CHAPTER 100
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 62-106.7 and 62-106.8, as amended, of
the Code of Virginia, relating to powers of the Virginia State Ports
Authority.
[H 120]

Approved February 25, 1960

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: _
1. That §§ 62-106.7 and 62-106.8, as amended, of the Code of Virginia,
be amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 62-106.7. Through the Board, the State of Virginia may engage
in promoting, developing, constructing, equipping, maintaining, and oper-
ating the harbors or seaports within the State, or its jurisdiction, by
means of acquiring or constructing, maintaining and operating at such
seaports or harbors water craft and terminal facilities necessary or useful
in connection therewith. The Authority is charged with the accomplish-
ment of the following general purposes, all or any of them, which are
intended to broaden, and not to restrict, any other powers given to it in
this chapter, namely:

(a) To develop and improve the harbors or seaports of this State
for the handling of water-borne commerce from and to any part of the
State of Virginia and other states and foreign countries;

(b) To acquire, construct, equip, maintain, develop and improve such
harbors or seaports and their port facilities and to issue revenue bonds
for these purposes;

(c) To foster and stimulate the shipment of cargoes and commerce
through such ports, whether originating within or without the State of
Virginia, including the investigation and handling of matters pertaining
to all transportation rates and rate structures affecting the same;

(d) To compile and disseminate in a single publication, so far as
practicable, all port charges, rules and practices in effect at the several
ports in this State;

(e) To cooperate with the United States of America, and any agency,
department, corporation or instrumentality thereof, in the maintenance,
development, improvement and use of such harbors and seaports;

(f) To accept funds and property from persons, counties, cities and
towns, and to use the same in such manner, within the purposes of the
Authority, as shall be stipulated by the grantor, and to act as agent or
instrumentality for any of such persons, counties, cities or towns in any
matter coming within the general purposes of such Authority; counties,
cities and towns are hereby authorized to make grants to the Authority
for its purposes and to appoint it as agent;

(g) 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;

(g1) To issue revenue bonds for the acquisition, construction, recon-
struction or control of harbors, seaports and their port facilities;

(h) And in general to do and perform any act or function which may
tend to or be useful toward the development and improvement of the har-
bors and seaports of this State, and to the increase of commerce, foreign
and domestic, through its harbors and seaports;

(i) But the Authority shall not be authorized or empowered to
expend funds appropriated by the General Assembly on, nor to incur any
indebtedness on account of, improvement, repair, maintenance, or addi-
tion to real or personal property belonging to anyone other than the
Authority or the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a political subdivision of
the Commonwealth of Virginia, unless the use of such property is guar-
anteed to the Authority, or the Commonwealth of Virginia by a lease,
extending beyond the useful life of the improvement, repair, maintenance
or addition or of any new facility erected thereon.
§ 62-106.8. In order to enable it to carry out the purposes of this
chapter, the Authority, but without pledging the faith and credit of the
Commonwealth of Virginia: .

(a) Is vested with the powers of a body corporate, including the
power to sue and be sued, to make contracts, and to adopt and use a com-
mon seal and to alter the same as may be deemed expedient;

(b) Is authorized and empowered to rent, lease, buy, own, acquire *
and dispose of such property, real or personal, as the Authority deems
proper to carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter, all or any
of them and to issue revenue bonds for buying or acquiring such prop-
erty; and to lease to another such part or all of its property, real or per-
sonal, for such period or periods of years, upon such terms and conditions,
with or without an option on the part of the lessee to purchase any or
all of the leased property at such price, at or after the retirement of all
indebtedness incurred by the Authority on account thereof, as the
Authority shall determine. ae

(c) Is authorized and empowered to acquire, construct, maintain,
equip and operate any wharves, docks, ships, piers, quays, elevators, com-
pressors, 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 shipping facilities, and transportation facilities incident
thereto and useful or convenient for the use thereof and to issue revenue
bonds for these purposes;

(d) May appoint and employ and dismiss at pleasure such employees
as it may select. The Authority may retain legal counsel, subject to the
approval of the Attorney General, to represent the Authority in rate cases
and all other hearings, controversies, or matters involving the interests of
the Authority and the furtherance of its duties;

(e) Is authorized to establish and maintain a traffic bureau or other
office to investigate and seek improvement in rates, rate structure, prac-
tices and charges affecting the Virginia ports so as to increase the com-
merce of such ports;

(f) Is authorized and empowered to apply for and accept grants or
loans of money or other property from any federal agency for any and
all of the purposes authorized in this chapter, and to expend or use the
same in accordance with the directions and requirements attached thereto
or imposed thereon by any such federal agency;

‘(f1) Is authorized and empowered to issue periodicals and to carry
and charge for advertising therein;

(f2) Is authorized to establish and maintain branch offices within and
without the State and the United States;

(f8) Is authorized to employ, fix and pay compensation of employees
within and without the State and the United States without regard to
whether such employees are citizens of the United States;

(f4) Is authorized to issue revenue bonds for the acquisition, con-
struction, reconstruction or control of harbors, seaports and facilities used
in connection therewith;

(g) Is vested with power to adopt, alter or repeal its own by-laws,
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; and

(h) Is authorized and empowered to do any and all other acts and
things in this chapter authorized or required to be done, whether or not
included in the general powers in this section mentioned.