HB 837 -- Greater St. Louis Sports Authority

Co-Sponsors:  Foley, Hanaway, Scheve, O'Toole, Coleman,
O'Connor, Rizzo

This bill expands the powers of the Greater St. Louis Sports
Authority.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Allows the authority to acquire gifts, purchase or lease
from public or private sources, and to own, plan, construct,
maintain, and lease or sublease sports facilities;

(2)  Allows the authority to adopt bylaws and a common seal and
to maintain an office and conduct meetings in the City of St.
Louis and the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, and
Franklin;

(3)  Allows the authority to charge and to collect fees and
rents for the use of facilities owned or operated by the
authority or to lease or sublease from or to others;

(4)  Allows the authority to contract and to enter into
contracts with the state, cities, counties, or other political
subdivisions and public agencies pursuant to Sections 70.210 to
70.325, RSMo, and to sue and be sued;

(5)  Allows the authority to receive for lawful activities any
rents, contributions, or moneys appropriated or designated to
the authority by the state, municipalities, counties, other
political subdivisions, or the federal government;

(6)  Allows the authority to disperse funds and to set the
salary and wages of its officers and employees;

(7)  Allows the authority to invest any funds pending the
adoption of a resolution by the commissioners of the authority;

(8)  Allows the authority to borrow moneys for the acquisition,
planning, construction, maintenance, repair, extension, and
improvement of a facility the authority owns, leases, or
operates;

(9)  Allows the authority to issue negotiable notes, bonds, or
other investments based on stated procedures;

(10)  Prohibits the issue of bonds from obligating the state or
any political subdivision of the state;

(11)  Requires the authority to fix and maintain rates and
rentals and to collect charges for the use and services of its
interests in a facility or facilities owned or operated by the
authority.  The revenues will be used to pay the costs of
operation and maintenance of the facilities and the principle
and interest on issued bonds;

(12)  Allows the authority to issue negotiable refunding bonds;

(13)  Allows the authority to appoint officers and to hire
employees as needed in the performance of its duties;

(14)  Requires the authority to grant or award 15% of all
contracts, employment opportunities, professional services, and
all special contracts to persons who are members of a racial
minority group as defined in Section 33.750;

(15)  Requires the chairman of the authority to certify to the
Governor as soon as practicable the amount required by the
authority to pay the principle and interest of bonds if it is
determined that revenues will be insufficient to pay the bonds;

(16)  Contains a provision pertaining to the withdrawal of
moneys from a reserve fund;

(17)  Exempts the income and all properties owned by the
authority from all taxation in the state of Missouri;

(18)  Establishes the Sports Facility Fund in the state treasury
and requires sales tax generated and collected pursuant to
Sections 144.010 to 144.525, to be deposited in the fund;

(19)  Requires the authority to make an annual report to the
chief executives and governing bodies of the City of St. Louis;
the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, and Jefferson;
and the General Assembly before the second Monday in April.  The
report should contain a statement of the condition of the
authority on January 1 of that year and the moneys received and
distributed the preceding calendar year.  After the second year
of operation, the authority is required to submit an annual
report to the General Assembly in January; and

(20)  Requires the authority to employ an independent firm of
accountants who will conduct a biennial audit of all accounts
and transactions.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:04 pm