2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 8 - Zoning, Planning, Housing and Economic and Community Development
Chapter 130 - Redevelopment and Urban Renewal. State and Federal Aid. Community Development. Urban Homesteading. Abandoned and Blighted Property
Section 8-169ii. - Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority established. Board of directors; appointments; record of proceedings; action. Authority's procedures for conduct. Termination.
(a) There is hereby established and created a body politic and corporate, constituting a public instrumentality and political subdivision of the state established and created for the performance of an essential public and governmental function, to be known as the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority. The authority shall not be construed to be a department, institution or agency of the state.
(b) The powers of the authority shall be vested in and exercised by a board of directors, which shall consist of the following members: (1) Two appointed jointly by the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be the chief executive officer of a member municipality in New Haven County; (2) two appointed jointly by the majority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, one of whom shall be the chief executive officer of a member municipality in Hartford County; (3) two appointed jointly by the minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, one of whom shall be the chief executive officer of a member municipality in Fairfield County; (4) two appointed by the Governor; and (5) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Labor Commissioner and the Commissioners of Transportation, Housing and Economic and Community Development, or their designees, who shall serve as ex-officio, voting members of the board.
(c) The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the board from among the members. All initial appointments shall be made not later than sixty days after October 1, 2019. All members shall be appointed by the original appointing authority for four-year terms. Any member of the board shall be eligible for reappointment. Any vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the balance of the unexpired term. The appointing authority for any member may remove such member for misfeasance, malfeasance or wilful neglect of duty.
(d) Each member of the board, before commencing such member's duties, shall take and subscribe the oath or affirmation required by section 1 of article eleventh of the Constitution of the state. A record of each such oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the State.
(e) The board of directors shall maintain a record of its proceedings in such form as it determines, provided such record indicates attendance and all votes cast by each member. Any appointed member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board. A majority of the members of the board then in office shall constitute a quorum, and an affirmative vote by a majority of the members present at a meeting of the board shall be sufficient for any action taken by the board. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the board. Any action taken by the board may be authorized by resolution at any regular or special meeting and shall take effect immediately unless otherwise provided in the resolution. The board may delegate to three or more of its members, or its officers, agents or employees, such board powers and duties as it may deem proper.
(f) The board of directors shall annually elect one of its members as a vice-chairperson, and shall elect other of its members as officers, adopt a budget and bylaws, designate an executive committee, report semiannually to the appointing authorities with respect to operations, finances and achievement of its economic development objective, be accountable to and cooperate with the state whenever the state may audit the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority or an authority development project or at any other time as the state may inquire as to either, including allowing the state reasonable access to any such project and to the records of the authority.
(g) The chairperson of the board, with the approval of the members of the board of directors, shall appoint an executive director of the authority who shall be an employee of the authority and paid a salary prescribed by the members. The executive director shall be the chief administrative officer of the authority and shall supervise the administrative affairs and technical activities of the authority in accordance with the directives of the board. The executive director shall not be a member of the board.
(h) No member of the board of directors may receive compensation for the performance of such member's official duties.
(i) Each member of the board of directors of the authority and the executive director shall execute a surety bond in the penal sum of at least one hundred thousand dollars, or, in lieu thereof, the chairperson of the board shall execute a blanket position bond or procure an equivalent insurance product covering each member, the executive director and the employees of the authority. Each surety bond or equivalent insurance product shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the office or offices covered, issued by an insurance company authorized to transact business in this state for surety or such insurance product. The cost of each such bond or insurance product shall be paid by the authority.
(j) No board member, or member of his or her immediate family, as defined in section 1-91, shall have or acquire any financial interest in (1) any authority development project, or (2) any property included or planned to be included in any such project or in any contract or proposed contract for materials or services to be used in such project.
(k) The authority shall have perpetual succession and shall adopt procedures for the conduct of its affairs in accordance with section 8-169kk. Such succession shall continue as long as the authority has bonds, notes or other obligations outstanding and until its existence is terminated by law, provided no such termination shall affect any outstanding contractual obligation of the authority and the state shall succeed to the obligations of the authority under any contract. Upon the termination of the existence of the authority, all its rights and properties shall pass to and be vested in the state.
(P.A. 19-117, S. 213.)
