229.44(5)(5) Employ personnel, and fix and regulate their compensation; and provide, either directly or subject to an agreement under s. 66.0301 or 229.47 (1) as a participant in a benefit plan of another governmental entity, any employee benefits, including an employee pension plan.

229.44(6)(6) Purchase insurance, establish and administer a plan of self-insurance or, subject to an agreement with another governmental entity under s. 66.0301 or 229.47 (1), participate in a governmental plan of insurance or self-insurance.

229.44(7)(7) Mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber the district’s property or funds.

229.44(8)(8) Issue bonds under ss. 229.48 to 229.56 and enter into agreements related to the issuance of bonds, including liquidity and credit facilities, remarketing agreements, insurance policies, guaranty agreements, letter of credit or reimbursement agreements, indexing agreements, interest exchange agreements and currency exchange agreements.

229.44(9)(9) Maintain funds and invest the funds in any investment that the board considers appropriate.

229.44(10)(10) Direct its agents or employees, if properly identified in writing, to enter upon real property within its jurisdiction to make surveys and examinations before locating or constructing an exposition center or exposition center facilities, without incurring liability by the district, its agents or employees except for actual damage done. Before directing anyone to enter real property under this subsection, the district shall give the owner and occupant of the property at least 5 days’ written notice.

229.44(11)(11) Promote, advertise and publicize its exposition center, exposition center facilities and related activities.

229.44(12)(12) Set standards governing the use of, and the conduct within, its exposition center and exposition center facilities in order to promote public safety and convenience and to maintain order.

229.44(13)(13) Establish rates or other charges for the use of its exposition center and exposition center facilities or for services rendered by the district.

229.44(14)(14) Enter into partnerships, joint ventures or other arrangements with other persons, including other districts created under this subchapter, to further the district’s purposes.

229.44(15)(15) If the district’s sponsoring municipality adopts a resolution described under s. 229.50 (1) (a), and if the district’s sponsoring municipality agrees to stop imposing and collecting its room tax under s. 66.0615 (1m) (a), adopt a resolution to impose the taxes under ss. 66.0615 (1m), 77.98 and 77.99, except that, if a district adopts a resolution under this subsection, it shall deliver a certified copy of the resolution to the secretary of revenue at least 120 days before its effective date.

229.445229.445 Ticket surcharge. The board of directors shall require the sponsor of an event held at a sports and entertainment arena to impose a $2 surcharge on each ticket that is sold to the event. The event sponsor shall forward to the board of directors any surcharges collected under this section. The board of directors shall submit 25 percent of the amount received under this section to the department of administration for deposit into the general fund and shall retain the remainder for the district.

229.45229.45 Powers granted to sponsoring municipality. In addition to any powers that it may otherwise have, a sponsoring municipality may do any of the following:

229.45(1)(1) Make grants or loans to a district upon terms that the sponsoring municipality considers appropriate.

229.45(2)(2) Expend public funds to subsidize a district.

229.45(3)(3) Borrow money under ss. 67.04 and 67.12 (12) for exposition center facilities or to fund grants, loans or subsidies to a district.

229.46(1)(1) In this section:

229.46(1)(ag)(ag) “Disabled veteran-owned business” means a business certified by the department of administration under s. 16.283 (3).

229.46(1)(c)(c) “Women’s business” means a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture or corporation that is at least 51 percent owned, controlled and actively managed by women.

229.46(2)(2) A person who is awarded a contract by a district shall agree, as a condition to receiving the contract, that at least 25 percent of the employees hired because of the contract will be minority group members, at least 5 percent of the employees hired because of the contract will be women, and at least 1 percent of the employees hired because of the contract will be employees of a disabled veteran-owned business, if any of the following applies: