§ 40:68A-4 — Port authority; creation by municipalities; membership, filing of ordinances and resolutions

(a) The governing body of any municipality may, by ordinance duly adopted, create a public body corporate and politic under the name and style of "the port authority" with all or any significant part of the name of such municipality inserted. Said body shall consist of the five members thereof, who shall be appointed by resolution of the governing body as hereinafter in this section provided, and it shall constitute the port authority contemplated and provided for in this act and an agency and instrumentality of said municipality. After the taking effect of such ordinance and the filing of a certified copy thereof as in subsection (c) of this section provided, five persons shall be appointed as the members of the port authority. The members first appointed shall, by the resolution of appointment, be designated to serve for terms respectively expiring on the first days of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth Februarys next ensuing after the date of their appointment. On or after the first day of January in each year after such first appointments, one person shall be appointed as a member of the port authority to serve for a term commencing on the first day of February in such year and expiring on the first day of February in the fifth year after such year. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the port authority occurring during an unexpired term of office, a person shall be appointed as a member of the port authority to serve for such unexpired term. (b) The governing bodies of any two or more municipalities, the areas of which together comprise an integral body of territory, may, by parallel ordinances duly adopted by each of such governing bodies within any single calendar year, create a public body corporate and politic under the name and style of "the port authority" with all or any significant part of the name of each such municipality or some identifying geographical phrase inserted. Said body shall consist of the members thereof, in an aggregate number determined as hereinafter in this subsection provided, who shall be appointed by resolutions of the several governing bodies as hereinafter in this section provided, and it shall constitute the port authority contemplated and provided for in this act and an agency and instrumentality of the said municipalities. The number of members of the port authority to be appointed at any time for full terms of office by the governing body of any such municipality shall be as may be stated in said ordinances which shall be not less than one nor more than three. After the taking effect of the said ordinances of all such municipalities and after the filing of certified copies thereof as in subsection (c) of this section provided, the appropriate number of persons shall be appointed as members of the port authority by the governing body of each municipality. The members first appointed or to be first appointed shall serve for terms expiring on the first day of the fifth February next ensuing after the date of the first appointment of any member. On or after the first day of January in the year in which expire the terms of the said members first appointed and in every fifth year thereafter, the appropriate number of persons shall be appointed as members of the port authority by the governing body of each municipality, to serve for terms commencing on the first day of February in such year and expiring on the first day of February in the fifth year after such year. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the port authority occurring during an unexpired term of office, a person shall be appointed as a member of the port authority to serve for such unexpired term by the governing body which made the original appointment for such unexpired term. (c) A copy of each ordinance for the creation of a port authority adopted pursuant to this section, duly certified by the appropriate officer of the local unit, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. Upon proof of such filing of a certified copy of the ordinance or of certified copies of the parallel ordinances for the creation of a port authority as aforesaid, the port authority therein referred to shall, in any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of, or relating to, any contract or obligation or act of the port authority, be conclusively deemed to have been lawfully and properly created and established and authorized to transact business and exercise its powers under this act. A copy of any such certified ordinance, duly certified by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, shall be admissible in evidence in any suit, action or proceeding. (d) A copy of each resolution appointing any member of a port authority adopted pursuant to this section, duly certified by the appropriate officer of the local unit, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. A copy of such certified resolution, duly certified by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, shall be admissible in evidence in any suit, action or proceeding and, except in a suit, action or proceeding directly questioning such appointment, shall be conclusive evidence of the due and proper appointment of the member or members named therein. (e) No governing body which may create or join in the creation of a port authority pursuant to this section shall thereafter create or join in the creation of any other port authority, nor shall any new port authority be created within an existing port district as heretofore established by the Legislature. L.1948, c. 349, p. 1382, s. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1948.