41-10-113. Powers of district board.

(a) For and on behalf of the district the board of any district shall have the following powers:

(i) To have perpetual existence;

(ii) To have and use a corporate seal;

(iii) To sue and be sued, and be a party to suits, actions and proceedings;

(iv) In the case of a sewer district or water and sewer district, to prepare or cause to be prepared and to revise and adopt plans, designs, and estimates of costs, of a system or systems of outfall sewers, trunks, mains, submains, interceptors, lateral sewers, outlets for sewerage, storm water drains, pumping and ventilating stations, disposal and treatment plants and works, and any and all other structures, systems, works, and things, which, in the judgment of the board, will provide an effective and advantageous means for insuring the area within such district of adequate sanitary disposal and treatment of the sewage thereof, or such section or parts of such system or systems as the board may from time to time deem proper or convenient to construct, consistent with the purposes of this act, and to take any and all such steps as the board may deem proper and necessary to effect the purposes hereof;

(v) In the case of a sewer district or water and sewer district, to establish, own, construct, improve, lease, operate, and maintain, as part of the sewer and drainage system or systems of the district, sewage treatment and disposal plants and systems and all appurtenances and appliances thereunto belonging, and to sell any product or by-product manufactured in the course of sewage treatment;

(vi) In the case of a sewer district or water and sewer district, to enter into and perform contracts, whether long-term or short-term, with any establishment, whether within or without the district, for the provision and operation by the district of sewerage facilities to abate or reduce the pollution of waters caused by discharges of wastes by such establishment, and the payment periodically by such establishment of the district of amounts at least sufficient to compensate the district for the cost of providing (including payment of principal and interest charges, if any) and operating and maintaining the sewerage facilities serving such establishment;

(vii) In the case of a sewer district or water and sewer district, to acquire an appropriate outlet within or without the district and to extend its sewer lines thereto;

(viii) In the case of a water district or water and sewer district, to prepare or cause to be prepared and to revise and adopt plans, designs, and estimates of costs, of a system or systems of raw and clear water and distribution storage reservoirs, deep and shallow wells, pumping and gauging stations, tunnels, flumes, conduits, canals, infiltration galleries, hydrants, meters, filtration and treatment plants and works, and any and all other structures, systems, works and things which, in the judgment of the board, will provide an effective and advantageous means for insuring the territory within such district of an adequate supply of domestic water, or such sections or parts of such system or systems as the board may from time to time deem proper or convenient to construct, consistent with the purposes of this act, and to take any and all such steps as the board may deem proper and necessary to effect the purposes hereof consistent with the appropriation laws and the uses prescribed by statute;

(ix) In the case of a water district or water and sewer district, to establish, own, construct, improve, lease, operate and maintain, as part of the water system or systems of the district, water treatment plants and systems and all appurtenances and appliances thereunto belonging;

(x) In the case of a water district or water and sewer district, to appropriate and otherwise acquire sources of supply of water within and without the district and to extend its water lines thereto;

(xi) Except as otherwise provided in this act, to enter into contracts and agreements affecting the affairs of the district, including but not limited to contracts with the United States of America and any of its agencies or instrumentalities, and contracts with any municipality or district for the operation of a common or jointly owned project. Any improvement or improvements of any nature made in any district where the entire cost, value or amount of such work including labor and materials shall exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00), except such work done by employees of the district with supplies and materials purchased by it as hereinafter provided or except by labor or supplies and materials, or all of such, supplied under agreement with the United States of America, the state of Wyoming, or any federal or state agency, instrumentality or corporation, or other political subdivision, shall be done only under independent contract to be entered into by the district with the lowest responsible bidder submitting the lowest and best bid upon proper terms after due public notice by publication has been given asking for competitive bids. The district shall have the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any irregularity in any bid. Any contract may be let on a lump sum or unit basis. No contract shall be entered into for such work unless the contractor shall give an undertaking with a sufficient surety or sureties approved by the board and in an amount fixed by the board for the faithful performance of the contract. Upon default in the performance of any contract, the proper official may advertise and relet the remainder of the work without further resolution and deduct the cost from the original contract price and recover any excess cost by suit on the original bond, or otherwise. The district shall have the power to make any improvement, or portion thereof, in any district, directly by the officers, agents and employees of the district, with supplies and materials purchased or otherwise acquired therefor. All supplies, materials, equipment, machinery and apparatus purchased by the board for any district (but not by a contractor) costing thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00) or more shall be purchased only after notice by publication for competitive bids. The district shall accept the lowest bid, kind, quality and material being equal, but the district shall have the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any irregularity in any bid, and to select a single item from any bid. The provision as to bidding shall not apply to the purchase of patented and manufactured products offered for sale in a noncompetitive market or solely by a manufacturer's authorized dealer;

(xii) To borrow money and incur indebtedness and other obligations and evidence the same by certificates, notes or debentures, and to issue bonds, in accordance with the provisions of this act;

(xiii) To acquire, dispose of and encumber real and personal property, water, water rights, water and sewer works and plants, and any interest therein, including leases, easements, and revenues derived from the operation thereof. The constitutional and inherent powers of the legislature are hereby delegated to the board for the acquisition, disposal and encumbrance of property provided that the board shall in no case receive title to property already devoted to public purpose or use, except with the consent of the owners of such property, and except upon approval of a majority of the board;

(xiv) To enter on any lands, waters and premises for the purposes of making surveys, soundings, examinations, tests and inspections;

(xv) To consult with the state department of health about any system or proposed system of water supply, drainage or sewage, as to the most appropriate source of water supply and the best method of assuring its purity, or as to the best method of disposing of the district's drainage or sewage with reference to the existing and future needs of other cities, towns, districts or other persons which may be affected thereby; and to submit to the department of health for its advice and approval the district's proposed system of water supply or of the disposal of drainage or sewage. No district shall proceed to acquire or improve any system of water supply, drainage or sewage disposal without first obtaining the approval of the state department of health. In this subsection the term "drainage" means rainfall, surface and subsoil water only, and "sewage" means domestic and industrial filth and waste;

(xvi) To have the management, control and supervision of all the business and affairs of the district, and the acquisition, improvement, equipment, operation and maintenance of any district project;

(xvii) To hire and retain agents, employees, servants, engineers and attorneys, and any other persons necessary or desirable to effect the purposes of this act;

(xviii) To prescribe the duties of officers, agents, employees and servants, and fix their compensation provided that the compensation of district employees and officers shall be established as prevailing rates of pay for equivalent work;

(xix) To have and exercise the power of eminent domain and dominant eminent domain and in the manner provided by law for the condemnation by a city of private property for public use to take any property necessary to the exercise of the powers granted, both within and without the district;

(xx) To construct and maintain works and establish and maintain facilities across or along any public street and in, upon, or over any vacant public lands which are now or may become the property of the state of Wyoming, and to construct works and establish and maintain facilities across any stream of water or watercourse. The district shall promptly restore the street to its former state of usefulness as nearly as possible, and shall not completely or unnecessarily impair its usefulness. Whenever it is necessary, in making any improvements under the provisions of this act, to enter upon or cross any property of the state acquired for and utilized in the operation and maintenance of a state highway, the district shall have the right-of-way over the same by filing a plat of the lands and of its proposed improvements with the state department of transportation and acquiring a license from the department. The license shall provide that the utility facility will be constructed in a manner to conform with applicable federal, state or local laws, codes and ordinances and as directed by the state department of transportation;

(xxi) To fix and from time to time to increase or decrease water and sewer rates, tolls or charges, including but not necessarily limited to use charges, connection fees and standby charges, for services or facilities furnished by the district, and to pledge such revenue for the payment of any indebtedness of the district. Until paid, all rates, tolls or charges shall constitute a perpetual lien on and against the property served, and any such lien may be foreclosed in the same manner as provided by the laws of the state of Wyoming for the foreclosure of mechanics' liens. Before any such lien is foreclosed the district shall hold a hearing thereon after notice thereof by publication and by registered first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the last known owner at his last known address according to the records of the district and the real property assessment roll in the county in which the property is located. The board shall shut off or discontinue service for delinquencies in the payment of such rates, tolls or charges, or in the payment of taxes or assessments levied pursuant to this act, and prescribe and enforce rules and regulations for the connection with and the disconnection from properties of the facilities of the district. For health and sanitary purposes the board shall have the power to compel the owners of inhabited property within a sewer district to connect their property with the sewer system of such district and upon a failure so to connect within sixty (60) days after such written, mailed notice by the board so to do the board may cause such connection to be made and a lien to be filed against the property for the expense incurred in making such connection. No owner shall be compelled to connect his property with such system unless a service line is brought, by the district, to a point within four hundred (400) feet of his dwelling place;

(xxii) To adopt and amend bylaws, not in conflict with the constitution and laws of the state for carrying on the business, objects and affairs of the board and of the district. These bylaws shall be filed with the county clerk for each county in which the district is located;

(xxiii) To have and exercise all rights and powers necessary or incidental to or implied from the specific powers granted in this act. Such specific powers shall not be considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this act;

(xxiv) When a district abuts a city or town and when all of its indebtedness has been fully paid or satisfied, to convey to such city or town with the consent of the governing authority thereof, all of the property of such district upon the condition that such city or town will operate and maintain such property regardless of whether the area comprising the district is annexed to the municipality. Upon such conveyance the district shall be dissolved and a certificate to such effect shall be signed by the clerical officer of the city or town and filed with the secretary of state and any county clerk and recorder of any county in which the order establishing the district is filed;

(xxv) When two (2) or more districts are using the same or joint facilities and when the obligations of each district are fully paid or satisfied, to consolidate such districts into one (1). In such an event the consolidated district shall be under the control of a joint board consisting of the members of each board, until by the occurrence of vacancies or expiration of terms of office the board is reduced to five (5) members. Thereafter the members of the board shall be elected as provided in W.S. 41-10-112;

(xxvi) If a boundary of a district is contiguous with the corporate boundary of a city or town, a district may contract with a city or town to supply water or to provide sanitary sewer or other services for which the district was organized to property within the city or town, if it is economically feasible in the opinion of the board. Any water service shall be accomplished in strict adherence with the water rights held by the district, or as such rights may be amended or enlarged under procedures of law provided in title 41 of the Wyoming statutes through the state engineer. The board may finance the extension and maintenance of the water or sewer system through revenue bonds or other means granted by law for financing the service. A one-time connection fee or system investment fee reasonably calculated to permit recovery of a proportionate share of the system infrastructure cost necessary to treat, deliver or transport the water or sewer may also be charged. A one-time fee may also be charged to recover reasonable expenses incurred by the district in determining the actual costs necessary to treat, deliver or transport the water or sewer to the point of connection. The district board may establish one (1) or more service areas outside the district in each of which an average rate may be used for all customers. Charges for special services such as line installation and maintenance shall be in addition to the water or sewer rate. The rate established for use of water or sewer pursuant to this section is as follows:

(A) A district which at any time after April 1, 1999, enters into a contract to serve property within a contiguous city or town outside of its district boundaries shall establish rates, tolls and charges that are no less than the rates, tolls and charges charged for the same or similar service within the district and that do not exceed the actual costs of treating, delivering or transporting the water or sewer to the point of connection. As used in this paragraph, "actual costs" of treating, delivering or transporting water or sewerage shall include a proportionate share of the following costs related to the water or sewer system:

(I) Fees, interest charges and principal payments on all bonds issued and other indebtedness incurred to construct, purchase or improve the system;

(II) Salaries and wages of employees;

(III) The cost of materials, supplies, utilities and outside services;

(IV) Other costs directly related to the water delivery or sewer system;

(V) The cost for providing and maintaining a depreciation fund, a fund for emergencies and a fund for acquisition and development of new water rights and water sources;

(VI) Administrative and overhead expenses; and

(VII) The cost of acquiring, treating, delivering or transporting water or sewer.