2.149.040 - Powers and duties.
In order to carry out and facilitate the commission's general purposes and oversight of the Barnes Fund, the commission shall have authority to:
A. Enter into one or more contracts with nonprofit agencies, procured under the Metropolitan Procurement Code, to assist the commission in carrying out its duties and in management of the Barnes Fund;
B. Elect a chairman and such other officers as it may deem necessary to carry out the functions and duties of the commission;
C. Promulgate and maintain its own regulations and bylaws;
D. Conduct its affairs, to select advisory committees or panels of experts as necessary to assist in the discharge of its duties;
E. Solicit, accept, and receive gifts of funds, goods, and services donated to the commission and to the Barnes Fund;
F. Receive and expend any money allocated to the Barnes Fund by the metropolitan government or donated to the Barnes Fund for the purposes expressed in this chapter;
G. Make recommendations to the metropolitan council regarding the awarding of grants from the Barnes Fund, including funds appropriated yearly by the metropolitan council through the operating budget ordinance, to deserving nonprofit organizations and nonprofit civic organizations, or as otherwise authorized by state law, supporting the purposes of the commission. Criteria for the awarding of such funds shall be established by the commission. The criteria shall include setting aside at least twenty percent of such grants to be used for the creation and preservation of affordable housing or capacity building for organizations that create or preserve affordable housing to be awarded to small nonprofit organizations, provided that a sufficient number of qualified applications are received. For the purposes of this subsection, "small nonprofit organizations" means nonprofit organizations with an annual operating budget of no more than four million dollars and a housing budget of no more than one million dollars. The commission shall submit a recommendation to the metropolitan council for the appropriation of funds to deserving nonprofit organizations consistent with T.C.A. § 7-3-314, as it may hereafter be amended. Once funds have been appropriated by the metropolitan council to the deserving nonprofit organization(s), the commission shall enter into a grant contract with each such organization. No such grant contract shall become effective without the approval of the metropolitan department of law and director of finance. In the event the recipient organization fails to complete its obligations under the grant contract within twenty-four months from execution, the commission shall be authorized to rescind the contract and to reclaim previously appropriated funds from the organization, subject to terms and conditions within the grant contract allowing for such.
H. Perform any additional functions authorized by state law and consistent with the purpose of the commission.
(Ord. BL2023-1731 § 1, 2023; Amdt. 1 to Ord. 2021-725 § 1, 2021; Ord. 2021-725 § 1, 2021; Ord. BL2018-1439 § 1, 2019; Ord. BL2013-487 § 4, 2013)
