(a) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate to be known as the “Delaware Health Facilities Authority,” hereinafter in this chapter called the Authority. Said Authority is constituted a public instrumentality and the exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this chapter shall be deemed and held to be the performance of an essential public function. Said Authority shall consist of 7 members to be appointed by the Governor, 1 of which shall be a resident of the City of Wilmington, 1 a resident of New Castle County, 1 a resident of Kent County, 1 a resident of Sussex County and 3 members at large, all of whom shall be residents of the State. No more than 4 shall be members of the same political party. At least 2 of the members shall be trustees, directors, officers or employees of a health care facility, at least 1 shall be a person having a favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in the field of state and municipal finance, either as a partner, officer or employee of an investment banking firm which originates and purchases state and municipal securities, or as an officer or employee of an insurance company or bank whose duties relate to the purchase of state and municipal securities as an investment and to the management and control of a state and municipal securities portfolio and at least 1 shall be a person having a favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in the building construction field. The terms of the members of the Authority first appointed shall be designated by the Governor to commence on June 1, 1976, and to expire, respectively, 1 on June 30th in each of the years 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 and 3 in the year 1981. A member of the Authority shall be eligible for reappointment. Upon the expiration of the term of any member the member’s successor shall be appointed for a term of 5 years. The Governor shall fill any vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any member of the Authority may be removed by the Governor for misfeasance, malfeasance or wilful neglect of duty or other cause after notice and a public hearing unless such notice and hearing shall be expressly waived in writing. Each member of the Authority, before entering upon the member’s duties, shall take an oath to administer the duties of the member’s office faithfully and impartially, and such oath shall be on file in the office of the Secretary of State. For the purposes of this section, a member’s residency, political affiliation, position or employment, skill, knowledge and experience in a specified area shall be determined as of the date of the initial appointment of such member.

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) The Authority shall annually elect 1 of its members as chairperson and 1 as vice chairperson. It may appoint an executive director, assistant executive director, treasurer and secretary who shall not be members of the Authority, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Authority. They shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by the Authority.

(c) The person designated by resolution of the Authority shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Authority and shall be custodian of all books, documents and papers filed with the Authority, the minute book or journal of the Authority, and its official seal. Said person may cause copies to be made of all minutes and other records and documents of the Authority and may give certificates under the official seal of the Authority to the effect that such copies are true copies, and all persons dealing with the Authority may rely upon such certificates.

(d) Three members of the Authority shall constitute a quorum. The affirmative vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting of the Authority having a quorum present shall be necessary for any action taken by the Authority. A vacancy in the membership of the Authority shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the Authority. Any action taken by the Authority under this chapter may be authorized by resolution at any regular or special meeting, and each such resolution shall take effect immediately and need not be published or posted.

(e) Before the issuance of any bonds or notes under this chapter, the chairperson, vice chairperson, executive director and assistant executive director and any other member of the Authority authorized by resolution of the Authority to handle funds or sign checks of the Authority shall execute a surety bond in the penal sum of $100,000, or in lieu thereof the chairperson shall obtain a blanket position bond covering the executive director and every member and other employee of the Authority in the penal sum of $100,000. Each such bond shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the principal or the members, executive director and other employees, as the case may be, shall be executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the State as surety, shall be approved by the Attorney General and shall be filed in the office of the State Secretary. The cost of each such bond shall be paid by the Authority.

(f) The members of the Authority shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties hereunder but each such member shall be paid that member’s necessary expenses incurred while engaged in the performance of such duties.

(g) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, it shall not be or constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, officer or employee of a participating facility or for a person having the required favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in state and municipal finance or for a person having the required favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in the building construction field to serve as a member of the Authority; provided, in each case to which provisions thereof are applicable, such trustee, director, officer or employee of such participating facility abstains from discussion, deliberation, action and vote by the Authority in specific respect to any undertaking pursuant to this chapter in which such participating facility has an interest, or such person having the required favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in state and municipal finance abstains from discussion, deliberation, action and vote by the Authority in specific respect to any sale, purchase or ownership of bonds of the Authority in which the investment banking firm or insurance company or bank of which such person is a partner, officer or employee has a past, current or future interest, or such person having the required favorable reputation for skill, knowledge and experience in the building construction field abstains from discussion, deliberation, action and vote by the Authority in specific respect to construction or acquisition of any project of the Authority in which any partnership, firm, joint venture, sole proprietorship or corporation of which such person is an owner, venturer, participant, partner, officer or employee who has a past, current or future interest.

59 Del. Laws, c. 292, § ?1; 60 Del. Laws, c. 565, § ?1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 92, § ?18(e); 67 Del. Laws, c. 152, § ?3; 67 Del. Laws, c. 285, § ?32; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § ?1;