2023 Tennessee Code › Title 7 - CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS AND ENTITIES (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-91-104) › SPECIAL DISTRICTS (§§ 7-81-101 — 7-91-104) › Chapter 87 - PORT AUTHORITY ACT (§§ 7-87-101 — 7-87-114) › Section 7-87-107 - Powers of the authority

An authority created pursuant to this chapter has all powers necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, excluding the power to levy and collect taxes and special assessments, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1)
Have perpetual succession, sue and be sued, and adopt a corporate seal;
(2)
Plan, establish, acquire, construct, improve and operate one (1) or more ports within or without the municipality and within this state;
(3)
Acquire real or personal property or any interest in real or personal property by gift, lease or purchase for any of the purposes provided in this chapter, and sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of such property;
(4)
Enter into agreements with the municipality with respect to which such authority is created, acquire by lease, gift, purchase, or otherwise, any port of such municipality and operate such port as a part of its port;
(5)
Enter into a contract with the municipality with respect to which such authority is created, a plan for pension, disability, hospitalization and death benefits for the officers and employees of the authority, as well as the right to contract with such municipality for the transfer of the employees of the municipality with the retention by such employees of existing civil service status and accrued pension, disability, hospitalization and death benefits;
(6)
Enter into, by contract with the municipality with respect to which such authority is created, a plan of civil service for employees of the authority;
(7)
Make application directly to the proper federal, state, county, and municipal officials and agencies, or to any other source, public or private, for loans, grants, guarantees or other financial assistance in aid of ports operated by it and to accept the loans, grants, guarantees or other financial assistance;
(8)
Make studies and recommend to the appropriate legislative body of the municipality in which a port is situated, zoning changes in the area of any port operated by the authority;
(9)
Have control of the authority's port and the facilities of the port with the right and duty to establish and charge fees, rentals, rates and other charges for the use of, or for services rendered by, any authority facility, and collect revenues from the fees, rentals, rates and other charges, not inconsistent with the rights of the holders of the authority's bonds;
(10)
Appoint a president, and to confirm or reject the president's appointments of a secretary, a treasurer, an auditor, legal counsel, and a chief engineer; prescribe their duties and qualifications and to fix their compensation; employ, contract with, fix the compensation of such other employees both professional and other as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; and provide for the proper operation and maintenance of the port;
(11)
Use, in the performance of its functions, the officers, agents, employees, services, facilities, records and equipment of any municipality with respect to which the authority has been created, with the consent of such municipality and subject to such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon;
(12)
Enter upon such lands, waters or premises as, in the judgment of the authority, may be necessary for the purpose of making surveys, soundings, borings and examinations to accomplish any purpose authorized by this chapter, the authority to be liable for actual damages done;
(13)
Contract with carriers with regard to docking, accommodation and servicing of barges and marine craft; the loading and unloading of cargo, passengers and baggage, and the accommodation of the employees and passengers of such carriers;
(14)
Develop, police, and beautify the harbor and port facilities, including the preservation and enhancement of the ecological amenities by the establishment and implementation of a plan for appropriate environmental development, and undertake or make arrangements to undertake the dredging of approaches to the port and its facilities;
(15)
Operate, maintain, manage and enter into contracts for the operation, maintenance, and management of any project undertaken, and make rules and regulations with regard to such operation, maintenance and management;
(16)
Contract with any and all persons, individuals, firms or corporations, including, but not limited to, steamship and railroad companies with reference to the development of transportation and other utility services, and do and perform any and all other acts that may tend, either directly or indirectly, to promote trade, industry, and commerce;
(17)
Lend the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to this chapter and enter into loan agreements or other agreements with persons or corporations with respect to such loans and the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or acquisition of one (1) or more projects at its ports, upon such terms and conditions as the authority deems advisable; and
(18)
Incorporate, operate in all respects and exercise all the powers granted to industrial development corporations under chapter 53 of this title; provided, that the municipality grants such power to the port authority by resolution enacted by the governing body. However, any project development under this subdivision (18) shall be developed as the property of the authority and the authority shall make in lieu of tax payments on any such development to the municipality. Further, an authority, before issuing any industrial development bonds pursuant to this chapter, shall consider whether any proposed industrial operation is compatible with port purposes.
Acts 1995, ch. 432, § 7.