The Coachella Valley Intermodal Transportation Authority is hereby created to serve as the governing agency for its 11 separate districts, recognized in that capacity by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and the United States Department of Transportation, for the following purposes:

(a) Serving as the primary authority for managing and operating intermodal passenger transportation and related infrastructure.

(b) Serving as the primary authority for intermodal less-than-carload freight transportation and related infrastructure within the Coachella Valley and eastern Riverside County.

(c) Serving as the primary authority for facilities and services and related infrastructure.

(d) Establishing, maintaining, and operating an independent political and administrative structure by which to implement passenger and freight transportation initiatives.

(e) Completing planning and environmental studies to ascertain project feasibility.

(f) Being available for designation as the lead agency for purposes of environmental review, entitlement permitting, and public participation.

(g) Acquiring, by grant, purchase, condemnation, gift, devise, or lease, and holding, using, selling, leasing or disposing of, any real and personal property necessary for the full exercise, or convenient or useful for the carrying on of, any of the authority’s powers.

(h) Fixing rates, parking fees, charges, or rents for the use of any facilities acquired, constructed, operated, or maintained by the authority or any of its districts, and modifying the same at its pleasure, subject to any contractual obligation that may be entered into by the authority with respect to the fixing of those rates, fees, charges, or rents.

(i) Obtaining funds for, and sustaining the planning, development, maintenance, and operation of, the Coachella Valley and City of Blythe Intermodal Transportation Center.

(j) Accepting gifts, subventions, grants, rebates, and subsidies from any source.

(k) Entering into indentures.

(l) Issuing tax-exempt revenue bonds and coupons.

(m) Spending moneys and incurring indebtedness to fulfill its purposes.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 486, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1999.)