Cities of all classes and villages of this state are hereby granted power and authority to create community redevelopment authorities and limited community redevelopment authorities.

(1) Whenever an authority or limited authority is created it shall bear the name of the city creating it and shall be legally known as the Community Redevelopment Authority of the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village) or the Limited Community Redevelopment Authority of the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village).

(2) When it is determined by the governing body of any city by ordinance in the exercise of its discretion that it is expedient to create a community redevelopment authority or limited community redevelopment authority, the mayor of the city or, if the mayor shall fail to act within ninety days after the passage of the ordinance, the president or other presiding officer other than the mayor of the governing body, with the approval of the governing body of the city, shall appoint five or seven persons who shall constitute the authority or the limited authority. The terms of office of the members of a five-member authority initially appointed shall be for one year, two years, three years, four years, and five years, as designated by the mayor, president, other presiding officer, or city manager in making the respective appointments. The terms of office of the members of a seven-member authority initially appointed shall be one member each for one year, two years, and five years, and two members each for three years and four years, as designated by the mayor, president, other presiding officer, or city manager in making the respective appointments. As the terms of the members of the authority expire in cities not having the city manager plan of government, the mayor, with the approval of the governing body of the city, shall appoint or reappoint a member of the authority for a term of five years to succeed the member whose term expires. In cities having the city manager plan of government, the city manager shall appoint or reappoint the members with the approval of the governing body. The terms of office of the members of a limited community redevelopment authority shall be for the duration of only one single specific limited pilot project authorized in the ordinance creating the limited community redevelopment authority, and the terms of the members of a limited community redevelopment authority shall expire upon the completion of the single specific limited pilot project authorized in the ordinance creating the limited community redevelopment authority.

(3) A governing body may at its option submit an ordinance which creates a community redevelopment authority or a limited community redevelopment authority to the electors of the city for approval by a majority vote of the electors voting on the ordinance. On submitting the ordinance for approval, the governing body is authorized to call, by the ordinance, a special or general election and to submit, after thirty days' notice of the time and place of holding the election and according to the manner and method otherwise provided by law for the calling, conducting, canvassing, and certifying of the result of city elections on the submission of propositions to the electors, the proposition to be stated on the ballot as follows:

Shall the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village) create a Community Redevelopment Authority of the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village)?

When the ordinance submitted to the electors for approval by a majority vote of the electors voting on the ordinance is to create a limited community redevelopment authority the proposition shall be stated on the ballot as follows:

Shall the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village) create a Limited Community Redevelopment Authority of the City (or Village) of ............. (name of city or village)?

(4) Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. Members of the authority so appointed shall hold office until their successors have been appointed and qualified. Members of a limited authority shall hold office as provided in this section. All members of the authority shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to be reimbursed for all necessary expenses incurred.

(5) Any authority established under this section shall organize by electing one of its members chairperson and another vice-chairperson, shall have power to employ counsel, a director who shall be ex officio secretary of the authority, and such other officers and employees as may be desired, and shall fix the term of office, qualifications, and compensation of each. The holder of the office of community redevelopment administrator or coordinator of the city may, but need not, be appointed the director but at no additional compensation by the authority. Community redevelopment authorities of cities of the first and second class and villages may secure the services of a director, community redevelopment administrator, or coordinator, and other officers and employees as may be desired through contract with the Department of Economic Development upon terms which are mutually agreeable. Any authority established under this section may validly and effectively act on all matters requiring a resolution or other official action by the concurrence of three members of a five-member authority or four members of a seven-member authority present and voting at a meeting of the authority. Orders, requisitions, warrants, and other documents may be executed by the chairperson or vice-chairperson or by or with others designated in its bylaws.

(6) No member or employee of any authority established under this section shall have any interest directly or indirectly in any contract for property, materials, or services to be required by such authority. No member of any authority established under this section shall also be a member of any planning commission created under section 19-925.

(7) The authority shall keep an accurate account of all its activities and of all receipts and disbursements and make an annual report of such activities, receipts, and disbursements to the governing body of the city.

(8) The governing body of a city creating a community redevelopment authority or a limited community redevelopment authority is hereby authorized to appropriate and loan to the authority a sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars for the purposes of paying expenses of organizing and supervising the work of the authority at the beginning of its activities. The loan shall be authorized by resolution of the governing body which shall set forth the terms and time of the repayment of the loan. The loan may be appropriated out of the general funds or any sinking fund.

(9) All income, revenue, profits, and other funds received by any authority established under this section from whatever source derived, or appropriated by the city, or realized from tax receipts or comprised in the special revenue fund of the city designated for the authority or from the proceeds of bonds, or otherwise, shall be deposited with the city treasurer as ex officio treasurer of the authority without commingling the money with any other money under his or her control and disbursed by him or her by check, draft, or order only upon warrants, orders, or requisitions by the chairperson of the authority or other person authorized by the authority which shall state distinctly the purpose for which the same are drawn. A permanent record shall be kept by the authority of all warrants, orders, or requisitions so drawn, showing the date, amount, consideration, and to whom payable. When paid, the same shall be canceled and kept on file by the city treasurer. The books of any authority established under this section shall from time to time be audited upon the order of the governing body of the municipality in such manner as it may direct, and all books and records of the authority shall at all times be open to public inspection. The Auditor of Public Accounts may audit, or cause to be audited, any authority established under this section or any redevelopment plan of such authority when the Auditor of Public Accounts determines such audit is necessary or when requested by the governing body, and such audit shall be at the expense of the authority. The authority may contract with the holders of any of its bonds or notes as to collection, custody, securing investment, and payment of any money of the authority or any money held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds or notes or in any way to secure bonds or notes. The authority may carry out the contract notwithstanding that such contract may be inconsistent with the previous provisions of this subdivision. All banks, capital stock financial institutions, qualifying mutual financial institutions, and trust companies are hereby authorized to give security for the deposits of money of any authority established under the provisions of this section pursuant to the Public Funds Deposit Security Act. Section 77-2366 applies to deposits in capital stock financial institutions. Section 77-2365.01 shall apply to deposits in qualifying mutual financial institutions.

Source:Laws 1957, c. 52, § 3, p. 248; Laws 1961, c. 61, § 2, p. 224; Laws 1963, c. 89, § 9, p. 307; R.S.Supp.,1963, § 19-2602.01; Laws 1965, c. 74, § 2, p. 300; Laws 1967, c. 87, § 1, p. 273; Laws 1969, c. 106, § 1, p. 484; Laws 1969, c. 107, § 1, p. 499; Laws 1989, LB 33, § 23; Laws 1997, LB 875, § 4; Laws 1999, LB 396, § 19; Laws 2001, LB 362, § 26; Laws 2009, LB339, § 1; Laws 2017, LB383, § 1; Laws 2018, LB874, § 6; Laws 2019, LB193, § 8.