The Authority shall have the power and duty:

1. To do all things necessary and proper to further an appreciation of the contributions of the first permanent English-speaking settlers as well as the Virginia Indians to the building of our Commonwealth and nation, to commemorate the establishment of the first coastal fortification in the English-speaking New World, to commemorate the lives of prominent Virginians who were connected to the largest moated fortification in the United States, to commemorate the important role of African Americans in the history of the site, including the "Contraband" slave decision in 1861 that earned Fort Monroe the designation as "Freedom's Fortress," to commemorate Old Point Comfort's role in establishing international trade and British maritime law in Virginia, and to commemorate almost 250 years of continuous service as a coastal defense fortification of the United States of America;

2. To hire and develop a professional staff including an executive director and such other staff as is necessary to discharge the responsibilities of the Authority;

3. To establish personnel policies and benefits for staff;

4. To oversee the preservation, conservation, protection, and maintenance of the Commonwealth's natural resources and real property interests at Fort Monroe and the renewal of Fort Monroe as a vibrant and thriving community;

5. To adopt an annual budget, which shall be submitted to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations and the Department of Planning and Budget by July 1 of each year;

6. To provide for additional, more complete, or more timely services than are generally available in the City of Hampton as a whole; and

7. To serve as the Commonwealth's management agent for all the land in the Area of Operation and for the implementation of actions and fulfillment of federal and state obligations for public and private land under the Fort Monroe Master Plan, Programmatic Agreement, Design Standards, Reuse Plan, State Memorandum of Understanding, and any other agreements regarding Fort Monroe to which the Commonwealth is a party, ensuring adherence to the findings, declarations, and policies set forth in this article, unless the Commonwealth and the Authority specifically agree in writing to the contrary.

2011, c. 716; 2012, cc. 436, 482; 2014, cc. 676, 681.