§ 62-28. Powers and duties.

In the performance of its duties and in the execution of its functions under this article, the authority shall exercise the following powers:

(1)

To employ and compensate such personnel, consultants and technical and professional assistants as it may deem necessary.

(2)

To make and enter into contracts and agreements.

(3)

To hold public hearings and sponsor public forums.

(4)

To sue and be sued in its own name.

(5)

To accept and use funds, grants and services from the federal government or any agency thereof, the state government or any agency thereof, including the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the county government or any agency thereof, including the district school board, and the several municipalities in the county and agencies thereof.

(6)

To determine the compensation to be paid to a municipal or volunteer fire department for service provided by it to the unincorporated areas within its district.

(7)

To receive and disburse all funds collected within a district through ad valorem taxation as authorized in section 62-31, keeping such funds segregated according to the district in which they were collected.

(8)

To compel municipal and volunteer fire departments within the county to provide fire protection to the unincorporated areas within their respective fire protection districts.

(9)

To determine minimum service levels, as defined by the Insurance Services Office, for each municipal and volunteer fire department and fire protection district within the county, and to compel such departments to take any action necessary to ensure that they are operating at the minimum level prescribed by the authority. Responsibility for the maintenance and operation of individual fire departments shall remain vested in the respective municipality having a fire department and with volunteer fire departments and fire control districts.

(10)

To provide municipal and volunteer fire departments with funds derived from ad valorem taxation within their respective fire control districts for the purpose of expanding their facilities and upgrading their local service rating.

(11)

To receive and disburse all additional funds which from time to time may be appropriated from the general fund of the county.

(12)

To prepare an annual budget, using the same fiscal year as that of the county, and to cause an annual audit of the authority to be made to determine how funds provided to the municipal fire departments, volunteer fire departments and fire control districts under the provisions of this article have been expended.

(13)

To establish uniform standards as to the size of water lines and the distribution of fire hydrants, and to direct all local governments in the county to adopt regulations complying with such standards.

(14)

To develop and implement a plan of installation of fire hydrants and water lines in areas within the districts not now having adequate facilities.

(15)

To implement countywide reciprocal, mutual, or outside assistance programs among all municipal fire departments, volunteer fire departments and fire control districts, and compensation plans for such programs.

(16)

To compel adherence by an unincorporated area to the provisions and requirements of the Standard Fire Prevention Code, or to the fire and building codes established by the political subdivision or fire department providing fire protection in its respective district, if the fire and building codes of such political subdivision or fire department contain standards equivalent to or more stringent than the Standard Fire Prevention Code.

(17)

To divide the county into fire protection districts, such districts not becoming effective until sections 62-29, 62-30 and 62-31 of this article have been fully complied with.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 73-600, § 3)