7-14-1102. Regional port authority. (1) Two or more local governments may by joint resolution create a public body, corporate and politic, to be known as a regional port authority. The resolution creating a regional port authority must create a board of not less than five commissioners. The number to be appointed, their term, and their compensation, if any, must be provided for in the resolution. Each such regional port authority shall organize, select officers for terms to be fixed by agreement, and adopt and amend from time to time rules for its own procedure.
     (2) A regional port authority may be increased from time to time to serve one or more additional counties or municipalities if each additional local government, each of the local governments then included in the regional authority, and the commissioners of the regional authority, respectively, adopt a joint resolution consenting thereto. However, if a local port authority for any local government seeking to be included in the regional authority is then in existence, the commissioners of the local authority must consent to the inclusion of the county or municipality in the regional authority; upon the inclusion of such local government in the regional authority, all rights, contracts, obligations, and real and personal property of the local authority must be in the name of and vest in the regional authority.
     (3) A regional port authority may be decreased if each of the local governments then included in the regional authority and the commissioners of the regional authority consent to the decrease and make provisions for the retention or disposition of its assets and liabilities.
     (4) A county or municipality may not adopt any resolution authorized by this section without a public hearing thereon. Notice must be given at least 10 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper published in the county or municipality or, if there is no newspaper published therein, in a newspaper having general circulation in the county or municipality.
     (5) For the purpose of this part, a regional port authority has the same powers as all other political subdivisions in the adoption and enforcement of comprehensive port zoning regulations, as provided by the laws of this state.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 456, L. 1985.