Subdivision 1. Contract; bid provisions apply. The commission shall have power to extend and to modify or rebuild any public utility and to do anything it deems necessary for its proper and efficient operation; and it may enter into necessary contracts for these purposes. The provisions of section 412.311 relating to advertisement for bids shall apply to contracts of the public utilities commission.
Subd. 2. Hire, direct, fix pay for personnel. The commission shall have power to employ all necessary help for the management and operation of the public utility, prescribe duties of officers and employees and fix their compensation.
Subd. 3. Buy fuel, supplies, wholesale energy. The commission shall have power to buy all fuel and supplies, and it may purchase wholesale electric energy, steam heat, hot water energy, gas or water, as the case may be, for municipal distribution.
Subd. 4. Fix rates; adopt service rules. The commission shall have power to fix rates and to adopt reasonable rules and regulations for utility service supplied by the municipally owned public utilities within its jurisdiction.
Subd. 5. Relations, finances with city. The commission shall have power to enter into agreements with the council for payments by the city for utility service, compensation for the use by either the commission or the city of buildings, equipment, and personnel under the control of the other, payments to the city in lieu of taxes, transfers of surplus utility funds to the general fund, and also agreements on other subjects of relationships between the commission and the council.
History:1949 c 119 s 46; 1953 c 735 s 6; 1973 c 123 art 2 s 1 subd 2; 1981 c 334 s 4