§11-86A-12. Powers of authority generally.

An authority shall have the following powers:

(1) To have succession by its corporate name until dissolved as provided in this chapter.

(2) To institute and defend legal proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue; provided, however, that an authority may not be sued in any court other than the courts of the county of incorporation; provided, further, that the officers, directors, agents, and employees of an authority may not be sued for their actions on behalf of the authority except for actions that are known by a person to be unlawful or are performed with reckless disregard for the lawfulness of the actions.

(3) To have and to use a corporate seal and to alter the seal at its pleasure.

(4) To establish a fiscal year.

(5) To anticipate by the issuance of its bonds the receipt of any revenues that may be appropriated by or to the authority and to pledge the proceeds of the appropriations as security for the payment of the principal of and interest on its bonds.

(6) To mortgage and pledge any or all of its parks and recreational facilities or any part or parts thereof, whether then owned or thereafter acquired, and to pledge the revenues and receipts therefrom or from any thereof as security for the payment of the principal of and interest on its bonds.

(7) To make surveys and other analyses to determine suitable locations for prospective park and recreation facilities.

(8) To make grants of money for park and recreation purposes to other public persons and to any organization which is described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect from time to time, or as recodified, or any corresponding provision of any future revenue law.

(9) To accept gifts, grants, bequests, or devises.

(10) To accept grants of money from public persons and to enter into binding agreements with those entities, with or without consideration.

(11) To accept donations of money or real or personal or mixed property.

(12) To invest in bank deposits, U.S. Treasury obligations, instruments, real, personal, or mixed property, and other investments as the board of directors may determine to be appropriate and convenient to accomplish any purpose for which an authority is organized, including works of internal improvement.

(13) To appoint, contract with, and employ officers, employees, and agents including, but not limited to, engineers, accountants, attorneys, architects, construction contractors, consultants, fiscal agents, underwriters, issuers of letters of credit, depositories, banks, trustees, paying agents, transfer agents, remarketing agents, marketing agents, rating agencies, insurers of its securities, guarantors of its securities, or providers of other forms of credit enhancement for its securities as an authority may require or deem appropriate for the carrying out of its corporate purposes and the exercise of its powers.

(14) To acquire, whether by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, or otherwise, all real and personal property that the board of directors deems necessary for the purpose of establishing one or more park and recreational facility; to improve parks and recreational facilities, including the improvement of a park by the construction of buildings, athletic facilities, park facilities, roads, curbing, gutters, drainage, sewerage, utilities, or grading.

(15) To maintain, equip, furnish, own, and operate one or more than one park and recreational facility.

(16) To fix, prescribe, and collect rates, fees, tolls, charges, lease payments, or rentals for the use or lease of any of its facilities for services, facilities, and accommodations furnished by it or any of its facilities.

(17) To adopt and enforce rules and regulations relative to the use or occupancy of any of its facilities or services.

(18) To promote, sponsor, and operate tournaments, programs, shows, exhibitions, athletic events and educational, cultural, recreational, amusement, and other activities.

(19) To sell, exchange, and convey, to contract, to sell, exchange, and convey and to grant options to acquire any or all of its properties whenever its board of directors find any action to be in furtherance of the purposes for which the authority was organized.

(20) To enter into leases of real or personal property with a person.

(21) To provide for insurance as the board of directors may deem advisable.

(22) To enter into a management agreement or agreements with a person for the management of any parks and recreation facilities.

(23) To grant privileges, licenses, or permits for the operation of any public accommodation facilities.

(24) To assume obligations secured by a lien on, or payable out of, or secured by a pledge of, the revenues and receipts from projects, or any part thereof that may be acquired, and obligation assumed to be payable solely out of the revenues and receipts from any projects, or part thereof.

(25) To enter into contracts, agreements, options, leases, deeds, mortgages, and other instruments, and to take other actions as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which an authority is organized or to exercise any power expressly granted under this chapter.

(Act 2000-106, p. 129, §12.)