994                              Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 618

Federal laws as the municipality may deem reasonable and appro-
priate;

(6)  to enter into any building or property in any urban renewal
area in order to make inspections, surveys, appraisals, soundings or
test borings, and to obtain an order for this purpose from the Circuit
Court for the county in which the municipality is situated in the
event entry is denied or resisted;

(7)  to plan, replan, install, construct, reconstruct, repair, close or
vacate streets, roads, sidewalks, public utilities, parks, playgrounds,
and other public improvements in connection with an urban renewal
project; and to make exceptions from building regulations;

(8)  to generally organize, coordinate and direct the administra-
tion of the provisions of this sub-heading as they apply to such
municipality in order that the objective of remedying slum and
blighted areas and preventing the causes thereof within such munic-
ipality may be most effectively promoted and achieved;

(9) to require any public utility to relocate, at its own expense,

any lines or other facilities within an urban renewal area, if such

relocation is required to carry out an urban renewal plan;

(10) (9) to exercise all or any part or combination of powers here-
in granted.

3. Establishment of Urban Renewal Agency

The municipality may itself exercise all the powers granted by this
sub-heading or may, if its legislative body by ordinance determines
such action to be in the public interest, elect to have such powers
exercised by a separate public body or agency as hereinafter pro-
vided. In the event said legislative body makes such determination,
it shall proceed by ordinance to establish a public body or agency to
undertake in the municipality the activities authorized by this sub-
heading. Such ordinance shall include provisions establishing the
number of members of such public body or agency, the manner of
their appointment and removal, the terms of said members and their
compensation. The ordinance may include such additional provisions
relating to the organization of said public body or agency as may be
necessary. In the event the legislative body enacts such an ordinance,
all of the powers by this sub-heading granted to the municipality
shall, from the effective date of said ordinance, be vested in the public
body or agency thereby established, except:

(1)   The power to pass a resolution to initiate an urban renewal
project pursuant to Section 4 of this sub-heading.

(2)   The power to issue general obligation bonds pursuant to
Section 9 of this sub-heading.

(3) The power to appropriate funds, and to levy taxes and assess-
ments pursuant to Section 2 (3) of this sub-heading.

4. Initiation of Project

In order to initiate an urban renewal project, the legislative body
of the municipality shall adopt a resolution which

(1) finds that one or more slum or blighted areas exist in such
municipality;