(1) A financing entity may issue bonds from time to time in its discretion to finance any eligible improvements with respect to a regional tourism project and may also issue refunding or other bonds of the financing entity from time to time in its discretion for the payment, retirement, renewal, or extension of any bonds previously issued by the financing entity under this section and to provide for the replacement of lost, destroyed, or mutilated bonds previously issued under this section.
(2) (a) Bonds issued under this section may be general obligation bonds of the financing entity, the payment of which, as to principal and interest and premiums, if any, the full faith, credit, and assets, acquired and to be acquired, of the financing entity are irrevocably pledged.
(b) Bonds issued under this section may be special obligations of the financing entity that, as to principal and interest and premiums, if any, are payable solely from and secured only by a pledge of any income, proceeds, revenues, or funds of the financing entity, including, without limitation, state sales tax increment revenue.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any bonds issued under thissection may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal and interest and premiums, if any, by a mortgage of any regional tourism project, or any part thereof, title to which is then or thereafter in the financing entity or of any other real or personal property or interests therein then owned or thereafter acquired by the financing entity.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, general obligation bonds issuedunder this section may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal and interest and premiums, if any, as provided in subsection (2) of this section, with or without being also additionally secured as to payment of the principal and interest and premiums, if any, by a mortgage as provided in subsection (3) of this section or a trust agreement as provided in subsection (5) of this section.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any bonds issued under thissection may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal and interest and premiums, if any, by a trust agreement by and between the financing entity and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within or without the state.
Bonds issued under this section shall not constitute an indebtedness of the state or ofany county, municipality, or public body of the state other than the financing entity issuing such bonds and shall not be subject to the provisions of any other law or of the charter of any municipality relating to the authorization, issuance, or sale of bonds.
Bonds issued under this section shall be authorized by a resolution of the financingentity and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date, be payable upon demand or mature at such time, bear interest at such rate, be in such denomination, be in such form, either coupon or registered or otherwise, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in the name of the financing entity in such manner, be payable in such medium of payment, be payable at such place, be subject to such callability provisions or terms of redemption, with or without premiums, be secured in such manner, be of such description, contain or be subject to such covenants, provisions, terms, conditions, and agreements, including provisions concerning events of default, and have such other characteristics as may be provided by such resolution or by the trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage, if any, issued pursuant to such resolution. The seal, or a facsimile thereof, of the financing entity shall be affixed, imprinted, engraved, or otherwise reproduced upon each of its bonds issued under this section. Bonds issued under this section shall be executed in the name of the financing entity by the manual or facsimile signatures of such officials as may be designated in said resolution or trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage; except that at least one signature on each such bond shall be a manual signature. Coupons, if any, attached to such bonds shall bear the facsimile signature of such official of the financing entity as may be designated as provided in this subsection (7). Said resolution or trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage may provide for the authentication of the pertinent bonds by the trustee.
Bonds issued under this section may be sold by the financing entity in such mannerand for such price as the financing entity, in its discretion, may determine, at par, below par, or above par, at private sale or at public sale after notice published prior to such sale in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, or in such other medium of publication as the financing entity may deem appropriate, or may be exchanged by the financing entity for other bonds issued by it under this section.
If any of the officials of the financing entity whose signatures or facsimile signaturesappear on any of its bonds or coupons issued under this section cease to be such officials before the delivery of such bonds, such signatures or facsimile signatures, as the case may be, shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such officials had remained in office until such delivery.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any bonds that are issued pursuant tothis section are fully negotiable.
In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of anybond that is issued under this section or the security therefor, any such bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the financing entity in connection with a regional tourism project or any activity or operation of the financing entity under this part 3 shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued for such purposes; and such regional tourism project or such operation or activity, as the case may be, shall be conclusively deemed to have been initiated, planned, located, undertaken, accomplished, and carried out in accordance with the provisions of this part 3.
Pending the preparation of any definitive bonds under this section, a financing entity may issue its interim certificates or receipts or its temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for such definitive bonds when the latter have been executed and are available for delivery.
A person retained or employed by a financing entity as an advisor or a consultantfor the purpose of rendering financial advice and assistance may purchase or participate in the purchase or distribution of its bonds when such bonds are offered at public or private sale.
No commissioner or other officer of a financing entity issuing bonds under thissection and no person executing such bonds is liable personally on such bonds or is subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance thereof.
No commissioner or other officer of a regional tourism authority issuing bonds pursuant to this part 3 and no person executing such bonds shall be liable personally on such bonds or shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance of the bonds.
Bonds that are issued pursuant to this part 3 are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose and, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempted from all taxes.
Source: L. 2009: Entire part added, (SB 09-173), ch. 434, p. 2414, § 1, effective June 4.