§167-6  Further powers.  (a)  The board
of agriculture shall also have the power to:



(1)  Establish and certify the total amount of acreage
assessments to be levied annually and collect the assessments within each
project;



(2)  Set and from time to time revise tolls that it
shall charge for the water provided by its facilities, subject to the rate
policies established hereunder;



(3)  Establish priorities between the several lands
included in a project according to the use to which the lands are put or other
reasonable basis for classification;



(4)  Govern the furnishing of water in the event of a
shortage of supply and to correlate water tolls with these priorities;



(5)  Charge and collect water tolls, fees, and other
charges established in connection herewith;



(6)  Sell, exchange, transfer, assign, or pledge any
property, real or personal, or any interest therein, to any person, firm,
corporation, or government, except as prohibited by the laws of the State;



(7)  Hold, clear, and improve property;



(8)  Borrow money for any of the purposes hereunder;



(9)  Insure or provide for the insurance of the
property or operations of the board against such risks as the board may deem
advisable;



(10)  Include in any construction contract executed in
connection with a project, stipulations requiring that the contractor and any
subcontractors comply with requirements as to minimum wages and maximum hours
of labor, and comply with any conditions that the federal government may have
attached to its financial aid of the project;



(11)  Delegate to the chairperson or employees of the
department, subject to the board's control and responsibility, powers and
duties as may be lawful or proper for the performance of the functions vested
in the board;



(12)  Set, charge, and collect interest and a service
charge on delinquent payments due on water tolls, acreage assessments, or other
related accounts; provided that the rate of interest shall not exceed one per
cent per month and the service charge shall not exceed $7 for each delinquent
payment;



(13)  Collect delinquent acreage assessments in
accordance with sections 231-61 to 231-70; provided that the chairperson shall
have all of the powers provided to the director of taxation or state tax
collector under chapter 231 that may be necessary or convenient to collect
delinquent acreage assessments;



(14)  Accept a security interest in real or personal
property for a debt restructured under a payment plan for delinquent water
tolls, acreage assessments, or other related irrigation project accounts
subject to the rate of interest set forth in paragraph (12); and



(15)  Foreclose upon or otherwise enforce the security
interest accepted under paragraph (14) by any method provided for by law and to
hold title to, maintain, use, manage, operate, sell, lease, or otherwise
dispose of that personal or real property to recover the debt secured.



(b)  The board shall also have the power to
enter into any repayment or other contracts with the United States for the
construction, operation, and maintenance of any projects as may be required or
provided for by the federal reclamation laws, or acts amendatory thereof or
supplementary thereto, or other federal laws, and further to borrow money or
accept grants or assistance from the federal government, or any department,
bureau, or agency thereof with respect to the engineering, construction,
operation, and financing of any project hereunder.  The board shall make every
effort to obtain all federal aid possible for the purposes of this chapter.



(c)  In making surveys, studies, and
investigations, in planning and designing, and in constructing projects and
facilities for irrigation, the board shall also have power to include therein
surveys, studies, and investigations of, plans and designs for, and
construction of facilities for flood control and the utilization of water for
the production of hydroelectric power, where the same may be practicable in
conjunction with the formation and operation of an irrigation project or
projects. [L 1987, c 306, pt of §1; am L 1992, c 97, §1; am L 1998, c 102, §1]