NY Pub Auth L § 578 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBA - Public Authorities Article 3 - Bridge and Tunnel Authorities Title 4 - Thousand Islands Bridge Authority 578 - Powers of the Authority.

§  578. Powers of the authority. The authority shall have power and is   hereby authorized:1. To sue and be sued  in  courts  of  general  jurisdiction,  whether   federal,  state,  or  foreign,  including but not limited to the supreme   court of the state of New York;2. To have a seal and alter the same as its pleasure;3. To  acquire  real  property  or  rights  or  easements  therein  by   condemnation,   pursuant  to  the  condemnation  law,  and  to  acquire,   purchase, hold, dispose of and use any real or personal property or  any   interest  therein  necessary,  convenient  or desirable to carry out any   purpose described in this title and to sell, at public or private  sale,   convey, transfer, assign and dispose of any property or interest therein   at  any time required by it in the exercise of its powers or when it may   determine it no longer needs the same for its corporate  purposes,  upon   such terms and for such consideration, if any, as it shall deem fit;4.  To lease, as lessor or as lessee, any real or personal property or   any interest therein for  any  purposes  consistent  with  any  purposes   described  in  this title or with the appropriate use of the authority's   facilities or with the convenience of the public using such  facilities,   upon  such  terms  and  for such consideration, if any, as it shall deem   fit, provided, however, that no lease shall be made for a term  of  more   than ten years, including all renewal options, without the prior express   and formal approval and consent of the supervisors;5.  To  make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs,   and to establish and  change  a  fiscal  year  for  its  operations  and   financial reporting purposes;6. To determine as matters of policy what courses of action are in the   best  interests of any bridge complex or other authorized purpose and to   pursue the same;7. To appoint and remove such officers, agents and employees as it may   require for the performance of its duties,  and  to  fix  and  determine   their  qualifications,  duties, and compensation and to retain or employ   and discharge  counsel,  auditors,  engineers,  architects  and  private   consultants  on a contract basis or otherwise for rendering professional   or technical services and  advice.  To  establish  a  practicable  merit   system  for  the appointment and promotion of its employees. Neither the   authority nor any of its officers, employees, or agents shall be subject   to the provisions of the civil service law nor be under the jurisdiction   or subject to the rules of any civil service commission;8. To use the agents,  employees,  facilities  and  equipment  of  the   county  or  of any town or political subdivision within the county or of   any board,  agency  or  department  thereof,  to  the  extent  agreement   therefor  may be reached with the appropriate governing body, and to pay   such county, town or political subdivision its agreed proportion of  the   compensation or costs;9.  To  make  contracts  and agreements and to execute all instruments   necessary or convenient;10. To construct, maintain, repair and operate the  following  bridges   and approaches thereto and roads:One  or  more  bridges  across the easterly or American channel of the   Saint Lawrence river at a point at or near Collins landing in  the  town   of  Orleans,  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  from  the  mainland to   Wellesley or Wells island.One or more bridges across the westerly or  Canadian  channel  of  the   Saint  Lawrence  river  at  a  point at or near Ivy Lea in the county of   Leeds, in the province of Ontario, from the mainland to Hill island.One or more bridges across the International rift from a point on such   Wellesley or Wells island to such Hill island. One or more roads on such Wellesley or  Wells  island  connecting  any   bridge   across   the  American  channel  with  any  bridge  across  the   International rift.One or more roads on such Hill island connecting any bridge across the   Canadian channel with any bridge across the International rift.The approach roads connecting any of such bridges and tunnels with the   state  highway  system  in  New York and with the nearest highway in the   province of Ontario.Any road connecting any of its facilities with any other or  with  any   state, county or town road, or any public highway, or any road providing   access for vehicles or pedestrians from one part of its real property to   another;11. To construct and maintain over, under, along or across the bridges   and  roads hereby authorized, telephone, telegraph or electric wires and   cables, gas mains, water  mains,  and  other  mechanical  equipment  not   inconsistent  with  the appropriate use of the bridges and roads or such   other facilities. To contract for such construction and maintenance  and   to  lease  the  right to construct, maintain and/or use the same on such   terms and for  such  consideration  as  it  shall  determine,  provided,   however,  that no lease shall be made for a term of more than ten years,   including all renewal option,  without  the  prior  express  and  formal   approval and consent of the supervisors;12.   To   construct   and   maintain   such   buildings,  structures,   improvements, roads, parking and other facilities as may be necessary or   convenient, to contract for such construction  and  maintenance  and  to   lease  the  right  to  construct, maintain and/or use such facilities on   such terms and for such considerations as it shall determine,  provided,   however,  that no lease shall be made for a term of more than ten years,   including all renewal options, without  the  prior  express  and  formal   approval and consent of the supervisors;13.  To  fix, charge and collect tolls for traffic across its bridges,   subject  to  any  approval  thereof   or   limitations   or   regulatory   restrictions  thereto  as  required, fixed, or imposed by federal law of   either the United States of  America  or  Canada,  which  shall  in  the   opinion  of  the authority be adequate to provide complete operation and   maintenance of all its facilities and programs, repay  any  indebtedness   of  the  authority  as scheduled and agreed, establish and fund reserves   for the repair,  improvement  or  replacement  of  any  or  all  of  its   facilities  or  the  construction  of  any  new facility which it may be   authorized to construct under this title, or which shall  accomplish  as   many  of  the  foregoing  purposes as may be practicable, and at a level   which shall not jeopardize or be unreasonably competitive with any other   similar toll charging facilities within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  of   Collins Landing, New York;14.  To  construct, maintain, repair and operate within the county one   or more facilities for the performance or display of any medium  of  the   arts, including but not limited to concerts, plays, exhibitions, and any   activity  which  could reasonably contribute to the cultural improvement   of the communities in the area of its influence;15. To construct, maintain, repair and operate within the  county  one   or  more  facilities  for  conventions, meetings, sporting events of all   kinds, museums, any activity which could reasonably  contribute  to  the   attraction  of  tourists and recreational development and industrial and   commercial developments;16. To cooperate with the Watertown airport commission,  the  city  of   Watertown,  the county and any other agency or agencies to assist in the   improvement, enlargement, development, operation and  promotion  of  the   Watertown  international airport as an essential transportation facility    for the county and the adjacent territory, and to agree with  said  city   and  county  for the acquisition by the authority of such airport and to   operate and manage such airport;17.  To  cooperate  with  the  county  and  the municipalities therein   bordering on the Saint Lawrence river and on Lake Ontario and to  assist   in  the study, development, operation and promotion of suitable port and   docking facilities on said river and lake within or bordering the county   and the improvement of water-borne  transportation,  and  to  construct,   operate  and manage such port and docking facilities as it may determine   to be in the public interest;18. To make studies and surveys of the needs of  the  county  for  the   development and improvement of its transportation facilities, whether by   land,   air  or  water  and  to  report  the  results  thereof  and  its   recommendations to the supervisors;19. To enter on any lands, waters and  premises  for  the  purpose  of   making surveys, soundings and examinations;20.  To  fix  and collect any payments, fees and other charges for the   use of any facility under its control other than bridges;21. To borrow money and issue its negotiable bonds and notes or  other   obligations  for  any  of  its corporate purposes and to provide for and   secure the payment thereof and to provide for the rights of the  holders   thereof,  subject  to  any  limitations or conditions imposed thereon as   elsewhere in this title provided;22. To put into effect and maintain fiduciary bonds on its members and   on any employee or agent who handles or controls money or assets of  the   authority  which  could  be  embezzled or stolen, in such amounts as the   authority may deem reasonable or as requested by the county;23. To put into effect and maintain insurance coverage protecting  the   authority  and  its  individual  members  from  liability for errors and   omissions or from any act other than a willful violation  of  law  which   constitutes a crime;24.  To  make  payments  to  any  domestic  or  foreign subdivision of   government in which any of its facilities are situated, whether in  lieu   of  taxes  or  otherwise,  in  such  amounts  and  at  such times as the   authority may in its sole discretion determine, provided, however,  that   if  the  authority  is  at  the  time of reference operating both in the   county and in the province of Ontario it shall endeavor in good faith to   make  any  such  payments  to   Canadian   political   subdivisions   or   municipalities and those to the county or subdivisions or municipalities   of  such  county in proportion to its income generated in such different   jurisdictions, as nearly as practicable, after taking into  account  any   taxes which are required to be paid and any services or facilities which   are required to be or are supplied for less than full payment;25. To engage in such advertising and promotion of the bridges, bridge   complex,  and of the areas adjacent thereto and within a radius of fifty   miles thereof, and of such of its other authorized purposes,  as  it  in   its  sole  discretion shall determine. Such promotion shall be deemed to   include but not be limited to the promotion of tourism in the county and   the southern portion of the province of Ontario, Canada,  including  the   Front of Leeds and Lansdowne;26.  To  cooperate  and  participate  in  or  to  initiate  any public   promotions,  parades,  special  events,  area   promotions,   historical   pageants,  and  the like held within fifty miles of Collins Landing, New   York;27. To invest any funds held in  reserve  or  sinking  funds,  or  any   moneys not required for immediate use or disbursement, at the discretion   of  the  authority  in (a) obligations of the state or the United States   government, or any political subdivision, agency and instrumentality  of    either;  (b)  obligations  of  the province of Ontario or of the federal   government of  Canada,  or  any  political  subdivision  or  agency  and   instrumentality of either, (c) obligations the principal and interest of   which are guaranteed by the state or the United States government, or by   the  province  of  Ontario  or  the  federal  government  of Canada, (d)   certificates of deposit of banks or trust companies in this state or  in   the  province  of Ontario secured, if the authority shall so require, by   obligations described in (a), (b), or  (c)  above  or  other  marketable   securities  eligible  as  security  for the deposit of trust funds under   regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System with   a market value equal at all times to the amount on deposit;28. To combine any two or more of its purposes or  facilities  into  a   single project for financing purposes;29.  To  use  revenues,  income  or  funds  from any source to create,   construct, reconstruct, support, operate, repair and maintain any one or   more of its other purposes or facilities;30. To make rules and regulations governing the use by the  public  of   the  bridges,  the bridge complex, and any facility owned or operated by   it;31. To establish a code of ethics  and  rules  regarding  conflict  of   interest for the members of its board and its employees and agents;32. To accept public or private gifts or grants of funds or property;33.  To  engage in any activity permitted by law which in its judgment   would be convenient for the public using any of its facilities;34. To enter into agreements with the government of  the  Dominion  of   Canada  or  the  province  of  Ontario,  or any political subdivision of   either, for the construction and operation  in  Canada  of  any  of  the   bridges  and  facilities authorized hereunder and for the application of   revenues collected by the authority for  the  use  of  the  bridges  and   facilities operated by it in Canada;35.  To  do  in  the  province of Ontario anything it is authorized or   permitted to do in the state of New York and which is permitted  by  the   laws of such foreign jurisdiction;36.  To  exercise  any  of its powers alone or in conjunction with any   political subdivision;37. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out  the  powers   enumerated above and to effectuate their general intent and purpose. The   foregoing  specification  of powers shall not be construed as in any way   limiting or denying the usual implied powers, it being the  intent  that   the authority shall have full power to manage its affairs generally with   the  same freedom from the restrictions which apply to municipalities as   do boards of directors of privately owned corporations.38. Notwithstanding any of the  foregoing,  the  authority  shall  not   initially  enter  into  any  general  activity  category  authorized  in   subdivisions fourteen through seventeen of this section,  including  but   not  limited  to  the  construction  or operation of any performing arts   center, cultural improvement project,  convention  hall,  sports  arena,   museum,  industrial  or  commercial  development project, airport, port,   marina or docking facility,  until  and  unless  it  has  been  formally   requested to do so by the supervisors by resolution duly adopted.