Sec. 12. (a) The department has jurisdiction only over two (2) major new continental or intercontinental airport facilities designed and constructed to serve a part of Indiana or adjacent states.
(b) The department may designate the location and character of all airport facilities which the department may hold, own, or over which it is authorized to act and to regulate all matters related to the location and character of the airport facilities.
(c) The department may designate the location and establish, limit, and control points of ingress to and egress from any airport property.
(d) The department may lease to others for development or operation the parts of any airport or airport facility on terms and conditions as the department considers necessary.
(e) The department may make directly, or through hiring of expert consultants, investigations, and surveys of whatever nature, including, but not limited to, studies of business conditions, freight rates, airport services, physical surveys of the conditions of structures, and the necessity for additional airports or for additional airport facilities for the development and improvement of commerce and for the more expeditious handling of commerce, and to make studies, surveys, and estimates as are necessary for the execution of its powers under this chapter.
(f) The department may make and enter into all contracts, undertakings, and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter. When the cost of any such contract for construction, or for the purchase of equipment, materials or supplies, involves an expenditure of more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), the department shall make a written contract with the lowest and best bidder after advertisement for not less than two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Marion County, Indiana, and in such other publications as the department shall determine. Such notice shall state the general character of the materials to be furnished, the place where plans and specifications therefor may be examined, and the time and place of receiving bids. Each bid shall contain the full name of every person or company interested in it and shall be accompanied by a sufficient bond or certified check on a solvent bank that if the bid is accepted a contract will be entered into and the performance of its proposal secured. The department may reject any and all bids. A bond with good and sufficient surety, as shall be approved by the department, shall be required of all contractors in an amount equal to at least fifty percent (50%) of the contract price conditioned upon the faithful performance of the contract.
(g) The department may fix and revise periodically and charge and collect equitable rates, fees, rentals, or other charges for the use of any airport facility or airport facilities under its control, which rates, fees, rentals, or other charges shall be in amounts reasonably related to the cost of providing and maintaining the particular airport facility or airport facilities for which these rates, fees, rentals, and other charges are established.
(h) The department may make application for, receive, and accept from any federal agency, grants for or in aid of the planning, construction, operating, or financing of any airport facility, and to receive and accept contributions from any source of either money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used and applied for the purposes for which made, in each case on such terms and conditions as the department considers necessary or desirable. The department may enter into and carry out contracts and agreements in connection with this subsection.
(i) The department may appear in its own behalf before boards, commissions, departments, or other agencies of the federal government or of any state or international conference and before committees of the Congress of the United States and the general assembly of Indiana in all matters relating to the designs, establishment, construction, extension, operations, improvements, repair, or maintenance of any airport or airport facility operated and maintained by the department under this chapter, and to appear before any federal or state agencies in matters relating to air rates, airport services and charges, differentials, discriminations, labor relations, trade practices, and all other matters affecting the physical development of and the business interest of the department and those it serves.
(j) The department may contract for the services of consulting engineers, architects, attorneys, accountants, construction and financial experts, and such other individuals as are necessary in its judgment. However, the employment of an attorney shall be subject to such approval of the attorney general as may be required by law.
(k) The department may do all things necessary and proper to promote and increase commerce within its territorial jurisdiction, including cooperation with civic, technical, professional, and business organizations and associations, the office of tourism development (before July 1, 2020), the Indiana destination development corporation (after June 30, 2020), and the Indiana economic development corporation.
(l) The department may establish and maintain a traffic bureau for the purpose of advising the department as to the airport's competitive economic position with other airports.
(m) The department may contract for the use of any license, process, or device, whether patented or not, which the department finds is necessary for the operation of any airport facility, and may permit the use thereof by any lessee on such terms and conditions as the department may determine. The cost of such license, process, or device may be included as part of the cost of the airport facility.
(n) The department may issue airport revenue bonds and airport revenue funding bonds.
(o) The department may do all acts and things necessary or proper to carry out the powers expressly granted in this chapter.
Formerly: Acts 1971, P.L.105, SEC.2; Acts 1973, P.L.73, SEC.1; Acts 1975, P.L.34, SEC.8. As amended by Acts 1980, P.L.74, SEC.343; Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.60; P.L.4-2005, SEC.116; P.L.229-2005, SEC.7; P.L.78-2019, SEC.11.