40:37D-5. Powers of authority, general

5. Except as otherwise limited by this act and the "Local Authorities Fiscal Control Law," P.L.1983, c.313 (C.40A:5A-1 et seq.), the authority shall have power:

a. To sue and be sued;

b. To have an official seal and alter it at pleasure;

c. To make and alter bylaws for its organization and internal management and for the conduct of its affairs and business;

d. To maintain an office at a place within the county as it may determine;

e. To acquire, hold, use and dispose of its income, revenues, funds and moneys;

f. To acquire, lease as lessee or lessor, rent, lease, hold, use and dispose of real or personal property for its purposes;

g. To borrow money and to issue its negotiable bonds or notes and to secure them by a mortgage on its property or any part thereof and otherwise to provide for and secure the payment of them and to provide for the rights of the holders of the bonds or notes;

h. Pursuant to the provisions of the "Local Public Contracts Law," P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-1 et seq.), to make and enter into all contracts, leases, and agreements for the use or occupancy of the center or any part of it or which are necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the exercise of its powers under this act;

i. To make surveys, maps, plans for, and estimates of the cost of, the center;

j. To establish, acquire, construct, or lease the right to construct, rehabilitate, repair, improve, own, operate, and maintain the center, and let, award and enter into construction contracts, purchase orders and other contracts with respect to the center as the authority shall determine;

k. To fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect rents, tolls, fees and charges for the use, occupancy or services of the center or any part thereof or for admission thereto, and for the grant of concessions therein and for things furnished or services rendered by the authority;

l. To establish and enforce rules and regulations for the use or operation of the center or the conduct of its activities, and provide for the policing and the security of the center;

m. To acquire in the name of the authority by purchase or otherwise, on terms and conditions and in a manner it deems proper, or, except with respect to the State and, as further provided in this subsection, by the exercise of the power of eminent domain, any land and other property, including land under water, and riparian rights, which it may determine is reasonably necessary for the center or for the relocation or reconstruction of any highway by the authority and any rights, title and interest in the land and other property, including public lands, reservations, highways or parkways, owned by or in which the State or any county or municipality, public corporation, or other political subdivision of the State has any right, title or interest, or parts thereof or rights therein and any fee simple absolute or any lesser interest in private property, and any fee simple or absolute interest in, easements upon or the benefit of restrictions upon abutting property to preserve and protect the center. Whenever the authority has determined that it is necessary to take any real property for the purposes of the center by the exercise of the power of condemnation, as hereinafter provided, it shall prepare two copies of diagrams, maps or plans designating the general area in which the real property is to be acquired and file one copy thereof in its office and the other copy thereof in the office of the clerk of the municipality in which the real property is located. The authority is empowered to acquire and take real property by condemnation, in the manner provided by the "Eminent Domain Act of 1971," P.L.1971, c.361 (C.20:3-1 et seq.) and to that end, may invoke and exercise the power to condemn in the manner or mode of procedure prescribed in that act, except where the provisions of section 8 of this act provide otherwise; and except that, notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this act, the authority shall not institute any proceeding to acquire or take, by condemnation, any real property within the designated area in the municipality referred to above in this section until after the date of filing in the office of the clerk of the municipality of a certified copy of: (1) a resolution of the authority stating the finding of the authority that it is necessary or convenient to acquire real property in the designated area for facility purposes, and (2) a resolution of the governing body of the municipality expressing its consent to the acquisition of real property in the designated area;

n. To provide through its employees, or by the grant of one or more concessions, or in part through its employees and in part by grant of one or more concessions, for the furnishing of services and things for the accommodation of persons admitted to or using the center or any part of it;

o. To acquire, construct, operate, maintain, improve and make capital contributions to others for transportation and other facilities, services and accommodations for the public using the center and to lease or otherwise contract for its operation;

p. Subject to any agreement with bondholders or noteholders, to invest moneys of the authority not required for immediate use, including proceeds from the sale of any bonds or notes, in the manner set forth in N.J.S.40A:5-15;

q. To contract for and to accept any gifts or grants or loans of funds or property or financial or other aid in any form from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from the State or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof, or from any other source and to comply, subject to the provisions of this act, with the terms and conditions thereof;

r. Subject to any agreements with bondholders or noteholders, to purchase bonds or notes of the authority out of any funds or money of the authority available for those purposes, and to hold, cancel or resell the bonds or notes;

s. To appoint and employ an executive director and additional officers, who need not be members of the authority, and accountants, attorneys, financial advisors or experts and any other officers, agents and employees as it may require and determine their qualifications, terms of office, duties and compensation, all without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes;

t. To do and perform any acts and things authorized by this act under, through, or by means of its officers, agents or employees or by contracts with any person;

u. To procure insurance against any losses in connection with its property, operations or assets in such amounts and from such insurers as it deems desirable;

v. To conduct a study to determine if the center is feasible and thereafter to conduct feasibility studies to identify an appropriate site therefor and thereafter to determine the location, type and character of the center or any part of it and all other matters in connection with all or any part of the center, which shall comply with the provisions of any applicable land use plan, zoning regulation, building code or similar regulation heretofore or hereafter adopted by the State, any municipality, county, public body politic and corporate, or any other political subdivision of the State;

w. To make all purchases, contracts, or agreements pursuant to the provisions of the "Local Public Contracts Law," P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-1 et seq.); and

x. To do anything necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers granted in this act.

L.1994,c.98,s.5.