§ 4-3-47 — Powers of Authority Generally

The authority shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:
(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time (which may be in perpetuity) specified in its certificate of incorporation;
(2) To sue and be sued in its own name in civil actions, excepting actions in tort against the authority;
(3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure;
(4) To adopt and alter bylaws for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business;
(5) To acquire, receive, take and hold, whether by purchase, option to purchase, gift, lease, devise or otherwise, property of every description, whether real, personal or mixed, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, and to manage said property and to develop any property and to sell, exchange, lease or grant an option to purchase any property (whether developed or undeveloped) owned, leased or controlled by it;
(6) To make, enter into, execute and perform such contracts, agreements, leases and other instruments and to take such other action as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the authority was organized or the exercise of any power granted hereunder;
(7) To plan, establish, develop, acquire, purchase, lease, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, regulate and protect airports and air navigation facilities, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, including the acquisition, construction, installation, equipment, maintenance and operation at or in connection with or in furtherance of the use of such airports of sanitary and storm sewage systems and water, electric and gas systems, buildings, hangars and other facilities for airlines and the servicing of aircraft or for the comfort, use and accommodation of air travelers and the purchase and sale of such supplies, goods and commodities as are incident to the operation of its airport properties;
(8) To construct, acquire, establish, improve, extend, enlarge, reconstruct, equip, maintain, repair and operate heliports, aerial aircraft (by whatever name such may be known) landing, loading or storage areas and transportation terminals, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision;
(9) To construct, acquire, establish, improve, extend, enlarge, reconstruct, equip, maintain and repair buildings, structures and facilities suitable for use as manufacturing plants, industrial plants, retail shopping areas or centers, parks, exhibits or exhibitions or for the conduct of any lawful business, at, upon or adjacent to any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area owned or operated by such authority, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, and to sell, exchange, grant an option to purchase, lease or let such buildings, structures and facilities or any one or more of them to such tenant or tenants for such term or terms, at such compensation or rental and subject to such provisions, limitations and conditions as the authority may require or approve;
(10) To furnish or supply upon any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area or other property owned or operated by or under the jurisdiction of the authority, for reward or compensation, goods, commodities, space, facilities and services, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, food, lodging, shelter, lawful drinks, confections, reading matter, oil, gasoline, motors and aircraft, motor and aircraft parts and equipment, space in buildings, space for buildings and structures, parking space for aircraft and automobiles and the services of mechanics, instructors and hostlers;
(11) To confer upon individuals, firms, corporations or companies for reward or compensation the privilege or concession of supplying upon any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area owned or operated by or under the jurisdiction of the authority all or any part of the goods, commodities, things, services and facilities authorized to be supplied by subdivision (10);
(12) To acquire, by eminent domain and otherwise, establish, construct, expand, own, control, equip, improve, maintain, operate and regulate satellite airports or landing fields for the use of aircraft in the state, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision;
(13) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, existing airports, air navigation facilities and other facilities, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision; provided, however, that the authority shall not acquire or take over any airport or air navigation facility owned or controlled by any county, municipality or public agency of the state, or any one or more thereof, without the consent of such county, municipality or public agency;
(14) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, property which may be used or useful for educational facilities, to establish, construct, own, maintain, operate, improve, expand, equip, control and regulate schools, institutions of higher learning and other educational facilities upon or adjacent to the properties of the authority and to sell, lease or donate such educational properties;
(15) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, property which has been or may be used or useful for housing, apartments and other residential buildings, structures, complexes and projects, to establish, construct, own, maintain, operate, improve, expand, equip, control and regulate such housing and residential facilities upon or adjacent to the properties of the authority and to sell, lease or donate such properties;
(16) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease or otherwise, to establish, expand, own, control, equip, improve, maintain, operate and regulate railroads, spur tracks and other railway facilities and equipment on or adjacent to the properties of the authority and to sell or lease such properties;
(17) To acquire, by purchase, gift, devise, lease or otherwise, and to operate docks, wharves, maritime warehouses, machinery and equipment and port facilities; provided that such acquisition or operation shall be approved by the Director of the Alabama State Docks Department;
(18) To issue interest-bearing revenue bonds to provide funds for any corporate function, use or purpose, such bonds to be payable from the limited sources referred to in this article;
(19) To mortgage, assign and pledge, as security for payment of the principal of and interest on any such bonds or notes and any agreements made in connection therewith, any or all of its properties or any part or parts thereof (whether then owned or thereafter acquired) and to pledge for payment of such bonds any revenues, rents, receipts and funds from which such bonds are made payable;
(20) To assume obligations secured by a lien on or payable out of or secured by a pledge of the revenues, rents, receipts and funds from any air transportation facilities, air navigation facilities or other facilities, or any part thereof, that may be acquired by the authority;
(21) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner and subject to the provisions of Title 18 of this code with respect to any property, real, personal or mixed, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivisions, including air space, navigation easements, structures and obstructions to flights and property already devoted to public use, that may be reasonably necessary for the construction, extension, maintenance, operation, protection, enlargement, improvement or preservation of an airport or airport facility, or sanitary or storm sewage systems or water, electric and gas systems, upon, adjacent to, in connection with or in furtherance of the use of any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area or other properties owned or operated by the authority;
(22) To appoint, employ, contract with and provide for compensation of officers, employees and agents, including engineers, attorneys, consultants, fiscal advisers and such other employees as the business of the authority may require, including the power to fix working conditions and other conditions of employment by general rule and, at its option, to provide a system of disability pay, retirement compensation and pensions, or any of them, and to hire and fire servants, agents, employees and officers at will;
(23) To fix, establish, collect and alter landing fees, tolls, rents, passenger facility charges, access fees and other charges with respect to any airport, heliport, landing area, air navigation facility or other facility, building, structure, or property owned or controlled by the authority, or any service provided pursuant thereto, or any benefit derived therefrom;
(24) To make and enforce reasonable rules and regulations governing the use of any airport, heliport, landing area or airport facility or other facility owned or controlled by the authority;
(25) To provide for such insurance, including but without limitation to, use and occupancy insurance, as the board may deem advisable;
(26) To invest any funds of the authority that the board may determine are not presently needed for its corporate purposes in any obligations which are direct, general obligations of the United States of America or which are unconditionally guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States of America or in bonds of this state or any county or municipality therein or in interest-bearing deposits or other obligations; provided, that such deposits or other obligations are either insured by the United States of America or an instrumentality or agency thereof or are collaterally secured by a pledge of obligations which are direct, general obligations of the United States of America or are unconditionally guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States of America;
(27) To cooperate with the United States of America, the state or any county, city, town, public corporation, agency, department or political subdivision of the state or the United States of America, and to make such contracts with them or any of them as the board may deem advisable to accomplish the purposes for which the authority was established;
(28) To sell, exchange and convey, including the granting of options to acquire, any or all of its properties that may have become obsolete or worn out or that may no longer be needed or useful to the authority in connection with, or in the operation of the airport, heliport or other facility with respect to which they were acquired or of which they form a part, or that the board deems to be in furtherance of any purpose for which the authority was organized;
(29) To receive and accept grants for or in aid of the construction, extension, improvement, maintenance or operation of any airport, heliport or airport facility, air navigation facility or other facility from the United States of America or any agency thereof and from the state or any department or agency thereof and any political subdivision thereof, and to receive and accept money, property, labor or other things of value from any source whatever;
(30) To sell, donate and convey, with or without consideration, any of its properties to any one or more counties, municipalities or public corporations organized and existing under the laws of the state which have the corporate power to operate the properties so conveyed and the property and income of which are not subject to taxes; provided, that any such conveyance shall not be made without the prior consent of the authorizing subdivision or subdivisions, as evidenced by resolution duly adopted by the governing body thereof, or if any such conveyance would constitute the violation of any then outstanding indenture to which the authority is a party;
(31) To purchase equipment and supplies necessary or convenient for the exercise of any power of the authority;
(32) To appoint, employ, contract with and provide for compensation of one or more suitable persons to act as police officers to keep off intruders and prevent trespass upon and damage to property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the authority. All such persons shall be charged with all the duties and invested with all the powers of police officers. Any police officer appointed pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision is a peace officer whose authority extends to any place in the state; provided, that the primary duty of any such police or peace officer shall be the enforcement of the law on property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the authority employing said police or peace officer; and provided further, that any such police or peace officer shall not otherwise act as a peace officer in enforcing the law except (a) when in pursuit of any offender or suspected offender who is charged with the commission of a crime while on premises owned by or under the jurisdiction of said authority, or (b) to make arrests otherwise lawful for crimes committed, or for which there is probable cause to believe have been committed, within his presence or within the boundaries of said property owned by or under the jurisdiction of said authority. The provisions of this subdivision granting powers to police officers employed by an authority are not intended to limit or abridge any powers heretofore granted to said officers by law, or to imply that such powers do not otherwise exist on the date of the enactment of this subdivision, and the provisions of this subdivision are, therefore, to be considered cumulative.
If any other state, local or federal law enforcement agency has concurrent jurisdiction over property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the authority, such agency shall obtain permission from the authority having jurisdiction over the airport or airport facility for gaining access to designated restricted or non-public use areas of the airport or airport facility for its respective law enforcement purposes.
Jurisdiction over all misdemeanors and felonies committed on the property of the authority shall be vested in the appropriate court of an authorizing subdivision or, if jurisdiction is not appropriate in the courts of an authorizing subdivision, then in a court of competent jurisdiction where the misdemeanor or felony occurred;
(33) To enter into a management agreement or agreements with any county or municipality in the state for the management by the authority of any airport, heliport, air navigation facility or other facility useful to the authority, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable;
(34) To engage in temporary financing through the issuance from time to time of its bonds or notes for any of its corporate purposes, which bonds or notes shall mature not later than 24 months from their date of issuance, to provide for the payment of the same from the principal proceeds of the sale of its long-term revenue bonds, and to mortgage, assign and pledge, as security for payment of the principal of and interest on any such temporary bonds or notes and any agreements made in connection therewith, any properties, revenues, receipts or funds it is authorized to mortgage, assign or pledge under subdivision (19);
(35) To assess and collect fines from any person, firm or corporation occupying or utilizing an airport or an airport facility in order to reimburse the authority having jurisdiction over such airport or airport facility for civil penalties levied by any government entity if such penalties arise as the result of acts or omissions of such party.

Legislative History

(Acts 1977, No. 331, p. 433, §8; Acts 1981, No. 81-325, p. 461; Acts 1991, No. 91-268, p. 499, §3.)