NY Pub Auth L § 1096 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBA - Public Authorities Article 5 - Public Utility Authorities Title 5 - Monroe County Water Authority 1096 - Powers of the Authority.

§ 1096. Powers of the authority. The authority shall have power:   1. To sue and be sued;   2. To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;   3.  To  acquire, in the name of the authority, lease, hold and dispose of personal property or any interest therein for its corporate purposes, including the power to  purchase  prospective  or  tentative  awards  in connection  with  the  exercise of the power of condemnation hereinafter granted;   4. To purchase or lease, in the  name  of  the  authority,  any  water supply  system,  water  distribution  system,  including  plants, works, instrumentalities or parts thereof  and  appurtenances  thereto,  lands, easements,  rights  in  land  and  water rights, rights-of-way, contract rights, franchises, approaches,  connections,  dams,  reservoirs,  water mains  and  pipe  lines,  pumping  stations  and equipment, or any other property incidental to and included in such system or part thereof,  and any  improvements,  extensions,  and  betterments,  situated  within the county, or in Genesee county, or in the town or village of  Victor,  the village  of  Bloomfield  and  the  towns  of  East Bloomfield, Canadice, Richmond and West Bloomfield in Ontario county, or  in  the  village  of Holley  and the towns of Clarendon and Kendall in Orleans county for the purpose of supplying water for domestic, commercial, and public purposes at retail to individual consumers within the county of Monroe or in  the manner  provided by subdivision seven of this section; and as a means of so acquiring for such purposes, and  subject  to  the  approval  of  the public  service  commission, the authority may purchase all of the stock of any existing  privately  owned  water  corporation  or  company,  and thereafter,  within a reasonable time, such water corporation or company shall be dissolved;   5. To condemn in the name of the authority in the counties  of  Monroe and  Genesee,  or  in  any  other  county  or  municipality specifically enumerated in the first sentence of subdivision six of this section,  or in  the  name  of  the  county in the case of any water facilities to be owned and financed by the county pursuant to  subdivision  sixteen-b  of this  section, except where located in any other county or municipality, any water supply system, water distribution  system,  including  plants, works,  instrumentalities,  or  parts thereof and appurtenances thereto, lands, easements,  rights  in  land  and  water  rights,  rights-of-way, contract  rights, franchises, approaches, connections, dams, reservoirs, water mains and pipe lines, pumping stations and equipment, or any other property incidental to and included in such system or part thereof,  and any  improvements,  extensions,  and  betterments  for  the  purpose  of supplying water for domestic, commercial, and public purposes at  retail to  individual consumers within the counties of Monroe and Genesee or in any other county or municipality specifically enumerated  in  the  first sentence  of  subdivision  six  of  this section, or at wholesale in the manner provided by subdivision seven  of  this  section.  The  authority shall  exercise  the  power of condemnation hereby granted in the manner provided by the eminent domain procedure law or any such  proceeding  to condemn  may  be  instituted  by  the  authority before a justice of the supreme court or an official referee thereof. In the  exercise  of  such power  of  condemnation,  the  property being condemned shall be deemed, when so determined by the authority, to be for a public use superior  to the  public  use  in  the  hands  of  any  other person, association, or corporation; provided, however, that the authority shall have  no  power to condemn property the legal title to which is vested in a municipality or  in  a private corporation owning such property primarily for its own use, unless such  municipality  or  private  corporation  shall  consent thereto;    6.   To   construct   and  develop  any  water  supply  system,  water distribution system,  including  plants,  works,  instrumentalities,  or parts thereof, and appurtenances thereto, dams, reservoirs, water mains, pipe  lines,  pumping  stations  and  equipment,  or  any other property incidental  to  or  included  in  such system or part thereof within the county of Monroe, or in Genesee county, or in the  town  or  village  of Victor,  the  village  of  Bloomfield  and the towns of East Bloomfield, Canadice, Richmond and West Bloomfield in  Ontario  county,  or  in  the village  of  Holley  and  the towns of Clarendon  and Kendall in Orleans county. To acquire, by condemnation, in the name of the authority in the counties of Monroe and Genesee, or in any other county  or  municipality specifically enumerated in the first sentence of this subdivision, or in the  name of the county of Monroe in the case of any water facilities to be owned and financed by such county pursuant to  subdivision  sixteen-b of  this section, lands, easements, rights in land and water rights, and rights-of-way within the counties of Monroe and Genesee, or in any other county or municipality specifically enumerated in the first sentence  of this  subdivision,  in the manner provided by this title; or to purchase or lease  lands,  easements,  rights  in  land  and  water  rights,  and rights-of-way  in  connection  therewith  within the county of Monroe or within  Genesee  county,  or  in  any  other  county   or   municipality specifically  enumerated  in the first sentence of this subdivision; and to own and operate, maintain, repair, improve, reconstruct, enlarge, and extend, subject to the provisions of this title, any of  its  properties acquired  or  constructed  under this title, all of which, together with the acquisition of such properties, are hereby  declared  to  be  public purposes;   6-a.  The  authority  shall  not exercise any of the powers granted in subdivisions  four  and  six  of  this  section  with  respect  to   the acquisition, purchase, leasing, construction, or development of property outside  of  the county without first having obtained the prior approval of such purchase, leasing, acquisition, construction, or development  of such  property  outside  of  the county by resolution of the legislative body of the municipality wherein the affected property  outside  of  the county  is  located.  Notwithstanding  any inconsistent provision of any general, special, or local law, ordinance, resolution, or  charter,  any public  corporation  or  improvement district thereof may, by a majority vote of its governing body, give, grant, sell, convey, lend, license the use of, or lease to the authority any property or facilities,  including any  water  supply  system, water distribution system, including plants, works, instrumentalities or parts  thereof  and  appurtenances  thereto, lands,  easements,  rights  in  land  and  water  rights, rights-of-way, contract rights, franchises, approaches, connections, dams,  reservoirs, water mains and pipe lines, pumping stations and equipment, or any other property  incidental to and included in such system or part thereof, and any  improvements,  extensions,  and  betterments  for  the  purpose  of supplying   water   for  domestic,  commercial,  industrial  and  public purposes, which property or facilities are useful in connection with the exercise by the authority of its powers under this title. Any such gift, grant, sale, conveyance, loan, license, or  lease  shall  be  upon  such terms  and  conditions,  and for such term or terms of years, subject to the rights of the holders of any bonds, as the authority and such public corporation or improvement district thereof may agree.  Any  such  gift, grant, sale, conveyance, loan, license, or lease shall not be subject to referendum,  permissive  or  mandatory.  In  the  event  that any public corporation  or  improvement  district  thereof  gives,  grants,  sells, conveys,  lends, licenses the use of, or leases any water supply system, water  distribution  system,  or  other   improvements,   extension   or  betterments  for  the purpose of supplying water, to the authority, such public corporation or improvement district thereof may contract with the authority to lease, borrow,  license,  operate,  maintain,  manage,  and provide services for such facilities upon such terms and conditions, and for  such  term  or  terms of years, subject to the rights of holders of bonds, as the authority  and  such  public  corporation  or  improvement district  thereof  may  agree.  The  authority,  in  furtherance  of any purchase, conveyance, or lease of any  property  or  facility  from  any public  corporation  or  improvement  district  thereof,  may assume the primary responsibility for the payment of the principal and interest  on any  bonds  or  notes  issued  by such public corporation or improvement district thereof for such property or facility. For purposes of  section 136.00  of  the  local  finance  law,  any agreement by the authority to assume the primary responsibility for the payment of the  principal  and interest  on any bonds or notes issued by any such public corporation or improvement district thereof shall, so  long  as  such  agreement  shall continue to be honored by the authority, cause such bonds or notes to be deemed  to  have  been  refunded,  and  any  such  public corporation or improvement district thereof may deduct from its gross indebtedness  any outstanding  indebtedness contracted for such property or facility to be acquired by the authority. The net proceeds of any purchase, conveyance, or lease of any property  or  facility  from  a  public  corporation  or improvement  district  thereof may be used by such public corporation or improvement district thereof for any general or specific public use;   7. To sell water,  however  acquired,  by  volume  and  at  retail  to individual   consumers   within  the  county  of  Monroe  for  domestic, commercial, industrial, and public purposes, or by volume or in bulk and at wholesale to any or all  municipalities  or  privately  owned  public water  supply and distribution systems in such county. The fact that any municipality has procured or is about to procure an  independent  source of  water  supply  shall  not  prevent such municipality from purchasing water from the authority. To sell any water not needed in such county by volume and at retail  to  individual  consumers  within  the  county  of Genesee,  or in the town or village of Victor, the village of Bloomfield and the towns of East Bloomfield, Canadice, Richmond and West Bloomfield in Ontario county, or  in  the  village  of  Holley  and  the  towns  of Clarendon  and  Kendall  in  Orleans  county,  for domestic, commercial, industrial, and public  purposes,  or  by  volume  or  in  bulk  and  at wholesale to any municipality or privately owned public water supply and distribution  system  outside  of  the  county;  provided that any costs incurred by the authority related to the Genesee county project shall be recovered by the authority solely from Genesee county or from rates  and charges  collected  from  customers  within  Genesee county; and further provided that the authority shall not sell water in any area outside  of the  county  unless the governing board of the municipality wherein such area is located shall enter into an agreement  with  the  authority  for service  or  sale  of  water  by  it in such area or shall by resolution request the authority to sell water  within  such  area.  Any  agreement between  a  municipality outside of the county and the authority for the sale of water to or within such municipality shall  be  subject  to  the approval  of  the legislative body of the contiguous county wherein such municipality is located. Not only may the  authority  sell  any  surplus water it may have developed, but it may develop and provide a sufficient amount  of  water  so  as  to  supply  water  outside  of  the county to individual consumers, any municipality, or privately owned public  water supply and distribution system;   8.  To  purchase  water  in bulk or by volume from any person, private corporation  or  municipality  when  necessary  or  convenient  for  the  operation  of  any water supply and distribution system developed by it, or when necessary or convenient  for  resale  under  the  authority  and provisions of subdivision seven of this section;   9.  To  acquire,  hold,  use, lease, sell, transfer and dispose of any property,  real,  personal  or  mixed,  or  interest  therein,  for  its corporate purposes;   10.  To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs, and subject to agreements with bondholders, rules for the sale of  water and  the  collection of rents and charges therefor. A copy of such rules and by-laws, and all amendments thereto, duly certified by the secretary of the authority shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county and thereafter  published  once  in  two  newspapers  having  a  general circulation   in  the  county.  Violation  of  such  rules  shall  be  a misdemeanor, punishable by fine, not  exceeding  fifty  dollars,  or  by imprisonment  for  not  longer  than  thirty  days,  or  both. Exclusive jurisdiction is hereby conferred upon the local criminal courts  of  the county, which have trial jurisdiction, to hear and determine, subject to the  provisions  of  the  criminal  procedure law, any violation of this title;   11. To use the officers, employees, facilities and  equipment  of  the county  with  the  consent of the county, paying a proper portion of the compensation or cost;   12. To make contracts and  to  execute  all  necessary  or  convenient instruments,   including   evidences   of  indebtedness,  negotiable  or non-negotiable;   13. To enter on any lands, waterways and premises for the  purpose  of making surveys, soundings and examinations;   14. To borrow money and to issue negotiable bonds or notes and to fund or  refund the same, and to provide for the rights of the holders of its obligations;   15. To fix rates and collect charges for the use of the facilities of, or services rendered by, or any commodities furnished by  the  authority such  as to provide revenues sufficient at all times to pay, as the same shall become due, the principal and interest on the bonds  or  notes  of the authority together with the maintenance of proper reserves therefor, in  addition  to  paying  as  the  same  shall become due the expense of operating and maintaining the properties of the authority together  with proper reserves for depreciation, maintenance, and contingencies and all other obligations and indebtedness of the authority;   16. To enter into cooperative agreements with other water authorities, municipalities,  or  utility  companies,  for  the  inter-connection  of facilities, the exchange or inter-change of  services  and  commodities, and  to  enter  into  contracts for the construction of water supply and distribution  systems  by  the  authority  for  any  municipality  which possesses  express  reciprocal  powers and having power to construct and develop a water supply and distribution system,  or  contracts  for  the construction  of  a  water  supply  and  distributions  systems  for the authority by a municipality which possesses  express  reciprocal  powers and   having   power  to  construct  and  develop  a  water  supply  and distribution  system,  upon  such  terms  and  conditions  as  shall  be determined   to  be  reasonable  including,  but  not  limited  to,  the reimbursement of all costs of such construction, or for any other lawful purposes necessary or desirable to effect the purposes  of  this  title, provided,  however,  that any such agreement with a municipality located in a county, other than Monroe county, shall be subject to the  approval of  the  legislative  body of such county. The authority shall also have the power to enter into contracts or agreements with other corporations, public  or  private,  (i)  for  or  with  respect  to   the   financing,  construction,  development,  expansion  or  improvement  of  properties, facilities, and appurtenances owned by the authority, with a part of the capacity  or  use  of  such  properties,  facilities  and  appurtenances utilized or to be utilized by or for the benefit of any such corporation and  (ii)  for or with respect to the use, operation, management, repair and maintenance of such properties, facilities, and appurtenances of the authority, upon such terms and conditions as shall be determined  to  be reasonable,  which  may  include,  without limitation, collection by the authority of rents, rates or other  charges  to  pay  for  the  cost  of construction,  including  debt  service  on obligations of the authority issued to  finance  construction,  operation,  management,  maintenance, repair  and  use  of such facilities; and municipalities having power to construct and develop water supply and distribution systems  shall  have the power to enter into contracts or agreements contemplated herein with the  authority, including any such contract to which another corporation is a party;   16-a. To enter  into  a  contract  or  contracts  with  the  board  of supervisors  of  Monroe  county  for  the  acquisition, construction and development of a water supply and distribution system, or  any  part  or parts thereof, on behalf of a county water district, and to contract for the  operation  and  management  of  such  county water district, all as provided in article five-a of the county law and article five-b  of  the general municipal law. Such water authority shall be deemed the agent of Monroe  county under any such contract. If such contract shall authorize the water authority to purchase supplies or equipment  or  to  construct public  works,  such authority shall be subject to all provisions of law to which Monroe county would be subject in relation to  advertising  and awarding any such contracts for supplies, equipment or public works.   16-b.  (1)  It  is  the purpose of this subdivision to provide a means whereby: (i) the authority shall plan,  construct,  operate  and  manage both  the  water  properties owned by the authority and additional water facilities to be hereafter constructed by the authority but financed and owned by the county  so  that  such  water  properties  and  such  water facilities  may  be operated as an integrated water system; and (ii) the county shall finance  the  construction  of  and  own  additional  water facilities  and  lease  the same to or otherwise make the same available for use by the authority in order to assist the authority  in  providing such  necessary  improvements  required  for  the operation of the water properties of the authority (the title to which water  properties  will, as provided by law, become vested in the county).  (2)  For  the  purposes  of this subdivision sixteen-b the term "water facilities" shall mean the acquisition, construction  or  reconstruction of  or addition to a water supply or distribution system, whether or not including buildings, land  or  rights  in  land,  original  furnishings, equipment, machinery or apparatus, or the replacement of such equipment, machinery  or  apparatus,  which water facilities are to be financed and owned by the county. For the purpose of this subdivision  sixteen-b  the term  "water  properties" means the source of water supply and the water supply and distribution system of the authority, including  the  plants, works,  instrumentalities  or  parts  thereof and appurtenances thereto, lands, easements, rights in  land  and  water  rights,  rights  of  way, contract  rights, franchises, approaches, connections, dams, reservoirs, water mains and pipe lines, pumping  stations  and  equipment,  and  any other  property,  real, personal or mixed, incidental to and included in such source of  supply  and  such  system  or  parts  thereof,  and  any improvements,  extensions and betterments, now or hereafter constructed, acquired or made by the  authority,  other  than  the  water  facilities  constructed  by  the  authority  but financed and owned by the county in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision.  (3)  The  county  may,  by  resolution of the legislative body of such county, enter  into  an  agreement  or  agreements  with  the  authority providing:  (i)  that  water  facilities  shall  be  constructed  by the authority, which water facilities shall be financed  and  owned  by  the county  and  leased  or  otherwise  made  available  for  the use of the authority; and (ii) for the transfer to the authority  for  use  in  the execution  of  its corporate purposes of such water facilities hereafter financed and owned by the county in accordance with  the  provisions  of this subdivision; provided, however, that title to such facilities shall remain in the county.   Such  agreement  shall  constitute  a  contract for the passing to and vesting in the county of all  rights  and  properties,  including  water properties,  of  the  authority  when  all liabilities of the authority, other than its liabilities to the  county  pursuant  to  any  agreements entered  into  pursuant  to  this  subdivision,  and  the  bonds  of the authority have been paid in full  or  such  liabilities  or  bonds  have otherwise been discharged.   Such  agreement  or  agreements  may  be amended, modified, changed or extended by supplemental agreements authorized and executed in the  same manner  as  the  original  agreement provided that the provisions of any such  supplemental  agreement  shall  not  be  inconsistent   with   the provisions of this subdivision sixteen-b.  (4) Such agreement shall provide that until the rights and properties, including  the  water  properties, of the authority shall pass to and be vested in the county as provided by law, the authority shall act as  the agent of the county: (i) to provide water facilities deemed necessary by the  authority  (a) to provide a supply of water sufficient to serve all customers of the water properties of the  authority  and  of  the  water facilities  of  the county operated and managed by the authority, or (b) water facilities for the distribution of water deemed necessary  by  the authority to serve the territory of the authority within the county; and (ii)  to  operate,  manage,  replace,  maintain  and  repair  such water facilities in conjunction with the water properties of the authority  so that both the water properties of the authority and the water facilities owned  and financed by the county shall be planned, operated and managed as an integrated water system.  (5) Such agreement shall provide for the transfer to and  use  by  the authority   of   such  water  facilities  by  lease,  license  or  other arrangement until such time as  all  rights  and  properties,  including water  properties,  of  the authority shall pass to and be vested in the county as provided by law and shall  authorize  the  authority  to  take jurisdiction,   control,   possession  and  supervision  of  such  water facilities and operate, manage, replace, maintain and  repair  the  same together  with  the  water  properties of the authority as an integrated water system.  (6) Such agreement shall provide that the county shall pay  an  amount not  to  exceed  twenty-seven  million  dollars to provide certain water facilities to be owned by the county and leased  to  or  otherwise  made available  for use by the authority in accordance with the provisions of such agreement, which water  facilities  shall  be  described  in  terms sufficient  for identification in the first agreement so executed by and between the county and the authority.  The county may issue  obligations pursuant   to  the  local  finance  law  in  an  amount  not  to  exceed twenty-seven million dollars to pay the cost of such  water  facilities. The provisions of section four hundred of the county charter prohibiting the  financing  of permanent improvements by the issuance of obligations  pursuant to the local finance law unless such permanent improvements are included in a budget of permanent improvements adopted and  approved  as provided  by  such  section  four hundred shall not be applicable to the financing  of  such water facilities by the issuance of such obligations of the county authority by this paragraph.  (7) Such agreement shall provide that the authority shall pay  to  the county  for  each fiscal year of the county an annual rental for the use of the water facilities financed and owned by the county which shall  be an  operating expense of the authority, and shall be equal to the sum of the following: (i) the principal of any bonds of the county becoming due in such fiscal year issued in accordance with any agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision; and (ii) the interest on  any  obligations of  the county, including bonds and notes, issued in accordance with any such agreement and becoming due in  such  fiscal  year.  Such  agreement shall  provide  such  further details as the parties deem necessary with respect to the time and manner of the payment of such annual rentals  in order  to  assure that such annual rentals shall be available to the the county at the times and in the amounts required for the payment of  such principal of bonds of the county and such interest on obligations of the county. Notwithstanding that the payment of such annual rentals shall be an  operating  expense of the authority, such agreement may provide that payment thereof shall be subordinate to all or any of  certain  payments hereinafter  described  required to be made by a certain trust indenture between the authority and a trustee dated as of February first, nineteen hundred fifty-nine. Such payments are the payments required to  be  made by  said  trust  indenture to the debt service fund and the debt service reserve fund both created by such indenture.  (8) Such agreement  shall  provide  that  to  facilitate  the  further acquisition,  construction,  reconstruction,  extension or betterment of water facilities by the authority  to  be  owned  and  financed  by  the county,  other  than  and  in  addition  to  the  water facilities to be financed by the county pursuant to the provisions of  paragraph  (6)  of this  subdivision,  the  authority, on or before September first in each year or on or before such earlier date in each year  as  such  agreement may  provide,  may submit to the county manager a capital budget for the calendar year beginning on the succeeding January first of such proposed water facilities and the estimated cost thereof.   Such  capital  budget shall be accompanied by a report of the consulting engineers retained by the  authority  pursuant  to  a certain trust indenture of the authority dated as of February one, nineteen hundred fifty-nine.  Such  report  of the  consulting  engineers shall explain the need for or desirability of such proposed water facilities  and  shall  state  that  the  consulting engineers  have approved the estimated cost thereof. Such capital budget of the authority and report of such consulting engineers shall  describe such  proposed  water facilities in terms sufficient for identification. When received  by  the  county  manager,  such  capital  budget  of  the authority  and  the  report of the consulting engineers shall be used in the preparation of the budget of permanent public  improvements  of  the county  required  to  be  prepared by section four hundred of the Monroe county charter in the same manner as if the providing of such additional water facilities originally were proposed  by  the  county.  The  county shall  pay  the  cost  of  any water facilities contained in a budget of permanent improvements after such budget has been adopted. At  any  time after  the  adoption of such budget of permanent improvements the county may finance any water  facilities  contained  therein  pursuant  to  the provisions  of  and  in  the  manner  provided by the local finance law. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subdivision, in  the  event that  any  item  for  the providing of water facilities contained in the  capital budget and report of the consulting engineers  as  submitted  to the  county  manager shall not be made a part of the budget of permanent improvements of the county, the authority may, nevertheless, proceed  to construct  such  proposed  water  facility  as  an addition to the water properties of the authority and finance the  same  by  the  issuance  of obligations  of the authority, subject, however, to:  (i) the provisions of any resolutions or trust indentures heretofore or  hereafter  adopted or  executed  by  the authority, as the case may be, with respect to the construction of water  properties  and  the  financing  thereof  by  the authority; and (ii) the limitations, if any, on the issuance of bonds or obligations  by  the  authority  contained  in  any  agreement  executed pursuant to this subdivision sixteen-b.  (9) Such agreement  may  contain  further  provisions  concerning  the following, provided, however, that no provisions in any agreement or any supplemental agreement thereto shall require the authority to in any way impair  the  rights  and  remedies  of the holders of obligations of the authority pursuant to any resolution or trust indenture of the authority heretofore adopted or executed authorizing or  securing  obligations  of the authority: (i) further provisions relating to the annual rentals due by  the  authority  to  the county as provided in this subdivision; (ii) provisions that the rates, fees, rentals and other charges for the  sale or  distribution  of  water  or for other services rendered by the water properties of the authority shall be in an amount  sufficient  to  fully comply  with  any covenants with holders of obligations of the authority and in addition sufficient to pay the  annual  rentals  payable  by  the authority  to  the  county  as  provided  in this subdivision and in any agreements or supplemental agreements executed in  accordance  with  the provisions  of  this subdivision; (iii) provisions limiting the issuance of bonds or obligations by the authority; (iv) provisions  limiting  the power  of  the  authority  to  sell  or  otherwise  dispose of its water properties without the consent of the county; (v)  providing  that  when the  rights  and properties of the authority shall pass to and be vested in the county as provided by law the authority shall act as the agent of the county to plan, construct, operate and manage the  water  properties and  water  facilities  then  vested in and owned by the county for such term and extensions of  such  term  as  may  be  provided  by  any  such agreements;  and  (vi)  such  other provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this subdivision  sixteen-b  as  the  parties  shall  deem necessary  or  desirable to implement the purpose and provisions of this subdivision sixteen-b.  (10) The proceeds of sale of obligations of the county issued pursuant to any agreement entered into pursuant  to  this  subdivision  shall  be subject to the provisions of section one hundred sixty-five of the local finance  law  and shall be paid and disbursed by the director of finance of the county on requisition by the authority or such person or  persons as the authority may authorize to make such requisitions without further audit; provided, however, that the director of finance of the county may require that such requisitions shall be accompanied by properly itemized and verified or certified bills for materials, supplies or services.  (11)  All  contracts  for the purchase of supplies or equipment or the construction of water  facilities  entered  into  with  respect  to  the providing of water facilities to be financed and owned by the county and constructed  by  the authority shall be subject to all provisions of law which  the  county  of  Monroe  would  be  subject  to  in  relation  to advertising  and  awarding any such contracts for supplies, equipment or the construction of water facilities  (12) The provisions of this subdivision sixteen-b shall be independent and cumulative power for the authority and the county to enter into  the  agreements  authorized  hereby  and  shall  not  be construed with or be limited by any of the provisions of article five-a of the county law and of this article of the public authorities law.   17.  To  accept grants, loans or contributions from the United States, the state of New York, or any agency or  instrumentality  of  either  of them,  or  the county, or an individual, by bequest or otherwise, and to expend the proceeds for any purposes of the authority;   18. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out  the  powers expressly given in this title.   19. To contract for the purposes of subdivision twenty-four of section ten of article two of the highway law.   In  exercising  the  powers granted by this title, the authority shall not sell water in any area which is served by a water  system  owned  or operated   by   a  municipality  unless  the  governing  board  of  such municipality shall adopt a resolution requesting the authority  to  sell water in such area.