The authority board has all the rights and powers of a body politic and corporate and body corporate of this State, including without limitation, all the rights and powers necessary or convenient to manage the business and affairs of the authority and to take action as it considers advisable, necessary, or convenient in carrying out its powers, including, but not limited to, the following rights and powers to:

(1) have perpetual succession;

(2) sue and be sued;

(3) adopt, use, and alter a corporate seal;

(4) adopt and amend bylaws for regulation of its affairs consistent with this chapter;

(5) notwithstanding any provision of law or regulation to the contrary, and in accordance with its own procurement procedures or regulations as approved by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, acquire, purchase, hold, use, improve, manage, lease, mortgage, pledge, sell, transfer, and dispose of any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any interest in any property, or revenues of the authority, including as security for notes, bonds, evidences of indebtedness, or other obligations of the authority. Except for the provisions of Subarticle 3, Article 21, Chapter 35 of Title 11, in exercising the powers authorized in this chapter the authority is exempt from Title 11 of Chapter 35. The authority has no power to pledge the credit and the taxing power of the State or any of its political subdivisions;

(6) receive contributions, donations, and payments and to invest and disperse the authority’s funds;

(7) encourage, assist, promote, and cooperate in the development of the Edisto River and the streams, canals, or watercourses now or at a later time connected to or flowing into the river and to appear on behalf of the State before any agency, department, or commission of this State, of the United States, or of any other state in furtherance of the development or of any matter connected with the development or related to the development;

(8) to negotiate agreements, accords, or compacts on behalf of and in the name of the State with the United States, with any agency, department, or commission of the United States, relating to the development of the Edisto River and the development of the streams, canals, or watercourses now or at a later time connected to or flowing into the river, and particularly in reference to joint or concurrent action in the furtherance of agreements, accords, or contracts;

(9) act as a regional development agency of the State to receive, purchase, hold title to, and to manage any real property in its jurisdiction acquired by release of surplus real property, by purchase, by donation, by lease, or by exchange and to develop and promote the development of the land for recreational, transportation, residential, commercial, and industrial purposes, both public and private, and to lease, sublease, or convey title in fee simple to the real property as provided in the bylaws of the authority. The authority shall retain, carry forward, or expend any proceeds derived from the sale, lease, rental, or other use of real and personal property under the authority’s exclusive jurisdiction. The proceeds shall be used only in the development and the promotion of the authority as provided by this chapter and for the purposes authorized by this chapter;

(10) promulgate regulations governing the use of or doing business on the authority’s property or facilities, including the adoption of safety standards and insurance coverage or proof of financial responsibility including, but not limited to, providing for the licensing of persons, firms, or corporations using or doing business on such property or facilities, and for license fees to cover the expense thereof;

(11) borrow money, make and issue notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness, including refunding and advanced refunding notes and bonds, of the authority; to secure the payment of the obligations or any part by mortgage, lien, pledge, or deed of trust, on any of its property, contracts, franchises, or revenues, including the proceeds of any refunding and advanced refunding notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness and the investments in which proceeds are invested and the earnings on and income from the investments in which proceeds are invested in the earnings on and income from the investments; to invest its monies, including, without limitation, its revenues and proceeds of the notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness, in obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are guaranteed by or are fully secured by contracts with, the United States, in obligations of any agency, instrumentality, or corporation which has been or may at a later time be created by or pursuant to an act of the United States Congress as an agency, instrumentality, or corporation, in direct and general obligations of this State, and in certificates of deposit issued by any bank, trust company, or national banking association; to make agreements with the purchasers or holders of the notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness or with others in connection with any notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness whether issued or to be issued, as the authority considers advisable; and to provide for the security for the notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness.

In the exercise of the powers granted in this section to issue advanced refunding notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness the authority may, but is not required to, avail itself of or comply with any of the provisions of Chapter 21 of Title 11. The authority, when investing in certificates of deposit, shall invest in certificates of deposit issued by institutions authorized to do business in this State if the institutions offer terms which, in the opinion of the authority, are equal to or better than those offered by other institutions;

(12) loan the proceeds of notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness to a person, corporation, or partnership to construct, acquire, improve, or expand the projects described in § 13-21-50;

(13) to make contracts, including service contracts with a person, corporation, or partnership, to provide the services provided in § 13-21-50, and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient for the carrying out of business;

(14) for the acquiring of rights-of-way and property necessary for the accomplishment of its duties and purposes, the authority may purchase them by negotiation or may condemn them, and should it elect the right of eminent domain, condemnation actions must be in the name of the authority. The power of eminent domain applies to all property of private persons or corporations and also to property already devoted to public use in any of the counties which are represented by members as set forth in § 13-21-10;

(15) employ and dismiss, at the will and pleasure of the authority, those employees, consultants, and other providers of services as the authority considers necessary and to fix and to pay their compensation. Employees of the authority or any entity established pursuant to § 13-21-200 are not considered to be state employees except for eligibility for participation in the State Retirement System and the State Health Insurance Group Plans and pursuant to Chapter 78 of Title 15. Chapter 11 of Title 8 and Article 5, Chapter 17 of Title 8 do not apply to the authority. The authority is responsible for complying with the other state and federal laws covering employers. The authority may contract with the Division of Human Resources Management of the Department of Administration to establish a comprehensive human resource management program. Except for the provisions of Subarticle 3, Article 21, Chapter 35 of Title 11, the provisions of Chapter 35 of Title 11 do not apply to the authority in the employment of consultants and other providers of service, but consultants and other providers of services are subject to the authority’s procurement procedures or regulations as approved by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority;

(16) fix, alter, charge, and collect tolls, fees, rents, charges, and assessments for the use of the facilities of or for the services rendered by, the authority; these rates must be at least sufficient to provide for payment of all expenses of the authority, the conservation, maintenance, and operation of its facilities and properties, the payment of principal and interest on its notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness or obligation, and to fulfill the terms and provisions of any agreements made with the purchasers and holders of these notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness or obligation.