17-2345.   Powers of governing body.Every municipality, inaddition to other powers conferred by this or anyother act, shall have powers:

      (a)   To prepare, carry out, and operate housing projects and to providefor the construction, reconstruction, improvement, extension, alteration orrepair of any housing project or any part thereofbut inthe carrying out of the municipal law under the provisions of this act,public utilities, either publicly or privately owned, shall not be requiredto locate, relocate, remove or readjust utility facilities and serviceswithout fair and reasonable compensation.

      (b)   To undertake and carry out studies and analyses of the housing needsand of the meeting of such needs (including data with respect to populationand family groups and the distribution thereof according to income groups,the amount and quality of available housing and its distribution accordingto rentals and sales prices, employment, wages and other factors affectingthe local housing needs and the meeting thereof) and to make the results ofsuch studies and analyses available to the public and the building, housingand supply industries; and to engage in research and disseminateinformation on housing and slum clearance.

      (c)   To arrange or contract for the furnishing by any person or agency,public or private, of services, privileges, works, or facilities for, or inconnection with, a housing project or the occupants thereof; and(notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this act or in anyother provision of law) to agree to any conditions attached to federalfinancial assistance, and to comply with any conditions which the federalgovernment may have attached to its financial aid of the project.

      (d)   To lease or rent any dwellings, accommodations, lands, buildings,structures or facilities embraced in any project and (subject to thelimitations contained in this act with respect to the rental of dwellingsin housing projects) to establish and revise the rents or charges therefor;to own, hold, and improve real or personal property; to purchase, lease,obtain options upon, acquire by gift, grant, bequest, devise, or otherwiseany real or personal property or any interest therein; to acquire by theexercise of the power of eminent domain any real property; to sell, lease,exchange, transfer, assign, pledge or dispose of any real or personalproperty or any interest therein as any part of the property of a housingauthority established under this act; to insure or provide for theinsurance, in any stock or mutual company, of any real or personal propertyor operations of the authority against any risks or hazards; to procure oragree to the procurement of federal or state government insurance orguarantees of the payment of any bonds or parts thereof issued by anauthority, including the power to pay premiums on any such insurance.

      (e)   To invest any reserve or sinking funds held in connection with a housingproject which are not required for immediatedisbursements, in investments authorized by K.S.A. 12-1675,and amendments thereto, in the manner prescribed therein or in direct obligationsof the United States government or any agency thereof; to redeem itsbonds at the redemption price established therein or to purchase its bondsat less than such redemption price, all bonds so redeemed or purchases tobe cancelled.

      (f)   To determine where slum areas exist or where there is unsafe,insanitary or overcrowded housing; to make studies and recommendationsrelating to the problem of clearing, replanning and reconstructing of slumareas and the problem of eliminating unsafe, insanitary or overcrowdedhousing and providing dwelling accommodations for persons of low income;and to cooperate with any state public body in action taken in connectionwith these problems.

      (g)   To conduct examinations and investigations and to hear testimony andtake proof under oath at public or private hearings on any matter materialfor its information; to administer oaths, issue subpoenas requiring theattendance of witnesses or the production of books and papers and to issuecommissions for the examination of witnesses who are outside of the stateor unable to attend or excused from attendance; to make available toappropriate agencies (including those charged with the duty of abating orrequiring the correction of nuisances or like conditions or of demolishingunsafe or insanitary structures within its area of operation) its findingsand recommendations with regard to any building or property whereconditions exist which are dangerous to the public health, morals, safetyor welfare.

      (h)   To insure or provide for the insurance of any housing project of themunicipality against such risks as such municipality may deem advisable.

      (i)   To exercise all or any part or combination of powers herein granted.

      (j)   To prepare plans and provide assistance of all kinds for therelocation of families displaced from a slum or blighted area by themunicipal housing law, and to provide adequate recreational facilities, inthe over-all plan of the municipal housing area.

      History:   L. 1957, ch. 132, § 9; L. 1973, ch. 96, § 5; L. 1977,ch. 54, § 23; July 1.