KRS 148.036: Authority duties relating to development of recreational and trail -related

activities -- Powers and duties of the board of directors -- Fees --

Administrative regulations -- Sinking fund -- Grants.

(1) The KORRRA shall:

(a) Supervise the des ign and construction of trail systems within the RA and

provide all management functions for the trails and for any other property

built, acquired, or leased pursuant to its powers under KRS 148.033 to

148.039;

(b) Construct, develop, manage, maintain, op erate, improve, renovate, finance, or

otherwise provide for recreational and trail -related activities and facilities on

designated public lands and private lands of participating landowners who

have voluntarily entered into use agreements with the board;

(c) Promote the growth and development of the trail system, tourism, and the

hotel, restaurant, and entertainment industry within the RA and the

Commonwealth, through marketing RA to enhance local economic and

tourism development;

(d) Establish agreements w ith other persons, businesses, agencies, organizations,

or any other entity to levy a surcharge on tickets for events, activities,

festivals, or functions that are cosponsored with other entities and contribute

to the authority's operating revenue; and

(e) Procure insurance against any losses in connection with its property, licenses,

easements, or contracts, including hold -harmless agreements, operations, or

assets in such amounts and from such insurers as the board considers

desirable.

(2) The board's ma nagement program shall prioritize contractual arrangements with

private landowners to use land for recreational purposes, which shall not diminish

the participating landowner's interest, control, or profitability of the land. If

necessary to implement a co mprehensive trail system, the board may also contract

with public landowners through contractual agreements that recognize the primary

mission for which the public entity controls and manages the land.

(3) The board may carry out any of the following to ac complish the purposes of KRS

148.033 to 148.039:

(a) Acquire, own, and hold property, and all interests therein, by deed, purchase,

gift, devise, bequest, or lease, or by transfer from the State Property and

Buildings Commission, except that the authority shall not acquire property

through the exercise of the power of eminent domain;

(b) Dispose of any property acquired in any manner provided by law;

(c) Lease property, whether as lessee or lessor, and acquire or grant through

easement, license, or other appropriate legal form, the right to develop and use

property and open it to the use of the public;

(d) Mortgage or otherwise grant security interests in its property;

(e) Maintain sinking funds and reserves as the board determines appropriate for

the purposes of meeting future monetary obligations and needs of the

authority; however, contributions to a sinking fund during a fiscal year shall

not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total fees collected during the prior year;

(f) Sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, and complain and defend in any

court;

(g) Make contracts and execute instruments necessary for carrying on its

business, including contracts wit h any Kentucky state agency, the federal

government, or any person, individual, partnership, or corporation to effect

any or all of the purposes of KRS 148.033 to 148.039 as follows:

1. Contracts shall go through a public bidding process;

2. Contracts for one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more shall be sent, with

at least three (3) bids from separate entities, to the Department for Local

Government for review and final approval;

3. Bids from entities with KORRRA participating counties are to be given

preference over competing bidders from outside of KORRRA

participating counties; and

4. If the Department for Local Government has not given a response in the

form of an approval or rejection after five (5) business days from the

date the department received the contract to be reviewed, it shall be

considered approved;

(h) Accept grants and loans from and enter into contracts and other transactions

with any federal agency, regional commission, or state agency for

accomplishing the purposes of KRS 148.033 to 148.039;

(i) Borrow money and issue bonds, security interests, or notes;

(j) Provide for and secure the payment of the bonds, security interests, or notes;

(k) Provide for the rights of the holders of the bonds, security interests, or notes;

(l) Purchase, hold, and dispose of any of its bonds, security interests, or notes;

(m) Accept gifts or grants of property, security interests, money, labor, supplies,

or services from any governmental unit or from any person, firm, or

corporation;

(n) Establish a regional rec reational trail system based upon contracts and

agreements with participating landowners. The board may enter into contracts

with landowners, and other persons holding an interest in the land being used

for its recreational facilities, to hold those landow ners harmless with respect

to any claim in tort growing out of the use of the land for public recreation or

growing out of the recreational activities operated or managed by the board

from any claim, except a claim for damages proximately caused by the wil lful

or malicious conduct of the landowner or any of his or her agents or

employees;

(o) 1. Establish a fee-based system of permits, user registrations, or other trail

or facility access mechanisms.

2. The fees may be imposed for access to and use of the t rails, parking

facilities, visitor centers, or other trail -related recreational purpose

facilities or recreation activities that are part of the RA or as an

admission to an event.

3. The fees shall be decided by the board.

4. The KORRRA shall retain and us e the revenue from fees for any

purposes consistent with KRS 148.033 to 148.039 and within the

guidelines in subsection (4) of this section;

(p) Promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A

to govern use and maintenance of the R A and any other matters for effective

management of the RA;

(q) Cooperate and contract with the regional recreation authorities of Illinois,

Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and other contiguous states to connect the trails

in Kentucky with similar recreation facilities in those states; and

(r) Exercise all of the powers that a corporation may lawfully exercise under the

laws of the Commonwealth.

(4) The fees collected by the KORRRA are to be used within the following guidelines;

(a) To pay the salary of the executive director and all staff of the KORRRA;

(b) To reimburse travel expenses of board members including lodging, subject to

Finance and Administration Cabinet administrative regulations;

(c) To fund the construction, maintenance, and all necessary expenses of the

KORRRA trail system;

(d) To maintain a sinking fund with contributions to the fund during a fiscal year

not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the total fees collected during the prior

year and the total fund not to exceed a balance of one million dollars

($1,000,000) at the end of any fiscal year; and

(e) Any remaining moneys not already appropriated in accordance with KRS

148.033 to 148.039 at the end of the fiscal year are to be sent to the

Department for Local Government to be placed into an account to be used

exclusively for economic development grants in KORRRA participating

counties. These grants shall give preference to projects in economically

distressed counties, then to at -risk c ounties, then to transitional counties, as

defined by Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts.

(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a waiver of sovereign immunity.