§ 3. [Rights and authority.]

The Hernando County Port Authority and its membership board shall have the following rights and authority:

(1)

To acquire land, submerged land and water rights by purchase, gift, condemnation or otherwise and to hold and dispose of the same upon such terms and conditions as the governing body shall deem necessary and prudent and to improve such land or lands so acquired in any manner which promotes or has a tendency to promote the public good of Hernando County.

(2)

To construct wharves, docks, platforms, airports, airdromes, hangars, airfields, hydroplane landing stations, trestles, causeways, fills, bridges, channels, tunnels, jetties, ports, warehouses, shipping facilities via land or water or air, ferries, aquariums, radio broadcasting and receiving stations, lighting and water systems, streets, sidewalks, precooling and cold storage plants, and to do all other things incidental and necessary to the enumerated items in order to promote, create, maintain and operate a commercial port for vessels, aircraft, railroad terminals, and facilities for connectings to trunk line railroads.

(3)

To contract.

(4)

To take by eminent domain.

(5)

The right to sue and be sued in the name of its corporate authority or administrative agency.

(6)

To prescribe, fix, maintain and regulate charges, tolls, or rents for the use of any of its facilities by persons or things at the discretion of its governing body.

(7)

To mortgage, pledge, or otherwise encumber any of its property or assets upon terms and conditions to be decided by the governing body. This power shall be full and complete in all respects in order to promote, construct, accomplish, maintain and operate any of the public purposes or projects herein enumerated.

(8)

To borrow money and to incur indebtedness by the issuance of revenue bonds or certificates, with or without security, as the port authority may determine. The indebtedness of the port authority shall not be considered a debt of Hernando County.

(9)

To adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations or procedures pertaining to the use, acquisition, maintenance, development, operation or disposal of any of the facilities or projects herein enumerated, including the right to grant exclusive or nonexclusive franchises for all goods and services.

(10)

To acquire, do and perform all things herein enumerated separately or jointly or in conjunction with a municipality or other political subdivision of the state whether the same be within or without the territorial limits of Hernando County.

(11)

To employ secretaries, attorneys, engineers, and other technical assistants and employees as the governing body shall determine to be necessary.

(Laws of Fla., Ch. 65-1618, § 3)