Each authority shall be deemed to be performing essential governmental functions providing for the public health and welfare, and is authorized and empowered:

1. To have existence for such term of years as specified by the participating localities;

2. To adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;

3. To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;

4. To maintain an office at such place or places as it may designate;

5. To sue and be sued;

6. To acquire, purchase, lease as lessee, construct, reconstruct, improve, extend, operate and maintain parks within, or partly within and partly outside, one or more of the participating localities; to acquire by gift, purchase or the exercise of the right of eminent domain lands or rights in land or water rights in connection therewith; and to sell, lease as lessor, transfer or dispose of any property or interest therein acquired by it; however, the power of eminent domain shall not extend beyond the geographical limits of the localities composing the authority;

7. To regulate the uses of all lands and facilities under control of the authority;

8. To issue revenue bonds and revenue refunding bonds of the authority, such bonds to be payable solely from revenues derived from the use of the facilities or the furnishing of park services;

9. To accept grants and gifts from the localities forming or thereafter joining the authority, the Commonwealth, the federal government or any other governmental bodies or political subdivisions, and from any other person;

10. To enter into contracts with the federal government, the Commonwealth, any political subdivision, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or with any other person providing for or relating to the furnishing of park services or facilities;

11. To contract with any municipality, county, person or any public authority or political subdivision of this or any adjoining state, on such terms as the authority shall deem proper, for the construction, operation and maintenance of any park which is partly in this Commonwealth and partly in such adjoining state;

12. To exercise the same rights for acquiring property for the construction or improvement, maintenance or operation of a park as the locality or localities by which such authority is created may exercise. The governing body of any participating locality, notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, general or special, is authorized and empowered to transfer jurisdiction over, to lease, lend, grant or convey to the authority, upon the request of the authority, upon such terms and conditions as the governing body of such locality may agree with the authority as reasonable and fair, real or personal property as may be necessary or desirable in connection with the acquisition, construction, improvement, operation or maintenance of a park, including public roads and other property already devoted to public use. Agreements may be entered into by the authority with the Commonwealth, or any agency acting on behalf of the Commonwealth, for the acquisition of any lands or property, owned or controlled by the Commonwealth, for the purposes of construction or improvement, maintenance or operation of a park;

13. In the event of annexation by a municipality not a member of the authority of lands, areas, or territory served by the authority, then such authority may continue to do business, exercise its jurisdiction over properties and facilities in and upon or over such lands, areas or territory as long as any bonds or indebtedness remain outstanding or unpaid, or any contracts or other obligations remain in force;

14. To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter, including a trust agreement or trust agreements securing any revenue bonds or revenue refunding bonds issued hereunder;

15. To do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers granted by this chapter;

16. To borrow, at such rates of interest as the law authorizes, from the federal government or any agency thereof, individuals, partnerships, or private or municipal corporations, for the purpose of acquiring parklands and improvements thereon; to issue its notes, bonds or other obligations; to secure such obligations by mortgage or pledge of the property and improvements being acquired and the income derived therefrom; and to use any revenues and other income of the authority for payment of interest and retirement of principal of such obligations provided that prior approval of the governing body of the locality shall be obtained by an authority that was created by a single locality. Any locality which has formed or joined an authority may lend money to the authority. The power to borrow set forth in this subdivision shall be in addition to the power to issue revenue bonds and revenue refunding bonds set forth in subdivision 8 of this section and § 15.2-5712. Notes, bonds or other obligations issued under this subdivision shall not be deemed to constitute a debt of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth or a pledge of the faith and credit of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth; and

17. To adopt such rules and regulations from time to time, not in conflict with the laws of this Commonwealth, concerning the use of properties under its control as will tend to the protection of such property and the public thereon. No such rule or regulation shall be adopted until after descriptive notice of an intention to propose such rule or regulation for passage has been published in accordance with the procedures required for the adoption of general county ordinances and emergency county ordinances as set forth in § 15.2-1427, mutatis mutandis. The full text of any proposed rule or regulation shall be available for public inspection and copying during regular office hours of the authority at a place designated in the published notice.

Code 1950, § 15-714.5; 1950, p. 1246; 1952, c. 401; 1956, c. 472; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-1232; 1968, c. 613; 1976, c. 483; 1977, c. 381; 1981, c. 182; 1996, c. 279; 1997, c. 587.