14-644. Governing body of city vested with control of hospital; management by city governing body; expenditures for recruitment or retention of professional staff; administrator; assistants; pension and deferred compensation plans for employees; contracts insuring employees and dependents; lease of buildings, furnishings and equipment by certain cities, election. The governing body of such city shall be vested with the power, authority and control of the hospital and nurses training school. The governing body shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected to the credit of the hospital and training school fund or the fund of either of them and the purchase of site or sites, the purchase or construction of any hospital or training school building or buildings, and the supervision, care and custody of the grounds, rooms or buildings purchased, constructed, leased or set apart for that purpose. The governing body may also expend such funds as deemed necessary in recruitment or retention of professional staff including, but not limited to, the purchase of professional liability insurance for such staff. The governing body shall have power to appoint a suitable administrator and necessary assistants and fix their compensation and shall have power to remove such appointees and to do all things necessary to properly conduct the hospital and training school. The board of hospital trustees is authorized to establish and fund pension and deferred compensation plans for hospital employees and to procure contracts insuring hospital employees, their dependents, or any class or classes thereof, under a policy or policies of life, disability income, health, accident, accidental death and dismemberment and hospital, surgical and medical expense insurance. The employee's contribution, if any, to the plan and to the premium for such insurance may be deducted by the employer from the employee's salary when authorized in writing by the respective employee. The governing body of any city of the second class having a population of more than 12,500 located in a county having a population of not less than 30,000 nor more than 37,000, notwithstanding the provisions of this section, may lease to any person, persons, corporation or other legally organized society or association any hospital buildings, furnishings and equipment upon such terms and conditions as it may by ordinance declare. Before such ordinance may be enacted by the governing body, the decision to lease shall first be approved by a majority of the qualified electors residing within the city limits who shall vote at any general or special election where such proposition to lease appears on the ballot. Preceding such proposition on the ballot shall be a summary of the material terms and conditions of the proposed lease.

History: L. 1941, ch. 159, § 4; L. 1945, ch. 137, § 3; L. 1971, ch. 49, § 4; L. 1972, ch. 44, § 4; L. 1991, ch. 66, § 4; July 1.