Code of Alabama
Article 9 - Parks, Playgrounds, and Other Recreational and Athletic Areas and Facilities.
Section 11-47-218 - Powers of Authorities Generally; Location of Projects; Exercise of Power of Eminent Domain.

(a) In addition to all other powers at any time conferred on it by law, and subject to any express provisions of its certificate of incorporation to the contrary, an authority shall have the following lawful powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to discharge thereof in the corporate form:
(1) To have succession by its corporate name in perpetuity or for the duration specified in its certificate of incorporation.
(2) To sue and be sued in its own name in civil actions and to defend actions against it.
(3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure.
(4) To adopt, alter, and repeal bylaws, regulations, and rules, not inconsistent with this article or its certificate of incorporation, for the regulation and conduct of the affairs and business of the authority.
(5) To acquire, receive, take, and hold, whether by purchase, gift, lease, devise or otherwise, property of every description, whether real, personal or mixed, and to manage the property and to develop any undeveloped property owned, leased, or controlled by it.
(6) To borrow money and to sell and issue bonds for any corporate use or purposes.
(7) To acquire, whether by gift, purchase, transfer, foreclosure, lease, or otherwise, to construct and to expand, improve, operate, maintain, equip, and furnish one or more projects, including all real and personal properties that its board may deem necessary in connection therewith.
(8) To lease to any person or persons all or any part of any project or projects that are or shall be owned by it, to charge and collect rent therefor and to terminate the lease upon the failure of the lessee to comply with any of the obligations thereof, all upon the terms and conditions as its board may deem advisable.
(9) To pledge for payment of any bonds issued or assumed by the authority any revenues, including any moneys payable by a subdivision to, or for the benefit of, the authority for such purpose, from which the bonds are payable, and to mortgage or pledge any or all of its projects and revenues or any part or parts thereof, whether then owned or received or thereafter acquired or received.
(10) To assume obligations secured by a lien on or secured by and payable out of or secured by a pledge of any project or projects or part thereof or the revenues derived from any project or projects that may be acquired by the authority.
(11) To make, enter into, and execute contracts, agreements, leases, and other instruments, and to take such other actions as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the authority was organized or to exercise any power expressly granted under this article.
(12) To enter into contracts with, to accept aid, loans, and grants from, to cooperate with, and to do any and all things not specifically prohibited by this article or other applicable laws of the state which may be necessary in order to avail itself of the aid and cooperation of the United States of America, the state, or any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of either thereof in furtherance of the purposes of this article.
(13) To receive and accept from any source aid or contributions in the form of money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied to carry out the purposes of this article, subject to any lawful condition upon which the aid or contributions may be given or made.
(14) To enter into a management contract or contracts with any municipality, any county, or any person or persons for the management, supervision, or operation of all or any part of its projects as may in the judgment of the authority be necessary or desirable in order to perform more efficiently or economically and function for which it may become responsible in the exercise of the powers conferred upon it by this article.
(15) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property and other assets in the amounts and from the insurers as its board may deem desirable.
(16) To invest its moneys, including, without limitation, the moneys held in any special fund created pursuant to any indenture securing any of its bonds and proceeds from the sale of any bonds, not required for immediate use in:
a. Any debt securities that are direct, general obligations of the United States of America.
b. Any debt securities, the payment of the principal of and interest on which is unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America.
c. Any time deposit with, or any certificate of deposit issued by, any bank which is organized under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof and deposits which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States of America that may succeed to the functions of the corporation.
d. Any debt obligation in which an insurance company organized under the laws of the state may legally invest its money at the time of investment by the authority.
(17) To procure or agree to the procurement of insurance or guarantees from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from any private insurance company, of the payment of any bonds issued by the authority, and to pay premiums or fees for the insurance or guarantees.
(18) To fix and charge fees and to make rules and regulations for the conduct, management, and use of projects.
(19) To appoint, employ, contract with, and provide for compensation of the officers, employees, and agents, including engineers, attorneys, consultants, financial advisors, and other employees, as the business of the authority may require, including the power to fix working conditions and other conditions of employment by general rule, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation of the authority, and the power at its option to provide a system of disability pay, retirement, compensation, and pensions or any of them and to hire and fire servants, agents, employees, and officers at will.
(20) To sell and convey any of its properties that, in the judgment of the board, have become obsolete or worn out or that may no longer be needed or useful.
(21) To participate as a shareholder in a corporation, as a joint venturer in a joint venture, as a general or limited partner in a limited partnership or a general partnership, as a member in a nonprofit corporation, or as a member of any other lawful form of business organization.
(22) To elect (i) all or any of the members of the board of directors of any nonprofit corporation of which the authority is a member or of which any one or more of the members of the board of directors of the authority is an ex officio member (subject, however, to any contrary or inconsistent provision of the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the nonprofit corporation), and (ii) all or any of the members of the board of directors of any nonprofit corporation that has no members and whose articles of incorporation or bylaws provide for the election of one or more of the members of its board of directors from among members of the board of directors of the authority (subject, however, to any contrary or inconsistent provision of the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the nonprofit corporation).
(23) To create, establish, acquire, operate, or support subsidiaries and affiliates, either for profit or nonprofit, to assist the authority in fulfilling its purposes.
(24) To create, establish, or support nonaffiliated for profit or nonprofit corporations or other lawful business organizations which operate and have as their purpose the furtherance of the purposes of the authority.
(25) Without limiting the generality of the preceding subdivisions (23) and (24), to accomplish and facilitate the creation, establishment, acquisition, operation, or support of the subsidiary, affiliate, nonaffiliated corporation, or other lawful business organization, by means of loans of funds, leases of real or personal property, gifts and grants of funds, or guarantees of indebtedness of the subsidiaries, affiliates, and nonaffiliated corporations.
(26) To do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and to exercise its powers pursuant to this article.
(b) Any project or projects of an authority organized pursuant to authorization from an authorizing municipality may be located within or without or partially within and partially without the authorizing municipality, subject to the following conditions:
(1) No project or part thereof shall be located more than 30 miles from the corporate limits of the authorizing municipality.
(2) No project or part thereof shall be located within the corporate limits of a municipality other than the authorizing municipality in this state.
(3) No project or part thereof shall be located within the police jurisdiction of another municipality in this state unless the governing body of the municipality has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of the project or part thereof in the police jurisdiction of the municipality.
(4) No project or part thereof shall be located in a county other than the county in which the principal place and seat of government and at least a portion of the authorizing municipality are situated unless the governing body of the other county has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of the project or part thereof in the county.
(5) Any project or part thereof that is located outside of the authorizing municipality shall comply with all zoning laws, subdivision restrictions and regulations, and all other laws and regulations of any county or municipality in which the project or a part thereof is situated.
(c) Any project or projects of an authority organized pursuant to authorization from an authorizing county may be located within or without or partially within and partially without the authorizing county, subject to the following conditions:
(1) No part of a project shall be located more than three miles outside the boundaries of the authorizing county.
(2) In no event shall any project or part thereof be located within the corporate limits of a municipality unless the governing body of the municipality has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of the project or part thereof in the municipality.
(3) No project or part thereof shall be located in a county other than the authorizing county unless the governing body of the other county has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of a part of the project in the other county.
(d) Any project or projects of an authority jointly organized pursuant to authorization from two or more subdivisions may be located within or without or partially within and partially without the respective authorizing subdivisions, subject to the following conditions:
(1) No project or part thereof shall be located in a county other than (i) the county in which any authorizing municipality is situated and has its principal place and seat of government, or (ii) a county that is also an authorizing subdivision unless the governing body of the other county has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of the project or part thereof in the county.
(2) No project or part thereof shall be located within the corporate limits of a municipality other than an authorizing municipality unless the governing body of the municipality has first adopted a resolution consenting to the location of the project or part thereof in the municipality.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the acquisition by eminent domain of any real property or rights owned or held by railroads or utilities, both public or private.