§ 46-24-9. Powers of authority.
The authority shall the have power:
(1) To negotiate payments within one or more of the participating communities for the
conduct of services or the erection of projects necessary for the purposes of the
authority, subject to a majority vote of each of the city and town councils participating
in each program or project.
(2) To acquire, hold, use, lease, sell, transfer, and dispose of any property, real, personal,
or mixed, or interest or interests thereon.
(3) To own and operate, maintain, repair, improve, enlarge, and extend, in accordance
with the provisions of this chapter, any property acquired hereunder, all of which,
together with the acquisition of the property, are hereby declared to be public purposes.
(4) To sell, lease, convey, or otherwise dispose of, to any of the participating cities
or towns, any property or improvements thereto, which the authority may hereafter
acquire or construct; provided, however, that any sale, lease, conveyance, or other
disposition of the property shall not prejudice or adversely affect any service which
the authority is providing to any other participating city or town.
(5) To sue and be sued.
(6) To adopt and order a corporate seal.
(7) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs, which bylaws may
contain provisions indemnifying any person who is or was a member of the authority,
in the manner and to the extent provided in § 7-1.2-814 of the Rhode Island Business Corporation Act.
(8) To borrow money for any of its corporate purposes, including the creation and maintenance
of working capital.
(9) To fix rates and collect charges for the use of the facilities of or services rendered
by or any commodities furnished by the authority to each of the participating cities
or towns, and to pay, as the same shall become due, the expenses of operating and
maintaining the properties of the authority.
(10) To contract in its own name for any lawful purpose which would effectuate the provisions
of this chapter; to execute all the instruments necessary to carry out the purposes
of this chapter; and to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers
expressly granted by this chapter. It is the intention of the legislature that any
property acquired by the authority pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall
be financed as a self liquidating enterprise, and that any indebtedness incurred by
the authority shall be payable solely from the earnings or revenues derived from all
or part of the property acquired by the district.
(11) To enter into cooperative agreements with other cities, towns, or public service corporations
for the interconnection of public works facilities or for any other lawful corporate
purposes necessary and desirable to effect the purposes of this chapter.
(12) In the performance of its functions, the authority is expressly authorized to provide
for land and water conservation and for the construction and maintenance of hiking
and biking trails, flood control and water pollution control facilities, preservation
of wetlands, dam construction, diversion of streams, dikes, walls, and pumping stations,
whether or not on its own initiative or by recommendation to the participating communities,
and to encourage tax relief for landowners in the construction of facilities for such
purposes.
(13) The authority is authorized to apply for, contract for, and expend any federal or
state advances or grants or assistance which may be made available for the purposes
of this chapter.
(14) The authority shall have all the powers and authority which were previously granted
to the Pawtuxet River district commission. All purposes of the Pawtuxet River district
commission, including those described in § 46-25-38.1(4), shall be established by a vote of the Pawtuxet River authority as created by this
chapter.