays by such means as may be determined to be feasible and agreed upon by the authority and the board.
