136-262. Powers of Authority.
(a) In order to enable it to carry out the purposes of this Article, the said Authority shall:
(1) Have the powers of a body corporate, including the power to sue and be sued, to make contracts, and to adopt and use a common seal and to alter the same as may be deemed expedient;
(2) Have the authority to make all necessary contracts and arrangements with other port authorities of this and other states for the interchange of business, and for such other purposes as will facilitate and increase the business of the North Carolina State Ports Authority;
(3) Be authorized and empowered to rent, lease, buy, own, acquire, mortgage, otherwise encumber, and dispose of such property, real or personal, as said Authority may deem proper to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Article, all or any of them;
(4) Be authorized and empowered to acquire, construct, maintain, equip and operate any wharves, docks, piers, quays, elevators, compresses, refrigeration storage plants, warehouses and other structures, and any and all facilities needful for the convenient use of the same in the aid of commerce, including the dredging of approaches thereto, and the construction of beltline roads and highways and bridges and causeways thereon, and other bridges and causeways necessary or useful in connection therewith, and shipyards, shipping facilities, and transportation facilities incident thereto and useful or convenient for the use thereof, and to acquire, construct, and maintain, but not operate, such rail facilities as may be necessary or useful in connection with the operation of the State Ports, provided that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as requiring or allowing the North Carolina State Ports Authority to become a carrier by rail subject to the federal laws regulating those carriers;
(5) The Authority shall appoint an Executive Director, whose salary shall be fixed by the Authority, to serve at its pleasure. The Executive Director or his designee shall appoint, employ, dismiss and, within the limits of available funding, fix the compensation of such other employees as he deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this Article. There shall be an executive committee consisting of the chairman of the Authority and two other members elected annually by the Authority. The executive committee shall be vested with authority to do all acts which are authorized by the bylaws of the Authority. Members of the executive committee shall serve until their successors are elected;
(6) Establish an office for the transaction of its business at such place or places as, in the opinion of the Authority, shall be advisable or necessary in carrying out the purposes of this Article;
(7) Be authorized and empowered to create and operate such agencies and departments as said board may deem necessary or useful for the furtherance of any of the purposes of this Article;
(8) Be authorized and empowered to pay all necessary costs and expenses involved in and incident to the formation and organization of said Authority, and incident to the administration and operation thereof, and to pay all other costs and expenses reasonably necessary or expedient in carrying out and accomplishing the purposes of this Article;
(9) Be authorized and empowered to apply for and accept loans and grants of money from any federal agency or the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision thereof or from any public or private sources available for any and all of the purposes authorized in this Article, and to expend the same in accordance with the directions and requirements attached thereto, or imposed thereon by any such federal agency, the State of North Carolina, or any political subdivision thereof, or any public or private lender or donor, and to give such evidences of indebtedness as shall be required, provided, however, that no indebtedness of any kind incurred or created by the Authority shall constitute an indebtedness of the State of North Carolina, or any political subdivision thereof, and no such indebtedness shall involve or be secured by the faith, credit or taxing power of the State of North Carolina, or any political subdivision thereof;
(10) Be authorized and empowered to act as agent for the United States of America, or any agency, department, corporation, or instrumentality thereof, in any matter coming within the purposes or powers of the Authority;
(11) Have power to adopt, alter or repeal its own bylaws, rules and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be transacted and in which the power granted to it may be enjoyed, and may provide for the appointment of such committees, and the functions thereof, as the Authority may deem necessary or expedient in facilitating its business. The Authority may establish fees for its services. In establishing these fees, the Authority shall consider the cost of providing service, revenue requirements, the cost of similar services at other seaports in the South Atlantic region, and any other factors it considers relevant. The Authority shall report the establishment or increase of any fee to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations no later than 30 business days after it establishes or increases the fee.
(12) Be authorized and empowered to do any and all other acts and things in this Article authorized or required to be done, whether or not included in the general powers in this section mentioned; and
(13) Be authorized and empowered to do any and all things necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Article: Provided, that said Authority shall not engage in shipbuilding.
The property of the Authority shall not be subject to any taxes or assessments thereon.
(b) In order to execute the powers enumerated in subsection (a), the Authority shall determine the policies of the North Carolina State Ports Authority by majority vote of all members of the Authority present and voting. Once a policy is determined, the Authority shall communicate it to the Executive Director, who shall have the sole and exclusive authority to execute the policy of the Authority. No member of the Authority shall have responsibility or authority to give operational directives to any employee of the North Carolina State Ports Authority other than the Executive Director.