Powers of the authority.

Except as otherwise limited herein, the authority shall have the power:

(1) To sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, complain and defend in all courts.

(2) To adopt, use and alter at will, a seal.

(3) To acquire, purchase, hold, lease as lessee and use any franchise, property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein, necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of the authority, and to sell, lease as lessor, transfer and dispose of any property or interest therein at any time acquired by it.

(4) To construct, reconstruct or improve on or along the system suitable facilities for gas stations, restaurants and other facilities for the public; such facilities may be publicly offered for leasing for operation under rules and regulations to be established by the authority.

(5) To enter into and make lease-purchase agreements as provided in s. 348.60 for terms not exceeding 40 years, or until all bonds secured by a pledge thereunder, and all refundings thereof, are fully paid as to both principal and interest, whichever is longer.

(6) To fix, alter, charge, establish and collect tolls, rates, fees, rentals and other charges for the services and facilities of the expressway system, which tolls, rates, fees, rentals and other charges shall always be sufficient to comply with any covenants made with the holders of any bonds; provided, however, that such right and power, or any part thereof may be assigned or delegated, by the authority, to the lessee under a lease-purchase agreement.

(7) To borrow money and to make and issue negotiable bonds, notes, refunding bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness or obligations, either in temporary or definitive form, hereinafter in this chapter referred to as “bonds of the authority,” for the purpose of financing all or part of the improvement or extension of the expressway system and appurtenant facilities, including all approaches, streets, roads, bridges, and avenues of access for the expressway system, and for any other purpose authorized by this part, and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof.

(8) To secure the payment of bonds by a pledge of all or any portion of the revenues or such other moneys legally available therefor and of all or any portion of the Hillsborough County gasoline tax funds in the manner provided by this part; and in general to provide for the security of the bonds and the rights and remedies of the holders thereof. Interest upon the amount of gasoline tax funds to be repaid to the county pursuant to s. 348.60 shall be payable, at the highest rate applicable to any outstanding bonds of the authority, out of revenues and other available moneys not required to meet the authority’s obligations to its bondholders. The authority shall have no power at any time or in any manner to pledge the credit or taxing power of the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof, including the city and the county, nor shall any of the authority’s obligations be deemed to be obligations of the state or of any political subdivision or agency thereof, nor shall the state or any political subdivision or agency thereof, except the authority, be liable for the payment of the principal of or interest on such obligations.

(9) To make contracts of every name and nature and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient for the carrying on of its business.

(10) Without limitation of the foregoing, to borrow money and accept gifts or grants from, and to enter into contracts, leases or other transactions with any federal agency, the state, any agency of the state, the county, the city or with any other public body of the state or any other person and to comply with the terms and conditions thereof.

(11) To have the power of eminent domain.

(12) To construct and maintain over, under, along, or across the system, telephone, telegraph, television, electric power and other wires or cables, pipelines, water mains and other conduits and mechanical equipment, not inconsistent with the appropriate use of the system, or to contract for such construction; and upon such terms and conditions as the authority shall determine, to lease all or any part of such property and facilities or the right to use the same whether such facilities are constructed by the authority or under a contract for such construction, for a period of not more than 20 years from the date when such lease is made.

(13) To do all acts and things necessary or convenient for the conduct of its business and the general welfare of the authority, in order to carry out the powers granted to it by this part or any other law.

(14) Prior to entering into any sale, lease, transfer or disposition of its real properties pursuant to subsection (3), leasing any of its facilities pursuant to subsection (4), or taking final action under subsection (7), the authority shall give notice thereof by publication on at least 5 separate days, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. Such notice shall state the place and time, not less than 14 days following the first such publication, when objections may be filed with and heard by the authority.

(15) With the consent of the county within whose jurisdiction the activities occur, to construct, operate, and maintain roads, bridges, avenues of access, thoroughfares, and boulevards and managed lanes and other transit supporting facilities outside of the jurisdictional boundaries of Hillsborough County and within the jurisdictional boundaries of counties contiguous to Hillsborough County, together with the right to construct, repair, replace, operate, install, and maintain such facilities and electronic toll payment systems thereon or incidental thereto, with all necessary and incidental powers to accomplish the foregoing.