(A) A port authority created in accordance with section 4582.02 of the Revised Code may enter into such contracts or other arrangements with the United States government, or any department thereof, with persons, railroads, or other corporations, with public corporations, with public utilities, and with the state government of this or other states, with governments of foreign countries, with counties, municipalities, townships, or other governmental agencies created by or under the authority of the laws of this state, other states, or governments of foreign countries, including sewerage, drainage, conservation, conservancy, or other improvement districts in this or other states as may be necessary or convenient for the exercise of powers granted by sections 4582.01 to 4582.16 of the Revised Code, including the making of surveys, investigations, or reports thereon; provided that the contracts or arrangements shall not be in violation of Article VIII of the Ohio Constitution. The port authority may purchase, lease, or acquire land or other property in any county of this state and in adjoining states for the accomplishment of authorized purposes of the port authority, or for the improvement of the harbor and port facilities over which the port authority may have jurisdiction, and may let contracts or spend money for those purposes, including the development of port facilities in adjoining states. The authority granted in this section to enter into contracts or other arrangements with the United States government or any department thereof, includes the power to enter into any contracts, arrangements, or agreements as may be necessary to hold and save harmless the United States from damages due to the construction and maintenance by the United States of works the United States undertakes.

Any political subdivision that has participated in the creation of a port authority pursuant to section 4582.02 of the Revised Code, or is within or adjacent to, the jurisdiction of the port authority, may enter into an agreement, which may be amended or supplemented, with the port authority to accomplish any of the authorized purposes of the port authority. The agreement may set forth the extent to which the port authority shall act as the agent of the political subdivision.

(B) A port authority may enter into an agreement with one or more contracting subdivisions, whereby the port authority or any contracting subdivision undertakes, and is authorized by the port authority or any contracting subdivision, to exercise any power, perform any function, or render any service, on behalf of the port authority or a contracting subdivision, which the port authority or the contracting subdivision is authorized to exercise, perform, or render.

Upon the execution of such an agreement, and within the limitations prescribed by the agreement, the port authority and any contracting subdivision shall possess and may exercise the same powers and may perform the same functions and render the same services, as are possessed and are authorized to be exercised, or to be performed or rendered by the port authority or any contracting subdivision that is a party to the agreement, which, by such agreement, the port authority or a contracting subdivision undertakes to exercise, perform, or render, and all powers necessary or incidental thereto, as amply as such powers may be possessed and are authorized to be exercised, or those functions are authorized to be performed or those services are authorized to be rendered, by the port authority or any contracting subdivision directly. The exercise of those powers, performance of those functions, and rendering of those services by the port authority or any contracting subdivision shall be governed by any procedures applicable to the port authority or contracting subdivision on behalf of which the powers are being exercised, the functions are being performed, or the services are being rendered. Any such agreement shall not suspend the possession by the port authority or a contracting subdivision of, or its authority to exercise, any powers, or its authority to perform any function or render any service. A port authority or any contracting subdivision shall not acquire by virtue of any agreement entered into under this section any power to levy or exempt taxes or any power to exercise eminent domain within, and on behalf of, any other subdivision unless approved by a majority of the electors of that contracting subdivision.

Effective Date: 05-17-2000.