2017 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 54 - Ports and Maritime Matters
CHAPTER 3 - SOUTH CAROLINA STATE PORTS AUTHORITY
Section 54-3-140. Powers of Authority.

In order to enable it to carry out the purposes of this chapter, the Authority:

(1) Shall 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 alter it as may be deemed expedient;

(2) May rent, lease, buy, own, acquire, mortgage and dispose of such property, real or personal, as the Authority may deem proper to carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter, all or any of them;

(3) May acquire, construct, maintain, equip and operate wharves, docks, ships, 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 belt line 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, including terminal railroads;

(4) May acquire, construct, maintain, operate and contract to operate in any of said counties airports, seaplane bases, naval bases and any other facilities necessary or useful in carrying out the purposes of this chapter and of the Authority;

(5) Shall adopt an organizational structure for authority operations implemented by the executive director;

(6) Shall establish an office for the transaction of its business in the city of Charleston and such other offices within and without the State as may be deemed by the board to be necessary or useful in carrying out the purposes of this chapter;

(7) May create and operate such agencies and departments as the board may deem necessary or useful for the furtherance of any of the purposes of this chapter;

(8) May pay all necessary costs and expenses involved in and incident to the formation and organization of the Authority and incident to the administration and operation thereof and all other costs and expenses reasonably necessary or expedient in carrying out and accomplishing the purposes of this chapter;

(9) May apply for and accept loans and grants of money from any Federal agency for any and all of the purposes authorized in this chapter and expend such moneys in accordance with the directions and requirements attached thereto or imposed thereon by any such Federal agency and give such evidences of indebtedness as shall be required by any such Federal agency, except that no indebtedness of any kind incurred or created by the Authority shall constitute an indebtedness of the State, or any political subdivision thereof, and no such indebtedness shall involve or be secured by the faith, credit or taxing power of the State, or any political subdivision thereof;

(10) May 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) May adopt, alter or repeal its own bylaws, rules and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be transacted and in which the powers 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;

(12) May 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;

(13) May do any and all things necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter; and

(14) May promulgate rules and 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, and may provide 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. Licenses may be revoked after notice and hearing by the Authority for wilful breach of or failure to comply with such rules and regulations.

But the Authority shall not engage in shipbuilding except upon the unanimous vote of its members.

(15) Shall develop a long-range port development and capital financing plan, with a minimum twenty-year forecast period at the time of adoption that provides for the promotion, development, construction, equipping, maintaining, and operation of the state's harbors and seaports to maximize their economic benefit to the State, including, but not limited to, Charleston and Georgetown. The plan must be revised at least every five years, to reflect and account for changing conditions. The long-range plan must be submitted to the General Assembly;

(16) Shall review port operations and proposals for future operations and construction to determine whether utilizing a public-private partnership to achieve the current or proposed operational goals and development is the most advantageous method to the State and would result in the most timely, economical, efficient, and successful fulfillment of the operational goals or completion of the development project;

(17) Shall take all necessary steps it finds reasonable to establish rail access to port facilities in Charleston County by any Class I railway operating in Charleston County on the effective date of this item. The authority shall report annually to the General Assembly and the Governor on the status of efforts to establish rail access.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 54-14; 1952 Code Section 54-14; 1942 (42) 1535; 1957 (50) 30; 2009 Act No. 73, Sections 3, 4, eff June 16, 2009.

Effect of Amendment

The 2009 amendment, rewrote item (5) which formerly dealt with employment, dismissal and fixing the compensation of board employees; and added item (15) relating to development of a long-range port development and capital financing plan, item (16) relating to review of port operations and proposals for future operations and construction, and item (17) relating to rail access.