(a)        The charter may confer on the regional sports authority any or all of the following powers:

(1)        To apply for, accept, receive, and dispense funds and grants made available to it by the State of North Carolina or any agency thereof, the United States of America or any agency thereof, any unit of local government (whether or not a member of the authority), and any private or civic agency;

(2)        To employ personnel;

(3)        To contract with consultants;

(4)        To contract with the State of North Carolina, any other state, the United States of America, or any agency thereof, for services;

(5)        To adopt bylaws for the regulation of the affairs and the conduct of its business, and to prescribe rules, regulations and policies in connection with the performance of its functions and duties, not inconsistent with this Part;

(6)        To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure;

(7)        To acquire and maintain an administrative building or office at such place or places as it may determine, which building or office may be used or owned alone or together with any municipalities, corporations, associations or persons under such terms and provisions for sharing costs and otherwise as may be determined;

(8)        To sue and be sued in its own name, and to plead and be impleaded;

(9)        To receive, administer, and comply with the conditions and requirements respecting any gift, grant, or donation of any property or money;

(10)      To acquire by purchase, lease, gift, or otherwise, or to obtain options for the acquisition of, any property, real or personal, improved or unimproved, including an interest in land less than the fee thereof;

(11)      To sell, lease, exchange, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, or to grant options for any such purposes with respect to, any real or personal property or interest therein;

(12)      To pledge, assign, mortgage, or otherwise grant a security interest in any real or personal property or interest therein, including the right and power to pledge, assign, or otherwise grant a security interest in any money, rents, charges, or other revenues and any proceeds derived by an authority from any and all sources;

(13)      To issue revenue bonds of the authority to finance regional sports and recreational facilities, including support facilities, to refund any revenue bonds or notes issued by the authority, whether or not in advance of their maturity or earliest redemption date, or to provide funds for other corporate purposes of the authority;

(14)      With the approval of the unit of local government’s chief administrative official, to use officers, employees, agents, and facilities of the unit of local government for such purposes and upon such terms as may be mutually agreeable;

(15)      To develop and make data, plans, information, surveys, and studies of public sports and recreation facilities within the territorial jurisdiction of an authority, to prepare and make recommendations in regard thereto;

(16)      To study and plan for new and improved major regional sports and recreational facilities including but not limited to arenas, stadia, gymnasia, natatoria, pitches, fields, watercourses, and other areas for the conduct of sports and recreational activities. These facilities should be of such sizes and in such locations that they will be adequate to serve the population of the entire jurisdiction of the authority (and beyond) to the extent possible;

(17)      To design any new such facilities so they include such equipment and design that efficiency, cost, accessibility, utility, and usability of such facilities will be maximized;

(18)      To have sports facilities grouped into complexes or separated as an authority may see fit, and such facilities may include ancillary support facilities including but not limited to those for administration, sports science, sports medicine, training, museums, meeting rooms and conference centers, accommodations, food services, retail shops, theatres, video services, schools, and educational services.

(19)      To operate the facilities in such a way as to make them as accessible as possible for rental and use by the public while balancing the need for as many of the facilities as possible (particularly any arenas and stadia) to operate annually without a deficit (exclusive of any debt service);

(20)      To operate such facilities together with the State, any entity of the State, or local government as appropriate to maintain a high profile and promotional value for North Carolina and the region encompassed by an authority and to attract as many major regional, national, and international tournaments, events, championships training centers, training camps, and headquarters for the governance of various sports, associations, and events as reasonable and possible;

(21)      To generate a significant and continuing positive economic impact on the region and State through the construction and operation of facilities and conduct of events and activities within the facilities;

(22)      To set and collect such fees and charges for use of such facilities as is reasonable to offset operating costs of said facilities and yet enable said facilities to be affordable to and used by as much of the regional and State population as possible;

(23)      To apply to the appropriate agencies of the State, the United States or any state thereof, and to any other proper agency for such permits, licenses, certificates or approvals as may be necessary, and to construct, maintain and operate projects in accordance with such licenses, permits, certificates or approvals in the same manner as any other person or operating unit of any other person;

(24)      To employ engineers, architects, attorneys, real estate counselors, appraisers, financial advisors and such other consultants and employees as may be required in the judgment of an authority and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available to an authority therefor and to select and retain subject to approval of the Local Government Commission, the financial consultants, underwriters and bond attorneys to be associated with the issuance of any revenue bonds and to pay for services rendered by underwriters, financial consultants, or bond attorneys out of the proceeds of any such issue with regard to which the services were performed; and

(25)      To do all acts and things necessary, convenient, or desirable to carry out the purposes, and to exercise the powers granted to an authority herein.

(b)        The charter may not confer the following powers on the regional sports authority:

(1)        To issue general obligation bonds or otherwise incur a debt that is secured by the full faith and/or credit of the authority, a member government of the authority, or the State.

(2)        To levy a property tax or other tax.

(3)        To acquire property by eminent domain. (1989, c. 780, s. 1; 2007-495, s. 19.)